Unit 1 Flashcards
The Trinity quote
“The trinity is one. We do not confess three Gods but one God in three persons.” CCC 253
Nicene creed
Individual declaration of faith/shared statement uniting Catholics as one body and church.
Quote from Nicene creed
“I believe in one God, the father almighty…”
Sources of the Trinity in bible
Nicene creed
Our father prayer from Matthew w ‘the word became flesh’ in John w ‘the Holy Spirit descending like a dove’ Matthew
Revelation
Something that is revealed by God to humans
How does the Trinity reveal some of the mystery of God to Catholics
Outside (father and creator)
Beside (son and saviour)
Inside (strengthening Holy Spirit)
How is the Trinity shown in worship today
BAPTISM (performed in name of father, son and Holy Spirit)
EUCHARIST(Eucharistic prayer thanks god the father while making son present through Holy Spirit)
SIGN OF THE CROSS
What are the three parts of god?
Father (almighty creator)
Son (Jesus Christ saviour)
Holy Spirit (strengthening, omnipresence)
Ways trinity is important to understand God
Conveys unity and oneness of God, as professed in CCC, ‘we do not confess three gods but one god in three persons’.
Reveals something of the mystery of God, inside us as Holy Spirit, beside us as son and saviour and outside us as father, the creator.
Doctrine
Belief held by the church
Creed
Formal statement of belief
History of trinity doctrine
Old Testament taught of one god in The shema.
Annunciation revealed trinity present at J’s baptism.
Trinity was lived experience of Christians through apostolic tradition.
Arius claimed J wasn’t god, just prophet.
Nicene creed clarified J’s divine nature.
Council of Constantinople clarified Holy Spirit as God.
Bible reflected apostolic tradition.
J’s baptism quote
“Spirit of God descending like a dove, and alighting on him; and lo, a voice from heaven, saying, “this is my beloved son.”
Matthew 3
Disagreements over trinity
Arius (Egyptian priest) believed J was just prophet. Alexander opposed this idea and excommunicated Arius from church. Constantine didn’t like division of church so commanded to sort it out, leading to formation of council of Nicaea who created Nicene creed to clear up any doubts that father and son were, ‘homoiousious’ (of similar substance).
3 catholic beliefs of the Nicene creed
3 persons make up God.
Believe in one God.
Holy Spirit is consubstantial w father and son.
2 sources of catholic teaching on trinity
Council of Nicaea> Nicene creed conveyed belief that father and son are one.
Apostolic tradition influenced scripture written at time through Holy Spirit.
2 effects of council of Nicaea on Catholic understanding of the trinity
Resolved disputes over trinity by conveying God’s unity.
Also conveys three persons within one God.
Used every mass.
‘The trinity is the most essential belief about a God.’ Evaluate
For: reveals something of mystery of God.
Represented in Matthew
Central part of worship
Emphasises God’s difference from humanity
Against:
Arianism don’t believe it
Against human nature and laws of world so is hard to understand.
Other beliefs are important, eg is benevolent.
‘Creatio ex nihilo ‘
Creation out of nothing in Hebrew
1st account of genesis
Overview of 6 days of creation. Showing god as a benevolent creator while demonstrating his goodness to give free will to all humans via Adam and Eve.
7 days of creation
1 heavens, earth, light, dark 2water and sky 3 land/plants 4 sun, moon and stars 5 fish and birds 6 land animals and humans 7 rest
2nd account of genesis
Detailed account describing original sin of Adam and Eve, showing how sin leads to suffering.
Literal interpretations of genesis
Creation is exact retelling of creation
Historical/ scientific
‘Creationism’
Metaphorical view of genesis
Creation is symbolic and sacred.
Meditation on nature and purpose of universe
Incorporates modern science
Role of the word quote
‘In the beginning was the word (…) and the word was God(…) all things were made through him.’ (John 1)
Incarnate man quote
‘The word became flesh and dwelt among us.’ John 1
4 key characteristics revealed by God through creation account
CREATOR / OMNIPOTENT (‘let there be light’genesis)
BENEVOLENT (‘god saw that the light was good.’ Genesis)
ETERNAL ‘in the beginning was the word.’ John
3 key features of the creation account for Catholic’s
On first day, God said, ‘let there be light.’
On the sixth day, he created all humans/land animals w free will.
Rested on 7th day.
Explain 2 characteristics of God revealed in the accounts of creation.
Eternal as was present from beginning, ‘in the beginning was the word’ John 1.
Benevolent as gave us free will and produced goodness, ‘and God saw that the light was good’ genesis.
‘The creation story is a metaphor.’evaluate
For: general Catholics believe it’s a meditation on nature/purpose of universe.
Science contradicts it.
Catechism says, ‘all scripture is inspired by God.’
Against:
Fundamentalists believe bible is inerrant.
Catholics believe god has power to create universe.
Any contradictions are done deliberately, therefore science is wrong.
scripture which is inerrant.
Imago Dei
Image of God
Creation and nature of humanity quote
“Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion” genesis 1:26