Vocabulary Flashcards
Agnosticism
The view that the existence of God or the supernatural is unknown or unknowable
Anabaptist
Christian’s who believe that baptism is valid only when the candidate confesses his or her faith in Christ and wants to be baptized. This believe is opposed to the baptism of infants, who cannot make a conscious decision to be baptized
- “one who baptizes again”
Annihilationism
Extinctionism is not destructionism
The belief that after the final judgement some human beings and all fallen angels (all the damned) will be totally destroyed so as to not exist, or that their consciousness will be extinguished, rather than suffer everlasting torment in hell
Arianism
Christogical concept which asserts the belief that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who was begotten by the Father at a point in time, is distinct from the Father and is therefore subordinate to the Father (first attributed to Arius)
- denies divinity of Christ
Arminianism (?)
The belief that, although God dies for everyone, we choose God rather than predestination
Atheism
Disbelief or lack of belief in the existence of God or gods
Atonement
An act that reconciles God and humanity - usually applies to Jesus’ death on the cross
Calvinism (Reformed)
Belief in predestination, total depravity, unconditional election, limited atonement, TULIP; scripture + tradition/Church, but scripture > tradition
Cessation
Doctrine that spiritual gifts such as speaking in tongues, prophecy and healing ceased with the apostolic age
Charismatic
Umbrella term used to describe those Christians who believe that the manifestations of the Holy Spirit seen in the first century Christian Church, such as healing, miracles, and speaking in tongues, are available to contemporary Christians and ought to be experienced and practiced today
Christology
Branch of Christian theology relating to the person, nature, and role of Christ.
Conditionalism (conditional immortality)
Concept of special salvation in which the gift of immorality is attached to (conditional upon) belief in Jesus Christ
Christie Victor (Christ the Victor)
Theory of atonement that states Christ’s death defeated the powers of evil, which had held humankind in their dominion
Credobaptism (Believer’s Baptism)
From the Latin word credo meaning “I believe” - Christian practice of baptism only when an individual is able to make a profession of faith (understood by many evangelical denominations, particularly those that descend from the Anabaptist and English Baptist)
Deism
Belief in the existence of a supreme being, specifically of a creator who does not intervene in the universe.
Depravity (total)
Our inability or powerlessness to remedy our sinful condition by ourselves.
Determinism
Doctrine that all events, including human action, are ultimately determined by causes external to the will, some philosophers have taken determinism to imply that individual human beings have no free will and cannot be held morally responsible for their actions.
Dispensationalism
A kind of biblical interpretation that understands God’s plan of salvation for Jews as different from his plan of salvation for gentiles (“dispensation” is a way of working out a plan and “dispensing” something to others - in this case salvation)
Docetism
Doctrine (important in Gnosticism) that Christ’s body was not human but either a phantasm or of real but celestial substance, therefore his sufferings were only apparent
Dogma
Specific tenet or doctrine authoritatively laid down, as by a church (canon, law)
- derived from Latin meaning “philosophical tenet”
- Greek meaning “that which one thinks is true”
- “dokein”(Greek dokeo) “to seem good”
Ecclesiology
a) the study of churches, especially church building and decoration
b) theology as applied to the nature and structure of the Christian Church
Election
Refers to God’s choosing of individuals or peoples to be the objects of his grace or to otherwise fulfill his purposes
Eschatology
The study of the final things - the culmination and consummation of God’s plan and way of dealing with the world
Eucharist
Literally meaning “thanksgiving”.
Another word for the Lord’s Supper or “communion”; used in sacramental churches
Evangelical
Worldwide, transdenominational movement within Protestant Christianity which maintains that belief that the essence of the gospel consists of the doctrine of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ’s atonement
“Born again” experience, authority of the Bible ad God’s revelation to humanity, and spreading the Christian message is central.
Ex Nihilo (out of nothing)
The belief that God creates this world out of nothing
Expiation
An effect of Jesus’s death on the cross in which humanity’s sinfulness is covered over and set aside so that reconciliation between God and humanity can take place (atonement)
Fideism
Doctrine that says knowledge depends on faith or revelation
Fundamentalism
Form of religion, especially Islam or Protestant Christianity, that upholds belief in the strict, literal interpretation of Scripture
Glorification
The future transformation of saved persons in which we will be like Christ in every way
Gnosticism
A heresy which is made god a diverse set of beliefs. It is the teaching based on the idea of ghosis (Koine Greek word meaning “secret knowledge”), or knowledge of transcendence arrived at by way of internal, intuitive means
Hypostatic Union
The combination of divine and human natures in the single person of Christ
Imago Dei
The “image of God” in humans by which they reflect something of God in a limited and imperfect way
Immanence
God’s presence in and with Creation. Not a spatial concept but a relational concept that espressos God’s gracious involvement with the world of nature and history.
Immutable
Unchanging over time or unable to be changed
Imputation (counted, reckoned)
Attributing of actions to a source
I.e. the sin of Adam is imputed to all of his descendants and righteousness of Christ is imputed to them that believe in him (attributes to them and considered their own) and our sin is imputed to Christ (took our law-place and the demand of justice for our sins)
Incarnation
The divinity or deity of Jesus Christ in which he is God in human flesh.
Inerrancy
The Bible’s “inerrancy” means that the information it provides is accurate to the extent that is necessary to serve the purposes of its author (inerrant - without error; trustworthy)
Infallibility
Not liable to deceive; trustworthy (Biblical infallibility is the belief that what the Bible says regarding matters of faith and Christian practice is wholly useful and true
Infused (righteousness/grace)
Refers to the Roman Catholic doctrine of Justification (I.e. right standing before God)
Within this view, justification is seen as a “process” contrasted to the Protestant view of a moment-in-time forensic declaration by God that the sinner is righteous
Inspiration
The work of the Holy Spirit in influencing the authors and compilers of scripture to produce writings that adequately reflect what God desires to communicate to us.
Justification
An aspect of salvation in which we are declared righteous by God even when we are still sinners (standing right before God)
Kenosis
The renunciation of the divine nature, at least in part, by Christ in the Incarnation
Liberalism
Political philosophy or worldview founded on ideas of liberty and equality
Monergism
Position that God, through the Holy Spirit in Christianity, works to bring about salvation of an individual through spiritual regeneration, irrespective of the individuals cooperation.
Monotheism
Belief in one God who is personal, transcendent (other than the world) and immanent (present with the world)
Monophysitism
Asserts that in the person of Jesus Christ there was only one, divine nature rather than two natures, divine and human (as asserted at the council of Chalcedon in 451)
Omnipotence
The quality of having unlimited or very great power
Omnipresence
The state of being widespread or constantly encountered (the presence of God everywhere at the same time)
Omniscience
The state of knowing everything.
Open theism
Thesis that, because God loves us and desires that we freely choose to reciprocate His love, he has made his knowledge of, and plans for, the future conditional upon our actions. Though omniscient, God does not know what we will freely do in the future.
Original sin (ancestral sin)
Christian doctrine of humanity’s state of sin resulting from the fall of man, stemming from Adam And Eve’s rebellion in Eden, namely the sin of disobedience is consuming from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Orthodoxy
Authorized or generally accepted theory, doctrine, or practice
Paedobaptism
Infant baptism
Pantheism
A doctrine that identifies God with the universe, regards the universe as a manifestation of God.
Panentheism
The belief or doctrine that God is greater than the universe and includes and interpenetrates it
Parousia
An Ancient Greek work meaning presence, arrival, or official visit
Pelagianism
Belief that original sin did not taint human nature and that mortal will is still capable of choosing good or evil without special divine aid
Penal-substitution (forensic theory)
Theory of atonement within Christianity theology, developed by reformed tradition
Arguing that Christ, by his own sacrificial choice, was punished (penalized) in the place of sinners (substitution), can justly forgive the sins.
Eternal security (perseverance of the saints)
A teaching that asserts that once persons are truly “born to God” or “regenerated” by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, nothing in heaven or earth “shall be able to separate (them) from the love of God” (Romans 8:39) resulting in a reversal of the concerted condition.
Polytheism
Belief in more than one God or divine being
Postmodernism
Broad movement that developed in the mid-to late 20th century across philosophy, the arts, architecture and criticisms which marked a departure from modernism
Predestination
Divine forordaining of all that will happen, especially with regard to the salvation of some and not others (associated with the teachings of St. Augustine of Hippo and if Calvin)
Prevenient grace
It is diving grace that precedes human decision. It exist prior to and without reference to anything humans may have done
Concept rooted in Arminian theology, though it appeared earlier in Catholic Theology
Priesthood of believers
Protesters believe that through Christ they have been given direct access to God, just like a priest; thus the doctrine is called the priesthood of all believers.
God is equally accessible to all the faithful, and every Christian has equal potential to minister for God (universal priesthood)
Propitiation
The action of propitiating or appeasing a god, Spirit, or person - atonement, especially that of Jesus
Protestant
A member or follower of any of the Western Christian churches that are separate from the Roman Catholic Church and follow the principles of the reformation including Baptists, Presbyterians, and Lutheran churches.
Rapture
Refers to the controversial “predicted” end time event when all Christian believers - living and resurrected dead - will rise into the sky and join Christ for eternity
Reconciliation
A result of Jesus’s mission in which the enmity or hostility between God and humanity is overcome and set aside so that they can have a good relationship.
Regeneration
The aspect of salvation that is often called “born again”. The Holy Spirit effects a new, reconciled relationship between the person and God
Righteousness
The quality of being morally right or justifiable
Sacrament
An outward and visible sign of an inward, invisible grace. Sacramental Protestant churches recognize two sacraments: baptism and the Lord’s super (Eucharist). The Roman Catholic Church recognizes seven sacraments, including those two plus marriage, ordination, confirmation, last rites, and confession (penance)
Salvation
The spirit’s work in bringing us into full conformity with the likeness of Jesus Christ. It involves various aspects, all of which are the works of God’s grace.
Sanctification
The ongoing process whereby the Holy Spirit makes us Holy by setting us apart, transforming us into the likeness of Christ, and leading us into service to God
Sola Scriptura (by scripture alone)
Doctrine which holds that the Christian Scriptures are the sole infallible rule of faith and practice
Soteriology
The doctrine of salvation
Synergism
Position of those who hold that salvation involves some form of cooperation between divine grace and human freedom
Theodicy
The vindication of divine goodness and providence in view of the existence of evil
Tribulation
A state of great trouble or suffering
Universalism
Belief that in the end God will reconcile everyone to himself and gather everyone into fellowship with him.
Westleyen Quadrilateral (Methodist Quadrilateral)
Methodology for theological reflection that is credited to John Wesley, leader of Methodist movement in the late 18th century. The term itself was coined by 20th century American Methodist Scholar AlbertC. Outlet.
States that the ways we know God are through scripture, tradition, experience, and reason.
