AQA A-Level Religious Studies - Sources of Wisdom and Authority

Overall, what do Christians believe about the authority of the Bible? (3 points)

• God gave the writers the words to write- teachings from Jesus and the Gospels were perfect but what we see now is an imperfect record- damaged by the interference of humans
• the only people who can correctly interpret the Bible's teachings are the Church- the writing in the Bible is fallible and only the church can differentiate between history and a teaching
• the Bible is a human's interpretation of God's expression through Jesus' life- the Bible may contain errors. However, it is authoritative as the writers were in the personal presence of God

Is the Bible special or general revelation, explain why.

Special revelation- occurs at specific times with specific people.

What is the purpose of the Bible?

The Bible is a collection of books that express beliefs about God and God's intent for humanity & natural world.

Define the Canon of the Bible.

Collection of books that religious early leaders believed were inspired by God & are authoritative.

Define inspiration.

In the biblical sense, the doctrine that God in some sense influenced the authors/ editors of the Bible- what they recorded was, therefore, the 'word of God'.

• Scripture is 'God- breathed'- God wrote scripture

Give two branches of conservative Christianity in reference to the authority of the Bible

• evangelical protestantism
• catholicism

Summarise the key beliefs of evangelical protestants.

• Christians are saved by grace, through faith in the atonement
• they are committed to spreading the word about Jesus
• 'Evangelism' - good news - spread the news of Jesus, the Messiah

What view do E.P hold about the nature and authority of the Bible?

• the authors of the Bible were directly inspired by God
• the Bible is inerrant (no errors)
• the text of the Bible is literally true, e.g if God created the world in six days, it is true
• 'verbal plenary inspiration'- God inspired all of Scripture, whether it be the erotic poems or moral teachings
• Although the Bible is the literal 'word of God', God let the authors express their own personalities- e.g, Matthew's Gospel mainly addressed a Jewish audience

Summarise key beliefs of Catholicism in relation to the authority of the Bible.

• believe that the Bible is inspired by God but more specifically, Scripture is inspired by the Holy Spirit
• human authors have their own facilities to write
• they have a holistic approach to the authority of the Bible
• Tradition and Scripture share the same divine source so share the same divine authority
• Catholic faith is inerrant and so is Scripture
• where errors have been found, it is due to mistranslation
• ALL of scripture is authoritative- even erotic poems as they are evidence of human authors' experiences
• 'seek to know the intentions of the author'

Define Apostolic Tradition.

A tradition that stems from Jesus' Apostles. Jesus commanded his apostles to preach the Gospel to all men. This was done orally from the teachings given by Jesus and the Holy Spirit. - also can be in writing, inspired by the Holy Spirit.

• in sum: how the tradition was first received

Define Apostolic Succession.

The A.T was continued. Jesus' apostles appointed bishops to be their successors and the bishops were given teaching authority- this established a continuous line of succession which lead to the authority and ministry of the Church.

Define Tradition.

The living transmission of the message of the Gospel, teachings and customs in the Church passed down through centuries.

Give a key quotation for Conservative beliefs of the authority of the Bible.

'All Scripture is God-breathed'

Why do conservative Christians view scripture as dynamic and alive?

Tradition finds new interpretations of Scripture to address modern situations and needs.- 'Centuries of reflection and prayer have led Christians to discover new truths' (document of the Bishops' Conferences of England and Wales)

Define Magisterium.

Authoritative body for interpreting scripture and tradition.

What does 'sensus fidei' mean?

An 'instinct of faith' which allows the faithful to recognise authentic doctrine and reject what is false.

Define Catechism.

Summary of written instructions of Catholic doctrine.

What is Neo-orthodoxy? Give a scholar.

'new orthodoxy' such as Karl Barth.

Summarise the Neo-orthodox view of the authority and nature of the Bible.

• they reject the Bible as being inerrant- it does have errors as modern studies and science has shown- e.g Book of Genesis, a creation story based on Babylonian myth
• Barth held the Bible is not the 'word of God', but contains the word of God
• God does not reveal himself in the Bible, he reveals himself in Jesus- the 'word who becomes flesh'
• scripture is a vehicle through which God may be experienced - in the experience, the Bible is authoritative
• Barth did not see the words of the Bible as inspired but may bring about personal encounter with Jesus for people who read it
• God's revelation is hidden by human language and the Bible is fallible - may contain errors
• scripture is fully human and fully divine, so impossible to remove all of human side
• however, protects Bible as being a 'false absolute' - because of the human side
• scripture is interpreted by the individual which leaves room for personal encounter with God

Give two liberal branches of Christianity.

• The Social Gospel Movement
• Process Theology

Summarise process theology's thoughts towards the authority of the Bible.

• God is not the creator- he exists panentheistically
• God is not all-powerful and cannot intervene
• the Bible is a human document- not inspired by God
• rejects the standard translation of the creation story

Summarise social gospel movement thoughts towards the authority of the Bible.

• the Bible is authoritative in recommending how one should live

Give the 5 sources of Christian authority- from most to least authoritative.

• God
• The Bible (special revelation)
• Reason and conscience- allows humans to understand their place in God's world (general revelation)
• Church
• Church tradition

Give a brief summary of the Catholic Church.

• the largest Christian church
• a reputation of being 'hostile'
• produced a vast array of scholars e.g Thomas Aquinas

Give a brief summary of the Protestant Church.

• emerged during the 16th-century protestant reformation
• Martin Luther lead the Reformation and was expelled from the Catholic Church

Define 'sola Scriptura and 'sola fide'.

Authority of scripture alone and justification through faith alone.

Summarise key Catholic beliefs of the authority of the Church.

• Bible and Church have equal authority, both linked through the work of the Holy Spirit
• Bible and Tradition are equal in status
• Magisterium: guardian and interpreter for tradition and scripture
• Apostolic Tradition- Jesus commanded his Apostles to preach the Gospel to all men- from the teachings of Jesus and the Holy Spirit
• Continued through Apostolic Succession- Jesus' Apostles appointed bishops to continue to be their successors and bishops were given teaching authority
• only the Church can correctly interpret tradition and sacred scripture
• Church was given authority from God to be the interpreter, so it should be obeyed

Give a quote to support Catholic belief.

'both sacred tradition and Sacred Scripture are to be accepted and venerated with the same sense of loyalty and reverence.'
'the task of authentically interpreting the word of God … has been entrusted … in the Church'

• Second Vatican Council

Summarise key Protestant beliefs of the authority of the Church.

• based on 'Sola Scriptura', developed by Martin Luther
• one cannot tamper with the Holy text
• sole authority from scripture- the true 'word of God'
• the Bible gives the standard of measurement for Church to decide teachings
• if Church teaching is not in line with scripture, it is false
• without scripture, there can be no Church and the Church does not have the authority to interpret/ be the judge of scripture
• 'priesthood of all believers'- all believers have equal access to God through prayers- all believers considered priests through baptism

Give a quote to support Protestant belief.

'… the Word of God, through which alone we obtain whatever knowledge we have of God and divine things.'
'we must learn to adhere solely to the Word of God…'

• Martin Luther

Summarise Christian belief of Jesus having the same authority as God.

• the Gospels contain statements which point to Jesus as God in human form
• traditional view from Nicene Creed
• Jesus has the power to control and cure disease, e.g - 'but only say the word and my servant will be healed'. - Jesus had authority from a distance (Matthew)
• 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.' (Matthew)

- The Holy Trinity- God is understood in all three roles, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit: Jesus as God incarnate- God 'made flesh', therefore, Jesus is God.

Summarise Christian belief of Jesus as the Son of God.

• he does not have God's divine nature, but perhaps has God's authority
• at the transfiguration, God's voice from heaven says: 'This is my beloved Son

listen to him.'

• For Mark, Jesus appears to have the same relationship with God that a son has with his father. Jesus has the same qualities and power as his father and inherits his father's possessions.
• Jesus as the Messiah, chosen by God to rule on his behalf- the King.

Summarise Christian belief of Jesus as the Son of Man.

• 'son of man'- Jesus used to record himself
• as an emphasis on Jesus' humanity, Jesus may also experience the hardships of human experience
• some understand the term in a way that Jesus wanted to avoid reference to divinity during his ministry. This is clear from Jesus' persecution- making claims to be divine has consequences
• only those who knew Jesus' work would understand his true relation to God- 'Messianic secret'
• after Jesus' crucifixion, the centurion who is watching is recorded as saying 'Truly this man was the Son of God.'

Which two groups of Christians view Jesus' authority as merely human?

• liberal Christians
• small groups of Christians who interpret scripture in a different way to modern-day Christianity

Explain Adoptionism.

In the early centuries of the church, some theologians taught that Jesus was born human and later adopted by God at his baptism. Jesus' authority was something he acquired from God when he was baptised, however, it was not his right as he was God the Son. (Church rejected)

Explain Arianism.

A view developed in the third and fourth centuries CE. A priest taught that Jesus was not fully divine as his role was to be 'The Son of God'. Soon after, the Church rejected this view.

Summarise the Liberal approach to Jesus' authority.

• to understand the meaning of 'Son of God', liberal Christians may look to the OT- Jesus may represent God's authority, someone close to God. Jesus may have been a spiritual teacher, but not literally God.
• take a more scientific approach and therefore, may reject anything supernatural, for example, Jesus' resurrection and miracles
• Jesus might be seen as an exceptional human being who could be called the 'Son of God' without it being literally the case
• Jesus' teaching and stories associated with him have been passed down through Witten and oral accounts and have likely been misinterpreted at some point

Using the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew, explain views accepting Jesus' authority as God's authority.

(Sermon on the Mount- a collection of sayings from Jesus that emphasise his moral teachings)

• A Christian who believes Jesus is God incarnate will read the text as Jesus saying what God requires them to do
• 'Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you
• 'You must be perfect as your Heavenly Father is perfect.'
• do nothing to resist an evil person who attacks them
• Christians who believe Jesus has God's authority should follow these teachings, eg, pacifists- will not show violence and will try to show love towards an enemy. During the FWW many Christians became conscientious objectors and refused to fight against an enemy (not all Christians interpret this to mean no violence)

Using the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew, explain views accepting Jesus' authority as only human.

• Such Christians will interpret the text according to their own judgement and experiences
• in the context of the passage, The Roman authorities would prosecute anyone who resisted them- liberal interpretation
• others may think Jesus was saying that pacifism is always the right response to violence- although he hints at retribution, some think he was wrong as it may be cowardly to not defend someone you love e.g.
• 'You must be perfect' seems impossible as no human may be perfect like God. It may have been an exaggeration and teaches humans to be as near perfect as possible, enabling one to reach God's kingdom.

How do most Christians view Jesus as a role model?

• perhaps the more human Jesus is, the more relevant his teachings may be as humans can apply them to their own lives
• if Jesus is more divine than human, it may suggest humans should aim to possess qualities like those of God
• The sermon on the mount is exemplified during Jesus' trial and arrest
• Whilst there are no accounts of Jesus acting in violence, he has shown to conflict with authorities when injustices are brought about- demonstrating to Christians they should do similarly