Christian Theo exam 1

Metaphysical questions

questions about the nature of reality

Epistemological questions

questions and knowledge

Axiological questions

questions about what is valuable

Ethical questions

questions about what is right/wrong

explicit worldview

a worldview that is internally consistent, detailed and comprehensive

Implicit worldview

a worldview that is not comprehensive or detailed (like what a baby’s worldview would be)

naturalism

-the supernatural does not exist

-monism and transcendence

deism

a personal God created, but is not involved in the world

-transcendence and dualism view

theism

Personal God created and he is involved in the world

-immanence and monism

Polytheism

there are many gods and some are in the world while some are out

-immanence and dualism

Pantheism

God is an impersonal reality (God=world and everything and in it)

-immanence and monism

Immanence

God is here, involved, and active in the world

Transcendence

God is utterly beyond us

monism

all reality is of the same basic kind

dualism

there are two different kinds of reality

atheism

“there is no God” (4-6%)

-alternative to Christian theism in US

Agnostic

“I don’t know if there is a God” (4-5%)

-alternative to Christian theism in US

“nones”

“No religious affiliation” includes “spiritual, but not religious” (28-29%)

-alternative to Christian theism in US

Islam

(theistic) 2nd largest world religion- set to pass Christianity by 2050

-alternative to Christian theism in US

Hinduism

very broad category- includes pantheists, polytheists, theists

-alternative to Christian theism in US

Buddhism

(pantheism) arose out of Hinduism

-alternative to Christian theism in US

Dogma/doctrine

Dogma: essential theological affirmations

Doctrine: explanations/expansions of dogmas

Heresy/heretic

Heresy: denial of a dogma

Heretic: one who intentionally denies a dogma (possible to accept a heresy but not be a heretic)

Apostolic Christianity

-started with Jesus calling his disciples (25AD)

-numerous early Christian communities (Jerusalem, Antioch)

-“house church”- communities met in homes

-authority: the teaching of the apostles (regula fides)

Roman catholic

-head of the church: the pope/bishop of Rome

-the first pope was peter

-roman Catholics argue that Jesus gave peter authority over the Church (matt. 16:18-19)

-the role of the pope is passed down to the succeeding Bishop of Rome

-4 different views of when the roman catholic church began

Eastern Orthodox

-the orthodox church also traces itself back to the apostolic church

-the orthodox church separated from the western (roman)

-Current leader is Patriarch Bartholomew I

Protestanism

-began 1517 with Martin Luther (95 theses)

-protestants doctrinal (but not ecclesial) continually with the apostolic church

-Implications of sola scriptura (scripture alone)

-150 denominations/ or 47,000?

-significant differences between denominations in doctrine and practice

-7 major protestant denominations

The great schism

- (1054 AD)

-14 different regional churches

Current leader: Patriarch Bartholomew I

Pseudo-Christian

they deny one or more dogmas of Christianity

3 examples: Mormonism, Jehovah’s witnesses, and the prosperity Gospel

founder of Lutheran denomination

martin Luther (1517)

founder of Anabaptist/mennonite denomination

Ulrich Zwingl: Meno Simons (1519)

founder of Anglican/episcopalian denomination

Henry VIII and the English reformation (1534)

founder of Reformed/prebyterian denomination

John Calvin/John Knox (1550)

founder of Baptist denomination

John Smyth- English Separatists (1609)

founder of Methodist denomination

John Wesley- revival movement (1784)

founder of Pentecostal denomination

Azusa street revival (1905)

founder of Mormonism

Church of the latter-day saints

-founder: joseph smith (1830)

founder of Jehovah Witnesses

founder: Charles Taze Russell (1870s)

worldview

a set of presuppositions about the make-up of our world (a system of answers to life's "ultimate questions")

Biblical theology

study of themes/patterns in scripture

Philosophical theology

analysis of theological concepts/questions

Historical theology

study of expressions of Christian theology throughout scripture

Contextual theology

studying how theology is done in different settings

practical theology

the study of the tasks of ministry

systematic theology

organization of doctrines into an integrated whole

fundamentalism

-accepts only the traditional interpretation of scripture

-demands a high degree of certainty and confidence

-rejects questions raised by experience and reason

-often involves a “bunker mentality” -isolate from the world

Orthodox

-commitment to the unique authority of Bible and tradition

-scripture is the norm which judges all other sources

-But interpretation of scripture is complicated

-less isolationist/engages in objections raised by reason and experience

Progressive

-scripture is important, but reason and experience are equally valuable sources of theology

-primary goal: being relevant to contemporary people/issues

-willing to modify aspects of traditional Christianity to make it relevant

Radical

-based on a contemporary secular ideology

-reject any part of the Bible or tradition that doesn’t fit with it

-also demands a high degree of certainty/rejects all pushback

Wesleyan Quadrilateral

-an example of how interpretation of scripture is complicated

-the source of theology is scripture…as interpreted by tradition, reason, and experience

Inductivism/ Charles Hodge (1797-1878)

-”old Princeton conservative theology”

-exegesis → Biblical theology → Doctrine

-one of the ways to relate scripture to theology

Problems:

-we are never tabula rasa (blank slate)

-what guides your interpretation of specific passages

Narrative theology/ Hans Fre (1922-1988)

“Yale school/post-liberal theology”

-theological narrative → Interpretive principles → exegesis

-one of the ways to relate scripture to theology

Problem:

-How does one determine the narrative?

Dialect model

-Key assumption: theology is never done in a linear, unidirectional manner

-doing theology requires dialect (back and forth) between exegesis and narrative

-one of the ways to relate scripture to theology

-This dialect is influenced by many things including:

1. 1. assumptions about who God is, who we are etc

2. 2. questions: what are we seeking to know/understand?

3. 3. Context: Includes many things

Liberal theology

-generally, they have a progressive or radical approach

-most basic goal: relevance to contemporary culture

Evangelical theology

complicated

generally: protestant; broadly conservative

Conservative theology

generally, they have a historic orthodox or fundamentalist approach

-most basic goal: faithfulness to scripture and tradition

General revelation

-indirect knowledge of God gleaned from creation

-what makes it general? Audience (it’s available to all humans)

-message: not specific or detailed

-Types of general revelation:

1. 1. In nature

2. 2. In humanity

What can general revelation accomplish:

1. 1. Leave one without excuse

2. 2. provide evidence of God’s existence

3. 3. Provide salvation

Special revelation

- Direct knowledge via God’s intentional communication

-available to people at specific times and places

-Three forms of special revelation:

1. Historical events

2. Divine speech

3. Jesus Christ

4. Scripture is the source for all of the above

Debates about whether special revelation has continued in today’s culture

Cessationism

-Believes that prophetic gifts have ceased but God still speaks through scripture

-View on if special revelation still exists

Continuationism

-view on if special revelation still exists

-believes prophetic gifts are still available but there are many examples of fraud

Charismatic

-view on if special revelation still exists

-believes prophetic gifts are necessary for the church and that skepticism towards prophecy is dangerous

Authority of scripture

-Authority: scripture has the right to command our action

-authority comes from divine authorship

-scripture is our “final authority for all matters pertaining to Christian faith and practice”

Inspiration of scripture

-Definition: The Bible is God’s message to humans, conveyed through human authors

-scriptural material

2 timothy 3:16- “inspired”- literally God-breathed

-The human author’s contribution is clearly seem in the writing style/word choice

Intuition view / Frederich Schleirmacher (1768-1834)

-Scripture is thoroughly human

-it contains the words of people who had inspiring experiences

Barthinian view / Barth (1886-1968)

-scripture is thoroughly human

-God inspires the encounter with scripture

Dynamic view / James Orr (1844-1913)

-God inspired the message (the meaning of the words)

-human authors pick specific words to relay that message

Verbal Plenary view (evangelical view) / James Packer (1926-2024)

-God inspired the “all (plenary) the words (verbal)” in scripture

-Gods inspiration is limited to the writing ability of the human author

Dictation view (fundamentalist view) / Louis Gaussen (1790-1863)

-Scripture is entirely divine

-human authors merely “record” the divine message

(most conservative view)

Perspicuity/ clarity of scripture

Clarity: scripture is clear and simple enough to be understood by everyday people

-associated with reformation doctrine “priesthood of the believer”

Is scripture clear and simple?

-Maybe at the dogma level but not at the doctrinal level nor the level of the meaning of each verse

Inerrancy / Infallibility

Inerrancy: scripture is free from error of any kind

Infallibility: scripture will fulfill God’s purposes but can have error

-Boyd and eddy’s two views

Spiritual-level inerrancy

-there are errors in history and science

-but the “spiritual message” of scripture is infallible

Meaning-level inerrancy

-when completely interpreted, there are no errors

-scripture has many figures of speech and intentional approximations

Plain sense-level inerrancy

-The “clear meaning” of scripture is true

-rejects non-literal figures of speech and approximations

Historical objection to the truthfulness of scripture

Did the events in the Bible actually happen?

The testimony objection to the truthfulness of scripture

Did the events in the Bible get recorded inaccurately?

The textual objection to the truthfulness of scripture

Do we have the original Bible text instead of just translations

Propositional knowledge

-one of the three types of knowledge of God

-knowing about God

-knowing/believing truths about God

Procedural knowledge

one of the three types of knowledge of God

-knowing how to be a Christian

-knowing rituals, practices, language etc

Personal knowledge

-one of the three types of knowledge of God

-knowing God

-Having a relationship with God/committing yourself to God

Atheism

-belief that there is no God

-propositional option of Gods existence: “disbelief”

Agnosticism

-I don’t know if there is a God

-propositional option of Gods existence: “withholding”

Acceptance

-I choose to live as if God exits

one of the propositional options regarding God’s existence

Belief

-I believe that God exists

-one of the propositional options regarding Gods existence

Certitude

-I am 100% confident that God exists

-one of the propositional options regarding God existence

Communal

-one of the 4 types of reasons for and against belief in God

-For: testimony of parents/ other believers

-Against: being hurt by Christians

Intellectual

-one of the 4 types of reasons for and against belief in God

For: arguments for God’s existence

Against: objections to God’s existence

Experiential

-a type of reason for and against belief in God

-For: direct personal experience of God

-Against: Experiences of God’s absence

Existential

-a type of reason for and against belief in God

-For: the choice of commitment

-Against: desire for autonomy (live their life the way they want)

A priori arguments

-a type of argument for God’s existence

-based on logical reasoning

-Ex: the ontological argument: Anslem (1033-1109)

A posteriori arguments

-a type of argument for God’s existence

-based on observation

-Ex: Kalam cosmological argument- Ibn Sina (980-1037)

Inference to the best explanation

-a type of argument for God’s existence

-Ex: the fine-tuning argument- Francis Collins

1. Key claim: the fitness of the universe for life either involves a series of massively improbable coincidences, or the result of intelligent design

2. very improbable for the big bang (1 in 10^15)

3. extremely improbable for a life friendly universe (1 in 10^80)

Pragmatic arguments

-a type of argument for God’s existence

-Ex: Pascals Wager- Blaise Pascal (1623-1662)

Key idea: Following God is a high reward, low risk type of idea. You lose a lot of you don’t follow God and he is real, but you don’t lose much if you follow God and he isn’t real

Metaphysical attributes

1. God is self-existent

2. God is sovereign

3. God is simple

4. God is infinite

5. God is immutable (unchanging)

Self-existence

-a type of metaphysical attribute of God

-nothing caused or created God to exist

-God did not need to create, it was free choice

Sovereignty

-a type of metaphysical attribute of God

-He is in control of creation… lots of debate on how to understand this though

Simple

-a metaphysical attribute of God

-God’s attributes are not separate from each other (God’s love and judgement aren’t separate but instead they cannot exist without each other)

Eternal (infinite)

-a metaphysical attribute of God

-with respect to time: Eternal (psalms 90:2)

-God could be either:

1. atemporal- God experiences all moments simultaneously

2. temporal-God experiences everlasting temporal succession

omnipotent

-with respect to power

-that does not mean God can do everything, it means God can do everything in accordance with His nature

Omnipresent

-with respect to space (psalms 139:7-12)

-Doesn’t mean God is everywhere, but it means that God is immaterial and isn’t constrained by space

Omniscient

-with respect to knowledge (1 John 3:20)

-does this mean God knows future free choices?