Practicing Christian Doctrine - Terminology Study Guide (copy)

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcard guide covering core definitions and terms across the Introduction, Chapters 1-4, and Chapters 6-8 of Practicing Christian Doctrine by Beth Felker Jones.

Practising doctrine

1. Definition according to Jones

Putting Christian teaching into lived practice; beliefs and actions belong together.

2. Her theological position

Jones presents doctrine as formative: it shapes Christian identity, worship, discipleship and relationships. The story of Josiah

illustrates hearing Scripture and responding through repentance and changed practice.

3. Important distinction

Knowing a teaching intellectually is not the same as embodying it. Doctrine is not detached theory.

4. Example in practice

A church hears Scripture about justice and then changes how it treats vulnerable neighbours.

5. Test tip

If a question asks for the book’s central theme, look for the answer connecting belief, worship and everyday Christian life.

Evangelical theology

1. Definition according to Jones

Theological work centred on the euangelion, the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ.

2. Her theological position

Jones describes evangelical theology through commitment to Scripture, the centrality of Christ’s cross, conversion and active

engagement in the world.

3. Important distinction

Evangelical identity is not simply a denomination or a synonym for conservative; Jones also places it in a particular historical

movement.

4. Example in practice

A Christian community proclaims Christ, encourages conversion and serves its neighbours.

5. Test tip

Remember Bebbington’s four marks: Biblicism, conversionism, activism and crucicentrism.

Ecumenical theology

1. Definition according to Jones

Theological reflection that takes the unity and breadth of the worldwide Christian church seriously.

2. Her theological position

Jones values learning from Christians across traditions, cultures and historical periods; no one community possesses the

whole wisdom of the church.

3. Important distinction

Unity does not mean that all churches have identical practices or erase every disagreement.

4. Example in practice

A Protestant learns from Catholic and Orthodox accounts of early Christian creeds while remaining attentive to Scripture.

5. Test tip

Choose answers involving worldwide Christian unity, mutual learning and humility across traditions.

Bebbington Quadrilateral

1. Definition according to Jones

Historian David Bebbington’s four characteristics of evangelicalism: biblicism, conversionism, activism and crucicentrism.

2. Her theological position

Jones uses the framework to describe recurring emphases of evangelical Christianity.

3. Important distinction

This is not the Wesleyan Quadrilateral. Bebbington describes evangelical identity; Wesley’s quadrilateral identifies theological

resources.

4. Example in practice

A church values biblical authority, conversion, mission and Christ’s cross.

5. Test tip

Do not confuse the two quadrilaterals: Bebbington = four evangelical characteristics; Wesley = four theological resources.

Eschatological practice

1. Definition according to Jones

Christian life lived in light of God’s final purposes for creation and the promised new creation.

2. Her theological position

Jones presents Christian practice as directed toward God’s future, which is already beginning to shape the present.

3. Important distinction

Eschatology is not merely information about what happens after death or a timetable of future events.

4. Example in practice

A congregation practises hope, justice and reconciliation because these anticipate God’s renewed creation.

5. Test tip

If the question says Christian hope changes how we live now, think purposeful or eschatological practice.

Theology

1. Definition according to Jones

The study of the things of God; theos means God and logos means word, speech or reason.

2. Her theological position

For Jones, theology is for all Christians, should be practised in love and should make its practitioners more loving. It forms

disciples rather than merely accumulating information.

3. Important distinction

Academic theology is one form of theology; prayer, praise, testimony, preaching and teaching are also theological practices.

4. Example in practice

Explaining the gospel, praying, teaching Scripture or writing a theological paper are all ways of doing theology.

5. Test tip

If the answer says theology is only for scholars or pastors, it conflicts with Jones’s position.

Lex orandi, lex credendi

1. Definition according to Jones

Latin expression meaning ‘the law of prayer is the law of belief’.

2. Her theological position

Jones explains a two-way relationship: worship and prayer shape belief, while belief also governs how Christians pray and

worship.

3. Important distinction

It is not simply that prayer produces belief, or that doctrine alone determines worship; the influence runs both ways.

4. Example in practice

A church’s understanding of God shapes its prayers, while its worship practices also form how the community understands

God.

5. Test tip

Look for the reciprocal relationship between worship/prayer and belief.

Doctrine

1. Definition according to Jones

An organised set of Christian teachings about important themes in Scripture and Christian life.

2. Her theological position

Jones says doctrines form a picture of the Christian faith and are interconnected. Changing one doctrine can affect others.

3. Important distinction

Doctrine may be authoritative within a particular community; it is not automatically universally authoritative.

4. Example in practice

Beliefs about Jesus affect beliefs about salvation and the church.

5. Test tip

If a question asks whether doctrines are isolated topics, the answer is no: they are interrelated.

Dogma

1. Definition according to Jones

Christian teaching at the highest level of authority and trustworthiness, shared ecumenically across Christian communities.

2. Her theological position

Jones associates dogma with teachings central to the faith that Christians have good reason to trust.

3. Important distinction

Dogma has broader and higher shared authority than a doctrine specific to one denomination or congregation.

4. Example in practice

The Trinity is a central teaching confessed across historic Christian traditions; a local church’s particular policy may not be

dogma.

5. Test tip

Look for ‘highest authority’, ‘central to the faith’ and ‘shared across Christian communities’.

Dogmatics

1. Definition according to Jones

The theological discipline that examines and articulates Christian doctrine and asks whether church teaching faithfully

corresponds to God’s revelation.

2. Her theological position

Jones presents theological formulations as human attempts that remain limited and must be tested by Scripture.

3. Important distinction

Dogmatics is the discipline or task of theological examination; dogma is the authoritative teaching being examined.

4. Example in practice

A theologian studies whether a church’s statement about God is faithful to Scripture.

5. Test tip

Do not treat dogmatics, doctrine and dogma as interchangeable.

Queen of the Sciences

1. Definition according to Jones

A traditional description of theology because it considers all areas of knowledge in the light of God and God’s Word.

2. Her theological position

Jones clarifies that this does not make other disciplines unimportant; all creation belongs to God and is relevant to theology.

3. Important distinction

It does not mean theology replaces biology, psychology or economics or acts as a trump card over them.

4. Example in practice

A Christian considers questions in medicine or economics in light of beliefs about creation, human dignity and justice.

5. Test tip

The key phrase is ‘all creation belongs to God’, not ‘other sciences are worthless’.

Orthodoxy and heresy

1. Definition according to Jones

Orthodoxy is right Christian belief; heresy is teaching judged by the church to be contrary to Scripture.

2. Her theological position

Jones says creeds help the church discern faithful teaching. False doctrine matters because it shapes harmful practice,

although correct doctrine itself does not save us; Jesus saves.

3. Important distinction

Orthodoxy is not identical to one local custom. Calling a teaching heretical is a doctrinal judgment, not a declaration that a

person is beyond salvation.

4. Example in practice

The Nicene Creed helps Christians assess claims about Jesus’ divinity.

5. Test tip

Remember Jones’s distinction: Jesus saves; doctrine matters because it shapes Christian life.

Rule of faith and creeds

1. Definition according to Jones

The rule of faith is an early summary of essential Christian teaching; ecumenical creeds are concise statements of key

scriptural beliefs.

2. Her theological position

Jones presents the Apostles’ and Nicene Creeds as widely recognised summaries and standards of orthodox belief.

3. Important distinction

Creeds summarise Scripture; they do not replace Scripture or claim to contain every theological detail.

4. Example in practice

A congregation recites the Apostles’ Creed as a shared confession of Christian faith.

5. Test tip

Vincent of Lérins is associated with the test ‘always, everywhere and by everyone’.

Wesleyan Quadrilateral

1. Definition according to Jones

A model associated with John Wesley identifying Scripture, tradition, reason and experience as resources for theology.

2. Her theological position

Jones insists these are not four equal authorities: Scripture is the source and norm; tradition, reason and experience help

interpret it.

3. Important distinction

It differs from Bebbington’s Quadrilateral, which describes evangelical characteristics.

4. Example in practice

A Christian studies a biblical passage, consults church history, reasons carefully and listens to lived experience, while testing

all by Scripture.

5. Test tip

Scripture has primacy. The other three resources are valuable but fallible.

Sola Scriptura

1. Definition according to Jones

The Reformation principle that Scripture alone is the ultimate authority for Christian faith and practice.

2. Her theological position

Jones describes Scripture as the external Word of God that corrects human words and interpretations.

3. Important distinction

It does not mean Christians must ignore tradition, reason or experience; it means those resources remain under Scripture.

4. Example in practice

A church tests a long-standing custom against the teaching of Scripture.

5. Test tip

Do not choose an answer saying tradition, reason and experience are useless.

Divine revelation

1. Definition according to Jones

God’s gracious act of making Godself known, uncovering what would otherwise remain hidden and inviting people into

relationship.

2. Her theological position

Jones emphasises that God is a revealer who desires to be known. Genuine revelation transforms people, not merely their

outward circumstances.

3. Important distinction

Revelation is God’s self-disclosure; human discovery or speculation is not the same thing.

4. Example in practice

God makes himself known through creation, Israel’s history, Jesus Christ and Scripture.

5. Test tip

Look for God as the active subject: revelation begins with God’s gracious initiative.

General revelation

1. Definition according to Jones

God’s self-disclosure through creation and human conscience, available broadly to humanity.

2. Her theological position

Jones affirms that creation and conscience bear witness to God, but sin distorts our ability to interpret this witness rightly.

3. Important distinction

General revelation is not the same as special revelation in Israel’s history, Christ and Scripture.

4. Example in practice

The beauty and order of creation point beyond themselves to the Creator.

5. Test tip

Creation and conscience = general revelation.

Special revelation

1. Definition according to Jones

God’s particular self-disclosure in the history of Israel, in Jesus Christ and in Scripture.

2. Her theological position

Jones treats Scripture as a gracious gift that helps people know God rightly, especially because sin distorts human perception.

3. Important distinction

Special revelation is more specific than the witness of creation and conscience; Jones discusses differing views about its

priority and relationship to general revelation.

4. Example in practice

The incarnation of Jesus and the biblical story reveal God’s identity and saving purposes.

5. Test tip

Israel, Jesus Christ and Scripture = special revelation.

Inspiration

1. Definition according to Jones

The Holy Spirit’s work in and with the human authors in the writing of Scripture.

2. Her theological position

Jones says the Spirit is Scripture’s author without erasing the real differences of human authors, periods, settings and literary

forms.

3. Important distinction

Inspiration concerns the origin and writing of Scripture; it is not the same as illumination, which concerns readers today.

4. Example in practice

The four Gospels are inspired by the same Spirit while reflecting different authors and community situations.

5. Test tip

Inspiration = Spirit’s work in the production of Scripture; not simple dictation.

Illumination

1. Definition according to Jones

The Holy Spirit’s continuing work in readers, helping individuals and the church understand and live faithfully by Scripture.

2. Her theological position

Jones says the Spirit’s work did not end when the biblical texts were written; the Spirit continues to guide readers.

3. Important distinction

Illumination is present help in understanding Scripture; inspiration is the Spirit’s work with its authors.

4. Example in practice

A congregation prays for the Spirit’s help before hearing and interpreting a biblical reading.

5. Test tip

Illumination = Spirit helps readers understand; inspiration = Spirit helps author Scripture.

Canon

1. Definition according to Jones

The collection of books received as Scripture; canon means ‘measure’ or ‘rule’.

2. Her theological position

Jones describes the canon as the measuring standard for Christian faith and life and discusses the church’s historical

discernment of the biblical books.

3. Important distinction

The canon is the recognised collection of Scripture; it is not the same as a translation or an individual interpretation.

4. Example in practice

Testament book lists.

The Protestant Bible has an Old and New Testament canon; Catholic and Orthodox traditions include differences in Old

5. Test tip

Canon = which books belong to Scripture; remember Marcion and the Montanist controversy as historical contexts.

Inerrancy

1. Definition according to Jones

A claim that Scripture, as God’s Word, is truthful and does not err.

2. Her theological position

Jones discusses inerrancy as one way Christians express the truth and reliability of Scripture.

3. Important distinction

identically.

Inerrancy is a stronger formulation than some uses of infallibility; Jones notes that the terms are related but not always used

4. Example in practice

A church statement may affirm that Scripture is without error in what it teaches.

5. Test tip

Recognise the term as a claim about Scripture’s truth and reliability.

Infallibility

1. Definition according to Jones

A claim that Scripture is unfailing or trustworthy in accomplishing its purpose of leading people to salvation and guiding

Christian life.

2. Her theological position

Jones explains that some Christians use infallibility to emphasise Scripture’s reliability for its saving and formative purpose.

3. Important distinction

Infallibility is often framed more narrowly than inerrancy; Jones notes that confessing inerrancy logically includes infallibility,

while the reverse is not always intended.

4. Example in practice

A reader trusts Scripture to guide faith and discipleship.

5. Test tip

Do not assume every use of ‘infallible’ means exactly the same thing as ‘inerrant’.

Faithful interpretation

1. Definition according to Jones

Reading Scripture in its whole biblical story and seeking to understand its unity, context and witness to the one God.

2. Her theological position

Jones stresses that Scripture can be misused and misread; theology trains Christians to interpret it more faithfully with the

Spirit and the wider church.

3. Important distinction

A verse taken out of context is not the same as careful interpretation of the whole canon.

4. Example in practice

Read a passage in its literary context, compare it with the wider biblical story and listen to the church across time.

5. Test tip

Look for whole-Bible reading, context, unity of Old and New Testaments and communal discernment.

Trinity

1. Definition according to Jones

The one God eternally exists in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

2. Her theological position

Jones argues that the Trinity is not a departure from Israel’s monotheism but the faithful way to speak about the God revealed

in Scripture and in Jesus.

3. Important distinction

One God in three persons is not three gods and not one person merely appearing in three forms.

4. Example in practice

At Jesus’ baptism, the Son is baptised, the Spirit descends and the Father speaks.

5. Test tip

Correct formula: one God, three persons. All three are fully God and eternal.

Person and essence (ousia)

1. Definition according to Jones

Person identifies the Father, Son or Spirit in their distinct relationships; essence or ousia refers to the one divine being or

nature.

2. Her theological position

Jones uses this language to speak carefully about real distinction among the persons without dividing God’s unity.

3. Important distinction

Three persons do not mean three separate divine beings; one essence does not mean one person.

4. Example in practice

The Father is not the Son, but both share the one divine essence.

5. Test tip

Person answers ‘who?’; essence answers ‘what nature/being?’

Homoousios

1. Definition according to Jones

Greek term meaning ‘of the same substance/essence’; the Son is of the same divine essence as the Father.

2. Her theological position

Jones explains that the Nicene Creed uses this to affirm that Jesus is fully God, not a lesser or created being.

3. Important distinction

Homoousios is stronger than homoiousios (‘of similar substance’), associated with the Arian controversy.

4. Example in practice

Christians worship Jesus because he is truly God, not merely a godlike creature.

5. Test tip

Nicaea: homoousios = same essence; Arian alternative = similar but not the same.

Perichoresis

1. Definition according to Jones

The mutual indwelling of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

2. Her theological position

Jones uses the term to express the eternal relational life of the triune God; relationship belongs to God’s very identity.

3. Important distinction

It is not a blending of the persons or a human social arrangement that perfectly duplicates God.

4. Example in practice

The Father, Son and Spirit dwell in one another while remaining distinct persons.

5. Test tip

If you see ‘mutual indwelling’ or ‘eternal dance’, think perichoresis.

Tritheism

1. Definition according to Jones

The belief that there are three gods.

2. Her theological position

Jones rejects it because Christian faith confesses one God, not three separate deities.

3. Important distinction

Trinitarian faith distinguishes three persons within one divine being; tritheism divides the divine being into three gods.

4. Example in practice

Worshipping the Father, Son and Spirit is not worshipping three separate gods.

5. Test tip

Three gods = tritheism; this is not the doctrine of the Trinity.

Modalism

1. Definition according to Jones

The view that Father, Son and Spirit are merely different modes, roles or appearances of one person, rather than distinct

persons.

2. Her theological position

Jones rejects modalism because Scripture presents real relationships among Father, Son and Spirit.

3. Important distinction

Modalism preserves oneness by denying real threeness; the Trinity confesses both.

4. Example in practice

It would treat the Father, Son and Spirit as one actor changing masks rather than relating eternally.

5. Test tip

One person in three roles = modalism.

Arianism

1. Definition according to Jones

The view that the Son is a created being, even if the highest and greatest creature, and is not eternal or fully God.

2. Her theological position

Jones rejects it because only God can save; a created Jesus cannot be confessed as the true God revealed in Scripture.

3. Important distinction

Arianism differs from Nicene faith: the Son is not created but eternally shares the Father’s divine essence.

4. Example in practice

The slogan ‘there was when he was not’ captures the Arian claim.

5. Test tip

Created Son / not eternal / homoiousios = Arianism.

Adoptionism

1. Definition according to Jones

The view that Jesus was an ordinary human who became God’s Son by adoption because of his obedience.

2. Her theological position

Jones argues that this makes Jesus a rewarded human example rather than the divine Saviour.

3. Important distinction

Adoptionism denies that Jesus is Son by divine nature; orthodox Christianity confesses the eternal Son became human.

4. Example in practice

If Jesus were merely a good man promoted by God, he could not be the divine Saviour.

5. Test tip

Jesus becomes Son because of moral achievement = adoptionism.

Subordinationism

1. Definition according to Jones

A view that places the Son or Spirit below the Father in divine status or nature.

2. Her theological position

Jones rejects accounts that make the Son or Spirit less than fully God.

3. Important distinction

Distinguish relational order or mission from inequality of divine essence; the persons are co-equal in divinity.

4. Example in practice

The Son’s obedience in the incarnation does not mean he is a lesser kind of being.

5. Test tip

If the Son is less divine than the Father, think subordinationism.

Creation

1. Definition according to Jones

All that exists is made by God and belongs to God.

2. Her theological position

Jones begins with the character of the Creator, not merely with nature appreciation or a debate with science. God made

creation, loves it and sustains it.

3. Important distinction

Creation is not divine; it is God’s good handiwork and remains dependent on God.

4. Example in practice

The natural world is received with gratitude and care as something God made and loves.

5. Test tip

Remember Julian of Norwich’s three points: God made it, God loves it, God sustains it.

Creatio ex nihilo

1. Definition according to Jones

Creation out of nothing: God brings all that exists into being without using pre-existing independent material.

2. Her theological position

Jones connects this doctrine to God’s unique creative power and the complete dependence of creation on God.

3. Important distinction

It is not creation from eternal matter alongside God, and it does not mean God merely reshapes something already

independent of him.

4. Example in practice

The universe exists because God freely creates; it does not exist by its own power.

5. Test tip

Ex nihilo = out of nothing; God alone is Creator.

Creaturely dependence

1. Definition according to Jones

Created things do not possess existence independently; they depend on God for their being and continued existence.

2. Her theological position

Jones stresses creation’s fragility and dependence, illustrated by Julian of Norwich’s hazelnut vision.

3. Important distinction

Dependence does not mean creation is unreal or worthless; God loves what God has made.

4. Example in practice

Human life, ecosystems and the universe are received gifts, not self-sustaining possessions.

5. Test tip

Look for the idea that creation exists because God loves and sustains it.

Providence

1. Definition according to Jones

God’s ongoing care, sustaining and governing of creation and history.

2. Her theological position

Jones presents providence as God’s faithful work in the world, including ordinary natural processes and extraordinary acts.

3. Important distinction

Providence is broader than miracles; natural laws and ordinary events also belong to God’s sustaining care.

4. Example in practice

Food growing through ordinary processes can be understood as God’s providential provision.

5. Test tip

Providence = God continues to sustain and govern; not only occasional supernatural intervention.

Natural laws and miracles

1. Definition according to Jones

Both ordinary patterns in nature and extraordinary divine acts occur within God’s providential care.

2. Her theological position

Jones resists separating God’s work from the ordinary workings of the created world.

3. Important distinction

A miracle is not the only place where God is active; natural processes are also part of providence.

4. Example in practice

Rain supporting crops is providential; an extraordinary healing may be recognised as miraculous.

5. Test tip

If the question says God works only through miracles, that is too narrow for Jones.

Theodicy

1. Definition according to Jones

The attempt to explain or justify God’s action in light of the existence of evil and suffering.

2. Her theological position

Jones raises the question of how a good and powerful God relates to a world where things go terribly wrong; simplistic answers

risk minimising suffering.

3. Important distinction

Theodicy is a theological problem and set of explanations, not the doctrine of creation itself.

4. Example in practice

Asking why suffering occurs and how faith speaks truthfully about God in its presence is a theodicy question.

5. Test tip

Theodicy = problem of evil and suffering in relation to God’s goodness and power.

Christology

1. Definition according to Jones

The doctrine and theological study of the identity and person of Jesus Christ.

2. Her theological position

Jones says Christology deepens knowledge of Jesus and teaches Christians what it means to live in relationship with him.

3. Important distinction

Christology focuses especially on who Jesus is; soteriology focuses on the saving work he accomplishes.

4. Example in practice

Learning that Jesus is truly God and truly human shapes Christian trust, worship and hope.

5. Test tip

Christology = person/identity of Jesus; soteriology = salvation/work of Jesus.

Incarnation

1. Definition according to Jones

The eternal Son of God became truly human in Jesus Christ.

2. Her theological position

Jones presents the incarnation as God personally entering human life; Jesus is not a human person temporarily used by God.

3. Important distinction

The incarnation is not God merely appearing human or taking over an already-existing human person.

4. Example in practice

Jesus is born, grows, experiences tiredness and suffering, and remains the eternal Son.

5. Test tip

Incarnation = God the Son becomes human; not an illusion or a temporary disguise.

Chalcedonian Christology

1. Definition according to Jones

Jesus Christ is one person in two complete natures, fully divine and fully human.

2. Her theological position

Jones treats the Definition of Chalcedon (451) as an ecumenical benchmark that preserves both the integrity of each nature

and their unity in one person.

3. Important distinction

The natures are not confused or mixed, but neither are they divided or separated.

4. Example in practice

Jesus truly weeps as a human and truly acts with divine authority; these are acts of the one person.

5. Test tip

Memorise: one person, two natures; without confusion, change, division or separation.

Hypostatic union

1. Definition according to Jones

The real, unbreakable union of the divine and human natures in the one person of Jesus.

2. Her theological position

Jones says this is an actual union, not a metaphor or loose partnership. Everything Jesus does, he does as God and as

human.

3. Important distinction

It is not a mixture of natures and not two persons cooperating.

4. Example in practice

The one Jesus who commands the sea is the same Jesus who sleeps, eats and suffers.

5. Test tip

Hypostatic union = the two natures united in the one person of Christ.

Communicatio idiomatum

1. Definition according to Jones

The communication of attributes: what belongs to either nature can be truthfully predicated of the one person Jesus.

2. Her theological position

Jones uses this to explain how the one person Jesus can truly be described with divine and human attributes.

3. Important distinction

It does not mean the divine nature stops being divine or the human nature stops being human; the attributes belong to the one

person according to his two natures.

4. Example in practice

It is true to say that Jesus, who is God, was born and suffered; the one person experienced these human events.

5. Test tip

If a question asks how Jesus can be said to suffer and yet be divine, think communication of attributes.

Apollinarianism

1. Definition according to Jones

A rejected Christological view that does not give Jesus a complete human nature, especially a full human rational soul.

2. Her theological position

Jones explains that Chalcedon insists Jesus is complete in his humanity, including a rational soul and body.

3. Important distinction

It differs from orthodox teaching that Jesus is fully human, not merely a divine mind in a human body.

4. Example in practice

A Jesus without a genuinely human mind would not share the fullness of human life.

5. Test tip

Incomplete humanity / missing human rational soul = Apollinarianism.

Eutychianism

1. Definition according to Jones

A rejected view in which Christ’s divine and human natures are confused or blended, so their distinction is lost.

2. Her theological position

Jones says Chalcedon protects the integrity of both natures; Jesus’ humanity and divinity remain truly what they are.

3. Important distinction

It differs from Chalcedon, which confesses unity without mixture or confusion.

4. Example in practice

If Jesus’ humanity is swallowed up by divinity, he is no longer fully one of us.

5. Test tip

Mixture or confusion of natures = Eutychianism.

Nestorianism

1. Definition according to Jones

A rejected view that divides or separates Christ’s divine and human natures too sharply, effectively treating them as two

persons.

2. Her theological position

Jones emphasises that the one person Jesus performs both divine and human actions; God does not stand apart from human

suffering.

3. Important distinction

It differs from Chalcedon, which confesses two natures united in one person.

4. Example in practice

The one Jesus who heals is also the one who cries at Lazarus’s tomb.

5. Test tip

Separation / two-person tendency = Nestorianism.

Soteriology

1. Definition according to Jones

The doctrine of salvation and the saving work of Jesus Christ.

2. Her theological position

Jones presents salvation as rich and multi-layered: it is God’s work, not a human achievement, and it transforms people into

disciples.

3. Important distinction

Soteriology concerns what Christ does to save; Christology concerns who Christ is.

4. Example in practice

A Christian studies the cross, forgiveness, new life and growth in holiness as connected aspects of salvation.

5. Test tip

Soteriology = salvation; Christology = identity of Christ.

Atonement

1. Definition according to Jones

The work by which Jesus Christ deals with sin and restores people to relationship with God.

2. Her theological position

Jones presents biblical salvation as abundant and multi-dimensional; no single image exhausts the full richness of Christ’s

saving work.

3. Important distinction

Atonement is not only a moral example or only a legal transaction; Scripture uses multiple images.

4. Example in practice

The cross can be understood through victory over evil, reconciliation, sacrifice and the love of Christ.

5. Test tip

Look for answers that recognise multiple biblical images of salvation rather than reducing it to one.

Christus Victor

1. Definition according to Jones

A model of atonement that understands Christ’s work as victory over the powers that enslave humanity, including sin, death

and evil.

2. Her theological position

Jones includes this model as one way to express the liberating and victorious scope of salvation.

3. Important distinction

It emphasises victory and liberation, rather than focusing only on a legal penalty or moral example.

4. Example in practice

Through Jesus’ death and resurrection, the powers of sin and death are defeated.

5. Test tip

Christus Victor = Christ the victor; salvation as liberation from enslaving powers.

Satisfaction model

1. Definition according to Jones

An account of atonement associated with Anselm, in which Christ’s work addresses the disorder and debt caused by human

sin and restores what is owed to God.

2. Her theological position

Jones presents this as one historical account of how Christ’s saving work answers the problem of sin.

3. Important distinction

It is not identical to the moral-exemplar model; it emphasises satisfaction/restoration rather than primarily inspiring imitation.

4. Example in practice

Christ does what sinful humanity cannot do to restore right relationship with God.

5. Test tip

Anselm is associated with the satisfaction account.

Moral exemplar

1. Definition according to Jones

An atonement model associated with Peter Abelard, emphasising Christ’s perfect love, especially on the cross, as an example

that moves people to love.

2. Her theological position

Jones includes this as one model among several; Christ’s love changes those who witness it.

3. Important distinction

It emphasises the transforming effect of Christ’s love, rather than victory over powers or satisfaction of a debt.

4. Example in practice

Seeing Christ’s self-giving love moves Christians to love their neighbours sacrificially.

5. Test tip

Peter Abelard = moral exemplar; Christ’s love inspires love in us.

Justification

1. Definition according to Jones

God’s act of forgiving sinners and making them right with God.

2. Her theological position

Jones emphasises that justification is a gift of grace received through faith, not something earned by works.

3. Important distinction

Justification is God’s verdict and acceptance; sanctification is God’s continuing work of making people holy.

4. Example in practice

Like a guilty person acquitted in court, the sinner receives a righteous verdict because of Christ.

5. Test tip

Justification = forgiven/declared right with God; not earned by good behaviour.

Imputed righteousness

1. Definition according to Jones

The righteousness of Christ is credited or reckoned to believers.

2. Her theological position

Jones explains this as the basis of the believer’s acceptance with God: Christ’s righteousness, not personal achievement,

grounds justification.

3. Important distinction

Imputed righteousness differs from imparted righteousness, which concerns the transformation of the believer.

4. Example in practice

The courtroom image: the guilty person receives the verdict Christ deserves because of Christ’s work.

5. Test tip

Imputed = credited to us; imparted = worked into our lives.

Sanctification

1. Definition according to Jones

God’s gracious work of making believers holy, godly and more like Christ.

2. Her theological position

Jones insists that salvation does not stop at forgiveness; grace transforms the believer into a life of discipleship and

righteousness.

3. Important distinction

Sanctification is not the basis of justification; it is its fruit. But grace must not be used as an excuse for sin.

4. Example in practice

A forgiven Christian increasingly practises patience, justice, generosity and obedience through God’s grace.

5. Test tip

Justification leads into sanctification; sanctification does not earn justification.

Legalism / works righteousness

1. Definition according to Jones

The error of treating human works or moral achievement as the basis of being accepted by God.

2. Her theological position

Jones rejects this because salvation begins with God’s grace and Christ’s work, not human self-rescue.

3. Important distinction

Legalism is not the same as faithful obedience; Christian good works are fruit of grace, not its purchase price.

4. Example in practice

Trying to earn God’s acceptance by accumulating good deeds is works righteousness.

5. Test tip

Legalism = trying to earn salvation; contrast with justification by grace through faith.

Antinomianism

1. Definition according to Jones

The error of acting as though God’s law and moral instruction have no relevance to Christian life.

2. Her theological position

Jones rejects this because grace does not excuse unrighteous living; justification should lead into sanctification.

3. Important distinction

It is the opposite danger from legalism: legalism makes works the basis of acceptance, antinomianism dismisses the

importance of holy living.

4. Example in practice

A person claims forgiveness means their actions no longer matter.

5. Test tip

Antinomianism = ‘law does not matter’; sanctification answers this error.

Sacraments: baptism and communion

1. Definition according to Jones

Central, communal and formative practices that signify God’s saving work; Jones describes them as outward and visible signs

of grace.

2. Her theological position

Jones notes that baptism and communion are widely shared Christian practices, even though traditions disagree about their

exact form and how grace is mediated.

3. Important distinction

Sacraments are not merely private symbols; they are embodied practices of the church. Christian traditions differ in their

theology and administration.

4. Example in practice

Baptism marks initiation into Christ’s church; communion gathers believers to receive and remember God’s saving gift.

5. Test tip

Remember their communal and formative character, and that Christians may differ on how they understand them.

Pneumatology

1. Definition according to Jones

The doctrine or theological study of the Holy Spirit; pneuma means breath or spirit.

2. Her theological position

Jones argues that the Spirit is integral to all Christian theology and practice. Without the Spirit’s active presence, theology

would become selfish and sinful.

3. Important distinction

whole Christian life.

Pneumatology is not merely the study of spiritual experiences or gifts; it concerns who the Spirit is and the Spirit’s work in the

4. Example in practice

Christians depend on the Spirit for understanding, courage, transformation and ministry.

5. Test tip

Pneumatology = doctrine of the Holy Spirit.

Personhood of the Spirit

1. Definition according to Jones

The Holy Spirit is a divine person, not an impersonal force or merely a symbol of God’s activity.

2. Her theological position

Jones emphasises the Spirit’s personal and relational identity within the Trinity, alongside the Father and the Son.

3. Important distinction

The Spirit is not a lesser divine being, nor simply a power that Christians use.

4. Example in practice

The Spirit teaches, guides, gives life and dwells with believers.

5. Test tip

If the Spirit is described as a force rather than a person, that conflicts with Jones’s account.

Full divinity of the Spirit

1. Definition according to Jones

The Holy Spirit is fully God, sharing the one divine essence with the Father and the Son.

2. Her theological position

Jones insists that the Spirit belongs with the Father and Son in the Trinity and is worthy of worship.

3. Important distinction

The Spirit is not created, inferior or an optional addition to Christian faith.

4. Example in practice

The Nicene Creed calls the Spirit ‘the Lord, the giver of life’.

5. Test tip

The Spirit is Lord and giver of life, not a created power.

Life-giving work

1. Definition according to Jones

The Spirit gives and sustains life throughout creation and salvation history.

2. Her theological position

Jones traces the Spirit’s life-giving activity from creation through Jesus’ life and the life of the church.

3. Important distinction

The Spirit’s work is not restricted to dramatic spiritual experiences; it includes sustaining and renewing life.

4. Example in practice

The Spirit is present in creation, in Jesus’ conception and baptism, and in the renewal of believers.

5. Test tip

Connect the Spirit with creation, new life and the whole story of salvation.

Indwelling

1. Definition according to Jones

The Holy Spirit makes a home within believers; their bodies become temples of the Spirit.

2. Her theological position

Jones strongly rejects separating spirituality from bodily life. The Spirit loves and inhabits embodied people.

3. Important distinction

Indwelling is not an escape from the body or a purely private inner feeling.

4. Example in practice

What Christians do with their bodies matters spiritually; service, fasting, worship and care for others are embodied practices.

5. Test tip

Body and spirit are not enemies; the Spirit indwells embodied people.

Sanctifying grace

1. Definition according to Jones

The Spirit’s gracious work of forming believers into holy people who reflect Christ.

2. Her theological position

Jones contrasts Spirit-grown fruit with moralism based only on human effort. Christian transformation is the Spirit’s work.

3. Important distinction

Sanctification is not simply trying harder to be nice; it is transformation by God’s grace.

4. Example in practice

A believer grows in love, patience and self-control through the Spirit’s work.

5. Test tip

If the question contrasts Spirit-produced fruit with self-powered moral effort, choose sanctifying grace.

Spirituality and embodiment

1. Definition according to Jones

Christian spirituality involves the whole embodied person, not merely private inner feelings or the soul separated from the body.

2. Her theological position

Jones challenges gnostic assumptions that bodily life is spiritually unimportant. The Spirit works in and through embodied

practices and communities.

3. Important distinction

Spirituality is not the same as disembodied inwardness or being ‘spiritual but not religious’.

4. Example in practice

Fasting, kneeling, shared meals, service, accountability and laying on of hands can be embodied spiritual practices.

5. Test tip

Jones’s emphasis: the body matters; spiritual life is not detached from bodily practice.

Spiritual but not religious

1. Definition according to Jones

A phrase Jones critiques when it assumes spirituality is purely private and inward and therefore unrelated to bodily or

communal life.

2. Her theological position

Jones argues that this split reflects a gnostic error: Christian life is embodied and communal.

3. Important distinction

Christian spirituality is not simply private feeling; it is lived in bodies, relationships and the church.

4. Example in practice

A person’s faith includes shared worship, service and bodily practices, not only private thoughts.

5. Test tip

If an answer separates inner spirituality from body and community, recognise Jones’s criticism.