Theology Quiz 1 study guide

ancilla theologia

A Latin phrase meaning “the handmaid of theology,” referring to the use of philosophical or cultural ideas to assist Christian theology.

Apostles' Creed

One of the earliest creeds of the church, based on an ancient baptismal confession, known and taught by almost all Western Christians.

Apostolic tradition

The faith of the church derived from the eyewitness testimony of the apostles or the earliest church's witness recorded in the canon.

authority

The basis for judging beliefs about truth and practice, involving the relationship of Scripture to tradition, experience, and reason.

Bible

The collection of books that constitute the Scripture or canon of the church, central to debates about its authority and nature.

canon

A Greek word meaning measure or rule, referring to the standard of apostolic instruction and the list of sacred books in Christianity.

Catholic

An adjective referring to the universality of the church and specifically to the Roman Catholic church.

council

A formal meeting of bishops and church representatives to regulate doctrine or discipline.

creed

Public statements of faith used to teach and defend beliefs, including the Apostles’ Creed and the Nicene Creed.

critical thinking

An analytical approach to language and ideas to understand and interpret meaning and truth.

doctrine

An official teaching of the Church.

dogma

A religious truth or doctrine based on divine revelation, which is irreformable and cannot be reversed.

Enlightenment

A term referring to the emphasis on human reason and autonomy in 18th-century Western thought.

ideology

The ideas that form the basis for thinking about issues, often rigidly held.

inerrancy

The belief that the Bible is free from errors in knowledge, including scientific and historical facts.

infallibility

The belief that Scripture is a trustworthy guide to faith and that papal pronouncements made ex cathedra are without error.

inspiration

The process by which Scripture is believed to be motivated or guided by the Spirit of God.

mystic

An individual who experiences divine reality through direct intuition or spiritual ecstasy.

New Testament

The 27 books of the New Testament canon and the period from Jesus’ ministry to about 100 CE.

Nicene Creed

A Christian creed adopted by the Council of Nicea in 325, formulating orthodox Trinitarian doctrine.

Old Testament

The Christian term for the Hebrew scriptures, including additional books from the Septuagint.

orthodoxy

Right belief in Christianity, as opposed to heresy, and forms of Christianity dominant in certain regions.

revelation

The disclosure of something previously unknown, particularly God's self-revelation through creation and Jesus Christ.

revelation, general

God's self-disclosure through creation, accessible to all humans.

revelation, special

Divine revelation through a specific medium, primarily Jesus Christ.

social location

The context of a believer's perspective, influenced by race, gender, and class.

Tradition

The accumulated wisdom of the church that interprets faith derived from scriptures and creeds for contemporary believers.

Word of God

Refers to Jesus Christ as the incarnate Word and the Bible as the witness to Him.