Systematic Theology I: Final Vocab Compilation 1-11

Angelology

Study of the doctrine of angels

Theological Anthropology

The doctrine of humanity that views humans in terms of their relationships to God. It includes critical reflection on issues such as the origin, purpose, and destiny of humankind in light of Christian theological understandings.

Bibliology

The study of the bible.

Christology

The study of the person and work of Jesus Christ. The church's understanding of who Jesus Christ is and what he has done grew and developed through the centuries. Early church councils produced christological statements.

Demonology

The study of demons.

Ecclesiology

The study of the church as a biblical and theological topic. The NT presents various images of the church that the early church struggled with as it sought its self-understanding in light of the gospel and controversies

Eschatology

Study of the "last things" or the end of the world. Theological dimensions include the second coming of Jesus Christ and the last judgment.

Hamartiology

The study of the doctrine of sin.

Pneumatology

Theological doctrine of the Holy Spirit. In the early church, the doctrine of the Spirit began in the 4th century with controversies about the Spirit's divinity.

Prolegomena

Those things that come before the main body of a work. In theology, certain issues and questions that prepare the way for treating other major topics.

Soteriology

The doctrine of salvation.

Theology Proper

The theological study of the doctrine of God.

Biblical theology

The attempt to arrange biblical teachings or themes in a more systematic way while maintaining biblical images, frameworks, and worldviews.

Christian theology

The body of beliefs and doctrines that constitute the Christian faith. Theology has been understood as faith seeking understanding (Augustine, Anselm) and the critical reflection on God's revelation. Various theological methods have been used with differing emphases throughout the centuries.

Covenant theology

A theological perspective most developed by 17th-century Reformed theologians. It focuses on the ways in which the divine-human relationship has been established by covenants. These include God's covenant of grace and works, though the latter is not recognized by all Reformed theologians

Dispensational theology

A view of God's activities in history expounded in The Scofield Reference Bible and traced to John Nelson Darby (1800-1882). Each dispensation is a different time period in which humans are tested in responding to God's will. Seven dispensations cover creation to judgment

Dogmatic theology

Theological reflection on the beliefs of the Christian community, primarily though not exclusively through the study of Christian creeds and confessions of faith.

Fundamentalism

A mentality advocating strict adherence to certain principles or doctrines regarded as basic, essential, and "fundamental" to a viewpoint. The term is used for a form of Protestantism in 20th-century America that sought to preserve conservative views and values against liberal theology and the higher criticism of Scripture. A strong focus was on the inerrancy and literal interpretation of Scripture

Historical theology

The study of the views of theologians, and of the Christian church, in their historical contexts.

Liberal theology

A theological movement, stemming from Friedrich Schleiermacher (1768-1834), that sought to reformulate Christian doctrine in contemporary terms. It emphasized the use of reason, science, freedom, and experience while focusing on human goodness and progress and the continuities between the divine and human

Liberation theology

Various 20th-century theological movements that see the gospel as liberation from all forms of oppression—economic, spiritual, political, and social. The emphasis is on praxis, or the practical ways in which God's call for the liberation of the oppressed is accomplished

Modernism

A theological movement of the late 19th and early 20th centuries among Protestants and Roman Catholics who sought to interpret Christianity in light of modern knowledge.

Philosophical theology

The approach to theology that employs the methods, terms, and resources of philosophy for theological work

Systematic theology

The branch of Christian theology that attempts to present theological thinking and practice in an orderly and coherent way. It may be based on Scripture and expressed through doctrines. It implies an underlying philosophical frame of reference and a method to be followed

Anthropomorphism

The attribution of a human quality to God, such as "eyes," "hands," or "arms." It uses analogous and metaphorical language

Authority

The power or right to command belief, action, and obedience.

Biblicism

An unquestioning allegiance to the Bible and one's own understanding of it.

Creed

A formal statement of belief. Christian churches from the early church period to the present have often constructed summary statements of Christian beliefs.

Fideism

The view that faith rather than reason (Lat. ratio) is the means by which Christian truth is known.

Natural theology

Knowledge of God attained through God's revelation in nature and available to human reason. The Roman Catholic tradition has emphasized it through Thomas Aquinas. Some Protestants affirm it, while others, such as Karl Barth reject it.

Orthodoxy

That which is considered correct or proper belief, particularly the teachings of early ecumenical church councils from Nicaea to Chalcedon.

Revelation

An act of self-disclosure and self-communication.

Special revelation

God's particular self-revelation at specific times and places and to particular people, as in the events of Israel's history and, for Christians, fully in Jesus Christ. The Bible as the record of God's word and action is also considered a special revelation.

General revelation

God's self-disclosure and self-communication in the universe and created world. Theologians have debated whether faith is necessary to perceive this revelation and in what ways it is accessible to those who are sinners

Scripture

A writing regarded as sacred. In the Christian tradition, the OT and NT are considered Holy in that they are, or convey, the self-revelation of God. The term may refer to a single verse or the whole Bible.

Authority of Scripture

In the Christian view, the conviction that the writings of the OT and NT have a unique status in being and/or conveying God's self-revelation. They are thus to be recognized as such and obeyed as reliable guides for Christian living.

Tradition

The transmission of received teaching or practice. In Christianity the church's centers in God's revelation in Jesus Christ. The term has come to mean the genuine preservation of the apostles' faith.

Word of God

God's self-revelation as the incarnate Word (Jesus Christ; John 1:1-14), the written Word (Holy Scripture; Matt. 15:6), and living Word (preaching). The term was virtually synonymous with early Christian proclamation

A posteriori

Latin term referring to thought or knowledge that is based on, or arises after, experience.

A priori

Latin term referring to thought or knowledge arising from a concept or principle that precedes empirical verification, or that occurs independently of experience.

Agnosticism

The view that it is not possible to have any certain knowledge beyond ordinary experience, so that one cannot know whether God exists.

Analogy

The use of likeness or proportionateness to relate one known thing to another that is unknown.

Atheism

Denial of the existence and reality of any deity.

Cataphatic theology

A mode of theology used to describe God positively on the basis of the divine self-revelation, in contrast to apophatic theology, the "way of negation." Also called "positive theology."

Cosmological argument

Argument for God's existence that proposes that since all things in the universe must have a cause, God must exist as the ultimate cause of all things.

Incomprehensibility of God

God's greatness as exceeding all human capabilities ever to understand God fully.

Moral argument

An argument for the existence of God based on the view that there must be an ultimate explanation for why there are moral values and a concern for moral activity.

Ontological argument

One of the classical arguments for the existence of God based on the powers of reason. As developed by Anselm (1033-1109), it considers God to be "that than which nothing greater can be conceived." As such, God must exist because to lack existence would be a defect.

Sense of Divinity

An innate, intuitive perception in all people of the existence of the Divine; it forms a basis for all religion and a natural theology. John Calvin recognized that sin distorted this knowledge and thus it cannot bring salvation. It leaves humans inexcusable before God.

Teleological argument

One of the five arguments for the existence of God formulated by Thomas Aquinas. The order of the universe is said to imply a designer who has shaped the universe to fulfill divine purposes as a final goal.

Via Negativa

A way of speaking about God that takes human characteristics and describes God in terms of their opposites, such as: humans are finite; God is infinite.

Univocity

A view of language in which names are seen as being univocal, i.e., having the same meaning throughout their various uses. Also the exact application of a name or term to two different things

Binitarianism

The view that the Godhead consists of only the Father and Son. It was prevalent in the early church among Monarchians, some Arians, and the Pneumatomachians. Today it is found in views that deny divinity to Jesus Christ or the Holy Spirit.

Economic Trinity

A view of the Trinity, propounded by Hippolytus (c. 170-c. 236) and Tertullian, that stressed the functions or work of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit rather than their eternal being in relation to each other.

Eternal Generation

The relation of the Son to the Father in the Godhead, with the Son being "eternally begotten" or "generated" by and from God the Father.

Filioque

Latin phrase inserted into the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed at the Council of Toledo to say that the Holy Spirit proceeds from both Father and Son in the Trinity. It was rejected by the Eastern church and was part of the reason for the East-West church schism.

Hypostasis

The objective essence of something. Biblically, the term is used for confidence or assurance. Theologically, it was used in the early church for the three persons of the Godhead, each as an individual reality.

Modalism

A view of the Trinity that the one God was revealed at different times in different ways and thus has three manners (modes) of appearance rather than being one God in three persons. The early church considered modalism a heresy.

Perichoresis

A term used in the theology of the Trinity to indicate the intimate union, mutual indwelling, or mutual interpenetration of the three members of the Trinity with one another. Also used for the relation of the two natures of Christ.

Person

Boethius (c. 480-524) defined this as "an individual substance of a rational nature."

Subordinationism

A theological term for the view that the nature and status of Jesus Christ is less than that of God the Father, or that the Holy Spirit is inferior to the Father and the Son. These positions were rejected by the Council of Constantinople. These views appeared in Arianism and in writers such as Origen.

Trinity, Ontological

The three persons of the Trinity in themselves, sharing the divine essence (substance) as one God.

Trinity, Relations in

In the doctrine of the Trinity, the relations of the three persons to one another: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Each person has distinct characteristics but shares the same divine essence.

Trinitarian Functions

The differing works of the three persons of the Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. In classical theology, the work of one member of the Trinity is also considered to be the work of the whole Trinity.

Tritheism

Belief in three separate and individual gods. Some early formulations by Christian theologians were considered to move in this direction. Early Christian apologists sought to defend the faith from charges of belief in three gods.

Unitarianism

The belief that God is one. It contrasts with Trinitarianism, which holds that God is one God in three persons.

Attributes of God, Communicable

Divine characteristics considered to have corresponding characteristics in human beings.

Attributes of God, Incommunicable

Divine qualities with no corresponding attribute in humans, such as perfection, omnipotence, and omniscience.

God, Aseity of

The view that God is entirely self-sufficient and not dependent upon anything else.

God, Holiness of

God's separateness from all creation as well as the divine purity and goodness in God's being and willing.

God, Immutability of

God's freedom from all change, understood to emphasize God's changeless perfection and divine constancy.

God, Infinity of

The limitlessness of the divine essence so that God is superior in all ways to all things.

God, Integrity of

The aspects of God's truthfulness that include God's being true (genuineness), telling the truth (veracity), and proving to be true (faithfulness).

God, Simplicity of

God as absolutely ultimate and perfect by being completely free from all composite parts. All the attributes of God do not become added together to form God; rather, God's attributes are identical with God's essence and constitute God's oneness.

God, Mercy of

God's grace and compassion toward sinful creatures and special care for those in need.

God, Transcendence of

God as being over and beyond the created order and superior to it in every way.

Immanence of God

The view that God is present in and with the created order. In Christian belief, God is not identified with the created order. It contrasts with transcendence.

Impassibility

The traditional theological view that God does not change and thus is not affected by actions that take place in the world, particularly in terms of experiencing suffering or pain. It emphasizes that God is active, rather than passive or acted upon by other agents.

Omnipotence

God's ability to do all things that do not conflict with the divine will or knowledge. God's power is limited only by God's own nature and not by any external force.

Omnipresence

God as an infinite spirit being everywhere present in the cosmos.

Omniscience

God as knowing all things, all events, and all circumstances in a way that is perfect and immediate.

Concurrence, divine

The actions of God in working in the world in conjunction with the actions of human beings.

Creatio ex nihilio

The Christian view that God created all things out of nothing and is thus the ultimate cause and source of meaning for the whole created order.

Creator-Creature Distinction

A fundamental starting point for biblical faith that recognizes God as the sole, unique, and absolute source of all that exists, and humans as the creation of God who owe every aspect of their existence to God, and as limited and finite creatures can never attain any form of equality with God.

Decrees of God

Expressions of the will of God, or the ways by which God enacts the divine plan of salvation in history. Theological elements considered include election, the fall into sin, and salvation to eternal life.

Evolution, Theistic

The view that God has guided the process of evolution and used it as a means of achieving divine purposes.

Fiat Creationism

The view that God brought into being all things that exist by a direct act of God's speech. All things were created virtually instantaneously by God's direct working and God's word. It opposes evolutionary views or the concept of God using existing materials out of which to produce new species or organisms. Humans were thus created by a direct action of God.

Government, divine

An aspect of God's providence by which God directs and rules over all things according to the divine will.

Free-will defense

The view that the existence of evil cannot be blamed on God. God gave humans the initial freedom of will (choice), so they had opportunity to enact selfish desire rather than turn to God as the highest good.

Middle Knowledge/Molinism

A concept developed by the Jesuit Luis de Molina concerning God's conditioned and consequent knowledge of future events. God foreknows how each person will cooperate with grace.

Miracle

An event that is considered unusual or extraordinary in that it appears to be contrary to what is currently known of nature.

Preservation

An aspect of the Christian doctrine of providence indicating that God sustains or continues to maintain the creation.

Progressive Creationism

Also called "microevolution." The view that God initially created the first member of each "kind," which have not "evolved" from other "kinds." The members of each "kind" have evolved or developed from one another.

Providence, Divine

God's maintenance, guidance, and continuing involvement with creation and humans as means of carrying out divine purposes in history.

Deism

A view contrasting to atheism and polytheism. It holds that knowledge of God comes through reason rather than revelation, and that after God created the world, God has had no further involvement in it.

Monism

The philosophical view that all reality is of one type or essence.

Naturalism

The philosophical view that the universe exists as a self-contained whole and that it is self-directing. There is thus no supernatural element.

Open theism

A view of God stressing human freedom. It views God's management of the world not to be coercive but marked by restraint so humans may exercise the freedom necessary for meaning to adhere to love and the moral life. God conditions God's actions on the free choices of free creatures.

Pantheism

A term coined by John Toland, literally meaning "everything God." The view is that God is all and all is God.

Panentheism

Term coined by K. C. F. Krause, for the view that God is in all things. This view also sees the world and God as mutually dependent for their fulfillment.