Intro to Theology Exam 1

exam tomorrow, mc questions, short answer, essay

What is “theology?” (Macchia)

What is “theology?” (Macchia)

• Means “God-talk.”

• Communicated in a way that informs and guides other ways of thinking and communicating the faith of the church.

• Seeks to know its subject matter from the inside 

• Seeks to be relevant within many different cultural contexts.

What is systematic theology?

Human construction & organization of reflection on the revelation of God; it's crafted in a manner that attempts to be inherently coherent and accurate to that revelation as well as in a manner that’s beneficial to the church/reign of God and to the unbelieving world. 

Why should we study theology?

-Theology is primarily a servant of the church. Theology needs the church to tether down its tendencies for speculation and the church needs theology to build a stronger foundation for its nature and mission in the world.

- The personal benefits of studying theology. Theology is done best in prayer and worship. Theology is transformative.

-The need for theologically astute people in churches. This is the most non-christian era since 3rd or 4th AD and people are uninterested in theology and biblically illiterate. Theology is needed to establish the “why” of our mission and the “what” of our intended course of action. Theology grounds our ethics, our witness and our activity inside and outside the church.

Arguments for and against studying theology

-“All we need is the Bible!” However, we bring assumptions and prioritize sections. The church needs theology because it helps us understand what it means to be faithful to the Gospel.

- “We should simply trust the leading of the spirit! Focus on our hearts instead of our heads.” But, how do we know what the spirit is saying? It must make sense and be rationally coherent.

- “We should focus on committed discipleship.” Americans are known for pragmatism (something is only worthwhile if it works).There is a false assumption that action can’t be blended with thinking.

- “God calls for faith, not doubt.” Faith should be supported not undermined. And what value is a faith that is untested. Theology asks us to deliberate long-held beliefs to purify our faith. 

What is the definition of revelation?

The disclosure of God’s self and God’s plan to humankind. Demonstration of God’s grace to us. Without God’s revelation, we would know nothing about God.

What is special revelation?

• Jesus Christ: the focus of God’s person given to humanity

• Scripture: the record of God’s encounter and relationship with humanity & creation

• The role of the spirit in this word event 

What is general revelation?

• God indirectly disclosing God’s self in the realm of nature. Humans can “read” God there.

Intuition theory

• The human writers of Scripture draw upon their own mental ideas and intuition to write. 

Illumination theory

The divine enlightens and brings insight to the human mind of the writer of Scripture.

Dynamic theory

• An almost equal interplay between human and divine resources. 

Verbal theory

• God gives the very words to the writers of Scripture. 

Dictation theory

• The divine subsumes the human so that the writers of the Scripture become mere secretaries for God’s dictation. 

2 Timothy 3:16-17

all scripture is God-breathed

What is hermeneutics?

• The science and art of interpretation 

• Human speech requires hermeneutics 

• These symbols may be misunderstood, especially in light of geographical distance, culture, a second language, and the passing of time; all of these are involved in Biblical hermeneutics

• As God’s eternal word to humans, we usually want to rush to the question: “What does the Bible mean for us today?”

Observation (hermeneutics)

-What does the author say?

• Hebrew or Greek-English translations

• Commentaries for deeper understanding 

• Rhetorical devices or figures of speech?

• What is being said in this text?

Interpretation (hermeneutics)

-What did the author mean?

• Socio-historical context is important (situation of the author and audience?)

• What issues are addressed?

• What is the genre?

• How are words used in this pericope (small paragraph) and in comparison with other ancient literature?

Correlation (hermeneutics)

-What do other passages of scripture say about this topic?

• Interpret scripture with scripture (“analogy of scripture”)

• Clarity 

• Danger of using one verse or passage to be the basis for doctrine

Application (hermeneutics)

-What does this passage mean for me and the church today?

• How does the meaning of a passage written for ancient times “transfer” to the 21st century context?

• Does it need an explanation for today?

• Are some things “non-transferable?”

How can we best describe or define the trinity?

The Christian belief of the 3 in 1: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit

How helpful are analogies (like the 3 leaf clover) to understanding the trinity?

the separateness of the three parts seen on the leaf is all connected by one unified stem. tearing apart each section would represent father, son, and holy spirit and the stem represents the foundation or the complete whole

Partialism

• ⅓ + ⅓ + ⅓ = 1 → doesn’t equal the trinity

• views the trinity as different “parts”

Modalism

• Where God shows himself with 3 different faces/roles

Arianism

• Only the Father is truly God; Son is created being as is Spirit

Tritheism

• 1 + 1 + 1 = 3 → 3 gods

Orthodox view of the trinity

• 1 + 1 + 1 = 1

• Does not easily fit into our mathematical equations because of the difference between our finite realm and God’s infinite existence

The Cappadocian settlement (language about the trinity)

• We believe in one substance (ousia) in three persons (hypostaseis)

Perichoresis and the trinity

• Perichoresis: to dance around → Trinity is dancing with each other, moving toward each other 

• God’s life has constant movement in perfect harmony

• God’s life is one of infinite circulation 

• God’s life is one that makes room for the other

• The Trinity lives in circulatory movement

• Consists of 3 distinctions all equal in essence but different in function

• Unity, no opposition

• Fellowship between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is so rich that it naturally overflows; fullness of divine love, naturally reaches out in an abundance of love

• The other-centered nature of God’s perichoretic life turns toward those who are unlike God; when he creates the world → he creates order → welcoming love and community → making room for the Gospel

attributes of God

• The importance of God revealing himself to us in order to know anything about him

Exodus 34:6-7

God’s revelation to Moses

YHWH

*the 4 letter word 

*tetragrammaton 

*the covenant name of God, spelled in the English Bible with all caps, “LORD.” 

*often pronounced “Yahweh” because Jews didn’t want to pronounce the sacred name “YHWH” so they inserted Adonai

Yahweh

*points to God’s self existence, not dependent on anyone or anything

• What is “Jehovah?”

• Tetragrammaton + vowel points borrowed from Adonai (a/e + o + a)

• A made up name that was invented by William Tyndale in 1537

What can “I AM” mean?

• A declaration that He exists; that God always was, always is, and always will be

The features of God: God is

triune, spirit, personal, and love

God is Triune

one in three and three in one, dynamic unity of Father, Son, and Spirit

God is Spirit

• incorporeal (without a body), to say God is spirit is to say God is immaterial, invisible, without composition or extension, God has no body parts because God is immaterial, God has no matter but fills the Earth, he’s nowhere but everywhere at the same time

Theophanies

manifestation of God in physical form

Anthropomorphism

God appearing in human shapes

God is Personal

•  represented as a personal presence as opposed to an impersonal force, has personal relationships with us, Father & Son used as personal terms

God is Love

• love is central to God’s being, agape love (unconditional love, no strings attached), God doesn’t require a certain status to love us

Aseity

• God is self-existent, God does not depend on anything outside himself, no one caused/created God, yet he’s the source of all things 

Omnipotent

• God is all-powerful, God can do all things consistent with the perfection of his being

Omniscient

all-knowing, God is perfect in knowledge, God knows the heart, God knows all events to come

Omnipresent

• God’s presence is everywhere and fills the universe

Lovingkindness (chesed)

John Calvin’s view on providence

• John Calvin is a reformer 

• Care + control

• God is looking out for His creation

• God doesn’t sit back and watch events unfold. God is engaged in ceaseless activity

• Goes against the stoic idea of fate

carnal reason

*can lead one to believe in God as creator of the world

*may also lead one to believe that God is sustainer of the world by propelling it into motion

*cannot lead to knowledge of God as father or help to taste God’s “special care”

faith reason

*Faith teaches us through Scripture and experience that God is the governor and preserver who actively cares for his creation

fate and fortune

*God’s providence is NOT fortune or fate

*some objects behave according to their nature, yet God empowers them to be effective in their function so that they end up being instruments of God

*therefore, nothing is by chance; everything is controlled by the ever-present hand of God

Greg Boyd’s view on providence

• Open- theism

• Controls certain events, but leaves others “open”

• Allows humans to choose within limits based off God’s goal 

• Can God change his mind?

• Says God can change even though he’s announced a certain course of action

• Virtuous flexibility 

• Wise flexibility

imago Dei

-made in the image and likeness of God

-symbolizes relationship between God and humanity

-invites creation to dance within the trinity by making them in the image of himself

-Genesis 1:26

Structural/substantial view of the imago Dei

-the oldest view in Christianity

The relational imago in the Reformation

Luther wishing to remove any human ability to connect with God… Luther said all capacities labeled the imago were indeed destroyed…

The dynamic relational view of the imago Dei by Karl Barth

-humans are covenant partners with God

-how do we know about the image of God in humans? the answer lies in the humanity of Jesus

-the theology of intratrinitarian encounter is the foundation of the imago Dei

-we’re the only creatures made to talk with God

Augustine’s view on sin

• Augustine was a bishop of Hippo in Northern Africa (near Carthage)

• Wrote thousands of pages on sin and grace 

• Sin of Adam + Eve affected the will’s ability to choose God and obey his commands 

• Humans are “bent” towards sin

• Makes clear that our will is bound by sin; it cannot choose God or the good on its own 

• The sin of Adam → original sin 

• Sins humans commit → actual sins

• We commit acts of sin because we are born with a sin nature as a result of that “original sin”

Pelagius’s view on sin

• Pelagius was a monk from Britain who was living in Rome

• Maintained that humans were made good by God; therefore, any sinful actions can’t come from a direct in human nature. 

• Human will → created good by God and retained inherent capabilities 

• Humans have to be capable of obeying God’s commands 

• Natural integrity 

• Sin and guilt can come to humans from Adam and Eve. God wouldn’t punish us to the sin of another 

• Human sins due to imitation of Adam and Eve’s transgression (learning from a bad example)

• Acts of sin accumulate to form a pattern or habit of sin. We can’t easily attain good behavior with centuries of bad habits because we learn and follow from bad examples

• God grants humans a created nature in his image (Grace comes in creation)

• Humans are inherently good (inherent goodness)

study/review these readings

1. Macchia, “Intro to Theology” 

• Chapter 1 (5-15)

• Chapter 1 (15-33)

• Chapter 2 (“God” 45-63)

• Chapter 4 (“Humanity” 104-112)

2. Cross, “The Nature of God” and the “Relational Nature of the People of God”

• Chapter 2 

3. Gregory of Nyssa, “On the Trinity”

4. Calvin, “God’s Providence Governs All”

• Pgs. 123-128

5. Boyd, “Open Theism View”

• Portions of chapter 1, pgs. 23-37

6. Augustine & Pelagius: Fallen Human Nature