Preliminaries Exam

Doctrine of God

Teachings about God as Concept and Being

Doctrine of Creation

Teachings about the world as created by God

Christology

Teachings about Jesus as the Christ

Pneumatology

Teachings about the Holy Spirit

Ecclesiology

Teachings about the Church

Eschatology

Teachings about the end time

Imago Dei

The belief that humans are created in the image of God

Freewill

The belief that humans have the ability to make choices and decisions

Sin

The belief in the disobedience or wrongdoing against God's will

Evil

The belief in the existence of moral and natural evil in the world

Creation

The belief in God as the creator of the universe.

Theological anthropology

The study of the nature and purpose of human beings in relation to God.

Problems of evil and sin

The theological challenge of explaining the existence of evil and the concept of sin.

Eschatology

The study of the end times and the ultimate destiny of humanity.

Epistemology

The study of knowledge and how it is acquired.

Doctrine of God

The theological beliefs and teachings about the nature and attributes of God.

Preliminaries

The introductory concepts and ideas before delving into a specific topic.

Apostles' Creed

A statement of Christian faith that summarizes key theological beliefs.

Systematic theology

The study of theology organized and presented in a systematic and comprehensive manner.

Faith

Belief and trust in God or a religious doctrine.

Theology

The study of religious beliefs and doctrines.

Religious Studies

The academic study of religion, including its history, practices, and beliefs.

Theologian

Someone who engages in the study and interpretation of religious beliefs and doctrines.

Catechism

A summary or manual of religious teachings, often used for instruction or education.

Religion

An organized system of beliefs, practices, and values centered around the worship of a deity or deities.

Catholic Social Teaching

The body of teachings and principles of the Catholic Church related to social justice and human rights.

Jesuits

Members of the Society of Jesus, a Catholic religious order known for their emphasis on education and social justice.

Justice

The concept of fairness and moral righteousness, often applied to social, political, and economic issues.

Liberation theologies

Theological perspectives that emphasize the liberation of oppressed and marginalized groups.

Catholic Social Teaching

A collection of documents and teachings by the Catholic Church addressing social justice issues and promoting human dignity and equality

Charity

Acts of kindness and generosity towards others, often motivated by compassion or love.

Justice

The fair and equitable treatment of individuals and the establishment of a just society.

The different periods in Christian history, including the ministry of Jesus, the apostolic period, the patristic period, the medieval period, the reformation period, the modern period, and the present.

Major Periods in Christian History

Eastern Orthodox Church

One of the major Christian churches mentioned in the timeline, originating from the Great Schism in 1054 AD.

Reformation

A period in the 16th century when various Protestant denominations emerged, challenging the authority of the Roman Catholic Church.

Roman Catholic Church

The largest Christian church, led by the Pope and based in Rome.

Amish

A Christian denomination known for its simple lifestyle and separation from modern technology.

Mennonite

A Christian denomination that emerged from the Anabaptist movement, known for its commitment to nonviolence and community.

Baptist

A Protestant denomination that emphasizes adult baptism and individual faith.

Lutheran

A Protestant denomination founded by Martin Luther, known for its emphasis on grace and faith.

Quakers

A Christian denomination that emphasizes direct experience of God and nonviolence.

Presbyterian

A Protestant denomination with a representative form of church government.

Pentecostal

A Christian movement that emphasizes the gifts of the Holy Spirit and spiritual experiences.

Methodist

A Protestant denomination founded by John Wesley, known for its emphasis on personal holiness and social justice.

Episcopal

A Christian denomination with hierarchical church governance and liturgical worship.

United Church of Christ

A Protestant denomination that emerged from the merger of several Christian traditions, known for its commitment to social justice.

Catholic traditions

Various interpretations and expressions of Christian faith that emerged over centuries, including the Roman Catholic tradition.

Revelation

The act of God revealing Himself to humanity, often through scripture, tradition, reason, and personal experience.

Theology

The study of God and religious beliefs.

The various sources from which theology derives its knowledge of God, including scripture, tradition, reason, and personal experience.

Sources of Christian Theology

Divine Revelation

The belief that God reveals Himself to humanity, particularly through Jesus Christ and the Bible.

Thomas Aquinas

A medieval theologian known for his work in natural and revealed theology, particularly his book Summa Theologica.

Natural Theology

The study of God based on observation of the natural world and human reason, human (limited) knowledge of God through observation of natural world

Revealed Theology

The study of God based on divine revelation found in scripture.

Knowledge of God

The understanding and awareness of God's existence and attributes

Philosophy

The study of fundamental questions about existence, knowledge, values, reason, and more.

Sacred doctrine

Divine truths that are taught through divine revelations.

Philosophy proper

Refers to the specific branch of philosophy that deals with fundamental questions about existence, knowledge, values, reason, and more.

Sciences

Diverse fields of study that investigate and explain different aspects of the natural world.

Theology

The study of religious beliefs and practices, especially as they relate to the nature of God and the divine.

Divine revelation

The communication of divine or supernatural knowledge to humans.

Natural reason

The use of human reason and logic to understand and explain the natural world.

Sacred text

Refers to religious texts, such as the Bible, that are considered to be inspired by God.

Theology in philosophy

The branch of philosophy which deals with the study of God and divine matters.

General revelation

Protestant word for natural theology

Natural theology

Roman catholic word for general revelation

Special revelation

Protestant word for revealed theology

Revealed theology

The study of religious truths and doctrines that are revealed by God, Catholic word for special revelation

Grace

Roman catholic word for special revelation

Faith

Protestant word for special revelation

Scripture

Texts with a special status conferred by a believing community, usually referring to the Bible (Hebrew and Greek Scriptures).

Tradition

Writings of the Church in the post-New Testament period, especially from the 2nd through 4th centuries (Patristic).

Reason

The human capacity for rational thought.

Experience

Human beings' particular experiences in the world as shaped by historical circumstance.

Inspired

to breathe into, to give life to

Verbal Inspiration

The belief that God inspires the words biblical authors write in the original language text, with theories of strict inerrancy and limited inerrancy.

Non-Verbal Inspiration

The belief that God provides insight or "illumination" to the human author, who then interprets and writes in their own words, allowing for the possibility of biblical error.

Social Inspiration

The belief that the Bible developed over time through oral traditions and editing, with inspiration located within the Christian community and interpreted in relation to the complexities of life in the world.

Apocrypha

Books that are included in some versions of the Bible but not considered canonical by all Christian traditions.

Old Testament

The Jewish-authored section of the Bible, originally written in Hebrew.

New Testament

The Christian-authored section of the Bible, originally written in Koine Greek.

Muratorian Fragment

The earliest document found that gives a list of books very similar to the current New Testament, found around 190 CE

Gnostic Gospels

Banned books discovered in the Nag Hammadi library, including The Gospel of Thomas, The Gospel of Mary Magdalene, The Gospel of Philip, and The Infancy Gospel of Thomas.

Ebionites

A sect of Judaism that saw Christianity as a sect of Judaism and believed Jesus was a human being chosen by God.

Gnostics

Various groups of gentile Christians who believed salvation lies in escaping the mortality of the body.

Marcionites

Rejected Judaism, the Old Testament, and the God of creation, and believed Jesus was a divine spirit.

Docetic

Referring to the belief that Jesus only "appears" to be human, literally means “to appear”

Valentinians

A group that believed in a dyadic God (both deity and man)

Orthodox-Catholic Christianity

The mainstream form of Christianity that rejected gnostic texts.

Nag Hammadi library

The collection of banned books discovered in 1945 in the Egyptian desert.

Tradition

The post-New Testament teachings of the church, including the writings of the Pre-Nicene Fathers and the decisions made in the Councils of the Church.

Vatican II Model

The model adopted by the Roman Catholic Church after the Second Vatican Council, which emphasizes the progress of tradition in the church with the help of the Holy Spirit, includes Single-Source theory

Succession

The understanding of tradition as the succession of teachings and practices from the apostles to the present.

Unanimity

The understanding of tradition as the consensus and agreement among the bishops and masters of the church.

Authority

The claim to authority of tradition in determining the truth of the Catholic Church's teachings.

Apostolicity

The connection between apostles and apostolic churches, as described by Tertullian.

Vincent of Lérins

A theologian who emphasized the role of tradition in distinguishing the truth of the Catholic Church from the falsehoods of heretics in 434 CE

Scripture, Tradition, Reason, and Experience

The Four Sources of Theology

The recognition that Tradition and Experience are the two primary sources of theology, with Scripture and Reason being aspects of these sources.

The Two Sources Recognition

gnosis

means “knowledge”