Theology and Philosophy Lecture Notes Flashcards

A comprehensive set of vocabulary flashcards covering key theological, philosophical, and Christological terms and doctrines as discussed in the lecture notes.

Philosophy

The rational investigation of the truths and principles of being, knowledge, or conduct.

Theology

The study of the nature of the divine and a religious understanding of God, famously defined by Saint Anselm as ‘Faith seeking understanding.’

The Incarnation

The basic Christian doctrine affirming that Jesus Christ took human flesh from his mother Mary and is simultaneously fully God and fully man.

Imago Dei

A theological term rooted in Genesis $1:27$ denoting that humans are created in the image of God in their moral, spiritual, and intellectual nature.

Logos

In Greek philosophy, it refers to universal divine reason; in Christology, it is a title for Jesus Christ as the pre-existent second person of the Trinity, or the ‘Word made flesh.’

Covenant

A bond or promise between persons, from the Latin for ‘coming together,’ representing a relationship based on choice rather than necessity.

Revelation

The process by which God reveals himself and his plans for friendship through words and actions, with its fullness found in Jesus Christ.

God

The one absolutely and infinitely perfect spirit who is the Creator and Lord of heaven and earth, existing as one unique spiritual substance.

Trinity

The Christian doctrine that God is one God in three coeternal, consubstantial persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Triune

Meaning three in one, or constituting a trinity in unity.

Trinitarianism

The strictly monotheistic theological belief in Christianity that God is a Trinity.

Hypostatic Union

The theological term describing the union of Christ's humanity and divinity in one individual existence, being fully God and fully man.

Heresy

The formal denial or doubt of a core doctrine of the Christian faith as defined by the Church.

Perichoresis

A Greek term meaning ‘permeation without confusion,’ describing the mutual indwelling and intimate inhabitation of the three persons of the Trinity in each other.

Essence

The metaphysical nature of God identified as ‘Being Itself’ or self-subsistence, which is shared by all three divine persons.

Person

A theological term designated to members of the Trinity who possess attributes such as wills and the ability to love, speak, and recognize others.

Substance

Derived from the Greek ‘ousia,’ this word answers the question ‘One what?’ regarding the Trinity, referring to the unity of God.

Begotten

A term suggesting an unchanging relationship rather than a creation in time; specifically, that Christ is eternally the Son of the Father (‘begotten not made’).

Consubstantial

From the Latin ‘consubstantialem,’ meaning of one and the same substance, essence, or nature.

Holy Spirit

The third person of the Trinity, equal to the Father and the Son, who acts as the sanctifier and God's loving presence in the Church.

Christology

The study of the Person and work of Jesus Christ, derived from Greek words for ‘Messiah’ and ‘word.’

Gnosticism

An ancient system of religious ideas where Jesus was seen as a messenger bringing ‘gnosis’ (special knowledge) necessary for salvation.

Docetism

A heresy from the Greek ‘dokein’ (‘to seem’) claiming Jesus only appeared to have a physical body and was truly only a spiritual being.

Arianism

A nontrinitarian doctrine asserting that Jesus was a lesser, created being begotten by the Father at a point in time, rather than being coeternal.

Nestorianism

A Christological heresy that Jesus was two separate persons and denied Mary the title of Theotokos.

Theotokos

A Greek title meaning ‘God-bearer’ or ‘Mother of God,’ formally defined at the Council of Ephesus in $431$.

Incarnate

Meaning ‘in the flesh,’ from the Latin prefix ‘in-’ and ‘caro’ (flesh).

Transcendence

The attribute of God being beyond our universe and understanding, infinitely perfect as the creator of all.

Immanence

The attribute of God being present within all of creation, meaning there is no place where God is not.

The Enlightenment

A $17\text{th}$ and $18\text{th}$ century intellectual movement that emphasized human reasoning, skepticism of received wisdom, and rational analysis.

Rerum Novarum

An $1891$ encyclical by Pope Leo XIII that serves as a foundational text of modern Catholic social teaching, addressing the social conflicts of capitalism and industrialization.

Religious Experience

A subjective experience, such as prayer, interpreted within a religious framework where one feels a direct or personal connection to God.

Transient

A quality of religious experience meaning it is temporary and the individual eventually returns to a normal frame of mind.

Ineffable

A quality of religious experience suggesting it cannot be adequately described or put into words.

Noetic

A quality of religious experience where the individual feels they have gained valuable knowledge or insight.

Fides et Ratio

An encyclical issued by Pope John Paul II on $14$ September $1998$ addressing the relationship between faith and reason.

Ontology

The philosophical argument that the existence of a supremely good being in the mind implies that such a being must exist in reality.

Cosmology

The science or religious explanation of the origin, structure, evolution, and fate of the universe.

Teleological

The argument that the order, complexity, and purpose found in creation suggest the existence of a designer.

Deism

The belief in a supreme being who created the universe but does not intervene in it; a view rejected by the Catholic Church.