Theology I Midterm

What is the telos of mankind?

Beatific Vision

what is the beatific vision

seeing the glory of the triune God in the face of Jesus Christ

what are the four major branches of theology

biblical

historical

philosophical

systematic

biblical theology

trajectory of scripture

creation, fall, redemption, consummation

historical theology

a theological survey through history

philosophical theology

What is real? What are the underpinnings of reality?

systematic theology

synthesis of these other three into categories which help organize our reasoning (plus the reasoning of others)

John Webster's short definition of theology

biblical reasoning

theological task according to Anselm

faith seeking understanding

- we believe it but we seek to understand

what did we say about a simple faith?

it is not enough

- we will not exhaust our knowledge of God

- there is also many different "versions" of Jesus but to repent and believe you need to know who the real Jesus is, which is theology

how do we read the bible in light of how the whole bible fits together

canonical lens

the study of scripture as a whole

That which God reveals himself through the Scriptures is called what

special revelation

what does the phrase sola scripture mean and not mean

scripture is the final authority but not the only authority

we need sola not soloscriptura

What does it mean for God to be ineffable

God cannot be fully named or described by us

When God speaks to us through Scriptures, what kind of language does he use

accommodating language

accommodation: God reveals himself in ways to help familiarize his otherness to us. He is apprehended not comprehended.

Which term defines the way we ought to think about God's accommodation to us in Scripture

analogical

analogical

to comparatively state something that is not equal but helps bring understanding

Why study theology?

everyone is a theologian

God is worthy

God is knowable, though incomprehensible

There is nothing or no one greater to contemplate God and how all things relate to him

What are three ways that God accommodates to us in creaturely like language

anthropomorphic

anthropopathic

Anthroprochronic

anthropomorphic

creature like features attributed to God to accommodate our understanding

anthropopathic

creature like emotions that accommodate our understanding

Anthroprochronic

creature like experience with time that accommodates our understanding.

The goal of studying God for the Christian is what

to apprehend and assess knowledge of the Triune God from scripture and theological contemplation that leads to greater awe and worship of Him

doxology

doxology

word of praise

for the Christian, the study of God leads to a life of worship awe and praise

What works agains the location of theology in the church?

individualism

when we say that God is immutable, it is an example of what kind of language?

apophatic

apophatic

that which is described of God negatively

cataphatic

that which is described of God positively

incommunicable

God's attributes that are not communicated to humanity

communicable

God's attributes that can be communicated to humanity

is God's love communicable or incommunicable?

communicable

Baptism falls under what category of theological triage?

secondary

primary

theological matters of first importance

anything outside of these bounds are grounds to declare a church or something not a Christian

secondary

theological matters of second importance

ecclesial matters, baptism, church policy

these matters are those around which denominations are formed

tertiary

theological matters of third and lowest importance

eschatology, matters over which we should not divide.

divine simplicity means what

God is not composed of parts

God is His attributes

these attributes are better stated as perfections

God's essence refers to his what

divine nature

God's being

ultimately unknowable. this idea goes back to divine incomprehensibility which means that finite humans cannot comprehend an incomprehensible God

Divine Impassability

since immutability is true, so too is impassibility

God does not experience emotional change in any way, God does not suffer

God does not suffer emotional change

Divine immutability

God does not change

process

- God is not becoming

potentiality

- God does not have potential

parts

- God does not have parts

passions

- God doe into suffer change in emotion

perfections

- God is his attributes

plans

- God's plans do not change

Divine Incomprehensibility

God cannot ultimately be fully grasped (comprehended by us)

- our finite minds won't change in heaven

pure actuality means what about God

God is maximally alive therefore God is not becoming

- there is nothing to actualize in God

The correct definition of the eternal modes of substance is what

one divine essence subsists in three persons

what greek word means the same substance

Homoousion

homoiousian

of similar substance

eternal relations of origin

father - unbegotten

son - eternally begotten

Holy Spirit - eternally preceding or spiriting

What did BB Garfield compare the trinity to in the Old Testament

a dimly lit room - the light brings nothing that wasn't there before but brings out a much clearer view of what was dimly perceived before

inseparable operations

because of what we know about the processions of the son and the spirit we understand that there must be an inseparability in what the trinity does

there is one will in God and God acts as one

What is Rahner's rule?

The economic trinity is the immanent trinity

we should not follow this!

Natural revelation does what concerning God

God reveals himself and what he has made/done

natural revelation

God exists

all that is created exists because of God

mankind exists because of God

all creation is dependent upon God

mankind participates in God's existence by way of dependence upon him

morality is implied in creation

natural revelation is only enough to do what

condemn

the idea that mankind is dependent on God because God has created them is called what

divine participation

define natural theology

an attempt of mankind to interpret what he observes about God through what he has made

what is an important distinction for us to keep when doing theology

creator/creature distinction

God is wholly other than us