Studied by 17 people
Relativism
everything is relative to me, my group, and my situation; i must accept and affirm others
Atheism
there is no god
Deism
there is a god but he is not involved
Materialism
material and physical is more important than spiritual
Nihilism
all is nothing and there is no meaning
Existentialism
experiences gives life meaning
Christian Theism
there is a personal God who redeems
Postmodernism
questions the assumptions of modernism; there is no greater narrative; against absolute truth
Islam
the good you do in life must outweigh the bad
St. Thomas Aquinas
5 ways to defend the existence of God; we use reason to reach revelation
Pluralists
everything is not 1; opposite of the Milesians
Pythagoras
formulas, logic, knowledge; theorems prove truth
Augustine
you can’t deny your or God’s existence; truth is superior to reason; Patristic
Plato
Theory of forms; forms gives purpose to things
Heraclitus
we are always changing; “you can’t step in the same river twice”
Nietzche
We don’t need God; we can make our own meaning and purpose; God is dead and we killed him; father of Atheism
Milesians
existence is unity; all diversity is unified somehow
Descartes
“I think therefore I am”/ “Cogito Ergo Sum”; lofic and reason tells us what is; My thinking validates and confirms my existence
Worldview is . . .
a commitment; fundamental orientation of your heart
a worldview . . .
expresses the presuppositions we hold about the reality of our existence; provides the foundation for which we live
Nietzche proposed . . .
we don’t need God; God is dead and we killed him
Neitzche’s reasoning was . . .
God was holding us back; belief in God is meaningless; we can make our own meaning and purpose; you don’t need meaning after this existence if you have meaning in life
Sire’s 7 essential questions:
Prime Reality
External Reality
Human?
After death?
Knowledge
Good vs. Evil
Human History
Zacharias’ 4 essential questions:
Origin
Meaning
Morality
Destiny
Prime Reality
What is real? What is the first real? What is ultimate reality?
External Reality
What is the world around us?
Human?
What is the human?
After death
What happens to humans after death?
Knowledge
Why do we know anything? How do we know anything?
Good vs. Evil
How do we know right from wrong?
Human History
What is the point of human history? What is our purpose on earth?
Origin
Where do we come from?
Meaning
What is our purpose?
Morality
How do we know right vs. wrong?
Destiny
What happens after death?
Truth is . . .
primarily a property of propositions
Correspondence theory
statement agrees with reality
Coherence theory
not contradictory to other statements
Logical consistency
agrees with sense
Experiential relevance
relevant to experiences
empirical adequacy
observable enough
PM Prime Reality
I construct reality
PM External Reality
I construct it
PM Humans?
I give myself meaning
PM Afterlife
I decide; nothingness; unknown
PM Knowledge
Truth and knowledge is hidden; all you can do is tell stories
PM Good vs. Evil
social constructs; socially accepted narratives
PM Human History
History can change at any time
CT Prime Reality
God- yHwH and I Am, Jehovah, Jirah, God who sees, shepherd; creator, infinity, sovereign, immanent (personal- father, savior, friend), transcendent, triune, redeemer
CT External Reality
God’s creation- ex nihlo (out of nothing)
CT Humans?
imago dei (image of God); innate value and worth; image bearer and re-creator; look like God and share attributes
CT Afterlife
Heaven (redeemed existence and in God’s presence; faith that Jesus is our Savior); Hell (away from God; punishment; rejects that Jesus saves)
CT Knowledge
revelation: special and general (we discover these); knowledge is knowable, reliable, objective, sure and predictable; know truly but not perfectly or comprehensibly
CT Good vs. Evil
God defines morality; discover and submit
CT Human History
linear: creation, fall, redemption (redemptive history: OT and Jesus), 2nd coming; God oversees and interacts
Note 
Flashcard (135)