Intro to Christianity FINAL EXAM STUDY GUIDE

List the ways Christians think about Jesus

Jesus tells and shows what God is like, makes a new relationship with God possible, and lives out a God-focused life, acting as a model of the life of faith

(T/F) Christianity is the only major faith to focus attention on the death of its founder

True

(T/F) The first human witnesses to the resurrection were women

True

This emperor saw a heavenly vision which ordered him to place the sign of the cross on his soldier's shields

Emperor Constantine

The Septuagint is:

The Old testament translated from Hebrew to Greek; LXX; the Scriptures; Book of the 70

List the responses to heresy:

Canon, succession, creed

Distinguish the elements of Greek culture the early Christians participate in from those elements they refused to participate in

COULD: radical sense of egalitarianism, care for widows / orphans / poor, slavery

COULD NOT: theater, athletic contests, military, government

(T/F) The early church was known for the care of widows and orphans:

True

List the reasons that the Romans persecuted Christians

Christianity was an illegal religion, they were atheists and idiots, criminals, bad citizens, baby eaters

(T/F) Roman persecution tended to be systematic and empire wide

False

Identify the Apologists' response to persecution

Renounce faith and offer sacrifice, hand over sacred documents, bribe or buy false certificates, go into hiding, accept martyrdom

This edict brought an end to the persecution of Christians:

Edict of Toleration (Galerius 311 CE)

List the impacts of Constantine on the church:

Surge in popularity, increased the prestige of bishops, increased the Church's wealth

This is the Latin translation of the Bible completed by Jerome:

Vulgate

List the major contributions of Augustine:

Imago Dei theory, Just War theology, original sin, denial of imperial theology, doctrine of Purgatory, and the Sacraments

List the factors in the rise of the papacy:

Initially was because of location, double apostolic foundation, model for apostolic succession, bold claims (Easter controversy)

Later was because of theological meditation, esteem for Peter, missionary endeavors, outstanding popes (Leo 1 the great and Gregory 1 the great)

Identify the characteristics of the Carolingian Renaissance

Secular (interest in education, scientific investigation, and early university) and Church (Sundays off, tithe through taxes, poor person's Bible, preaching in the vernacular, appoint and remove bishops, fund monasteries) matters

This group was initially focused on absolute poverty as the goal:

Franciscans

This group was founded as a means to evangelize the poor heretics:

Dominicans

This intellectual tradition began in the schools and considered the relationship between faith and reason

Scholasticism

This pope is typically considered as the height of medieval papal power

Innocent III

(T/F) The term Bible is used by Christians to refer to the collection of writings that they regard as authoritative

True

(T/F) The Gospels were written during Jesus' lifetime

False

List the criterion in deciding acceptance into the New Testament canon:

Apostolic origins / connections, extent to which they had secured general acceptance within Christian communities throughout the region, extent to which they were used in liturgy

(T/F) Christianity offers a specific reading of the Old Testament which differs from Jewish readers

True

(T/F) Christians tend to view the New Testament as continuing and extending the witness to the words and deeds of the God of Israel

True

Simony refers to

The buying and selling of Church office

This person posted 95 theses which objected to the Roman Catholic practice of indulgences

Martin Luther

Identify the major beliefs of Martin Luther about righteousness

God's righteousness is in His grace, and His grace allows us to stand in His presence

List the influences on the thought of John Calvin:

Study of Greek Latin and Hebrew, unity and equality of humanity, corruption of humanity from sin, dependence on God, sovereignty of God

Identify major elements of the English Reformation:

English, 3 sacraments, emphasis on Scripture, faith and good deeds, outward liturgy, understanding of the sacraments

List the major Protestant positions:

Justification by faith, use of vernacular, two sacraments, communion in both kinds, reject papal authority, priority of scripture, tradition is helpful but not authoritative, priesthood of all believers, reject purgatory, suspicion of Marian thought, veneration of saints

Identify the reforms prescribed by the Council of Trent:

Remove simony and benefices, bishops must visit their churches, local seminaries, bishop is a pastor and teacher, regulated mass, no reform of the Pope

List the groups identified as the Holiness movements:

Puritans, Anabaptists, Pietists

(T/F) The Great Awakening was characterized by an emphasis on conversion and conviction of sin:

True

This person focused on prevenient grace and free will:

John Wesley

(T/F) During the Enlightenment, revelation was seen as the primary source of authority

False

The idea that nothing is purely objective is characteristic of

Critique of Reason / Immanuel Kant

This Christian thinker believed that faith was messy and risky:

Kierkegaard

List the decisions of Vatican II:

Seek Christian unity and pastoral reform, participate in the ecumenical movement, inclusion of Eastern Orthodox, protestants as separated brethren, use of the vernacular, mass should consider the needs of individual cultures, encourage reading the Bible, movement into present and future

The branch of philosophy that deals with the nature of knowledge:

Epistemology

Identify the Christian thinker who founded Neo-Orthodoxy

Karl Barth

Identify the theologian who posited the theory of correlation

Paul Tillich

In the textbook, faith in Jesus is described as:

Recognizing Jesus as one who may be trusted

List the analogies for God in the McGrath text:

Shepherd, Father, almighty, creator

List the typical elements in Christian worship:

prayer, praise, public reading of the Bible, reaching, reciting of creeds

(T/F) The Protestant Reformation tended to downgrade preaching in favor of the sacraments:

False

(T/F) Anselm believed that reason was detrimental to understanding our faith:

False

(T/F) The argument from motion suggests that infinite regression is possible and that there is no prime mover

False

List the classical views of God's characteristics:

Omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient, perfect

This theological position holds that God's knowledge of the future is conditional because the future is conditional

Open theism

(T/F) The Christian proclamation of God as father is meant to imply that God is completely masculine:

False

How is the Christian doctrine of the Trinity usually defined:

God is 1 nature, 3 equal persons (Father, Son, Spirit)

The Nicene-Constantinoplian Creed declares:

God is 3 in 1

Pneumatology is defined as the study of:

The Holy Spirit

(T/F) The full divinity of Christ is often seen as necessary for the offer of forgiveness:

True

(T/F) Christianity holds that Christ is completely and totally connected to humanity:

True

List the major theories of the atonement:

Christus Victor, ransom, satisfaction, substitution, moral influence

List the pieces of the Eastern Orthodox perspective on salvation:

God offers grace, humans respond through free will, synergy, God's grace invites all but compels none, no merit involved, goal is complete restoration

List the pieces of the Roman Catholic perspective on salvation:

Salvation comes from God alone, Holy Spirit provides grace through conversion and movement, remission of sin, sanctification / renewal, we are detached from sin, we accept God's righteousness, comes through Christ's passion, conferred by baptism, cooperation between grace and free will

List the elements of the Protestant perspective on salvation:

Forensic—guilty of crime; Christ takes punishment 

Financial—indebted to God; Christ pays the debt 

Cultic—Christ sacrifices on our behalf 

God is: Just & Loving 

A focus on prevenient grace is typical of which group:

Wesleyan

List the elements connected to imago Dei:

Unique place of humanity in the world, innate worth of the human, relationship with God

(T/F) The imago Dei suggests that only certain groups of people are worthy of honor and respect:

False

(T/F) The imago Dei suggests that every person has worth and value

True

Identify the responses of the early Christians to sin:

Critique of unjust actions, individual responsibility, communal responsibility

Ecclesiology is the traditional designation for the study of:

The Church

List the four marks of the church:

One, Holy, Catholic, apostolic

Luther's understanding of the Eucharist is known as:

Consubstantiation; the bread remains bread but is additionally the body of Christ

McGrath describes Augustine's view of the relation between faith and culture as:

Critical appropriation; the situation of Christianity in Rome is comparable to that of Israel fleeing from captivity in Egypt at the time of exodus

(T/F) All Protestant denominations allow for the ordination of women:

False

List the functions of the church:

Worship, discipleship, evangelism, ministry

The 'diaphora' refers to:

The essentials of faith

List the theological elements generally considered part of the diaphora:

Divinity and humanity of Christ, existence of God, salvation by grace through faith, trinity, resurrection of Christ, virgin birth, second coming

The 'adiaphora' refers to:

Negotiables, what Christians disagree on

List Avery Dulles' Models of the church:

Institutional, mystical communion, sacramental, herald, servant

List the elements that are generally considered as difficulties for Protestants with Roman Catholicism:

Icons, cooperative theory, role of the Pope, role of Mary

(T/F) A typical definition of the sacraments is: an outward sign of an inward grace:

True

Distinguish the repeatable sacraments from the non-repeatable sacraments:

Repeatable: repentance, eucharist, anointing of sick, marriage

Non-repeatable: baptism, holy orders, confirmation

(T/F) The Protestant view of ordination is that it is permanent:

False

The consubstantiation view of the Eucharist is typically associated with:

Luther

(T/F) Doctrine impacted the formation of the New Testament canon:

True

(T/F) Overall, Christians agree on the canon of the New Testament:

True

(T/F) Overall, Christians agree on the canon of the Old Testament:

False

Deutero-canonical refers to:

Books present in the Greek translation of the Old Testament (Septuagint) which are not present in the Hebrew text (Masoretic)

Distinguish the approaches of total infallibility, moderate infallibility, inspiration, and lesser inspiration.

Total infallibility: every word is placed there by God, exactness is maintained in translation, no errors period, authors are inconsequential

Moderate infallibility: infallible in the original manuscript, but translation errors can occurInspiration: infallible on matters of salvation, God inspired the original authors (they could make mistakes on issues not related to salvation)

Lesser inspiration: Bible has good things to teach, only Jesus' words have real authority