good theo study

What are the two Greek root words that make up the word 'theology'?

Theos (meaning 'God') and logos (meaning 'word', 'reason', or 'study').

What is the basic literal definition of theology?

A study of God.

How does Dorothee Sölle define the relationship between faith and theology?

Faith needs theology to understand and communicate itself, while theology exists to lead to a deeper faith.

In Sölle's thought model, where does theological reflection begin and end?

With praxis, or lived-out faith.

What is the core meaning of 'praxis' in Christian theology?

Lived-out faith in concrete, real-world action and reflection.

Which theological discipline focuses on the critical study and interpretation of biblical texts?

Biblical Studies

Which theological discipline seeks to formulate a coherent, ordered system of Christian beliefs?

Systematic Theology

Which branch of theology examines moral decision-making and conduct informed by Christian faith?

Christian Ethics

Which sub-disciplines fall under the umbrella of Practical Theology?

Homiletics, Pastoral Theology, and Sacramental Theology.

Which theological discipline engages in mutual understanding and conversation across different religious traditions?

Interreligious or Interfaith Dialogue

Strictly speaking, what does the term 'orthodoxy' mean?

Correct doctrine.

When capitalized, what does 'Orthodox' usually refer to?

The Eastern churches that evolved out of the ancient Greek-speaking church (such as the Greek or Russian Orthodox Church).

In Sölle's framework, what historical era is primarily associated with Orthodox Theology?

The Reformation

How is God primarily understood within Sölle's Orthodox framework?

God as the Creator and Sustainer of the world.

How does Orthodox Theology view the authority and interpretation of the Bible?

The Bible is taken as the direct Word of God, interpreted literally, and treated as the authoritative interpreter of reality.

How is human freedom defined in Sölle's Orthodox paradigm?

Freedom is understood as being bound to and limited by the fixed orders of creation.

What North American Protestant movement arose in the late 19th/early 20th century in reaction to theological modernism?

Fundamentalism

Where and when were the 'Five Beliefs of Fundamentalism' formally articulated?

At a conference in Niagara Falls in 1895.

Which doctrine concerning Scripture is one of the Five Fundamentals of Fundamentalism?

The Inerrancy of Scripture.

Which doctrine concerning Jesus' origin is included in the Five Fundamentals of Fundamentalism?

The virgin birth of Jesus.

Which doctrine regarding the Atonement is one of the Five Fundamentals of Fundamentalism?

Jesus' substitutionary death as payment for human sin.

Which doctrine regarding Jesus' victory over death is one of the Five Fundamentals of Fundamentalism?

Jesus' physical resurrection.

Which eschatological belief is included among the Five Fundamentals of Fundamentalism?

Jesus' impending return.

In Sölle's framework, what historical period is associated with Liberal Theology?

The Enlightenment and Modernism.

How is God primarily characterized in Sölle's Liberal framework?

God as the moral example.

What primary sources of truth does Liberal Theology emphasize alongside faith?

Reason, scientific inquiry, and historical criticism.

In 19th-century Roman Catholic history, what did 'liberal theology' refer to?

A movement calling for the church to accept liberal political ideals and reconcile church life with civil society.

In Protestant history, what was the main goal of Liberal Theology in the 19th and early 20th centuries?

To reconcile Christian faith with modern science, historical thinking, and culture.

How does Liberal Theology view the 'orders of creation'?

It relativizes them by recognizing that social structures and orders are historically conditioned rather than eternally fixed.

What initial key question sparked historical Jesus research in Liberal Theology?

What can be known about Jesus through rigorous historical research, as contrasted with 'the Christ of faith'?

How does modern historical Jesus research utilize social memory theory?

It examines how traditions about Jesus emerged, circulated, and were reshaped within early Christian communities.

In Sölle's framework, what historical movement shapes Radical or Liberation Theology?

Liberation movements, human rights movements, and contextualization.

How is God primarily understood in Sölle's Radical/Liberation framework?

God as the Liberator.

Who coined the term 'Liberation Theology'?

Peruvian theologian Gustavo Gutiérrez.

What defines the scope of salvation in Liberation Theology?

It includes afterlife and personal communion with God, plus integral liberation from concrete historical oppression and systemic sin.

Whose hermeneutical perspective is prioritized in Radical/Liberation Theology?

The perspective of the poor, marginalized, and oppressed.

Why does Dorothee Sölle critique traditional Maker/Made and Subject/Object Creator models?

She views the absolute Maker vs. passive Object dichotomy as imperialistic and alienating.

How does Ecumenical Liberation Theology view the state of creation?

It defends the sacrality and holiness of creation against oppressive exploitation.

How is Scripture understood in Sölle's Orthodox framework?

As the literal Word of God.

How is Scripture understood in Sölle's Liberal framework?

As the Word of God spoken by human beings in specific historical settings.

How is Scripture understood in Sölle's Radical/Liberation framework?

As the Word of God spoken by and to the poor and oppressed.

What is the premise of the Historical-Critical Method?

The Bible should be studied and critiqued using the same historical and literary tools applied to other ancient literature.

What does the doctrine of 'Verbal Inspiration' claim?

That God directly inspired the exact wording of the biblical texts.

How does Orthodox Theology interpret the Virgin Mary narrative in Luke 1?

As a literal divine act and sign of Jesus' divine identity, highlighting Mary's faithful obedience to God.

What is the primary question Liberal Theology asks when analyzing the Virgin Mary narrative?

How did this story develop, what does it mean symbolically, and how should it be understood historically?

What primary question does Radical/Liberation Theology ask when approaching the Virgin Mary narrative?

Whose experience does the story foreground, and what does it reveal about power, oppression, and liberation?

What four elements comprise Sölle's Hermeneutical Model of Liberation Theology?

"1. The biblical text (Holy Scripture)

2. The biblical context

3. One's own context

4. God's Word ('for us')"

In Sölle's hermeneutical model, when does a text become 'God's Word'?

When the biblical text in its context is brought into critical dialogue with one's own context to become the text 'for us'.

How does Gustavo Gutiérrez define 'spirit' in Christian spirituality?

The life-giving direction of a person's entire embodied existence and orientation to reality.

What does 'walking according to the Spirit' mean for Gutiérrez?

Living a transformed, embodied way of life within the world powered by freedom, love, and hope.

According to Gutiérrez, what is the social fruit of authentic spirituality?

It produces solidarity and humane community rather than isolated self-fulfillment.

Which major historical period in early Christianity occurred between approximately 30 and 60 AD?

The Early Christian Church during intense imperial and local persecution.

What council or assembly of Rabbis convened around 90 AD to structure post-Temple Judaism?

The Council of Jamnia.

During which centuries did Monasticism widely flourish as a major Christian spiritual movement?

The 3rd and 4th centuries AD.

In what year did the Great Schism divide Western and Eastern Christianity?

1054 AD

Which two major church bodies resulted from the Great Schism of 1054 AD?

The Roman Catholic Church (West) and the Eastern Orthodox Church (East).

What does the theological term 'Timeless' mean when describing God?

God exists outside temporal existence and is distanced from world events.

How do Orthodox and Liberal paradigms differ regarding gender roles?

Orthodox theology views gender roles as part of the fixed order of creation; Liberal theology views them as historically conditioned constructs.

What document was drafted in 1934 by Protestant theologians opposing Nazi influence over German churches?

The Barmen Declaration (associated with Neo-Orthodox Theology).

How does Liberation Theology view sin beyond personal individual acts?

As social and structural oppression embedded in political and economic systems.

What is the primary difference between 'verbal inspiration' and 'personal inspiration' of Scripture?

Verbal inspiration holds that God dictated the literal words; personal inspiration holds that God inspired the human authors who wrote in their own words.

In Orthodox theology, how is God's activity understood during human suffering?

God is active and sovereign in creation despite the existence of suffering.

Why does Liberal Theology emphasize individual free will?

To stress moral autonomy, human responsibility, and independence from unexamined dogmatic authority.

What is the key takeaway of Contextual Theology regarding universal claims?

All theology is articulated from a specific social, historical, and cultural context.

How does Liberation Theology reframe Jesus' identity and mission?

Jesus is understood as the Liberator who stands in active solidarity with the poor and oppressed.

What role does reason play in Liberal Theology when encountering biblical gaps or difficulties?

Reason is used to analyze context, apply modern knowledge, and bridge gaps in understanding.

How does Orthodox Theology view dogmas?

As timeless, non-negotiable divine truths that define orthodox belief.

How does Liberal Theology view dogmas?

As historical products subject to critique, revision, and textual analysis.

How does Liberation Theology view traditional ecclesiastical dogmas?

They must be tested by their practical capacity to promote liberation and human dignity.

What is the key difference between personal salvation and integral liberation?

Personal salvation targets individual soul redemption and afterlife, whereas integral liberation includes transformation of social, economic, and political reality.