Theology IV - Unit 1 Quiz

Kingdom of God

• the center of the preaching of Jesus and the way things are when love is more important than anything else in people’s love.

• It is both initiated and fulfilled in Jesus Christ

Hopelessness

• “I’m only just one person. What difference can I really make?

• “The world’s problems are so overwhelming I simply don’t know where to begin”

• If people do not believe they can make a difference—if they have no hope—they are not likely to act to change things.

Individualism

• a belief that each person should take responsibility for their own life, and that others should not be expected to help them if they fail to take responsibility for themselves

• Too much emphasis on individual independence, however, can break the ties that connect people with God and one another as a community.

Individualism

• a belief that each person should take responsibility for their own life, and that others should not be expected to help them if they fail to take responsibility for themselves.

• Too much emphasis on individual independence, however, can break the ties that connect people with God and one another as a community

Enlightened self-interest

• the realization that by helping others we are, in the end, really helping ourselves.

• Might never receive help in return

Compassion

• concern for the suffering of others and the desire to relieve it.

• When compassion is accompanied by hope, it moves people to commit themselves to easing suffering. In other words, it moves them to love

• People who have compassion understand, both in their mind and heart, others’ experiences of struggle or suffering

Suffering Caused by Nature

Psychological Suffering

Physical Suffering

Spiritual Suffering

Creation

• “And God saw it was good” - repeated five times in the Creation account.

• Creation is good because it unfolds from God’s own goodness.

• Humans are capable of imitating God’s creative giving.

• ex: Childbirth”

human dignity

• The basic goodness and equal worth of human beings that comes from being created in God’s image and being loved by God.

• Human beings are meant to be in right relationship with people, with creation and with God

Imago die

• Image of God. God intentionally made humans in the image of God.

• As images of God, humans are reflections of God. Because God is a mystery, what it means to be an image of God is also something of a mystery. But we can be certain of at least three truths: we were made good, we were made to be in relationship with God and others, and we were made free

Free will

• The ability of a person to choose among options and to make decisions with freedom. Free will or self-determination is the grounds for an authentic relationship with God.

• The gift of free will enables human beings to choose to love or NOT to love

• Free will is the grounds for an authentic relationship with God.