midterm review

According to Reuschling, "theology," or "words about God," is the attempt to articulate what we understand about God through various sources, including:

• A. Exclusively Scripture, with a highly suspect view of tradition and experience.

• B. Primarily Scripture, in conversation with tradition, reason, and experience.

• C. Primarily one's subjective sense of morality.

• D. Primarily reason, which has the objective power to adjudicate religious truth.

B

Reuschling states that the work of theology is the attempt to systematize and create an interlocking and “intricate web” of belief that “shapes our lives," which provides guidance for:

• A. Not only what we believe, but equally important, for how we should live.

• B. Exclusively, how to assess what intellectual propositions we should ascent to.

• C. How one should judge other people's lifestyles.

• D. What biblical translation one should read.

A

What does Reuschling say is a "central affirmation of Christian faith" regarding the nature of God?

• A. The creator is an amorphous and ethereal cosmic force.

• B. The creator is a civil deity hidden behind the world.

• C. The creator is a particular God who spoke creation into being.

• D. The creator is like a clockmaker who set the world in motion and stepped back to let it play itself out

C

What conclusion(s) does Reuschling draw from the idea that "the Godhead exists as a community of being?"

• A. Relationality connotes an awareness of our (humankind's) existence as both dependent and interdependent.

• B. Human beings only come into existence was a result of relationships and con only survive and thrive in these relationships.

• C. Individuality is ultimately meant to dissolve into a divine "oneness."

• D. Both A and B.

Both A and B

Andy Crouch notes that the Latin word "persona" initially referred to:

• A. The ethereal aura that surrounds people.

• B. The primary personality traits that one embodies.

• C. A small handbag or tote; where our English word "purse" comes from.

• D. The masks used in ancient theater.

D

Where does Andy Crouch suggest that "real change" or "redemptive moves" can happen in the context of an impersonal world?

• A. The main mode of redeeming our world is through the wise use of technology, which has the capacity to reach millions.

• B. All real change starts with introspection and self-absorption.

• C. All real change starts with the number of people who can sit around a table in a singe household.

• D. The most effective way to redeem our world is through the strategic use of TikTok.

C

According to Crouch, when it comes to flourishing as a person:

• A. A median salary level makes all the difference.

• B. The alignment of church and state makes all the difference.

• C. Recognition makes all the difference.

• D. Low inflation makes all the difference.

C

According to Crouch, what is the "first human quest?"

• A. Freedom of choice.

• B. Freedom of religion.

• C. Recognition.

• D. Atomized self-actualization.

C

What term/phrase did Andy Crouch say to himself as he walked passed people at the O'Hair airport?

• A. "Fellow human"

• B. "Image bearer"

• C. "You are loved"

• D. "You're not alone"

B

What for Andy Crouch is the "Paradox of Personhood?"

• A. Ultimately, we are not individuals. Only when we know and are known by others can we become fully ourselves.

• B. I am fully individual, completely unique; yet I share the DNA and genetics of my parents.

• C. We are who we are, yet our identity is ever-changing and adapting.

• D. I think, therefore, I am.

A

What is Andy Crouch's (biblically inspired) definition of a person?

• A. A person is someone who recognizes their worth.

• B. Every human person is an amalgamation of countless inputs from the time of their birth to their very last breath

• C. Every human person is a heart-soul-mind-strength complex designed for love.

• D. A person is a person, no matter how small.

C

Which of the following is NOT an implication discussed in class of humankind being "image-bearers" of God?

• A. Humankind as creatures, not "emanations" of God.

• B. Human beings as intrinsically dignified.

• C. Human beings as the "apex" of God's creative activity.

• D. Human beings as inherently morally pure and good.

D

Broken down, the term "Perichoresis" means:

• A. Peri ("water") + Choreio ("stone") = "osmosis without confusion"

• B. Peri ("dance") + Choreio ("around") = "permeation without confusion"

• C. Peri ("around") + Choreio ("dance") = "permeation without confusion"

• D. Peri ("repeat") + Choreio ("copy") = "generation without infusion"

C

According to Macquarrie, "Spirit" was originally _______ , which was that of _________

• A. A concept: the force of steam.

• B. An image: that of the flowing of water through a brook.

• C. An idea: that of self-transcendence.

• D. An image: that of the breath of the breeze.

D

The Biblical language of "spirit" is:

• A. Precisely descriptive rather than evocative.

• B. Suggestive rather than confidently assertive.

• C. Evocative rather than precisely descriptive.

• D. Ambivalent rather than declarative.

C

According to Macquarrie, "The main tendency in the New Testament is to see the work of the Spirit... as manifested in:"

• A. The more sensational but less ethically forward "gifts" or "fruits" of the Spirit.

• B. The more sporadic and charismatic "gifts" of the Spirit.

• C. The "gifts" of the Spirit defined by a loss of personal agency and an increase in emotionalism.

• D. The less sensational but ethically more important 'gifts' or 'fruits' of the Spirit.

D

What is Magic "about," according to Andy Crouch?

• A. Sleight of hand.

• B. Never revealing your secrets.

• C. Standing over, not under; unlocking and acquiring the ability to command nature.

• D. The ability to make things appear a certain way without changing their substance.

C

What is the nature of the "power" that "the quest for magic" ultimately encounters?

• A. It is a power that masters us, not the other way around.

• B. It is a power that is harnessable with the right skills and intelligence.

• C. It is a power identical to the power within us.

• D. It is a power that eviscerates almost as soon as it appears.

A

What is one the adverse effects of social media / video game technology on boys in particular that Jonathan Haidt mentions in the podcast?

• A. They are becoming more overweight.

• B. They are taking less risks.

• C. They are experiencing early erosion of their eyesight because of increased exposure to blue light.

• D. Their vocabulary is becoming increasingly limited.

B

What are some of the ways Jonathan Haidt identifies that social media is especially harmful for girls?

• A. Girls tend to be more drawn to social media, such as Instagram, where a plethora of subtle and blatant forms of cyberbullying take place based on image and acceptance.

• B. When girls are on social media at such young ages, it is as if they are "growing up on a stage."

• C. Exposure to high levels of unrealistic image-maintenance and curation.

• D. All of the above.

D

What defines "the superpower zone" according to Andy Crouch?

• A. The extent to which technology equips human beings to vastly increase the sensation of strength while vastly reducing the sensation of effort.

• B. One's core talent or gifting that, when exercised, makes them feel like they're "coming alive."

• C. The feeling of "being in the zone:" a hyper focus and productivity.

• D. A gathering of the stars of the best Marvel and DC movies.

A

What is unique about entering the "flow" state, according to Andy Crouch?

• A. It boosts the activity of the cerebral cortex, allowing for one to think of words that rhyme in quick succession.

• B. It causes your blood pressure to increase, thus causing an increase in blood flow.

• C. Entering into it generally requires significant creative effort or physical exertion.

• D. It is the opposite of ebb.

C

According to Andy Crouch, what is the defining mental activity of our time, and the defining emotional challenge of our time?

• A. Scrolling, and anxiety.

• B. Contemplation, and self-efficacy.

• C. Day-dreaming, and self-care.

• D. Observing, and interpersonal conflict.

A

There are several problems associated with our historic "desire for magic." What, according to Crouch, is the most significant of these problems?

• A. t is simply that "magic" doesn't work.

• B. It is that technology, for all of its real benefits, will never work in the "magical way" that we are constantly being told it will.

• C. It is what we do when our quest for impersonal power is frustrated: We are quite willing to press persons into service, treating them more like machines that human beings.

• D. It is that the "magic" associated with new tech actually has the capacity to work like we've been told

C

What, according to Andy Crouch, is the distinctive thing that money allows us (i.e., "its most seductive promise")?

• A. Freedom and security.

• B. An improved sense of self.

• C. Status and access to unlimited pleasures.

• D. Abundance without dependance.

D

How does Andy Crouch define "Mammon?"

• A. A Greek word that means money.

• B. The anti-God impetus that finds its power in money.

• C. An Aramaic term for a neutral form of currency.

• D. The term for the "bread" that fed the Israelites when they wandered in the dessert for 40 years.

B

Andy Crouch cites theologian, Craig Gay, who says this about technology:

• A. "It has always been developed to serve first and foremost the generation of economic profit – whether or not it also contributes to real, personal flourishing"

• B. "It has primarily been developed with the well-being of its users in mind"

• C. "It is nearing a point of singularity, which, if we are careful, will lead to greater worldwide prosperity"

• D. "It is inherently altruistic; all we need to do is to learn its ways and abide by them"

A

What does "liturgy" mean, according to James K. A. Smith?

• A. A shorthand term those rituals that are loaded with an ultimate Story about who we are and what we’re for.

• B. Another term for classic literature.

• C. A term that refers exclusively to the order of the Eastern Orthodox worship service.

• D. The Greek root word for "literal"

A

According to James K. A. Smith, your deepest desire is...

• A. The one that most accurately reflects your cognitive thoughts

• B. The one manifested by your daily life and habits.

• C. The one manifested by your conscious thought patterns.

• D. Completely unknowable in any meaningful sense.

B

Christian theology suggests that Christians should have the following posture toward "worldliness":

• A. An anti-worldly approach.

• B. An other-worldly approach.

• C. A relationship to the world that ought to be included in and oriented by our devotion to God.

• D. A relationship that ought to prioritize the spiritual over the "secular" or material, and sees the latter as an encumbrance to flourishing.

C

According to Andy Crouch, the more we enter the money economy...

• A. The less personal our world becomes.

• B. The more the possibility for universal equity becomes a reality.

• C. The more fiscal flexibility and freedom we have.

• D. The less practical insecurity we face.

A

According to Crouch, Mammon is ultimately "a will at work in history" that, above all, wants:

• A. To separate power from relationship.

• B. To separate abundance from dependence.

• C. To separate being from personhood.

• D. All of the above.

D

What does Crouch's "boring robots" scenario entail?

• A. A suggestion that the AI singularity (i.e., AI reaching parity with human cognition) will indeed likely occur, but it will not be as exciting as people imagined.

• B. AI and technological advance will indeed succeed in remarkable ways, but it will be the bi-products over the next 10 or so years – the mass of ancillary tech products – that actually alter the human condition.

• C. AI and technical progress will likely continue, yet without the smallest progress in actually interacting with the world in the way human beings do i.e., AI will not alter the basic human condition.

• D. AI and tech will achieve such prodigious success that humankind will resemble "boring robots" in comparison.

C

On page 97, Crouch states: "Rather than actually creating machines that understand the infinitely creative and complex world of human culture, we will find that it is far easer..."

• A. "...to create machines that understand one human culture at a time"

• B. "...to create baked goods that help us to forget about this whole dystopian scenario."

• C. "...to create attenuated cultural environments that treat persons like machines"

• D. "...to create AI-powered processors that learn human behaviors with virtually perfect precision"

C

One of the bi-products of social media is this necessary category of work, which Andy Crouch suggests "must be one of the worst jobs in the world:"

• A. Content production.

• B. Content moderation.

• C. Content ideation.

• D. Content critique.

B

How does Andy Crouch suggest that the future of technology will be the same as the past – "the same journey into the superpower zone that began with the dawn of devices one hundred or more years ago?"

• A. It begins with initial excitement, ends in boredom/indifference, and along the way delivers a healthy dose of unintended consequences.

• B. It begins with expectation, ends in a mix of satisfaction and disaffection, and along the way creates life-improving innovation.

• C. It begins with apprehension, ends with a mostly positive reception, and along the way creates new jobs, even as others are replaced by tech.

• D. It begins with a vision, ends with full realization, and along the way employs the world's most talented scientists and engineers.

A

According to Crouch, every attempt to implement machine learning will come at the cost of:

• A. Removing small analogue businesses from the marketplace.

• B. Removing features of personhood from the world.

• C. Removing humanities majors from universities to allow space and funding for more computer science options.

• D. Removing increasingly higher dollars from the pockets of the average American.

B

The spiritual practice of attention and wonder is:

• A. To perceive that which is uncommon in the midst of everyday life.

• B. To perceive that which is extraordinary in ordinary, everyday life.

• C. To perceive those rare moments that warrant a sense of awe by sifting through and dismissing the mundane and being patient.

• D. To perceive the mundane as impressive by superimposing the powers of imagination.

B

According to Kevin Hector, one of the chief reasons we do not notice more is that:

• A. We have simply become used to seeing the world around us, i.e., overfamiliar with it.

• B. We have simply become unfamiliar with the world around us, e.g., by being locked into our screens.

• C. We have simply become bored because of the increase of unscheduled and undistracted time wrought by technological innovation.

• D. We have collectively lost sharpness of vision because of the impact of screens on our eyes.

A

According to Hector, the key to perceiving the world around us with a sense of wonder is to:

• A. Forego the use of smart-tech.

• B. Substitute screens for books.

• C. View only movies and shows that promote a positive view of the world around us.

• D. Prime ourselves to do so.

D

Bonhoeffer: who am i?

• becoming aware of where we’re starting from — our inherited assumptions, cultural defaults, and personal biases

• wrestling with what’s truly worth wanting — a deeper, more critical look at desires and ultimate values

cultural default: the walgreens vision

• “a long, happy, healthy life”

• modern western culture often assumes this is the good life

• shows up in advertising, wellness industries, and popular psychology

cultural default: the walgreens vision → criticisms

• reduces life to feeling good and living long

• it avoids deeper questions of virtue, justice, or sacrifice

• historical and religious traditions challenge this assumption

abraham lincoln

• known for deep, persistent melancholy

• carried immense burdens during the Civil War, confronting suffering, violence, and division

• his sadness, far from disqualifying him, may have given him gravity, compassion, and endurance

lady constance lytton

• aristocratic british suffragette with a weak heart and fragile health

• initially spared harsh treatment in prison because of her social status, she disguised herself as a working-class woman (“Jane Warton”) to expose injustice.

• She was brutally force-fed during hunger strikes, permanently damaging her health.

• Though she died young and frail, her courage contributed to women’s suffrage reforms in Britain.

the walgreens vision under pressure

• each life shows that length, health, and happiness are not sufficient measures of meaning

• together: show that flourishing may require sacrifice, suffering, and risk, not just health or happiness

autopilot

habits, routines, unexamined assumptions

self-awareness

asking “what do i want?”

self-transcendence

asking “what is worth wanting?”

truth

testing answers against broader wisdom and reality

the problem of desire: wanting vs. worth wanting

• many people achieve what they want (success, wealth, status) only to find it lacking

• the self-awareness question “what do I want” is important but insufficient

• without probing worth, we risk climbing the wrong ladder (success but meaningless)

• self-transcendence asks us to question whether our desires align with truth, justice, or flourishing

A Christian anthropology

• benevolant

• incarnational

• dignified

• communal

benevolant:

God as creator → Most Christians believe that God is a benevolent creator who created the world “ex nihilo,” or, “from nothing.” God is the “uncreated creator,” and therefore, exists uniquely “outside” of it, yet creation is the result of the overflowing love of God.

incarnational

creation as good → “Matter” and “creatureliness” are not to be despised, but are fundamentally good in their origin and intention. Corruption has come into the world, but the substance of existence is not the issue; it is the destructive power of evil. Thus, the “secular/sacred” divide is false

dignified

humans as Imago Dei → Humans are the “apex” of God’s creative activity, and as such, they are made in God’s “image.” This means that all humans are inherently dignified and bestowed an identity and vocation that reflect God’s character of love, nurture, creativity

communal

God as Trinitarian → The nature of the Godhead, as witnessed by Scripture and articulated by the orthodox Christian faith tradition, is such that God is “One” in “Three Persons,” the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. – a perfect community of relational love intrinsic to God.

theology as practical

who we are informs what we do 

fundamental Christian theological asertions

• God as benevolent Creator

• creation as good

• humankind as Imago Dei

• God as Trinitarian

the Christian creation stories give an account of

why things exist at all AND what their existence is for (their significance and meaning)

humankind as imago dei

• “image” implies important distinctions

• humans are not God, they are creatures

• humans are intrinsically dignified and valuable. to be a human is to be an “image-bearer”

God as trinitarian

• perichoresis → the technical word used to describe the relationship of communion and relationality within the Trinity 

  • peri = around

  • choreio = dance

  • “being-in-one-another, permeation without confusion”

macquarrie: spirit and spirituality

• fundamentally, spirituality has to do with becoming a person in the fullest sense

• spirit = originally an image or picture rather than a concept

• the image of “spirit” was that of the stirring of the air, the breath of the breeze

• the breath is the invisible though none of the less palpable characteristic that distinguishes a living human from a dead one; the breeze is the equally invisible force that stirs around humans in the world and that manifests itself in many effects there

macquarrie: biblical spirit imagery

• the biblical imagery of spirit is essentially dynamic. the breath and the breeze are in motion. spirit is the active, formative, life-giving power. language about indwelling is inadequate if it suggests a merely passive inhabiting

• the full significant of spirit always breaks out beyond the grasp of our concepts

• the biblical language is evocative rather than precisely descriptive

macquarrie: spirit as dynamic

• a capacity for going out of oneself and beyond oneself; or again, as the capacity for transcending oneself

• to humans there essentially freedom and creativity, whereby they are able to shape (within limits) both themselves and their world

• the more a person goes out from themselves or goes beyond themselves,more the spiritual dimension of their life is deepened, the more [they] become truly [human], the more also [they] grow in likeness to God, who is Spirit" (67)

macquarrie: gifts of the spirit — ethical qualities

"The main tendency in the New Testament is to see the work of the Spirit and thus a truly spiritual life for man as manifested in the less sensational but ethically more important 'gifts' or 'fruits' of the Spirit – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. ” (68)

macquarrie: the Holy Spirit heigthens the human spirit

The Christian understanding of the Spirit thinks of [the Spirit’s] action as the personal action of God upon [humans]. Such action does not force [people] into strange patterns of behavior, and it does not suspend their exercise or reason and will. Rather, it heightens whatever in [humankind] is spiritual – [their] rationality, freedom and creativity. The approach is on the personal level through reason and conscience, and the response is no involuntary submission to a strange power but rather a willing and fully personal going out to join in the life of a Spirit greater than [one’s own]" (68)

sin

• a matter of living according to the world instead of the love of God

• sinfulness renders us beholden to the power of sin and death

sinfulness is fundamentally a matter of

being oriented by and to the world, where we ought instead to be oriented by and to God

smith: the human as lover

• “What if you are defined not by what you know but by what you desire? What if the center and seat of the human person is found not in the heady regions of the intellect but in the gutlevel regions of the heart?”

• “You are what you love because you live toward what you want”

smith: the heart

• “The biblical language of kardia [’heart’] suggests... the heart as the fulcrum of your most fundamental longings – a visceral, subconscious orientation to the world”

• “The heart is the existential chamber of our love, and it is our loves that orient us toward some ultimate end or telos”

• “Such a telos works on us, not by convincing the intellect, but by allure”

smith: pedegogies of desire

• “It is crucial for us to recognize that our ultimate loves, longings, desires, and cravings are learned.

• And because love is a habit, our hearts are calibrated through imitating exemplars and being immersed in practices that, over time, index our hearts to a certain end.

• We learn to love, then, not primarily by acquiring information about what we should love but rather through practices that form the habits of how we love

smith: you might not love what you think

• “Your deepest desire... is the one manifested by your daily life and habits” (Smith, 29)

• What do you want?

• “Your love or desire – aimed at a vision of the good life that shapes how you see the world while also moving and motivating you – is operative on a largely nonconsious level”

smith: liturgy

“A shorthand term those rituals that are loaded with an ultimate Story about who we are and what we’re for. They carry within them a kind of ultimate orientation. ”

smith: cultural liturgies

• “We need to become aware of our immersions.”

• “To be immersed in... ‘secular’ liturgies is to be habituated to long for what they promise”

• “This means we need to read the practices that surround us... the rituals we’re immersed in. We need to become anthropologists who try, in some way, to see our familiar surroundings with apocalyptic eyes so we can recognize the liturgical power of cultural rituals we take for granted as just ‘things we do.

smith: the mall

“The mall is a religious site, not because it is theological but because it is liturgical. Its spiritual significance (and threat) isn’t found in its ‘ideas’ or its ‘messages’ but in its rituals. ” (Smith, 41)

dallas willard: the crisis of spiritual formation

• Modern culture lacks moral/spiritual direction

• The human self is disordered and fragmented

• Superficial solutions dominate

• True transformation = renovation of the heart

willard: why the heart

• The 'heart' = the spiritual center

• Source of character, will, and moral orientation

• Proverbs 4:23: 'Above all else, guard your heart...'

• Spiritual formation is always happening—for good or ill

willard; the human problem

• created for harmony with God

• sin causes disintegration

• the ruined soul = misdirected life

• evil becomes embedded in the human system

willard; the compositionn of the human self

1. will = capacity to choose

2. mind = thoughts and feelings

3. body = behavior and habits

4. social context = relationships, roles

5. soul = integrates the whole person

willard: the ruined soul

• Will is enslaved

• Mind is deceived

• Body is addicted

• Social life is broken

• Person becomes 'lost' or 'fragmented'

willard: the aim of renovation

• Spiritual formation in Christ = inner transformation

• Not behavior modification

• Not instantaneous

• Requires intentionality, grace, and practice

willard: key takeaways

• Spiritual formation is ongoing

• Without renovation, disintegration persists

• True change requires reshaping the heart

• Christ offers forgiveness and transformation

monasticism in the 4th/5th century

• Rise and spread of monasticism

• Relationship to Roman society and Church

• Spiritual and theological motifs

• Key figures and legacies

origins of monasticism: religious and cultural roots

influences on early monasticism

• Jewish: Essenes, Therapeutae, John the Baptist

• Pagan: Pythagoreans, Cynics, Gnostics

• Eastern: Indian holy men, Manichaeans

• Christian: Teachings of Jesus, Acts of the Apostles

• Monastic ideals did not emerge in a vacuum. They drew from ascetic streams in various traditions, particularly the concept of withdrawal and self-denial as spiritual disciplines.

why monasticism took root

• escape from social burdens and urban life

• protest against church secularization

• imitation of martyrs in new context

• desire for a purer Christian life

hermit (anchorite)

solitary prayer and asceticism (Anthony)

cenobitic

communal life under a rule (Pachomius)

semi-eremitic / Laura

loose association with shared leader (Saba)

regional variations in monastic practic

• Egypt: desert spirituality, cenobitic foundations

• Syria: Stylites (Symeon Stylites)

• Palestine: Laura communities (Saba)

lasting impact fo monasticism

• spiritual ideal for centuries

• missionary and pastoral work

• shaped theology, liturgy, and ecclesial life

• laid groundwork for medieval monastic orders

why did monasticism arise

• response to church’s new status under Constantine

• desire to recover radical discipleship

• loss of martyrdom spurred new forms of sacrifice

• inspired by Jesus’ teachings on poverty and holiness

monasticism: developed over time

• from isolated hermits to structured communities

• growth of regional styles (Egyptian, Syrian, Palestinian)

• formal rules (Basil, Benedict)

• integration into Church life (Augustine, Cassian)

monasticism’s legacy

• spiritual disciplines (prayer, fasting, silence)

• educational centers and manuscript preservation

• global missions and evangelization

• continued relevance in retreat and contemplative movements

attention & wonder

• “To perceive that which is extraordinary in ordinary, everyday life.” (169)

• “One of the chief reasons that we do not notice more is that we have simply become used to seeing (and, so, not seeing) the things around us.” (169)

• “Noticing can beget noticing” (170)

• “Attention requires us to let go of the concepts and frameworks through which we ordinarily filter our surroundings, so that we can open ourselves to the richness and peculiarity of the world around us.” (170)

• "Attention can be a spiritual practice, then, insofar as it trains us to notice more of the world around us and thus to appreciate more of its richness and wonder, for this is part of what it would mean to treat the world as created" (171)

• “The key to perceiving the world around us with a sense of wonder... is to prime ourselves to do so, which is to say that we will be much more likely to experience wonder if we are expecting to.” (172)

• “By disciplining our powers of attention, we become capable of attending more fully to objects, which means, in turn, that we become capable of attending more fully to God.” (172)

clear: the power of atomic habits

• “Success is the product of daily habits – not once-in-a-lifetime transformations”

• You should be far more concerned with your current trajectory than with your current results”

• Your outcomes are a lagging measure of your habits... You get what you repeat

clear: goals

• the results you want to achieve

• good for setting a direction

• can be a form of treating a symptom without addressing the cause (ie a messy room)

clear: systems

• the current structure of your life

• the processes that lead to results

• the processes that lead to results

• best for making progress; the proper focus of habit formation

clear; the plateau of latent potential

"If you find yourself struggling to build a good habit or break a bad one, it is not because you have lost your ability to improve. It is often because you have not yet crossed the PoLP... Your work is not wasted; it is just being stored" (

clear: outcome based habits

focus is on what we want to achieve

clear: identity based habits

focus is on who you want to be