Theology - Problem of God

THEO-1000-70 September 20th Identification Questions First Exam

Absolutist

Believing in one's received traditions as completely and exclusively true.

Agnosticism

Belief that if there is anything beyond this life, it is impossible for humans to know it.

Allegory

Narrative using symbols to convey abstract ideas

Atheism

Belief that there is no deity.

Awakening

Full awareness of invisible Reality.

Charisma

Magnetic attraction, a quality often ascribed to spiritual leaders.

Comparative religion

A discipline that attempts to compare and understand patterns found in different religious traditions.

Creationism

Belief that all life was created by God.

Dogma

Doctrines proclaimed as absolutely true by religious institutions.

Enlightenment

Wisdom that is thought to come from direct experience of Ultimate Reality.

Exclusivism

Belief that one’s own tradition is the only true religion and that others are invalid.

Fundamentalism

Insistence on what is perceived as the historical form of one's religion.

Gnosis

Intuitive knowledge of spiritual realities.

Immanent

Present in the visible world.

Incarnation

Physical embodiment of the divine.

Intelligent design

Theory: that scientific discoveries prove the existence of an all-encompassing Designer, since they reveal complexities that seem to be beyond chance of evolutionary process.

Liberal

Taking a flexible, nondogmatic approach.

Metaphysics

Philosophy based on theories of subtle realities that transcend the physical world.

Monotheism

Belief that there is only one deity.

Mysticism

The intuitive perception of spiritual truths beyond the limits of reason.

Myth

A symbolic story expressing ideas about reality or spiritual history.

Orthodox

Strictly standing by received traditions.

Phenomenology

Study of religious practices to comprehend their meaning for their practitioners.

Polytheism

Belief that there are many deities.

Profane

Worldly, secular, as opposed to sacred.

Realization

Personal awareness of the existence of Unseen Reality.

Redaction

Editing and organization of a religion's scriptures.

Religion

A particular response to dimensions of life considered sacred, as shaped by institutionalized traditions.

Ritual

Repeated, patterned religious act.

Sacred

The realm of the extraordinary, beyond everyday perceptions, the supernatural, holy.

Scientific materialism

Belief that only the material world exists and that the supernatural is only imagined by humans.

Secularism

Personal disregard of religion; government policy of not favoring one religion.

Spirituality

Any personal response to dimensions of life that are considered sacred.

Symbol

Visible representation of an invisible reality or concept.

Theism

Belief in a deity or deities.

Transcendent

Spiritual reality that exists apart from the material universe.

Universalism

Acceptance that truth may be found in all religions.