Faith and Reason - Faith, Revelation, Reason

public revelation

the totality of what God has made known to humanity about himself and his plans for us. Known as the DEPOSIT OF FAITH. It contains everything human beings need to know about God and themselves, for the sake of their salvation. Is accessible and intended for everyone. Is sufficient.

end of public revelation

Jesus’ revelation/St. John the last apostle

private revelation

the sake of exhortation/inspiration; no new info needed for salvation and can’t be completed by another religion. Never improves deposit of faith . It is to encourage/inspire/call attention to.

revelation

God reveals Himself and communitcates with His greatest creation: humanity. Reveals himself through words and deeds. Takes place GRADUALLY.

nihil obstat

The Church makes this judgement meaning that “nothing stands in the way.” Moreover, a person is permitted to believe that a private relevation is authentic.

Some private revelations that the Church regards as authentic.

The appearance of Mary to Juan Diego in Guadalupe, Mexico, 1531.

The appearance of Jesus, revealing his Sacred Heart to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque at Paray le Monial, 1671

The apparition of Mary, the mother of Jesus to the three children in Fatima in 1917.

The appearance of Jesus to St. Faustina in Plock and Vilnius (Lithuania) from 1931-1936.

negative indicators of private revelations

• messages contradict church doctrine

• the seer is clearly inauthentic (mental illness, serious sin, profiteering w/ respect to revelations).

positive indicators of private revelations

• messages support church doctrine

• facts and messages inspire people to grow in faith, charity, and other virtues.

• those receiving the revelations are holy people who are not personally benefiting from them (they might even be suffering due to them).

oral transmission

Apostles communicated the revelation of Jesus orally, by the spoken word. Revelation was received from the words of Christ, his works, and his way of life. Revelation was also received from the Holy Spirit, inspiring the Church while the Apostles were establishing it.

written transmission

The apostles and other men associated with them wrote down the words and deeds of Jesus in what we now call the New Testament. Is under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

Sacred Tradition

the living transmission of the faith by the successors of the apostles (the bishops with the pope).

Sacred Scripture

the written transmission of the faith by the successors of the apostles and the men associated.

apostolic succession

The work of appointing successors, to whom the task and authority of teaching is imparted, has continued from the time of the apostles until the present day in an unbroken chain.

seeds of the gospel

the kind of wisdom found in non-Christian religions, or truths that are given by God for the sake of leading non-Christians to Jesus Christ.

contrary

Teachings of non-Christian religions that are ________ to the teachings of Christianity are not regarded as true revelation.

equal

Sacred Scripture and Tradition must be accepted and honored with _______ sentiments of devotion and reverence.

Fathers of the Church

early Christian writers who give witness to what the church was teaching, believing, and doing.

The Magisterium

tasked to give an authentic interpretation of sacred scripture and tradition. This is a lesser power of the two. It issues public declarations as statements clarifying what is or isn’t the official teaching of the Catholic Church.

Creed

(symbol): a summary of the faith that Christians profess.

Dogma

a teaching of faith, formulated as a proposition,

Doctrine

Christian teachings, generally speaking.

Apostolic Consitution/Dogmatic Consitution

Highest authority, issued by a Pope, or an ecumenical council with the Pope’s approval.

Encyclical letter

a letter written from the Pope to the entire church. (circular → to circulate everyone).

Apostolic Exhortation

a letter written by the Pope to the church, not for the sake of a deeper understanding of doctrine but to encourage some kind of action or commitment.

infallible

unable to proclaim error

papal infallibility

when the pope “proclaims by a definitive act a doctrine pertaining to faith and morals” The Holy Spirit prevents him from stating error.

Human Faith

accepting, agreeing, ackonwledging, embrancing, affirming, the truth of what is said to you, because you deem the speaker to be trustworthy.

Supernatural Faith

The response of human beings to God’s revelation.

St. Thomas Aquinas’ definition of faith

when we make an act of faith the will commands the intellect to assent (or agree) with the assistance of grace. You decide (with your will) to accept God’s word as true (in your intellect).

infused at baptism

We receive the gift of faith as it is ___________________.

catechesis; believe

Faith can grow through _________ —learning the teachings of the faith—and by exercising the choice to _________, assisted by grace.

freely

The decision to give complete trust to God, and to accept everything he reveals as true must be done ______. Jesus invited people to the faith, not coerce them.

darkness

faith is often lived in the __________ and can be put to the test

sin

A person may _____ by giving up their faith, thus constituting as grave matter.

no faith

In heaven there is ______ because we no longer believe, but see. Charity remains in heaven though.

knowledgeable and honest

the words which describe the qualities of a trustworthy speaker.

He is ominsicent. He knows all things and never errs.

Why is God knowledgeable?

It is impossible for Him to lie.

Why is God honest?

motives of credibility

reasons for making the choice to have faith IN some and faith THAT their words are true.

proof

offering arguments, data, or evidence that will allow a person to draw his own conclusions, based on evidence or data he can experience directly.

near death experiences

documented and matching testimonies from people who experience leaving their bodies during clinical death before returning. The human soul can continue to exist apart from the body.

Terminal lucidity

people whose frontal cortex is damaged communicating with intelligence. The human soul has powers that can operate through the body, but without the assistance of the body.

bibical evidence, extra-bibical evidence, shroud of turin

Is there is historical evidence that Jesus existed?

Shroud of Turin

historically identified as the burial cloth of Jesus. Scientific tests date it to the time of Jesus. It has an image of Jesus and other properties which are consistent with what is described in the Gospels about Jesus and cannot be explained by science.

Flavius Josephus

(100 a.d) a Jewish historian who wrote a history of the Jewish people called the Antiquities of the Jews.

Phliny the Younger

(113 a.d.) a governor who wrote a letter to emperor Trajan, saying that Christians “sing hymns to Christ (Messiah) as to God.”

Tacitus

considered one of the greatest of Roman historians (116 a.d.), described the persecution of Christians by the emperor Nero, and said that “Chrestos,” their leader, was given “the extreme penalty” (crucifixion) by Pontius Pilate.

Seutonius

(120 a.d.) a biographer who wrote that the followers of “Chrestos” caused riots in Rome.

The Ryland Papyrus (P52)

historians discovered a fragment of an ancient gospel manuscript which was originally part of the Gospel of John and dates close to when Jesus lived.

liar

Jesus is not a _____ because he didn’t gain any personal advantage, his claim as Son of God only brought him to death.

lunatic

Jesus is not a ______ because he wasn’t mentally ill. People were attracted to him and seeked his health, unlike how people would usually treat the mentally ill.

Lord

Jesus is _____ as he performed miracles (proof of divine powers), and rose from the dead. These actions were witnessed by hundreds of people.

One, Holy, Catholic, Apostolic.

the four "marks" of the Church

one

the Church is one in faith with one set of core beliefs that have stayed consistent for 2,000 years. One basic form of worship: eucharist.

holy

The Church is connected to Jesus as She is His bride. Church can transform sinners through forgiveness and grace.

catholic

means “universal” or “worldwide”

little leap

an act of faith assisted by motives of credibility.

blind leap

faith without the assistance of motives of credibility.

Faith is certain because God can’t lie.

Which knowledge is MOST CERTAIN and why?

no, only apparent

Can there be a contradiction between faith and science?

no

Can faith and science affirm contradictory truths?

do further research

What is one piece of advice you could give a person who perceives what seems to be a contradiction between faith and science?

theology

“faith seeking understanding”; use of reason to gain deeper insights into faith.