Theology Exam #2

Vocabulary flashcards reviewing key terms and definitions regarding the Trinity, creation, sin, Lectio Divina, covenants, and angels from theology lecture notes.

The Most Holy Trinity

The most central mystery of Christian faith and life, defined as three persons in one God.

Logos

A title for Jesus as the eternal Word; it can mean word, utterance, or principle of reason.

Ex nihilo

A Latin phrase meaning "out of nothing," describing how God created things.

Angel

A term derived from Greek meaning "messenger."

Intellect

A higher power of the human soul whose job is to seek the truth and understand it.

Sin (Zia)

An utterance, a deed, or a desire contrary to God's law.

Sanctifying grace

The grace that makes us holy and pleasing to God.

Original sin

The first transgression of humanity against God, which stands at the root of all sin.

Concupiscence

Disordered desires; the inclination toward sin resulting from original sin.

Actual sin

That sin for which an individual is personally responsible, divided into mortal and venial sins.

Mortal sin

A grave category of actual sin requiring three conditions: serious and grave matter, sufficient reflection (knowledge), and full consent of the will (deliberate).

Venial

A word meaning "small sin."

Perfect contrition

Sorrow for our sins not because of the punishment or harm that accompanies sin, but simply because we have offended the all-loving God.

Blasphemy against the Holy spirit

The "unforgivable" sin.

Parable

A short, fictitious story that is intended to communicate a moral lesson.

The cloak (in the Prodigal Son)

A symbol representing the restoration of innocence and sanctifying grace of the son.

The ring (in the Prodigal Son)

A symbol representing a sign of honor and authority.

The sandals (in the Prodigal Son)

A symbol signifying the end of the son's servitude to sin, referencing how slaves were commonly barefoot.

Lectio Divina

A spiritual practice whose name translates to "Divine Reading."

Lectio (first step of Lectio Divina)

A careful and slow reading of Scripture applied by taking time to savor details, re-reading passages, and asking questions.

Meditation (second step of Lectio Divina)

The stage in which a reader moves from simply observing story details to asking what it all means.

Prayer (third step of Lectio Divina)

Talking to God after reading His Word to find consolation, ask questions, give thanks, or communicate interpretations.

Contemplation (final step of Lectio Divina)

A state that a person can lose themselves in, unlike meditation which requires focus and effort.

Covenant

A sacred family bond by which those who have no blood relation become family members.

Contract

A negotiable, conditionally binding exchange of goods based on one's own name and motivated by self-interest and profit.

Infused and supernatural knowledge

The specific types of knowledge possessed by angels.

Incarnation

The mystery wherein the second person of the Trinity takes on human (flesh) form.

Sins of commission

Things that we do that we ought not to do.

Sins of omission

The failure to do something that we ought to do.

Jesus is

FULLY divine and FULLY human, he is not a hybrid

Define Mystery

it is not something we can’t know anything about, it is something we can’t know everything about

hypostatic union

the christian doctrine that states Jesus is one single individual who possesses two natures, fully divine and fully human.