Visions Of Christianity Final Exam Flashcards

98 flashcards covering key terms and concepts related to Christian theology and history.

God's Word

God's thought or wisdom; identified with Jesus in John 1.

Subordinationists

Early Christians who believe that the Word of God is less divine than God the Father.

Arius of Alexandria

Argued that Jesus (the Word) is a creature, not divine.

Council of Nicaea

Church council that decides against Arius; concludes that Jesus is divine.

homoousios

Literally means 'of the same substance'; language the Council of Nicaea uses to describe how Jesus is divine like God the Father.

Nestorius

Argued that there are two persons in Jesus: one human and the other divine.

Council of Chalcedon

Church council that decides Jesus is fully God and fully human at the same time.

hypostatic union

Term used at the Council of Chalcedon to describe Jesus as one person with two natures.

Abba

A familiar name for God the Father.

covenant

Often refers to 'to seal' the Mosaic covenant.

Redemption

Metaphor for slavery; to 'buy back' or pay a price to secure a slave's freedom.

Jesus' resurrection

Radically transformed bodily existence, no longer subject to effects of sin.

Jesus' ascension

Belief that Jesus is 'taken up' and enthroned at God's 'right hand'.

kyrios

Greek for 'Lord,' title Christians use for Jesus after his resurrection.

incarnation

Literally means 'in flesh'; term to describe God becoming human in Jesus.

'All authority in heaven and on earth'

What Jesus receives from God in Matthew 28:17.

sin offering

Animal sacrifice performed in ancient Israel to reconcile a sinner with YHWH.

Passover lamb

Lamb sacrificed in Exodus 12 to spare Hebrews from punishment.

Holy Spirit

Term for 'Spirit of YHWH,' third person of the Trinity.

Pentecost

Jewish harvest festival; event when Jesus breathes Holy Spirit on his disciples.

Baptism

Ritual cleansing and conversion; Christian initiation and anointing ritual.

Justification

Status of having one's covenant obligations fulfilled; known as 'righteousness'.

pistis Christou

Literally means 'faith/faithfulness of the Christ'; for Paul, what justifies Christians.

'Blessing of Abraham'

The Holy Spirit; received from justification; being 'adopted' into Christ.

Protestant view of justification

Justification by 'faith alone'.

Catholic view of justification

Justification by faith, with works contributing.

grace

Literally means 'favor'; God acting in humans to accomplish something we can't.

Pelagius

Argued good works alone accomplish salvation; denied original sin.

Augustine of Hippo

Early Christian bishop who argued against Pelagius' position.

Parousia

Literally means 'presence, arrival'; Jesus' second coming to establish God's Kingdom.

General Resurrection

When all humans will be resurrected and immediately judged.

eschata

Literally means 'last things'; refers to death, resurrection, and judgment.

Book of Revelation

NT apocalyptic text claiming to give God's-eye view of history's end.

New Jerusalem

Symbol for humanity existing in God's direct presence.

'Bride of the Lamb'

Symbol for the Church or perfected human community.

heaven

Final state of existing in YHWH's direct presence.

purgatory

Place of purification; state of soul being purified before entering heaven.

Gehenna

Burning garbage dump outside of Jerusalem; metaphor for hell.

hell

State of self-exclusion from God's direct presence; consequence of unrepentant sin.

Universalism

Minority view that hell is a temporary state.

Church

Ecclesia, or assembly; term for Christian community.

Body of Christ

Paul's preferred metaphor for the Church's union with Jesus.

The 4 'marks' of the Church

One, holy, catholic, apostolic.

Apostles

Jesus' twelve closest followers authorized to lead the early Christian community.

bishop

Leadership role in the early Church; someone who succeeds an apostle.

elder

Leader of a local Christian community, often identified with priest.

Apostolic succession

Belief that church leaders can trace succession back to the twelve Apostles.

the pope

Catholic term for the office of the Bishop of Rome, successor of Peter.

papal primacy

Belief that Peter received special authority from Jesus.

papal infallibility

Belief that the pope is preserved from error when making declarations on faith.

Magisterium

Authority to teach and interpret the Bible; exercised by pope and bishops.

Catholic Church

Branch of Christianity in communion with the Bishop of Rome.

Eastern Orthodox Church

Branch of Christianity derived from establishments in Eastern Roman empire.

patriarchates

Self-governed jurisdictions in Eastern Orthodox Church.

Trinity

Literally means 'threefold'; describes Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as one God.

5 claims of the Trinity

1. Father is God; 2. Son is God; 3. Holy Spirit is God; 4. Not identical; 5. Only one God.

Sabellius

Argued Father, Son, and Spirit are merely modes of the one God (Modalism).

Pneumatomachians

Those who argued the Holy Spirit is not divine.

Council of Constantinople

Church council that affirms the Holy Spirit is divine.

nature

Term describing what there is one of in God (divine nature).

persons

Term to describe the three in God (Father, Son, and Spirit are persons).

filioque

Language added to the Nicene creed about the Holy Spirit; rejected by Eastern Orthodox.

Mass

Catholic term for Sunday worship.

divine liturgy

Eastern Orthodox term for Sunday worship.

liturgy

Christian public worship; celebrated weekly on Sunday.

sacrament

A ritual involving a visible sign of invisible grace through the Holy Spirit.

the sacraments

Maximum is seven: baptism, Eucharist, confirmation, confession, matrimony, anointing, holy orders.

saints

Holy Christians recognized for exemplary lives.

venerate

Literally means 'to honor'; term used for honoring saints.

communion of saints

Belief that baptized Christians maintain connection with others after death.

intercession

Prayer on behalf of another.

Theotokos

'God-bearer'; title used to honor Mary, Mother of Jesus.

Council of Ephesus

Decided 'Mother of God' was an acceptable title for Mary.

Dormition of Mary

Belief that Mary was bodily resurrected and taken into heaven.

icon

2-dimensional sacred image used in Eastern Orthodox prayer and worship.

Iconoclast Controversies

Periods where icons were destroyed before approval by the Orthodox Church.

John of Damascus

Major figure who argued Jesus' incarnation justifies use of icons.

Second Council of Nicaea

Decided the veneration of icons in prayer is appropriate.

deification (theosis)

Literally means 'god-ification'; process of becoming more God-like.

The Great Schism

Official separation of Eastern and Western Churches over authority and rituals.

Assumption of Mary

Belief that Mary was taken up into heavenly state.

Immaculate Conception

Belief that Mary was conceived without original sin.

transubstantiation

Term describing how Jesus becomes really present in the Eucharist.

indulgences

Receipt verifying that the pope has applied merits of saints to someone else.

Protestant Churches

Branch of Christianity emerging during the Reformation.

Examples of Mainline Protestant denominations

Lutherans, Calvinists, Anglicans, Methodists, Baptists.

Non-Mainline forms of Protestantism

Adventists, Anabaptists, Non-Denominational, Evangelical.

Martin Luther

Protestant Reformer credited with initiating the Reformation.

Sola fide

'Faith alone'; belief that only faith justifies.

Sola scriptura

'Scripture alone'; belief that only the Bible is authority.

Sola gratia

'Grace alone'; only God's action is responsible for salvation.

'priesthood of all believers'

Belief that all Christians share in Jesus' priesthood.

John Calvin

French Protestant Reformer; influence on Reformed denominations.

double predestination

Calvin's belief that God eternally chooses some to save and others to damn.

Anglican Church (Church of England)

Becomes distinct denomination with reforms of King Henry VIII.

Evangelicalism

Movement in Protestantism emphasizing personal conversion and spreading Gospel.

The 'Great Awakenings'

Religious revivals that gave rise to modern Evangelicalism.

Non-Denominational churches

Forms of Christianity rejecting denomination as an identity marker.