Genesis, Creation, and Early Man - Fr. Seraphim Rose

Vocabulary flashcards based on lecture notes about Genesis, Creation, and Early Man by Fr. Seraphim Rose, focusing on Orthodox theological concepts, scientific/philosophical terms, and general academic vocabulary.

Patristics/Holy Fathers

The writings and teachings of the early Christian Church Fathers, heavily relied upon for interpretations of Scripture and doctrine.

Dogma/Dogmatic Theology

Revealed truths of the Christian faith, formally defined and held by the Church.

Orthodoxy

"Right belief" or "right glory," referring to the Eastern Orthodox Christian Church and its traditional teachings.

Heresy/Heretical

A belief or doctrine contrary to the accepted doctrines of the Church.

Tradition (Holy Tradition)

The continuous transmission of the Christian faith through the Church, encompassing Scripture, Creeds, Liturgical practices, and the teachings of the Fathers.

Theology

The study of God and religious belief.

Anthropology (Theological)

The study of humanity in relation to God and creation, including the nature of man before and after the Fall.

Cosmology/Cosmogony (Patristic)

The study of the origin and structure of the universe, specifically from the perspective of the Holy Fathers.

The Fall (of Man)

The biblical event in Genesis where Adam and Eve disobeyed God, leading to sin, death, and the corruption of creation.

Original Sin/Ancestral Sin

The inherited spiritual sickness and inclination to sin resulting from the Fall of Adam and Eve, affecting all humanity, emphasized as corporate rather than individual guilt.

Deification/Theosis

The process by which Orthodox Christians seek to become like God through grace, prayer, participation in the sacraments, ultimately aiming for union with Him.

Noetic/Nous

Pertaining to the intellect or spiritual faculty of the soul, often distinguished from discursive reasoning; the eye of the soul that apprehends spiritual realities.

Energeia/Divine Energies

God's uncreated operations or actions in the world, through which He reveals Himself and interacts with creation, distinct from His unapproachable essence.

Logos (Divine Logos)

In Orthodox theology, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, Jesus Christ, as the pre-eternal Word and Wisdom of God, through whom all things were created.

Icon/Iconography

Sacred images used in Orthodox worship and theology, understood as windows to the divine and embodying theological truths.

Paradise

The Garden of Eden, often understood as a spiritual state of communion with God.

Incorruption/Immortality

The state of being free from decay and death, which characterized the first-created world and man before the Fall.

Dispassion/Apatheia

A state of freedom from the passions (unhealthy emotional attachments or desires) achieved through spiritual struggle, leading to inner peace and clarity.

Evolution (Macroevolution vs. Microevolution)

Acceptance of variation within species but rejection of the idea that one kind of creature can evolve into another.

Creationism (Biblical/Patristic)

The belief that God directly created the universe and all life, often interpreted as a literal six-day creation.

Uniformitarianism

The geological doctrine that processes observed today have operated in the past at similar rates, implying a very old Earth.

Catastrophism

The theory that changes in the Earth's crust have resulted chiefly from sudden, violent, and unusual events.

Nihilism

The rejection of all religious and moral principles, often in the belief that life is meaningless.

Materialism

The philosophical belief that everything that exists is ultimately physical matter.

Dualism

The belief that there are two fundamental kinds of reality, often mind and matter, which are distinct and separate.

Holistic/Holism

The idea that systems should be viewed as wholes, not just as collections of parts.

Anthropocentric

Viewing humanity as the central or most important element of existence, especially as opposed to a God-centered perspective.

Theistic Evolution

The belief that God used the process of evolution to bring about life.

Secular Humanism

A worldview that emphasizes human reason, ethics, and justice, often rejecting religious belief and supernatural explanations.

Patristic (adj.)

Relating to the early Christian Church Fathers (important spiritual teachers and writers from the early centuries of Christianity).

Dogma (n.)

A set of fixed beliefs or principles, especially in religion, that are considered absolutely true and not to be questioned.

Heresy (n.)

A belief or opinion contrary to traditional religious doctrine.

Orthodoxy (n.)

Right belief or practice, especially referring to the traditional Eastern Orthodox Christian Church.

Tradition (n.)

In a religious context, the passing down of beliefs, customs, and practices from generation to generation, considered as having divine authority (often "Holy Tradition").

Anthropology (n.)

The study of humankind, especially its origins, development, customs, and beliefs. In this book, it often refers specifically to the theological understanding of human nature.

Cosmology (n.)

The study of the origin, evolution, and eventual fate of the universe.

The Fall (n.)

In Christianity, the biblical event where Adam and Eve disobeyed God, leading to sin and the loss of paradise.

Incorruption (n.)

The state of being free from decay, moral corruption, or death.

Deification (n.)

(Also Theosis) The process by which humans, through God's grace, become more like God.

Nous (n.)

(Pronounced "noos") In philosophy and theology, the spiritual intellect or mind, often seen as the highest part of the human soul, capable of direct spiritual knowledge.

Empirical (adj.)

Based on, concerned with, or verifiable by observation or experience rather than theory or pure logic.

Metaphysics (n.)

The branch of philosophy that deals with the first principles of things, including abstract concepts such as being, knowing, substance, cause, identity, time, and space.

Materialism (n.)

The belief that only matter and energy exist, and that all phenomena (including consciousness) are the result of material interactions.

Nihilism (n.)

The belief that life is meaningless, and that all religious and moral principles are without value.

Uniformitarianism (n.)

A geological doctrine that states that current geological processes operated at the same rates in the past, leading to a gradual view of Earth's history.

Catastrophism (n.)

A geological doctrine that states that changes in the Earth's crust have resulted chiefly from sudden, violent, and unusual events, such as floods or earthquakes.

Agnostic (adj./n.)

A person who believes that nothing is known or can be known of the existence or nature of God or of anything beyond material phenomena.

Secular (adj.)

Denoting activities or other things that have no religious or spiritual basis.

Reconcile (v.)

To make two conflicting things compatible or consistent.

Conflate (v.)

To combine two or more separate things into one, often mistakenly.

Discourse (n.)

Written or spoken communication or debate.

Elucidate (v.)

To make (something) clear; explain.

Exegesis (n.)

Critical explanation or interpretation of a text, especially of scripture.

Paradigm (n.)

A typical example or pattern of something; a model. Often used to describe a fundamental way of thinking or viewing the world.

Postulate (v.)

To suggest or assume the existence, fact, or truth of something as a basis for reasoning, discussion, or belief.

Presupposition (n.)

A thing tacitly assumed beforehand at the beginning of a line of argument or course of action.

Subsequent (adj.)

Coming after something in time; following.

Suffice (v.)

Be enough or adequate.

Ubiquitous (adj.)

Present, appearing, or found everywhere.