RS 35 - Final Review

Autonomy

Autonomy

free self-direction; responsibility

Deontological Ethics

the will to do one’s duty for no other reason than it is your duty. Kant’s theory proposes that the search for “the good” starts with the development of a good will

Ethics

a discipline that deals with the nature of the good, the nature of the human person, and criteria that we use for making right judgments

Morality

a system of right conduct based on fundamental beliefs and obligation to follow certain codes, norms, customs and habits of behaviour

Obligation

what one is bound by duty or contract to do

Relativism

the doctrine that knowledge, truth, and morality exist in relation to culture, society, or historical context, and are not absolute (oxford dictionary). “What is good for you may not necessarily be good for me.” This line of thinking denies the perspective of absolute truths

Responsibility

being morally accountable for one's actions. Responsibility presumes knowledge, freedom, and the ability to choose and to act

Revelation

the ways that God makes Himself known to humankind. God is fully revealed in Jesus Christ. The sacred Scriptures, proclaimed within the Church, are the revealed Word of God. God also reveals Self through people and indeed through all of creation

Teleological Ethics

seeking to understand the ultimate goal, purpose, or end of something. Aristotle saw “the good” as one who discovers the finality or purpose of what we are intended to be

Agent

one who acts, who has the capacity to initiate a course of events. A person to whom we ascribe actions. One who is responsible for his or her actions

Action

the realization of the power of human freedom. When we engage the capacities of our freedom, we change the world around us

Conceptual Framework of action

a series of questions that allow us to understand action indirectly. They help us to understand and evaluate human action

Determinism

a point of view that holds that human behaviour is a product not of free will, but of a complex array of physical, social, cultural, psychological and historical causes. Examples of this include Naturalism, and Social and Religious Determinism in that they all deny free will.

Intention

that which motivates me to act – often based on our values. The reason for doing something that appears, at least to me, as a good

Freedom

the human capacity to choose and to act. I am free because I have possibilities and capacities to act on these possibilities

Predestination

the view that my behaviour is predetermined, whether by God or by other causes

Responsibility

the conviction that a person is the agent of his or her actions. This presupposes freedom, knowledge and capability. As seen through the application of the conceptual framework of action, circumstances can mitigate the degree of a person’s responsibility in any given action

Commitment

a promise or a pledge; resolve to carry something out in the future

Generosity

to recognize God’s blessings and offer resources sacrificially with exceptional willingness. This charism (gift of the Holy Spirit) operates out of a spirit of selflessness, with no need for recognition or reward for giving.

Habit

a manner of behaving acquired by frequent repetition; prevailing disposition or character (think back to Aristotle)

Humanism

a worldview centered on human interest and values, and the individual’s capacity for self-realization through reason and action. Humanists generally reject reference to the divine

Identity

the distinguishing character of a person. My identity is determined in large part by the moral stance I take in life

Judgment

the concrete decision of what I must do in the situation based on my personal perception and grasp of values

Moral stance

my moral orientation or direction in life; what I “stand for”

Narcissism

a disorder marked by self-absorption to the exclusion of others

Psychiatry

a branch of medicine that deals with mental, emotional and behavioural disorders

Psychology

the study of the mind, mental states and behaviour. Psychology tries to explain why people think, feel and behave as they do

Secularism

a worldview that rejects religion and religious consideration. Secularists accept only critical reason

Trinity

“the central mystery of the Christian faith and of Christian life. God alone can make it known to us by revealing himself as Father, Son and Holy Spirit”

Call Story

the Bible contains a number of stories of God calling people and imparting to them a mission. They follow the pattern of encounter with God

Covenant

a binding agreement between two parties that spells out the conditions and obligations of each party. The biblical notion of covenant arose from this contractual notion but is far more. God’s covenant is a bond of love that calls to us in our freedom to respond in love. God’s commitment to us is forever and is founded in love

Prophet

is a messenger, a spokesperson for God. From the moment the prophet is called, they receive new identities. Every human person also receives a calling, which is our vocation, which identifies who we are. We are also called in our duty to serve others. Being a teacher is a calling to serve students in learning about academics, social responsibility and having a relationship with God and others

Revelation

people have the ability to come to know God through God’s works. But there is a higher order of knowledge which comes not from human reason but from divine Revelation. God makes Himself known fully by sending his beloved Son, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. The sacred Scriptures reveal the loving actions of God in human history

Sin

also referred to as “transgression” is a freely chosen decision to “turn”away from God

Vocation

a call from God. Jesus calls all people into the family of God. God also calls each one of us personally to a way of life that is founded on the love of God and the love of neighbour. The various vocational calls are

Apocalyptic literature

a style of writing that evolved during Israel’s troubled history around the time of Jesus. It focused on the end of history and the time of God’s purifying judgment. It frequently employed frightening imagery of end-time wars between good and evil and natural disasters

Beatitudes

a form of pronouncement that presupposes that a good or happiness has already been given or is about to be received. The Sermon on the Mount contains a list of beatitudes

Eschatological

pertaining to the end of time, in the sense of its fullness. It is translated into an ethics that insists that we can already live what God will reveal at the end because we have already begun during the time of Jesus.

Exegesis

the analysis of texts in their original context, taking into account the author’s historical, cultural and linguistic time. This helps to understand the intention of the author

Gospel

the unique literary genre of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John that proclaims the life, death and resurrection of Jesus from the original followers in the early Church communities. It also is taken from the Old English term “godspel” meaning “Good News”

Hermeneutics

a way of interpreting texts and events to help us understand what they mean for us in the 21st century

Inspiration

Sacred Scripture is inspired by God. “What Christ entrusted to the apostles, they in turn handed on by their preaching and writing, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, to all generations, until Christ returns in glory.” (CCC #96)

Parousia

term used to refer to the second coming of Christ at the end of time

Torah

The five books of Moses that contain the core teachings

Theology of the Body

the working title Pope John Paul II gave to the first major teaching project of his pontificate. In 129 short talks delivered between September of 1079 and November of 1984, the Pope offered the Church and the world a rich, biblical reflection on the meaning of human embodiment, particularly as it concerns sexuality and erotic desire

Trinity

(Latin

Human Sexuality

human sexuality goes far beyond sexual intercourse. “Sexuality is a fundamental component of personality...of communicating with others, of feeling, of expressing and of living human love.” Human Sexuality has biological, psychological and spiritual levels that make a person a man or a woman, and is an energy that draws us outside ourselves

Language of the Body

as male and female we are made in the image and likeness of God who is love. Our bodies communicate our human sexuality in the broadest sense. This language has the capacity to “speak” through its actions; therefore, our bodies can act out of truth (honesty, love) or lies (dishonest, self-serving)

Authentic Love

a synonym for authentic is genuine. Authentic love is self-giving, sacrificial and truthful. When we live our sexuality in the best way possible it is this kind of love we give and hope to receive in all of our relationships

Pornography

printed or visual material containing the explicit description or display of sexual organs or activity, intended to stimulate erotic rather than aesthetic or emotional feelings (Oxford Dictionary)

Sacrament

great celebrations in which God’s loving presence is made visible in our lives

Contraception

(also sometimes referred to as “birth control”) is the deliberate prevention of conception or impregnation by any of various drugs, techniques, or devices

Natural Family Planning

a medically accurate and natural way to respectfully work in communication with our bodies to either increase chances of conception or plan appropriately child birth (i.e. space apart children so as to not to financially, emotionally, physically or spiritually exhaust the couple)

Domestic church

the home as a “little church” where its members find life, are nurtured and formed. It bears the characteristics of the larger Church, being one, holy, catholic and apostolic in a manner appropriate to the family

Formation

people mature, develop and grow as a result of the nurturing, education and opportunities that they receive, and in interaction with the environment in which they find themselves. This “formation” takes place in dialogue with their own free will and with the grace of God

Sanctuary

a holy place; a place of refuge and safety

Vocation

divine call to a way of life, such as to the married state, or the priestly or religious life, or to the single life

Chastity

this is a virtue, or moral excellence. It is the “successful integration of sexuality within the person and thus the inner unity of humans in their bodily and spiritual being” (CCC 2337). It is the mastery of one’s self in an attempt to govern our passions and find peace, or to be dominated by them and become unhappy

Abstinence

refers to temporarily refraining from activities that are pleasurable, which may include sex

Celibacy

refers to the choice to live in an unmarried state, avoiding all sexual activity

New Evangelization

sharing the “Good News” that is Jesus Christ with everyone by adopting His message of hope, love, mercy and forgiveness without judgment