Christian Beliefs- week 4

if human being becomes...

main subject of theology, we aren't doing theology anymore

theological anthropology

The doctrine of the human being - what sort of creatures we are and what we are like

what do cultural anthropologists do?

immerse themselves in lives of certain people in order to study their habits, practices, and customs

what do theological anthropologists work to understand?

humanity both as God intends it to be and as it actually is

study of human as sinner

leads us inexorably to the One who saves human beings from sin: Jesus Christ

why do we take humanity seriously?

b/c God does

what does our created finitude mean?

we need each other, that we receive the gift of learning to live w/and for another and above all that we need God

Irenaeus of Lyons says

people who don't wait for period of growth who attribute the weakness of their nature to God are completely unreasonable

psychosomatic unity

a creature who is always both physical and spiritual

human being is not...

soul in a hostile relationship w/body

what does hierarchical dualism pit the body against?

against soul and body understood as obstacle or burden

Christians reject Platonic dualism...

which soul is "bound and glued to body and forced view things as if through prison"

what does christian theological anthropology reject?

any materialism that would deny the existence of the spiritual or reduce human being to constellation body parts and nothing more

some Christians argue for nonreductive physicalism

kind materialism still recognizes human being in relationship to God

holistic dualism

The person is a body-soul unity

what do christians claim human beings are?

middle creature

functional view of the image of God

emphasizing unique function that human beings have in caring for God's creation

relational view of the image of God

often beings w/God's triune nature, emphasizing God's life as perfect relationship between Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. thoughts of contemporary theologians

can't talk about how our creation...

in "image of God" affects Christian perspective w/o first acknowledging brutal fact that image of God has been distorted and broken by Sin

what do many theologians emphasize when describing the nature of sin?

pride

John Calvin suggests

root of sin is unbelief and beginning of ruin by which human race was overthrown was defection from command of God

sin suppresses God's word...

to us and about us by twisting it into something false

what is key to the christian life?

break habit of sin

Augustine sees...

created human nature as existing in state of original righteousness in which we free to choose or not choose to sin

posse peccare

able to sin

non posse non peccare

not able not to sin

how can we become truly human beings and live truly human lives?

through Jesus

through resurrection

we become human

yahweh

hebrew for God

what does God present himself as?

presents himself as God who will be known (will of God)

where does God make himself known?

makes himself known in word/deed

how does God communicate?

creation, salvation, and judgement

what is the Bible?

Bible is God's divine revelation (self disclosure) to humanity

inspiration of the Bible

recording of happiness within a people group as they were inspired

what can revelation be in the form of?

can be in form of a vision with words or solely words

what is cosmology the study of?

study of God as a supreme being and his relation to created order

what are the 3 main assumptions about monotheistic religion?

existence of God. relation of God to creation. regulatory and continuous will @ plan

monotheistic religions

christianity and other religions (islam & judaism) are montheistic and assume a transcendant and sovereign God who created and maintains the universe

God and existence

God causes things to exist in the sense that their existence depends wholly on his power

sovereign

self-governing; independent

universe is...

not a perpetual motion machine w/o God's regulation. he didn't leave all things he made to their own devices. there's close relationship between course of nature and events of history. in addition to definite plan of God

Agrarian societies

began to develop about 3300 BCE. 1) mesopotamia 2) egypt and nubia 3) Indus Valley 4) Andes mountains in South America; more appeared in China around 2000 BCE and in modern day mexico and central america

how many Gods did the Greeks and Romans have?

had their 12 temple Gods

empirical proof

existence of God in many cultures is assumed and not subjected to empirical proof

argument from desire

though that all human being is religious in nature. natural desire and instinct for a supernatural relationship suggests both existence and relevance. interaction of belief, faith, and practice forms religion

what are the 4 major arguments for God's existence?

cosmological. teleological. ontological. moral law

cosmological

argument for God's existence. world couldn't exist on its own so these must have been a cause. cause/effects

teleological

argument for God's existence. argument from design. telos in Greek means purpose, end, goal, design. design and purpose. great complexities of universe suggests evidence of a designer

ontological

argument for God's existence. something than which nothing greater can be though. asserts that God being defined as most perfect. must exist since a God who exists is greater than a God who doesn't

moral law

argument for God's existence. w/o God, morality would be impossible. there's a standard of life that points to an origin/basis- God. every person is born w/inherent understanding of right/wrong. there must be a lawgiver (ultimate moral being).

universal moral being

is it accidental or shows a designer?

faith is an

important aspect of understanding God and his existence