Catholic Faith, Philosophy, and Theology Flashcards

35 vocabulary flashcards covering Father Spitzer's 4 levels of happiness, arguments for God's existence, revelation types, the Trinity, and being made in God's image.

Father Spitzer SJ's 4 Levels of Happiness

A framework describing how happiness increases in depth and endurance as you go from level 1 to level 4.

Level 1: Material Pleasure

A level of happiness that results when satisfied, which is often temporary.

Level 2: Ego Comparative Level

A level of happiness involving achievements, comparing yourself to others, and competitiveness.

Ego-Comparative Turmoil

The state you might find yourself in if you rely on Level 2 (Ego Comparative Level) happiness.

Level 3: Good Beyond Self

A level of happiness stemming from the empathy and conscience God gave us, leading us to want to contribute to others with our lives.

Level 4: Transcendentals

A level of happiness experienced by experiencing God through the 5 transcendentals.

5 Transcendentals

The five avenues through which God is experienced in Level 4 happiness: truth, goodness, beauty, home, and love.

Catechism

An overview of the Catholic faith whose teachings come from Scripture.

Catechism of the Catholic Church Paragraph 27

States that the desire for God is written in the human heart because man is created by God and for God, and God never ceases to draw man to himself.

Cosmological Argument

Also known as the Uncaused Cause argument; states that everything that has a beginning has a cause, the universe had a beginning, and therefore the universe had a cause.

Infinite Regression

An absurdity that is avoided by recognizing that you ultimately MUST have a first uncaused cause.

Omnipotent

An attribute of God included in the evidence for God's existence, meaning all-powerful.

Omniscient

An attribute of God included in the evidence for God's existence, meaning all-knowing.

Omnibenevolent

An attribute of God included in the evidence for God's existence, meaning all-good or infinitely loving.

Pure Spirit

One of the attributes of God listed under the evidence of the attributes of God.

Teleological Argument

Also known as the design argument; states that if there is a design, then there is an intelligent designer.

Fine Tuned Factors

The idea that for life to exist, it has to be exactly the right design; if any one thing wasn't perfect, life would never exist in the first place.

Moral Argument

Also known as the conscience argument; states that if God doesn't exist, objective morals and duties don't exist; since objective morals DO exist, God exists.

Nature

Genetics, as distinguished from nurture.

Nurture

How you interact with the environment, as distinguished from nature.

General or Natural Revelation

Reason about the world, such as using arguments for God's existence using things like nature.

Supernatural or Divine Revelation

Divine communication, such as the Bible.

Creed

A summary of beliefs and practices.

Trinity

A core doctrine believed because it has been divinely revealed and God cannot lie; explicitly revealed in the New Testament.

The Father

The person of the Trinity who is the Creator of Christ and Son.

The Son / Christ

The person of the Trinity who is the Redeemer, arising from eternal, begotten love.

Holy Spirit

The person of the Trinity who is the Sanctifier.

Begotten

To bring into existence.

Begotten Combined with Eternal

Means God created Jesus after having existed for eternity.

Sanctifier

The role of the Holy Spirit, which means one who makes holy.

Images of God in the Bible

Divinely revealed images that help us better know God and should form the values of the community.

Ideal Community

A community that has unity with diversity and can coexist.

Genesis

The book of the Bible where it is first said that humans are made in the image of God.

Intellect

In the context of being made in the image of God, it means knowing God (being able to know).

Will

In the context of being made in the image of God, it means loving God (choosing to love).