Theology I Midterm

Faith Seeking Understanding

What is a short definition of theology by Anselm of Canterbury?

Theological method

The discipline of clarifying what was there all along - we may use scriptures and methods.

Natural (General) Revelation

That which God reveals about Himself in what He has made

Special Revelation

That which God reveals about Himself in His word.

Historical Interpretation

The study of what the church has said throughout history about the Scriptures— not the final authority, but helpful!

Sola Scriptura

Scripture is the final authority, but not the only authority

Bible is only source of theology; the church has no value.

What view of tradition does radicals and rationalists hold?

Scripture is the first and final authority, but God works through the history of the church as a secondary authority under the authority of scripture. 

What view of tradition do protestant reformers hold?

Tradition is a second source of infallible revelation, on par with or even above scripture

What view of tradition do Roman Catholics hold?

Creator/Creature Distinction

God is wholly other than us.

Incomprehensibility

God cannot ultimately be fully grasped (comprehended) by us. 

Accomodation

God reveals himself in ways to familiarize his otherness to us.

Biblical Theology

A Type of theology that is essentially the trajectory of scripture: Creation, Fall, Redemption, Consummation

Historical Theology

A Type of theology that is A theological survey through history

Philosophical Theology

A Type of theology that asks What is real? What are the underpinnings of reality? How do we think about the world?

Systematic Theology

The synthesis of Historical, Biblical, and Philosophical Theology into categories which help organize our reasoning (and the reasoning of others).

Univocal

to comparatively say the same thing about God and creation. (i.e. If we say that we are good and that God is good then those are exactly equal).

Equivocal

to have more than one possible meaning. (i.e. There is no possible way to compare the goodness of God and creation).

Analogical

to comparatively state something that is not equal but helps bring understanding. (i.e. By way of analogy, there is a way to compare God’s goodness and human goodness).

Archetype

That which is true of God that is only accessible in the mind of God. (Only God knows himself perfectly).

The Beatific vision: seeing the glory of God in the face of Jesus

What is the telos of mankind?

Ectype

That which God communicates to us considering our finitude

Anthropomorphic

Creature-like features attributed to God to accommodate our understanding.

Anthropopathic

Creature-like emotions that accommodate our understanding.

Anthroprochronic

Creature-like experience with time that accommodates our understanding.

In the church, with the church, for the church

Where is Theology done?

Primary Theological Triage

Theological matters of first importance. Anything outside of these bounds are grounds to declare a church or someone not a Christian.

Secondary Theological Triage

Theological matters of second importance. (Typically, ecclesial matters, baptism, church polity). These matters are those around which denominations are formed. (Matters of division of worship but not orthodoxy).

Tertiary Theological Triage

Theological matters of third (and lowest) priority. (Typically matters like eschatology, etc.). These are matters over which we should not divide.

to apprehend and assess knowledge of the Triune God from Scripture and Theological contemplation that leads to greater awe and worship of him.

What is the Goal of the Doctrine of God?

Apophatic

That which is described of God negatively (i.e. God does not change).

Cataphatic

That which is described of God positively (i.e. God is love).

Incommunicable

God’s attributes that are not communicated to humanity (i.e. God is eternal). The things about God that are not shared with humanity.

Communicable

God’s attributes that can be communicated to humanity, but done imperfectly so (i.e. God is love, so we can love). These things are refracted in us instead of reflected in us.

Divine Simplicity

God is not composed of parts

God is His perfections

Who is God in relation to his attributes/perfections?

Divine Essence

God’s divine nature— we cannot fully know God, he is only fully known to himself

Divine Aseity

God’s self-existence— uncreated, self-sufficient, not dependent.

Divine Immutability

God does not change in his passions, perfections, or plans.

Biblicism

What dangerous mindset is described by these six attributes?

• Ahistorical mindset

○ Irresponsible proof texting

○ Anti-metaphysics

○ Univocal prediction (especially in language about God).

○ Restrictive revelation (anti- natural theology)

○ Overemphasis on the human author

Divine Impassibility

God does not change, he does not experience emotional change.

Actus Purus (Pure Act)

God is maximally alive— there is nothing to actualize in God.

Divine Infinitude

God cannot be contained in any sense— omnipresent.

Divine Atemporality or Eternity

God is eternal in the sense that God does not exist in sequential time.

Immanent

God is near. (Deuteronomy 4:32-29, God was near in leading them by a cloud by day and pillar of fire by night. He was near Moses by revealing himself on the mountain.)

Transcendent 

God is far above. (Deuteronomy 4:32-39, God was far and provided miraculous salvation that is impossible for humans.)

Omniscience

Divine knowledge—God’s knowledge is limitless and a priori. God is his knowledge. God does not need to learn anything.

A posteriori

That which is known through empirical evidence

A priori

That which is known without experience— this is true of God. 

Omnipotence

Divine Power— God’s power is limitless concerning who (and what) he is and according to his holy will.

Omnipresence

Divine immensity— Similar to that of which we spoke in Divine Infinitude, God cannot be contained, but here we are emphasizing that he is everywhere present. (1 Kings 8:27)

Omniscapience

God is maximally wise— no limit to God’s wisdom because he is wisdom. 

Theistic Mutualism of Theistic Personalism

Two modern rendering that portray God as a bigger version of humanity.

The Arian Controversy

questioning of the deity of the Son. “There was a time when the Son was not.”

Homoousion

Of the SAME substance

Homoiousion

Of similar substance

External Modes of Subsistence

One divine essence subsists in three persons.

Unbegotten, the Father is the Father and not the Son. Paternity.

In terms of Eternal Relations of Origin, how is the Father described?

Eternal Generation or Eternally Begotten, the Son is eternally begotten from the Father (Filiation = Sonship).

In terms of Eternal Relations of Origin, how is the Son described?

Eternal Spiration or Eternal Procession, the Spirit proceeds eternally from the Father and the Son (Spiration).

In terms of Eternal Relations of Origin, how is the Holy Spirit described?

Ad extra

God’s missions

Ad intra

God’s eternal life

Inseparable Operations

Because of what we know about the processions of the Son and the Spirit, we understand that there must be an inseparability in what the Trinity does.

Personal Appropriations

Each action in the scripture is appropriated personally. This does not mean there are separable operations. This is not causing multiple wills within the Godhead.

2 Wills— Divine and Human

How many wills in the Son?

Common Predications

That which is common to all three persons of the trinity such as Lord

Proper Predication

That which is specific to one person of the trinity such as Father, Son, Spirit

Economic Trinity

ad extra, missions, economy, external missions of the Trinity. (The explanations of what is happening in space and time).

Immanent Trinity

ad intra, inherent, eternal reality of the Trinity. (Declarations from God of who God is).

Arianism

Trinitarian Heresy: Arius’s claim is that there was a time when the Son was not. (At best, Jesus would be a highly created being under this heresy).

Adoptionism

Trinitarian Heresy: Claim that Jesus was merely human, but God adopted him. (Claims that this is at Jesus’ baptism).

Sabellianism or Modalism

Trinitarian Heresy: There is one God (one essence and only one person) who manifests himself as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit at certain times in history.

Docetism

Trinitarian Heresy: Jesus only appeared to be human but was not truly human. (Gnosticism).

Social Trinitarianism

Trinitarian Heresy: The relationship between Father, Son, and Spirit relates to some aspect of humanity. (In more conservative circles relating the relations between Father, Son and Spirit to marriage and family).

Natural Theology

the attempt of mankind to interpret what he observes about God through what he has made. 

God’s existence, all that exists is because of God, mankind exists because and is dependent on God

What can be discerned from natural revelation?

Moral information written on our hearts

What, from natural revelation, is enough to condemn us?

Inspired Words

Special revelation that God intends for his people is always through what?

Theophany

A special appearance of God in time to humanity

Incarnation of the external Son

What is the greatest revelation of God to us?

God breathed, sufficient, inspired, authoritative

What does the Bible say about itself?

Theophneustos

God breathed

Intuition theory

Six views of Inspiration: man has high degree of insight

Illumination theory

Six views of inspiration: the Holy Spirit illuminates the mind of the authors.

The dynamic theory

Six views of inspiration: A combination of divine and human elelemts without dual authorship— a tradeoff: some human some God.

The dictation theory

Six views of inspiration: God speaks, man writes

The encounter theory (neo-orthodoxy)

Six views of inspiration: the Bible is inspired as you interact with it, as you are inspired, it is inspired. 

Verbal Plenary Theory

Six views of inspiration: The text (verbal) is inspired (God-breathed) and it is inspired as the whole (plenary).

Concursive Inspiration

seems to be a better way of expressing the Verbal-Plenary view. 2 Pet. 1:20-21 This is why we speak of dual authorship. 

Inerrancy

Infallibility applies to the original autographs

Absolute Innerancy

Holds that the Bible, which includes rather detailed treatment of matters both scientific and historical, is fully true. 

• Ex. when the bible says 3000 in number, it doesn't mean 2995, it means 3000. 

Full Inerrancy

Holds that the Bible is completely true. While the Bible does not primarily aim to give scientific and historical data, such as scientific and historical assertions as it does make are fully true. 

• Ex. when the bible says 3000 in number, it could be rounded up from 2995. 

Limited Inerrancy

Regards the Bible as inerrant and infallible but generally in its salvific doctrinal references.

Sufficiency

to the nature of scripture as God’s breathed word to us concerning the provision of what we need for his glory and for our salvation, and life and godliness. 2 Pet 1:3-4.

The Chicago Statement on Inerrancy

Seeing the decline of the mainline churches’ view of the infallibility and inerrancy of Scripture there were a group of pastors and scholars who got together and formed a committee on inerrancy. 

Biblical Reasoning

What is John Webster’s short definition of Theology?

individualism

What works against theology in the church for the church by the church?

One Will in the Trinity

Inseparable Operations works because…

Rahner’s Rule

FALSE: The Economic Trinity is the Immanent Trinity.

Divine Participation

Mankind is created and dependent upon God