final - Theology MCQ Options

How does Anselm define theology?

“Faith seeking understanding”

How does Gustavo Gutiérrez define faith?

“A commitment of the whole person”

How does Gustavo Gutiérrez define theology?

“critical reflection on Christian praxis in light of the Word of God”

Define praxis.

“how we live our lives with intention” - implied commitment of the whole person

In theology, praxis is the integrated process of critical reflection on experience and concrete action to bring about transformation and realize a vision of the world, often with a social justice focus.

In light of Gutiérrez’s definition of theology, of what two things does theology need to give an account?

1) account of God - what He desires, who He is, His interpretation

2) think critically about the world

What are the etymological roots of the word “theology”? How do these roots help to provide another definition of theology?

theos - logia

God - talk

What virtue does the “Johannine literature” (e.g. the Letter of John) of the Bible most closely identify with the nature/character of God?

love - those who partake in love, partake in God

How does Murdoch’s reflection on love help to clarify Dostoevsky?

love pulls you outward - concern for others; concern for the world

According to the International Theological Commission, who stands at the center of all Christian theology?

Jesus Christ

International Theological Commission - “[Christian] theology, in all its diverse traditions, disciplines, and methods, is founded on the fundamental act of listening in faith to the revealed Word of God, Jesus himself”

According to Evagrius Ponticus, who is the theologian?

anyone who prays

How did we define prayer?

openness & willingness to encounter mystery

What types of mystery (and responses to mystery) did we discuss in class?

experience of 1) awe & 2) gratitude (components of faith); horror - things ought not to be in the world —> the mystery of evil

What, according to Edward Schillebeeckx, is a “negative contrast experience”?

an idea of encountering something horrific that ought not to be - which opens up questions about how to be

What, for Simone Weil, is the virtue of academic studies for the life of faith?

discipline you attention & desire so you can bring that discipline to faith - to open up to faith; forms attention in a sustained way

For Weil, what is the relationship between, studies, humility, and love of neighbor?

not easy - hard, unenjoyable, but life isn’t all about me; opens us to experiences of reality

Why does Hari claim that our attention has been stolen?

there is a structure being built to colonize neural pathway to keep us wanting more, to generate ad revenue

What does Rublev’s icon of the Trinity suggest about God’s invitation to humanity?

leaving a spot at the table; invitation into loving communion with humanity

What does Levertov’s poem suggest about the human/Divine relationship?

humanity is too distracted to connect

With respect to MTD, what does “moralistic” describe?

moralistic = don’t be an a**hole

With respect to MTD, what does “therapeutic” describe?

therapeutic = makes you feel better; coddles you to make you feel better

With respect to MTD, what does “deism” suggesting?

deism = divine buffer; absent God

What does Dietrich Bonhoeffer mean by “cheap grace”?

warning against materials > God; justifying sin, etc. - essentially MTD

What is the “First Commandment” of the Decalogue?

“I am the true God, have no other gods before Me”

In a basic sense, what is idolatry?

Whom you are giving service to, put trust in, ultimate authority

What was Vatican II and when did it take place?

Council where pope & bishops issue most authoritative teachings; occurs in the 60s

What is Nosta Aetate translate to? What is it? What does it say (based on the excerpt in the class slide)?

“In Our Time” ; respect other religions and recognize practices of other religions - wanting to enter into dialogue; recognizes Catholic Church doesn’t have whole encounter of truth

According to Gustavo Gutiérrez, what characteristics help further describe idolatry?

work of human hands, systems of power and authority; “idols of death”

For Gutiérrez, what is the fundamental idolatry of the contemporary world?

Greed - mammon, wealth

Summarize Gutiérrez’s views on the story of paying taxes to Caesar?

How out to live life in this world

Gutiérrez sees this story as Jesus challenging unjust power and calling believers to put God—and justice—first, even when that means questioning political systems.

Why is Bartolome de Las Casas depicted as having his arm extended and hand up in the icon we considered in class?

holding hand out to stop - w/ murderous idolatry in colonization of native lands

In a word, what, according to Galeano, has been transmuted to capital in Latin America?

everything - the soil, human labor, all of life becomes capital in far away places

Why might it be apt to understand Latin America as a region of “open veins?”

US and Europe extract like sucking blood to sustain own distorted life

What are the two fundamental dimensions of Jesus’ ministry?

1) Jesus is going to teach

2) Jesus’ act of power

Why is Legion’s name significant in the story of the Gerasene demoniac?

Legion = Roman military division; talking about how militaristic division & violence can be internalized

Why might the lake of Galilee be referred to as “the sea”?

connects back to Exodus & the Red Sea; liberation of enslavement & of Pharaoh

Why does God liberate the possessed person?

he has pity for them; compassion

How do the villagers react upon seeing what Jesus has done?

They tell him to leave & get out; what have you done? saying we don’t want you here

Describe the characteristics of mutual love.

reciprocity

What does “love as equal regard imply?”

sense of love where everyone is going to be equal regardless of anything

What does delivering love imply?

love that liberates someone; sees suffering and asks how to respond to mediate it

What is the basic concern of the Samaritan in the story Jesus tells?

enacting and delivering love - how do I help limit, end suffering, and bring about healing

What was the relationship between Jews and Samaritans during Jesus’ time?

they were enemies (makes Good Samaritan remarkable)

From our initial discussion of “The Unity of Love and Judgement” what did we say were two essential take aways from Zachman’s essay, regarding the character of Christian judgement?

1) there is a fundamental underlying unit of judgement through love

2) turn critical eye towards yourself first

Who was Marcion? How did he deal with the tension between love and judgment?

Marcion: 2nd century theologian

dealt with love and judgement by creating two Gods (New Testament: God of love, Old Testament: God of judgement) - which this idea of 2 gods Christianity rejects

Where can we discern an act of care at work in the Biblical narrative of the banishment from Eden?

God gives man and woman clothes to dress them - provides safety and protection

In that narrative, what did I suggest nakedness symbolizes?

nakedness symbolizes vulnerability, intimacy, etc.

Why is vulnerability helpful, when thinking about the unity of love and judgment?

coming with vulnerability pushes against judging out of hatred

Discuss Jesus’ teaching on judgment in Matthew’s gospel. What does he emphasize? How does his ending statement qualify his opening statement?

“Don’t judge your neighbor without judging yourself”

• don’t remove log from their eye before yours; then humility through judgement if needed

• qualified “judgement”

How can the story in John’s gospel, of the woman caught in adultery, help us to further nuance our understanding of the dynamics of Christian judgment?

violence- woman’s fault for idolatry, but Jesus asks “Have any of you sinned?” — we have all sinned. Jesus wrote in sand, had people to take a breath in “elevated situation”

How does Jesus’ “denunciation of the scribes and Pharisees,” introduce a different dynamic to Christian judgment?

Jesus's denunciation of the scribes and Pharisees, contrasted with his reading of the scroll, introduces a new dynamic to Christian judgment by shifting the focus from outward observance of the law to inward transformation of the heart. While the religious leaders prioritized man-made traditions and external piety, Jesus emphasized mercy, justice, and humility, reinterpreting the true purpose of God's law

What does Maggie Smith’s poem tell us about the character of the world? What does she me by suggesting the world as “good bones”?

the world is bad, but the foundation is good. she will tell her kids b/c the good foundation is there, you can make it better

acknowledges the world is scary

What does Eduardo Galeano’s poem tells us about the states of our world and our souls?

our system does violence to world, sinful divides; which ends up going down to our souls

What is Jesus’ mission?

to proclaim, enact, & embody the reign of God 

What is Jubilee?

the Sabbath of Sabbaths; set free; puts everything back together, restores order; resetting of society (ex: debts and prisoners released)

• Biblically, the Year of Jubilee was a sacred year of liberation and restoration, following seven cycles of seven years (7 x 7 = 49 years), which meant it occurred in the 50th year.

What are the people’s reaction to Jesus when he reads from the scroll of Isaiah?

They try to kill him when he reads from the scroll

The people in the Nazareth synagogue were first amazed by Jesus' reading and pronouncement that the scripture was fulfilled by him, but their amazement turned to anger when he implied that the promised grace and liberation, even for Gentiles, would apply to them and not just focus on Jewish judgment of their enemies. This led them to drive him out of the synagogue and attempt to throw him off a cliff, but he escaped. 

According to Jesus, what is the greatest commandment?

love God with your heart, soul, mind; love neighbor as yourself

What are some positive and negative aspects of conceiving of love in term of “sacrificial love?” In what way does this understanding of love risk misunderstanding Jesus’ death?

CONS: lack of guilty conscience; keeps oppressed people down

PROS: love as sacrificial is the accent on sacrificial (good in of itself), rather- wanted to set the world right no matter the consequence - free people of sins and save

These pitfalls risk distorting the meaning of Jesus' death by recasting his action as a manipulative or codependent transaction rather than a free and powerful act of divine love. 

What are the sources of Christian revelation that we discussed?

1. the Bible - Scripture

2. Tradition - “to hand down”

3. Doctrine

4. Creation - also reveals about the creator, confirmed in various ways (ex: scripture)

What is the difference between a healthy understanding of tradition and traditionalism?

traditionalism = the dead faith of the living

tradition = the living faith of the dead

Tradition is good because it’s:

• Living: It passes down important wisdom, values, and practices from the past.

• Meaningful: It helps connect us with where we come from and guides us in the present.

• Adaptable: It can grow and respond to new situations while staying true to its core.

🟢 Example: Celebrating Christmas with family traditions, while also making space for new ways to express faith or love—that’s tradition.

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Traditionalism is bad because it’s:

• Rigid: It clings to the past just because “that’s how it’s always been done.”

• Fearful of change: It refuses to adapt, even when something no longer makes sense or serves people well.

• Can lose the heart of the tradition: It often keeps the outward form but forgets the deeper meaning.

What does David Tracy (and the picture of the woman!) suggest about the nature of texts?

• paraphrased from David Tracy: “Literary theory tells us that all the texts are unstable and open to various forms of reception that defy any single definitive interpretation.”

• people can see the same image and have 2 different interpretations

• we don’t know which way is correct- but also not anything goes here

• CONTEXT MATTERS

Describe the post-critical naïve approach to scripture.

finding truth and figuring out what it means

a method of interpretation that moves beyond both a simplistic, literal belief (“first naivete”) and the limitations of purely historical-critical methods

What is hermeneutics?

the study of interpretation

Who/what is the key reference point when interpreting revelation?

Jesus Christ

What are the worlds of the text and to what does each refer?

1. The world behind the text — the world of the author

2. The world of the text — the meanings of the symbols the text itself creates

3. The world in front of the text — the world of the reader