Theology Midterm Vocab

Allegorical Sense

How the literal sense of scripture refers to Jesus and the Church

Deuterocanonical Books

Those books of the old testament which come down to us in Greek rather than in Hebrew: Tobit, Judith, certain portions of Esther, Wisdom, Sirach, Baruch, certain portions of Daniel 1-2 Maccabees.

Anagogical Sense

How the literal sense of Scripture refers to the union of our souls with God both now and in eternity.

Canon (of Scripture)

The biblical canon is the list of books which belong in the Bible

Epistles

Inspired letters in the New Testament which applied an encounter with Jesus to the first Christian communities; there are Pauline Epistles (Roman, 1-2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephisians,Philippians, Colassians, 1-2 Thessalonians, 1-2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon), and Catholic Epistles (hebrews, James 1-2 Peter, 1-3 John, Jude)

Gnostics

“Gnostics” comes from the Greek word “gnosis” meaning “knowledge”— Gnostics were groups of people in the centuries after Christ who syncretistically combined Persian religion elements of Christianity; they believed that matter was evil and that a select group of people receive inner enlightenment on how to be liberated from matter

Gospels

The four inspired accounts of the life and teachings of Jesus: Mathew, Mark, Luke and John.

Hellenistic

Something having to do with Greek culture

Historical Books

The books following the Law that narrate the history of the Hebrew people from their entry into the promised land through their return from Babylonian Captivity: Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1-2 Samuel, 1-2 Kings, 1-2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehamiah, Tobit, Judith, Esther 1-2 Maccabees

Illuminative Way

When the light of the mysteries of the Christian faith illuminates our own life; the illuminative way moves us from an allegorical to a tropological reading of scripture

Law (Torah)

The first books of the Bible: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy

Literal Sense

That meaning primarily intended by the author of a passage of Sacred Scripture. It may be historical but it may be according to some other genre.

Septuagint

“Septuaginta” is the latin word for the number “70” — the Septuagint is the greek translation of the Old Testament which Hellenistic hebrews and the first Christians received as authoritative: a pious legend states that 70 scholars took 70 days to translate it.

Prophets (Nevi’im)

The books of the Bible written by or about prophets—the major prophets are Isiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel (some include Daniel); the minor prophets are Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Numah, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi; the ancient hebrews included several historical books among the Prophets as the “Former Prophets” contrasting them with the others as “Latter Prophets”

Purgative Way

The beginning of the Christian life where we are pruned from our sins and move from the letter to the spirit of Sacred Scripture; the purgative way moves from a literal to an allegorical reading of Scripture

Spiritual Sense

An extension to the literal sense given to Scripture by God over and above the literal sense. There are three spiritual senses. the allegorical, the tropological, and the analogical

Tropological Sense

How the literal sense of Scripture refers to God’s actions in our lives and what he wants us to do

Unitive Way

When, having been purged from sin and illuminated by the mysteries of Christ, we enter into a perfect communion with the three persons of the Blessed Trinity; the unitive way moves us from a topological to an analogical reading of Scripture

Vulgate

St. Jerome’s Latin translation of the entire Bible; Jerome used the Old Testament canon of the Septuagint

Writings (Ketuvim)

The Wisdom literature of the Old Testament—Christians include Job, psalms, proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, Wisdom, and Sirach among these books; the ancient Hebrews also included several Historical Books among the Writings

Epistome

The Greek word for “science”; it denotes a habit of mind, a certitude about the world arising from a knowledge of the world’s causes through heir effects.

Fides qua

The subjective habit of faith by which we believe God

Fides quae

The objective Faith which we believe, summarized in the Creed

Five Ways

The five proofs for God’s. existence that St. Thomas Aquinas gives in his Summa theologia(la, q. 2, a. 3,co.)

Motives of Credibility

Signs that demonstrate that the Catholic faith is reasonable; motives of credibility do not prove the mysteries of the faith, only that a reasonable person could believe them

Scientia

The Latin word for “science”; means the same as the greek word “epitome”

Subalteration

When one science gets its first principles from another, higher science, such as how engineering receives it principles from physics

Theos

The Greek word for “God”, from which we get “theology” (the study of God)

Vestigia trinitatis

A latin phrase meaning “vestiges [lit. footprints] of the Trinity”; vestige trinitatis are reflections of God’s threeness in Creation that we can only appreciate in the light of faith.

Doctrina

A Latin word that can mean either the act of teaching people in the Church, or the things which are taught in that act

Hermeneutics

The study of how we read and interpret texts

Sign

That which points to something else, according to St. Augustine; natural signs are built into the nature of the universe, while conventional signs only point to something because a person wants to use the sign to point to a given thing

Thing

A reality to which a sign points, according to St. Augustine

Charism

A supernatural gift given by God for building up of the Church

Corruptio optimi pessimum

A Latin phrase meaning “the corruption of the best is the worst”

Inerrancy

A charism which ensures that the works and ideas of Scripture and Tradition are the words and ideas of God. Inerrancy is a positive charism.

Inspiration

A special, supernatural gift given to the human authors of sacred scripture whereby the words that they authored were also words that God authored.

Magisterium

The teaching office of the Church which she receives from Christ, as a participation in his Prophetic Office, by which he reveals and teaches saving truths to the world. “Magisterium” comes from the Latin, “magister”, meaning “teacher.” The Magisterium is not a source of Public Revelation; it is an infallible teacher about scripture and tradition.

Private Revelation

Those specific appearance software God and the saints which help us to live our more deeply what public revelation is calling us to at the present. Private Revelation is not required for salvation.

Public Revelation

That revelation which God has given to all of humanity, made up of scripture and Tradition, which is necessary to all people for salvation. Public Revelation ended with the death of the last Apostle (that is, St. John)

Regula Caritatis

A Latin phrase meaning “the rule of charity”. The rule of charity stipulates that we are not sure of what particular point God intends in the spiritual sense of a given passage of Scripture, we should interpret the passage in a way that builds up the love of God and love of neighbor.

Regula Fidei

A latin phrase meaning “the rule of faith.” The regular fade stipulates that we should always read the scriptures in the context of Tradition, as taught by the magisterium and adhered to by the sensus fidelium.

Sensus Fidelium

An infallible adherence to Scripture and Tradition as taught by the magisterium. “Sensus fidelium” is a latin phrase meaning “sense of the faithful”

Scripture

An inerrant public witness to Jesus with inspired words.

Tradition

An inerrant public witness to Jesus without inspired words, but with what we might call inspired ideas.

Marcionism

An early heresy, formulated but eh first century heretic, Marcion, which held that God of the Old Testament was different than God of the New Testament and Christians should reject the Old Testament.

Malum Culpae

A Latin phrase meaning “evil of fault.” it is a moral fault that we introduce into the world.

Malum Poona

A Latin phrase meaning “evil of punishment.” it is called “evil” analogously not because it is truly evil, but because it feels evil to the one experiencing it.

Mercy

Healing a defect in another, rather than merely canceling out some mere punishment due another.

Original Justice

The complete right ordering of Adam’s and Eve’s bodies to their souls, and their souls to God.

Preternatural

Something which is beyond what nature was going to do in a given instance.

Sanctifying Grace

The gratuitous gift of friendship with God

Supernatural

Something which is above what nature could ever do.

Ceremonial Precepts

The commandments of the Mosaic Law Concerned with he worship of God; their primary purpose was to prepare the Hebrew people for the coming of Jesus among them.

Judicial Precepts

The commandments of the Mosaic Law concerned with the governance of the Israelite nation; they provided the Hebrew people with a divinely institute and justly ordered society.

Moral Precepts

The commandments of the Mosaic Law concerned with personal, moral action; they reminded the people of the natural law.

Motives of Credibility

Signs that demonstrate that the Catholic faith is reasonable; motives of credibility do not prove the mysteries of the faith, only that a reasonable person could believe them