12th Christian Studies Midterm

Components of Rhetorical Triangle

writer \--- audience
| meaning |
\message/

presupposition

assumed to be true without prior experience/knowledge

worldview

how one views or interprets reality

Christian Theism

view of God who is transcendent and immanent, personal and infinite who creates, sustains, and controls the world

Deism

God created the universe but is not involved. Divine watchmaker

Atheism

Godless people

Pantheism

everything is God, not as transcendent but rather as immanent in the world

Panentheism

everything is IN God, everything that exists in the world exists as a part of God and affects Him

Polytheism

many Gods

7 questions every worldview must answer

1. What is the prime reality?
2. What is the nature of external reality - the world around us?
3. What is a human being?
4. What happens to a person at death?
5. Why is it possible to know anything at all?
6. How do we know what's right and wrong?
7. What is the meaning of human history?

education

forms us, not just inside the classroom

worship

what we take in, we are what we love and we love what we worship

liturgy

a pattern of prayer or worship; order/rhythm

pedagogy

the instruction/practice

transformation

what we worship shapes us and transforms us; we invite the spirit to transform us

knowledge

the awareness and understanding of particular aspects or reality, a justified true belief

know-that

propositional knowledge

know-how

experimental knowledge

Justification

concerns the validity or warrant of the belief in question; as opposed to believing in something purely as a matter of luck

propositional knowledge can be 2 types:

- a priori (non-empirical)
- a posteriori (empirical)

A priori (non-empirical)

knowledge NOT through the sense, requires only use of reason

A posteriori (empirical)

knowledge through the sense and experiences

Epistemology

study of knowledge

rationalism

requires only use of reason, "I think, therefore I am"; doubt --\> thought --\> existence

Empiricism

experience based on perceptual observations by the 5 senses; impressions (sensory experience), and ideas (faint memory copy); feeling vs recalling

Existentialism

willing over thinking, personal over propositional... belief that existence has precedence over essence, will to power

Biblical epistemology

a way of knowing that connects truth with life, grounded in the truths of scripture and revelation of God

Descartes

French, resident rationalist

Hume

Scottish, resident empiricist

Nietzsche

German, resident existentialist

4pillars of a Biblical Epistemology

1. the existence of the Biblical God
2. God has divinely and authoritatively disclosed Himself for the purpose of His own glorification, through general revelation (creation, Romans 1:18-20), special revelation (the Bible, 2 Timothy 3:16-17), and personal revelation (Jesus, John 1:1-18)
3. the incapacity of natural humanity to comprehend God's revelation
4. the necessity of a consistently applied hermeneutic

Cosmological Argument

universe is an "effect" that necessitates a "cause"

Telelogical Argument

universe inherently has intelligent orderly design, purpose, and end(s)

Anthropological Argument

the innate and intricate attributes of humanity reflect a personal Creator

Moral Argument

the conscience of human beings reflects an ethical creator God who gives/knows right and wrong

Ontological Argument

the ability to conceive of the greatest perfect being requires such a being to exist

Universal Religious Experience

the collective transcendental human experience serves as rational evidence toward the existence of God

Pascal's Wager

the inevitable choice humanity is necessarily committed to makes the existence of God reasonable

meaning of Elohim

the almighty ones/gods

Elohim reveals

God as Creator-Sustainer; Judge; Sovereign one

meaning of Adonai

the lord or master

Adonai reveals

God in relationship of lord or master

YHWH meaning

I AM

YHWH reveals

the Personal Name; Self-Existent; Ever-active one

communicable attributes

Aspects of God's character that He shares or "communicates"
with us.

Incommunicable Attributes

Aspects of God's character that God does not share with us.

Tri-Personal (Trinity)

the one true God as three persons

Self-Existent

God doesn't depend on anything outside of Himself

Self-Sufficient

nothing is lacking within God Himself

free

not bound by any external constraints

ascent

a 'movement' of Aquinas showing the means of general revelation toward the existence of God

descent

a 'movement' of Aquinas showing the means of special revelation toward the existence of God

externalism

outside sources of knowledge used to justify a belief

internalism

all justification rests on internal/mental states

simple

complete harmony between God's attributes

one (united)

all the attributes are united in God

perfect

standard of the attributes, nothing greater is conceivable

immutable

unchanging

infinite

no limit can be applied to His nature or His person

eternal

outside of time

All Knowing (Omniscient)

God knows everything, things actual and possible, past, present, and future

All Powerful (sovereign, omnipotent)

God is able with unconditioned power to do anything He wills in accordance with His plan and character

All Present (Immanent)

pervading presence that sustains all things

Beyond All Creation (transcendent)

distinct and above all creation

true

absolute truth, the standard and the center

wise

perfect in intellectual judgment, consistent in practice, and shares with His creatures according to their need and for their good

Holy

His existence is completely separate from His creation

Just

perfectly righteous in both His nature and the treatment of His creatures

good

supreme and absolute good; which is generous, excellent, benevolent, etc. standard for how His people are to act and out hope

faithful

benevolent consistency in all He is and does

Merciful

compassionate forgiveness and acts toward His people especially in light of their distressful and dire circumstances

Love

benevolent giving of Himself for the benefit of others, as well as His desire to enjoy those He loves

1. Ebionism

merely man

2. Docetism

only divine

3. Adoptionism

became divine

4. Modalism

one person

5. Arianism

divine creation

6. Nicea (325)

solidifies the divinity of Jesus

7. Apollinarianism

human shell

8. Nestorianism

Split nature

9. Eutychianism

merged nature

10. Chalcedon (451)

solidifies His humanity