Catholic Theology Study Guide: Divine Nature, Philosophical Proofs, Metaphors, and Biblical Creation Accounts
Core Concepts and Vocabulary
Religion: An organized system of beliefs, ritual, and ways of living that gives expression to a particular people's faith in a god or gods.
Spiritual: Relating to the nonphysical, or nonmaterial, aspects of human life and experience.
Divine: Related to or coming of God.
Monotheism: Belief that there is only one God.
Revelation: The communication from God through which human beings come to know who God is.
Salvation History: The pattern of events in human history in which God's presence and saving actions are revealed.
Creed: A statement that summarizes religious beliefs.
Apostles' Creed:
Serves as a summary of the core beliefs of Catholicism.
A version of the Apostles' Creed dates back to AD 341.
The first line of the creed refers explicitly to God as a creator.
Philosophical Proofs for the Existence of God
Proof of Motion:
Simple explanation: Something had to start everything moving.
Theological implication: Points to God as the First Mover.
Proof of Cause:
Simple explanation: Something had to start the chain of causes.
Theological implication: Points to God as the First Cause.
Proof of Contingency:
Simple explanation: Something must exist to keep everything else existing.
Theological implication: Points to God as the Necessary Being.
Proof of Degrees:
Simple explanation: There must be a perfect standard of goodness.
Theological implication: Points to God as the Perfect Good.
Proof of Design:
Simple explanation: Nature shows order and purpose.
Theological implication: Points to God as the Designer.
Understanding God Through Metaphors of Parentage
Parental Metaphors:
Catholics use metaphors of both father and mother when talking about God.
These metaphors flow directly from the experience many people have with their parents.
Human Experiences of Ideal Parenting:
Being loved by parents just as you are, without having to be someone or something other than who you are.
Receiving parental support just as you are.
Having parents who listen without judgment.
Being allowed to vent.
Being encouraged to try out new ideas.
Having a safe space to share mistakes and failures.
Sharing success and joys.
Application to the Relationship with God:
These positive human experiences with parents describe the experiences individuals have in their personal relationship with God.
When human parents fail to live up to these ideal behaviors, it becomes harder for children to understand God as a loving parent.
Conceptualizing God as Father and Mother
God as Father:
Prevalence: The metaphor of father is used more commonly than mother by Catholics.
Biblical origin: Jesus frequently called God Father and used the intimate term Abba (meaning "papa"), implying a close, personal relationship.
Historical context: Referring to God as Abba presented a challenge to Jewish people during Jesus' time because they primarily conceptualized God as a judge or king.
The Father image: Jesus provides a clear picture of God as a loving Father.
God as Mother:
Scriptural evidence: The Bible presents explicit images of God as a mother.
Prophetic testimony: Through the prophet Isaiah, God states: "As a mother comforts her child, so I will comfort you."
Divine Nature Beyond Gender:
Non-gendered nature: God is neither male nor female.
Universal imagery: Human images and terms for God are not restricted to one gender over the other.
Comprehensive understanding: Imaging God as both mother and father provides a deeper, more rounded understanding of how Catholics view God.
God as the Forgiving Judge, Mercy, and Forgiveness
Scriptural Basis for Divine Judgment:
The prophet Isaiah states: "For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our law giver."
Jesus' Teaching on Mercy and Judgment:
Jesus strongly emphasizes mercy and forgiveness whenever he addresses the judgment of God.
God is characterized specifically as a forgiving Judge.
Conditions for Divine Forgiveness:
Scriptural promise: In Matthew 6:14, Jesus states: "If you forgive others their transgressions your heavenly Father will forgive you."
Sole requirement: The only requirement for receiving God's complete forgiveness is a personal willingness to forgive others and to admit one's own wrongdoings.
Scope of punishment: God as the forgiving judge only punishes individuals who refuse to admit their wrongdoing and are unwilling to forgive others.
The Creation Accounts in Genesis
The First Creation Story (Genesis 1: The Seven Days of Creation):
Day 1: Creation of light; separation of light (day) from darkness (night).
Day 2: Creation of the sky (firmament); separation of waters above from waters below.
Day 3: Creation of dry land (earth) and seas; creation of vegetation, plants, and fruit trees.
Day 4: Creation of the sun, moon, and stars to govern day and night and to mark seasons.
Day 5: Creation of sea creatures and birds; God blesses them to multiply.
Day 6: Creation of land animals (livestock, wild creatures, and crawling things); creation of humans (male and female) in God's image, blessed to multiply.
Day 7: God rests from creation; blesses and sanctifies the seventh day.
The Second Creation Story (Genesis 2: Creation of Humanity and Eden):
Creation of Man:
God formed man out of dust from the ground.
God blew the breath of life into his nostrils.
Description of the Garden of Eden:
Location: The Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and placed the formed man there.
Vegetation: God made trees grow that were delightful to look at and good for food.
Two Special Trees: Positioned in the middle of the garden were the Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.
River System: A river flowed out of Eden to water the garden, dividing into four distinct branches: Pishon, Gihon, Tigris, and Euphrates.
Creation of Woman:
The Lord God cast a deep sleep upon the man.
God took one of the man's ribs and closed up its place with flesh.
The rib was built into a woman.
God brought her to the man.
Theological Reason for Two Creation Stories in the Canon:
Dual purpose: Two Creation accounts exist in the official Canon of the Bible because each account teaches distinct theological lessons about God and humanity.
Genesis 1 Perspective: Gives the macro-level ("big picture") overview of God creating the entire world, demonstrating God's supreme power, order, and control over creation.
Genesis 2 Perspective: Focuses closely on the creation of human beings, highlighting humanity's special personal relationship with God and demonstrating the importance of interpersonal relationships between human beings.
Combined Understanding: Together, both creation accounts deliver a complete and multifaceted understanding of creation, God, and humanity.