Salvation History - Theology I Midterm Exam 2025-2026 Study Guide Unit 1
Salvation History - Theology I Midterm Exam 2025-2026 Study Guide
Unit 1: How Do We Know About God? (Ch. 1, 2, 3, 4)
Unit 1 Terms:
Adam: The first man created by God in the Biblical narrative.
Apostolic Succession: The unbroken transmission of spiritual authority from the Apostles through successive popes and bishops.
Creed: A formal statement of faith or belief, outlining the core tenets of religious belief.
Covenant: A permanent and sacred agreement made between God and humanity, often defined by promises and commitments.
Deposit of Faith: The body of revealed truth in the Scriptures and Tradition, foundational for the Church's teaching.
Divine Revelation: The act by which God reveals Himself directly to humanity through Scripture and the teachings of the Church.
Ecumenical Council: A formal assembly of bishops from around the world, convened by the Pope to discuss and resolve issues of doctrine and practice.
Eve: The first woman created by God, as per the Genesis account.
Genesis: The first book of the Bible that addresses the creation and beginnings of the world and humanity.
Gentile: A term used to denote a person who is not of Jewish descent.
Happiness: Defined as the fulfillment of our creation and the ultimate purpose of human life, which is to be in communion with God.
Incarnation: God’s revelation of Himself through the person of Jesus Christ, who is both fully divine and fully human.
Magisterium: The teaching authority of the Catholic Church, tasked with interpreting Sacred Scripture and Tradition.
Messiah: The anointed one, believed to be sent by God for the salvation of humanity.
Natural Revelation: The process by which God reveals Himself through nature and the created order.
Original Holiness: The state of perfect harmony with God that Adam and Eve possessed before the Fall.
Original Justice: The state of perfect harmony between humanity and creation, as well as within humanity itself.
Original Sin: The fallen state of human nature inherited by all as a result of Adam and Eve's disobedience.
Patriarchs: The founding fathers of the Israelite people, typically referring to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Pentateuch: The first five books of the Bible, traditionally attributed to Moses.
Prophets: Individuals called by God to proclaim His message and guide His people.
Sacred Scripture: The collection of texts acknowledged as divinely inspired and authoritative (the Bible).
Sacred Tradition: The lived experience of the Church, encompassing practices and beliefs that do not contradict Scripture.
St. Faustina: Recognized for her diary on Divine Mercy and contributions to understanding God’s merciful love.
St. Augustine: Noted for his quote: "You have made us for yourself, our God, and you have made our hearts restless until they rest in you."
St. John XXIII: Known for initiating the Second Vatican Council and for his efforts towards peace during the Cold War, including his visits to the sick and needy.
St. Thomas Aquinas: A theologian who employed scholastic methods and reasoning to articulate Christian doctrine and prove the existence of God.
Torah: The central reference of the religious Judaic tradition; includes the first five books of the Bible and is sacred scripture for Jewish believers.
Major Ideas of Unit 1:
Consequences of the Fall:
Loss of original holiness and justice, introducing original sin to humanity.
God's Promise After the Fall:
The context and significance of the promise made by God post-Fall (details not provided in transcript).
Fullness of God’s Self-Revelation:
Jesus is identified as the completeness of God’s revelation, fulfilling Old Testament promises.
St. Thomas Aquinas’ 5 Arguments for the Existence of God:
Argument of Motion: Everything in motion must have been set in motion by something else.
Argument of Causation: Everything that exists must have a cause outside of itself.
Argument from Contingency: Things exist contingently and there must be a necessary being that caused them to exist.
Argument from Degrees of Perfection: Existences have varying degrees of qualities that imply a perfect source of qualities—namely, God.
Argument from Design: The purposeful design observable in nature suggests an intelligent designer.
Difference Between Natural Revelation and Divine Revelation:
Natural Revelation: God's revelation through nature and creation.
Divine Revelation: God's self-disclosure through Scripture and Traditional teachings.
Purpose of Human Creation:
Humans were created by God out of love to be in relationship with Him.
Image and Likeness of God:
The philosophy explaining how human beings reflect characteristics of the Divine, including intellect and will.
Module 1: Evidence for the Soul
Module 1 Terms:
Near-Death Experiences (NDEs): Events experienced by individuals who have temporarily died and were revived.
Soul: The non-physical, spiritual aspect of humanity that transcends the physical body.
Terminal Lucidity: A phenomenon characterized by a moment of clarity and awareness shortly before death.
Major Ideas of Module 1:
Similarities Between Jesus’ Resurrection and NDEs: Analysis of the parallels in experiences and implications.
Human Worth: Discussion of concepts that give intrinsic value to human beings.
Evidence of NDEs and Terminal Lucidity: Exploring implications of these experiences concerning the existence of the soul.
Overall Conclusion of Module 1: Synthesis of findings related to evidence for the soul.
Religion and Science (Faith and Reason):
Exploration of how credible Catholic modules present this relationship.
Chapter 5: Divine Inspiration
Ch. 5 Terms:
Divine Inspiration: The process by which God ensures the authorship of the scriptures by inspiring human writers.
Inerrant: A characteristic of scripture that means it is without error in its teachings.
Fundamentalist: A term describing a strict, literal interpretation of scripture; Catholics reject this view as not all portions of scripture are to be taken literally.
Theopneustos: Meaning "God-breathed," referring to the divine influence on the authors of scripture.
Major Ideas of Chapter 5:
Dual Authorship of the Bible:
Primary Author: God is recognized as the ultimate author of scripture.
Role of Human Authors: Human writers serve as instruments who communicate God’s word while being guided by the Holy Spirit.
Scripture Unit (Ch. 6, 7, 8, 9)
Scripture Unit Terms:
Ambo: The reading stand in the church where the Scriptures are proclaimed.
Allegorical Sense: A method of interpreting scripture that sees Christ as the fulfillment of the Old Testament.
Anagogical Sense: A view of scripture that relates to eternal life and our ultimate destiny with God.
Analogy of Faith: The coherence of truths of faith among themselves and within the whole plan of revelation.
Arius: An early Christian presbyter whose teachings were deemed heretical due to his denial of Christ's divinity.
Canon: The official list of books accepted as Holy Scripture.
Catena: A compilation of biblical quotes or excerpts, arranged to support a particular teaching.
Constantine: The Roman Emperor who legalized Christianity and called the First Council of Nicaea.
Council of Trent: An ecumenical council in response to the Protestant Reformation, confirming the canon of Scriptures and Catholic teachings.
Dead Sea Scrolls: Ancient manuscripts discovered that shed light on early Judaism and the context of the Hebrew Bible.
Exegesis: The critical interpretation of biblical texts.
Gnosticism: A heretical movement emphasizing hidden knowledge for salvation.
Heresy: A belief or opinion contrary to orthodox religious doctrine.
Historical-Critical Method: An approach to understanding biblical texts through historical context and literary analysis.
Lectionary: A daily or weekly schedule of scriptural readings used in worship.
Lectio Divina: A contemplative form of reading scripture for deeper understanding.
Literal Sense: The straightforward, primary meaning of biblical texts.
Liturgy of the Hours: The set of prayers marking the hours of the day, also known as the Divine Office.
Liturgy of the Word: A part of the Mass focused on scriptural readings.
New Testament: The second part of the Christian Bible, detailing the life and teachings of Jesus.
Old Testament: The first part of the Christian Bible, comprised of Jewish sacred scripture.
Parable: A short, illustrative story that conveys a moral or spiritual lesson, often used by Jesus.
Rosary: A form of prayer that uses beads to help in counting prayers.
Septuagint: The Greek translation of the Old Testament.
Sola Scriptura: A doctrine that asserts the scriptures alone are the authority regarding faith and practice.
Spiritual Sense: Interpretation of scripture based on its spiritual meaning over literal interpretation.
Source Criticism: A method of identifying the sources used by biblical authors.
St. Athanasius: An early Church Father known for his defense of Trinitarian doctrine.
St. Benedict: A saint known for his contributions to monasticism and the Rule of St. Benedict.
St. Jerome: The translator of the Bible into Latin (the Vulgate).
Textual Criticism: The study that seeks to establish the original text of the scripture by comparing manuscripts.
Theology: The study of God and religious belief.
Type: An Old Testament figure or event that foreshadows a corresponding New Testament figure or event.
Vulgate: Latin version of the Bible translated by St. Jerome, widely used in the Catholic Church.
Major Ideas of Scripture Unit:
Number of Books in the Canon of Scripture: (Specific quantity not provided in transcript).
Scripture References: Proper format for citing scripture (e.g., Mt 5:6-8).
Praying with Scripture: Various methods employed by Catholics to engage with scripture through prayer.
Relationship Between Old and New Testaments: Exploration of how the two testaments interrelate and fulfill each other.
Module 2: Evidence for God from Science
Module 2 Terms:
Big Bang Theory: A scientific explanation for the origin of the universe, positing a singular explosive event.
BVG Proof: A theoretical proof related to cosmology that addresses conditions necessary for the universe's existence.
Cosmic Microwave Background: The thermal radiation filling the universe, providing evidence for the Big Bang.
Entropy: The measure of disorder or randomness; relates to the second law of thermodynamics.
Fine-Tuning: The precise conditions that allow for life in the universe.
Fr. Georges Lemaitre: A Belgian priest and physicist who proposed the Big Bang theory.
Red-Shifting: A phenomenon observed in astronomy indicating the universe's expansion as light from celestial objects shifts towards the red spectrum.
Science: The systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe.
Major Ideas of Module 2:
Indiana Jones’ Blind Faith vs. Reasonable Faith: A comparison of trust in faith without evidence versus faith grounded in reason.
Dr. Vilenkin’s Problem of the Beginning: Addresses the scientific inquiry into the origins of the universe and its implications for belief in God.
Overall Conclusion of Module 2: Summary of evidence for God’s existence supported by scientific findings.