THEOLOGY #1 HONORS STUDY GUIDE (04-02-24)

Different Types of Members 🕊

The Church is composed of different types of members, each with their own roles and responsibilities.

The Lay People

Men and women who are active members of the Church

Have not taken vows to be priests or nuns

The Clergy

Church officials responsible for providing rituals and teaching their religion's doctrines and practices

The Body of Christ

Just like when one of our body parts is not functioning properly, our whole body suffers, the same is true for the Church.

God ❤

God is happiness and love and has created us to share in that love both on Earth and in life everlasting.

The Mystery of Evil and Suffering 🤔

As Catholics, we reject the idea that God causes harm to us as a form of punishment. God is all good and all loving and would never cause harm upon us. He celebrates and grieves with us.

There are three key points to consider:

Evil is a reality: God gave us free will, and some choose to reject God's plan.

Evil, suffering, and natural disasters are opportunities to be like Christ: These things give us the opportunity to grow closer to God.

Physical suffering and natural disasters are a reality: We have to navigate them as part of our lives, and they are not a test from God, but rather a chance to grow closer to God.

Sacred Scripture 📖

All scripture is inspired by God.

The Primary Author of Scripture

God is the primary author of scripture.

Sacred Scripture can be looked at as The speech of God and is put down in writing under the breath of the Holy Spirit.

This is also known as Divine Inspiration.

The Canon of Scripture

Christian Denomination Canon Scripture

Catholic Church Recognizes Gospels, stories, and tales from old as canon and includes them in the Bible

Other Christian Denominations Not every denomination has the same set of canon scripture

The Living Word of God

Sacred Tradition:

The Holy Spirit guided the disciples of all ages, timeless, and places to understand the word of God and to pass on the faith to future generations.

Things that are passed down include:

Dogmas

Doctrines of faith

The sacraments

Worship

Moral teachings

The Deposit of Faith 🏦

The Deposit of Faith is made up of Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition.

The Deposit of Faith is guided by the Holy Spirit as a way of introducing God into our lives.

The Magisterium ⛪️

The Magisterium is the living teaching office of the Church, made up of:

The Pope

Other ruling bodies of the Church, including:

Bishops

Deacons

The Magisterium is guided by the Holy Spirit to fulfill its role in authentically interpreting the word of God, whether in scripture or tradition.