Systematic Theology Final Exam

Please complete your sections by DECEMBER 10 to allow for enough time to study the material and prepare for the exam that closes on December 13.

Vocabulary:

Every discipline has its own vocabulary, and a familiarity with it is key to negotiating the discipline. The primary resource for locating your vocabulary terms is McKim’s Westminster Dictionary of Theological Terms, although Grenz will describe many of these terms as well.

Note from Kieran (Nov 20, 2024, in the year of our Lord): 

• “Here’s the link to the Westminster Dictionary of Theological Terms (Link). I noticed that on the midterm, Dr. Hippe seemed to quote the definition section questions almost verbatim to the dictionary entries.”

BROOKE

1. Amillennialism: “A view first suggested by Augustine (354– 430) that the “thousand years” of Christ’s reign (Rev. 20:4ff.) should be interpreted symbolically rather than literally” (p. 33).

2. Anabaptists: “(Greek: ana , “again,” and baptein , “to dip in water”) Those who advocated rebaptism in certain instances. Most prominently, the 16th-century Reformers who renounced infant baptism, stressed the literal reading of Scripture, and supported the separation of church and state (p. 33).

3. Annihilationism: “(Latin: annihilare , “to reduce to nothing”) The belief that those not believing in Jesus Christ will be directly obliterated by God because of their sin” (p. 39)

4. Anonymous Christians: The Roman Catholic theologian Karl Rahner (1904– 84) held to the possibility that salvation may be granted to many persons who are not visibly identified as Christians or members of a church. This idea affirms a universality of grace and God as giver of salvation in Christ” (p. 40)

5. Arianism: “The teaching of the 4th-century theologian Arius (c. 250– 336) that Jesus is the highest created being but does not share the same substance as God the Father (Greek: heteroousios , “of a different substance”). It was declared heretical by the Council of Nicaea (325) (p. 49). 

EMMA

6. Arminianism: “The teaching of James Arminius (1560-1609), which conflicted with Calvinism, particularly on issues of human sinfulness, predestination, and whether or not salvation can be lost. It stressed human response to the gospel, conditional election, unlimited atonement, and resistible grace (McKim, 18).”

7. atonement, extent of: “The theological issue of whether the death of Jesus Christ on the cross was intended to procure salvation for a limited number (the elect) or, more generally, for all people. Variations on these two basic views are also found (McKim, 20).” 

8. “the ban”: excommunication?  “To excommunicate, put one out of a community. Ecclesiastical sanction that cuts one off from the church and its benefits (McKim, 208).” 

base community: “Small lay Roman Catholic communities found among the urban poor and in isolated rural areas of Latin America. They are allied with liberation theology for evangelization and social action. They function with or without clergy (McKim, 26).” 

Also, Anabaptism maintained discipline within its communities through “the ban” – a means by which church members could be excluded from Anabaptist congregations. This means of discipline was regarded as essential to the identity of a true church. Part of the Anabaptist case for radical separation from the mainstream churches (a practice which continues to this day among the Amish of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania) was the failure of those churches to maintain proper discipline within their ranks. From required reading: McGrath, A. E. (2016). Christian theology : An introduction. John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated. (p. 557). (Hope this helps! :-)

9. black theology:  “A twentieth-century North American theological movement. It interprets Scripture and the Christian gospel from the context of the oppression of black people engaged in the struggle for spiritual, social, economic, and political liberation (McKim, 31).”

JACEY

11. Christocentrism: “A designation for views that place Jesus Christ in a central position throughout theological systems. A frequently mentioned example of a christocentric theology is that of Karl Barth (1886–1968)” (McKim, p. 107)

12. Charisma: a spiritual gift or power that the Holy Spirit gives to Christians to represent Christ and share God's goodness with others

    1. Comes from Greek word “charis” which means “grace,” and verb “charizesthai” which means “to favor”

13. Charismatic: 

    1. Movement: “A transdenominational movement originating in the 1950s that emphasizes the charismatic gifts of the Spirit, particularly speaking in tongues (glossolalia), words of wisdom, knowledge, healings, prophecy, and the interpretation of tongues (1 Cor. 12:4– 11)” (McKim, p. 99)

    2. Spirituality: “The emphasis on the presence and power of the Holy Spirit within the believer and church community. In Pentecostal traditions, the gifts and experiences of the Spirit, such as speaking in tongues, healing, and anointing by the Spirit are important elements” (McKim, p. 99)

14. Consubstantiation (with reference to the sacraments): “A late medieval view of the Lord’s Supper. While the substance of the bread and wine are not changed into the body and blood of Christ, they coexist or are conjoined in union with each other: bread with body and wine with blood. The term is sometimes used to describe Lutheran views of the Lord’s Supper” (McKim, p. 131)

15. Decrees of God: “Expressions of God, particularly described in 17th-century Reformed scholasticism; or the ways God enacts the divine plan of salvation in history. Theological elements considered to be part of God’s decrees include election, the fall into sin, and salvation to eternal life. These are understood in differing manners and orders by various theologians” (McKim, p. 157)

KYA

16. Dispensationalism: A view of God’s activities in history in The Reference Bible and traced to John Nelson Darby (1800– 1882). different time period in which humans are tested in responding God’s dispensations cover creation to judgment.

17. Donatism: Donatism North African separatist movement begun by Donatus (d. 355). He objected to permitting Christians who had lapsed in their faith, by turning over Scriptures when persecuted, to be reinstated in the church. He did not want “traditors” (traitors) who were clergy to preside at the Eucharist.

18. Doxology: A form of praise to God, such as “Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost (Spirit).

19. Ecclesiology: The study of the church as a biblical and theological topic. The NT presents various images of the church that the early church struggled with as it sought its self-understanding in light of the gospel and controversies.

20. entire sanctification: A view found in the Wesleyan and Holiness traditions that a Christian can attain a freedom from sin and full sanctification or holiness in this life.

JOSH

1. Eschatology: study of the “last things” or the end of the world. Second coming of Christ and the final judgement.

2. ex opere operato: In the Roman Catholic tradition, the view that efficacy of a sacrement depends on its being a valid sacrament and not on the spiritual goodness of the one who administers it. It seeks to emphasize a sacrament as an object pledge of God’s grace.

3. feminist theologies: The variety of theological perspectives developed to focus on the experiences, needs, and concerns of women. The differing forms emerge out of the common recognition of women’s oppression. They critique patriarchy and emphasize the role of women’s experience in the quest for justice and liberation.

4. Illumination: The work of the Holy Spirit in conveying to knowledge and grace of the gospel through the ministry of the Word of God. image is of being “enlightened” 

5. Kenosis: the “self-emptying” of Jesus Christ in which he took the form of a slave or servant to accomplish the work of salvation through his death and resurrection

KIERAN

21. Limbo: (Lat. limbus , “border, edge”) In Roman Catholic theology, a place bordering on hell and purgatory to which souls that have not been redeemed by grace, but yet are not reprobates or pagan sinners, go at death. It plays no significant part in contemporary Catholic thought. (pg. 333 of Westminster Dictionary 2nd ed.)

22. Memorialism: A view of the Lord’s Supper often associated with the teachings of Huldrych Zwingli (1484– 1531), which holds that the Supper is commemorative of Jesus Christ and that there is no “real presence” of Christ in any other than a symbolic sense. See also Zwinglianism. (pg.352)

23. Liturgy: (Gr. leitourgia , “work of the people”) The service of God offered by the people of God in divine worship. See also worship. (pg. 336)

24. Metaphysics: (Gr. “beyond the physical”) A branch of philosophy that studies what is real and questions of ultimate reality. This subject is closest to religion, and thus meta-physicians have had significant influence on theology. (pg. 355)

25. moral theology: A term used in Roman Catholic thought for the branch of theology that deals with the rightness and wrongness of human actions (morality) in relation to God. It is usually termed Christian ethics in Protestantism. See also ethics, Christian. (pg. 366)

MARAH

26. mujerista theology:  A theological movement begun in the 1990s to provide expression for Latinas who are marginalized. Its goal is the liberation of women who face issues of survival in the United States. Ada Maria Isasi-Diaz (1943-2012) was a leading developer and proponent. A mugerista is one who akes a preferential option for the struggles of Latinas. (p. 369)

27. notes/marks of the church: (Lat. notae ecclesiae) The “notes” of the church as found in the Nicene Creed are the church as “one, holy, catholic, and apostolic” (or unity, holiness, catholicity, and apostolicity). Protestant Reformers emphasized the marks as preaching the Word and right administration of the sacraments. (p. 346)

28. Ontology: (Gr. on, “being,” and logos, “study”) The philosophical study of being as being. It is thus the study of the underlying principles present in all things that exist solely by virtue of their existing. See also being; existence. (p. 396)

29. Ordinance: (Lat. ordinans, “arranging”) A religious rite, similar to a sacrament, engaged in as a memorial or act of obedience rather than as having sacramental efficacy. In nonsacramental Christian traditions, baptism and the Lord’s Supper are considered ordinances. See also sacrament. (p. 398-399)

30. ordo salutis: see salvation… (Heb. yāša‘, nāṣal, Gr. sōteria, Lat. salvatio, from salvare, “to save”) God’s activities in bringing humans into a right relationship with God and with one another through Jesus Christ. They are saved from the consequences of their sin and given eternal life. Biblical images for salvation vary widely. (p. 496)

KIERA

31. Original Sin: The condition of sins that all people share and is caused by the origins of the race, known as Adam and Eve, and the dall. Consists of loss of original righteousness and distortion of the image of God. Results in hereditary corruption of humanity (McKim, 400).

32. Paedobaptism: The practice of baptizing infants in Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, and many denominations of Protestantism, also known as pedobaptism (McKim, 403).

33. Parousia: a term used for the coming of Christ, focused mainly on the second coming or future advent as seen in Nicene Creed; “he will come again” (McKim, 408).

34. Premillennialism: known as the belief that Jesus Christ will return to earth prior to a period of one thousand years where he will then reign. (McKim, 440).

TANYA

31. Pneumatology: the doctrine of the Holy Spirit, McKim: (Gr. pneuma , “spirit,” and logos , “study”) Theological doctrine of the Holy Spirit. In the early church, the doctrine of the Spirit began in the 4th century with controversies about the Spirit’s divinity. (McKim, p. 437)

32. Postmillennialism: long era of peace because of the proclamation of the gospel, Jesus returns after age of prosperity, strong belief in the power of Holy Spirit to bring change, this view promotes engagement with the world, this view tends to thrive when church/world history is going well, speaker felt this view was not biblical (info from recorded lecture) . McKim: eschatological view that teaches Jesus Christ will return following the millennium or thousand-year reign mentioned in Rev. 20 (McKim, p. 433)

33. Preferential option for the poor: A term from liberation theologies emphasizing the physical welfare of the poor and powerless as a central expression of the concern expressed by the God of the Scriptures and in the Christian gospel. Those in poverty have an advantage in being able to know God. The term was first used at the Medellin Conference (1968) with the understanding that the church should support the cause of the poor in the face of injustice and oppression. “Option for the poor” is also an emphasis in Roman Catholic social teachings. (McKim, p. 440) 

34. Purgatory: Roman Catholic belief, a location where a conscious existence of the disembodied soul may journey at death, believe this is where a purifying suffering occurs where the soul is fitted for heaven by the expiation of all remaining guilt (Grenz, p.591). A doctrine prominent in medieval Catholicism and taught in the Roman Catholic tradition. Purgatory is a place where the souls of the faithful dead endure a period of purification and cleansing from sin prior to their entrance into heaven. It completes sanctification. (McKim, p. 459)

35. Rapture: sudden act of God bringing believers up into heaven. According to McKim: (Lat. raptus , “carried off”) An expression of intense religious experience. Also in premillennialism the view that when Christ returns to the earth, believers will be raised from the earth to meet him in the air and thus be spared the tribulation (1 Thess. 4:17). McKim says to also see premillennialism. 

SHEILA

36. Sacrament: An outward sign instituted by God to convey an inward or spiritual grace. Sacraments are liturgical practices of churches. Roman Catholicism recognizes seven sacraments; most Protestants recognize two (baptism and communion/Eucharist). 

37. Sheol: Biblical term for the underworld destination of the souls of those who die. It is often translated “grave,” “pit,” or “hell.” It became associated with the Greek Hades and the notion of judgment.

38. Schism: A formal break or division within a religious group, often arising from longstanding disagreements.

39. Soul sleep: The view that there is a period between one’s death and the final resurrection in which one’s self (soul) is in an unconscious state.

40. Transubstantiation: In Roman Catholic theology at the consecration in the Mass, the changing of the substance of bread and wine, by God’s power, into the substance of Jesus Christ’s body and blood, which become present while the “species” (bread and wine) remain.

VICTORIA

41. Universalism - (Lat. universals, “Belonging to the whole”) The view that all persons will ultimately receive salvation from God. Unconditional -  A pure universalism in regarding that eternal salvation is  extended to all persons without exception. 

42. visible vs. invisible church distinction - Visible is the outward, organized church on earth. Augustine (354-430) contrasted it with the “invisible church,” the genuine believers in Christ on earth and in heaven.

43. womanist theology - Theology as articulated by women of color. It is a way for women to claim their roots, define themselves, embrace and consciously affirm their cultural and religious traditions as well as their own embodiment. A primary concern is for liberation from all forms of oppression. 

44. Zwinglianism- The theological views derived from Huldrych Zwingli (1484-1531). In particular, a view of the Lord’s Supper that stressed the supper as a sign of Christian commitment and thus a memorial representation of Christ’s death. It does not specifically convey the grace of God. 

Other areas of focus:

BROOKE

1. Describe some views of Jesus that would be considered heretical from a creedal perspective. What are critiques of these views?

   1. The Adoptionist Christology: [from the Ebionites] The idea taken from the Jewish view that Jesus was a “new Moses” sent by God to “carry out the divine program” (Grenz, p. 247). 

      1. They thought he was a “mere man who…was justified and thereby became the Messiah” (p. 247). They thought he was adopted by God… Jesus himself wasn’t God. 

   2. Docetic Heresies: Reflected the Greek point of view. “Proponents asserted that the divine Christ did not have an actual human body; his body was only a spectral appearance” (Grenz, p. 247). So they believed the suffering and death of Christ was a facade/illusion. 

      1. “The docetics argued that if Christ suffered he was not God; if was God he did not suffer” (Grenz, p 247).

      2. Greek: from dokeo (‘to seem’ or ‘to appear’

2. Describe the approaches of “Christology from above” and “Christology from below” and their significance. (Grenz p. 249-251)

   1. Christology from above has an “emphasis on the eternal sonship of Jesus, theologians… declared that we base our affirmation of Jesus’ deity on the witness of the gospel narratives concerning the historical life of Jesus of Nazareth” (Grenz, p. 249). This “suggests that our confession of Jesus’ deity arises from our experience of the Christ who confronts us in the present” (Grenz, p. 251). 

      1. aka: looking at Jesus as Son of God first, then his history as human.

   2. Christology from below takes the previous idea of Christology from above and flipped the order around: theologians first looked into the historical person of Jesus first “thereby moving from Jesus’ life has a human to the confession that Jesus is the Son” (Grenz, p. 251). 

      1. aka: looking at Jesus as human first, then as Son of God.

   3. These topics are significant because it shows us the difference in approach to viewing who Jesus is. Having one approach view Jesus through the lens of His divine nature first (from above) will result in a different interpretation of Jesus than those who focus on Jesus’s earthly works and attempt to interpret his character as human first (from below). 

EMMA

3. What does it mean to take a functional vs. ontological approach to Christology?

Functional vs. ontological are the two dominant views of understanding the “fundamental Christian assertion that ‘Jesus is one with God (Grenz, 261).’”

1. Functional: Focuses on the works of Jesus and studies his actions. “By asserting Jesus’ deity, we are declaring that he functioned in a divine manner (Grenz, 261).” Jesus acted in accordance with a divine function and his will was God the Father’s will. 

2. Ontological: The study of the nature of Jesus Christ, or his being. Comes from a Greek philosophical background. Many theologians reject it based on its Greek origins. However, modern theologians are moving towards including this view in their view of Christology (Grenz, 262).

4. Gregory of Nazianzus has a famous dictum, “What has not been assumed has not been healed.” What does he mean by this?

A statement against Apollinarius’s Christology (Apollinarianism). Apollinarianism stated that humans contain a body, soul, and spirit. When incarnated, Jesus took on a human body and soul, but not a human spirit. Jesus’s spirit was of the “divine logos (Grenz, 272).” If Jesus did not have a human spirit, how could he redeem our human spirits? “What the logos did not assume in the incarnation, the logos could not redeem (Grenz, 273).” Therefore, if Jesus did not assume human spirit, he could not redeem human spirits. 

Logos: “the rational principle of the universe (Grenz, 248).”  

5. In what sense might we be able to say that Jesus is the “universal human”?

“He (Jesus) invites all persons to put aside worldly standards of appraisal and see themselves as members together of the one humanity standing in need of the salvation available only in Christ. As the one who exposes our failure and offers the means to overcoming it, Jesus is indeed the universal human (Grenz, 285).”

JACEY

6. What is the formula for the orthodox understanding of Christ that was articulated by the Council of Chalcedon in 451 C.E.?

   1. “At the heart of the declaration are several phrases crafted with the goal of explicitly rejecting each of the four great heresies: ‘1) acknowledged in two natures without confusion, 2) without change, 3) without division, 4) without separation.’ The church leaders were convinced that within these four words lay the mystery of deity and humanity in Jesus and therefore that these terms mark the boundaries of orthodox Christology” (Grenz, p. 293)

7. What is the orthodox understanding of Christ’s will as articulated by the Sixth
   Ecumenical Council?

   1. “The monothelites (from a Greek construct meaning “one will”) drew their position from the Chalcedonian Christology. Because Jesus is one person, they concluded, our Lord had only one will, namely, the will of the Logos. The Logos was the moving force in the person of Jesus and directed his obedient human nature… The orthodox thinkers, however, were convinced otherwise. Central to their conclusion was the reasoning that had led their forebears to reject Apollinarius’s Christology years before: Complete redemption demands a complete incarnation, including the assumption of a human will. In a.d. 680, the Sixth Ecumenical Council declared as orthodox the affirmation that Jesus Christ possessed two wills” (Grenz, p. 294)

8. Describe common titles used to convey different aspects of Christ.

   1. “Jesus as Word”: “In him, God’s revelation is disclosed and God’s power is operative. As a result, the title asserts that in Jesus of Nazareth the power of God is at work revealing the meaning of all reality—even the nature of God. To refer to Jesus as the Word is to affirm that as this human being, he is the revelation of God” (Grenz, p. 297)

   2. “Jesus as the Son”: “In short, the divine connotation of the title ‘Son’ is an extension of its Old Testament foundation warranted by the unique life of Jesus of Nazareth… He came with a unique mission within the purposes of God, and he fulfilled that unique mission perfectly, being obedient to the Father’s will to the end. As such, Jesus is the unique Son of God, the one who enjoyed a unique relationship to the Father” (Grenz, p. 298)

KIERA

9. Describe the discussion surrounding the Kenosis theory: This theory is based on christological hymn of Philippians. It is theorized that during the incarnation He diverted divine attributes that humans do not have, to be as human. A flaw of this theory is that without the divine attributes, Christ is less than God and that Jesus does not reveal essential deity. 

True deity demands that in the incarnation of life, Logos must possess all essential attributes of God. 

(Grenz, 301-302).

10.  What are some key points regarding the debate about the virgin birth? What is the significance of the debate? Generally speaking, who is engaged in it? Grenz states that some modern theologians and scholars influenced by liberal theology question the historicity of the virgin birth, often interpreting it as a symbolic or mythological narrative rather than a literal event. Grenz contrasts this with the traditional Christian perspective, which defends the virgin birth as a vital affirmation of Jesus' divine origin and the miraculous nature of God’s redemptive work. This framing reflects his broader engagement with both historical and contemporary theological perspectives.

KYA

11.  Describe the major theories of atonement. 

• Irenaeus' Ransom Theory (p. 333): “Humankind was in bondage through sin to the devil, who exercised actual power over us. Our bondage required that we be bought back by a ransom to which the devil would also consent. At the same time, this provision depended solely on the nature of God who was both just in his actions toward Satan and loving in his resolve to intervene on our behalf.”

• Anselm’s Satisfaction Theory: “Anselm sought to demonstrate the rationality of the atonement 21 —how the plan of redemption arises out of God’s own nature— by showing there was no other way for God to save humankind except through Christ’s sacrifice.”

• Abelard’s Exemplarist Theory: “Rather than placating God, Jesus’ death is directed toward us. As the grand exhibition of God’s great love for humankind, the death of Jesus frees us from our fear of God’s wrath and kindles in us a desire to love God. This desire fulfills all that God demands and allows him to forgive our sin.

12.  What is the New Testament understanding of repentance?

13.  Describe key beliefs within Pentecostalism regarding the Holy Spirit.

JOSH

14.  Describe what conversion means in the Christian life. (Josh)

    1. (Grenz pp. 390-394) Individually it encompasses repentance (OT - shub or naham - or turning away from evil to God; NT - epistripho or metanoeo - a turning within the human heart as well as behavior), faith (beginning with knowledge which leads to the an acknowledgement of the Gospel which is then completed in trusting/committing to the Gospel)

       1. Repentance → acknowledging our sinfulness and that we cannot save ourselves; Faith → becoming aware and entrusting our lives to the good news of Jesus 

    2. (Grenz pp. 396-398) From a divine perspective, the Holy Spirit convicts and makes one aware of their sinful nature, calls us into sharing in the salvation that God provides (which comes through the proclamation of the Gospel spoken through human messengers), illuminates the minds/hearts of people to see the divine truth of the Gospel, and enables people to respond to the Gospel which allows repentance and faith to happen (Holy Spirit strengthens our will to say “no” to sin and “yes” to the things of the Gospel)

    3. (Grenz pp. 405-408) From a community perspective, the church becomes the place by which people are sent out to carry the message of the Gospel to unbelievers, supported and brought in to a group of others on the same faith journey who have the same identity as the body of Christ and those coming from the “old” to the “new”

       1. (Grenz pp. 410-412) Conversion is expressed through baptism as an outward sign to our inward commitment to faith. This is often done in community with other believers present 

15.  Describe the theological concepts of sanctification and glorification.

    1. (Grenz pp. 423-426) Sanctification

       1. Being holy - and this holiness being found in God and connected to His design to call people His own 

          1. Positional sanctification → our “position” before God which is reflected by the new status we obtained after Jesus’ sacrifice (fixed and objective)

          2. Conditional sanctification → our present spiritual condition including our character and and conduct that surfaces from our positional sanctification (ongoing and subjective)

       2. For the Holy Spirit to help us in this process, it requires our personal cooperation 

    2. (Grenz pp. 426-427) Glofificaion

       1. The culmination of the sanctification process in our journey of personal salvation which is completed in us through the Spirit 

       2. Glorification includes a completion of the transformation in not just our positional sanctification, but also our conditional sanctification and we will live entirely free of the temptation to sin 

       3. This moment also brings us into an eternal fellowship with the community of God 

16.  Describe the five points of Calvinism as affirmed by the Synod of Dort. (Josh)

(Grenz p. 428)

1. Total depravity → no human can gain salvation through their own works 

2. Unconditional election → God selects the individuals whom will experience salvation according to His grace and will 

3. Limited atonement → Jesus’ death is only for the elect, not the lost 

4. Irresistible grace → an elected person cannot resist God’s grace, they will always end up accepting Jesus 

5. Perseverance of the saints → the elect will continue in faith through their entire life even; they will not falter or lose their salvation even if they end up backsliding at times

MARAH

17.  What are key tenets of Arminianism? (448-52)

Arminianism teaches that:

1. God's grace is prevenient: It enables all individuals to respond to the Gospel, but salvation is not irresistibly imposed.

2. Election is conditional: God chooses to save those who respond in faith to Christ, rather than through unconditional predestination.

3. Atonement is universal: Christ's sacrifice was made for all humanity, not just for the elect.

4. Free will allows for rejection of grace: Individuals have the ability to accept or resist God's saving grace.

5. Perseverance is not guaranteed: Salvation can be forfeited if one turns away from faith.

18.  What are the classical marks of the church as articulated in ecumenical creeds such as the Apostle’s Creed and Nicene Creed? (468)

19.  Theologians use the terms de facto and de jure to describe who is in charge of the world. How do these terms come into play when we consider Satan’s rule vs. God’s rule? What are some implications of this for the faith? (475-76)

TANYA

20.  Describe the relationship between the church and the Kingdom of God.

Historical: Augustine’s position formed basis for equating of earthly reality of divine kingdom w the visible church (middle ages), Roman Catholic belief that presence in the visible church is basically the same as being in the kingdom of God. Protestants equated the kingdom w the invisible church-the spiritual body of Christ. Later classic dispensationalism system made a rigid metaphysical dichotomy bw church and kingdom, church is God’s spiritual heavenly people (Israel is God’s earthly people). Later, the kingdom of God is broader than the church, and the church is dependent on and is the product of the kingdom. The church is the “eschataological comopany” the body who will bear testimony to the divine reign that Christ will consummate at his return. The church is a sign of the kingdom (Grenz, p. 477-479)

21.  Describe the purpose of the church.

God’s program is directed at individuals in the midst of human sin and need, includes human societal interaction, is experienced in community, the church should reflect the character and image of God purpose, glorify God, summarized purpose by saying its purpose is witness, fellowship, service, and worship (Grenz, p. 477-490)

22.  How does worship fit into the life of the church community?

Church’s corporate responsibility, should attribute worth to God, worship God because of his saving acts, should include music, declarations of praise, prayer, adoration, confession, thanksgiving, supplication/petition, symbolic act ie. ordinances. (Grenz, p. 490-496)

SHEILA

23.  Describe the function of edification, and the various ways that edification works in the life of the church: the process by which the Holy Spirit builds up the church, enabling it to mature in faith, love, and unity as the body of Christ. Edification occurs through practices such as preaching, teaching, worship, service, and the exercise of spiritual gifts, all of which foster spiritual growth and equip believers for ministry within the community and beyond.

24. What role does intercession play in the life of the church? Intercession is when the church prays to God for other people, asking for help, healing, or blessings on their behalf. It involves the church's role in standing before God on behalf of others, reflecting Christ’s priestly work and the Spirit’s interceding presence. Through prayer, intercession fosters unity within the body of Christ, supports those in need, and engages the church in God’s mission of redemption for the world.

25. What role does memory play in the life of the church? It plays a vital role in the church by connecting the community to its foundational story in Christ, particularly through Scripture and traditions. This shared memory shapes the church's identity, enables it to remain faithful to the Gospel, and provides a framework for interpreting and living out God’s ongoing work in the world.

VICTORIA

26.  As discussed by Grenz, how should service be viewed in the life of the church?

    The mission of the church includes inviting others to make the ‘good confession’ and thereby enter into fellowship. Our task, however, is not limited to the expansion of the church’s boundaries. Rather, it includes sacrificial ministry to people in need. Outreach, therefore, entails service” (Grenz. p.505-506).

27.  What are the various major views of sacraments/ordinances, and how do they relate to grace?

                Baptism: The Seal of Our Identity    

will finish Tuesday night

28.  Describe the basic models of church governance.

          1. Episcopal Model - Authority is centralized in a hierarchical structure, with bishops holding primary leadership roles. Clergy are appointed by higher authorities. Ex. Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox Church, some Methodist

2. Presbyterian Model- Leadership is shared among elected elders (or presbyters), with authority residing in councils or assemblies. Decisions are made collaboratively.  Ex. Presbyterian and Reformed churches.

3. Congregational Model - Authority resides within the local congregation, which is autonomous and makes decisions democratically. Leadership is typically chosen by the congregation. Ex. - Baptis, Congregationalist, and some Pentecostal and independent churches. 

KIERAN

29.  Give an overview of key theological principles behind ordination.

New Testament-era Ordination is related to the gift and public acknowledgement of the empowering Holy Spirit; to set aside people who the Spirit selected and endowed to fulfill special leadership tasks in service to the people of God. (Grenz p.530)

Theological Foundation: “Ordination is properly understood missiologically rather than ontologically. ” Ordination does not facilitate an ontological change in the clergy, elevating them above other Christians. Instead, the act commissions a person into leadership for the sake of the mission of the entire people of God. (p.531)

The Meaning of the Act: To enter into pastoral ministry a person must meet two conditions: a personal call from the Lord of the church through his Spirit and the confirmation of that call by the faith community. (p.532)

Significance: 

1. Ordination is a significant event for the new church leader. It is a public confirmation by the faith community that the call to pastoral ministry which the ordinand has personally sensed is indeed a call from the Lord of the church.

2. Ordination is likewise significant for the church itself. In this sense, the practice is a commissioning. By means of this act the community places a person into a significant area of service within its life and ministry. Inherent in the commissioning is the commitment by both the church and the ordinand to a new relationship, namely, that of leader and coworkers.

3. Ordination is finally a public act in the widest sense of the term, for it is directed toward the world. Through ordination, the community declares that the ordinand is now installed into a pastoral position. As a leader of the church, this person will engage in ministry beyond its confines. The ordained leader will minister in and to the world.

The Ordaining Body:

Ordination is the act whereby the community publicly declares that the ordinand is gifted, commissioned, and installed in pastoral ministry. Who actually sets a person in this leadership role?

…Ultimately the Lord of the church ordains leaders for his people.

As the local community ordains persons for pastoral ministry, they serve as the channel for Christ’s ordaining through his Spirit. This focus is symbolized by the participation of the congregational leaders in the central rite of the event, the laying on of hands.

An ordination service may consist of many different elements, including music, a sermon, and even perhaps the Lord’s supper. The focal point of the event, however, … consists of a prayer coupled with the laying on of hands. 

30.  Describe the various views of what happens to someone when they die. How is this issue addressed in scripture?

1. Monism (p.548): Union with the divine reality. The dissolution of human personal distinction, and the distinction between God and creatures. 

   1. Typical of Eastern religions, and in some strands of contemporary Christian teaching. 

   2. Monism undermines the personal character of God and the personal nature of human life and destroys community among people and in the Trinity. 

2. Reincarnation (p.548-549): At death, one does not immediately blend into the divine, as the person reemerges in a new earthly form. The chain of rebirths can continue indefinitely as the soul either progresses or regresses from one earthly life into the next. 

   1. Fails to function as an eschatological vision. 

      1. There is no culmination of the personal life

      2. Life is therefore ultimately meaningless

   2. If the cycle does end at some point, reincarnation is merely the means to a monistic culmination. 

   3. Does not take seriously earthly, bodily existence, as the non-material soul essentially migrates from one body to another. 

   4. Denies the eternal significance of individual life, and loses the culmination of personal life in community, 

3. Immortality of the soul (p.549-550): Personal life culminates when at death the soul discards the body that housed it and thereby attains its eternal blessedness. 

   1. Teaches that immortality is somehow intrinsic to the soul, rather than being God’s gift. 

   2. Teaches the body, not death, that must be overcome. It assumes that the seat of human sin resides in the body so that our physical aspect is beyond redemption. 

   3. Presupposes a dualistic anthropology that suggests that our essence resides in the soul apart from the body (which contradicts both biblical and contemporary understanding of the nature of the human person. 

   4. Suggests that the eternal life that culminates personal existence is an individual experience, not a social reality. (Eternal life is not the eschatological community of the redeemed)

4. The Christian Hope (p.550-551)

   1. Beyond death, we declare, lies the resurrection of the righteous who through this corporate event share together in the eternal community.

   2. Our hope in the face of death is that one day God will raise us to the higher plane of existence we call eternal life. We will attain to the goal of our being, which is the enjoyment of eschatological community with God, one another, and creation. “Resurrection” is an appropriate word to describe this higher plane of existence. It reminds us that the goal of creation which we will one day enjoy involves both continuity and discontinuity with our present existence.

   3. The same interplay of sameness and difference that characterized Jesus’ resurrection will be evident in ours… The idea of resurrection also evidences a fundamental discontinuity with our current existence. We enter into the fullness of God’s design only through a radical change. This change is, of course, ethical: our susceptibility to sin (“flesh”) must be rooted out, replaced by complete conformity to Christ (“spirit”). This change is likewise physical: our mortality— our susceptibility to disease and death— must be transformed into immortality.

   4. The resurrection is a trinitarian act. Like the other works of God, the Father raises the dead according to the pattern of the Son and by the power of the Holy Spirit (Rom. 8:11). Hence, the Spirit, as the completer of God’s work in the world, is the immediate facilitator of this event. Through the Spirit’s life-giving presence God will raise us to full participation as embodied creatures in the divine relationship shared between the Father and the Son. Because God will give life to our mortal bodies, his final gift of full redemption will encompass our personal lives in their entirety— as embodied persons. We will enjoy personal, embodied existence throughout eternity.

Between Christians:

1. Death as the Entrance into Eternity (p.553) [Pope John XXII, Benedict XII]

   1. Death and resurrection is one event: At death, a person immediately experiences the elevation into eternal life to which the hope of the resurrection points. 

   2. Death does not merely place us in a realm in which we already experience what will become our eternal destiny; rather, death forms the boundary line between time and eternity. 

   3. Rejected by Pannenberg, as there is a separation between the consummation of individual life from its social or corporate context. 

   4. The biblical conception contrasts this, as our entrance into eternity is in the context of one general resurrection. 

2. Soul Sleep (p.553-554) [Martin Luther]

   1. The human soul simply sleeps after death, awaiting the eschatological judgment and the eternal state beyond. 

   2. Critics claim that biblical texts don’t supply definitive knowledge concerning the state of the dead; the word is a first-century euphemism (metaphorical)

   3. Presupposes the human person is a substantial dichotomy of soul and body, necessitating a spiritual repose in which the immaterial part sleeps while the material body disintegrates in the grave.

3. Conscious Existence of the Soul (p.554) [Roman Catholic]

   1. The Intermediate state is described as a disembodied, personal, conscious existence of the soul between death and the eschatological event that marks entrance into the eternal state. 

   2. After its seperation from the body, the soul carries the “construction plan” for the resurrection body. 

   3. A conscious existence in the intermediate state has been disputed. Roman Catholics add purgatory; Protestants dispute that saying its not biblical. 

   4. Protestants argue that this purgatory doctrine plays down the finality of earthly life; divides the human into soul and body, and elevates the soul as the true bearer of personhood. 

   5. Risks placing our confidence for surviving death in the innate immortality of the soul. 

   6. Placing the soul in any state of conscious existence beyond death means the disembodied soul participates in new experiences apart from the body (Meaning the resurrected person who meets God at the judgment is not identical with the earthly person. 

31.  Describe the various views of history and what happens at the end.

Sidenote: In Our Ultimate Hope (p.579) Grenz seems to take more of an “Amillennialism is the best way” kind of approach. 

[Seen as “Optimism”]

1. Postmillennialism (p.575; 577): As the name suggests, adherents of postmillennialism anticipate that the eschatological return of Christ will occur after an earthly golden age, which John pictured as a thousand-year reign of Christ. Hence, the second coming is “postmillennial.”

   1. This viewpoint emphasizes the continuity between the current era and the golden age. The thousand years will be a period of time much like our own, but with a heightened experience of goodness, due to the pervasive influence of Christian principles throughout the world. Postmillennialists also emphasize human involvement in the advent of the thousand years. Although the golden age comes as the work of the Holy Spirit, God uses human efforts in advancing its coming.

   2. The eschatological chronology of postmillennialism includes the following elements: 

      1. As the gospel spreads throughout the earth and brings its divinely intended and Spirit-energized results, evil (and perhaps its personal representation in the form of the Antichrist) is eventually routed and the millennium arrives. 

      2. During this era the nations live in peace, for Satan is “bound” and thereby evil is temporarily restrained. After the thousand years have ended Satan is loosed to lead a short-lived rebellion, the final conflict of evil with righteousness, whether this be understood as a spiritual battle of truth against error or in terms of political persecution. 

      3. Satan’s rebellion is ended by the triumphal return of Jesus. The second coming is followed by the general resurrection, the judgment, and the eternal state–heaven and hell. 

[Seen as “Realism”]

2. Amillennialism (p.575; 578): “Amillennialism” means “no millennium.” Its proponents do not anticipate an earthly golden age in the future but find some other significance to the symbol in John’s vision. The figure may refer to a specific period of time in the past during which Christ held sway in his church.

   1. In any case, all amillennialists anticipate that the second coming of Christ will mark the beginning of eternity without an intervening interregnum.

   2. The time between the two advents will be characterized by a mixture of good and evil. At the close of the age, this conflict will intensify as the church completes its mandate of evangelism and the forces of evil coalesce (perhaps in the appearance of the Antichrist).

   3. In the midst of a final, intense time of persecution of the church, Christ will appear in the fullness of his glory. At the Lord’s return a conglomeration of events will occur, which complete his redemptive work. These include Christ’s victory over the forces of evil (Antichrist), the general resurrection, the judgment, and the transformation of creation into the eternal state.

   4. For the saints of all ages, resurrection will mean that they, together with believers on the earth, meet the descending Lord and enter into the eternal kingdom of the new heaven and the new earth. For the wicked, resurrection facilitates their appearance before their Judge (together with the wicked on the earth), followed by banishment into eternal condemnation.

[Seen as Pessimism]

3. Premillennialism: (p.576;578) Premillennialists expect the return of the Lord prior to the thousand-year period. Thus, Christ’s coming is “premillennial.” Jesus will be physically present on the earth to exercise world dominion during his thousand-year reign.

   1. In contrast to postmillennialists, proponents of this view emphasize the discontinuity between the current age and the thousand years. This discontinuity means that human agency plays little role in the coming of the golden age. Rather, the millennium arrives as the gift of divine grace and only after a catastrophic act of God that brings the present eon to a close.

   2. The general premillennial chronology anticipates that the present age will climax with a period of tribulation followed by the return of Jesus Christ.

      1. The second coming will mark the judgment on the Antichrist and the resurrection of the righteous. At the Parousia (Second Coming), Satan will be bound, and the era of peace and righteousness will commence on the earth. 

      2. After the millennium, Satan is freed from his prison. He gathers the unbelieving nations in a rebellion against Christ’s government. His treason is short-lived, however, for it is squelched by fire from heaven. Then come the general resurrection (including the resurrection of the unrighteous), the judgment, and the eternal state.

3A: Historic Premillennialists: Historic premillennialists assert that theirs is the variety that has been present in the church since the patristic era. Its proponents anticipate a time of tribulation directed against the church, climaxed by Christ’s coming to rescue his disciples from the forces of evil. The millennium, in turn, is a time for God to bless Christ’s faithful followers.

3B: Dispensational Premillennialists: Dispensational premillennialists tend to divide human history into distinct periods of time or “dispensations.” More importantly, they differ from their historic premillennial cousins on the basis of their understanding of which people will be the focus of God’s attention in the future tribulation and millennium. Rather than viewing these epochs as aspects of God’s program for the New Testament church, dispensationalists generally find their significance in God’s intention for national Israel.