Religion Quiz /Test 2023
Notes on Revelation
Apostolic age: oral and written transmission
Oral Transmission:
Preaching and instruction
Their actions
The institutions they established
The apostles received:
• The spoken words of Jesus
• The example of Jesus’ life.
• The experience of his deeds and the miracles he
worked.
• Wisdom and “promptings” from the Holy Spirit,
guiding their decisions and actions as they
were establishing the Church
Sacred Tradition
In other words: The pope and bishops continue the preaching and practices of the apostles. This is called Sacred Tradition.
Written Transmission:
Revelation was transmitted through writing.
• Who did the writing? “apostles and other men associated with the
apostles.”
• Apostles: Matthew, John, Peter, James, Jude, Paul
• Other men associated with the apostles: Luke, Mark, author of Hebrews
• They wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. The church
recognized their writings as an authentic representation of
apostolic faith.
Sacred Scripture
In other words: The gospels, letters, etc. become established as the New Testament, Sacred Scripture.
What is: Sacred Tradition, Sacred Scripture.
Sacred Tradition: The preaching, example, and decisions of the apostles,
handed on by their successors.
Sacred Scripture: the writings of the Apostles, divinely inspired by the Holy Spirit
Apostolic succession
The Unbroken line of successors of Bishops (the lineage can be traced all the way back to Peter [first pope] and the apostles).
Relative value of ST and SS
They are equal
Both Scripture and Tradition must be accepted and honored with equal sentiments of devotion and reverence.
Magisterium:
The teaching office of the church. It is able to tell us the will of Jesus for us today, even when it is not explicitly written down.
Levels of Magisterium: Creed, Dogma, etc.
Creed (or symbol): a summary of the faith that Christians profess.
Dogma: a teaching of faith, formulated as a proposition. A Catholic must assent to a defined dogma, and never hold to a statement that contradicts it.
Doctrine: Christian teachings, generally speaking.
Three legs of the stool.
Sacred Scripture
Sacred Tradition
Magisterium → this is the “lesser” of the three still important
Fathers of the Church
Early Christian writers who give witness to what the church was teaching, believing, and doing.
Infallible:
Unable to proclaim error
When is the pope infallible? When not?:
When the pope “proclaims by a definitive act a doctrine pertaining to faith or morals,” The Holy Spirit prevents him from stating error.
Notes on Faith
Two qualities of a trustworthy speaker
Knowledgeable
Honest
Qualities of trustworthy speakers applied to God.
God is more than knowledgeable as he is omniscient
God is truthful because he can never lie to us (he is honest)
Faith as response to revelation
The response of human beings to God’s revelation is called supernatural faith (as opposed to human faith).
Atheism and sin
Aquinas’ definition of faith
“Believing is an act of the intellect assenting to the divine truth by command of the will moved by God through grace.”
Level of faith and trust given to God v. to human beings
You decide to let God tell you what to think and what to want. It is not safe to have this much faith and trust in human beings, but it is safe and meritorious to have this kind of absolute faith in God. This infinitely loving God will fill your mind with wisdom. God is worthy of this kind of surrender with “your whole being.”
How one receives the gift of faith
By faith, man completely submits his intellect and his will to God.
The value Jesus placed on faith
Helping faith grow
Faith can grow through catechesis - learning the teachings of the faith - and by exercising the choice to believe.
It can also be lost through sin
Foretaste of heaven
Faith is called a foretaste (preview, anticipation) of eternal life. By faith, we experience even now the realities that will be fully revealed in the life to come. We know and love God the Father, Jesus Christ His Son, and the Holy Spirit in this life. We will have the joy of knowing them eternally in heaven.
Faith and freedom
Faith cannot be forced upon anyone- they cannot be coerced. God himself never forces anyone to have faith. Jesus never tried to force anyone to have faith.
Whether the righteous in heaven have faith
No they do not have faith because there is no reason to have faith. God is right before them.
Dark night of faith.
Faith does not need feelings of God’s presence to be real faith. The strongest faith can be a deep commitment to God in the absence of all feeling or spiritual joy.
Notes on Faith and Reason
motives of credibility v. proof
Motives of credibility are reasons for making the choice to have faith IN someone and faith THAT their words are true.
Proof is offering arguments, data, or evidence that will allow a person to draw his own conclusions, based on what he can experience directly.
examples of credentials that human beings can give to one another
I.D. card or badge (credentials), diploma, certification certificate, uniform, testimony of other people.
Reasons to say that humans are transcendent beings.
Humans have intellect and will, reason and freedom.
Humans have a soul that survives the death of the body. Consider: near death experiences and terminal lucidity.
That the creator revealed himself to humanity
If humans are capable of communication, God the creator must also be capable of communication. ( Basically why is a creature capable of communicating and receiving but the creator is not?)
Is it provable that Jesus existed?
Yes
The Bible can be studied as historical documents, apart from their value for Christian faith. As such, they can help an historian to establish that Jesus truly existed.
Secondary Sources confirm Jesus Existed ( Roman Authors etc..)
P52 what is it, why is it important
Piece of a papyrus which was originally part of the Gospel of John. Written between 117-138 a.d and proves that the gospels were written close to the time that Jesus was said to have lived, and hence they are as authentic as any ancient text could be.
Josephus, Pliny, Tacitus
Josephus - Jewish historian, who wrote a history of the Jewish people called The Antiquities of the Jews. There he mentioned Jesus and called him the Messiah.
Pliny - Wrote a letter to the emperor Trajan, saying that Christians “sing hymns to Christ as to a god.” Christ is the Greek word for Messiah or “The anointed one.”
Tacitus - Roman historians described the persecution of Christians by the emperor Nero, and said that “Chrestos,” their leader, was given “the extreme penalty” (crucifixion) by Pontius Pilate.
Liar, lunatic, Lord argument.
Jesus was not a liar.
People tell lies to gain some personal advantage. But Jesus’ claim to be God brought him only persecution and death.
Jesus had the wrong audience for that kind of lie. Jews were the last people on earth disposed to believe that a human being could be God. Jesus could have claimed divinity to non-Jewish people who were accustomed to such claims (such as Caesar as a god).
Jesus was not a lunatic.
Jesus does not have the psychological profile of a mentally ill person. A delusional person makes people uncomfortable. Jesus is the opposite. He does not make people uncomfortable. They are attracted to him and go out of their way to be with him.
If Jesus was not a liar, and not a lunatic, then he must be who he claimed to be – the Lord!
Jesus did Miracles.
The miracles of Jesus are proof of divine powers, exercised by him, at his will.
Jesus rose from the dead.
There were many witnesses who saw Jesus after his resurrection.
Witness of the apostles
The apostles were reluctant to believe that Jesus rose from the dead. If Jesus had not risen, and they wanted to make up a story, would they have written one that made them look so foolish?
The apostles suffered for their testimony of the resurrection of Jesus, and all of them except for John were martyred. Why make up a story that will get you killed?
Shroud of Turin
Historically identified as the burial shroud of Jesus. Scientific tests date it to the time of Jesus. It has an image of Jesus and other properties which are consistent with what is described in the Gospels about Jesus and cannot be explained by science.
Notes on Revelation
Apostolic age: oral and written transmission
Oral Transmission:
Preaching and instruction
Their actions
The institutions they established
The apostles received:
• The spoken words of Jesus
• The example of Jesus’ life.
• The experience of his deeds and the miracles he
worked.
• Wisdom and “promptings” from the Holy Spirit,
guiding their decisions and actions as they
were establishing the Church
Sacred Tradition
In other words: The pope and bishops continue the preaching and practices of the apostles. This is called Sacred Tradition.
Written Transmission:
Revelation was transmitted through writing.
• Who did the writing? “apostles and other men associated with the
apostles.”
• Apostles: Matthew, John, Peter, James, Jude, Paul
• Other men associated with the apostles: Luke, Mark, author of Hebrews
• They wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. The church
recognized their writings as an authentic representation of
apostolic faith.
Sacred Scripture
In other words: The gospels, letters, etc. become established as the New Testament, Sacred Scripture.
What is: Sacred Tradition, Sacred Scripture.
Sacred Tradition: The preaching, example, and decisions of the apostles,
handed on by their successors.
Sacred Scripture: the writings of the Apostles, divinely inspired by the Holy Spirit
Apostolic succession
The Unbroken line of successors of Bishops (the lineage can be traced all the way back to Peter [first pope] and the apostles).
Relative value of ST and SS
They are equal
Both Scripture and Tradition must be accepted and honored with equal sentiments of devotion and reverence.
Magisterium:
The teaching office of the church. It is able to tell us the will of Jesus for us today, even when it is not explicitly written down.
Levels of Magisterium: Creed, Dogma, etc.
Creed (or symbol): a summary of the faith that Christians profess.
Dogma: a teaching of faith, formulated as a proposition. A Catholic must assent to a defined dogma, and never hold to a statement that contradicts it.
Doctrine: Christian teachings, generally speaking.
Three legs of the stool.
Sacred Scripture
Sacred Tradition
Magisterium → this is the “lesser” of the three still important
Fathers of the Church
Early Christian writers who give witness to what the church was teaching, believing, and doing.
Infallible:
Unable to proclaim error
When is the pope infallible? When not?:
When the pope “proclaims by a definitive act a doctrine pertaining to faith or morals,” The Holy Spirit prevents him from stating error.
Notes on Faith
Two qualities of a trustworthy speaker
Knowledgeable
Honest
Qualities of trustworthy speakers applied to God.
God is more than knowledgeable as he is omniscient
God is truthful because he can never lie to us (he is honest)
Faith as response to revelation
The response of human beings to God’s revelation is called supernatural faith (as opposed to human faith).
Atheism and sin
Aquinas’ definition of faith
“Believing is an act of the intellect assenting to the divine truth by command of the will moved by God through grace.”
Level of faith and trust given to God v. to human beings
You decide to let God tell you what to think and what to want. It is not safe to have this much faith and trust in human beings, but it is safe and meritorious to have this kind of absolute faith in God. This infinitely loving God will fill your mind with wisdom. God is worthy of this kind of surrender with “your whole being.”
How one receives the gift of faith
By faith, man completely submits his intellect and his will to God.
The value Jesus placed on faith
Helping faith grow
Faith can grow through catechesis - learning the teachings of the faith - and by exercising the choice to believe.
It can also be lost through sin
Foretaste of heaven
Faith is called a foretaste (preview, anticipation) of eternal life. By faith, we experience even now the realities that will be fully revealed in the life to come. We know and love God the Father, Jesus Christ His Son, and the Holy Spirit in this life. We will have the joy of knowing them eternally in heaven.
Faith and freedom
Faith cannot be forced upon anyone- they cannot be coerced. God himself never forces anyone to have faith. Jesus never tried to force anyone to have faith.
Whether the righteous in heaven have faith
No they do not have faith because there is no reason to have faith. God is right before them.
Dark night of faith.
Faith does not need feelings of God’s presence to be real faith. The strongest faith can be a deep commitment to God in the absence of all feeling or spiritual joy.
Notes on Faith and Reason
motives of credibility v. proof
Motives of credibility are reasons for making the choice to have faith IN someone and faith THAT their words are true.
Proof is offering arguments, data, or evidence that will allow a person to draw his own conclusions, based on what he can experience directly.
examples of credentials that human beings can give to one another
I.D. card or badge (credentials), diploma, certification certificate, uniform, testimony of other people.
Reasons to say that humans are transcendent beings.
Humans have intellect and will, reason and freedom.
Humans have a soul that survives the death of the body. Consider: near death experiences and terminal lucidity.
That the creator revealed himself to humanity
If humans are capable of communication, God the creator must also be capable of communication. ( Basically why is a creature capable of communicating and receiving but the creator is not?)
Is it provable that Jesus existed?
Yes
The Bible can be studied as historical documents, apart from their value for Christian faith. As such, they can help an historian to establish that Jesus truly existed.
Secondary Sources confirm Jesus Existed ( Roman Authors etc..)
P52 what is it, why is it important
Piece of a papyrus which was originally part of the Gospel of John. Written between 117-138 a.d and proves that the gospels were written close to the time that Jesus was said to have lived, and hence they are as authentic as any ancient text could be.
Josephus, Pliny, Tacitus
Josephus - Jewish historian, who wrote a history of the Jewish people called The Antiquities of the Jews. There he mentioned Jesus and called him the Messiah.
Pliny - Wrote a letter to the emperor Trajan, saying that Christians “sing hymns to Christ as to a god.” Christ is the Greek word for Messiah or “The anointed one.”
Tacitus - Roman historians described the persecution of Christians by the emperor Nero, and said that “Chrestos,” their leader, was given “the extreme penalty” (crucifixion) by Pontius Pilate.
Liar, lunatic, Lord argument.
Jesus was not a liar.
People tell lies to gain some personal advantage. But Jesus’ claim to be God brought him only persecution and death.
Jesus had the wrong audience for that kind of lie. Jews were the last people on earth disposed to believe that a human being could be God. Jesus could have claimed divinity to non-Jewish people who were accustomed to such claims (such as Caesar as a god).
Jesus was not a lunatic.
Jesus does not have the psychological profile of a mentally ill person. A delusional person makes people uncomfortable. Jesus is the opposite. He does not make people uncomfortable. They are attracted to him and go out of their way to be with him.
If Jesus was not a liar, and not a lunatic, then he must be who he claimed to be – the Lord!
Jesus did Miracles.
The miracles of Jesus are proof of divine powers, exercised by him, at his will.
Jesus rose from the dead.
There were many witnesses who saw Jesus after his resurrection.
Witness of the apostles
The apostles were reluctant to believe that Jesus rose from the dead. If Jesus had not risen, and they wanted to make up a story, would they have written one that made them look so foolish?
The apostles suffered for their testimony of the resurrection of Jesus, and all of them except for John were martyred. Why make up a story that will get you killed?
Shroud of Turin
Historically identified as the burial shroud of Jesus. Scientific tests date it to the time of Jesus. It has an image of Jesus and other properties which are consistent with what is described in the Gospels about Jesus and cannot be explained by science.
