THEO-midterm_study_guide

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Key Terms

• Heresy:

  • A belief that contradicts officially accepted doctrines of a religion.

• Idolatry:

  • The worship of idols, which are physical representations of a deity.

• Numinous:

  • Possessing a supernatural mystery or indicating a divine presence.

• Theology:

  • The study focused on the nature of God and religious beliefs.

• Ritual:

  • A ceremonial act or series of acts performed in a set, symbolic manner.

The Christian Faith Overview

• TaNaK: Acronym for Hebrew Bible sections:

  • Torah: First five books: Genesis, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy.

  • Nevi’im: Books containing the prophets.

  • Ketuvim: Writings including poetry, wisdom, and historical texts.

• Definition of Terms:

  • Biblios: Refers to "books".

  • Biblia: Refers to "scrolls".

• Bible Structure:

  • Total books in the Bible: 66

  • Old Testament: 39 books

  • New Testament: 27 books

• Major Prophets:

  • Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel.

• Minor Prophets (examples):

  • Amos, Joel, Malachi, Micah, Jonah.

• The Four Gospels:

  • Matthew, Mark, Luke, John.

• New Testament Historical Accounts:

  • Written by Matthew, Mark, Luke.

• Apocalypse:

  • Refers to depictions regarding the end of the world.

• Old Testament Writings:

  • Includes poetic books, festival books (Megiloth), historical books.

• Final Defeat of Israel:

  • Occurred in 587 CE.

• New Testament Epistles:

  • Total of 21 epistles.

• Evangelion:

  • Translated as "good news".

• Tetragrammaton:

  • The four-letter name of God in the Hebrew Bible.

• Last Gospel Written:

  • The Gospel of John.

• Hermeneutics:

  • A method of interpreting texts, especially sacred ones.

• Council Definition:

  • A gathering of bishops to discuss and resolve controversial issues.

• Three Traditions Informing Christian God Understanding:

  • Worship, Baptism, the Eucharist.

• El Shaddai:

  • Meaning "God Almighty".

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Additional Key Terms

• Vulgate:

  • The Latin translation of the Hebrew and Greek Bible, created in the fifth century.

• Incarnation:

  • The embodiment of a deity or spirit in physical form.

• Theodicy:

  • A justification of divine goodness despite the existence of evil.

• Eschaton:

  • Final event in divine prophecy; signifies the end of the world.

• Hierophany:

  • A manifestation of the sacred.

• Theophany:

  • A visible manifestation of God or a deity to humans.

Short Answer Questions

1. Rudolf Otto:

   • German theologian who described "the holy" as both repelling and attracting.

2. Mircea Eliade:

   • Romanian historian who argued that myths are sacred stories explaining the universe; types include cosmogonic, etiological, eschatology, and transformation myths.

3. Defense of Incarnation against Critics:

   • Greeks/Romans questioned the notion of a divine figure suffering humiliation, finding it absurd.

4. Marcion:

   • Early Christian theologian who proposed discarding the Old Testament.

5. Tatian:

   • Assyrian writer proposing to synthesize the four gospels into one book.

6. YHWY Substitution:

   • Jewish readers say Adonai instead of YHWY.

7. Greek "Omni" Terms for God:

   • Omniscient (all-knowing), Omnipotent (all-powerful), Omnipresent (everywhere), Omnibenevolent (all-good).

8. Constantine's Importance:

   • Authored the Edict of Milan, ending persecution of Christians, organized missionary activities.

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Biblical Passages Explanation

1. Genesis 6:13-7:5:

   • Synopsis: God plans to destroy humanity due to their wickedness and violence.

   • Scholarly Features:

     • God's dissatisfaction reflects divine judgment on human sin.

     • Emphasizes God’s grace in light of judgment context.

2. Genesis 1:26-28; 2:19-24:

   • Synopsis: Genesis recounts the creation of man and woman, and their role in stewardship.

   • Scholarly Features:

     • Differences highlight distinct creation accounts of Adam and Eve.

     • Emphasizes human dominion and companionship roles.

3. John 20:30-31:

   • Synopsis: John notes unrecorded signs and states the purpose of his writing.

   • Scholarly Features:

     • "Many other signs" indicates focus on significant events/teachings.

     • Ultimately aims to affirm Jesus as the Son of God, inviting belief.