Chapter 6-The Sources of Theology

What is eisegesis?

Interpreting the meaning a person desires into the text

Who founded the Alexandrian School of Biblical criticism?

Philo of Alexandria

How did Irenaeus reply when the Gnostics told him he misrepresented the Bible?

Pointed to tradition to show the Gnostics were wrong

What is the difference between reason and rationalism?

Reason is a way of thinking that doesn't deny faith Rationalism denies all divine

What did Etienne Gilson say about reason?

Reason is bedrock of Christianity, but Christianity extends into a realm of faith

What is the "recognition" view of scriptural authority?

The church is under the authority of the Bible (Protestant)

What did Lord Herbert of Cherbury say about reason?

urged for Christianity based on an innate sense of God and moral obligation

What was the antiochene method of interpretation?

Used scripture's historical context

Who was Erasmus of Rotterndam?

-"Handbook of the Christian Scholar" -Said interpretation was the job of exposing the deeper sense of the Bible, not the exact letter -still said accuracy was important

What is the quadria? What are the 4 senses of scripture shown through this perspective?

-A chariot drawn by 4 horses -Literal, allegorical, tropological/moral, anagogical (points forward)

Against which two groups did Calvin argue for the authority of the scripture during the reformation?

-Catholics -Anabaptists

Explain the historical interpretation

-F.C. Baur -Doesn't explain the origins of Christianity in terms of the gospel, but rather in rational nonsupernatural terms

Describe the origin of the word canon?

-Greek work kanon-means measuring stick, rule -Limits set on what is scripture

Explain the rational interpretation.

-H.S. Reimarus -Supernatural elements of Bible can't be taken seriously

What are the 4 characteristics of religious experience according to William James?

-Ineffability- experience that defies expression -noetic- giving insights into deep truths -transiency- mystical state can't be kept for long -passivity- out of control as if grasped by supreme power

What is single-source tradition?

-Iraenaeus of Lyons- the traditional way of interpreting scripture; can't just interpret scripture any way you want

Why is narrative theology studied to such an extent?

-It is the main form of the Bible -Avoids the dulling sense of abstraction -Shows how God meets history

What is the sociological approach?

-James Frazer-"The Golden Bough" -Just another religion to be studied

Explain Augustine's 2 fold sense of scripture

-Literal-fleshy-historical -allegorical-mystical-spiritual

What are the 5 approaches to academic Biblical interpretation?

-Rational, historical, sociological, literary, liberative hermeneutics

What are the 3 types of tradition?

-Single-source, dual-source, rejection of tradition

What is the subjective view of inspiration?

-The reader's understanding was inspired -Augustus H. Strong

Explain Ambrose of Milan's 3 fold understanding of the senses of scripture

-natural sense -moral sense -rational or theological sense

What are the 3 modes of reason and revelation

-theology is a rational discipline -theology is the republication of the insights of reason -theology is redundant

What is existentialism?

A philosophy of human experience. We not only exist, we know we exist and will die

What did Ludwig Feuerbach think of experience?

All human-made

How did Johann Gottfried Herder see inspiration?

As purely poetic and as a human achievement

What was Vincent of Lerins's concern?

Certain doctrines were being introduced without adequate reason and that tradition could help solve this

What did Thomas Aquinas believe about reason?

Christian theology is fundamentally rational and can be explored by reason

How did John Calvin see the relationship between the OT and the NT?

Distinct yet connected

What is the literary approach?

Distinctly to study literary categories

What were the beliefs of the Anabaptists?

Every individual can ignore scripture if given divine revelation

How did Martin Luther and Augustine of Hippo view experience?

Experience makes the theologian

What is liturgy?

Form in which worship is conducted

From where did the Apocryphal and deutero-canonical texts emerge?

Found in the Latin and Greek versions, but not in the original Hebrew

How did the Old Princeton School view inspiration?

Fully Holy Spirit guided

What is deism?

God created but is not involved; John Locke

What did Enlightenment Rationalism say?

Human reason can tell us all we need to know

How did the Alexandrian School of Biblical criticism interpret the Bible?

Literal translation of scripture supplemented by use of allegory

What did Johann Adam Mohler say about tradition?

Living voice within church by which Christian community's interpretation is safeguarded from error

What is dual-source tradition?

Scripture as well as unwritten

How did Philo of Alexandria view inspiration?

Scripture was completely God breathed

What are the four main sources of theology?

Scripture, tradition, reason, and religious experience

What is narrative theology?

Stories about God which disclose God's character and shape the redemption achieved through Christ

Describe Athanasius's view on worshiping Christ?

Stressed the importance of worshiping Christ

What did Marcion believe about the OT?

That it was the sacred text of a religion that isn't Christianity

What is liberative hermeneutics?

The poor have special ability to interpret scripture

How did Martin Luther see the idea of scriptural allegory?

The principle of a passage can't be interpreted allegorically expressing a truth that isn't found somewhere else in scripture

What is Hegelianism?

The rational alone is real

What does lex orandi, lex credenda mean?

The way you pray determines what you believe

What is God-breathed in Greek?

Theopnuestos

How did the view of the Biblical narrative change during the Enlightenment? Name one author who recorded this change.

They did not like the narrative form as they sought pure objective truth and reason. Hans Frei-"The Eclipse of the Biblical Narrative"

What is the difference between tradition and traditionalism?

Tradition is the living element of tradition while traditionalism is the wooden adherence to doctrinal forms

What is the objective view of inspiration?

Words are inspired

Describe Arius's view on worshiping Christ?

Worshipping a creature rather than God

What is the "imposition" view of scriptural authority?

external authority of the church over the Bible (Catholic church)

What is Latin word for tradition?

tradio-handed down