Gracious Christianity

Grace

"The free and unmerited favor of God as manifested in the salvation of sinners and the bestowing of blessings" Grace is describes the experience of receiving God's love

Thomas Aquinas

A philosopher who composed many proofs for the existence of God. "Everything that takes places in the world has a cause." He was convinced that on this basis of logic every human being could possess knowledge that God exists.

Negative theology

A style of talking about God that focuses on how much we do not know rather than what we know. We can't fully capture the awesomeness of God's being.

Universalism

Acceptance that truth may be found in all religions

confession

Acknowledging the wrong we have done and taking responsibility for it. It is required but it is not what saves us.

Church

All the followers of Jesus who has ever lived. Local gathering of believers

Pantheism

Belief that the world is divine

Prayer

Central to the Christian life. It is willing to hear what God is saying and to be ready to respond appropriately. It is listening and speaking to God. It is a mystery Integral to being Human.

Practical implications of the Trinity

Christian ethics, right ways of living, ultimately grounded in understanding God's character. Christian Living is mutual, self-giving love. Holistic epistemology.

Jesus Creed

Dual- Commandment, Love God and Love our neighbor

Hearing the voice of God

Everyone has the knowledge of God and ability to hear and respond to Him.

Apologetics

Explaining why you hold certain beliefs.

John Wesley

Founder of the Methodist Church Law of love in terms of comforts, needs, and emergencies.

Ways of knowing God

General Revelation, Jesus's example, and through prayer.=]

God's purpose in revealing himself

God calls to change us

God's creation activity

God made the world. God sustains the world. God will fully redeem the world.

God's initiative in revealing himself

God wants to be known

Special Revelation

God's communication of Himself and His will to particular people through His word and Jesus Christ

Augustine

He was a bishop of Hippo in North Africa. He describes the trinity as God the Father being the lover, the Son as the beloved, and the Holy Spirit as the love that binds the lover and the beloved together.

Human nature from a christian world view

Human nature is filled with doubt, sorrow, failure because of sin but there is freedom, love, and justice because of our deep roots to the creator

Imago Dei

Image of God It is links with Freedom and Rationality

Gracious love

It is love that does not intrude but stands ready to help when it is appropriate, desired, and needed.

Which theologian called God "Wholly Other"?

Karl Barth

General Revelation

Knowledge about God that is available to everyone as part of ordinary human experience.

Martin Luther King Jr.

Leader of the civil rights movement model for Holy Impatience. Letter from Birmingham Jail Denounced patience when justice is delayed but knew it was needed

Pentecostal Movement

Leaders saw it as a restoration of the multicultural fellowship of faith that the Holy Spirit had inaugurated long ago on the original day of Pentecost

Theology

Main concern is with the ideas that form the framework for living the love we profess

C.S. Lewis

Mere Christianity he pictured heaven as much more real than the world we are in now.

Two historical Christian creeds that emphasize the one-in-three nature of God

Modalism Analogy of Love or Trinitarians.

Catherine of Sienna

One of the greatest theologians in the history of the church. "There is no sin that does not touch others, whether secretly by refusing them what is due, or openly by giving birth to the vices."

Difference between Polytheism and Monotheism

Polytheism- Belief in many gods Monotheism- Belief in one God.

Sanctification

Process of being made holy. This begins with Baptism, continues throughout the life of the Christian, and is completed when a person enters heaven and becomes totally and irrevocably united with God in the beatific vision.

Sin

Prompts our failings. Anything that willfully diminishes the life that we and the rest of creation are meant to enjoy. It is living against the grain of God's universe.

Martain Luther

Protestant Reformer Described Christian life as one of ongoing repentance, never ending cycle of confession and forgiveness

Baptism

Sacrament by which God cleanses all sin, and one becomes a member of the church.

Positive theology

Seeks to distinguish between better and more accurate ways of speaking about God and ways of speaking that may in one way or another, partially misrepresent who God is.

Hell

Separation from God and from one another. Unwillingness to accept God's gracious love

Holy Spirit

Source of life in all of its wonderfully varied and diverse roles.

Descriptions of the Trinity

The Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost The Lover, the person who is loved, and the love that the lover feels for the beloved.

Science and Faith

The authors think these two can co-exist but there will be times when science might need to be challenged. It welcomes ethical scientific research and the knowledge it brings.

Similarity between Christians, Jews, and Muslims

They are radical monotheists. Express great love for God. They engage in devout worship of God. they seek God and try to do His will.

Prodigal Son Parable as a model for salvation

This story, salvation is depicted as a climactic moment when the father welcomes his son home.

Holy impatience

We want God's kingdom to come and his will to be done as soon as possible

How can we be sure we are hearing from God?

When we hear God's voice, it is a gift. Never a cause for pride. God's call is to change us.

Azusa Street

Where Pentecostal Movement began

Bible Translations

Word for Word (KJV) Idea for Idea (NIV)

Canon

a standard or measurement used to determine which book belongs in the scriptures. Is the works brining out a change in a reader and does it speak about Jesus?

St. Francis of Assisi

a wealthy Italian who gave up his comfortable life and founded the first order of friars. He represented the joy of costly discipleship

Eucharist

central act of worship, sharing bread and wine, like last supper. means thanksgiving

Dietrich Bonhoeffer

german theologian, "When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die." During WW2 and was executed

Westminster Catechism

goal of humankind is to glorify God, and fully enjoy him forever.

Justice

involves a more communal and even global awareness of problems and their potential long-term solutions.

Charity

involves individuals or small groups of people acting to meet the immediate needs of others

Dying to self

it enlarges us so we can more fully respond to Gods offer of life in can share that life with others. Only through dying to self we can fully live

Heaven

promises a depth of holy pleasure that is currently unimaginable

The Bible; inspired revelation

revealing of God's character that would otherwise be unknown

Suffering

sickness, death of loved ones, loss of friendships, loss of jobs, lost of trust, slander from enemies, natural disasters, ravages of war.

Gifts of the Holy Spirit

teaching, preaching, healing, prophesying, discernment of spirits, and speaking in tongues.

Modalism

the belief that God is a single person who appears in various personages (or modes) but never ceases to be one

Cyprian

theologian and bishop of carthage in North Africa no salvation outside of the church.

Worship

we present ourselves to God and ask God to remold our hearts and minds. involves praise giving something to God results in God's giving much more to us.

Final Judgement

we will know once and for all exactly who we are.

Sermon on the Mount

whenever justice is honestly sought, or mercy genuinely offered, or love is truly evident, the kingdom of God is present in some way and to some degree.