Christian Theology Mid-Term

How was the doctrine of the Trinity understood and developed through tradtion?

An explicit doctrine of the Trinity was hammered out in the early church. The councils of Nicea (AD325) and Constantinople (AD381) are two critical milestones in the process. The crux: "one essence, distinguished in three persons."

Four Main Questions: 4. Do the proclamation & practice of the community of faith lead to transforming praxis in personal and social life? _____________________________

Effects, fruit

________: Conservative Christian tradition which places a high value on the inspiration and authority of Scripture

Evangelical

What is a main regulative principle, noted by George Lindbeck, which guided the theological development of the early church?

Monotheistic Principle

Four Main Questions: 1. Are the proclamation and practice of the church true to the revelation of God in Jesus Christ as attested in Scripture? _____________ at issue.

Truthfulness/accuracy

Deep Seated attitudes that underlie the ecological crisis: ___________________: Our market economy is driven by the desire to consume and possess, and this is a major factor in the ecological crisis. "I consume, therefore I am" is the logic of modernity

Unchecked Consumerism

The tension of the Trinity lies between these two poles:

Unity in essence ----------- Distinction in person

What does Migliore want when he says pursue depth grammar within the creeds?

God loves in freedom, lives in communion, and wills his creatures to live in a new community of mutual love and service. God is self-sharing, other-regarding, community-forming love.

The sources of Theology

1. Biblical message 2. The theological heritage of the church 3. The thought forms of our culture.

What does Migliore say about violence and the cross? (1-3)

1. Christ died for us in order to expose our world of violence for what is. 2. Chist died for us in order to enter in to utmost solidarity with us as victims of violence to meditate God's forgiveness to us as perpetrators of violence. 3. Christ died for us in order to open a new future for a new humanity in the midst of our violent world.

Three Methods of Theology include:

1. Christocentric Theology (Barth) 2. Correlation Method (Paul Tillich) 3. Praxis Approach (liberation theology)

An Evangelical Method of Theology: (1-8)

1. Collection of Biblical materials 2. Unification of the Biblical materials 3. Analysis of the meaning of the Biblical teachings 4. Examination of Historical Treatments 5. Consultation of other cultural perspectives 6. Identification of the essence of the doctrine 7. Application of the doctrine to experience 8. Contemporary Expression of the doctrine

Three essential identity markers of atonement:

1. God established the sacrificial system as a means of atonement. 2. Christ's death on the cross atoned fro the sins of the world. 3. God does not need to be appeased through blood sacrifice.

Second and Third Century Theologians were guided (in the development of the triune doctrine) by several essential identity markers in Scripture:

1. God is one 2. Jesus is Devine and directly identified with the God of Israel 3. The Holy Spirit is Divine and Personal

Two main Identity markers that emerge from scripture:

1. Jesus as GOD 2. Jesus as Man

Karl Barth's Understanding of the Word of God 1. _____________ in the incarnate Jesus. 2. _____________ in the pages of Scripture. 3. _____________ by the Church. Why could it be important for us to view the Word of God in this complex way?

1. Revealed 2. Written 3. Proclaimed - There is not one interpretation or application of "the word of God" so without this complexity you will miss the phrase's true application.

The four sources of theology noted by in the Wesleyan Quadrilateral

1. Scripture 2. Christian Tradition 3. Reason 4. Experience

Connected to 68: This tension is seen in opposing views:

1. Subordinationsim- different ranks or orders of deity 2. Modalism- masks of God which do not reflect his essence 3. Tritheism- three individual and separate deities

Four "Inadequate" views on Authority:

1. The Historicist View 2. The Classicist View 3. The Devotionalist View 4. The Biblicist View

Classical Interpretations of Atonement

1. The cosmic conflict of Christ the Victor. The theory develops the military metaphor found in several passages. According to this view, the work of atonement is a dramatic struggle between God and the forces of evil in the world. 2. The anselmain or satisfaction theory. It is rooted in biblical passages that suggest vicarious suffering as the way by which haman kind is redeemed its classic expression is in anselm's Cur deus Homo? 3. The liberal or moral influence theory. In this theory Christ reconciles humanity not by some cosmic battle, not by some legal transaction - but by showing God's love to us in such a compelling way that we are constrained to respond in wonder and gratitude.

The four tendencies toward error in Christology:

1. The tendency to rob Christ of his deity 2. The tendency to rob Christ of his humanity 3. The tendency to overemphasize the difference between the two natures. 4. The tendency to lose the distinction between the two natures

A Christian understanding of God tries to answer "Who is the God worshiped and proclaimed by the Christian Community?" in this order.

1. We should begin with God's revelation in Jesus Christ 2. Then we pursue God's revelation in Scripture 3. Which leads us into the mystery of Trinitarian theology

What are some fundamental questions about God?

1. Who is the God worshiped and proclaimed by the Christian Community? 2. Is this God the friend or the enemy of human maturity and freedom? 3. Is God the source of reconciliation and peace or of violence and war.

1. Inerrancy = __________________ 2. Infallible = ___________________ 3. Inspiration = _________________ 4. Theopnuestos = ____________

1. Without error 2. Without the ability to fail 3. The origin of the physical scriptures, inspired by GOD 4. The greek word that we derive inspiration from, also in reference to God-Breathed

Dulles' Key Points of Revelation 1. Revelation is God's ____________________ in turning to his spiritual creatures. God bestows the gift over and above the fundamental gift of creation. 2. By revelation God communicates truth concerning _____________ and concerning ________________ as related to him. Revealed truth is, at least in part, beyond the capacity of the human mind to discover by its own connatural powers. 3. The truth of revelation is ________________ important. It has value for salvation and most would consider revelation as essential for salvation

1. free action 2. himself : humanity 3. spiritually

Scripture and Interpretation 1. Scripture must be interpreted with the help of ____________ and _______________ criticism; 2. Scripture must be interpreted ________________________; 3. Scripture must be interpreted _____________________, 4. Scripture must be interpreted ____________________.

1. literary : historical 2. theocentrically 3. ecclesially 4. contextually

(1) Initially, theology means the ____________ or teaching concerning ______. (2) It also carries an expanded meaning that refers to the study of the _______ as a whole and all those related formulations by which the church reflects on its life with God.

1a. study of God 1b. God 2a. Bible

Dulles' Key Points of Revelation 4. Revelation, for Christians, comes in a finally decisive way in _____________, the incarnate Word of God. 5. For Christians, the normal way of access to revelation is through the ____________ which reads and proclaims the biblical message. 6. Revelation _____________ a positive reception on the part of the recipient, which is usually termed "faith."

4. Jesus 5. Church 6. Demands

Deep Seated attitudes that underlie the ecological crisis: ___________________: A view of the world as existing primarily to serve the needs and desires of human kind.

Anthropocentrism

Three Views of the Historical Adam and Eve The _______________ View: A&E are literary and archetypal symbols for all humanity. The story is about every human's experience of temptation and moral failure.

Archetypal

Deep Seated attitudes that underlie the ecological crisis: ___________________: We seem to think that the air, water, and fertile fields have limitless supply for our appetites.

Assumption of Limitless Resources

What is Richard Bauckham's Divine Identity Christology?

Bauckham proposes that the formation of a high Christology was possible with a Jewish monotheistic context not because the early Christians applied some divine status to Jesus but rather they identified him directly with the one God of Isreal.

What is meant by the phrase "dominion teaching" in regards to theology and ecology?

Because we have "dominion" over the earth, some have interpreted that as people can do whatever they want, which leads to destruction. Whereas it was meant that it is within our dominion and so we must preserve and steward it.

Sources of Theology The ________: the primary source, the good new of God's salvation in Christ.

Biblical Message

Four "Inadequate" views on Authority: The _____________________ View - The bible is authoritative by virtue of its supernatural origin. - Stresses inspiration and guidance of the holy spirit - Defends the infallibility of scripture

Biblicist view Cont. - Scripture is authoritative not because of what it tells us, but because its words are identified without qualification with the words of God. - Scripture tends to be leveled, with each verse carrying the same weight.

The Inerrancy of Scripture - The __________________ Statement on Biblical Inerrancy 1. ________________ 2. ________________ 3. ________________

Chicago 1. Witten in 1978 2. Signed by over 300 Evangelical Scholars: James Boice, Noman Geisler, Francis Shaeffer, RC Sproul, J.I. Packer. 3. Affirms inerrancy and infallibility of the original autographs of scripture.

Three Methods of Theology: _________________________________________ - a discipline of the church in which it tests itself by Jesus Christ as attested in scripture. - Underscores the importance of the Word of God and the questions it poses.

Christocentric Theology (Barth)

Four "Inadequate" views on Authority: The _____________________ View - The Bible is read like classic literature - Stresses the narrative of Scripture no the reality - Was it just another narrative with an important message or is it real

Classicist

According to Migliore, what is the difference between coercive power and inviting power?

Coercive power is a threat against complying, and inviting is an introduction of a choice under power.

________: " the maximum acknowledgement of the claims of traditional thought"

Conservative

Three Methods of Theology: _________________________________________ - existential questions are formulated by an analysis of the human condition as seen in philosophy, literature, art, science... - These questions are correlated with the "answers of the Christian Message. - Purpose: to create genuine conversation between culture and revelation.

Correlation Method (Paul Tillich)

Deep Seated attitudes that underlie the ecological crisis: ___________________: an ecological consciousness is a realization of the delicate web of life. This does not require that we attribute personhood to them, but recognizing their value, and of themselves.

Denial of Interconnectedness

Four "Inadequate" views on Authority: The _____________________ View - Meaning and application are private and individualized - The public realm is left for the private, where faith is secure from attack.

Devotionalist

How do you understand the Barthian phrase, "Only God can reveal God!"?

God is the only one who fully knows him, so his the only one who can reveal himself. It is impossible to reveal something that you do not know.

Explain the significance of the Lewis' Hamlet analogy:

God's creation could not just reference their creator or choose to meet them, it was the same for Hamlet and Shakespeare. The only way for the creation to know the creator, is if he writes himself into the story.

Four "Inadequate" views on Authority: The _____________________ View - The bible is read simply as a historical source - Stresses the historical and cultural context of the text - Limits scripture to the past, just another ancient text

Historicist

What is the question that arises when first approaching the theological development of Christology?

How did early Christian Thought transition from the strict monotheism of Judaism to the complex Trinitarian Framework of later Christianity?

How do you understand this phrase from Migliore? - A major task of theology today is to develop a liberative understanding of the authority of Scripture

If we don't choose to apply authority to scripture through and because of our faith in the power of God then we are eternally lost.

The doctrine of Revelation often exposes the tension between two poles: ____________________ / ______________________ ____________________ / ______________________

Incomprehensibility/ Knowability Hiddenness/ Disclosure

Migliore defines God's self revelation as ___________________ __________________

Interpersonal : Knowledge

Our knowledge of persons requires attention to _____________ ____________ in their actions that manifest, as we might say, who they really are, what is in their hearts, what their true character is.

Interpersonal : Knowledge

What does Migliore mean when he states that the doctrine of the Trinity is not a "revealed" doctrine?

It is not directly stated in scripture, it is implied, and shows evidence that proves it's truth. But the word trinity is never used and the relationship is never directly defined.

What are the implications of noting that Bible is an act of communication?

It's being communicated within a particular language specific culture and in it's own context.

For Barth and Migliore, Scripture serves as a witness to _____________,___________________________ .

Jesus Christ, the word of GOD

What slogan emerged as the earliest Christian slogan?

Jesus is Lord

Who were the main voices in the development of Chirstology in the Apostolic and Patristic periods?

Justin Martyr Irenaeus of Lyons Tertullian of Carthage

________: "The maximum acknowledgement of the claims of modern thought"

Liberal

Three Views of the Historical Adam and Eve The ________________ View: A&E were a real, historical couple. The story explains how sin and spiritual death entered the world.

Literal

Three Views of the Historical Adam and Eve The ________________ View: The story describes a real event about the moral failure of the earliest humans, but it does so in a non-literal way, with motifs and imagery common to ancient Israelite culture.

Metaphorical

The ___________: God himself remains the infinite and incomprehensible one.

Object of faith

Per the quote from William Abraham, in what ways is revelation a threshold event?

Once you receive the revelation your world is forever changed there is no going back to your old way of thinking.

Four Main Questions: 3. Do the proclamation & practice of the community of faith represent the God of Jesus Christ as a living reality in the present context? ___________________________

Relevance/Mission

Deep Seated attitudes that underlie the ecological crisis: ___________________: at heart is the misuse of power. Modern science and tech have acquired enormous power over the forces of nature and are able to use this power for good or ill.

Power of Dominion

Three Methods of Theology: _________________________________________ - Theology must be a critical reflection on Christian practice in the light of the Word. - This method is centered on the struggle for justice, scripture leads to concrete action in relation to the poor and oppressed

Praxis Approach (liberation theology)

The Positives Vs. Negatives of the Biblicist View

Pros: You are accurately referring to the absolute power, scripture most important piece. Cons: However you will greatly miss the true meaning or complete understanding without incorporating contexts, and other historical texts.

In Christian Theology it refers to the _______________ of God in creation, in the ________________ of the people of Israel, and, above all, in the person of ____________.

Self-disclosure : History : Jesus Christ

The __________: particular historical situations, changing, ambiguous, and often precarious, pose ever new questions for faith

Situation of faith

An important factor affecting theological method is the primary _____________ location in which a particular theology is pursued

Social

Personal identity is freely disclosed and open to ______________ and ___________________. A person is not bound by stereotype, but is free to do new things and surprising things.

Spontaneity : unpredictability

What is the difference between systematic and dogmatic theology?

Systematic: formulates an orderly, rational, and coherent account of the doctrines of the Christian faith Dogmatic: Focuses on theoretical theology of God and his works.

Sources of Theology The ________: creeds & confessions, classic statements of faith.

Theological heritage of the church

Is the authority of Scripture the foundation of faith in Jesus Christ or does faith give Scripture its peculiar authority?

There are two different contexts to consider, for instance scripture has an ultimate power over explaining the power of God, and God's word revealed through Jesus Christ gives that value. However our faith is what gives it authority over our lives.

What is the basic worldview statement of the Bible regarding creation?

There is one God, that through love and plan designed and created the heavens and the earth. Including his people. "In the beginning God created the heavens and the Earth" the distinction being that the God-singular, created-no accident, and everything, he is God of everything.

Four Main Questions: 2. Do the proclamation & practice of the community of faith give adequate expression to the whole truth of the revelation of God in Jesus Christ? _______________________ What is the whole gospel?

Wholeness and coherence

Wesleyan Quadrilateral

a methodology for theological reflection that is credited to John Wesley, leader of the Methodist movement in the late 18th Century.

The Central task of Theology is to....

attempt to clarify the understanding of God that is proper to the Christian Faith, to describe its own peculiar "logic" of God. Migliore means that Christian theology has a very specific definition of who God is, and that makes it very unique from other interpretations.

What does the doctrine of Creation teach us? God, as ______________, is worthy of praise and adoration because He is greater than creation. Migliore notes to speak of the world as God's creation is first of all to make an affirmation about God.

creator

What does the doctrine of Creation teach us? Existence, history, and all matter had a beginning. Life, therefore, is wholly ___________________ on God. So a second theme of this doctrine is that the world as a whole and all beings individually are _________________ ________________ on God

dependent radically dependent

What does the doctrine of Creation teach us? Human beings were _________________ to care for creation. A fourth theme of the doctrine of creation is the coexistence and interdependence of all created beings.

entrusted

What does the doctrine of Creation teach us? All creation is _________________. A third theme of the doctrine of creation is that in all of its contingency, finitude, and limitation, creation is ________________.

good good

Key Point: The Bible's creation narratives... ... are not in dialogue with ___________ _____________ ____________ about world origins. ... are in dialogue with _______________, ________________, and ________________ cosmologies.

modern scientific ideas Egyptian, Babylonian, and Canaanite

Personal identity is often rendered in _________________ form. Our stories retell our lives, reveal our character, expose our motives, foreshadow our futures.

narrative

What is an "Ancient Near Eastern Cosmology"? These types of narratives do not have as their ______________ purpose to give a scientific account of world origins. They do have as their primary purpose to address basic _________________ issues: who are we, where are we, why are we here, who are the gods?

primary woldview

Each social location of theology poses its own set of _____________, its own view of ______________, and its own special emphasis.

questions : truth

Revelation is not the transmission of a body of knowledge but the personal disclosure of one subject to other subjects. So it is not merely knowledge-_________ or knowledge- ________, but knowledge-________.

that : about : of

Sources of Theology The ________: to express the Christian faith in the context of our modern world.

thought forms of our culture

Knowledge of persons involves a continuous invitation to ___________ and to live in response to promises. Because of the freedom and unpredictability of personal knowledge, promising is an important dimension of all personal relationships.

trust

Revelation means an ________________ or __________________ of something hidden

unveiling : disclosure

Most current conversations about Creation wrestle with how what is seen came into existence, but the real question is ______________?

why