Doctrine 1 test 1 Dr. Muadame

In the article you read, what are some key differences that Michael Reeves highlights between the Islamic view of God and the Trinity?

Allah is not essentially loving, while the doctrine of the Trinity says that God's motivation is love. Other gods can't offer salvation.

What is the significance of Luke 2:2 for the doctrine of inerrancy?

Always give scripture the benefit

What is the definition of "dogma"?

Doctrine/teaching rooted not in opinions, but in Scripture.

Kevin Vanhoozer: "theology without worship is empty, abstract, and arid; worship without theology is formless, blindly zealous, and ambiguous"

Doxology= formula of praise

What is the connection between fundamentalism and evangelical theology?

Evangelicals were about being faithful but engaged in society, while fundamentals were anti-intellectuals.

Know the definitions of exegesis, historical theology, philosophical theology, and systematic theology

Exegesis: Anytime we go to the scriptures we are practicing exegesis What is the author saying? "exegesis without presuppositions is impossible" - Rudolf Bultmann Critical explanation or interpretation of scripture. Philosophical theology: studying theology using the tools of philosophy clarity, precision, logical consistency Systematic theology: Always trying to answer the question "what does the scripture mean today" Historical theology: Investigates the socio-historical and cultural mechanisms that give rise to theological ideas, statements and systems.

Stephen Charnock: "Every plant, every atom, as well as every star, at the first meeting whispers this in our ears, I have a Creator, I am witness to a Deity."

First step in leading us to God.

What is "cheap inerrancy"?

Saying the bible is inerrant but not following the Bible's doctrines. "Cheap inerrancy" is the most dangerous view of this doctrine. It's like talking the talk of inerrancy but not walking the walk, or having your cake and eating it too.

Is there any connection between Covenant College and American fundamentalism? And if so, what is it?

The Presbyterian church comes out of fundamentalism, and Covenant College is the school of the PCA

What was the debate between Karl Barth and Emil Brunner about?

The debate was whether or not natural theology is possible

What are the origins of theology as an academic, university discipline?

University of Paris Peter Lombard

What is verbal-plenary inspiration? (Horton)

Verbal-plenary inspiration is the term that is used to describe God's authorship of Scripture. Scripture is God's words (verbal) and is entirely what God spoke (plenary).

Know the different definitions of theology from: B. B. Warfield; Wolfhart Pannenberg; Wayne Grudem; Charles Hodge; Rosemary Radford Ruether; Thomas Altizer)

Warfield: science of God; Theology as the study of God. Pannenberg: Theology as the study of God. Grudem: Theology as the study of Scripture. Hodge: Theology as the study of Scripture. Radford: feminist, theology is "critique and emancipation from sexism" This is too narrow a view of theology. Altizer: Believes God is dead. How do you find religion when God is dead? Wouldn't really call that theology; Theology is finding transcendence in a secular world.

Defend the idea that life and theology are inseparable

We need Orthodoxy and orthopraxy Theory and practice Study and praye

What are some examples of fundamentalist churches and institutions today?

Westminster Theological Seminary Covenant College comes out of the fundamentalist tradition, but from the evangelicals side.

Who was Arius and what did he believe about God?

only the Father is the true God, Jesus was created by God before world, God can't suffer so therefore Jesus can't be God - Jesus being an archangel

What does it mean to say that our theology should be a "generous orthodoxy"?

the reformed tradition is not the only one, we worship the same God, we want our doctrine to be catholic (as one), we can learn from other traditions Our theology should be catholic: when we meet a brother or sister in Christ, we share the same faith, through different traditions.

Know and understand Dr. Madueme's nuanced definition of inspiration:

"The Holy Spirit supernaturally guided the minds and personalities of the human authors of Scripture such that the final written product was exactly what God intended to say. And he also providentially super-intended the preparation and the production of the final form of Scripture. The whole process was God's supernatural work."

The traditional understanding of inspiration:

"The Holy Spirit supernaturally guided the minds and personalities of the human authors of Scripture such that the final written product was exactly what God intended to say."

Athanasian Creed:

"Whoever wants to be saved should above all cling to the catholic faith. Whoever does not guard it whole and inviolable will doubtless perish eternally. Now this is the catholic faith: We worship one God in trinity and the Trinity in unity."

What is "biblical positivism"?

"exhibition of the facts of Scripture in their proper order and relation." (Grudem and Hodge)

What are "ectypal" and "archetypal" knowledge? (Horton and Kapic)

-God's knowledge is archetypal, original, because He created all things. -our knowledge is ectypal, finite copy, because we don't know everything like God.

What is the meaning of the Greek word "theopneustos"?

-God-breathed/ Inspired by God

Who was Sabellius and what did he believe about God?

-against polytheism, trinity is just different manifestations of God - believed in modalism.

What do these terms mean: "orthodoxy"; "orthopraxy"; "scientia"; "sapientia"?

-orthodoxy: right beliefs/doctrine -orthopraxy: right practice/living -sapientia: wisdom/"spiritual wisdom" -Scientia: Knowledge/science

What is our "functional theology"?

-the way we live our lives expresses our theology -we should reduce the gap between the way we live and how we say we live

What are the five trends in the theology of majority world Christians?

1. (1)Those who accept authority of Scripture & hold a theology considered conservative, orthodox, & traditionalist. 2. (2) Morally & ethically conservative. 3. 3) More sensitivity to Christian responsibility to face issues over poverty and social justice. tend to live in worlds characterized by these things & cannot avoid the topic as easily as we can. 4. (4) younger churches more experienced at articulating uniqueness of Gospel despite religious pluralism. 5. (5) More likely to grasp corporate dimensions of teachings of NT

Explain each of the nine components involved in Erickson's "method of theology"?

1. Collection of biblical materials identify all the relevant biblical passages dealing with the topic being investigated and then interpret them very carefully Exegesis: using commentaries, concordances, Hebrew/Greek studies Consider the commentary author's perspective consider what the biblical author says to his audience examine material in various ways (i.e. word study) 2. Unification of Biblical Materials draw works together into a coherent whole this assumes unity/coherence among materials/witnesses look for agreement among the material 3. Analysis of meanings of Biblical Teachings ask what it really means don't read contemporary meanings into the Bible don't assume a particular teaching/phrase means the same thing to everyone Get a true understanding of the teaching 4. Examination of Historical treatments study church history and compare its doctrine with today's see how historical views have brought particular results 5. Identification of the Essence of Doctrine Understand underlying message among different cultures do not alter the message i.e. sacrifice - the point is that there was a sacrifice needed to satisfy God's wrath. OT people sacrificed animals, but Jesus was the ultimate sacrifice 6. Illumination from sources beyond the Bible Bible is not the only source general revelation Bible is still the primary source 7. Contemporary Expression of the Doctrine express content of doctrine in an accessible/understandable manner method of correlation (Paul Tillich) what questions are being asked today? relate theology to them Contextualization What questions are being asked today? relate to them 3 steps length - re expressing message in present time breadth - express in culturally relevant ways height - different levels of complexity and sophistication 8. Development of central interpretive motif center on one teaching more functional when we reinstall it in our own lives 9. Stratification of the topics determine what are major issues and what are sub issues emphasize the major issues

Dr. Madueme described a more mature and nuanced way of understanding the inerrancy of Scripture—please explain clearly (and with some detail) each of these points:

1. Distinguish truth and precision Scripture is often common language, not scientifically precise. The Bible uses "Phenomena Language", language that describes the world and what happens based on appearance rather than scientific precision or exactness. ex: Matt 5:45 2. Take account of literary genre The passage could be apocalyptic, poetic, an epistle, etc. 3. Avoid the encyclopedic fallacy While the Bible does give us direction and guidance, it does not give us specific answers to many questions. We cannot go to the Bible for answers to physics problems. However, if it does address an area overlapping with biology, history, geography, etc. then the Bible' facts supercede observed science. 4. Always give Scripture the benefit of the doubt There is the hermeneutic of suspicion and the hermeneutic of trust. We should adopt the hermeneutic of trust. 5. Always remember that an "inerrant Bible" is not an end in itself but it points to glorious divine realities. When holding to the traditional view of the doctrine of inerrancy, it is important not to disregard the overarching story and plan that the Bible is a part of.

Explain the evolution of "fundamentalism" from the early twentieth century to the 1970s

1920s The Fundamentals (12 vols.) by J. Gresham Machen (he formed Westminster Theological Seminary) They defended the bible as inerrant 1930s many fundamentalist churches come out of the reaction to liberalism 1940-70 Fundamentalism splits in two: anti-intellectualist separatist - Bob Jones, Pensacola (very strict, kinda extreme) Fundamentalist who want to engage the world faithfully. Now known as evangelicals, this is where Covenant College comes out of

Who was Karl Barth?

A German theologian who was alive during WWI and WWII.

What is "detachment theology"?

A gap between what we proclaim to believe and how we act The tendency people have to compartmentalize their lives, putting God/religion in one box and everything else in the other.

Westminster Shorter Catechism - Q.1 What is the chief end of man?

Ans. The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy him forever.

Who were the Cappadocian fathers?

Athanasius John Chrysostom Basil Gregory of Nyssa Gregory of Nazianzus

What was the nature of theology before and after the 12th century?

Before: Was not academic It was about knowing God A spiritual discipline After: An academic discipline.

What was Barth's view of general revelation and natural theology?

Christians shouldn't build on general revelation, revelation only in Jesus Christ.

What is analytic theology?

Clarity, precision, and logical consistency.

Explain the basic theology of Roman Catholicism, including the significance of the Council of Trent, the First Vatican Council and the Second Vatican Council.

Council of Trent (1545-63) bible and tradition are equal only the church can interpret the bible First Vatican Council (1860-76) papal infallibility Second Vatican Council gives more freedom to people (to read the bible)

Be able to give me (and explain) two biblical citations that point to the oneness of God, and two biblical citations that point to the threeness of God

Deut. 6:4-the Lord is God, the Lord is one. Ex. 20:3 Matt. 3:16-17 Matt 28:19-20, 1 name and 3 persons.

What is liberal theology?

Freedom! Want to be able to disagree with the bible experiences are really important Jesus was good moral teacher Immanuel Kant and Friedrich Schleiermacher

Give two Old Testament hints of the Trinity?

Gen. 31:11-13, the Angle of the Lord and God seem interchangeable Gen. 2, "Elohim" means "gods" Genesis 1:26

What is general revelation?

General revelation is God revealing himself through nature, history, and human conscience

Who said: "The Swastika on our breasts, and the Cross on our hearts?"

German Christians/Nazi Christians

Explain this statement: "The ontological basis of Christian love is intra-Trinitarian love."

God is fundamentally love. Intra-Trinitarian love is the distinction between the love of the Father for the Son and the love of the Son for the Father. And after Jesus bore our sins this love of the Father for the Son is moved to the Son's love for his people in Redemption, thus making Jesus the mediator of the Father's love.

Be able to define the Trinity using the language of "essence" and "persons"

God is one in essence and three in persons An essence is simply something with characteristics A person is a distinct bearer of an essence Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are distinct persons, each with his own personal attributes, while each also shares equally the attributes of deity

Michael Horton on the Trinity Explain the economic/immanent distinction in the Trinity

God reveals himself economically as one God in three persons because he is in fact such the Son is subordinate to the father economically and ontologically the Son is not less divine than the Father

Horton makes a distinction between an "organic" and a "mechanical" view of interpretation—what does he mean?

He says that Scripture is organic, meaning that we must take into account that scripture is written by many different people, but still from God. Different writing styles, cultural context, and interest all come into play when we interpret Scripture. Scripture isn't all the same style and context and Horton puts it mechanical.

Who was J. Gresham Machen?

He wrote The Fundamentals (12 vols.) he formed Westminster Theological Seminary; after leaving Princeton due to their "inerrancy of Scripture"

What is the significance of Peter Lombard (1100-1159)?

He wrote the four books of sentences Law, median, the arts, and theology (University of Paris) Theology was the "queen of the sciences" Significance: when theology became an academic discipline.

What was B.B. Warfield's understanding of the word "inspiration"?

He'd argue that "inspiration" is misleading. He advocated for the term, "God-breathed", which he believed gets at the true meaning, indicating that God spoke through his people.

What should we think about general revelation and natural theology?

In some sense natural theology is just general revelation.

What did Dr. Madueme mean when he said that inerrancy is a "christological" doctrine?

Inerrancy as a christological doctrine means that since Jesus was without sin, and God the Son took on human flesh without sin, we should be able to believe in inerrancy if we can believe in a sinless Jesus

What is the difference between "inspiration" and "illumination"? (Horton)

Inspiration refers to scripture being God-breathed and therefore is infallible. illumination is the term that describes how we interpret scripture. The Spirit illumines us when we interpret Scripture. Our interpretation is fallible and subject to change in the light of Scripture.

How does Erickson defend the idea that theology is a "science"?

It accepts the same rules of logic like other disciplines do. It is communicable/can be expressed in propositional verbal form It employs some methods used by other disciplines. It shares some subject matter with other disciplines Overall, it is a special science because it cannot be reduced down to any other discipline.

What is the working definition of theology used in the class?

It is the attempt to discover from God's word the truth about God, ourselves, and the world. And to apply that word to all areas of our lives so that our thoughts words and deeds may glorify God.

What is the significance of this quote from Galileo: "The Holy Spirit does not want to teach us how the heavens go, but how to go to heaven"?

It is used to support limited inerrancy.

What was the Barmen Confession?

It was a document written for Christians in Nazi Germany in 1934 who opposed the German Christians. It argued that Christians should not embrace natural theology or general revelation, and that revelation is only in Jesus.

Know the significance of the Reformation principle: "In essentials, unity, in nonessentials liberty, in all things charity"

John Chrysostom Non-essentials in terms of the gospel/salvation, baptism, eschatology with respect to the Gospel essentials: what we unite around It is imperative for us to share the same beliefs in the essentials of Christianity, but there are some things like the rapture that people debate over, but it ultimately isn't a heaven or hell issue.

Explain the "limited inerrancy" position

Limited inerrancy argues that the primary purpose of Scripture is to reconcile us with God, and so when it comes to leading us to faith, the Bible is inerrant, but concerning other things like history and geography, it makes mistakes. The problem- It's extremely hard to draw the line of inerrancy . There are parts of salvation that must be historical to make sense and be just

Horton uses the distinction between "magisterial" and "ministerial" authority to talk about the relationship between God's Word and church tradition—please explain.

Magisterial refers to the view of the Roman Catholic Church. They believed that scripture and tradition are magisterial (ruling) authority. Scripture and tradition both provide authority in the faith. However ministerial (serving) means that scripture is the authority in our faith and tradition is separate. Magisterial combines tradition and scripture while ministerial separates the two.

What are the basic conclusions of Christian Smith and Melinda Lundquist Denton's Soul Searching: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers?

Moralistic Therapeutic Deism - Religion is about being HAPPY, God is outside our world, Good people go to heaven.

According to Erickson, what are the different starting points for the study of Christian doctrine?

Natural Theology Tradition The Scriptures Experience

What are the three modes of general revelation? Be able to give at least one biblical citation for each mode

Nature (having a baby), Psalm 19 & Psalm 104 -History, God is in control, points to providential hand, Acts 17:26 -human conscience, innate moral/spiritual capacity, Romans 2:12-16

Carolyn Custis James: "In reality, theologian is just another word for Christian"

Not just for men The Dreaded T-Word

Be able to defend the doctrine of the Trinity drawing on at least three OT passages and three NT passages

OT Deut. 6:4, "the Lord is one" (maybe the most important verse in the bible) Gen. 31:11-13, the Angle of the Lord and God seem interchangeable Gen. 2, "Elohim" means "gods" NT 1 Cor. 8:4, citing the OT, emphasizing the oneness of God Matt. 27:46, the Father is God Col. 1:15, the Son is God Heb. 10:15, the Holy Spirit is God

What are the original autographs?

Original autographs are the original copies of Scripture that translations come from. We do not say that the modern translations are inerrant but that the original autographs are.

Why did Dr. Madueme feel the need to offer some additional "nuance" to the traditional, conservative understanding of inspiration?

Some might bring up the fact that certain authors of parts of scripture didn't actually write all of their books-parts may have been added in for clarification. For example, Moses wrote the Pentateuch, but he dies in Deut. 34. The additional nuance explains that the final canon of Scripture, with the clarifying additions, was super intended by God.

Define inerrancy, and be able to cite at least two references

The Bible is trustworthy in everything it affirms. Scripture is true. Scripture will reflect the character and nature of God, and we can rely on and trust Him in every way. (e.g., Heb 6:18; Tit 1:2; 1 John 3:20; Psalm 119:43; John 17:17; John 10:35, etc.)

How does theology or doctrine connect with doxology?

The Christian theology is doxological, and we need both theology and worship, doxa and dogma. "theology without worship is empty, abstract and arid. Worship without theology is formless, blindly zealous and ambiguous." (Kevin Vanhoozer) The purpose of theology is ultimately worship

What does Timothy Tennent mean by the cultural and geographical translatability of the gospel?

The Gospel is not bound to only one culture or one geographic location; it is God's Word for the world. The Word of God has power to cross over cultural and geographic boundaries. The Gospel adapts to new cultural and geographic centers and is revitalized in doing so.

What was the "fundamentalist-modernist controversy" and why was it significant?

The fundamentalist-modernist controversy is the argument between fundamentalists ( who think the bible is authoritative on everything), and the modernists (who think the bible is a human collection of writings that point to Jesus).

Explain the "pilgrim" and "indigenizing" principles articulated by Andrew Walls (in the

The pilgrim principle is the universal force of the gospel that transcends all the particulars of our own cultural background and gives us what Walls calls a common "adoptive past," whereby we are "linked to the people of God in all generations." The indigenizing principle is the particular force of the gospel that reminds us that the gospel really does penetrate and become rooted in the specific particularities of our cultural life.

What is the seismic shift in the center of Christian gravity that Tennent discusses?

The statistical center of gravity refers to the point where the majority of Christians are located, the point on the globe with an equal number of Christians living north, south, east, and west of it. Today, we are witnessing a seismic shift in the center of Christian gravity from the West to the Majority World Church.

What is the traditional view of biblical authority?

The traditional view of scripture is that it's authoritative on everything.

Be able to discuss at some length why the Trinity is such a rich and essential doctrine for the Christian faith

The trinity reveals who God really is and what he has revealed The trinity deepens our knowledge of God: Loved by the Father, saved by the Son, dwelt with the Holy Spirit The Trinity reveals the truth behind who God really is and deepens our knowledge of Him The Trinity deepens our solidarity with other human beings Human dignity: each of us bears the image of God Human individuality: like us, the Trinity is equal in nature, but each of them is unique Human community: made for fellowship

What is Tennent's definition of "theological translatability"?

Theological translatability - the process by which the universal truths of the Gospel are being revisited and retold in new, global contexts.

Be able to explain whether theology is "inerrant" or "immutable" (and why)

Theology is not inerrant, it will change only scripture is unchanging, the world will always have new questions and challenges

What are some of the reasons given by Carolyn Custis James why women do not like "the dreaded T-word"?

They have been taught it is only for men They have been told it is bad to know more about theology than a man does (biblical submission)

What are the main features of Eastern Orthodox theology?

They put the church fathers as equal to the scriptures Patriarch of Constantinople - split in 1054 Attractive to Evangelicals.

What does it mean to say that Scripture is norma normans (the norming norm)?

Tradition, culture and reason (all the norms) must be normed by Scripture. The authority of scripture trumps tradition, culture and reason.

What are some of the different views of inerrancy among evangelicals today?

Traditional view, limited inerrancy and rejection of inerrancy.

How or why is it possible for someone to deny inerrancy and still be a godly, thriving believer?

You can still be someone who is trying to live a godly life and follow God's call and commands for you while questioning the inerrancy of the Bible. Someone could be denying inerrancy, yet believe in Christ's death for their salvation, and is seeking to follow the Lord.

Give several personal examples that demonstrate the inseparability of life and theology

abortion,cheating, homosexuality: society says they are okay or you're tempted with theses thing but the bible speaks differently

Give an example of natural theology and name one of its adherents.

an example of natural theology is Thomas Aquinas' cosmological argument. Everything we experienced is caused by something else We know that it can't go on forever, otherwise there would have never been a beginning There must be an "uncaused cause", and this "cause" is what we call God.

What are some of the ways that a graduate of Covenant College can end up rejecting the authority of Scripture? How would you advise Covenant students today to be wise and careful about sustaining a faithful doctrine of Scripture after graduation?

answer

What are the limits of general revelation?

general revelation is important for humans as humans, but isn't enough because it ignores the aspect of sin

What is natural theology?

natural theology is trying to prove the existence of God through nature and human reason/ outside of Scripture.

What is "vestigia trinitatis"?

seeing the trinity hinted at in the OT/footprints of the Holy Spirit.

What is confessional Protestant theology? Give examples.

sola scriptura-refomred tradition ex: baptist, lutheran, reformed, etc.

What is the significance of these Scripture passages for the doctrine of inspiration? 2 Tim 3:16—"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work" 1 Pet 1:19-21—"And we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit."

these passages support the doctrine of inspiration, emphasizing that Scripture is fundamentally supernatural, spoken and written through man with full authorship from God.

Why are many evangelicals being drawn (and converted) to Roman Catholicism?

young people especially drawn to RC It has certainty and uniformity they want history they want unity (no denominations) looking for final authority