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
