Theology Midterm

What are the 7 steps of the development of Scripture

1) God Acts- people interpret God's action; telling stories 2) Oral Traditions- the problem with this is that is changes or transmute over time. 3) Writing of stories- believers decide to put these stories in writing so they don't get lost 4) Stories redacted into books- meanings stay the same but the story gets modify. 5) Books redacted into Canon- many books but only certain books are chosen to be consider sacred books. 6) Transcription 7) Translation

What are the three reasons the quest for God continues through the ages?

1) God is a mystery, which move all people throughout the ages, which leads them to quest. 2) The search continues because of the longing of the human heart 3) As culture changes we need to rethink things again

Describe the three elements that characterize the encounter between humans and the Holy as described by Rudolf Otto.

1) Mysterium- the hidden character of the Holy 2) Tremendum- beyond your control (awesome) 3) Fascinans- attractive character/ overwhelming gracious/ beyond imagination

Transcendent

that God is beyond this world

Immanent

that God is within this world

What are the two sources used by the authors of the Gospels of Matthew and the Gospel of Luke?

the Q and Mark

How does St. Anselm define theology?

"faith seeking understanding"

Original Sin

the belief that all humans are born into this world already deeply wounded by sin

Saum

Fasting from dawn to dusk during the month Ramadan

God of History

God works in human history. Events are unique, unrepeatable, and important.

What is Freud's critique of religion?

He believed that religion inhibits an individual growth psychologically and sociologically. Gets in the way of taking responsibility of you own life.

What are false teachings about the basic Christian faith called?

Heresies

Hajj

the pilgrimage to mecca that must be done once in a lifetime

Shema

the profession of God "Hear O Israel, The Lord our God, The Lord is one"

Shahadah

the profession of faith "There is no God, but God and Mohammed is God prophet"

How are "hope" and "vision" ways in which religion can promote global responsibility?

Hope is needed for people to believe a solution is possible that there is a way to get out of our mess. Must have Vision or new vision of how we can change the world. To see the world differently.

Shariah Law

Islamic Law, based on the Quran and the Hadith.

Sabbath

weekly day of worship communicating the seventh day of creation when God rested

What is faith?

Our personal knowledge and relationship with God.

Salat

Prayer 5x a day facing Mecca

What is the role of religion in society?

Religion provides the framework of social responsibility. Contributes to responsibly facing and resolving the global crisis threatening human kind.

How does Guinan define Christian spirituality?

Ruach or pneunma basic meaning- wind/ breath Empowering persons to do God's work

What are fundamental, normative and constitutive articulations of the faith called?

Sacred Scriptures

Sacramentality

Sacred signs

Civil Religion

When one group of people try to impose their religion on others. ex: ISIS

Neviim

writing of the prophets

What is term used to refer to the first four books of the New Testament

Gospels

What is Karl Marx's critique of religion?

He views religion as an opium or ideology. That religion takes advantage of people and distances them from the truth.

Describe the basic features of human faith.

Human faith is grounded on trust and trust enables all other things.

How would you distinguish human faith from religious faith and to they both interact with each other?

Human faith is trust in others, while religious faith is trust in God. It's very difficult to have religious faith without human faith.

What salient features characterize the quest for the living God as witnessed in the Bible?

Humanity search for God, awareness of God love, God search for the poor

What is the problem that the three great religions of the West attempt to address?

Humans are alienated from each other and from God because of the misuse of human freedom

Define the monotheistic emphasis of these three religions.

Judaism- emphasizes the holiness of God, reflected by the moral demands of the covenant. Christianity- focus on the love and mercy of God, seen in Jesus's sacrifice of his life for others. Islam- stresses the power and mercy of God

Describe social and religious context from which Christianity arises.

Judisim and Roman oppression of Jesus

According to Guinan and in the context of Christian spirituality, what does personal responsibility mean?

Listening to the Spirit in our lives, speaking in our hearts, in our relationships, in our Church, and making life giving choices

Which are the three Synoptic Gospels?

Matthew, Mark and Luke

What are these four books?

Matthew, Mark, Luke and John

Are Judaism, Christianity and Islam monotheistic or polytheistic religions?

Monotheistic

What does the Spirit of God move the Old Testament prophets to do?

Moving them to speak and act on God's behalf

Zakat

almsgiving; must give 2 1/2 % to the poor

Qur'an

is the collected revelations of God to Muhammad

Ketuvim

other wisdom writings

Creed

system of beliefs

What shapes and defines the varying Christian spiritualties?

Our community we are born to, grown in, our experiences, and change in circumstances

What is the relationship between religion and culture?

Religion is found in every culture

In what sense is revelation a universal phenomenon?

Revelation is universal (for all people) -pluralistic (many cultures) -historically mediated ( Revelation is in a historical moment)

What are the five pillars of Islam?

Shahadah, Salat, Zakat, Saum, Haji

Second Stage in the development of the New Testament

The oral traditions

According to Guinan, what do most of the world religions have in common?

The quest of the human spirit for something that is above us, that is bigger, deeper "more than" the ordinary, surface reality of life.

Imam

a religious clery

Explain why the faith-revelation dynamic is an interlocking concept.

a) Revelation can not occur without faith b) Faith allows openness and response to God c) You must receive and acknowledge God in order to say that the process of revelation has occurred

Define the concept of "covenant" in Judaism?

an agreement or contract

Canon

an authoritative list of books accepted as Holy Scriptures

Jihad

an internal Holy War; a temptation that Muslims get to do what God doesn't want you to do

What are teachings based on Scriptures and the ongoing tradition of the Church called?

Doctrines

What are the four elements that shape "all major religions".

creed, code, ceremony, and community

Revelation

God's self communication to a human being.

At the heart of Christianity is Jesus teachings on the "Kingdom of God". Explain this concept.

Heaven on Earth, or the reign of God's will

Islam Beliefs: Human Nature

Human beings are good (no original sin) but are not the image of God. Humans are responsible for their choices and will be rewarded or punished for them in heaven or hell.

To what does "environmental suffering" refer.

Our species destroying the world we live in.

Code

ethical standards, what's considered good or bad or the do's and don't

What does it mean to say that Judaism is a historical religion?

its beliefs and rituals are rooted in the concrete events that happened to the people of Israel.

What does Bible mean?

means the book, which comes from the Greek word Biblion.

Salvation/ Justification by faith

that we are saved by faith in Jesus Christ

Chosen People

the Jews were the first to believe in God

Hermeneutics

the art of interpretation

What is Pentateuch?

the first five books of the Old Testament

Talmud

oral traditions; history laws, anecdotes, proverbs of rabies

What does the word "catholic" mean?

Embracing the whole, the totality

What do all Christians spiritualties have in common?

Everyone shares one call to the holiness, the spirit

What is the central historical even in Judaism?

Exodus: When Moses saves the Jews from Egypt and have a covenant with God.

What is the difference between "faith" and "the faith"?

Faith is personal knowledge of God, while the faith is a composite of beliefs.

Incarnation

God embodied in human flesh, Jesus is both divine and human

What is the "Q" document

sayings of Jesus in a non-narrative context. hypothetical of what Jesus said

What are the approximate dates of the writings of the Gospels?

Year 70 when Mark writes his gospel, the other 3 gospels year 70 and after (1st century)

Explain why it is important to have "basic trust in the meaning of human life".

You cannot live the fullness of life without basic trust. It also provides Hope.

Describe Jesus' ministry.

A ministry to the poor, sick and sinner

Who is considered to be the "father" of Judaism, Christianity and Islam?

Abraham

Where were the two canons founds?

Alexandria (Greek, has the apocrypha) and Jerusalem (Hebrew, does not have the apocrypha)

Morality in Judaism

As God is good and wills the good for all, humans are made in God's image, thus are to be good

Apocrypha

7 books in the Old Testament, that are in the Catholic Bible, but are NOT in the Protestant Bible

What is belief?

It is the formulation of knowledge we have of God through theology and faith. It is something accepted as true even in the absence of clear and convincing evidence.

What does Religion provide?

It provides the people social responsibility, vision, and hope.

First Stage in the development of the New Testament

Jesus's life and ministry

Church

The body of God, carrying on Christ work

Torah

The first five book in the Old Testament, "books of Moses"

Centrist understanding of the Bible?

The inspired word of God inherent (without error) in matters of faith and morals, but not in science.

What is theology?

The interpretation of one's faith.

Third Stage in the development of the New Testament

The writings of the Gospels and the letters of Paul

Islam Beliefs: Monotheism

There is no God but Allah. There is no divine savior. Islam accepts Jesus as prophet, accepts his virgin birth, but denies his divinity.

What are some of the problems that the modern historical- critical method of biblical interpretation addresses?

They address the problem is in the oral tradition, how the books of the bible were transcribed, how they were edited and problem in translation.

Trinity

Three person in one: Father, Son, Holy Spirit

What was the first collections of writings to be recognized as sacred scripture or canonical books by the people of Israel?

Torah