Theo Midterm Study Guide

What does it mean when the Nicene creed says that Christ "descended into hell" after His death?

"Hell" refers to those deprived of the vision of God—but Christ did not deliver the damned or destroy the hell of damnation. (CCC 633). Christ's redeems and illumines all the just who had cooperated with the grace of God prior to the time of the New Covenant.

Where does God most definitively reveal His identity in the Old Testament? What is the Divine Name? What is the meaning of this name?

"I AM WHO I AM". The meaning of this name is that he is existence itself. He does not rely on anyone or anything, but rather everything depends on Him.

What happened, theologically speaking, at the moment of the Incarnation? What was the ultimate purpose of this event? How would you respond to this objection: "If God is eternal, transcendent, omnipotent, etc., then how could He possibly become man?

God is both fully God and fully man. He became truly man while remaining truly God. God assumed a human nature, in the womb of the blessed Virgin Mary. Christ possesses a human intellect and will as well as the divine intellect and will. Jesus is not an individual substance therefore is not a human person. It is possible to have 2 natures but not 2 beings. You should respond to this by stating that the second person of the Holy Trinity assumed human nature.

Why did God choose to reveal Himself to man? How should the history of salvation and God's revelation to man best be understood?

God revealed himself to us so that we may reach our goal of salvation. He did not need to reveal himself but chose to for us and our faith. We should see God's plan of salvation as Divine pedagogy. All the parts of Scripture are connected as God slowly reveals himself.

What evidence do we have of the historical existence of Jesus Christ?

He lived in first-century Palestine, he is mentioned in the Jewish Antiquities of Flavius Josephus, and a reference is made in the annals of Tacitus. He has other historical sources other than the Bible.

What enables us to say that Christ was truly human? Why is it so important for us to maintain this truth and are there any ways in which we can say that Christ not like us?

He shared a common origin with us in Adam and Eve- he possessed the same humanity that characterizes each member of the human race. He worked with his hands, thought with a human mind and loved with a human heart. He had passions and was subject to suffering and death. He was not like us in that he was not subject to sin, his passions were not disordered but guided by reason and subject to the will of the Father. "He was like us in all things but sin"

Where can we most clearly see and understand the nature of God's love?

In Christ's sacrifice on the cross.

\What do biblical scholars mean when they make a distinction between the "Jesus of history and the Christ of faith"? Is this a valid distinction?

In the search for the "historical Jesus", they made a distinction between the "Jesus of history" and the "Christ of faith". This is not a valid distinction because with this distinction, they are stating that there were two different versions or two different Christs- one historical and one of faith, when there was only one.

What is the Magisterium of the Church and what is its function or purpose?

Magisterium, derives from the Latin word for "teaching office". It is the authority that lays down what is the authentic teaching of the Catholic Church. It is composed of the pope and the bishops united to him as the successors of the Apostles. The magisterium gives the authentic interpretation of the word of God- whether it is written or in Tradition- it is entrusted in the teaching office of the Church.

How is man-made in the imago Dei (Image of God)? What is the relationship between the body and soul in man?

Man is made in the "image and likeness" of God. The image of God in man is in the spiritual powers of the human soul: intellect and will. Our image is the nature of the human person with the ability to know and love and our likeness is how we use our knowledge and love.

What is the basic argument of the three proofs for God's existence we discussed in class?

Motion or change- nothing can move itself; God is the "unmoved mover". Contingency- nothing can cause itself to be, God is the "uncaused cause". Design or purpose- based on observations of nature; when the movement of an object shows purpose, it is because an intelligent force guides it; aka order does not come from random chaos.

Do the proofs for God's existence give us evidence of the God of Christianity? Why do these proofs often fail to move many people on a more personal level? What is required to know God on this more intimate level?

No, they are limited. We know God through natural human reason and through the world itself, but we must come to know God deeper on a personal level.

Know as many of the divine attributes as you can possibly manage (and what they mean).

One, Immaterial, Simple, Good, Perfect, Infinite, Omnipresent, Immutable, Eternal, Omniscient, Omnipotent, and Omnibenevolent

What is Original sin and what were the immediate consequences of this sin? How did both Pelagius and the Protestant reformers misunderstand the doctrine of Original sin?

Original sin is the sin that is passed down through the fault of our first parents- Adam and Eve. The sin consisted of man destroying the natural moral order appointed by God. The consequences of this sin were the loss of original justice and holiness, the friendship with God was severed through the loss of grace, the loss of preternatural gifts and the four-fold harmony was broken. Pelagianism denies the reality of original sin and Protestantism, especially Calvinism, says we are completely corrupt.

How is predestination related to divine providence? What is the difference between reprobation and the Protestant doctrine of double predestination?

Predestination is the ordering of man to eternal salvation. Predestination is related to divine providence with predestination being a part of divine providence with the plan of getting to eternal salvation. Reprobation and double predestination are both theories of predestination. Reprobation- God allows people to be "reprobate" or lost throughout their spiritual life. Double predestination- God knows that you will go to heaven or hell in advance and wills it into existence.

How should we best understand Christ's suffering and death? How is Christ's sacrifice is unique and perfect?

Reparation for the sins of mankind could only be fully accomplished by God alone. Man's sins, owing to Original sin, were punishable by death. Since Christ comes as man, He truly makes atonement for us. The CCC teaches that Christ's sacrifice was both unique and perfect because it surpassed and completed all other sacrifices and definitively reconciled us to God.

Why is God necessarily immutable?

Since God is immaterial and perfect, it is impossible for God to change in any way.

What do we mean when we say that God is omnipresent?

Since God is infinite and transcendent (beyond or outside of all created beings ), He is necessarily present everywhere by His essence and power.

Which great Catholic theologian famously gave the proofs for God's existence? How many arguments did he give, what did he call these proofs?

St. Thomas Aquinas; five ways

What is the Deposit of the Faith and what are the two sources of the one Word of God?

The Deposit of Faith- Christ's teachings being handed down faithfully. Composed of sacred scripture and sacred tradition.

What is the hypostatic union? Can you give a precise definition? Can you explain the definition using the appropriate philosophical terms, viz., person, nature, etc.?

The Hypostatic union is the union of two natures, human and divine, in the one divine Person of Jesus Christ. Nature : that which makes a thing to be what it is or the kind of thing it is. Person: an individual substance of a rational nature. Hypostasis: closely connected to the term person, it signifies the ultimate underlying substance. Substance: used in scripture to mean what one has in terms of property or possession but used by Aristotle to signify what one has in terms of being,

Why is the Resurrection of Christ the most significant and culminating in the life of Christ and in our life of faith?

Christ's resurrection is a real historical event that confirms all of Christ's works and teachings, fulfills the OT prophecies, and witnesses to the truth of His divinity. The two ways that Christ's Resurrection affects all of humanity is the definitive victory of God over all powers of evil, sin, and death, and that it revealed to us the final and ultimate purpose of the creation of the world.

Where do we find the most authoritative profession of Jewish monotheism in the Old Testament?

Deuteronomy 6 (Moses)

What is divine governance, and how, specifically, does God govern the world? (CCC 306-308)

Divine governance is how God carries out his plan of providence in time, guiding all things to their end and perfection according to their own natures. God governs the world through secondary causes to bring about his providential plan.

What is divine preservation and divine providence?

Divine preservation- the act by which God sustains all things in existence- by which He does the same act of Creation. Divine providence- God's plan of the order of all things towards their end.

What were some of the most significant Church heresies concerning the hypostatic union and what did they each teach, respectively? How is the title "Mother of God" as applied to Mary a refutation of the Nestorian heresy?

Docetism - Jesus was not truly human and did not actually suffer the pain of crucifixion and death. Arianism - Jesus Christ was neither God nor equal to the Father but instead an exceptional creature, who was raised to the level of "Son of God" because of his heroic fidelity to the Father's will and his sublime holiness. Nestorian- Mary was the Mother only of the human person, not the divine Person

Can you give a good definition of faith?

Faith- a theological virtue given by God by which a person adheres to God and to the truth that he has revealed.

Why did God allow the first man and woman to sin, or in other words, how does moral evil fit in with God's providence? Why does God permit it?

Free will means that we are always capable of turning away from our end or good. God gifted us free will through His love and grace. We have a wounded nature, but we are not totally corrupt. We can perform some good actions but it is very difficult to be truly virtuous without grace. God brings good out of evil. God is aware of His plans of the future, and allows things to occur to take part in His plan for the future.

Why God created the world? How did God create?

God chose to create the world and everything in it for its sole purpose: to share His own goodness and glory. He did not have to create, He created to share His own goodness through an act of love. He created according to His wisdom and love through the work of all three persons of the trinity: the father creates through his word (son) out of love (holy spirit)

Why is it true to say that man is a "religious being" by his very nature?

Because man's search for ultimate meaning and happiness is a search for God.

Can you clearly articulate the Church's teaching on the relationship between faith and reason?

Truth cannot contradict the truth: The God of creation is the same God who reveals himself to men. Faith and reason are meant to be harmonious and mutually supportive. Faith is an act of understanding, knowledge we have through faith is not opposed to reason but surpasses it. It is more certain than reason, God gives us motives of credibility-prophecies, miracles, saints, historical signs- but we believe first in God, who we cannot deceive.

What can we know about God by reason alone?

We are able to know God's attributes- that He is One, Immaterial, Simple, Good, Perfect, Infinite, Omnipresent, Immutable, Eternal, Omniscient, Omnipotent, and Omnibenevolent

What is the heart of the Christian message? Why do we say that it is not merely a set of propositions or beliefs?

We believe and confess that the Word became flesh at a particular moment and time in history. At the heart of the Christian message and catechesis is the Person of Christ, not just a set of propositions.

How do Christian beliefs about God differ from all other monotheistic religions?

We believe in the Holy Trinity. Only the Christian faith proclaims that God is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

What was the nature of Christ's humanity after the Resurrection?

After the resurrection, Christ's humanity was a radical transformation and glorification of our human state.

What did Arianism teach about the person of Christ? How did the Church respond to this heresy? What was the controversy of the iota?

Arianism denied Christ's divinity. They also claimed that being fully human was incompatible with the greatness and oneness of God. The Nicene Creed identified Christ as Lord and identical in his being or substance to the Father. The controversy of the iota was Homousias vs. Homoiousias. Homousias means the same substance in the (orthodox belief) while Homoiousias means similar substance in the Arian heresy.

Can we know God through natural reason alone, i.e., without faith? If so, what can we know about Him? What did the Church at the First Vatican Council definitively declare on this topic?

Yes. The two sources that help us become aware of His presence- the beauty and order of the word and the nature of the human person- soul, freedom, and longing for mortality is a witness to God's existence.

What are the four essential doctrines regarding the Holy Trinity?

1.)In one divine nature, there are three persons 2.)No one of the persons is either of the others, each is wholly himself 3.)The Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God 4.)There are not three Gods but one God

Why is it important to give evidence for Christ's resurrection from the dead and what evidence is there?

It is important to give evidence for Christ's resurrection because without the Resurrection, we essentially do not have a faith. Christ dying on the cross and rising from the dead are events to our faith because that is what our faith is built off of. Evidence includes the empty tomb, the appearances of the risen Jesus to those who knew Him, and the origin of the Christian Church through the apostolic preaching.

How were the Jews of the Old Testament unique in their beliefs about God among the other religions around them?

Jews were monotheistic while the religions around them were polytheistic.

According to the classical definition of death, can we say that Christ truly died? Briefly explain.

The classical definition of death is the separation of the soul from the body. According to this definition, we are able to say that Christ truly died because His soul left His body and descended into Hell.

Why can't we understand the full reality of sin without Revelation? What is sin?

The full reality of sin can only be understood through faith because it cannot be fully understood through reason alone. Sin in the Catholic faith is the rejection of God and an abuse of our God-given freedom and ability to love.

Explain the terms substance (or essence), person, and relation as they pertain to the Blessed Trinity. How can we best understand the identity of each person of the Blessed Trinity in relation to each other?

The term "substance" (sometimes also "essence" or "nature") is used to designate the Divine being in its unity. Thus we proclaim that the Father is "consubstantial" with the Son. The term "person" or "hypostasis" is used to designate the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in the real distinction among them. The term "relation" is used to designate the fact that their distinction lies in the relation of each to the others. One God, in essence, differentiated as three persons, but only in their relations to one another. In their relations to each other then, we speak of the Father as Origin, the Son as proceeding by way of Knowledge (i.e., as the Word of the Father), and the Holy Spirit by way of Love.

What does the term "creation" mean in a Judeo-Christian context? How is God as Creator different from other creators, i.e., artists, painters, sculptors? How is he similar?

The term creation for the christian context is that God is at the origin, it was created peacefully and intelligently, the world is rational and ordered, made through wisdom and love, and everything is good. God creates with the full knowledge and intention of the end product, while a painter is not fully aware of what the final product will look like. They are similar with the given intention of having a want to create.

What does the word "angel" mean? What is the nature of an angel, i.e., what kind of beings are they? What makes angels especially unique in comparison with human beings?

The word angel means messenger in Greek. They are purely spiritual creatures, with intelligence and will. They are personal and immortal beings. Every single angel is its own species. Each angel is 100% unique

According to St. Thomas Aquinas, how many hierarchies and orders of angels are there? What are the names of the orders of angels? How are these orders distinguished?

There are 9 hierarchies and 3 orders. The hierarchies are divided by how close each angel is to God and how much they serve Him. Their orders are divided by their roles- highest: contemplate and adore God directly (cherubim, seraphim, and thrones), middle: fulfill God's plan in the universe (dominions, virtues, and power), and lowest: interact and serve humanity closely (principalities, archangels, and angels).

Why can there only be one supreme or highest God?

There can only be one supreme God because the definition of supreme is the best. Since there can only be one "best" having two "supreme Gods" would not be correct because it is contradicting the definition of supreme.

What was the cause of the angels fall from grace? Can the fallen angels repent of their sin? How do the angels interact with the world and with men? What can and can't they do?

They could have only been tempted by spiritual sins: envy and pride. Fallen angels obstinate in evil, unrepentant, and inflexibly determined in their sin. Their choice was final and unchanging. Angels cannot move our will but put forth temptations. They cannot force us to make decisions but they can tempt us. Their role is to lead/ guide us onto the rightful way of life.

What does the faith teach about man's condition in the Garden before Original Sin?

They were created in a state of natural justice and holiness. They had a state of natural happiness flowing from their friendship with God and a natural awareness of the gifts of creation. The four-fold harmony- man w/ God, himself, eachother, and nature. They possessed three preternatural gifts: infused knowledge, immortality, and integrity. Before original sin, man was in a state of original justice and holiness

Can knowledge of the Trinity be known by reason? Where are some of the places that we can find the clearest expressions of God's triune nature in Sacred scripture?

This truth is beyond the capacity of human reason and can only be known through Divine Revelation. Christ at the last supper (John 13-17)

Why did the early heresies of the Church deny Christ's humanity?

Those who held the heresy of Gnosticism, believed in the existence of Christ, but also that his humanity seemed to be unbecoming of the true God. Many taught that his body was a kind of apparition, not a real body such as the rest of mankind possessed. It is important to understand that Christ was fully human because if Christ didn't have a body, then he would not have really died on the Cross, meaning that there was never redemption (forgiveness of sins).

What are some of the reasons given in the CCC why men either ignore or deliberately avoid their natural desire for God?

Through revolts against evil in the world, religious ignorance or indifference, the cares and riches of the world, the scandal of the bad example on the part of believers, currents of thought hostile to religion, and lastly, the attitude of sinful man which makes him hide from God out of fear and flee of his call.

Know the essential characteristics of faith given in the CCC and discussed in class.

To believe is a reasonable human act, faith is an act of the intellect, it must be a completely free act, faith is a grace or gift of God, and faith is trust in a person (God).

Why did God create man? What is the purpose of man's existence?

To manifest His goodness and show the glory of God. We are called to know and love like God.

Can you give a definition of Tradition? Can you clearly articulate the relationship between Scripture and Tradition? How should scripture always be interpreted?

Tradition- the living transmission of the deposit of the faith, accomplished in the holy spirit. Scripture- the speech of God as it is put down in writing under the breath of the Holy Spirit. Scripture should always be read and interpreted within the Tradition. The Bible is the inspired and inerrant Word of God. The Bible should be read with interpretation and not always literally. The author is the secondary source, while God is the primary.