Theology Terms

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    Theology: Faith seeking understanding.

    Philosophy: The study of the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality and existence.

    Faith: Ultimate concern, radical trust in something, a gift considered from both subjective and

    objective poles.

    Worldview: Basic lens through which our encounter with the world is interpreted, how ones

    faith broadly interprets their world.

    Religion: A community formed around a shared ultimate concern, great love, vision of eternity,

    view of ultimate reality or God.

    God: The object of faith or the culminating focus of some worldview

    Christianity: A religion that centers around Jesus of Nazareth. A relationship with and faith in

    God through the work of Jesus, called Christ and the Spirit of God.

    Judaism: a religion with a belief in one transcendent God who has revealed himself to Abraham,

    Moses, and the Hebrew prophets and by a religious life in accordance with Scriptures and

    rabbinic traditions

    Modernity: Takes enlightenment ideals and applies it to theology. Secularism. Rational.

    Postmodernity: (Liberal Christianity) experimental, internet, coding, images

    Revelation: An esoteric, prophetic-apocalyptic text.

    Gospel: Greek for good news, provides identifying descriptions of the person Jesus. Longversions of how to ID Jesus, by those that believe in him.

    Believer: One who has faith

    Scripture (Old Testaments) : aka Hebrew Bible, First Testament, Scriptures of Israel. TANAKH

    (Torah (teaching), Neviim (Prophets) and Ketuvim (Writings). Central event is Exodus from

    Egypt and the disclosure of Torah under Moses. Narration of Origins and Israels ancestors.

    Exodus-Moses. Leviticus-Living Commands, worship. Numbers- Journey, Deuteronomy:

    Reprise of story. Six major themes: God, Israel, Covenant, Land, Commandment, Creation.

    Neviim:Prophets (National History) Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings. Three main roles: Prophet,

    Priest & King. Prophetic Themes: Unfaithfulness, Call to Repentance, A Remnant Preserved,

    Restoration, Messianic, Reorientation of Israels hope, Social Justice

    Ketuvim: Catch-all. Psalms (Israels prayer book), Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Job, Song of Songs,

    Ruth, Ester,

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    Scripture (New Testament): 4 Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John), An interpretive early

    Church history (Acts), Personal Letters to early Christian communities: Apostles: Romans,

    Corinthians, James, Timothy. Coalesces around the event of Jesus of Nazareth, his crucifixion

    and proclaimed resurrection.

    Pantheism: God is everywhere.

    Deism: Belief in a creator that does not intervene in the universe.

    YHWH: aka Yahweh, god of Israel.

    Israel:Northern kingdom of Hebrews, a group considered by its members to be Gods chosen

    people.

    Creation: YHWH responsible. Creation myth.

    Abraham and SarahBiological parents of Jews, father of Judaism, One who makes the

    covenant with God

    Ethical monotheism: Belief in one God who guides humanity through ethical principles. God

    typically is Jewish/Christian God.

    Moses: Hebrew prophet and lawgiver who led the Israelites out of Egypt

    Temple of JerusalemPrimary center of worship, built by Solomon, destroyed byNebuchadnezzar in 586BC.

    Babylonian Exile: Jews captives of Babylonia. Punishment for idolatry and disobedience to

    Yahweh. Last of biblical prophecy by Ezekiel.

    Roman Destruction of the Second Temple: Caused by Jewish rebellion against the Roman

    Empire. Destroyed in 70 CE.

    Crucifixion: Jesus is sentenced by Pontius Pilate, a knowing and willing sacrifice. Notable for his

    resurrection three days later.

    Resurrection: Jesus comes back from the dead.

    Apostle Paul: Zealously persecuted early followers of Christianity, but has vision from God on

    the road to Damascus, changing him from ardent persecutor to fervent supporter.

    Pentecost: Feast of Weeks, celebrating giving of Law on Sinai for the Jews, and the descent of

    the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles.

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    Holy Spirit: Third hypostasis of the Trinity, the triune God manifested as Father, Son and Holy

    Spirit.

    Ignatius of Antioch: En route to Rome, met martyrdom by being fed to wild beasts.

    Bishop- Ordained member of Christian clergy

    Orthodoxy-straight opinion What is and what is not part of the Christian belief

    Heresy: a choice that diverges from straight opinion

    Gnosticism: Religion that held that good souls had become entrapped in a cycle of rebirths in

    evil bodies. Bodies and all material world are evil or illusory. Denied that Christ had a physical

    body.

    Marcionism: Two Gods. Good god had no relationship with us or anything else in the world until

    he sent Christ his Son. God offers undeserved salvation out of pure love.

    Perpetua and Felicitas: Christian martyrs of the 3rd

    century. Notable for being female martyrs,

    example of the extent to which early Christians would go for their faith.

    Martyrdom: Someone who suffers persecution and death for refusing to renounce a belief or

    cause.

    Platonism: Theory of forms, world of eternal, unchanging forms. Turn away from the passions

    and distractions of our bodies and the physical world.

    Stoicism: A rational principle guides the whole universe. Human beings are all related, because

    we all share in the same universal Logos.

    Epicureanism: A philosophy that pleasure is the greatest good, achievement of which leads to a

    state of tranquility and freedom from fear.

    Justin Martyr: Early Christian apologist. Presented Christianity as the best of philosophies.

    Attacked by both philosophers and Christians for oversimplification of Platonism or modifying

    faith to suit philosophy.

    Logos: The word of God, A spark or seed of cosmic rationality.

    Origen of Alexandria: Exerted huge influence on Greek-speaking Christianity. All souls achieve

    salvation in the end led to attacks against him. Accepted Platos view that our souls are our real

    selves and that we are born in new bodies again and again.

    Allegorical sense of scripture: Bible has various levels of meaning and tends to focus on the

    spiritual sense

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    Tertullian: Thought Christians should have little to do with the society around them. Faith needs

    no help from Philosophy

    Athanasius: Defender of orthodoxy. Son was of the same substance (homoousios) with father.

    Council of Nicaea leads to Nicene Creed.

    The Divine Dilemma: How Christ is both Human and Divine.

    Emperor Constantine I: First emperor to convert to Christianity. Called the Council of Nicaea.

    Arius: Only father is eternal, son was created at some point in time. Argued against Athanasius/

    Council of Nicaea: Condemned Arians, and declared Christ begotten, not created, of the same

    substance as the father.

    Homoousious: greek for of the same substance

    Trinity: God is one ousia, but three hypostaseis. Hypostaseis always act in perfect accord. Father,son, and Holy Spirit.

    Council of Chalcedon: Two natures, human and divine coexist in one person, and the oneness of

    the person makes it appropriate to apply the predicates of either nature to the other.

    Leo I: Use of his letter at council led to prestige of the bishop of Rome, and papal authority.

    Theotokos: Greek title of Mary, the mother of Jesus used in the Eastern Orthodox. Literally

    translated to God-bearer

    DivineHumanity:

    Divinization: to become more divine, more like God, or take upon a divine nature.

    First, Second, Third Rome: Ancient Rome-> Byzantine Empire->Russian

    Augustine of Hippo: Developed Catholic Church as spiritual City of God. Argued against

    Donatists with arguments and force. Doctrine of predestination.

    Donatism: Christian sect that believed that a traitor could not be a priest, and sacraments

    performed would be invalid.

    Pelagianism: Original sin did not taint human nature and that mortal will is still capable of

    choosing good or evil without special divine aid

    Conversion:

    Julian of Norwich: Person who had intense visions of Jesus Christ. Known as spiritual authority.

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    Mystical (negative) theology: Branch of theology which focuses on experiences or states of the

    soul which cannot be produced by human effort

    God as mother:

    Monasticism: Way of life where one renounces worldly pursuits to devote life to spiritual work.

    Saints: A person acknowledge as holy or virtuous and typically regarded as being in heaven after

    death

    Scholasticism: System of theology and philosophy taught in medieval European universities.

    Theistic arguments:

    Anselm of Canterbury: Ontological arguments for existence of god.

    Aristotelianism: is a tradition of philosophy that takes its defining inspiration from the work ofAristotle.

    Islam: monotheistic and Abrahamic religion articulated by the Quran.

    Mendicant orders (friars): Wandering poor monks organized by Francis.

    Franciscans: A group of friars traveling around the countryside begging for food and preaching

    faith in Christ. Spiritual successors try to overthrow church.

    Dominicans: Order of preachers that secured a good education and traveled about the world

    preaching.

    Thomas Aquinas: Some truths are available through both reason and revelation. Distinguishment

    from what we can know by reason from what we can know by revelation. Grace does not destroy

    nature, but perfects it.

    The five ways: unmoved mover, first cause, argument from contingency, argument from degree,

    and teleological argument.

    Subalternate Science: accepts faith on principle

    Bonaventure: Aristotle wrong, all creation emanates from and gradually returns to God.

    Great schism: excommunication by pope and the patriarch of Constantinople

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    1800 BCE (c.): Abraham & Sarah [if historical]

    1250 (c.): Moses & the Exodus

    1200-1030 (c.): Judges of Israel

    1010-970: Reign of David

    970-933: Reign of Solomon

    950: Construction of First Temple

    931: Divided Kingdom

    750-450 (c.): Classical Age of the Prophets

    722: Assyrian Conquest of Israel

    622: Reformation of King Josiah

    586: Babylonian Conquest of Judah, Fall of Temple

    538: Persian Ascendency; Cyrus facilitates return of the Jews

    520 (c.): Dedication of second temple

    450: Reform of Ezra

    331: Conquest of Palestine by Greeks under Alexander the Great

    165-140: Maccabeean Revolt against Antiochus IV, Greeks

    63: Conquest of Palestine by Romans under Pompey

    37: Rule of Herod called Great

    33 CE (c.): Crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth

    70 CE: Destruction of the Temple ; End of Second Temple Period

    63 BCE: Roman Empire under Pompey conquers Judea

    37-4: Rule of Herod called Great

    20: Herod renovates the Temple at Jerusalem

    6 BCE (c.): Birth of Jesus of Nazareth

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    18-37 CE: Caiaphas High Priest of Jerusalem

    26-36: Pontius Pilate prefect of Judea

    30 or 33: Crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth

    31 or 34: Conversion of Paul of Tarsus

    35: fragments of Jesus tradition circulating

    49: Expulsion of Jews from Rome

    50: Apostolic Conference at Jerusalem (Acts 15)

    54-68: Nero Emperor of Rome, Neronian persecution

    62: Apostles Paul & Peter in Rome

    66-74: First Jewish Revolt against Rome

    68: Qumran Community destroyed

    70: Destruction of the Temple (end of Second Temple Period)

    90 (c.): JosephusAntiquities of the Jews

    95: Domitians persecution

    110 (c.): Pliny the Youngers,Epistulaeon Christianity

    130 (c.): earliest extant Gospel fragments

    132-135: Second Jewish War, Bar Kochba Revolt

    130-250 Christian Apologists (Justin Martyr)

    223 Terullian

    250 Origen,

    312 Constantine Conversion

    325 Council of Nicaea

    381 Council of Constantinople: Nicene Creed

    431 Council of Ephesus: Mary is God-Bearer

    435 Chalcedon: Two natures, one single unified person.