HISTORY OF CHRISTIAN THOUGHT
VOCABULARY ONE
Historical theology: the study
of the views of theologians, and of the Christian church, in their historical
contexts.
Heresy:
(Gr. hairesis, “choice”) a view
chosen instead of the official teachings of a church. Such a view is thus regarded as wrong and
potentially dangerous for faith.
Gnosticism: (Gr. gnosis, “knowledge”)
An amorphous (shapeless—no definite
form—without definite character, lacking organization or unity) movement during
the early church period which featured complex views that focused on the quest
for secret knowledge transmitted only to the “enlightened” and marked by the
view that matter is evil. Gnostics
denied the humanity of Jesus.
Didache: (Gr. “teaching”) The teaching about the Christian
faith conveyed to new converts. Also the
name of the early Christian manual on the Christian life and church practice –The Didache of the Twelve Apostles (c.
A.D. 100).
Dogma:
(Gr. dogma, “that which seems to
one,” “an opinion”) A teaching or doctrine which has received an official
church status as truth. In the Roman
Catholic Church it has status as a definitive or infallible church teaching.
Christology: (From Gr. christos,
“anointed one,” and logos, “study”)
The study of the person and work of Jesus Christ. The church’s understanding of who Jesus Christ
is and what he has done grew and developed through the centuries. Early church councils produced Christological
statements.
Anthropology, theological: The
doctrine of humanity, which views humans in terms of their relationships to
God. It includes critical reflection on
issues such as the origin, purpose, and destiny of humankind in light of
Christian theological understandings.
Soteriology: (From Gr. soteria, “salvation”) The doctrine of
salvation.
Systematic Theology: The branch of Christian theology that attempts to
present theological thinking and practice in an orderly and coherent way. It may be based on Scripture and expressed
through doctrines. It implies an
underlying philosophical frame of reference and a method to be followed.
Ecclesiology: (From Gr. ekklesia, “church”) The study of the church as a biblical and
theological topic. The New Testament
presents various images of the church that the early church struggled with as
it sought its self-understanding in light of the gospel and controversies.
Patristics: The study of the theological
work of the early Christian church fathers.
Docetism:
(From Gr. dokein, “to seem”) Belief
that Jesus only “seemed” or appeared to have a human body and to be a human
person. The view was found during the
period of the early church among Gnostics, who saw materiality as evil. It was condemned by Ignatius of Antioch (c.
35–c. 110).
Doctrine:
(Lat. doctrina, from docere, “to teach”) That which is taught
and believed to be true by a church. In
various ways churches sanction their official teachings or doctrines.
Eucharist: (Gr. eucharistein, “to
give thanks”) A term for the Lord’s Supper deriving especially from Jesus’
prayer of thanks for the bread and wine, which he related to his body and blood
given for those he loved.
Metaphysics: (Gr. “beyond the physical”) A philosophical term for “what is real”
or questions of ultimate reality. This
branch of philosophy is closest to religion, and thus metaphysicians have had
significant influence on theology.
Trinity, doctrine of the: (From Lat.
trinitas, “triad”) The Christian church’s belief that Father,
Son, and Holy Spirit are three Persons in one Godhead. They share the same essence or substance (Gr.
homoousios). Yet they are three “persons” (Lat.
personae). God is this way within the
Godhead and as known in Christian experience.
VOCABULARY TWO
apologetics: (From Gr. apologia, “defense”) The task of defending and presenting
Christianity sympathetically to nonbelievers.
eschatology: (From Gr. eschatos, “last”) The doctrine of last things. Classical theology affirms that Christ will
reappear in glory at the end of history and judge humanity.
Logos: (Gr. "word,"
"reason") In Greek and Stoic philosophy, the universal power or mind
that gave coherence to the universe. In Christian theology it refers to the
second Person of the Trinity, Jesus Christ (John 1:1), who as the creative
power of God embodied truth and was God incarnate.
Logos Christology: Christological understanding of Jesus
that begins with the divine, eternal Logos and sees Jesus as its concrete,
historical expression.
logos spermatikos: (Gr.
"germinal word") A term used by Justin Martyr (c. 100–165) to express
the view that each human being is united with God by means of the power of
reason and thus may know God apart from special revelation or could have known
God prior to the coming of Jesus Christ.
Platonism: The views emerging from the Greek
philosopher Plato (428–348 B.C.) that took many forms and that have influenced Christian
theologians. Plato stressed the ideal over empirical reality and encouraged the
use of the mind.
Neo-platonism: The work of Plotinus (A.D. 205–270)
and others who reshaped the philosophy of Plato (428–348 B.C.). It competed
with Christianity and taught that God relates to the world through various
emanations.
dualism: (From Lat. duo, "two") Any view that is constituted by two basic or
fundamental principles such as spirit and matter or good and evil. Can also
refer to belief in the existence of two gods (ditheism).
Stoicism: A
Gnosis: (Gr. gnosis, "knowledge") A Greek term that gave rise to
"Gnosticism" in its various forms (1 Tim. 6:20). "Secret
knowledge" could free the "elect'' from the limits of the world (spirit
from matter, light from darkness) and enable them to return home to the kingdom
of light (salvation).
demiurge: (From Gr. demiourgos, "crafter") A Platonic view of a god as one
who crafts the world as a sculptor would shape a piece of stone or clay. Also
used in Gnostic philosophical systems to describe an inferior or
"lesser" being who is creator of the world, but less than a supreme
god.
via negativa: (Lat.
"the negative way") A way of speaking about God that takes human characteristics
and describes God in terms of their opposite, such as: humans are finite; God
is infinite.
recapitulation: (Lat. recapitulatio, Gr. anakephalaiosis,
"summing up") A view of early Christian theologians, particularly
Irenaeus (c. 130–c. 200). God "sums up all things in Christ" (Eph.
1:10) as the Second Adam who restores the sinful creation by redeeming all the
sin done in Adam.
VOCABULARY THREE
canon: (Gr.
“rule”) A rule or standard of faith and practice, whether oral or written.
theodicy: (From Gr. theos, "God," and dike,
"justice," "right") The justification of a deity's justice
and goodness in light of suffering and evil. The term was coined by the
philosopher Gottfried Leibniz (1646–1716), though the issue has long been
explored religiously.
Vincentian Canon: The prescription of Vincent of Lerins
(d. 445) that Christian orthodoxy may be understood as quod ubique, quod semper, quod ab omnibus creditum est ("that
which has been believed everywhere, always, and by all").
rule of faith: (Lat. regula fidei) In the early church, the developing baptismal formula
which defined the teachings of the apostles and which then became more formal.
During the Protestant Reformation the term denoted the Scriptures as the source
of authority which conveyed Christ.
traditor: (Lat. "traitor," from tradere, "to deliver") Term
for one of those who "turned over" copies of the Christian Scriptures
during a period of intense persecution in
Donatism: North African separatist movement
begun by Donatus (d. 355). He objected to permitting Christians who had
"lapsed" in their faith, by turning over Scriptures when persecuted,
to be reinstated in the church. He did not want "traditores"
(traitors) who were clergy to preside at the Eucharist.
Montanism: The views, associated with Montanus in
the 2nd century, that stressed the outpouring of the Holy Spirit to
Montanus through trances that led to his prophetic utterances about the return
of Christ and the establishment of the new Jerusalem, together with an emphasis
on asceticism. It was condemned by the church.
modalism: (Lat. modus, "form," "mode") A view of the Trinity
considered by the early church as heretical. It was believed that the one God
was revealed at different times in different ways and thus has three manners
(modes) of appearance rather than being one God in three Persons.
monism: (From Gr. monos, “only”) The philosophical view that all reality is of one
type or essence.
creed: (Lat. credo, "I believe") A formal statement of belief.
Christian churches from the early church period to the present have often constructed
summary statements of Christian beliefs.
creed, baptismal: Earliest Christian summaries of
beliefs that were recited as personal affirmations of faith at the time of
baptism.
creed, conciliar: A creed composed by a church or
ecumenical council to provide guidelines to Christian beliefs as they are
understood by that body.
Creed, the: A common reference to the Apostles'
Creed as the most widely used creed in the Western church.
VOCABULARY FOUR
council:
A meeting of bishops or other high-ranking church officials to solve some
problem. According to Eastern Orthodoxy,
there have been only seven ecumenical councils, but Roman Catholicism
recognizes many more.
homoousios: (Gr. homos, "same," and ousia, "substance") Homoousios, "of the same substance"
was a term used in early church Christological debates and adopted by church
councils of Nicaea (325) and Constantinople (381) to indicate that Jesus Christ
was of the same essence as God the Father. It contrasts with (Gr.) heteroousios and homoiousios.
homoiousios: (Gr. homoios, "like," and ousia, "substance") "Of
like substance" was a term used in early Christological debates by Arians
and others who perceived Jesus Christ as "like'' God the Father (homoiousios), but not as being of the
"same" substance as God the Father (homoousios).
Creed of
Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed: The Christian creed adopted at the
Council of Constantinople (381) and commonly referred to as the Nicene Creed.
It is widely used liturgically. The creed is an expansion of the Nicene Creed
(325) with a long section on the Holy Spirit. It combated Arianism and affirmed
the divinity of Jesus Christ.
ontology: (From Gr. on, "being," and logos,
"study") The philosophical study of being as being. It is thus the
study of the underlying principles which are present in all things that exist
solely by virtue of their existing.
economic Trinity: A view of the Trinity, propounded by
Hippolytus and Tertullian, that stressed the functions ("economies")
or work of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit rather than their eternal being in
relation to each other.
immanent Trinity: The relationships among the three
members of the Trinity—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—in and with themselves.
Monarchianism, Dynamic: A 2nd- to 3rd-century
heresy teaching that Jesus was only God in the sense of having a power of
influence (Gr. dynamis) resting on
his human person.
Arianism: The teaching of the 4th-century
theologian Arius (c. 256–336).
Athanasian Creed: Fifth-century creed traditionally
ascribed to Athanasius (d. 373) and commonly called the "Quicunque
Vult" (Lat. "Whosoever will") from its opening words. It
expounds orthodox Christian views of the Trinity and the incarnation, warning
that these beliefs are indispensable for salvation.
Athanasianism: Views based on the writings of
Athanasius (c. 293–373), bishop of Alexandria, who vigorously defended the
teachings of the Council of Nicaea (325) that Jesus Christ was eternally divine
and fully God ("of the same substance," Gr. homoousios). He contended against Arianism.
VOCABULARY FIVE
Ebionism: (Heb. 'ebyonim, "poor people" [Matt. 5:3]) Early heresy of a
sect of ascetic Jewish Christians. It stressed obedience to the Mosaic law and
believed Jesus was not divine but became "Son of God" when the Holy
Spirit descended on him at his baptism (Matt. 3:16). The view came to be known as adoptionism.
adoptionism: (From Lat. adoptare, "to adopt") A view of Jesus Christ that sees
him as a human who was adopted or chosen by God to be elevated into being God's
divine Son or a member of the Trinity.
incarnation: (From Lat. caro, “flesh”) The doctrine that in Jesus Christ God became
flesh. How God became man and the nature
of this divine man have been much debated over the centuries.
Theotokos: (Gr. "God-bearer") A term
used in the ancient church for Mary as the "mother of God." It was
used at the Councils of Ephesus (431) and
Apollinarianism: The view of Apollinarius (c. 310–c.
390) that Christ did not assume full human nature but that in the incarnation the
divine Logos took the place of the human soul or psyche. It sought to maintain
the unity of the person of Jesus Christ as the one incarnate nature of the
divine Logos.
filioque: (Lat.
"and the Son") Phrase inserted into the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed
(381) at the Council of Toledo (589) to say that the Holy Spirit proceeds from
both Father and Son ("double procession") in the Trinity. It was
rejected by the Eastern church (1054) and was part of the reason for the
East-West church schism.
Monophysitism: (From Gr. monos, "only," and physis,
"nature") A Christological view, regarded by the early church as
heretical, which taught that Jesus Christ had only one nature rather than a
divine and a human nature that were united in one person.
Chalcedonian Christology: Teachings about the person of Christ
that accord with the teachings of the Council of Chalcedon (451).
Chalcedonian Definition: Teachings about the person of Jesus
Christ established by the Council of Chalcedon (451). It reaffirmed the
Councils of Nicaea and
Nestorianism: Followers of Nestorius (d. 451), who
taught in effect that Jesus Christ was two separate persons as well as
possessing two natures. This view was declared heretical by the Council of
Ephesus (431).
Eutychianism: Teaching of Eutyches (c. 375–454) that
Jesus had only one nature.
Monothelitism: (From Gr. monos, "only," and thelein,
"to will") Monothelites held that Jesus Christ had only one will.
This was rejected by the Third Council of Constantinople (680), which asserted
that Christ had two wills, since he had two natures, but that they always acted
in mutual accord.
VOCABULARY SIX
apostasy: The act of betrayal—especially,
religious betrayal; to fall away from the faith. The existence of apostasy has generally
raised questions about salvation and assurance.
damnation: The doctrine that some people will not
be saved, but will suffer eternal punishment for their sins.
fall: The doctrine that at some primeval
stage of human history a sin was committed that condemned the whole human
race. It was this event that Christ came
to reverse. The doctrine is especially
associated with original sin, which has been very influential in the West, less
so in the East.
image of God: (Lat. imago Dei) The condition in which humans were created so that they
might have a relationship with God (Gen. 1:26–28). Theologians have varied
views of what constitutes the image theologically and the ways in which it has
been affected by the fall into sin (Gen. 3).
traducianism: (From Lat. tradux, "vinebranch," "shoot") A theological
view according to which the human soul is propagated by parents to children.
Also called "generationism." It contrasts with ''creationism,"
the view that God creates each new soul at conception.
creationism: The view that God creates each
individual human soul at the point of conception in the womb (opposed to
traducianism). Also the doctrine of God as creator as opposed to pantheism,
emanationism, and dualism. Used popularly to stand opposed to evolution. Thus
it is linked with creation science.
original sin: (Lat. peccatum originalis) The condition of sinfulness which all persons
share and which is caused by the sinful origins of the race (Adam and Eve) and
the fall (Gen. 3). Theologically it consists of the loss of original
righteousness and the distortion of the image of God.
free will: A loose rendering of (Lat.) liberum
arbitrium. The term seeks to describe the free choice of the will which all
persons possess. Theological debates have arisen over the ways by which and the
extent to which sin has affected the power to choose good over evil, and hence
one's "free will."
Pelagianism: The theological views associated with
the British monk Pelagius (c. 354–c. 420), who in theological debate with
Augustine (354–430) argued for a totally free human will to do the good and
held that divine grace was bestowed in relation to human merit.
Augustinianism: Views that emerged from the teachings
of Augustine (354–430) about such matters as sin, salvation, predestination,
human freedom, God's grace, and the church. It gives primacy to the will and
love over the intellect and knowledge. It stresses human depravity and
inability for salvation.
Semi-Pelagianism: A mediating view of human nature
between that of Augustine (354–430) and that of Pelagius (d. c. 420).
Semi-Augustinianism: A term used in connection with the
Council of Orange (529), in which the views of Augustine (354–430) on the
nature of grace were upheld against Pelagianism, yet without endorsement of the
Augustinian views of double predestination and perseverance.
paedobaptism: (From Gr. pais, "child," and baptizein,
"to baptize") The practice of baptizing infants, or infant baptism.
It is the practice of Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, and many
denominations of Protestantism. Also pedobaptism.
VOCABULARY SEVEN
icon: (Gr. eikon, "image") A representation of someone who is
venerated, always on a flat or two-dimensional surface. Icons are used in the
decoration of Eastern churches. They are to point to the eternal mysteries of
the gospel.
iconoclasm: (Gr. eikon, "image," and klaein,
"to break") The breaking of physical images in churches. Notably it
occurred during the 8th century in the Eastern church and during the
Reformation period, with the approval of some Protestant reformers.
Schism, Great (1054; also 1378–1417): The major division between Eastern
(Eastern and Greek Orthodox) and Western (Roman Catholic) Christian churches
over, among other things, the Western use of filioque ("and the Son") in the Nicene Creed. The Western
church's division (1378–1417) under rival claimants to be pope at
scholastic theology: A term for the theology "of the
schools" used to designate the formal methodology of the medieval period
marked by a heavy use of logic, reliance upon philosophical concepts, and
linguistic precision. Its goal is to present a systematic ordering and
investigation of Christian truths.
sacramentalism: The theological conviction that God's
grace is conveyed through religious rites designated as sacraments.
sacerdotalism: (From Lat. sacerdos, "priest") The view that with ordination a person
receives the ability to administer the sacraments and thus to convey God's
grace in a priestly manner. Also used to indicate an excessive domination or
reliance on clergy in the life of a church.
mystical theology: A part of spiritual theology that
deals with God's hidden and mysterious work of grace within a community and a
person's life. A classic pattern for mystical theology is the "Threefold
Way" of purgation, illumination, and union with God.
Thomism: Philosophical and theological views
from the work of Thomas Aquinas (1225–74), highly influential in the Roman
Catholic Church. Four phases include periods of defense (13th–15th centuries),
commentaries (1450–1630), disputations, systems (1500–1720), and revival
(1860–1960).
transubstantiation: (Lat. transubstantiatio, "essential change") In Roman Catholic
theology at the consecration in the Mass, the changing of the substance of
bread and wine, by God's power, into the substance of Jesus Christ's body and
blood, which become present while the "accidents" (appearances of
bread and wine) remain.
a posteriori:
Latin term referring to thought or knowledge that is based on, or arises
after, experience.
a priori:
Latin term referring to thought or knowledge arising from a concept or
principle that precedes empirical verification, or that occurs independently of
experience.
ontological argument:
One of the classical arguments for the existence of God based on the
powers of reason. As developed by Anselm (1033–1109), it considers God to be
"that than which nothing greater can be conceived." As such, God must
"exist" because to lack existence would be to be defective.
nominalism: (Lat. nominalis,
"belonging to a name") A medieval philosophical view that universal
ideas are only names. Only specific, individual things exist. Abstract ideas
are merely labels used by the mind. It opposed "realism" and was
taught by William of Occam (c. 1285–c. 1349).
nominal Christian:
A term for one who, while officially affiliated with or a member of a
church, does not appear to take the demands of Christian discipleship
seriously.
realism: (From Lat. res, "thing") The view that objects of knowledge truly
exist apart from our knowledge of them. In medieval philosophy, the view that
universals have an independence apart from the mind that perceives them. It
contrasts with nominalism.
VOCABULARY EIGHT
Reformed: A term for churches and the
theological tradition that emerged from the work of John Calvin (1509–64) and
other reformers such as Huldrych Zwingli (1484–1531) and Heinrich Bullinger
(1504–75), in contrast to the Lutheran Reformation and to Anabaptism.
Radical Reformation: The "left" or
"third" wing of the Protestant Reformation that describes those who sought
a radical approach, a return to early Christian precedents for the nature and
government of the church, rejecting national or state churches. Among others it
included Anabaptists such as the Mennonites and the Amish.
Magisterial Reformation: A term to refer to the pattern by
which churches were established and supported by civil authority. It contrasts
with the "Radical Reformation," in which church and state were
completely separated.
Counter-Reformation/Catholic
Reformation: The
period of church reform instituted by Roman Catholicism as a
reaction to the Protestant Reformation. It extended from the early 16th
to the mid-17th century and set the course for Catholic theology and
practice until Vatican II Council (1962–65).
indulgences: (Lat. indulgere, "to be indulgent," "grant a favor")
In Roman Catholic theology, a pardon for temporal punishments that remain due
for sin after repentance and the forgiveness of guilt. The issue was highly
disputed by Martin Luther (1483–1546) during the Protestant Reformation.
Anabaptists: (From Gr. ana, "again," and baptein,
"to dip in water") Those who advocated rebaptism in certain
instances. Most prominently, 16th-century reformers who renounced
infant baptism, stressed the literal reading of Scripture, and supported the
separation of church and state.
justification by faith
(Protestantism): The
theological principle, emphasized in Protestantism, that salvation comes to an
individual by God's grace through faith so that to be "declared
righteous," or "justified," or "saved" is on the
(sole) basis of one's faith in Jesus Christ apart from any works of merit (Rom.
1:17; 3:28; 5:1).
justification by faith (Roman
Catholicism): (Lat. iustificare, "to justify") In
Roman Catholic theology, God's making persons just or righteous and thus
setting them in harmony with God through their participation in the sacraments
of the Roman Catholic Church and by the gift of the Holy Spirit which is the
new life principle of grace, expressed through love.
sola fide: (Lat.
"by faith alone") A slogan of the Protestant Reformation used by
Martin Luther (1483–1546) on the basis of Rom. 3:28 to indicate that
justification of the sinner (salvation) comes only to those who have faith and
is not achieved through any "good works."
sola gratia: (Lat.
"by grace alone") A slogan of the Protestant Reformation indicating
that the basis for Christian salvation is solely the grace of God and not any
human achievement. It is God's initiative and action which is the agent of
salvation.
sola Scriptura: (Lat.
"Scripture alone") A slogan of the Protestant Reformation indicating
that the church's authority is only the Holy Scriptures and not ecclesiastical
traditions or human opinions. This was called the "formal principle"
of the Reformation, or the "Scripture principle."
election: (Gr. ekloge, Lat. electio,
"a choice") God's choosing of a people to enjoy the benefits of
salvation and to carry out God's purposes in the world (1 Thess. 1:4; 2 Peter 1:10).
This doctrine has been of particular importance in Reformed theology.
predestination: (Lat. praedestinatio) God's actions in willing something to a specific
result. It is also called foreordination. Some Christian theologians,
particularly in the Reformed tradition, have seen it as indicating God's
eternal decree by which all creatures are foreordained to eternal life or
death. It may also be used synonymously with "election" and indicates
God's gracious initiation of salvation for those who believe in Jesus Christ.
VOCABULARY NINE
lapsarian controversy: A controversy among 17th- and
18th-century Calvinists about the order of the divine decrees and about whether
the decree of predestination precedes or follows the fall into sin. This gave rise
to the supralapsarian (before the fall) and infralapsarian (after the fall)
views.
supralapsarianism: (From Lat. supra lapsum, "above the fall," "prior to the
fall") A technical term used in Calvinist theology for the view that the
election and reprobation of individual persons occur in the decrees of God as
logically prior to the decrees for creation and the fall. It differs from
infralapsarianism.
infralapsarianism: (Lat. infra, "below" or "after," and lapsus, "fall") The view found
in orthodox Lutheran and Reformed theology that in the order of God's decrees,
God decreed to permit the fall of humanity into sin before decreeing to save
some of humanity ("the elect").
internal testimony (witness) of the
Holy Spirit: (Lat. testimonium internum Spiritus Sancti) A
particular emphasis in Reformed theology that stresses the work of the Holy
Spirit as witnessing or testifying to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and to
Scripture as divine revelation.
externalism: An emphasis on the outward practices,
forms, or rites of a religion, in contrast to its deep meanings and values.
sanctification: (Gr. hagiasmos, Lat. sanctificatio)
The process or result of God's continuing work in Christian believers through
the power of the Holy Spirit. In Protestant theology this occurs after
justification and is growth in grace and holiness of life marked by good works.
God, sovereignty of: God's ultimate Lordship and rule over
the universe so that the divine will is supreme over all else (Eph. 1:11; Rev.
4:11). This will is known most fully in Jesus Christ, who expressed God's ways
in self-giving service (Phil. 2:5–8).
decree, eternal/decrees of God: (Lat. decretum aeternum) Expression of the will of God, particularly in
Reformed scholasticism; or the ways by which God enacts the divine plan of
salvation in history. Theological elements considered to be part of God's
actions include election, the fall into sin, and salvation to eternal life.
These are understood in differing manners by various theologians.
total depravity: The view, characteristic in Reformed
theology, that sinfulness pervades all areas of life or the totality of human
existence. The idea may be better
expressed as “total inability” for salvation.
This belief was one of the five canons of the Calvinistic Synod of Dort
(1618–19) and part of TULIP.
unconditional election: A view associated with Augustine and
Calvinism that God elects to save some solely on the basis of God's freedom and
love and not on the basis of any merit or efforts on the part of humans. It was
one of the five canons of the Calvinistic Synod of Dort (1618–19) and part of
TULIP. Also called unconditional predestination.
limited atonement: A theological concept, found in
Calvinist theology, which maintains that Christ died only for the elect, who
are the only recipients of salvation. Also called particular redemption. It was
part of TULIP.
irresistible grace: (Lat. gratia irresistibilis) A view stressed in Reformed theology that
God's grace as it works for the salvation of an individual will accomplish its
purpose and will not be thwarted. It was one of the five canons of the
Calvinistic Synod of Dort and part of TULIP.
perseverance of the saints: (Lat. perseverantia sanctorum) The belief that God's elect who believe in
Jesus Christ are held secure by God's power, despite temptation and sin. Their
salvation will not be lost (see John 10:28). It was one of the five canons of
the Calvinistic Synod of Dort (1618–19) and part of TULIP.
VOCABULARY TEN
Enlightenment,
the: (
Cartesianism:
The philosophy of René Descartes (1596–1650), stressing the
rational powers of the human mind to discover truth. Also called
"rationalism."
rationalism:
The philosophical view that truth is known through human reason.
Some forms of rationalism accept that the existence of God can be proved
through reason, others do not. As an approach to religion, it assumes religion
to be a cognitive rather than a psychological, sociological, or economic
phenomenon.
reason: (Lat. ratio) The mental capacity or power to
use the human mind in reaching and establishing truth. Also, the premise or
ground of an argument. A theory or structure of knowledge.
naturalism:
The philosophical view that the universe exists as a
self-contained whole and that it is self-directing. There is thus no
supernatural element.
skepticism:
(From Gr. skeptikos,
Lat. scepticus,
"thoughtful," "inquiring") A term used in philosophy for
the view that true and reliable knowledge cannot be attained in some areas of
investigation, such as morality, metaphysics, or theology.
empiricism:
Philosophical view that truth is obtained through experience.
Classical empiricism considers data as derived from the five senses.
materialism:
The philosophical view that matter is the ultimate reality from
which all else emerges. It thus may be verified by the senses and investigated
by scientific procedures. It is in opposition to idealism and all spiritual
explanations of what is real.
natural
revelation: (Lat. revelatio
naturalis) The disclosure of God through nature or the natural order. Some
have argued that this disclosure is accessible to all through reason; others
that it is known only from the perspective of faith.
Deism: (From
Lat. deus, "god") A view
contrasting to atheism and polytheism. It emerged in 17th- and 18th-century
epistemology:
(From Gr. episteme,
"knowledge") Study of how human knowledge is obtained, its bases,
forms, and criteria.
epistemological privilege
A view in
liberation theology that the world's poor and oppressed have a better knowledge
and perception of God's truth because of their situations and because of God's
special concern for the oppressed.
epistemology, Reformed
An approach
to the study of how knowledge is obtained, led by philosophers of the Reformed
theological tradition, particularly Alvin Plantinga (b. 1932) and Nicholas
Wolterstorff (b. 1932). They argue that it is legitimate to include belief in
God in the foundations of knowledge structures, just as one does with belief in
the existence of other minds or that there has been a past.
HCT—STANGLIN
READING GUIDE
JUSTIN MARTYR
1. What is Justin’s view of
the relationship between Christianity and philosophy?
2. Describe Justin’s
views of God and Christ.
GNOSTICISM
HCT
DR. STANGLIN
I. Gnosticism in General
A. Metaphysical
dualism.
1.
plhvrwma/Fullness.
2.
kevnwma/Emptiness. Wrong, meaningless,
evil (including your own body). Thus, it was not the supreme, good God that
created this world, but the Demiurge.
Docetism- Jesus was a phantom.
B. Yearn for
escape/salvation through deeper, esoteric knowledge/insight. Salvation = Freeing the spirit/soul from the body. Then what is the barrier between humanity and
God?
C. Knowledge given only
to insiders; most of humanity lives in ignorance. You get the knowledge by
predetermination, nothing you do.
D. Skeptical about
humanity’s power.
E. Syncretistic. Judaism, Platonism, astrology, pagan myths,
Christian Scripture.
F. Ethics. 2 extremes, often mentioned, probably
exaggerated.
1. Asceticism-
extreme self-denial (1 Cor. 9:26-27); if physical/material gives pleasure, then
it wins.
2. Libertinism- Immorality; matter doesn’t matter.
*Result is extreme dualism: God of OT vs. NT, humanity
vs. divinity of Jesus, body vs. spirit.
II. Gnosticism of Valentinus
Valentinus
started in
A. Cosmogony (Cf.
Ferguson, Church History, 97-99)
In
the pleroma are 30 aeons (powerful deities), consisting of 15 pairs of
male/female. Aeon Paraclete comes and
heals the personified desire, Achamoth, and their union forms hylic (material) substances. From Achamoth’s conversion comes the psychic (animal) substance. Also, pneumatic
(spiritual) substance comes from herself.
Finally, from the psychic substance the Demiurge emanates; he is the
befuddled God of the OT, who doesn’t even know about the pleroma. Thus, Pleroma à Sophia/Achamoth à
3 substances, including psychic Demiurge à
material world, including seven heavens and humans.
B. Anthropology
Cf.
Platonic u{lh (savrx), yuchv,
pneu`ma. Even though each human is of all three
substances, there are three classes of humans corresponding to the three
substances.
C. Redemption
Achamoth,
through the Christ figure, slips some light/gnosis/insight from pleroma into
this world (unknown to the clueless Demiurge).
Only the elect (pneumatics, Gnostics) could grasp the saving gnosis that Christ brought. Hylic are bad, unsaved, condemned. The psychic (middle) group stands a small
chance of salvation or a different salvation (some systems don’t have this
middle category).
III. Orthodox Problems with Gnosticism (see
Orthodox taught, contra Gnostics:
A. Identity of Creator
with the one supreme God.
B. Goodness of the
created order.
C. Full incarnation of
Christ.
D. Revelation in
historical events.
E. Redemption by the
blood Christ shed on the cross.
F. Resurrection of the
body.
HCT—EXAM 1
STUDY GUIDE
INTRODUCTION
Review the lectures on models of historiography, including
cautions for historians
MATCHING
Vocabulary words with their definitions
Theologians with quotes, events, ideas (from Journey readings, Hill readings, and
class notes covered up until test time)
TRUE / FALSE and MULTIPLE
CHOICE
Over notes given in class concerning, among other things:
Theology of Ignatius
Docetism
Gnosticism
Dualism
Reasons for and method of apologetics
Responses to heresies
ESSAY
Be able to write an essay on Gnosticism: general
characteristics, Valentinian system, and orthodox problems with Gnosticism.
HCT—EXAM 2
STUDY GUIDE
Vocabulary matching
(cumulative)
Matching councils with
the heresies opposed
Matching thinkers with
their thoughts: Cappadocian fathers, Pelagius, Augustine, Erigena, Anselm,
Peter Abelard
HCT—EXAM 3
STUDY GUIDE
Vocabulary Matching
(could be some past ones, but primarily from 8 and 9)
True/false
Multiple Choice
Short answer questions
Study everything, but pay
special attention to: Aquinas and scholasticism, Franciscans and Dominicans,
Wyclif and Hus, Renaissance humanism and Erasmus, Reformation distinctives,
Luther handout, Anabaptists, English Reformation, Jesuits and Catholic
Reformation, Arminius and Arminians.