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Faith
Personal knowledge of God gained through our experience of God present & active in our lives
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Theology
An expression or articulation of God- putting that experience into words
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Belief
Theology in a "snapshot"- a formulation of the knowledge we have of God through faith that can be shared with someone else
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Religion
System of beliefs, values, rituals and other practices based on our experience of God that is faith
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Culture
Our expression of who we are and wha we believe about ourselves and our world, including art, literature, music, dance, myths, folklore, religion. Can also be defined as shared, socially learned knowledge and patterns of behavior
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Creed
A profession of faith. From the Latin for "I believe"
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Revelation
God's "Self disclosure"- God making himself know in our experience and through Scripture and Tradition
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Doctrines
Offcial teachings of the Catholic Church
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Dogmas
Teachings which are central to Catholicism, given the fullest weight and authority thought to be without error; central or core teachings; the creed stuff
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Secular
The opposite of religious; worldly, temporal; some would say atheistic.
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Mystery
The unknown and unknowable dimension of reality that lies behind and beyond ordinary human experience; questions that can't be answered by science (at least no yet). Examples: the magnitude of the universe, the experience of love, the wonder of birth, the reality of death
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Wilkins' definition of religion
The response a person gives to the mystery of life; the attempt on the part of each individual to express a relationship to the mystery of life
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Inference
An educated guess; a conclusion by reasoning from premises or evidence
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Prehistory
Time of history before written records
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Artifacts
Things left behind by early people- pieces of pottery, tools, art, sculpture, buildings.
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Archaeologist
Scienctist who studies the material remains. The things left behind by earlier cultures and civilizations
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Anthropologist
Scientst who studies early people- their origin, nature and future-more interested in bones than artifacts
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Shaman
Religious/spiritual leader who is believed to have special powers such as prophecy or the ability to heal
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To placate
To appease or please someone or some power to soothe or make less angry
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Capricious
Impulsive, tending to make sudden unexpected changes; fickle
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Heaven
Traditionally the dwellig place of God and the saints; not a place but a state of eternal life and union with God in which one experiences full happiness
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Hell
The state of permanent separation from God, reserved for those who freely consciously choose to reject God to the very end of their life
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Resurrection
Central Christian belief that Jesus passed from death to life "on the third day" after his Crucifixion; also the belief that Christians in right relationship with God will live forever with God in heaven
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Martyr
One who suffers death because of his/her faith; the Catholic Churc calls many "saints"
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Communion of Saints
Can be another name for the church- the union of all who believe in Christ including those still living, those sitll living, those who have died adn are in purgatory and the saints in heaven
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Polytheism
Belief in many gods. Also referred to as paganism in the History of God video. Most early religions were this
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Myth
A traditional or ancient story which reveals the world view of a group or people, may explain the beginning of some thing, practice or belief and conveys sacred truths
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Holy
The original meaning of the word is "other"- but other synonyms include dreadful, terrible, awful (as in full of awe or awe inspiring)
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Covenant
Another word for contract, pact, or agreement, usually between God and people
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Transcendant
Word that means "That which goes beyond our normal existence" the dictionary defines it as "Existing outside the material universe and so not liited by it"
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Atheist
Someone who denies the existence of God
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Monotheism
Belief in one God Judaism was the first religion that was truly this
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Trinity
Central Chrisitian belief that there is one God in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit
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Creator
Title given to God by Christians to show that God and only God is the cause of all that is and ever will be
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Inspiration
Catholic belief that the Holy Spirit guided human authors in the writing of Scriptures so that the scriptures are true in those things that concern our salvation- in what they teach about God and how we are to live
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Our Soul
The spiritual part of us that is immortal- that is, lives on after our bodies die.
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Free will
Our ability to choose our actions. Christians believe that having this part of what it means to say we are "created in God's image"
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Stewardship
The attitude that we do not own the gifts God has given us, but are trustees of those gifts
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Original Sin
The state of separation from God that all humans are born into; Christians believe that it is passed down from our first parents, who because of our human inclination to greed and pride, disobeyed God and were separated from God (though Christians believe that Jesus enables us to return to union with God)
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The Babylonian Exile
The time between 586 and 538 BCE when the Isrealies (Jews) were taken in captivity from the holy land into Babylonia. Their experiences during this time solidified their belief in God.
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What did the Hebrews believe about human creation?
They believed that humans were created in the image of God, to be the stewards of creation
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What were the Babylonian's lives like?
Their lives were full of turmoil, they lived in a land of frequent floods where life was a struggle; they experienced much war and violence; their worldview was dark anxious and suspicious
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What did the Canaanites believe?
They believed in El, Baal (god of storms) and Anath (god of harvest). Baal was often worshipped in the form of a golden calf.
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What gods did the Egyptians believe in?
Their gods were Re, the sun god and Osiris, the god of life everlasting
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What was the Egyptian's religion like?
Their religion was very stable, (unchanging) in its rites, beliefs and theology
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What did the Babylonians think about human creation?
They believed humans were created from the blood and bones of the dead monster, Kingu; humans were powerless and were meant only to serve the gods
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What did the Babylonians beilve was the creation of the world?
They believed Marduk created the world from the dead body of his dragon mother, Tiamet.
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What do Hebrews think about how God creates?
They believed that God creates in an orderly fashion with a plan and that God's creation is good.
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What was impoartant in the Egyptian religion
The death ritual was important in this ancient religion, it occupied a central place
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What did the Hebrews write?
They wrote their creation story to ephasize their experience of God as different from experience of thei rneighbors
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Pentecost
A Jewish feast celebrating when Moses recieved the law on Mt. Sinai- in Christianity this feast celebrates when the Holy Spirit was poured out on the disciples
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Gifts of the Holy Spirit
Seven gracces given to us by the Holy Spirit to help us respond to God's call to holiness- they help us to live a good and holy life
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Fruits of the Holy Spirit
We know that an apple tree was planted in good soil, given sunlight, water and fertilizer because it produces terrific apples. In the same way Catholics believe the presence of these qualities in our lives show that we have received the gifts of the Holy Spirit and have put them to work in our lives
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What do Christians call Pentecost?
The "Birthday of the Church"
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The four Marks of the church
- 1. One
- 2. Holy
- 3. Catholic
- 4. Apostolic
- (be able to describe these)
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Infallible
Means "without error" Catholics believe that the Pope and the bishops in union with hi are protected from fundamental error when they exercise their most solemn teaching authority on matters of faith and morals
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Ecumenism
Movement to restore unity among Christian Churches
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Encyclical
Letter written by a pope and sent out to the Catholic Church and sometimes beyond
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Doctrine
Official teaching of the church
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Dogmas
Teachings of the chrch that are recognized as central- the "creed stuff" - they carry the fullest weight and authority of the Magisterium
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Liturgy
From the Greek word meaning "public service" or "Work of the people" this refers to the public communnal prayer of the church
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A symbol
Something concrete (something you can touch or smell or see) that represents something abstract (like an idea or emotion); can have more than one meaning and the thing itself is related to what it represents
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A sign
Something that carries a single meaning that has been arbitrarily assigned to it- for example, a stop sign or this math symbol
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Rituals
Symbolic actions that help us concretely or physically express our beliefs, values and concerns these are repeated usually celebrate important events and are characterized by participation.
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Sacraments (capital S)
The seven ritual celebratoins of the Catholic church; the Catholic Catechism defined them as "outward signs instituted by Christ to gie grace.
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sacrament (small s)
In its broadest meaning any person, event or thing through which we encounter or experience God's presence in a new or deeper way
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Grace
The gift of God's presence and friendship in our life; God's love and unconditional care for us that is constantly offered to us, no matter what.
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Disposition
An inner attitude and readiness to participate in and receive God's gifts (graces) in the Sacraments- or any church service
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Efficacious
This word describes Sacraments; it means a Sacrament celebrates the gift of grace already present in our lives and at the same time increases or deepens that gift of grace if we are open and receptive- it effects change in us because of God's power and love
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The altar
The central table on which the Eucharist is celebrated; a symbol of Christ
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Baptismal Font
A pool or bowl containing water used for baptism- and for blessing yourself as a reminder of your Baptism
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Ambo
From the Greek word for mountain; the place where the Word of God (scripture readings) are proclaimed during Mass
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Paschal Candle
A large ornamented candle symbolic of the risen Christ, which is blessed and lit during the Easter Vigil
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Tabernacle
From the Latin word for "tent" or "hut' the place where the consecrated Eucharist is reserved
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Faith
Humanity's "Response to God, who reveals himself to humans, at the same time bringing humans a superabundant light as they search for the ultimate meaning of their lives." Personal knowledge of God through experience
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Grace
- The gift of God's presence and friendship in our life
- God reaching out to us
- It is free, ever present, constantly offered, unconditional and ours to accept or reject
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Theology
Come from Greek 'Theos' for God; meaning: an academic discipline which attempts to order our experience of God (faith); classically defined as "faith seeking understanding"
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Belief
- Intellectual: you assent that something is true.
- Theology in a snapshot
- -A formulation of the knowledge (experience) we have of God through faith.
- -If theology is a process, belief is a product.
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Religion
The system of beliefs, values, rituals and other practices based on our experience of God.
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Creed
A breif summaryof things you believe.
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Revelation
God revealing himself and his divine plan to the human race through words and deeds in history
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Doctrine
An official teaching of the church based n the Revelation of God by and through Christ
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Dogma
Those teachings that are recognized as central to Chruch teaching, defined by the Magisterium and accorded the fullest weight and authority
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Ecumenism
The movement to restore unity among the Christian churches and ultimately all humans
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Evangelization
The proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus through word and witness
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Culture
Shared socially learned knowledge and patterns of behavior
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Inference
An educated guess; a conclusion by reasoning from premises or evidence
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Secular
the opposite of religious; worldly, temporal; some would say atheistic
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Capricious
Impulsive tending to make sudden, unexpected changes; fickle
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Resurrection
Central Christian belief that Jesus passed from life to death "on the thrid day" after his Cruxifiction; also the belief that Christians in right relationship with God will live forever with God in heaven
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Communion of Saints
Can be another name for the church- the union of all who believe in Christ including those still living those who have died and are in puragtory and the saints in heaven
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John Westerhoff's stages of belief are
- 1. Experiened faith
- 2. Affiliative Faith
- 3. Searching Faith
- 4. Owned Faith
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Experienced faith
Faith of little kids, the first faith, experiencing Mass, reading the Bible, praying at meal
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Affiliative Faith
Second stage of faith, becoming a part of the community and taking on community values and beliefs; the stage of First Commumion
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Searching Faith
Questioning and searching for understanding and truth, the stage when on wrestles with faith and may experience alternatives
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Owned Faith
The stage when one makes a personal commitment to their faith and religion and puts their belief into action
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What are the three ways philosophers say we know anything?
- 1. Direct experience
- 2. Through community, being told or read
- 3. Reason or logic, draw an inference
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Which of the three ways do you think Westerhoff would say is the best to know God?
I think Westerhoff would say community is the best way to know God because he seems to believe in very traditional ways like going to chruch and listening to the wisdom that's been passed on from generation to generation
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Which of the three ways do you think is the best to know God?
I think drawing an inference is the best way because God has left it up to us to decide our faith. He doesn't want us to accept his existance, he wants us to have faith whether or not there is solid evidence of him.
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Faith is to Grace as ________ is to ___________ because________
Faith is to Grace as an RSVP is to an invitation because faith is our response to God's invitation of grace the same way an RSVP is to an invitation
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Faith is like________ because
Faith is like a board game because sometimes you go through challenges and while you might not win the game you achieve the main goal of having fun, or rather you might not be the best person in the world, but your participation has shown God your faith.
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Wilkins defines religion as
an acknowledgement of God.
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Passover
Major Jewish holiday remembering the escape from Egypt
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Torah
Several meanings, for Jews: "the Law" or refers to the first five books of the Hebrew Script.
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Covenant
A solemn agreement between humans or between God and a human where mutual commitments are recognized
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Temple
Built originally by Soloman to hold the Ark of the Covenant it was the place where scholars gathered to study and teach the Law and celebrate major feasts,there was only one and it symbolized God's presence among the people
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Palestine
Area where the Jews lived for thousands of years; hoe of the biblical patriarchs, the "promised land"
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Synagogue
Each town had one of these; a place for the people to gather, study, discuss scriptures and pray
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Galilee
Norhtern area or region f Palestine, home of simple hard working peopl
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jerusalem
Capital city of Palestine
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Nazerith
Jesus' home town
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Abba
Rough translation: daddy or papa
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Canon
Official list of books of the bible accepted by the church
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Incarnation
The mystery of Jesus divine and human natres in one person
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Emmanuel
Title for Jesus, means "God with us"
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Parable
Story that Jesus told to teach a lesson
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Miracle
Special event or sigh, usually a healing that showed the presence and power of God.
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Disciple
"student or learner" Word for the followers of Jesus in the New Testament times and also the fllowers of Jesus today
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Sadduces
The aristocats in hebrew society
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Zealots
The terroirsts of Jesus' time. They wanted to overthrow Rome and liberate Israel
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Pharisees
Members of this group were teachers, not pretentious and followed the spirit of the law; Jesus was likely a part of this group
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San hedrin
Jewish high court
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pashcal mystery
The mystery that Christ had to suffer and die to save us from sin and death so the we might rise with him to new and glorious life. That Jesus' death was a new passover
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passion
Word Christians use to describes Jesus' suffering
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Blasphemy
Making oneself equal to God. Jesus was charged with this (that's why they Cruxified him)
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Four Gospels
Matthew, Mark, Luke and John
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Why do we need all four Gospels?
Because thy provide indivigual viewpoints from different positions in society. WIthout all of them we wouldn't be able to understand Jesus or his Parables as well. They are also specifically designed for each part of the communities and provide a full picture of Jesus
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What was the Covenant between God and Moses?
Humans would follow the 10 commandments and God would love them and take care of them and be there for them.
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How are Torah (10 commandments) and Salvation history connected to the Covenant between God and Moses
We can see from the Salvation history that those who follow the 10 commandments are more inclined to be saved
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If christians believe in the resurrection what is one thing they know or believe about Jesus?
they Know that Jesus was the true son of God. WE know that because he was resurrected he was both fully man and fully God
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Different ways things can be true
- Scientific truth
- Geographical truth
- Historical truth
- Mathmatical truth
- Religous truth
- Moral truth
- Proverbial truth
- Symbolic truth
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Scintific truth
- Ex. Earth revolving around the sun
- Can be proven to be true through scientific method
- Includes all areas of science
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Geographical truth
Israel is north of Egypt
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Historical truth
George Washington was the first president of the united states
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Religous truth
- Ex. God loves all people
- The truth about God and our relationship with GOd
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Moral truth
- Ex. Taking something that doesn't belong to you is wrong.
- The truth about how we are to act in relationship with others and with God
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Proverbial truth
- Ex. Early to bed, early to rise makes a man healthy wealthy and wise.
- Folksy truth contained in proverbs
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Symbolic truth
Ex. Her eyes danced like stars
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Myth
Traditional story that may explain something
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Knowing about something...
Hearsay, indirect, could be wrong, based on someone else's relationship or experience with that person, not necessarily your own
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Knowing something...
Based on your own personal relationship, personal, based on your experience of the person
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Conviction
Belief in truths; an assent of mind
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Commitment
Dedicated to another; an assent of the heart, with implications upon behoavior
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Trust
Reliance on the power and goodness of that to which one is committed (trust enables faith to remain active even in times of doubt)
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Faith=
Personal knowledge of God gained through our experience of God present and active in our life
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Christain faith
Personal knowledge of God in Christ
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Grace=
- The relationship between God and us.
- God reaching out to us so that we might experience God and know God.
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"the faith"
Refers to the whole collection of beliefs held by Christians: doctrines, teachings handed down through time. The revealed truth of Scripture and Tradition
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Belief
- Involves intellectual assent to a truth
- Faith implies a deeper acceptance of a belief, one that requires changes in behavior and attitude. True faith goes beyond intellectua; assent to reveal truths
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Theology
An academic discipline which attempts to order our experience of God (faith); classically defined as "faith seeking understanding"
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Sacrament of Eucharist
The truth that Jesus become present in the Body and Blood at communion
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Anslem: "Credo ut intelligam"
For I do not seek to understand that I may believe, but I believe in order to understand
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Inference
An educated guess; a conclusion by reasoning from premises or evidence; a deduction, hypothesis
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Prehistory
Time before written records
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Linguist
Scientist who studies languages- makes inferences about early peoples based the development of languages
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Propitiation
Attempt to appease or pacify someone or some power.
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Preliterate
Before the use of writing
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Shaman
Religious/ spiritual leader who is believed to have speical powers such as prophecy or the ability to heal. Thought to hae special relationship with the spirits; can contact spirits through trance like states
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What evidence is there for the existence of religious practices among early humans? What can we conclude about early religions from this evidence?
- 1. Evidence of human burial
- 2. Ceremonial arrangement of animal bones and skulls
- 3. Cave paintings
- 4. Carved figures
- 5. Stone circles
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Evidence of human burial
- Evidence of early religion
- They buried their dead with flowers and food and showed an awareness of death
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Ceremonial arrangement of animal bones and skulls
- Evidence of early religion
- Possibly showed that they believed certain animals were connected or were spirit/powers with influence over their survival
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Cave painting
Evidence of early religion
-
Carved figures
- Evidence of early human religion
- Reverenve for spirits/powers that influenced finding of food or quantitu of food for healthy children and longevity
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Stone circles
- Evidence of earlu religion
- Places of worship related to growing season or heavenly bodies (stars, sun, moon)
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What do experts speculate are the steps to the beginning of religion
- 1)Early people
- experienced phenomena they couldn’t explain.
- (2)Specifically,
- they experienced phenomena that threatened their survival
(a)Forces of Nature (earthquakes, floods, fire, lightning)
(b)Scarcity of Food (famine, drought)
(c)Illness and Death
- (3)They concluded
- invisible powers/spirits must be in control
- (4)Over time, they
- devised ways to placate these spirits/powers – rituals, practices, ceremonies,
- prayers, songs, etc. – to keep the friendly spirits friendly and keep the
- hostile spirits away.
-
What are the 12 characteristics of prehistoric
religion?
- 1.Belief
- in spirit-forces or invisible powers (later, gods)
- 2.Close
- ties to a particular area or locality
- 3.A
- prescientific world view
- 4.Concern
- with survival
- 5.manipulation,
- coercion and supplication of the world of the spirits (that is, early religious
- practices that tried to keep the friendly spirits friendly and keep the hostile
- spirits away)
- 6.Concern
- about death – and belief about the afterlife and future life
- 7.moral
- systems (specific rules governing ways to act and ways not to act)
- 8.theology
- (explanations of the mystery they experienced)
- 9.scripture
- (stories, myths, songs, poems – and also explanations, rituals, moral codes --
- passed down orally from generation to generation until writing developed.)
- 10.prophecy (each religion had charismatic religious
- leaders who were thought to be able to communicate with the spirit world)
- 11.Sacrifice
- (practice of giving gifts to the powers, forces, spirits – again to keep the
- friendly spirits friendly and the hostile spirits away)
- 12.Designated
- places of worship – special places set aside for religious ceremonies.
-
Why
does Wilkins say religion is natural to people? Do you agree or disagree?
- Because religion and
- religious practices have been part of every human society from as far back as
- we have evidence of human society. Some
- scientists believe that the definition of what it means to be human -- that is the very thing that makes us human
- – is religious awareness or awareness of mystery. Christians believe that God reaches out to
- every human – is present and active in the lives of every human -- and has done
- so from the creation of the very first human.
-
Monotheism
began to appear a mere
4000 years ago
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Why
does the idea of God changing sound a contradiction in terms
- Because we tend to think of God as
- an ideal, eternal, unchanging presence. God is supposed to be absolute, eternal and sacred. To think of God changing is a
- contradiction.
-
“That essential sacred reality doesn’t change, but the way
people express it over the years does change.
We cannot be religious in the same way as our ancestors.” Why do you think this is so?
- That essential sacred reality
- doesn’t change, but the way people express it over the years does change.
- We cannot be religious in the same
- way as our ancestors. Our perspective is
- entirely changed. We’ve looked at the
- world from outer space, for example. So
- each generation has the task of looking back at its traditions, its scriptures,
- looking at its own unique circumstances and making a creative jump to apply the
- past tradition to the problems of the present.
-
Describe
some general beliefs about the gods of polytheism
- Each
- god had limited domains of power and responsibility – hunt, war,
- fertility, death. Each can be
- contacted for a specific purpose
- These
- gods felt accessible and close at hand.
-
They were near; they thought you didn’t have to struggle to feel - their presence in your life.
- Tied
- to a specific area – you didn’t take your god with you if you moved.
- Sacrifice
- Thought
- you could manipulate or coerce the gods (control them, get them to do what
- you wanted) by using their names.
-
In what way can the beliefs of polytheism be compared to
Catholic beliefs about the saints?
- Saints are patrons or helpers in certain areas. We like to “check” in with saints and pray to
- saints in much the same way. “Cover our
- bases” as it were
-
What did the Canaanites believe about:
- El: Chief god; shadowy, high god. Had a son, Baal
- Baal: god of storms and fertility. Son of El, sister to Anath.
- Anath: sister to Baal, goddess of the harvest
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