Theology 1
Adiaphora
Greek meaning "indifferent things." This means something was neither commanded nor forbidden in the Bible.
Dialectical Theology
A theological mode of thought associated with Karl Barth seeks to reconcile seemingly contradictory truths, such as God being both hidden and revealed, transcendent yet immanent, or the kingdom of God being both present and incomplete.
Exemplarism
The moral exemplar view of the Atonement posits that the significance of Christ's death lies in its function as a moral example, inspiring repentance and holiness through the demonstration of complete love and self-surrender.
Natural theology
Natural theology is a theological approach that relies on the use of reason, conscience, and perceived evidence of God found in nature and historical events, rather than exclusively on revelation or scripture.
Theodicy is the effort to reconcile the existence of evil and suffering in the world with the belief in a God who is both perfectly good and all-powerful. It seeks to justify God's goodness, providential care, and wisdom in the face of horrendous evil, including the suffering of the innocent. It addresses the fundamental question of why evil exists if God possesses these attributes.
Analogy of Faith
Theology employs analogy to discuss God due to the inherent dissimilarity between God and creatures, preventing misunderstandings arising from univocal or equivocal language use. The "analogy of faith" draws from biblical depictions of God's self-revelation to support this approach.
Ecclesiology
The term "Ecclesiology" encompasses two main definitions: first, the science of constructing and adorning churches; and second, the theology concerning the Church, which has become the predominant meaning.
Fideism
Fideism is a philosophical position that asserts faith as the primary or exclusive means of attaining knowledge or understanding of divine matters, often emphasizing belief without reliance on reason or evidence.
Ontology
Ontology is a branch of philosophy concerned with the study of being, existence, and the nature of reality. It explores questions such as what exists, how entities are categorized, and the relationships between different types of being.
Patripassianism
The teaching of Patripassianism suggests that God the Father suffered on the cross. Although deemed heretical by the early church, contemporary theological discourse has seen a more nuanced exploration of the idea of "the suffering of God" in Christ, prompting intense theological debate in recent years.
Communication of properties
“Communicatio idiomatum”
A doctrine, the union of divine and human natures in the one person of Christ includes a “communication” or interchange of properties.
Enlightenment
Period of 17th-18th century European and American history, often described as the age of reason, in which profound changes occurred in the way reality was perceived.
The historical-critical method
The historical-critical method is an approach to biblical interpretation that seeks to understand the text by examining its historical context, linguistic features, literary genre, authorship, and intended audience.
Panetheism
Panentheism is the belief that everything exists within God. This teaching suggests that not only is God affected by events in the world, but the world is also integral to God's self-realization and expression.
Kenosis
Kenosis is a term that originates from the Greek verb "kenoō," meaning "to empty." In Christian theology, kenosis refers to the self-emptying or self-renunciation of Jesus Christ, as described in Philippians 2:7, (the Christ Hymn) where Christ is said to have emptied himself and taken on the form of a servant. This concept is often associated with the incarnation of Christ and his humility in becoming human for the sake of humanity's salvation.
Correlative Method
A theological method, exemplified by Paul Tillich, emphasizes connecting existential questions arising from shared human experiences to the insights found within the Christian message.
Eschatology
Eschatology is the theological doctrine concerning the final events or "last things" in God's plan, which typically includes the second coming of Christ, the resurrection of the dead, the final judgment, and the concepts of heaven and hell.
The Immanent Trinity
The immanent Trinity refers to the inner life or internal relationships within the Godhead, focusing on the mutual relationships between the three persons of the Trinity—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This aspect of the Trinity deals with how God exists and interacts within the divine essence, apart from God's external relationship with creation.
Process theology
Process theology, associated with thinkers like Alfred North Whitehead and Charles Hartshorne, emphasizes the dynamic nature of reality. It views God as having both a primordial nature containing all possibilities and an aspect that interacts with and harmonizes actualized events in the world process.
Atonement
"At-one-ment" refers to the reconciliatory action of God through Jesus Christ. This term encapsulates the idea of bringing humanity into harmony or unity with God. Throughout scriptures, various images and metaphors depict different aspects of atonement, illustrating the diverse ways in which this reconciliation is understood and portrayed.
Demythologization
An approach to New Testament interpretation, associated especially with Rudolf Bultmann that seeks to replace “mythological” aspects of biblical message by uncovering their existential meaning for people today
Epistomology
The study of knowledge
Mission
In the Trinitarian doctrine of God, the term "mission" refers to the sending of the Son and the Spirit for the purpose of bringing about the salvation of the world.
Socinianism (Unitarianism)
Unitarianism is a form of Christian belief and practice that rejects the doctrines of the Trinity and the divinity of Christ in favor of the belief in the oneness of God. Its roots date back to the Reformation era, and it gained followers among those with radical reformist perspectives, particularly within various sects.
Soteriology
Soteriology is the theological doctrine concerning the saving work of Jesus Christ, which includes reconciliation, liberation, and renewal. This doctrine encompasses both Christ's work on behalf of humanity and the transformative work of the Holy Spirit within believers, leading to participation in a new life in Christ.