Terms
Definition of Theology
"God discourse", what we have to say about God
True or false: The creation story of Genesis 1 is trying to explain, in scientific terms, the creation of the world. It is therefore also trying to refute theories such as the Big Bang or the theory of evolution
False, Genesis 1 is a religious text trying to answer religious questions, not scientific ones
Define covenant
A formal way of making someone a part of your family
Which city translates to "house of bread"?
Bethlehem
What does the word Beatitude mean?
Happiness
The passion, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus. This is the fullest expression of love!
Paschal Mystery
What are three literary goals of Genesis 1?
1) There is one God who made the whole world
2) The world was made freely and out of love, not because God needed to or because he had to dominate/conquer
3) Humans are made in the image and likeness of God, meant to co-create with him and are not made slaves to serve him
God coming down to meet us in a way we can understand
Divine condescension
Jesus, as King, comes from a specific family line in order to fulfill God's prophecies. Which line does he come from?
David
This term refers to a baptized Christian who obstinately rejects clear Church teaching
Heretic/Heresy
Enuma Elish
Babylonian creation story, the world was made by many gods at war. Genesis 1 sought to correct this worldview.
Name one instance where God is "playing dumb" and what his point in doing so is
1) Asking Adam where he is in the garden in order to offer him a chance to fess up and turn back to him
2) When he tells Moses he's going to destroy everyone because he is so angry (trying to get Moses to remember his mercy, and also recognize the gravity of sin)
A covenant ceremony at the time would have involved splitting animals in half. The fire pot, representing the presence of God, would have traveled between the split animals so as to say: "If I break my covenant with you, let me be split apart like these animals"
Which heresy said that Jesus may be an exceptional creature, but he's a creature and not God?
Arianism
What was Jesus' first public miracle in John's Gospel?
Wedding at Cana
Original Solitude
Before Eve, Adam's original state of being aware of himself as distinct from the rest of God's creation (different from animals), and aware that he is made for loving communion (as he's looking around for a proper partner and coming up short with the animals!)
Identify three specific examples in which relationships break down in Genesis 3
1) Eve defines for herself what is good/bad instead of trust in what God has defined as good and bad for her
2) Adam blames Eve and God for the apple situation
3) Adam and Eve hide from God as they hear him walking through the garden
Identify three ways in which Isaac and Jesus parallel each other
- only sons
- travel up a mountain
- God provides the sacrifice (ram and lamb- Jesus)
- Carry wood up mountain
- Willingly lay their lives down in trust
In this scene, Jesus' glory is uncovered for Peter, James, and John right before his crucifixion in order to give them faith and trust. What was this moment called?
The transfiguration
This annual Jewish feast would have involved the slaughtering of an unblemished lamb to remember when a lamb's blood saved Israel from death and slavery
Passover
Original Holiness and Justice
Adam and Eve's original state of perfect harmony, peace, joy, and communion within themselves, with each other, and with God
Explain how the beginning of John 1 and Genesis 1 are similar, and why they parallel each other.
Each begin as creation stories. John's point is to say that Jesus is God who was there at the creation of the world, and in Jesus we start all over again with a new type of humanity.
What was David's political and liturgical power moves?
Political: Uniting northern and southern tribes, making Jerusalem capital
Liturgical: Bringing Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem, Psalms
In Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis proposes three options Jesus gives us for what to think about him. What are those three options?
Identify two places where a garden shows up in John's gospel
- Agony in the garden, where Jesus is betrayed
- When Mary Magdalene finds Jesus' empty tomb in a garden