Aristotle
Aristotle rejects which kinds of life as candidates for the best life, and why does he reject each of them?
1). Wealth- merely the means to happiness but not the end goal itself
2). Virtue- happiness is an activity (sleep, coma)
3). Honor- not in our own possession- aka others honor you but you don't withhold honor
4). Pleasure- not uniquely human and one and overindulge to a point where it becomes negative
What are the theological implications of how God is portrayed in Genesis 1-2:4? Contrast this with the creation story in the Enuma Elish.
-In Genesis 1, God is portrayed as sovereign, creating the universe by speaking. His creation is ordered, good, and deliberate, emphasizing His power and the inherent goodness of creation.
-Enuma Elish portrays creation emerging from divine violence, with multiple gods involved.
-The Genesis account presents a monotheistic view where creation is peaceful, and God is not in conflict but sovereign.
-This contrast highlights the goodness and order of God’s creation in Genesis, emphasizing divine will and power.
Summarize the story of Moses' call or commision by God. Does this story suggest anything important about human beings in general and about God's chosen people?
-God appeared to Moses in a burning bush, and revealed his intention to liberate the suffering Israelites from Egyptian slavery, assuring Moses that God would provide the means to accomplish this by giving him signs like turning his staff into a snake.
-Demonstrating that God hears the cries of his people and empowers them to act even when they feel inadequate.
-This highlights Moses's initial skepticism requiring visible proof before fully trusting God's plan, reflecting a common human tendency to "believe what they see.".
What is a prophet? Why are the prophets so concerned about the widow, the orphan, the stranger, the poor, ect. How does this connect with the covenant and the Exodus?
- A prophet is someone inspired by the divine, or an interpreter of the message of god who expresses his will. They're gifted with moral insight and a talent for self expression. They offer predictions and often help to soothe the people, and they are the chief spokesperson of the religious movement they represent.
-The often mediate between Goad and a king and are social critics, interpreting God's message to find the places where society has gone astray from God's wishes.
-The prophets primarily focus on those in the weaker position because they are reflecting God's message, and their society had begun to forget its past and neglect the poverty it used to be a part of.
-This connects with Exodus and the covenant because God set out how he wanted the people to act in their newfound freedom, but since their Exodus and the time of their slavery, they have forgotten their struggles and broken the covenant, relying on external aid and forming greed.
What is the purpose of the genealogy of Jesus at the start of the gospel?
- The purpose of the genealogy of Jesus is to emphasize Jesus' humanity.
-It also illustrates the human blood lineage of Jesus as the son of David, the son of Abraham, showing that Jesus has jewish origin and his heritage within the line of David links him to the promises made in the Old Testament.
-This lineage emphasizes that Jesus fulfills the Messianic prophecies, grounding his significance within Jewish tradition.
What is Aristotle's definition of happiness/the human good?
Happiness = activity of the soul exhibiting complete virtue. He believes happiness is the chief good and that everyone should strive to achieve it.
Identify at least three differences between the two creation stories in Genesis 1-3? Why
might the editors have arranged it this way?
- In Genesis 1, the creation occurs in 6 days with an orderly sequence. Humanity is created last, male and female together. Emphasizes God's sovereignty and order, with the order of creation being vegetation, animals, and then humanity.
-In Genesis 2, the creation focuses on humanity, with Adam formed first and Eve created from his rib.Focuses on relationships and the role of humanity, with the man created first, followed by the garden and animals.
-The names of God is different in each of the stories as well.
Genesis 1 primarily uses the name "Elohim" for God, signifying a more distant and powerful deity, whereas Genesis 2 uses "Yahweh Elohim," which carries a more personal and intimate connotation.
What is the significance of God's struggle with Pharoah? Why do you think God shows such an awesome display of his power to the Egyptians?
- It is an example of God rescuing the poor, weak, and somewhat helpless, which later becomes an essential part of the Bible, particularly in the message that Jesus preaches.
- Gives an example of the “eye for an eye” policy that God demands later in the book of Exodus, showing that in return for the harm caused by the Egyptians, they will receive harm of what God deems a fair amount.
-Lays the foundation for the covenant he would later make with the Israelites and demonstrates the control he has over the world. In freeing the people with such a big show of power, he wins their belief in him and their trust that God will lead them through struggles.
- It also serves as an example of the kind of nation God does not favor, like a “what not to do” for the Israelites when they get to the promised land.
What is the main metaphor Hosea employs to characterize the relationship between God and the people? Why do you think he uses it?
-Later in the book, Hosea says that despite the infidelity, he cannot let his wife go, just as God will not abandon the people even in times when they betray him. This signified his unconditional love for his people, even through the turmoil they have caused him.
What are the Beatitudes from Chapter 5, list and discuss 3 of them. How and in what ways do they differ in content or emphasis from the commandments? Compare this view of the good life with Aristotle's notion of happiness.
- The Beatitudes are the blessings Jesus shares on his sermon on the mount.
-The list of statements that start with 'blessed are."
-They are conditions for entering the Kingdom of Heaven and being a disciple or follower of Jesus, they are not commandments.
-They differ from the commandments because the Beatitudes are an articulation of the kind of heart Jesus wanted for his followers and are values of a kingdom of god while the commandments are telling you what to do or what not to do.
-Aristotle: Both point towards an awareness of self within the world around you, and both develop a kind of character.
1). Blessed are the poor in spirit. Being materially poor but spiritually wealthy
2). Blessed are those who mourn- pointing towards vulnerability.
3). Blessed are those who desire righteousness- Jesus is interested in the righteous who think they are sinners, having a high level of awareness in the ways in which you are not good.
What does Aristotle mean by virtue and how does he define it?
Virtue = a state of character acquired through habit
- Rational --> intellectual virtues of thought
- Irrational --> moral virtues of character
Select one of the stories from the “universal history of humanity” (4-11): Cain and Abel,
the Flood, or the Tower of Babel. How does this story fit within the broader narrative that
unfolds throughout Genesis?
- In Genesis 4, the story of Cain and Abel illustrates the spread of sin from Adam and Eve.
-Cain's jealousy leads to murder, emphasizing the dangers of resentment and unchecked sin.
-Sets the stage for ongoing human conflict, showing that sin disrupts relationships not only with God but also with others.
What is the most important commandment? Why? How is this related to the story of the golden calf?
-The first commandment is the most important, as God says that “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, you shall have no other gods before me.”
-Establishes God’s singularity as the people’s savior, and ensures that they will remain loyal to him, since being disloyal or straying from their faith could take them away from the goodness he has promised them.
-After bringing them out of slavery and demonstrating his strength, the people mold a calf out of their gold possessions and create an altar to it.
-In anger, God threatens a disaster to the people, but Moses persuades him not to in remembrance of the covenant they have created together.
How does Satan goad God into testing Job, and how does Job respond? In other words, what is the central religious question that Satan’s challenge raises? What connections do you see to Plato’s Republic?
-Satan convinces God to test Job because he argues that Job is only righteous because of his wealth and good fortune.
- God strips Job of everything that he has, including his wealth and family. Job questions God but ultimately is shown the complexities of God's mind, and continues to be faithful.
-Satan poses the question whether an interest in faith comes from selfish motives.
- Both the Book of Job and plato's republic have central questions that pertain to whether a just person can remain virtuous even when facing seemingly unjust hardships. Both works reflect on the nature of justice and whether or not it is always rewarded.
How does Jesus understand his teachings with respect to the Law, i.e., the covenant and the commandments Moses received in Exodus? What does he identify as the “greatest and first” commandment? The second?
-The teachings are disseminated from a mountain, intentionally meant to parallel Moses’ receiving and communicating the commandments from the mountain.
-Jesus is not erasing the Law of Moses but rather he is building on it. He conveys more the spirit behind the law or the psychology behind the law.
-He presents himself as trying to help evolve people and people’s understanding of the law. Jesus identifies the “greatest and first” commandment as “you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind”.
-The second greatest commandment is: ““you shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
What is Aristotle's view of pleasure relating to virtue, and does virtue conflict with pleasure?
Virtue does not necessarily conflict with pleasure as long as it not an extreme.
-One should experience pleasure from being virtuous
-Pleasure just cannot be an end in terms of happiness because it can be indulged in too much
How does the theme of the crossing of the boundary between the human and the divine
recur throughout the text? What is the moral and theological significance of this theme?
In Genesis 6, the "sons of God" take human wives, leading to the birth of the Nephilim, which introduces a supernatural element and further crosses boundaries between the divine and human realms.
-In Genesis 11, about the Tower of Babel, humans attempt to build a tower to reach the heavens, trying to rival God's authority, leading to their dispersal. THese stories show the consequences of human attempts to transcend limits set by God, reinforcing the importance of humility adn obedience.
Why is the Sabbath so integral to the Israelites’ way of life, and how is this related to their 40 years in the wilderness?
- It acts as a reminder of the covenant (agreement) between God and the Jews, and emphasizes their praise for God and only God.
-During their 40 years in the wilderness, God rains food from the sky and instructs the people to collect it only on six days out of seven of the week. When they try to take a rest on the wrong day, or fail to finish collecting the food, it melts and grows worms by morning. But when people leave their houses on the day of rest to try and collect food, they find none.
- This shows that God wants the people to work on those six days, and on the seventh rest and honor God.
How do job's friends interpret his situation? What position does the text take on this interpretation?
-Job's friends insist that Job had to have sinned and is being punished by God for doing so.
-The text emphasizes the flaws in this interpretation as God criticizes his friends directly for trying to simplify the actions of god. Ultimately the text argues not to speak for God as we cannot understand the mind of someone so powerful.
How does Jesus see the “scribes and Pharisees,” and why does he hold this attitude?
- Jesus sees the scribes and Pharisees as hypocrites, he’s referring to actors as he sees them as people who are covering up or hiding their own sinfulness.
- Jesus holds this attitude because he sees the scribes and Pharisees as paying too much attention to the minor more trivial issues, and neglecting the major issues of loving God and loving your neighbor.
- Jesus agrees with the scribes and Pharisees that we should obey God and even obey the law, but he differs with them about what is most important.
-Jesus emphasizes that the priority is devotion to God, loving God, and loving our neighbors. Doing what they’re doing to be seen doing it, don’t have the spirit.
Name one of the virtues, its vices and what those vices are excesses or deficiencies of.
Courage is a virtue
-Courage: persisting in the face of fear; right amount
-Cowardice is the vice of deficiency (a lot of fear)
-Rashness s the vice of excess (no fear)
Discuss the major events and themes in the lives of Abraham, Jacob and Joseph.
- Abraham's covenant with God establishes him as the father of Israel. Themes of faith, obedience,a dn promise are central.
-Jacob's story involves deception (stealing Esau's birthright, transformation (wrestling with God), and reconciliation. His 12 sons become the patriarchs of Israel's tribes.
-Joseph is betrayed by his brothers and sold into. slavery, the rises to power in egypt, ultimately reconciling with is family and saving them during famine. His story emphasizes divine providence and forgiveness.
Do you see any important divisions in the Ten Commandments? How do they differ from the Code of Hammurabi?
- The first four commandments pertain to God and the other six focus on our relationships with other people or the world around us.If you are attentive to the first four commandments, the others should theoretically follow with ease.
- The main differences are that the code of Hammurabi does not contain religious obligations, while the first few of the commandments do. The Code is more specific in the instances of punishment and in the punishments given, while there is some nuance in the 10 commandments and no clear indication of what happens if you break the. The code specifically speaks to freed people, while the commandments are for everyone, and even particularly the people who had once been slaves themselves.
What is God’s reply to Job’s accusations, and how does Job react at the end of the book? How does he end up, and what does the story suggest about God’s justice?
- Job accuses God of injustice as Job was a faithful and righteous person, so he didn't understand why he could be punished.
- god respons by saying that Job doesnt have enough knowledge or understanding of the world to question God's action. God speaks to him in a whirlwind, showing job his limited perspective, reminding him of his own limitations.
- At the end, Job is given his wealth and family back and Job continues to humbly submit to God.
- The story suggests that God's justice is not always apparent to us and may involve deeper purposes beyond our limited perspective.
Why is Jesus ultimately put to death? And who is most responsible?
- Jesus is put to death because of religious and political factors. Jesus’ teachings, actions, and growing influence threaten the authority of the Jewish leaders, especially the Pharisees and the chief priests. Jesus challenges their interpretations of the law and critiques their hypocrisy.
- His claim to be the Messiah and “Son of God” also stirs concern, as they view it as blasphemy. Jesus is brought before Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor, and the religious leaders accuse him of claiming to be the “King of the Jews,” which they frame as a political threat to Roman authority. Pilate initially seems reluctant, but he ultimately yields to the crowd’s demand to crucify Jesus.
-The Gospel suggests that the chief priests, Pharisees, and other religious leaders are most responsible for Jesus’ death, as they orchestrate his arrest and trial. However, Pilate plays a significant role by choosing to authorize the crucifixion.