Foundations Of Christian Thought

Front 1

What are the key points about postmodernism as discussed in class? (62-64)

Back 1

“Incredulity to metanarratives”- Jean-Francois Lyotard
“Meta”- about, above, after (Metanarratives- “above the story”- Jesus is the Song of God, for the Christians)
Time period: “after” modernity
Philosophical worldview: conceptual, linguistic, epistemological relativism
Culture: visual, connected, cynical, ironic
Style: art, architecture
* At its core, postmodernism is a rejection of objective truth and knowledge
*Not so much a metaphysical perspective (about what exists, what reality is like – which is how most worldviews are distinguished), as an epistemological perspective (about truth and knowledge; what exists; denial about objective truth)
** “There are no true metanarratives” (Capital T)- all truth is relative to particular narratives/ not of all.
Even though Postmodernism is a metanarrative...

Front 2

How does the professor say we can evaluate worldviews against each other?

Back 2

Worldview hypothesis testing
1) Formulate the hypotheses
2) Work out the implications of each hypothesis (unfold the map)
3) Evaluate the worldview hypotheses against reality, in comparison to each other, according to common criteria/ tests for truth.
4) Accept the hypothesis that best fits the evidence, with the fewest difficulties

Front 3

What analogies does he use?

Back 3

Analogy with jury trial: (80)
*Cumulative case- rather than a single argument, proof, experiment (what makes sense of the whole?). Not looking for a single proof, but for the best explanation of all the data.
*Range of evidence (facts, data, physical evidence, testimony) – don’t just look for a single kind
of evidence, but try to account for everything that is relevant (best explanation of all of it)
*Converging lines of evidence put together in a coherent explanation.
*Evaluate competing hypotheses against each other.

-Analogy of maps: (top of 80)
*Descriptions of reality; think of them as worldviews on the map-level
*Compare them- Pantheism, naturalism, theism... describe different territories
*Which one does the best job with the fewest difficulties?

Front 4

What is the Loch Ness Monster objection?

Back 4

Naturalism is philosophically/religiously neutral: we all have the same set of beliefs
-Theists have an extra belief- that God exists. The burden of proof is on the theist.
-Unless the theists come up with compelling proof that God exists, the reasonable thing to do is to be a naturalist – it’s the default position.

Front 5

How does thinking worldviewishly help us to respond to it? (79)

Back 5

Theism & Naturalism are two different worldviews. They are different maps of reality. Every worldview has truth claims, beliefs, answers to the big questions. Every worldview – including naturalism – has beliefs about nature of ultimate reality (no w.v. has an extra burden of proof).
--Look at each belief as a worldview in relation to other worldviews and evaluate from there

Front 6

What are the marks of/tests for truth? (How are they distinct from the nature of truth?) (81- #3; 85)

Back 6

-Coherent: Is it logically consistent or does it contradict itself? Does it hold together?
Are the beliefs compatible with each other? Is it rationally coherent?

-Factual: Does it fit the facts? Is it compatible with and does it explain the evidence/ data of experience, history, sciences? Is it factually adequate?

-Livable: Does it work? Can one live according to it consistently, without hypocrisy? Does it meet one’s deepest needs? Is it existentially viable?

• Nature of truth: correspondence to reality
• Tests for truth: test a map to see how it corresponds to reality (above 3 ^ ^)

Front 7

What are the two big ideas we focused on in our study of the Bible, under which falls everything else?

Back 7

Worldviews and the inerrancy of the scripture

Front 8

Why did the professor stress the “credibility” of the Bible?

Back 8

The nature of the bible: it is the “word of god” God’s revelation to us. The bible is God speaking to us, communicating with us.

The role of the bible in our lives: it is our authority

The bible claims to be the word of God, to have authority

Front 9

What (from the professor’s point of view) is a bad argument for the authority and inspiration of the Bible?

Back 9

Circular Argument- How do you know the Bible is the Word of God? Because it says so. Why do you believe that is true? Because it’s the word of God.

Front 10

What (from the professor’s point of view) is a good argument for it? (112)

Back 10

Look at passages discussed

Front 11

What was the problem in the Galileo incident?

Back 11

Science vs. Religion (Bible)- some believe that these are always in conflict
But, in fact Galileo was a Christian and did not see a problem between General/Special revelation
General Revelation, Special Revelation
Bad science:
Bad theology:

Front 12

Imago Dei refers to what?

Back 12

“Image of God”- we are made in God’s image and thus we bare His nature (“fingerprints”)

We have access to general revelation because it is written on our hearts (moral reality)

Front 13

General revelation is truth available to all people by virtue of what?

Back 13

Creation- Because of the created order of the world, which is accessible to us by reason.

Because of the imago Dei – our nature as bearing God’s image.

Front 14

Why do we need special revelation in addition to general revelation?

Back 14

General-

Special- tells us who he is, what His name is, that he died for us (authoritative)

Front 15

What are the two ways, according to the professor, that we can go wrong concerning general revelation?

Back 15

Underestimate its value- don’t think general revelation is important

Overestimate its value- looses its worth because everything becomes general revelation

Front 16

Be able to distinguish between Wycliffe, Erasmus, and Tyndale.

Back 16

W: first to translate the Bible into English; from the Latin Vulgate; before printing press, onto manuscripts

E: Catholic; produced a Greek New Testament into print; Catholic

T: brought back E’s Greek and first to have it printed once printing press was developed

Front 17

What is God’s “Final Word”?

Back 17

Hebrews 1:1-3 (Jesus) (138-139)

Front 18

How does the truth of scripture relate to the authority of Scripture?

Back 18

.

Front 19

According to the chart given in class, what characterized the four periods in Christian history (30 – mid-90, etc. – be able to identify the four periods)?

Back 19

.

Front 20

According to the Bible, people without special revelation may have knowledge of what?

Back 20

Can know that God exists, have moral knowledge (Rom 2. 14-16), know God is personal.... Theism
But, (Rom. 10) they don’t know WHO HE IS

Front 21

What is the basis of the authority of the canon of the NT?

Back 21

These are the books that God wrote.. the dispute is, was it the church that gave it the authority or was the authority on the books already given and invested in the books themselves? (129-130)

Front 22

The bottom line of the doctrine of inerrancy is: the Bible is true in all that __________.

Back 22

.

Front 23

What is the conservative heresy?

The liberal heresy?

Back 23

131- Inerrancy (17)
Conservative- trying to make the Bible say more than it actually says; make it fit to what we want it to say

Liberal- trying to make the Bible say less than what it actually says; cutting out pieces we don’t like (offensive)

Front 24

Where does Scripture teach the idea that Jesus is God's "final word," his definitive revelation of himself?

Back 24

Heb. 1-3

Front 25

What are the biblical passages that correspond to these Greek words? What was the point made by the professor’s using these terms?

Back 25

John 1 logos (123- God speaking; #3; communicating to us by creating the universe; in the flesh, incarnation)

. 2 Peter 1:20-21 pheromenoi “Carry along” through the Holy Spirit

. 2 Tim. 3:16 theopneustos “God-breathed”; “inspired”

Front 26

According to the professor the Old Testament pattern is that God speaks through his authorized spokespersons/prophets, empowered by the Holy Spirit, so that what the prophet says is what God says. How is this pattern extended in the New Testament?

Back 26

(pg. 126-129; 17)
John 3:34- one who is sent from God speaks the words of God (127; sent by God, speaking the words of God, lead by the Holy Spirit)
God  Prophet sent and speaks by the HS
Jesus explicitly authorized the New Testament by citing/quoting it. (not the OT because it wasn’t written yet)

Front 27

Be familiar with the subject matter of these passages:

. _____ Acts 2.42

Back 27

42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

Front 28

Be familiar with the subject matter of these passages:


_____ John 3.34

Back 28

34 For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God[a] gives the Spirit without limit.

Front 29

Be familiar with the subject matter of these passages:

. _____ John 14.24-26 (16.13-14)

Back 29

24 Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.

25 “All this I have spoken while still with you. 26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

Front 30

Be familiar with the subject matter of these passages:

. _____ John 17.17-18

Back 30

17 Sanctify them by[a] the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world.

Front 31

Be familiar with the subject matter of these passages:

. _____ 2 Peter 3.15-16

Back 31

15 Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. 16 He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.

Front 32

Be familiar with the subject matter of these passages:

. _____ Hebrews 1.1-3

Back 32

1 In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. 3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.

Front 33

What is the role of interpretation of Scripture in relation to inerrancy, according to the professor?

Back 33

.

Front 34

According to the professor, how does the Scripture relate to the “Word of God”?

Back 34

Grudem; general revelation, God speaking through the Prophets, Jesus, Scripture
(123-124) Distinguishes it; (term used more broadly even in the Bible)
Significant because it is the “written form” of God speaking, but not the only form ^^

Front 35

To say that Scripture is "inspired" is to say what?

Back 35

“God breathed”; Holy Spirit led

Front 36

How should we respond to the Word of God?

Back 36

.

Front 37

What are “fourteeners,” as the professor used the term? How does this relate to the Christian worldview?

Back 37

Big ideas that give rise, context to everything else (the Big Ones, mountains)

Big mountains, Big ideas

Front 38

Psalm 19 discusses which kind(s) of revelation?

Back 38

BOTH- Heavens declare the glory of God -
The Law of the Lord is written on our hearts – general

Making wise the simple

Front 39

What are the problems with historical relativism? 99

Back 39

All truth is relative to personal historical context- all truth is limited to particular times, places
Self refuting; does not follow from the fact that all ideas are formulated by certain people and only applied to THOSE people; 2 + 2 = 4.
They don’t all connect to each other.

Front 40

What are the two objective criteria that the early church thinkers used to formulate the creeds and council definitions, in order to protect these formulations from simply being an expression of “just our opinions”? (142)

Back 40

Eyewitness- by the Prophets (apostolic record of the NT) they were not true teachings

Ecumenical- universal, general (The creed-counsel the formulate them)

Front 41

“Creed” comes from which Latin word?

Back 41

Credo- “I believe” (not WE believe)

Became a statement of the 14ers because they are the big ideas that gives shape to everything else

Front 42

The professor listed three purposes of creeds. What are they? (143)

Back 42

Clarify

Unify

Educate

Front 43

The word "catholic” in the early Christian creeds referred to what?

Back 43

Universally accepted.

Front 44

According to the professor, the creeds and councils do what?

Back 44

Build fences: put boundaries around the core truth claims of the Christian faith; identify/clarify, not develop. So we can agree and disagree.