Theology Thursday

SADOTHEISM

‘[say''-doe-thee''-iz-um]

The theistic belief that God, if he exists, is a sadist who enjoys to inflict pain and suffering on those who do not have the power to fight back. This is normally associated with the problem of evil in which the assertion is made that if God was all-good and all-powerful, he would eradicate evil from the world. Since evil is not eradicated, the sadotheist denies his goodness replacing it with a sadistic attribute.

EGALITARIANISM

[ih-gal''-ih-tayr''-ee-uh-niz''-um] (French egal, “equal”)

Theological position held by many Christians (contra complementarianism) believing the Bible does not teach that women are in any sense, functionally or ontologically, subservient to men. Women and men hold positions in society, ministry, and the family according to their gifts, not their gender. The principle of mutual submission teaches that husbands and wives are to submit to each other equally. Prominent egalitarians include Doug Groothuis, Ruth Tucker, William Webb, Gorden Fee, and Linda Belleville.

MESSIANIC SECRET

The “Messianic Secret” is a phrase that seeks to explain a common theme among the Gospel writers (especially Mark), where Christ seems to desire his identity to remain hidden. For example, in Mark 8:27-30 after Peter confesses that Christ is the Messiah, Christ “sternly ordered them not to tell anyone about him.” Explanations for this vary, but most conservative scholars believe that Christ was not hiding his identity per se, but simply revealing himself selectively and progressively to those who would be his followers and would carry his message once his identity had been vindicated by the resurrection.

SEEKER-SENSITIVE CHURCHES

This refers to the method of conducting a Sunday morning church service where all the events surrounding the service are tailored with the unchurched in mind. The goal of this model is to attempt to make the “seeker” feel comfortable by making the service understandable and enjoyable. In this sense, the church is attempting to build a bridge with the unbeliever with the ultimate goal that they will hear the Gospel and be saved. The preaching model in the seeker churches follows suit. Every sermon is simply another way to present the Gospel. Deeper learning, fellowship, and discipleship are encouraged but are not normally part of the Sunday service. They are commonly found in mid-week small groups and studies. Opponents of the seeker model will argue that the Sunday service is not meant to be for the unbelievers, but for believers. There is a wide range within the spectrum of how seeker-sensitive a church might be. One end might be thought of as “seeker-friendly” and the other “seeker-driven.” Rick Warren and Bill Hybels are often thought of as the modern day “fathers” of this model. It is primarily found in evangelical churches.

REASONED ECLECTICISM

A method of textual criticism (reconstructing the original text of Scripture) which believes that the most accurate reading of the Scripture comes from an approach that takes into account all the evidence. It deals with each variant (differences in the manuscripts) by examining them on a case-by-case basis, believing that the variant that best accounts for all the others represents the best or the preferred reading. This method is to be distinguished from those which one look to one text-type as the standard. Also known as genuine or moderate eclecticism.

ANABAPTISTS

(Greek ana, “again” + Greek baptizo, “baptize”)

The Anabaptists were a sect of Christians in the “Radical Reformation” of the sixteenth century that sought to bring further reform the church beyond that of Luther, Zwingli, Calvin and the other mainline reformers. In doing so they rejected all tradition as man-made, rejected any relationship between the government and the church, and instructed those who had been baptized as infants to be baptized again as believers. Because of their increasingly radical views, the Anabaptists were persecuted by both Protestants and Roman Catholics. Descendants of the Anabaptists include Amish, Hutterites, Mennonites, Church of the Brethren, and Brethren in Christ.

TRADUCIANISM

[truh-doo''-shuh-niz''-um] (Latin tradux, “a shoot” or “a sprout”)

The theological position in anthropology which argues that God creates the soul indirectly through the parents as he does the body. Trudicianists believe that there is a distinction between the material (body) and immaterial (soul/spirit), but they do not believe that they are created through two separate acts of creation. They believe that the immaterial is created in and with the material. Therefore, for the traducianist, there is never a time when the body is without a soul. Traducianists argue against “anthropological creationism”which asserts that God creates the immaterial (soul/spirit) directly and then places it in the material body at or sometime after conception. Traducianists believe that God ceased from ex nihilo (“out of nothing”) creation on the sixth day and since then all creation is done indirectly. Traducianists also argue that a belief in “anthropological creationism” evidences gnostic or dualistic leanings, implying that the body is a lesser entity than the soul.

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Theology Thursday

NATURAL EVIL

Any evil that comes about that cannot be attributed to a personal agent such as man or God. Natural evils included weather disasters, cancer, and starvation. They stand in direct contrast to “moral evils” which are attributed to the volition of man. Sometimes natural evils are known as “surd evils.” Surd is the Latin translation of the Greek alogos meaning “without reason” since they do not seem to have any apparent mitigating good.

MORAL EVIL

Any evil that happens which can be attributed to the volition of a personal agent, whether God, angels, or man. Moral evils are those which have an intent or reason, often without benevolence, but sometimes with a benevolent “greater good” in mind. Murder and killing in a just war are both moral evils, but not to the same degree. Moral evils stand in contrast to natural evils which are those events, such as weather disasters, that come about without a personal agency and without any apparent reason.

MORAL LAW

A term used to distinguish between the types of representative laws in biblical and systematic theology as well as philosophy. In biblical theology, the moral law represents the laws of the Mosaic Law that transcend both cultural and temporal barriers such as murder, adultery, lying, and stealing. This is to be distinguished from both the civil and ceremonial laws which are relative to the theocratic government of Israel and dissolved when the theocracy ended. In systematic theology, the moral law applies broadly to the entire moral code of ethics which is inherently represented in all of humanity. These include but are not limited to the moral laws of the Old Testament. In philosophy, the moral law is associated with the “Categorical Imperative” of Immanuel Kant.

RATIONALISM

[rash‘-uh-nuh-liz’-um] (Latin rationalis, “reason”)

The theory of epistemology (the study of knowledge) which limits knowledge to that which is intuitively known without regard to experience (contra empiricism). Rene Descartes is often referred to as the father of rationalism, believing that all knowledge must be justified by innate intellectual deduction. John Locke and David Hume challenged the rationalistic assumption.

OPEN THEISM

Open Theism, also referred to as “free will theism” and “openness theology,” is the belief that God does not exercise meticulous control of the universe but leaves it “open” for humans to make significant free will choices that impact their relationships with God and others. A corollary of this is that God has not predetermined the future. Open Theists further believe that this would imply that God does not know the future exhaustively.Among proponents of this view are Gregory Boyd, John Sanders, and Clark Pinnock.

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Theology Thursday

SCHOLASTICISM

(Greek scholastikos, “schooled” or “educated”)

Scholasticism was a school of thought which sought to reconcile the established Christian belief within a body of reason or rational thought, especially that of Greek philosophy. The “scholastic period” primarily refers to the period during the late middle ages (eleventh, twelfth, and thirteenth centuries) in the West when Christianity was experiencing a renaissance of learning and education and was being challenged by the rational thought of Islam. Early Christian scholastics include Anselm, Peter Abelard, Albertus Magnus, Duns Scotus, William of Ockham, and Thomas Aquinas. The term can also refer to any system of thought which seeks a reconciliation of their beliefs with rationality and philosophical inquiry (i.e., Protestant scholaticism).

CHRISTMAS

The annual holiday observed by most Christians on December 25 celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. He was likely born somewhere between 7 and 2 BC. Though December 25 is probably not the actual date when Christ was born, it was designated as such in the 4th century in order to substitute for pagan celebrations of the winter solstice. The designation “Christmas” comes from a combination of “Christ” with “Mass.” Often the Greek X (Chi) is substituted for “Christ” making “Xmas” (as was the custom in the early church when abbreviating Christ’s name). Although there is no command in Scripture to celebrate Messiah’s birth, Christians believe the Incarnation is the foundation to salvation and, according to many, the greatest miracle in the history of mankind.

AGNOSTICISM

[ag-noss''-tih-siz''-um] (Greek a-, “no” + Greek gnosis “knowledge”)

Properly speaking, agnosticism is the theological suspension of belief in God or a creator. An agnostic can be “hard” or “soft.” The “hard” agnostic does not believe that anyone can know whether or not there is a God. A “soft” agnostic is one who has not personally made a decision about God’s existence but does not believe that others cannot come to solid conclusions about the matter. The term agnostic can be used more generally in other contexts in which people do not take a definite stand. For example, a person can be agnostic with regard to their belief in the age of the earth, which simply means that they personally don’t know how old the earth is.

HAMARTIOLOGY

[huh-mar''-tee-awl''-uh-gee] (Greek hamartia, “sin”)

The study of the doctrine of sin. Hamartiology includes an investigation into the origin and effects of sin on all creation. Included in this study is the doctrine of imputed sin, inherited sin, and personal sin. Imputed sin refers to the belief that all mankind is held guilty for the sin of Adam. Inherited sin speaks to the transfer of the sin nature from generation to generation. Personal sins are the individual acts of sin that each person engages in.

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Theology Thursday

EXCLUSIVISM

‘The belief that salvation is exclusive to Christianity and that all other religious beliefs, no matter how seemingly noble, do not have a message that can bring about the needed redemption that is only found in Christ. Exclusivism can be further broken into two sub-categories: inclusivism and restrictivism. The inclusivist believes that salvation is only in Christ”s redeeming work, but that God can and may save people without their explicit knowledge of the Gospel. The restrictivist, on the other hand, believes that salvation comes only through Christ and the only way to Christ is through the Gospel message. Exclusivist reference much biblical support including Rom. 10:14-15 and John 4:6.

FIRST PRINCIPLES

Describes the basic rational foundation to all knowledge that cannot be reduced by logical methodology but are presupposed in order to form any conclusion. These are often referred to as universal axioms because knowledge of them is universal and because of their assumed validity. Among the first principles of logic are the law of non-contradiction (A cannot equal -A at the same time and the same relationship), the law of identity (A=A), and the law of excluded middle (something is either A or -A). It is argued that these basic principles are not laws created by God to create a rational universe, but are representative of the very character of God himself (i.e. he is rational therefore rational first principles exist). If one were to deny, for example, the law of non-contradiction, then he or she could not have a basis for trust in God as his revelation could sustain contradictory truths at the same time and in the same relationship (note the serpent”s deception “You shall not surely die” would be true). Therefore, to be a Christian, believing that God has revealed himself in an intelligible and faithful manner, presupposes the reality of a first principle.

CANON OF SCRIPTURE

(Greek kanon, “rule” or “measuring rod”)

In Christian theology, the term canon is used to describe the accepted books of the Old and New Testament. Protestants, Catholics, and Orthodox all have the same twenty-seven book New Testament canon, but will differ with regard to the Old Testament canon. Catholics universally accept what are called the Deuterocanonical books (often called the Greek Canon or the Apocrypha) while Protestants have rejected it, accepting only the so-called proto-canonical books numbering thirty-nine. The Orthodox church is not settled as to the status of the Deuterocanonical books.

HEURISTIC THEOLOGY

[hyoo-ris''-tik] (Greek heuriskein, “to discover”)

A theological method that seeks to learn truth in a non-dogmatic fashion. In heuristics, learners are encouraged to explore ideas without the use of a set formula that will necessarily lead to presupposed conclusions. It will often involve a setting aside of traditional understanding in order to think “outside the box.” Heuristic theology is not anti-presuppositional or anti-traditional, but a method of discovery in which pupils are given the tools to learn for themselves even if they are lead back to their prior convictions. More technically, heuristic theology is used to describe a theology of ideas, discussing new metaphors for truth that open the conversation up more broadly.

MOLINISM

Named after Luis de Molina, a 16th century Jesuit theologian, Molinism is a proposed reconciliation of the problems introduced in the tension between human freedom and divine sovereignty. Molinism seeks to retain both a true libertarian freedom without sacrificing divine providence or sovereignty by introducing the idea of “middle knowledge.” In this proposal God knows not only all actual situations, but all possible situations (middle knowledge). These possible situations are known as “possible worlds.” We live in the actual world, but there are countless other possibilities of how things could have turned out. God chose the possible world that allowed for libertarian freedom where people freely chose that which God ordained to occur. Therefore, libertarian freedom and sovereignty are reconciled. Those who object to Molinisism do so on the basis that middle knowledge has no metaphysical grounding and because such a philosophical solution is far too extensive. Also, many would argue that the introduction of libertarian freedom is an impossibility since libertarian freedom lacks the grounds for the choices it proposes to preserve. Alvin Plantinga and William Lane Craig are well-known Molistists today.

EXSURGE DOMINE

(Latin, “arise Lord”)

This refers to the papal bull written by Pope Leo X on June 15, 1520. The bull intended to bring an Augustinian monk named Martin Luther and his rebellion to a halt by the threat of excommunication from the Church. In it, the demand was made that Luther retract 41 errors within 60 days. From the first paragraph, “Arise, O Lord, and judge your own cause. Remember your reproaches to those who are filled with foolishness all through the day. . . . The wild boar [Luther] from the forest seeks to destroy it and every wild beast feeds upon it.” On December 10, 1520 Martin Luther burned the bull in front of his students at Wittenberg. It is reported that he uttered these words at the burning, “Because you have confounded the truth [or, the saints] of God, today the Lord confounds you. Into the fire with you!” Some would suggest that this is the formal day on which the Great Reformation began. On January 3, 1521, Leo excommunicated Luther issuing another bull Decet Romanum Pontificem.

HAGIOGRAPHY

[hag''-ee-aw''-gruh-fee, also hay''-jee-aw''-gruh-fee] (Greek hagio, “saint” + Greek graphe, “writing”)

Hagiography refers to a writing about a saint who is revered in the Christian community. The early centuries of the church saw glorified biographies written to honor those saints who had died a martyr”s death. The term also has a pejorative nuance describing those who write biased histories intent on glorifying their subjects at the expense of historic objectivity. The early hagiographies served as one of the many steps in the veneration of saints.

MEMORIALISM

The view of the Lord’s supper believing that the taking of the bread and wine represents a symbolic memorial or a remembrance of Christ’s redeeming work on the cross. This view has its most articulated foundation in the theology of Ulrich Zwingli (1484-1531). Memorialism is in contrast to all forms of the ‘real presence’ view which hold that Christ is physically present in the taking of the bread and wine. Memorialism argues that when Christ said “this is my body . . .” that he was speaking symbolically. One of the primary arguments for this view would be that to take it literally would have to mean that the bread and wine were Christ’s body at the time of the first Lord’s Supper, while Christ was yet living, not only following the passion. Most Protestants hold to this view with the exception of Lutherans.

CREDIT: www.reclaimingthemind.org

Theology Thursday

GENERAL REVELATION

General revelation describes revelation from God that is given generally to all people, being mediated through creation. It is also general because it is indirect in its communication. Psalm 19 and Romans 1:18-20 speak specifically about the reality of general revelation. Paul specifically says that creation tells us enough about God’s nature and attributes so that people are without excuse when they do not believe in him. From the complexity of the human eye to the vastness of the expanse of heaven, general revelation has a voice of its own. This is in contrast to special revelation which is directly from God and is not readily available to all people.

LIBELLATICI

(From Latin liber, “book” or “document”)

The Libellatici were those Christians who, during the persecutions of Decius (A.D. 250-251), purchased certificates (libelli) which (falsely) indicated that they had made the proper sacrifice in order to avoid persecution and martyrdom. The Libellatici were admitted back into the church after repentance was made. The sacrificati were those who did offer a sacrifice to idols and the thurificati were those who had burnt incense on the altar of the gods.

JESUITS

(Society of Jesus)

Founded in the sixteenth century by Ignatius of Loyola, the Jesuits are a Roman Catholic monastic order that reports directly to the Pope. During the Reformation, the Jesuits were influential in responding to the Protestant movement. They distinguish themselves through their work in education, intellectual pursuits, cultural engagement, and missions as well as their military-like discipline.

OPUS PROPRITUM

(Latin, ‘the work [of God,] proper’)

The work of God which comes from his essential character that is not mediated through sin. These are works that are natural to who God is, such as creation, grace, love, providence, mercy, and justice. This is in contrast to the opus alienum (the work of God, alien) which are God’s works that are mediated through sin.

OPUS ALIENUM

(Latin, ‘the work [of God,] alien’ or ‘the work of another’)

The works of God that seem to militate against his proper character, but which are nevertheless an act of his decree as he uses secondary means. We see the opus alienum when God works through sin to accomplish his will (see 1 Kings 22:20-23). God is not the instrumental cause of the sin, but uses it to accomplish his will.

GRAMMATICO-HISTORICAL EXEGESIS

The hermeneutical method of interpretation which seeks to understand the Scriptures in their original grammatical and historical context. This is also known as ‘authorial intent’ hermeneutics since it seeks to discover the meaning that the original author intended for the original audience. This type of interpretation is in contrast to ‘reader-response’ hermeneutics which allow the reader to provide their own subjective meaning. It is also in contrast to allegorical, spiritualistic, and authoritative hermeneutics (which say the text means whatever the institutional authority says it means).

CREDIT:  www.reclaimingthemind.org