th121 - finals reviewer

8/7/2019 TH121 - Finals reviewer

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REPETITION #1

SPLIT-LEVEL CHRISTIANITY- compartmentalizing Christianity

FOLK CATHOLICSM- you take Catholicism as a social fact

WHY SHOULDN'T YOUR FAITH JUST BE A SOCIAL FACT?Duhz.

HOW IS PRACTICAL ATHEISM A DENIAL OF GOD?God should be in all aspects of your life.

HOW DOES SECULARIZATION AGGRAVATE THE GAP BETWEEN OUR FAITH AND LIFE?It takes away your belief in God. Science and technology have evolved enough that Man thinks he is God.

PLURALISM- No center, torn between material and faith.- You don't make a stand. Your don't feel the weight of your decisions.- You find space for compromise, but your faith is supposed to be absolute.

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF DOING THEOLOGY?Faith seeking understanding.- Can we prove theology without faith?- Faith first, then understanding.

WHAT IS THE ROLE OF REASON IN DOING THEOLOGY?- Reason can strengthen faith by giving reinforcement.

LAKAD-UPO-LUHODLakad =Upo = experienceLuhod =

A PRIORI KNOWLEDGE- You already know whaz gonna happen.

EXPERIENCE OF TRANSCENDENCE- Seeking infinite love, life, truth.

- As human beings, we keep looking for stuff.- God as a Holy Mystery. God is the one question we can never answer.

WORD OF GOD IN ITS 7 DIMENSIONS1: God is word.2: Creation.3: God and self-expression. God is a communicating God.4: Jesus.5: Scriptures.6: Church.7: Individual experiences.

HOW DOES TRANSCENDENTAL EXPERIENCE LEAD TO GOD?God is the Holy Mystery. Cause we always search for love, life, truth. But even if God cannot be fullycomprehended, we try anyway. Basta.

WHAT IS THE DEFINITION OF THE HUMAN PERSON (RAHNER)?Human person always seeks for love, life, truth. Humans are like an island of knowledge-- you are limited toyour own island of knowledge.

WHAT FUNDAMENTAL CHARACTER ISTIC OF GOD DOES THE DOCTRINE OF SCRIPTURALINSPIRATION EXPRESS? CAN GOD BE GOD WITHOUT GOD'S WORD?No. The word is God, and the word came from God.



WHERE HAS THE WORD OF GOD FOUND ITS MOST COMPLETE EXPRESSION?God. Word became flesh.

IS IT CORRECT ONLY TO DEPEND ON THE INNER WORD OF GOD? CAN THE WORD OF GOD BECONFINED IN ONE DIMENSION ONLY?No, cause that's not full understanding of God. You have to go through every dimension to fully understand.

HOW CAN THE AMBIGUITY OF THE WORD OF GOD IN NATURE BE R ESOLVED?Without knowing God, everything is just as is-- suffering. It's natural. But through God, we understand thissuffering.

WHAT IS THE REAL REASON WHY THE BIBLE IS MOST AUTHORITATIVE FOR CHRISTIANS?Cause it's God-breathed. It's from God, through humans. God-inspired.

WHAT ARE THE TWO LEVELS THAT ARE OPERATIVE IN SCRIPTURAL INSPIRATION?Purely human and action and presence of God. It's in human language, but then you know that there issomething beyond the human language.

WHAT KIND OF FAITH IS ASKED FOR CHRISTIAN READERS OF THE BIBLE?Lived faith. Bible is an instrument for action and as a living encounter of God.

WHAT DOES EXEGESIS SEEK TO DISCOVER AND HOW DOES IT PROCEED?

They study the scriptures, context. Tentative conclusions. Makes it historical not fantastical.

EXPLAIN BIBLICAL INTERPRETATION AT THE LEVEL OF THE PRESENT READER.As the present reader, you interpret as Biblical text but also as how you understand it.

HOW CAN THE BIBLICAL TEXT HAVE A MEANING DETACHED FROM ITS HUMAN AUTHORS ?Detached yung meaning cause of the wide variation of answers and the people answering.

WHAT PITFALLS ARE AVOIDED IF WE HAVE AN INTERPRETATIVE APPROACH OF SCRIPTURE?Narrow-minded subjective ideas. Basically exegesis grounds us in fact. Don't interpret on your current stateof need.

ACCORDING TO LASH, WHAT IS THE FUNDAMENTAL FORM OF THE CHRISTIAN INTERPRETATION

OF SCRIPTURE?

Fundamental form is performance. Lived faith.

HOW DID LASH USE THE ANALOGY OF THE MUSICIAN AND MUSICAL EXPERTS IN DESCRIBINGTHE COLLABORATIVE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BELIEVING READERS OF THE BIBLE ANDBIBLICAL EXPERTS?- Stressing that personal responsibility is not the same as personal judgement.- Christian living is a collaborative enterprise in two ways. Nature of the text itself needs "two to tango."Basically cooperation. Keep your mind open.

WHAT DOES LASH MEAN THAT THE MEANING OF THE BIBLICAL TEXT CONTINUES INDEFINITELYAND EACH PERFORMANCE OF THE BIBLICAL TEXT IS ON SOME WAY NEW?Text has no final meaning-- interpretation is based on time, people, etc.

IF SO, HOW CAN WE SQUARE THIS WITH THE BELIEF THAT JESUS IS THE FINAL AND DEFINITIVE

MEANING OF THE BIBLICAL TEXT?Following the Scripture = following Jesus, cause Jesus is the model of the Scriptures.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PERFORMING KING LEAR AND PERFORMING THESCRIPTURE?King Lear, the performance is on stage. For scripture, your performance is your life.

EXPLAIN THE MODERN THEORY OF THE FORMATION OF THE PENTATEUCH?Small stories that were put together in different narratives, arranged in sections, all pertaining to God.

HOW DOES THE YAHWIST TRADITION DESCRIBE THE MIRACLE AT THE RED SEA? HOW DOES ITDESCRIBE GOD? USING THE WORD FEAR, HOW DOES IT DESCRIBE THE CHANGE IN THE



HEBREWS?God is powerful. Medj scientific.- "Fear" = Uses their fear as a response to God's power.

WE SKIPPED 3.

WHY IS EXODUS THE FOUNDATION EVENT FOR THE JEWISH PEOPLE?They formed as a people and then discovered their God. This defined them as a people.

REPETITION #2

WHAT IS QUELLE?German for "source."

ACCORDING TO SOBRINO, WHAT IS THE SAFEGUARD TO AN AUTHENTIC PERSONALKNOWLEDGE OF CHRIST?You have to understand Jesus' life to have personal knowledge. You need to understand the human Jesus,over Jesus the Christ.

DESCRIBE THE DISCIPLES' UNDERSTANDING OF THEIR EXPERIENCE OF JESUS DURING THEFIRST STAGE OF THE NEW TESTAMENT FORMATION?Develop your film in a darkroom... instead of using Polaroids. :>- Impression = not full understanding yet.- Develop picture = to gain full understanding

WHAT EVENTS ENABLED THE FOLLOWERS OF JESUS TO DISCOVER THE MYSTERY OF JESUS'PERSON AND MISSION? WHAT NEW REALIZATION ABOUT JESUS DID THEY PROCLAIM TOOTHERS?Resurrection. Realized that he's the son of God.

IN THEIR MISSION TO SPREAD THE GOOD NEWS, WHAT DID THE EARLY CHRISTIANS DO TOTHEIR MEMORIES OF JESUS? WHAT TWO FACTORS DETERMINED THEIR RESHAPING OF THEIRMEMORIES OF JESUS?

They adapted it to their community to address their problems. Writing for an audience.- They didn't remember verbatim, so they fixed it to suit their needs, without losing awesomeness.- They had to fit it within their context.

WHAT CONVICTION OF THE EARLIEST CHRISTIANS DO TO THEIR MEMORIES OF JESUS?"WHERE" IS JESUS FOR THEM?Conviction that Jesus overcame death as God's right hand. Jesus is never truly gone, but he is in everyconciousness of believers.

HOW DO MOST EXEGETES EXPLAIN THE RELATIONSHIP OF THE SYNOPTIC GOSPELS AMONGTHEMSELVES?They have similar content. Walang butt. Daz the quelle.

WHY DO EACH OF THE FOUR GOSPELS HAVE ITS OWN DISTINCT PRESENTATION OF JESUS AND

HIS LIFE?Written by different people, at different times, for different audiences, from different perspectives. Bastaeverything around them affected them. Oooh.

WHAT IS THE PROBABLE SETTING [TIME, PLACE, AUDIENCE, SITUATION] OF THE GOSPEL OFMARK? PROVIDE EVIDENCE FROM THE GOSPEL ITSELF.70AD. Persecution of Christians in Rome. Great Fire of Rome by Nero. Evidence from the Gospel is Mark13.

COMPARE THE DISCIPLES [PARTICULARLY THE SONS OF ZEBEDEE] WITH THE BLIND MANBARTIMAEUS.Barty followed with loyalty, after he was healed, no questions. The sons of Zebedee only saw him as a



powerful man, that if they hung out with him, they'd be of the same awesomeness. They were blindfiguratively, not literallty.

COMPARE THE CONFESSIONS OF PETER WITH THE CONFESSION OF THE CENTURION.The Centurion came from a converted perspective. Peter's gave Jesus a title that wasn't appropriate.

WHAT FALSE IMAGE OF JESUS DOES THE AUTHOR WANT TO CORRECT? W HAT AUTHOR DOESHE WANT TO PRESENT?He is not powerful, he is a suffering Servant-Messiah.

WHAT DISCIPLESHIP DOES MARK PRESENT?Disciple must take up the cross and follow Christ.

WHY DOES MARK OFTEN USE THE LITERARY DEVICE OF THE MESSIANIC SECRET?To offset the belief of the people that Jesus is powerful. Messianic secret = powerful son of God destined todie on the cross.

WHAT IS THE PROBABLE SETTING [TIME, PLACE, AUDIENCE, SITUATION] OF THE GOSPEL OFMATTHEW? PROVIDE EVIDENCE FROM THE GOSPEL ITSELF.Written for Greek-speeking Christians. 85-90CE. Destruction of Jerusalem. Proof: Matthew 22 or 12, bothverse 7.

WHO IS JESUS IN MATTHEW 28:12, "ALL AUTHORITY IN HEAVEN AND ON EARTH HAS BEEN

GIVEN TO ME?He is the glorious Son of God, given authority over the universe to see to it that the will of the Father be doneon Earth as it is on Heaven.

WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE TEMPTATION NARRATIVE IN THE GOSPEL?Demonstrate the test Jesus underwent as part of his mission as the Servant-Messiah. The doubts he facesfrom his disciples and Satan.

WHAT WAS THE TEMPTATION THAT JESUS FACED? WHAT IMAGE OF JESUS COMES OUT IN HISREACTION TO THIS TEMPTATION?To use his power.Satan was like, want the world? Jesus was like, no na. That Jesus has power over temptation, and with this he confirmed his faith to God. Acceptance of mission as the Servant-Messiah.

WHAT TEMPTATION SHOULD THE CHRIST RESIST? WHAT SHOULD THE CHURCH BE IN THE FACE

OF THIS TEMPTATION?Temptation of power. Church should resist the urge to be annoying, conflicting, with ze government. It shouldbe a Servant-Church-- dapat teach and guide like a teacher. K.

WHAT ARE THE THREE ASPECTS OF KINGDOM OF GOD?Hope for history - coming of the kingdom of GodHope as a people - not as individuals, morality as a communityHoping against hope - the hope God will prevail against the anti-Kingdom

THREE DISTINCT ASPECTS OF JESUS' UNDERSTANDING AND PROCLAMATION OF THE KINGDOMOF GOD.- The Kingdom has already come.- The Kingdom of God is a gift from God but does not encourage passivity. Call for metanoia. METANOIA:conversion.

- The Kingdom is good news.

DESCRIBE THE PRECISE RESPONSE OF JESUS' INVITATION TO ENTER GOD'S KINGDOMACCORDING TO DONALD SENIOR.You gotta metanoia and repent. So change of heart and perspective.- MATTHEW 18:3 "Unless you turn around and become like little children, you will not enter the Kingdom."

ACCORDING TO PCP II, WHY ARE THE POOR BLESSED?Not blessed because of their poverty, but because poverty has historically been the privileged place of thegracious intervention of God's saving grace. The poor are the addressees of the Kingdom of God.

IN WHAT SENSE IS THE KINGDOM OF GOD PARTIAL TO THE POOR? HOW DID JESUS MANIFEST



THIS PARTIALITY?They are prioritized simply because of their situation. They need the Kingdom of God more. Manifested inJesus who said in the three synoptic Gospels, "Whoever shall be the least among you, shall be the greatest,and the last shall be the first.

HOW CAN THE KINGDOM OF GOD BE PARTIAL AND UNIVERSAL AT THE SAME TIME?Cause the poor are the majority. General preference to the poor-- they need the KoG more.

WHAT DOES THE KOG OFFER THE POOR?Offer their dignities back.

WHY ARE THE WEALTHY CURSED BY JESUS?

Puts them at a disadvatage; wealth dehumanizes them.

WHAT ARE THE RELATIONSHIP OF THE MIRACLES OF JESUS TO KOG, ACCORDING TOSOBRINO?Miracles are calls from the KOG, signs that KOG is coming, but they're not yet there. So close yet so far.:>Like a striptease.Iz a patikim. :> AY AMBOT SA EMO.

WHAT IS JESUS' BASIC REACTION TO THE SUFFERING OF THOSE HE HEALED?Pity pity pity.

WHAT KIND OF ACTIVE FAITH DID JESUS DEMANDED AS A CONDITION FOR HEALING

ACCORDING TO DONALD SENIOR?He wants people to believe in him-- recognize his mission and power, and dedicate their lives to that.

WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF JESUS' EXORCISMS RELATIVE TO THE ANTI -KINGDOM?Exorcising demons = Kingdom overpowering the anti-KingdomJesus' constant struggle with the anti-Kingdom, especially with his death, which seemed to show that evilwonhis triumph over death = greatest example of exorcism

WHAT IS JESUS' ACTION TOWARDS SINNERS?Jesus accepts sinners. Acceptance, absolution are given; friendship is established. Restores dignities.

WHO ARE THE ADDRESSEES OF JESUS' PARABLES? WHY A RE THE PARABLES CHALLENGING?

His enemies. They should analyze, take a stand, believe.

- In Luke 8:9-10, the reason why there are parables.

REPETITION #3

HOW DID SOBRINO SHOW THROUGH COMPARISON WITH THE SITUATION TODAY IN THE THIRDWORLD, THAT THE DEATH OF JESUS WAS NOT ACCIDENTAL, BUT WAS THE CULMINATION OF ANECESSARY HISTORICAL PROCESS?People who go against authority die. Throughout history, this has been the truth cause anyone who goesaround the flow gets burned.

HOW DID JESUS HIMSELF INTERPR ET HIS DEATH?Jesus himself interprets his death as foretold but with no explanation why he, as the Messiah and Son of God, should end things this way.- The historical Jesus did not interpret his death in terms of salvation. Rather, he faced his death with radicalloyalty. He understands his life as one of service, and he showed it through his works and words. He is theSon of God, a God of pure love and justice, and Jesus was sent to this world not to be served but to serve.In short, it goes to show His fidelity to the Father and his mission of initiating the kingdom even in the face of death. Jesus interprets his own death as service, the continuation and culmination of his life. Through hisdeath, he shows he is faithful to God the Father and he served others to the very last, laying down his life for us, his brothers.

HOW DOES THE CROSS OF JESUS LEAD TO GOD AND THE THEODICY?



Explanations are hidden in God. Jesus died according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God. Thequestion of theodicy then, is rooted on Jesus¶ death on the cross ± how can we reconcile evil and injustice inthe world with God? People try looking for explanations as to why Jesus should die on the cross and what isit in the cross that makes it important in Jesus¶ death. In searching for the answer, people would definitelyturn to God, connect the death and its reason to Him because it is obvious that the answer is beyond humancomprehension. This in turn will therefore lead to the question of theodicy. The cross bears both scandal andtragedy, which can only be reconciled with God. How can a good God have His own son killed and crucified?

ACCORDING TO HAIGHT, WHAT IS SALVATION AND WHAT IS ITS PLACE IN CHRISTIAN FAITH?Salvation refers to the effect of power for making whole and well what is negative, corrosive, and damagingto human existence, all the way to death or extinction. Such power on the level of being itself can only beGod¶s power. The faith in God of a Christian is a response to the experience that Jesus mediates God¶s

salvation. One encounters God and God¶s salvation in Jesus, the historical figure. Jesus makes Godpresent in a saving way. In other words, salvation refers to the most fundamental of all Christianexperiences. Christianity arose and continues to exist because people experience Jesus as a bringer of God¶s salvation.

WHY WAS JESUS¶ DEATH THE DEFINITIVE SACRIFICE THAT BRO UGHT SALVATION, IN CONTRASTTO OTHER SACRIFICES?Sacrifice, in the OT was a way for human beings to bridge the ever widening gap between humanity andGod, thanks to our sinfulness and rejection of his will and his word. In order to sacrifice, they offered animalsand made them sacred by placing them on altars and killed them. This was meant to bridge the gap betweenhumans and God ± but God did not accept their sacrifices, because these acts alone cannot overcome the

separation between human beings and God. God has to accept the sacrifices ± as He did with Jesus¶supreme sacrifice of servitude, loyalty and pure love of and for others and of God. Jesus¶ sacrifice broughtabout salvation because he entered Heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. We were savedfrom sin and given hope because of his death.

HOW DOES THE IMAGE OF THE SUFFERING SERVANT PRESENT JESUS¶ DEATH AS SALVIFIC?Jesus bore the pain and suffering we were supposed to endure. Thus, we are free now, and we should usethis freedom to follow God.

WHY DID SOBRINO SAY THAT THE NEW TESTAMENT MODELS DO NOT EXPLAIN WHAT IN THECROSS BRINGS SALVATION?None of the models [sacrifice, suffering servant, the new covenant, redemption] really show what is in thecross that saves, later on we will see that what in the cross brings salvation is not the pain involved in the

cross but it is in the love in the cross that saves.

WHAT WAS PLEASING TO GOD IN THE EVENT OF JESUS¶ DEATH?He was obviously not pleased with how Jesus died, but rather how he lived his life, full of love andfaithfulness.

HOW DOES JESUS AS HOMO VERUS EXPLAIN HOW WE CAN BE SAVED?True meaning of humanity has been upheld and realized in Jesus. Until the very end, Jesus was homoverus, inspiring us to be the same.

- homo verus: true and complete human being

HOW DOES THE CROSS AS THE EXPRESSION OF GOD¶S LOVE EXPLAIN HOW WE ARE SAVED?The New Testament¶s final word about Jesus¶ cross is that in it God¶s love was expressed. The language of love includes more than the language of redemption and salvation from sins. It includes these, but it goesbeyond them and above all, it offers without explaining it the great theoretical explanatory model: love saves

and the cross is the expression of God¶s love. As Jn 3:17 says: God did not send the Son into the world tocondemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

WHAT SYMBOLS DID THE NEW TESTAMENT EMPLOY IN DESCRIBING THE FATE OF JESUS AT HISDEATH? IN WHAT WAYS ARE THEY SIMILAR OR DIFFERENT?The first is ground in the literal meaning of ³resurrection,´ which is awakening or rising from death as if itwere sleep. The second is the more metaphorical approach, which is that Jesus was risen to a place besideGod, as glorification or exaltation. Both symbols affirm and express that Jesus did not remain in the power of death but is alive. Resurrection ± emphasizes the continuance of life, Jesus restored to life where heappeared. Exaltation ± lifted up out of this empirical world. Carries Jesus out of this world.

WHAT DID THE EARLY DISCIPLES MEAN WHEN THEY PROCLAIMED THAT JESUS IS RISEN?



The early disciples believed that Jesus himself was alive, had been raised, and was exalted in glory withGod. It is ³realist´ and ³objective´ in that it truly believes that Jesus was risen, and not only in themetaphorical sense. The existentialist perspective offers valuable insight on the effect of Jesus¶ resurrectionto the community of disciples, but it does not include a strong understanding on the continuity of Jesus¶existence with God.

ACCORDING TO LOUGHLIN, WHAT DID THE CHURCH DISCOVER IN THE RESURRECTION OFJESUS?It was only when Jesus died that people realized his mission as Messiah. Before then it was unclear, but it isthrough the Resurrection that Jesus is our Lord, the Son of God.

HOW DOES STORY SOTERIOLOGY DEFINE SALVATION IN CHRIST?

Soteriology is the theology of salvation, seeking to explain how the story of Jesus transforms life, ³how Jesussaves.´ For a story soteriology, salvation is not merely illustrated but constituted by the story of Jesus. Jesus¶story is salvation, and the saving relationship between Savior and saved is a storied relationship, for salvation is being enfolded or inscribed within the story of the Savior. The task of story soteriology is to sayhow one becomes part of the story of Christ¶s resurrection.

ACCORDING TO LOUGHLIN, WHERE CAN THE RISEN CHRIST BE FOUND TODAY?Church. One enters the story of Jesus by entering the Church. The promised life of the Kingdom of God isgiven in the person of Jesus and it is in the practice of discipleship that the future arrives. The story of Jesusis both the start and the end of our story ± the Church¶s story, its alpha and omega. The story of Jesus is notcomplete without the story of Church. If Jesus is the ³source, goal and context of our lives,´ because life

itself, we can tell his story only by telling the story of everyone.

HOW ARE WE TO REPEAT THE LIFE OF THE RISEN CHRIST IN A NON -IDENTICAL WAY?The life of Christ is given for our repetition, not as an ideal, but as a particular life story which is at one andthe same time the finite instance of the infinite. Saints ± Imitatio Christi.

DISCUSS THE LOGOS THEOLOGIES OF JUSTIN, TERTULLIAN AND ORIGEN LED TO THESUBORDINATIONIST HERESY OF ARIUS. WHY ARE THESE THEOLOGIES A TRIUMPH OFHELLENISTIC THOUGHT OVER CHRISTIANITY?Justin said Christianity was born straight from logos, hence it is the ³best´ explanation. Origen and Tertulliansaid Jesus and God are both divine, Jesus is just not as divine. Through Hellenistic philosophy, Origenexplained that God is beyond rationality. However, all these perspectives were compromises, and the Bibleis absolute²if something is divine, then it should be so completely. Arius¶ solution to this ambiguity was

saying that divine anything can¶t change, but since Jesus did, then Jesus was not divine.

WHAT DOGMA WAS PROCLAIMED AT THE COUNCIL OF NICEA? WHAT ASPECT OF THECHRISTIAN EXPERIENCE OF JESUS DID NICEA WANT TO AFFIR M AND PROTECT?People encountered Jesus and underwent metanoia, as a realization of the reality of God. Jesus wascommunicating God to people, and through these people was God¶s self-expression, self-revelation. Thus,the dogma proclaimed at the council of Nicea was that Jesus is divine because he is God¶s self-expression.

WHAT HERESY WAS CONDEMNED AT THE COUNCIL OF EPHESUS? WHAT IS BEING AFFIRMED INDECLARING MARY AS THE THEOTOKOS?The heresy by Nestorius was condemned by the Council of Ephesus. It was considered a heresy becauseNestorius was dividing the human and divine aspects of Jesus by saying that Jesus is the Mother of God.People during that time considered this a bad thing because it had negative implications. Negativeimplications that include the humanity of Jesus Christ which is part of the foundation of Catholicism. Hissufferings as a human being is voided out by the word Theotokos and thus, our safety from sin is also void.

WHAT ARE THE THREE MAIN AFFIRMATIONS OF THE COUNCIL OF CHALCEDON? WHAT HERESYWAS CONDEMNED?

- Jesus is completely, fully human.- Jesus is not a hybrid²he¶s not partly human and partly divine.- Jesus is nothing less than Emmanuel, God-with-us.

- Heresy condemned? Monophysitism [in Jesus Christ there is only one nature either human or divine]; in the incarnation, the human nature is absorbed into the divine word - Jesus is not trulyhuman.

WHAT DO THE THREE EXPERIENCES OF OUR THIRST FOR TRUTH, OF OUR QUEST FOR LOVEAND OF HOPING AGAINST HOPE SHOW ABOUT OUR HUMAN NATURE



God made human beings finite but we search for infinite things. It is in our nature to find a way to find outthings that we do not know. That¶s the reason why we ask questions. Asking questions only prove that we donot know something and that exists. We eagerly seek to find that answer. But the searching/questioningdoes not stop there even though we already know the answer to our previous question. We continue to findanswers for our next questions. This only shows that we, human beings, have infinite thirst for knowledge,love, and hope. We continue to find answers to fulfill our thirst though our thirst is never satisfied. What wereally seek is the infinite and that infinite is only God.

ACCORDING TO ELIZABETH JOHNSON, HOW SHOULD ONE UNDERSTAND DIVINE NATURE?One should understand the divine nature of God by accepting that God¶s own being is totallyincomprehensible to the finite mind of a human being. It is stated that µthe Love being able to give itself away, love being able to pour itself out and love seeking union with the other is ³God¶s divine nature.´

EXPLAIN RAHNER¶S STATEMENT: ³NEARNESS TO GOD AND GENUINE HUMAN AUTONOMY GROWIN DIRECT AND NOT INVERSE PROPORTIONS.´We have a capacity for truth, love, life that knows no end, the closer we get to the three (or God) the morefulfilled we are. The more we ask questions to head towards the infinite Truth, the closer we get to God.Jesus of Nazareth showed us what being beyond human is. Because of his incarnation, he does not becomeless human but rather the most fully human of all. His union with God was so profound that he was the mostfully human of all.

HOW DOES THE DOGMA OF THE HYPOSTATIC UNION SHOW THAT JESUS IS THE MOST FULLYHUMAN OF ALL?

- From our side, since we are structured towards the infinite with a capacity for truth, love, and life that knowsno bounds, then the nearer we get to the Truth, Love, Life ± or GOD± the more fulfilled we are going to be.Experience shows that the closer we become to God, then the more fully our own selves we become, rather less ourselves.- On the side of Jesus, through the hypostatic union, a union at the metaphysical level of the person, Jesus¶humanity is united with God in the most profound way, that he is genuinely human, and in fact more human,more free, more alive, more of his own person than any one of us because his union with God is moreprofound. Rather than seeing his humanity and divinity as opposites, if one thinks of humanity flourishing thenearer one is to God, then in Jesus¶ case the logic applies that since he of our entire race is the mostprofoundly united with God, then in fact he is the most fully human and free. Rather than the confession of his divinity diminishing his humanity in our imagination, it should in fact release him to be fully free humanbeing. Because of the incarnation, he does not become less human but rather the most fully human of all.One can go to the Scriptures and see sign after sign of this: he is like us in all things, tempted in every way

that we are, yet without sin

EXPLAIN ³HUMAN NATURE AS THE GRAMMAR OF GOD¶S SELF -UTTERANCE.´ WHAT IS THEIMPLICATION OF THIS STATEMENT ON THE DIGNITY OF HUMAN PERSONS?Saying that ³Human nature as the grammar of God¶s self-utterance´ means that we, as human beings, are ina sense little words of God because of God¶s Word being in our midst, ³the Word made flesh and dweltamong us.´ The Word of God in our midst reveals to us our own beauty, for we are each a little word whenassembled spells out God¶s glory. Since God has become one of us, and Jesus as a fully human being isconfessed as God, the humanity of every human being is in some way also united to God and has its ownspecial dignity. Human nature is gifted with God¶s identification with us in our own nature. God assumedhuman nature and not absorbed it with Jesus¶ being fully divine at the same time fully human, and this raiseshumans to a dignity beyond compare. God¶s becoming human, His incarnation, leads us to value humanbeings as gifted with dignity. Whatever damages human nature is an insult to God¶s own self since He hasidentified with our humanity. God has be seen in our humanity and this makes human nature dignified.

ACCORDING TO MARTHALER, WHAT SHOULD WE MEAN WHEN WE SAY ³I BELIEVE IN GOD´?The baptized declares Cred o²³I give my heart,´ ³I commit myself,´ and in doing so makes a solemn act of self-dedication. Whereas to believe originally meant to hold dear and clearly implied a strong personalcommitment based on trust, it now connotes an element of uncertainty, and even when addressed to aperson²³I believe you´²it signals a minimum of trust and does not imply commitment. To believe in God isto seek him in faith, to hope piously in him, and to pass into him by a movement of choice. When I say that Ibelieve in him, I confess him, offer him worship, adore him, give myself to him, wholly transfer to him all myaffection. The Creed as a profession of faith uses the verbal form ³I believe in´ in the sense it had into theseventeenth century. The preposition ³in´ needs to be duly stressed, for it points up the difference betweensaying ³I believe you´ and ³I have faith in you.´



ACCORDING TO MARTHALER, IS CHRISTIAN FAITH JUST ON ACCESSORY OF OUR HUMAN LIFE?No. Faith tells us that we are accepted; it is the ground of love. The act of faith implies mutual trust that goesbeyond objective reasons. Like love, it is not something we can force. Like love, faith is not something wedeserve because of our achievements or because of our moral integrity, our generosity, or our education.Simply put, faith responds to faith. Faith is essential to human life. No one lives, at least for long, entirelywithout faith, because it is intricately bound up with the meaning of human existence. In making an act of faith a person exercises a fundamental choice that defines one¶s views about reality, about what is importantand what is not, about what is moral and immoral

HOW CAN FAITH IN GOD BE UNDERSTOOD AS ANALOGOUS TO FAITH IN HUMAN RELATIONS?Faith, as a human reality is central to our human lives. It is an everyday ³natural´ factor affecting our relationships and decisions. An example would be when we accept the word of others, in a sense; we show

our faith in them by believing them. We even entrust our health and our entire lives to other people such asdoctors, judges and even drivers. Without such basic human faith which includes believing acceptance,obedient action and personal entrusting, human life would be impossible. This shows the centrality of faith inour lives as human beings.

WHY SHOULD CHRISTIAN FAITH HAVE THE THREE ESSENTIAL DIMENSIONS? - Our faith entails freely committing one¶s entire self to God, submitting your intellect and will to God.

Christian faith, then, touches every part of us: our minds, our wills, and our hearts. But faith is notjust about believing, but doing. Faith then is a commitment to obey God¶s will. We need to live our lives in loving service of God and our neighbors whom we are called to love as we love ourselves.Beyond believing and doing is putting your trust in God²trusting faith.

- What can I know? We can know God as our Father, Christ as our Lord. What should I do? Keep thecommandments, to live in deed and truth and not merely talking about it. What may we hope for?Nothing will be able to separate us from the love of God that comes to us in Jesus Christ. Believe inGod with your whole heart, your whole soul and with all your mind.

BE ABLE TO EXPLAIN ANY ONE OF THE PARADOXES OF FAITH. WHY DOES THE CFC COMBINETHE TRAITS OF CHRISTIAN FAITH IN THIS WAY?

a) Certain yet ObscureIt is obscure because Science nor any modern day field of study can actually prove the existenceand need for faith. Our attitudes, morals and ideals toward the most important things in our livessuch as life itself, freedom, love could never be proven scientifically. Faith is obscure in this manner.

But, Faith is certain because our relationships with our families, friends, and our communities all depend on faith itself. It is the foundation in which we build our entire lives.

Such a foundation could never come from ourselves. Only the Word of God could offer such

a foundation. Faith is certain because it rests on God who reveals Himself in the person of Jesus,present to us in His spirit.

God is Mystery, He is always more than we can ever fully comprehend. We instinctivelyrecognize that the all-personal God, can never be reduced to being ³proven´ by scientificexperiment.

b) Free yet Morally ObligingOur Christian faith is a free response. Not even God forces us to do anything, nor does He force usto believe.

God, instead, calls us to serve Him in spirit and in truth. We are bound to him in consciencebut are not forced in any way. God created us and has regard for our dignity as human beings.

In life, the persons who love us most have the most claim on us and yet they force us theleast. We naturally respond to them in love. God, who by loving us the most has the greatest claimon us, leaves and keeps us free.

c) Reasonable yet Beyond natural reasonChristian faith is in conflict with reason. What we must remember is that faith and reason are like twowings of a dove. The dove cannot fly without one or the other. They complement each other, as faithitself is a grave that enlightens our minds. ³Unless you believe, you will not understand. (Isiah)

d) An Act, yet a ProcessFaith is both a particular act and part of a life-long process that is the beginning of eternal life. Faithin God is much more than a single, personal decision for Christ. It is an enduring way of life withinthe Church. Faith must be gradually and perseveringly developed so that it comes to touch everyaspect of our lives.



e) A gift, yet our doingOur faith is both a gift from God, and yet it is something we do. Our Chrisitian faith is not merely our own doing. It depends upon God ± God¶s free gift of revealing himself throughout salvation history;and for the grace of the Holy Spirit¶s interior illumination and inspiration.

But God¶s gift of faith demands our conviction and cooperation with others. Faith is also our active response to the witness of Christ and the Gospel given us by others.

f) Personal yet EcclesialIt is first of all the Church who believes and thus supports and nourishes our faith. Baptism,confirmation, Eucharist ± we grow in faith. Our personal faith is supported and intensified by our fellow members.

God always revealed himself in terms of a community. It is in the Church that we experience

the power of the Risen one through the gift of the Holy Spirit. Christ is Savior to us not as privateindividuals but as members of a community of salvation. Faith is never just something private or individualistic; but a sharing in the community¶s faith.

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