Theology: Faith seeking understanding.

Philosophy: The study of the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality and existence.
Faith: Ultimate concern, radical trust in something, a gift considered from both subjective and
objective poles.
Worldview: Basic lens through which our encounter with the world is interpreted, how ones
faith broadly interprets their world.
Religion: A community formed around a shared ultimate concern, great love, vision of eternity,
view of ultimate reality or God.
God: The object of faith or the culminating focus of some worldview
Christianity: A religion that centers around Jesus of Nazareth. A relationship with and faith in
God through the work of Jesus, called Christ and the Spirit of God.
Judaism: a religion with a belief in one transcendent God who has revealed himself to Abraham,
Moses, and the Hebrew prophets and by a religious life in accordance with Scriptures and
rabbinic traditions
Modernity: Takes enlightenment ideals and applies it to theology. Secularism. Rational.
Postmodernity: (Liberal Christianity) experimental, internet, coding, images
Revelation: An esoteric, prophetic-apocalyptic text.
Gospel: Greek for good news, provides identifying descriptions of the person Jesus. Long
versions of how to ID Jesus, by those that believe in him.
Believer: One who has faith
Scripture (Old Testaments) : aka Hebrew Bible, First Testament, Scriptures of Israel. TANAKH
(Torah (teaching), Neviim (Prophets) and Ketuvim (Writings). Central event is Exodus from
Egypt and the disclosure of Torah under Moses. Narration of Origins and Israels ancestors.
Exodus-Moses. Leviticus-Living Commands, worship. Numbers- Journey, Deuteronomy:
Reprise of story. Six major themes: God, Israel, Covenant, Land, Commandment, Creation.
Neviim:Prophets (National History) Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings. Three main roles: Prophet,
Priest & King. Prophetic Themes: Unfaithfulness, Call to Repentance, A Remnant Preserved,
Restoration, Messianic, Reorientation of Israels hope, Social Justice
Ketuvim: Catch-all. Psalms (Israels prayer book), Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Job, Song of Songs,
Ruth, Ester,

Scripture (New Testament): 4 Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John), An interpretive early
Church history (Acts), Personal Letters to early Christian communities: Apostles: Romans,
Corinthians, James, Timothy. Coalesces around the event of Jesus of Nazareth, his crucifixion
and proclaimed resurrection.

Pantheism: God is everywhere.

Deism: Belief in a creator that does not intervene in the universe.

YHWH: aka Yahweh, god of Israel.

Israel: Northern kingdom of Hebrews, a group considered by its members to be Gods chosen
people.
Creation: YHWH responsible. Creation myth.
Abraham and Sarah Biological parents of Jews, father of Judaism, One who makes the
covenant with God
Ethical monotheism: Belief in one God who guides humanity through ethical principles. God
typically is Jewish/Christian God.
Moses: Hebrew prophet and lawgiver who led the Israelites out of Egypt
Temple of Jerusalem Primary center of worship, built by Solomon, destroyed by
Nebuchadnezzar in 586BC.
Babylonian Exile: Jews captives of Babylonia. Punishment for idolatry and disobedience to
Yahweh. Last of biblical prophecy by Ezekiel.
Roman Destruction of the Second Temple: Caused by Jewish rebellion against the Roman
Empire. Destroyed in 70 CE.
Crucifixion: Jesus is sentenced by Pontius Pilate, a knowing and willing sacrifice. Notable for his
resurrection three days later.
Resurrection: Jesus comes back from the dead.
Apostle Paul: Zealously persecuted early followers of Christianity, but has vision from God on
the road to Damascus, changing him from ardent persecutor to fervent supporter.
Pentecost: Feast of Weeks, celebrating giving of Law on Sinai for the Jews, and the descent of
the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles.

Holy Spirit: Third hypostasis of the Trinity, the triune God manifested as Father, Son and Holy
Spirit.
Ignatius of Antioch: En route to Rome, met martyrdom by being fed to wild beasts.
Bishop- Ordained member of Christian clergy
Orthodoxy-straight opinion What is and what is not part of the Christian belief
Heresy: a choice that diverges from straight opinion
Gnosticism: Religion that held that good souls had become entrapped in a cycle of rebirths in
evil bodies. Bodies and all material world are evil or illusory. Denied that Christ had a physical
body.
Marcionism: Two Gods. Good god had no relationship with us or anything else in the world until
he sent Christ his Son. God offers undeserved salvation out of pure love.
Perpetua and Felicitas: Christian martyrs of the 3rd century. Notable for being female martyrs,
example of the extent to which early Christians would go for their faith.
Martyrdom: Someone who suffers persecution and death for refusing to renounce a belief or
cause.
Platonism: Theory of forms, world of eternal, unchanging forms. Turn away from the passions
and distractions of our bodies and the physical world.
Stoicism: A rational principle guides the whole universe. Human beings are all related, because
we all share in the same universal Logos.
Epicureanism: A philosophy that pleasure is the greatest good, achievement of which leads to a
state of tranquility and freedom from fear.
Justin Martyr: Early Christian apologist. Presented Christianity as the best of philosophies.
Attacked by both philosophers and Christians for oversimplification of Platonism or modifying
faith to suit philosophy.
Logos: The word of God, A spark or seed of cosmic rationality.
Origen of Alexandria: Exerted huge influence on Greek-speaking Christianity. All souls achieve
salvation in the end led to attacks against him. Accepted Platos view that our souls are our real
selves and that we are born in new bodies again and again.
Allegorical sense of scripture: Bible has various levels of meaning and tends to focus on the
spiritual sense

Tertullian: Thought Christians should have little to do with the society around them. Faith needs
no help from Philosophy
Athanasius: Defender of orthodoxy. Son was of the same substance (homoousios) with father.
Council of Nicaea leads to Nicene Creed.
The Divine Dilemma: How Christ is both Human and Divine.
Emperor Constantine I: First emperor to convert to Christianity. Called the Council of Nicaea.
Arius: Only father is eternal, son was created at some point in time. Argued against Athanasius/
Council of Nicaea: Condemned Arians, and declared Christ begotten, not created, of the same
substance as the father.
Homoousious: greek for of the same substance
Trinity: God is one ousia, but three hypostaseis. Hypostaseis always act in perfect accord. Father,
son, and Holy Spirit.
Council of Chalcedon: Two natures, human and divine coexist in one person, and the oneness of
the person makes it appropriate to apply the predicates of either nature to the other.
Leo I: Use of his letter at council led to prestige of the bishop of Rome, and papal authority.
Theotokos: Greek title of Mary, the mother of Jesus used in the Eastern Orthodox. Literally
translated to God-bearer
DivineHumanity:
Divinization: to become more divine, more like God, or take upon a divine nature.
First, Second, Third Rome: Ancient Rome-> Byzantine Empire->Russian
Augustine of Hippo: Developed Catholic Church as spiritual City of God. Argued against
Donatists with arguments and force. Doctrine of predestination.
Donatism: Christian sect that believed that a traitor could not be a priest, and sacraments
performed would be invalid.
Pelagianism: Original sin did not taint human nature and that mortal will is still capable of
choosing good or evil without special divine aid
Conversion:
Julian of Norwich: Person who had intense visions of Jesus Christ. Known as spiritual authority.

Mystical (negative) theology: Branch of theology which focuses on experiences or states of the
soul which cannot be produced by human effort
God as mother:
Monasticism: Way of life where one renounces worldly pursuits to devote life to spiritual work.
Saints: A person acknowledge as holy or virtuous and typically regarded as being in heaven after
death
Scholasticism: System of theology and philosophy taught in medieval European universities.
Theistic arguments:
Anselm of Canterbury: Ontological arguments for existence of god.

Aristotelianism: is a tradition of philosophy that takes its defining inspiration from the work of
Aristotle.
Islam: monotheistic and Abrahamic religion articulated by the Quran.
Mendicant orders (friars): Wandering poor monks organized by Francis.
Franciscans: A group of friars traveling around the countryside begging for food and preaching
faith in Christ. Spiritual successors try to overthrow church.
Dominicans: Order of preachers that secured a good education and traveled about the world
preaching.
Thomas Aquinas: Some truths are available through both reason and revelation. Distinguishment
from what we can know by reason from what we can know by revelation. Grace does not destroy
nature, but perfects it.
The five ways: unmoved mover, first cause, argument from contingency, argument from degree,
and teleological argument.
Subalternate Science: accepts faith on principle

Bonaventure: Aristotle wrong, all creation emanates from and gradually returns to God.

Great schism: excommunication by pope and the patriarch of Constantinople

 1800 BCE (c.): Abraham & Sarah [if historical]

1250 (c.): Moses & the Exodus
1200-1030 (c.): Judges of Israel
1010-970: Reign of David
970-933: Reign of Solomon
950: Construction of First Temple
931: Divided Kingdom
750-450 (c.): Classical Age of the Prophets
722: Assyrian Conquest of Israel
622: Reformation of King Josiah
586: Babylonian Conquest of Judah, Fall of Temple
538: Persian Ascendency; Cyrus facilitates return of the Jews
520 (c.): Dedication of second temple
450: Reform of Ezra
331: Conquest of Palestine by Greeks under Alexander the Great
165-140: Maccabeean Revolt against Antiochus IV, Greeks
63: Conquest of Palestine by Romans under Pompey
37: Rule of Herod called Great
33 CE (c.): Crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth
70 CE: Destruction of the Temple ; End of Second Temple Period

63 BCE:
37-4:

Roman Empire under Pompey conquers Judea

Rule of Herod called Great

20:

Herod renovates the Temple at Jerusalem

6 BCE (c.):

Birth of Jesus of Nazareth

 18-37 CE:
26-36:

Caiaphas High Priest of Jerusalem

Pontius Pilate prefect of Judea

30 or 33:

Crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth

31 or 34:

Conversion of Paul of Tarsus

35:

fragments of Jesus tradition circulating

49:

Expulsion of Jews from Rome

50:

Apostolic Conference at Jerusalem (Acts 15)

54-68:

Nero Emperor of Rome, Neronian persecution

62:
66-74:

Apostles Paul & Peter in Rome

First Jewish Revolt against Rome

68:

Qumran Community destroyed

70:

Destruction of the Temple (end of Second Temple Period)

90 (c.):

Josephus Antiquities of the Jews

95:

Domitians persecution

110 (c.):

Pliny the Youngers, Epistulae on Christianity

130 (c.):

earliest extant Gospel fragments

132-135:

Second Jewish War, Bar Kochba Revolt

130-250 Christian Apologists (Justin Martyr)

223 Terullian
250 Origen,
312 Constantine Conversion
325 Council of Nicaea
381 Council of Constantinople: Nicene Creed
431 Council of Ephesus: Mary is God-Bearer
435 Chalcedon: Two natures, one single unified person.