Monotheism and Ethical Beliefs in God

Ethical Monotheism

• Belief in one God who dictates ethical behavior, emphasizing decency towards others.

The Shema Prayer

• Jewish prayer, recited in the Sermon on the Mount by Jesus.
• States "The Lord is your God, the Lord is one," emphasizing the importance of loving God.

Anthropomorphic Tradition

• Comparing God to human qualities.

The Son and the Holy Spirit

• Son: Embodiment of God on earth, teaching about God and helping humans understand him.
• Holy Spirit: Guides humans toward faith.

Pantheism

• Belief that God is everything and everywhere.

Yahweh

• King of all gods.

Covenant

• Contracts.

Monotheism

• Yahweh as the sole governing deity (pantheon).
• Concepts of creation (Genesis) and humanity.
• Emphasis on a singular God in the New Testament.

Omnipotence

• God's all-powerful nature, creating and commanding.

Omniscience

• God's all-knowing nature, encompassing the universe, human actions, and morality.

Jesus' Divine Nature

• Guiding, teaching, and offering salvation through parables, discipleship, and sacrifice.
• Possessing knowledge and authority (mirrors Old Testament teachings).

The Trinity

• Three divine persons (Father, Son, Holy Spirit).
• Preichoresis: The necessary existence of the three persons within one another.
• Understanding God's unknowable nature.

Understanding God as Love

• Agreement:
  • Makes God worthy of worship and fosters understanding of the world through goodness (Genesis).
  • Jesus' teachings embody love and redemption from sin.
• Disagreement:
  • God's transcendent nature and unknowability.
  • Trinity as a means to comprehend God through roles.

Creation and Redemption

• God is the creator, but salvation and life are through Christ.

Key Concepts

• Ex Nihilo: God created the universe from nothing.
• Incarnate: Jesus' embodiment as God on earth.
• Atonement: Seeking forgiveness for sin.
• Redemption: Changing for the better; a return to a just state.
• Immanent: God present within space and time.
• Pantheism: God is everything, everything is God.

Additional Notes on the Bible and Language

• Hampion's critique of patriarchal language in the Bible.
• The Bible uses language that can reinforce prejudice against women and promote a specific view of ideal manhood.
• Jesus' response to the greatest commandments references the Torah.