Theology I Final Study Guide

Theological discussion should be reserved for specific occasions, audiences, and should be within certain boundaries.

Only those who have a strong intellectual and spiritual foundation should engage in theological discussions. This involves both rigorous study and purification of mind and soul.

The right time for theological discussions is when one is calm, composed, and free from distractions. It's about tranquility and intellectual clarity.

Discussions about theology require a serious commitment and should not be treated lightly. It's not casual conversation, but a deep and meaningful exploration.

Theologians should only explore things that are within the realm of human understanding. They shouldn't delve into mysteries that are beyond our grasp.

We can know that God exists through reason and observation of the world. The order and beauty of creation point to a Creator.

We cannot fully know what God is in His essence, but we can know His attributes through His creation and His revealed word.

There can only be one God because His essence and existence are inseparable. He is pure and simple, without any added complexities or divisions.

Human reason alone cannot fully comprehend God's nature and our final destination, thus divine revelation is necessary for salvation. Revealed truths complement human reason and ensure the path to God is accessible to all.

Sacred Doctrine (theology) is a science because it builds upon divinely revealed truths as its foundational principles, and uses human reason to further understand those principles.

Sacred Doctrine is wisdom as it considers God as the ultimate cause of all things, seeking to understand Him as He reveals Himself, not just through human reasoning.

Theologians can make arguments based on the revealed truths and reason about God, but must acknowledge the limitations of human reason to fully understand divine mysteries.

Our ultimate purpose as humans is to reach God as our final end.

Human reason has limitations in understanding the divine and the path to salvation. Revelation offers truths beyond human reason, ensuring a more certain path to salvation for all.

While human reason can discover certain truths about God, salvation wouldn't be revealed to all and would be uncertain. Divine Revelation ensures that all can know God and their path to salvation.

Sacred Doctrine involves two aspects: the acceptance of revealed truths as starting principles and the use of human reason to further explore those principles.

The first sin committed by Adam and Eve, disobeying God's command by eating from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.

The sin of pride, desiring knowledge beyond what God has given. It also involves disobedience to God's command.

The sin of desiring knowledge. It was a sin of wanting to be like God.

The transfer of Adam's original sin to all his descendants, making everyone inherit a fallen nature.

The result of Original Sin, we become separated from God and unable to union with Him naturally. However, it doesn't mean we are automatically condemned to hell.

To achieve union with God, we need to turn to His grace and redemption through Jesus Christ.

God's perfect and unchanging nature, without any parts or divisions. It represents God's unity and the ultimate simplicity of His being.

The truth that God, the maker of heaven and earth, is the creator of all things, both visible and invisible. This reveals His power and the extent of His creation.

The perfect happiness of man consists in knowing God in his essence, the way He knows himself.

The ultimate end of man is called "beatitude", which is achieved by being admitted to a share in the divine light.

The separation of soul and body at death is not natural, but rather an accident. For true perfect happiness, body and soul must be united again.

Original sin is the state of being born into a world tainted by sin, inherited from the first humans.

Evil in the natural world can exist because certain things are meant to suffer or undergo change as part of their natural course.

Evil can be considered 'voluntary' when an action is directed towards an end in a way that is not rightly related to that end.

Evil is a broad term encompassing things like suffering, failure, and actions that lead to harm.

God governs things according to their nature, and some things are designed to experience evil as part of their natural process.

God's being and essence are identical and cannot be divided. This is because different individuals within a species must have distinct existence and essence.

Multiple gods would have to share a common genus or species, which is not possible because God's essence is indivisible.

A form can be multiplied in two ways: by specific differences within the form itself (like different colors) or by the subjects in which it inheres (composite of matter and form).

God is simple and doesn't have specific differences. He is not a composite subject of matter and form. This means He cannot be multiplied by either method.

We use names for God based on our understanding of things in the world. Since we cannot comprehend His essence fully, our names are not simple and reflect our limited knowledge.

Names applied to God are not synonymous even though they refer to one essence. They represent different intellectual concepts we have about God.

We understand God through analogy, comparing our imperfect understanding with His perfections. For example, we call Him wise because we see wisdom in human beings, which ultimately originates from Him.

Divine persons cannot be divided by their substance but only by their unique procession (how they relate to each other) within the Trinity. This procession is the act of intellect and will.

The act of creating something from nothing, a power exclusive to God.

The Word (Jesus Christ) is not separate from the Father in essence. He is 'God from God,' sharing the same divine nature.

The Son is eternally begotten by the Father, not created as a separate entity.

The Son is not distinct from the Father in terms of perfection or purity. The Son is 'Light from Light,' sharing the same divine brilliance.

The Son is not separate from the Father in time. He is 'born before all ages,' existing eternally alongside the Father.

An act of restitution or repair, necessary to restore humanity from its fallen state. A perfect member of the human race restores the entirety.

Humanity cannot restore itself after the Fall. Only a perfect member of the human race, like Jesus, can make amends.

God cannot make amends for humanity's fallen state alone, nor can humanity itself. Only a perfect being, like Jesus, can bridge the gap.