Salvation History (Theology 1) PDF

Notes for Salvation History (Theology 1) - This concept is central to Christian theology and refers to the way in which God has been actively involved in the world, guiding humanity towards redemption and eternal life. - Story of saving power of God. **Faith** - Faith is a gift fro...

Notes for Salvation History (Theology 1) - This concept is central to Christian theology and refers to the way in which God has been actively involved in the world, guiding humanity towards redemption and eternal life. - Story of saving power of God. **Faith** - Faith is a gift from God, it is not something which comes merely from our own doing. - Faith is a dynamic reality. Meaning, even if faith is a gift from God, it demands our free cooperation. - we need to live the faith. To live the faith is to allow it to touch our minds (believing), our wills (doing) and our hearts (trusting). Believing, doing and trusting are the three essential dimensions of faith. - **FAITH** - Comes from the Latin fides meaning "trust" or "belief" - Refers to a specific act or human response to God's revelation - An internal surrender of our whole self to God God-given theological virtue or habit of belie - **RELIGION** - Comes from the Latin religio, meaning "respect for the sacred" or "reverence for the gods." - Set of practices and beliefs followed by those who believe in and worship God - **BELIEF** - Comes from German, meaning what is "dear" or "esteemed" - A mental act or state of mind placing trust or confidence in a person or doctrine **REVELATION** - **G**od's act of revealing Himself is an act of love, the effect of which is the liberation of men and women from everything that oppresses them, most especially sin. - Revelation in general can be described as the process by which God personally manifests and communicates to us His Divine Self and His Divine Will for our salvation (Dei Verbum 6). - God's relevation - the human person came to know how loving, merciful, just and generous God is through His act of self-revelation - 2 main sources of knowledge to knows God's revelation - Natural revelation (nature, human reason, human experience) - The created universe constitutes a first presence and a first manifestation of God. - The word revelation means unveiling something hidden. Using your senses and reason, you can uncover that God exists and identify some of God's attributes. The bishops of the First Vatican Council (1869--1870) captured this truth. - God's presence in our midst is discerned by looking at the world around us and through our day-to-day experiences and struggles. - Divine revelation (Sacred Scripture, Tradition, Jesus Christ) - God is a mystery beyond human understanding. Human intellect and language can provide insight about God, but always fall short of describing who God really is. - "God willed both to reveal himself to man and to give him the grace of being able to welcome this revelation of faith" (CCC, 35). - God speaks to you through Divine Revelation. **"**The ultimate sign of God's revelation is Jesus Christ. Jesus personifies God's selfless love for us. By His becoming man, His passion, death, and Resurrection, Jesus shows us how loving our Father is." "Finally, God's presence in our midst is discerned through our day-to-day experiences and struggles. For despite all the hardships and trials, God continues to strengthen us by His grace and sustain us by His generosity"