ALEXAMENOS SEBETE THEON
Graffiti: Alexamenos worships his God, Palatine Hill, Rome, ca. 200 CE
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Graffiti: Alexamenos worships his God, Palatine Hill, Rome, ca. 200 CE
Graffiti: Alexamenos worships his God, Palatine Hill, Rome, ca. 200 CE
Vatican I, “First Dogmatic Constitution” (BB)
ReplyDelete6. What authority does Vatican I assert for the pope? On what grounds
Vatican I asserts papal infallibility for the Pope. According to this text, the pope is able to define doctrine, faith, and morals for the Universal Church. He is able to do so based on the grounds of apostolic succession.
Melanie Kaplanek
Ignatius Loyola, “Rules for Thinking with the Church” (BB)
ReplyDelete3. What is the right habit of mind for Catholic Christians regarding the teachings of church leaders, according to Ignatius?
Ignatius defined the proper mindset for Catholic Christians as without prejudice and with complete obedience to the Lord Christ, the Holy Mother, and the church. He stated that the way Catholics should think as follows, "I will believe that the white I see is black". Catholics should believe in the spirit that guides them to salvation. Predestination also played an important role, where Catholics should still continue their faith and right practice.
Patrick Lee
Ignatius Loyola, “Rules for Thinking with the Church”
ReplyDelete3. The right habit of mind for Catholic Christians regarding the teachings of church leaders are as follows: putting aside all private judgment, to praise sacramental confession, to praise the frequent readings in Mass, to praise highly religious life, to praise the relics of the saints by venerating them by praying to the saints, and to praise the precepts concerning fasts and abstinences.
-------Yewhna Tefery
Matthew Tindal, “Christianity as Old as the Creation” (BB)
ReplyDelete3.Tindal’s opponent (“B”) suggests that he has ignored the importance of divine revelation. How does Tindal respond?
Tindal responds saying whatever is true by reason can never be false by Revelation. Anything that is supported by reason can be trusted but to assume that revelation without being supported by reason or proof is undermining revelation. As long as reason is against man, man will be against reason. Tindal believes that revelation must be supported by reason and without reason it becomes a matter of deception.
Mallika Reddy Gunupati
Matthew Tindal, “Christianity as Old as the Creation” (BB)
ReplyDelete1. What according to Tindal is the minimum content, in beliefs and in practices, of “natural religion” or a “religion of nature”?
Tindal believes that “natural religion” or a “religion of nature” is based on the thoughts of a person and his/her’s own reasoning to religion. Some of the minimal content for “natural religion” is this belief of the existence of a God and the sense and practice of those duties from the knowledge humans have, through reasoning, of Christ (as taken from the text). Tindal believes that there is a God, who more specifically is happy with himself and is the ruler of all other gods. A “religion of nature” takes in everything based on reason and the nature of things. Everything is based on the ideas of human reasoning, which creates both “natural religion” and a “religion of nature.”
-Neriah Yue
John Henry Newman, “Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine”
ReplyDelete7. What conceptions of Christianity as an historical religion does Newman reject? What idea of
Christianity in history does Newman propose instead?
Newman rejects the idea that over time, Christianity has been corrupted, changed, decayed, or has been detracted from its original meaning. He believes that the essence of Christianity has in fact been passed on throughout its time on earth, and that its evolution throughout time is necessary for to attain a full understanding of the religion.
8. What advantages might this concept convey to Newman’s own Catholic Christianity in particular?
At the time Roman Catholicism was taking criticism from liberals and humanists. They claimed that Roman Catholicism was a corruption of Christianity, and that it has little validity. Newman’s concept defends Catholicism by suggesting that the expansion of creeds and rituals, which were not in the bible, are necessary for a full comprehension of the religion.
- Alberto Navarro
3. How does Gutierrez define “liberation?’
ReplyDeleteLiberation of Israel is defined as a political action. It is the breaking away from a miserable situation and the formal beginning a just society. Further, liberation attempts to suppress disorder in favor of creating a new one in hopes that it will turn out more successful and organized.
----kenneth orlino
2. Gustavo Gutiérrez, “Liberation and Salvation” (R 693-96)
ReplyDeleteWhat changes to Christian beliefs about salvation does Gutiérrez advocate and why?
First and foremost, Gustavo Gutierrez believes a qualitative and intensive approach regarding salvation should replace a quantitative and extensive one. He describes a shift from understanding salvation from an “otherworldly sense” to understanding salvation from a “this-worldly sense,” which can be defined as a union with God and embracing every aspect of humanity. Gutierrez says that since there is no profound reflection on the theme of salvation, people take salvation for granted and are afraid to engage with difficult matters. Since he defines salvation as “the communion of men with God and the communion of men among themselves,” he explains that non-Christians can be saved if they learn the presence of grace from God, even if they aren’t aware they are doing so.
----Jacob Balley
Elizabeth A. Johnson, “To Speak Rightly of God” (R 706-709)
ReplyDelete6. Why does Johnson think that gendered language about God requires revision today? What does she mean by “feminist theology?”
Johnson believes that gendered language about God requires revision today because God is perceived or believed by most to be a male, which “undermines women’s human dignity as equally created in the image of God.” Ultimately, Johnson is arguing in the passage that the world is sexist towards women and emphasizes how men basically run the world. She believes that women are equal to men and that both men and women share the same image and likeness of God. By “feminist theology,” Johnson is referring to “a reflection on God and all things in the light of God that stands consciously in the company of the world’s women, explicitly prizing their genuine humanity while uncovering and criticizing its persistent violation in sexism, itself an omnipresent paradigm of unjust relationships.” This theology calls for reform and seeks both men and women “who care for justice and truth.” In addition, she also emphasizes how the movement is not meant to only serve women, but is meant to anyo
ne who may be “seeking a transformation of the whole community.”
-----AJ Noal
Vatican II, “Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World” (BB)
ReplyDelete10. What new elements do you detect, compared to the ancient, medieval and early modern history
of Christianity that we have studied?
The Second Vatican Council opened the Church to all people, including nonbelievers. They believed that an openness to atheists would allow them to understand the "proper presentation of the Church and her members". Also, the Second Vatican Council emphasized on togetherness and unity of the community, for the betterment of the world. The faith of Christianity is not bound within its believers, because the Second Vatican Council stated a change of belief towards a greater world. This world could only be achieved by the believers and non-believers working together. The focus of this Second Vatican Council diverted the attention of Christianity away from right practice and right belief, but towards the connection between the Church and the world. "The Church...goes forward together with humanity and experiences the same earthly lot which the world does."
--Patrick Lee