Theo

THEOLOGY PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION REVIEWER
CHAPTER I- THEOLOGY AND FAITH
A. On Theology
*we ask questions because of curiosity
*life is a constant search for meaning, a lifelong endeavour of questioning
*there is an innate desire for us to know God
*human mind has the capacity to accept God’s revelation
*Theology does not depend on feelings and experiences of a person
*Theology as a science can be verified and examined;
“What is God?”- St. Thomas Aquinas began his venture to know God with this question; affirms two truths: (1) There is an idea of “God”; (2) There is the human mind which poses it.
Five Ways of St. Thomas Aquinas- arguments for proving God’s existence without the use of supernatural revelation.
1. The series of motion necessitates a first mover.
- That God is the unmoved mover.
-Things naturally move beyond human’s power.
-Wood has capacity to produce heat so when rubbed it can cause friction and eventually fire.
- A staff moves only because it is moved by the hand.
- An object remains at rest or in motion until acted upon by an outside force.
- An object falls because of the gravity’s pull
2. The series of cause and effect requires a first efficient cause.
-Can an ordinary human being be the cause of all these effect? (e.g. wind, moon, sun, etc.)
-(causality) An object falls because of the pull of gravity
3. The contingency of beings necessitates a non-contingent being to bring forth existence.
*contingent-depending
-“which came first, the chicken or the egg?” no existent things came from an inexistent.
- A mango tree grows from a seed.
- A child is conceived in a mother’s womb.
-Anything that exists comes from something that already exists.
4. The degrees of perfection point to a perfect being who has the maximum of all positive qualities.
-“where did we get the idea of perfection?”
- Among beings there are some more and some less good.
- Heat is the cause of all hot things.
5. The order and beauty visible in the world requires an intelligent designer.
-our body parts are placed to where they function well.
- God made all things.
Divine longing- an innate desire for God; people everywhere have this sense as shown by history.
God- regarded as supreme being as their origin and destiny; without this, life would be meaningless.
“God gifted all human beings with the natural facility to know him”- St. Thomas Aquinas
*Human mind has the capacity to receive God’s self-communication.
Theology- a discipline raised from fusion of belief in God and the intellectual activity which attempts to understand the divine. -derived from the Greek word “theos” (God) and “logos” (word/discourse); -involves a critical look at God’s word, His self-communication to humanity. -Science; scientific because God is beyond mere subjective experience; the truths are objective
“Fides quarens intellectum”/”faith seeking understanding”- St. Anselm defined theology as this; faith is an active engagement in whatever knowable about God.
Jesus Christ- ultimate Word of God.
Summa Theologiae- three-volume compilation made by St. Thomas Aquinas. “Theology is the greatest and most certain of all the sciences”
*God is the real subject and not merely the object of Theology
*Theology originates from the grace of God.
B. On Faith
1. On Faith in General
*believing is pre-requisite to knowing.
Mysteries- truths that cannot be fully grasped & can only be appreciated in faith; truths beyond ordinary human comprehension.
Faith- virtue (good habit), gift, way of life, human act
Three Things Involved in Faith (STA)- through this, we are able to manifest our faith completely in God
1. Believing in God’s Existence
2. Recongnizing His Word as Truth
3. Accepting His Word as the rule of life and the way to salvation.
*Faith, as a way of life, involves the total person: mind, heart, and will in an integral act of believing, trusting, and doing.
Three Dimensions of Faith
1. DOCTRINE
-mind: believing; What should we believe in?
-God calls us to enter a relationship with Him.
*(CFC) we show our faith when we accept the word of others (paniniwala)
2. MORALITY
-will: doing; what must we do on account of what we believe in?
- Commit ourselves to obey God’s will for us.
*(CFC) we show our faith when we readily obey the orders of those over us (pagsunod)
3. WORSHIP
-heart: trusting; If we could believe and do what our belief requires us to, what can we hope for?
-God’s love & promise of eternal happiness with Him is reminded to us by prayer
*(CFC) we show our faith when we entrust our welfare to others, even to strangers (pagtitiwala)
~Faith in others=faith in God: 2 expressions of the same gift.
The Paradoxical Characteristics of Faith
1. Certain enough to die for yet a mystery.
2. Free personal response to God yet morally binding in conscience.
3. Reasonable yet beyond our natural ways of knowing.
4. Individual act of our graced reason, yet a life-long process.
5. Gift of God yet something we do nobody can “believe” for us.
6. Personal individual response yet only possible as a member of the Christian community of the Church.
Filipino Models in Faith Paradoxes
1.Ignacia del Espiritu Santo- founded the Beatas de la Compania de Jesus during the Spanish colonialization
2. San Lorenzo Ruiz- death in Nagasaki
3. St. Pedro Calungsod- killed at Landrones Islands where he taught Catechism
4. Francisca Del Espiritu Santo- preserved n founding her beaterio
2. On the Faith of Christians
Christian Faith- calls us to personal relationship w/ Jesus, to accept Him as Lord & Savior, as the Way to the Father
(PCP II) Christian Faith- to know, tolove, and to follow Christ in the Church he founded
Five Essential Characteristics of Christian Faith
1. Total and Absolute- patterned after Christ’s complete surrender to the will of the Father.
2. Trinitarian- God is a community of love and Christ is our entry point to this community
3. Loving, Maturing, and Missionary- dynamic; manifested in knowledge & imitation of Christ
4. Informed & Communitarian- believing all the teachings of Jesus
5. Inculturated- manifested in affairs of daily life esp. in human relationships.
3. On the Faith of Filipino Catholics
Catholic Faith- belief that Hesus revealed God in & through the Holy Catholic (universal) Church; distinguishable: Pope as successor of Peter & Bishops as successor of the apostles.
FAITH- Believing in God
CHRISTIAN FAITH- Believing in the God revealed by Jesus
CATHOLIC CHRISTIAN FATIH- Believing that Christ reveals God to us in and through the Catholic Church.
*THEOLOGY is a part of the Church’s evangelizing mission
Evangelize- proclaim the Good News (person, Christ); purpose: salvation
Ways of Understanding Evangelization
1. Initial proclamation of the Christian Faith- done to people who do not know Christ yet (e.g. Spaniards to Filipinos)
2. all the efforts exerted by the Church to proclaim Christ (teaching, preaching, worship)
Catechesis- process of instruction on the faith for the purpose of leading the learners into maturity in the faith
EVANGELIZATION
Def: Initial proclamation of the Good News
Pur: Initial conversion
CATECHESIS
Def: Instruction on the Christian Faith
Pur: Maturity in the faith
THEOLOGY
Def: Attempt to explain the teachings of the Church
Pur: Better, meaningful, relevant explanations of the faith.
4. On College Theology
College Theology- refers religious education in the tertiary level,; to equip students of different disciplines with the fundamentals of Christian doctrine through sufficient knowledge and maturity in faith.
Methodology: catechetical
*Heart must always be Christ… knowing & entering a relationship with Him.
*It is only through Christ, with Christ, and in Christ, that all of us can become agents for the renewal of our Filipino church and Society.
CHAPTER II- WORD OF GOD: REVELATION
A. Revelation in Human Experience
Entering a relationship requires two things: making ourselves known & disclosing ourselves further through communication.
Types of Speaking:
(1) Informative- speak in order to merely tell something or just to converse
(2) Expressive- speak to disclose our deepest feelings; powerful, may either heal or kill.
(3) Appellative- when we express our feelings for the purpose of being reciprocated, begging for a response.
(STA) There is nothing in the mind that is not first in the senses. But Spirit is invisible and intangible. *God takes the initiative of introducing the divine self and communication through means easily assimilated: words.
Revelation- “disclosure, an uncovering, the unveiling of something hidden, so that it may be seen and known for what it is.”; God’s personal loving communication to us of who He is and His plan to save us all in His love. It is God’s reaching out to us in friendship.
Pur: salvation
Four Reasons Why God Created Us
1. To know him
2. To love him
3. To serve him
4. To be happy with him in heaven.
*God wants us to experience happiness with Him-eternal happiness.
B. Revelation as the Word of God
*God has chosen to reveal Himself to us.
“WORD OF GOD” Hebrew “dabar” (word, event, reality) could mean:
1. Events in Salvation History
2. Message of God proclaimed through the prophets
3. Person of Jesus, who himself is the Word of God
4. Preaching of the Christian faith
5. General message of God to humanity
6. Bible
Word of God- mode of communication comprehendible by human beings
C. Avenues of Revelation
Ways by which God communicates with us
1. Revelation through Events a. Creation- first act of God’s revelation; cause of everything; b. History- evidences of God’s divine plan for humanity; events may point God as behind all these happenings; actions of God.
2. Revelations through Persons a. Prophets- “spokepersons of God” proclaims a religious interpretation of history. b. Church- (as people of God), collective discernment and sense of divine actions. c. Jesus Christ- God-revealing and God-revealed; fullness of revelation.
D. Kinds of Revelation
1. General and Special Revelation
General- “natural revelation”; how God makes himself known to us through the created world by observing creation and its activities (motion & causality) may lead us to conclusion that God exists.
Special- STA equates this with the Bible (records how God conveyed to and through chosen individuals his message)
2. Public and Private Revelation
Public- disclosure of God’s self & His saving plan; essential truths of our Christian faith revealed by Christ & taught by the Church; -complete & final through Christ. “Divine Revelation”
Private- Church-recognized messages from apparitions or mystical experiences of some privileged men and women. -does not add to public rev. (e.g. three secrets of Fatima)
E. The Transmission of Revelation
Dogma- teachings which bind
WORD OF GOD < (1) Sacred Scriptures & (2)Sacred Tradition
Eight Ways By Which Traditions are Transmitted
1. Through Preaching
2. Through teaching
3. Through Religious services and customs
4. Through personal and communal prayers and devotions
5. Through special days of feast and remembrance
6. Through religious laws and obligations
7. Through sayings and catch phrases
8. Through story-telling
Dei Verbum (DV) Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation- teaches us that Sac. Tradt’n and Sacred Scriptures form one sacred deposit of the word of God.”
Holy Spirit- acts as its one teacher and interpreter (of God’s Word)
Magisterium- Teaching authority of the Church
CHAPTER III- WORD OF GOD: THE BIBLE
Bible- “universal”; compilation of books recognized and preserved and transmitted by Church.
A. The Word “Bible”
1. Etymology Bible- Greek “biblia” (scrolls)
2. Bible as Understood By Believers a. Bible is a faith book- written by believers, for believers, about encounter with and experience with God. b. Bible is an account of life, preserved in memory, turned into text- records events historically. c. Bible is an event of community- divine communication happened in varied means
B. Bible as the Word of God 1. Richness of the Word “OF” a. Bible is Word about God- we learn who God is b. Bible is Word from God- contains God’s self-communication mediated through human words, demands our respect and reverence even in interpretation. c. Bible is Word by God- principal author is God, with humans as co-authors. 2. Revelation in the Bible
-act of God to communicate His plan of salvation to humanity.
Tradition- broader body of revelation (non-written means of transmission) 3. Bible and Jesus
“Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ”- St. Jerome RELIGION | WORD OF GOD | AGENT OF THE WORD | Judaism | Torah | Moses | Islam | Qur’an | Mohammed | Christianity | JESUS CHRIST | Bible |

Jesus Christ- center & fulfilment of the Bible

C. The Books of the Bible 1. Two Testaments
*covenant- solemn agreement between God and man a. Old Testament- lesson on faithfulness, expressed variedly through laws, stories, prophecies, and wisdom literature. -HL: Ever-faithful God who keeps on gathering his people despite their constantly being scattered by sin. b. New Testament- tells of Jesus and his passion, death, and resurrection; fulfilment of promise in the OT.
“The New Testament was hidden in the Old while the Old is unveiled in the New”- St. Augustine | Old Covenant | New Covenant | Parties Involved | God and Israel | God & Humanity | Content | “I will be your God and you will be my people” | John 3:16 | Mediator | Moses | Jesus Christ | Sign that seals the covenant | Blood of an animal | Blood of Christ | Sign that reminds the people of this covenant | Ark of the Covenant | Cross & Breaking of Bread | Covenant Community | Israel | Church | Written Account | Hebrew Scriptures | Christian Scriptures | Central Event | Exodus | Resurrection of Jesus |

2. Arrangement of Books
Genesis- about beginnings
Revelation- about the end CLASSIFICATION | OT | NT | Most Sacred of Books- contain the most important teachings of faith | Torah/Pentateuch * Genesis * Exodus * Leviticus * Numbers * Deuteronomy | Gospels: * Matthew * Mark * Luke * John | Historical Narratives- historical events (relevatory) | Deuteronomy History (occupation of promised land)-Joshua-Judges-Ruth-1&2 Samuel-1&2 KingsChronicler’s History (Israel monarchy-babylon)-1&2 Chronicles-Ezra-NehemiahPatriotic Books (nationalism)-Tobit-Judith-Esther-1&2 Maccabees | -Acts of the Apostles | Wisdom Literature- tells believers what they ought to believe & how to live their faith | -Job-Psalms-Proverbs-Ecclesiastes-Songs of songs-Wisdom-Sirach | Pauline Letters-Romans-1&2 Corinthians-Galatians-Ephesians (etc)Hebrew Catholic Letters -James-1&2 Peter-1,2, &3 John-Jude | Prophetic Material-called believers to conversion (for salvation) | Major Prophets-Isaiah-Jeremiah (etc)Minor Prophets-Hosea-Joel-Amos | -Revelation | 3. Chapters and Verses
*originally no chapters & verses
Archbishop Stephen Langton of Canterburg (1226)- divided the books into chapters
Robert Estienne (1551)- French printer, divided the books into verses.
-For reference
D. Inspiration of the Bible
*Bible came out through the Inspiration of the Holy Spirit
*Inspiration- Latin “in” and “spirate” (breathe into)
“All Scripture is God-breathed”- 2Timothy 3:16 1. Wrong Notions about Inspiration a. Divine Inspiration is not verbal or mechanical dictation- Bible is also a word of man, limited to the resources of its time b. Divine Inspiration is not subsequent approbation- authors didn’t write on their own then asked for God’s approval c. Divine Inspiration is not simply negative assistance- Holy Spirit’s work wasn’t limited to preventing author from making error d. Divine Inspiration is not mere ideological inspiration- concrete human words not ideas 2. The Catholic Understanding of Inspiration
Inspiration- active and dynamic influence of the Holy Spirit on the Human authors of the Bible, thus, enabling them to write down what God wants them to. a. I According to STA- using principle of causality: Holy Spirit is the principal author and men is the instrumental author b. I According to Pope Leo XIII- Encyclical: Providentissimus Deus: supernatural influence and assistance, inspiration is a gift of enlightenment of human mind. c. I According to Vatican II- (Constitution on Divine Revelation: Dei Verbum) scope and limitation on inspiration 3. Effects of Inspiration
Because the Bible is inspired: a. Gives us the revelation of God- know God and his will b. Final and definitive- contains all what we need to know c. One integral whole- cannot contradict itself d. Sacramental- visible sign of God’s presence e. Moves us to live as God wants us to f. Contains only the truth g. Enables the Church to recognize its divine influence
E. Inerrancy of the Bible 1. Inerrancy as an effect of Inspiration
-Church: Bible contains the inerrant saving truth 2. Some Difficulties in Scriptures a. Inconsistency b. difference from science c. difference in chronology d. moral deficiencies 3. Reconciling Difficulties and Inerrancy
-Constitution on Divine Revelation: books must be acknowledged as teachings
-Authors were trapped with the limitations of their time
-God’s message remains unchanged
F. Formation of Sacred Scriptures STAGES | OT | NT | Actual Events | -Exodus | -Jesus | Oral Tradition | -Story was retold every Passover | -Preaching of Apostles | Writing of Sccriptures | RFWriting:-Preserve oral traditions-Constantly remind the people of the covenant-Proclamation of liturgy | RFWriting:-Preserve the memory of Jesus-Norm of teaching | Canonization | 46 books of OT | 27 books of NT |

G. Canonicity
Canon- Greek word “kanon” (stick/reed used for measurement -Rule norm or standard; official list of things
Canonicity- quality of books to be recognized as inspired by God and normative for faith and morals.
Canonization- official process and declaration of the Church pertaining to such inspired books.

CRITERIA FOR CANONICITY OT | NT | Prophetic Origin | Apostolic Origin | Coherence with the Torah | Coherence with the Essential Gospel Message | Constant use in the liturgy | Constant use in the liturgy | Language (Hebrew) | - |

Apocryphal-other books which did not make it to the canon of scriptures ; “apocrypha” (veiled/secret)
H. Interpretation of the Bible 1. Catholic Principles in the Interpretation of Scriptures
Exegesis- to draw out the meaning of the texts in the Bible
Guidelines in Interpretation a. Interpretation must be done within the living tradition of the Church b. Due consideration must be given to the historical character of the Biblical Revelation c. Word must be interpreted in such a way that it becomes responsive to the needs of its reader today d. It must always be interpreted in relation to Christ 2. Senses of Scriptures
Levels of Which the Bible Must be Understood a. Literal Sense- starting point; meaning that the human author directly intended to convey b. Spiritual Sense- typical sense; deeper meaning expressed by a biblical text c. Fuller Sense- deeper meaning intended by God w/c may not be clearly expressed by the human author 3. Significance of the Bible a. For the individual Christian
1. It tells us our divine origins and the purpose of our existence.
2. Assures us God’s Providence
3. Tells us how to live rightly
4. Presents to us the religious view on the problem of evil/sin and of death
5. Enables us to encounter Jesus to enter a personal relationship with Him. b. For the Church
1. Bond of unity of the Church
2. Nourishes the Church as the Word of God is proclaimed to the community.
3. Tells us the beginnings of the Church
CHAPTER IV- WORD OF GOD: JESUS CHRIST
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God, and the Word became flesh, and made his dwelling among us”- John 1:1,14
Happiness=Jesus of Nazareth- Pope Benedict XVI to the youth
A. Many Faces of Jesus Today
*people from different parts of the world have looked up to Jesus differently
- as a model of humanity
-as liberator from economic & political oppression
Two Images of Jesus for Filipinos IMAGE | STRENGTHS | WEAKNESSES | Santo Nino | 1. The image affirms the reality of incarnation.2. Shows us God’s identification with the “little one’s”3. Reminds us to be childlike | 1. Confine the appreciation of Jesus to his childhood2. My give the impression of domesticated God or Catholic Doll. | Black Nazarene | 1. Tells us God’s compassion for humanity2. Reminds us how the innocent had to suffer for the sake of our sins.3. Inspires us to bear our sufferings patiently | 1. May leave out the resurrection event2. May show passive suffering rather than active struggling |

B. Salvation In Jesus
-Our spirit is set in the direction of Christ (Pope John Paul II) 1. Salvation as the Mission of Jesus
“that great gift from God w/c is liberation from all that oppresses man”- (Pope Paul VI, Evangelium Nuntiandi)
Jesus- means “God saves” (Gk Iesous; Hb Yeshua) -saved us from sin through his passion, death, and resurrection.
Two-fold Salvation
1. Freedom from sin and evil
2. Freedom for grace and love
Three Roles of Christ
1. Christ, the Priest- mediator bet. God and man, characterized by holiness and prayer
2. Christ, the Prophet- spoke on behalf of the Father
3. Christ, the King- spent his life in service 2. Characteristics of Salvation a. Salvation is a life-changing encounter with Chris- to turn away from old lives b. Salvation is for the whole person- for totality: mind and matter, soul and body c. Salvation begins here and now- we do not have to wait for the afterlife d. Salvation is a process- it is about relationship e. Salvation extends to all people f. Salvation is completed in eternity w/ God 3. Salvation History
-human history is salvation history a. Unfolding of God’s plan
Salvation History is divided into three stages
1. Time before Christ
2. Time of Christ
3. Time of the Church b. Characteristics of Salvation History
1. Christocentric
2. Biblical
3. Inculturated
4. Systematic
CHAPTER V- BEGINNINGS
A. Introduction to the Book of Genesis
B. Genesis 1-11 1. Genesis 1:1-2:3: The First Account of Ceation a. God is the origin of everything, especially life. b. Creation is orderly and good c. Humankind is the summit of God’s Creation d. Humans are stewards over all creation e. Human sexuality and procreation belong to the divine order of creation f. Rest is Godly. 2. Genesis 2:4-25: The Second Account of Creation a. There is an intimate connection between the land and the human being b. The human being is both body and soul c. Eden is the original locale of human beings d. Man has the vocation to care for and cultivate the world e. Man and woman complete and complement each other f. Human love and marriage are divinely ordered 3. Gen.--- The Fall and other Sin-Stories a. Nature and Meaning of Sin b. Consequences of Sin
1. Divine Alienation
2. Human Self-Alienation
3. Social Alienation
4. National/International Alienation
Ugliness of Pride & its Damage a. It makes us forget our existential dependence on Goda b. Germinates the seed of Division and confusion 4. Meaning of Original Sin a. Dates back to the origin of the human race b. A state contrary to God’s will c. Has personal and social dimensions d. Actual sins relate to Original sin e. More than Original Sin, there is salvation 5. Promise of Salvation

CHAPTER VI- THE FATIH OF OUR FATHERS AND MOTHERS
Father- the Hebrew name “Abraham is related to this root word
Israel- Jacob’s name was changed to this, a name which means “The man who struggled with the Lord”
Laughter- the Hebrew name “Isaac” is related to this root word, with which the promise of his birth was first received by Abraham.
Three-fold Promise of God to Abraham
1. A great nation will come from Abraham
2. A land which the nation will possess
3. A blessing to be bestowed on all the nations of the world because of Abraham
Three elements of Divine activity in Genesis
1. Election
2. Promise
3. Covenant
Prefiguration of Isaac to Jesus Christ I is the son of Abraham | J is a son of Abraham | I- from barren womb | J- from virgin Mary | I- willing victim | J- Lamb of God | I- regarded by Abraham as “my son” | J- Jn 3:16 |