ENGLISH FOR THEOLOGY

The 'rule' of the language is faith in Jesus Christ (every theology has to pass the test of Jesus Christ-it
can't contradict). The Bible is only a witness to God's self-revelation. Jesus IS God's revelation.

Theos (God) + Logos (Word) = The study of God or discourse on God. Theology cannot exhaustively
explain God.

(Kenyan) Sources of theology: scripture, theologies of older churches, African indigenous traditions,
Living expenses of present day churches. (English) Sources of theology: Scripture, tradition, reason, and
experience. The Bible is the final authority. Tradition and teaching go hand in hand.

Negative Apologetics

God as an "uninvited guest"- He doesn't wait for you to respond to his call. A personal communication
with God, inner communion, God communicates personally with each believer. But, experience is
slippery, it is hard to discern what is and is not legitimate.

Revelation as inner experience

God as an "uninvited guest"-He doesn't wait for you to respond to his call. A personal communication with
God, inner communion, God communicates personally with each believer. But, experience is slippery, it is
hard to discern what is and is not legitimate.

Friedrich Schleiermacher: Father of Modern Theology- Protestant Theologian

God as teacher, impartation of info (speech, verbal), Bible is the word of God and God's revelation. But, it
diminishes humanity in the bible.

Revelation as dialectical presence

Dialectical=crisis. God as judge. God makes himself known to humanity, then he enables humans to
recognize the techniques God uses to reveal himself. The Bible serves to critique human being's
misconception of God. It makes known the fact that we are shrouded in God's otherness (or difference in
class of being). God as "beckoner". He invites us to seek him. It changes one's present perspectives.
Only those that accept the invitation will see God. You don't receive it, you discover it. Discovery of divine
presence. Attainment of higher God-consciousness. Buuuut, there is the slipperiness of "religious
experience", and it Diminishes Jesus' role as the central point of faith.

General revelation

Accessible to all people, reveals general characteristics about God, discovered through the natural order
of creation (locus=source) and human consciousness, and it is distorted by sin. It is available to all of the
world, but Human finitude limits our knowledge (we as humans are limited with what we can understand
and comprehend).

Special revelation

Locus (source) is through supernatural acts. Not intended to be accessible to all, refers to the specific
ways in which God has chosen to reveal himself. Discovered through God's special acts (liberation of the
people of Israel through their oppressors, the incarnation.).
Revealed knowledge: Something you would never know until that person tells you. You can't discover it
by studying it.

Scientific knowledge: Discovered through testing or studying (laboratory/historical study).

Contemplative knowledge: Innate knowledge, comes naturally, rational deductions through reflection.

Illumination theory: Holy spirit heightened the powers of human authors beyond their natural ability.
There was no special communication between the Holy Spirit and human writers.

Dynamic theory: The Bible is the product of both human authors and God (Holy Spirit). Human authors
chose their words and wrote from the culture.

Verbal theory: Holy Spirit chose words and concepts for human writers. The words of the Bible have a
cognitive context. It makes true assertions and statements about God. Buuut, The bible is NOT merely a
set of divine propositions, The bible is a book with different genres, and it undermines the humanness of
the bible.

Infallibility: The belief that the Bible is true, and that God can use errors for good. God's infallibility
guarantees the Bible's trustworthiness.

Inspiration: 5 Characteristics of inspiration: Dictation, Verbal, Dynamic, Intuition, and illumination. The
Bible is God-breathed: 2 Different interpretations of this. Meaning 1: All scripture is inspired by God and is
profitable (The Bible is 100% inspired by God). Breathed out-everything came from God. Meaning 2: All
scripture inspired by God is profitable (Only scripture inspired by God is profitable, some is written by
humans). Breathed into-God guided humans to provide profitable info.

Inerrant: God's infallibility requires inerrant texts (no factual errors). The belief that the bible is free of
errors. Strict: The Bible contains no content or grammatical errors in the autographs. Moderate: The Bible
can have grammatical errors, but not content errors.

Authority of Scripture: The Bible governs our lives, it has a liberating authority (brings hope), a
transformative authority, and it is not a tool of oppression.

Dictation theory: Holy spirit dictated the words to the human authors. Writers were "pens" or
"secretaries" of the Holy Spirit.

Sola scriptura: Martin Luther's belief that the Bible is the final authority in matters of faith and practice.
Scripture is Lord over church tradition and should judge church traditions.

Autograph. Original manuscripts:

B.B. Warfield: He believes that the Bible is inspired (concursive operation-Holy Spirit controlled human
authors and gave them no room for mistakes.) Inspiration transcends human abilities. He believes that
the Bible is inerrant (the autographs contained no factual errors). Advocate for verbal theory of inspiration-
The Bible has cognitive content, and makes statements/assertions about God. The Bible is a collection of
books with different genres.

Intuition theory: The Bible is the product of human beings who had a high degree of insight (religious
geniuses). God played no role.

What is the nature of theology? Living without absolute knowledge of an outcome. Christian theology is
the study of God from the perspective of the Christian faith.

What is the ultimate goal of Christian theology? To grow in our relationship with God (worship-Phil. 3:10
and Romans 12:1), Explain our faith to others (1 Peter 3:15), Defend our faith when called upon (1 Peter
3:15), and to understand the diversity of Christian communities (Revelation 7:9).
How does John Wesley's quadrilateral view of the sources of theology differ from St. John S. Mbiti's
sources of theology?

John Wesley: Bible as final authority; Bible and teaching work together

John Mbiti: Learning from older church traditions

Revelation as history: God as actor or performer (burning bush, red sea). God reveals himself through
actions and good deeds, he intervenes in human history. But, there is no set criteria for revolutionary acts,
and it is difficult to determine if an event was caused by God.

General (creation) revelation is accessible to all people, while special (the incarnation) revelation refers to
the ways in which God reveals himself to certain individuals through supernatural acts.

Karl Barth: Bible only witness to God's revelation, Bible becomes word of God through His self-revealing

Karl Rahner: Bible belongs to the Church, authors of the Bible were under God's supervision, God
involved in Canonization.

What is Luther's view of scripture? What does he mean by "canon within canon?"

Jesus is Lord over scripture. Scriptures aim is to 'promote' Christ. Canon (Christ) within canon (Bible).
Canon=standard or rule.

What does it mean to say that the Bible is authoritative?

Governs our life, liberty, transformative, not form of oppression.

2 Timothy 3:16-17: 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and
training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Doctrine, History, Inner experience, Dialectical presence, and New awareness

God as actor or performer (burning bush, red sea). God reveals himself through actions and good deeds,
he intervenes in human history. But, there is no set criteria for revolutionary acts, and it is difficult to
determine if an event was caused by God. General (creation) revelation is accessible to all people, while
special (the incarnation) revelation refers to the ways in which God reveals himself to certain individuals
through supernatural acts.

Exercises:

1.) Matching questions.

1) Revealed knowledge
2) Authority of Scripture
3) Negative Apologetics
4) Positive Apologetics
5) Special revelation

A. Provides reasons for supporting the truthful claims of Christianity.

B. Something you would never know until that person tells you. You can't discover it by studying it.
C. The Bible governs our lives, it has a liberating authority (brings hope), a transformative authority,
and it is not a tool of oppression (slavery, colonization, kkk).
 D. Locus (source) is through supernatural acts. Not intended to be accessible to all, refers to the
specific ways in which God has chosen to reveal himself. Discovered through God's special acts
(liberation of the people of Israel through their oppressors, the incarnation.)
E. Provides responses to challenges to the truth. Removes potential and actual obstacles that
prevent people from accepting Christian claims.

2.) There are 5 Multiple choice questions that you have to answer.

1. (English) Sources of theology: Scripture, tradition, reason, and experience. The Bible is the final
authority. Tradition and teaching go hand in hand.

a) John Mbiti
b) John Wesley
c) Infallibility
d) Sola scriptura

2.) He believes that the Bible is inspired (concursive operation-Holy Spirit controlled human authors and
gave them no room for mistakes.) Inspiration transcends human abilities. He believes that the Bible is
inerrant (the autographs contained no factual errors). Advocate for verbal theory of inspiration-The Bible
has cognitive content, and makes statements/assertions about God. The Bible is a collection of books
with different genres.

a) Revelation as new awareness

b) How does general revelation differ from special revelation?
c) General revelation
d) B.B. Warfield

3.) Martin Luther's belief that the Bible is the final authority in matters of faith and practice. Scripture is
Lord over church tradition and should judge church traditions.

a) Karl Barth
b) John Wesley
c) John Mbiti
d) Sola scriptura

4.) Discovered through testing or studying (laboratory/historical study).

a) Scientific knowledge
b) What does it mean to say that the Bible is authoritative?
c) General revelation
d) What is Luther's view of scripture? What does he mean by "canon within canon?"

5.) The Bible is the product of both human authors and God (Holy Spirit). Human authors chose their
words and wrote from the culture.

a) Intuition theory
b) Authority of Scripture
c) Dictation theory
d) Dynamic theory

3.)There are 5 True/False questions and you have to choose the correct one.

1.) God as teacher, impartation of info (speech, verbal), Bible is the word of God and God's revelation.
Buuuuut, it diminishes humanity in the bible. → Revelation as history

a) True
 b) False

2.) God as an "uninvited guest"-He doesn't wait for you to respond to his call. A personal communication
with God, inner communion, God communicates personally with each believer. Buuuuut, experience is
slippery, it is hard to discern what is and is not legitimate. → Revelation as dialectical presence

a) True
b) False

3.) God as "beckoner". He invites us to seek him. It changes one's present perspectives. Only those that
accept the invitation will see God. You don't receive it, you discover it. Discovery of divine presence.
Attainment of higher God-consciousness. Buuuut, there is the slipperiness of "religious experience", and it
Diminishes Jesus' role as the central point of faith → Revelation as new awareness

a) True
b) False

4.) Innate knowledge, comes naturally, rational deductions through reflection. → Contemplative
knowledge.

a) True
b) False

5.) Jesus is Lord over scripture. Scriptures aim is to 'promote' Christ. Canon (Christ) within canon (Bible).
Canon=standard or rule. → What is Luther's view of scripture? What does he mean by "canon within
canon?"

a) True
b) False