1. THEOLOGY
Unit 1

2. i. Basic terminology
1. Agnostic – In the Greek, the alpha letter was at times attached to a word to mean “without or not.” Gnostic comes from the Greek word gnosis, which means knowledge. Thus, an agnostic is someone who believes persons do not have access to certain knowledge, especially in relation to theology and other spiritual questions.
2. Atheism – Atheism technically refers to someone who is without god or who does not believe in god.
3. Cosmology – This term is made up of two words (cosmos – universe; logia – word or reason). As a result, this term refers to the study of the universe, especially matters dealing with its origin.

3. i. Basic terminology
4. Monotheism – This term is made up of two words (mono – one; theism – belief about God). Consequently, monotheism is the belief is one God.
5. Pantheism – This term is made up of two words (pan – all, everything; theism – belief about God). For this reason, pantheism refers to the belief that everything is god.
6. Polytheism – This term is made up of two words (poly – many; theism – belief about God). Thus, polytheism refers to the belief in many gods.

4. i. Basic terminology
7. Teleology - the study of design or purpose in nature.
8. Theology – This term is made up of two Greek words (theos – God; logia – word or reason). Consequently, theology refers to the study of God

5. Learning Activity 1. ______ – The belief is one God.
2. _______ - the study of design or purpose in nature.
3. _______ – This term refers to the study of God
4. _______ – This term refers to the belief that everything is god.
5. _______ – Someone who believes persons do not have access to certain knowledge, especially in relation to theology and other spiritual questions.
6. ______ – Atheism technically refers to someone who is without god or who does not believe in god.
7. _______ – This term refers to the study of the universe, especially matters dealing with its origin.
8. _______ – This term refers to the belief in many gods

6. HOMEWORK QUESTIONS
Questions 13 Skeptical Children's Book

7. HOMEWORK QUESTIONS Questions 14
"I now believe that the universe was brought into existence by an infinite Intelligence. I believe that this universe's intricate laws manifest what scientists have called the Mind of God. I believe that life and reproduction originate in a divine Source Why do I believe this, given that I expounded and defended atheism for more than a half century? The short answer is this: this is the world picture, as I see it, that has emerged from modern science. Science spotlights three dimensions of nature that point to God. The first is the fact that nature obeys laws. The second is the dimension of life, of intelligently organized and purpose-driven beings, which arose from matter. The third is the very existence of nature. But it is not science alone that has guided me. I have also been helped by a renewed study of the classical philosophical arguments I must stress that my discovery of the Divine has proceeded on a purely natural level, without any reference to supernatural phenomena. It has been an exercise in what is traditionally called natural theology. In short, my discovery of the Divine has been a pilgrimage of reason and not of faith."
Anthony Flew
(There is a God: How the World’s Most Notorious Atheist Changed His Mind)

8. HOMEWORK QUESTIONS Questions 18
“Religion is the sigh of the oppressed, the sentiment of a heartless world, as it is the spirit of spiritless conditions. It is the opium of the people.”

9. HOMEWORK QUESTIONS
Questions 21-21
OUT ON A LIMB

10. HOMEWORK QUESTIONS
Questions 28

11. II. theologies Christianity
1. Christians adhere to Trinitarian Monotheism – the belief that one God exists in three persons.
2. Christians believe that God reveals Himself via general revelation and special revelation.
3. The Bible is the main source of influence for Christians.
J.C. Ryle – “Let us receive nothing, believe nothing, follow nothing which is not in the Bible, nor can be proved by the Bible.”

12. II. theologies Christianity – The Formation of the Trinity
Normative Christians embrace the Trinity because the Bible upholds the following three affirmations:
1 – The Oneness of God
2 – Diversity in Unity
3 – Three Distinct Persons Partake of the Divine.

13. II. theologies 1) The Oneness of God
The Israelites were adamant on avoiding the polytheism of their pagan neighbors.
Deut 6:4 – Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.
Is. 45:5 – I am the Lord, and there is no other; There is none besides me.
Monotheism is also upheld in the New Testament.
1 Tim. 2:5 – For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus

14. II. theologies 2) Diversity within Unity
Does the concept of oneness rule out Trinitarianism? When we look at Scripture, this is not the case; many times oneness includes, or even requires, multiplicity.
Example
When a couple marries, the two become “one flesh” (Gen. 2:24). This oneness does not exclude but actually requires two distinct persons. Also, the same word for “one” is use in Deut. 6:4.
Israel’s one tabernacle was composed of many parts (10 curtains, fifty loops, etc.).

15. II. theologies 2) Diversity within Unity
Gen 1:26 – God said, “Let Us make man in our image.”
It is very unlikely that the Us refers to angelic hosts because only man was created in the imago dei. Thus, this is referring to the triune Godhead.
Ps. 110:1 – The Lord says to my Lord; sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.
Matt. 28:19 – baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Name = Singular
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit = plural
John 1:1 – The Word was with God, and the Word was God.

16. II. theologies 3) Three Distinct Persons Partake of the Divine.
Father – undisputed
Son
Mark 2 – Jesus claimed to be able to forgive sins
John 1:1 – The Word was with God, and the Word was God.
John 8:58 – Before Abraham was born, I am.
Holy Spirit
Equal with God - Acts 5:3-4 - But Peter said, Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit, and to keep back part of the price of the land? While it remained, was it not your own? and after it was sold, was it not in your own power? why have you conceived this thing in your heart? you have not lied unto men, but unto God (also see 1 Cor. 6:19)
Personal –
1) The Holy Spirit has intellect..
1 Corinthians 2:10 - But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
2) The Holy Spirit has knowledge.
1 Corinthians 2:11 - even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.
3) The Holy Spirit has emotions.
Ephesians 4:30 - And grieve (to make sad or sorrowful, heavy of heart) not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
4) The Holy Spirit has his own will and he makes decisions.
Acts 16:6 - Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia (pronounced froog-ee'-ah) and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia,
5) The Holy Spirit Loves.
Romans 15:30 - Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me;

17. II. theologies Question: Is the Trinity a contradiction or a mystery?
Law of non-contradiction – something cannot be x and non-x at the same time in the same way.
Mystery - anything that is kept secret or that cannot be fully explained.

18. II. theologies Practical Applications
1) God is internally a relational God, but the fellowship within the Trinity is absolutely pure. We ought to avoid isolation, and we should pursue pure fellowship with others.
2) The being of God demonstrates holy diversity. Our churches and lives ought to strive for various expressions of biblical truth. Also, we ought to be multi-cultural insofar as the cultural practices conform to Scripture.
3) Each person within the Trinity is equally divine, yet they perform various roles. Christians ought to encourage each member of the body of Christ to use his or her gifts to the glory of God.

19. II. theologies Islam 1. The word Islam means “submission.”
1. The word Islam means “submission.”
2. Muslims believe in Unitarian Monotheism - the belief that one God exists in one person.
3. The Pillars of Islam
a. The Confession – There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is his prophet
b. Prayer – Muslims are commissioned to pray 5 times, facing Mecca.
c. Ramadan – During this period, Muslims are expected to fast food, smoking, and sex during daylight hours.
d. Almsgiving – Muslims are expected to give 2.5% of their annual income to the poor.
e. Pilgrimage – Every Islamic believer is obligated to travel to Mecca at least one time in his or her lifetime.

20. II. theologies
4. There are three prime sources that Influence Islamic thought.
a. Qur’an
b. Hadith
c. Sunna
5. The Concept of Jihad
Jihad - means holy war. This concept is primarily used in two ways.

21. II. theologies
Marxism
1. Marxists embrace atheism. The idea of God is an enemy to progress.
2. The Communist Manifesto (1848) is the Bible of the Marxists. It was written by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels.
*Ludwig Feuerbach – “It is clear as the sun and evident as the day that there is no God; and still more, that there can be no God.”
*Frederick Engels – “We have once and for all declared war on religion and religious ideas and care little whether we are called atheists or anything else.”
*V.I. Lenin – “Religion is opium for the people. Religion is a sort of spiritual booze …”

22. II. theologies Secular Humanists 1. Secular Humanists embrace atheism.
2. Participants in this camp are humanists. Humanism is the belief that humans are the highest of all beings; thus, science and rationality are the best sources to utilize in one’s quest for truth.
3. This view has been greatly influenced by the Humanist Manifestos (1933, 1973, and 2000).
Humanist Manifesto I - “The time has passed for theism.”
Humanist Manifesto II - “We find insufficient evidence for belief in the existence of a supernatural; it is either meaningless or irrelevant to the question of the survival and fulfillment of the human race. As non-theists, we begin with humans not God, nature not deity No deity will save us; we must save ourselves.”
4. A current Secular Humanist voice is the Free Inquiry, a magazine for skeptics and non-theists.

23. II. theologies Postmodernists
1. Postmodernists are practical atheists.
2. Because Postmodernists reject universal truth-claims, they embrace religious pluralism.

24. II. theologies 3. The Evolution of Postmodernism
4. Postmodernists believe that theological expressions should be expressed in communities, but they reject all metanarrative claims.
5. Postmodernists are deconstructionists. Desconstruction is a fairly recent interpretive method; this method allows the reader to determine the meaning of any given text (window versus mirror).
Pre-Modern Era
-Most individuals in this era believed that the ultimate sources of truth to describe reality are the Bible and the Church.
Modern Era
-Many persons in this era believed that the ultimate sources of truth to describe reality are reason and science. These individuals believe that you cannot make truth-claims about religion, but you can make truth-statements about science.
Postmodern Era
-Many persons in this camp believe that revelation, science, and reason are all fallible sources. They do not believe you can make truth-claims in any field of study.

25. II. theologies

26. II. theologies Cosmic Humanism
1. Cosmic Humanists embrace pantheism. They believe that everything is god, and god is everything.
2. This worldview is also referred to as the New Age movement.
Kevin Ryerson – “What is God? God is the interlinking of yourself with the whole.”
David Spangler – “We can take all the scriptures, and all the teachings, and all the tablets, and all the laws, and all the marshmallows and have a jolly good bonfire and marshmallow roast, because that is all they are worth.”
John White – “Sooner or later every human being will feel a call from the cosmos to ascend to godhood.”
George Lucas, produce of Star Wars, said the following in an interview: “With Star Wars, I consciously set about to re-create myths and the classic mythological motifs. I wanted to use those motifs to deal with issues that exist today … I see Star Wars as taking all the issues that religion represents and trying to distill them down into a more modern and easily accessible construct … I’m telling an old myth in a new way.”

27. Creative Expression
In groups of 3-4, summarize the theological views of all six worldviews via a poem, song, or acting.

28. Game Time
1. Mohammed received visions from Gabriel over a ___________-year span. The Qur’an is the word of God.
2. ___________ – a record of the teachings, rulings, and actions of Mohammed.
3. ____________ – deems some of the actions of Mohammed (from the Hadith) as being exemplary.
4. _____________ – refers to someone who is without god or who does not believe in god.
5. __________________________ – This term refers to the study of the universe, especially matters dealing with its origin.
6. ________________,for the most part, are practical atheists.
7. This worldview is also referred to as the New Age movement.
8. _______________________- means holy war.
9. Christians adhere to ______________________ Monotheism
10. In the _____________, it says, "No deity will save us; we must save ourselves.”

29. V. Apologetics – Philosophical Arguments
THE COSMOLOGICAL ARGUMENT
Premises
Notes
1. Everything that begins to exist has a cause.
God’s Eternality makes Him exempt from this premise.
2. The universe began to exist.
Hubble Telescope
2nd Law of Thermodynamics
Conclusion
Therefore, the universe must have had a cause.
Matter, Time, Space, Energy = had a beginning point.

30. V. Apologetics – Philosophical Arguments
The finitude of the universe leaves individuals with one of two leading interpretive options:
THE COSMOLOGICAL ARGUMENT
1. The universe came into existence via “spontaneous generation."
Evaluation
The theory of “spontaneous generation” is highly improbable on both scientific and logical grounds.
Science
It contradicts the law of biogenesis. This well-established law demonstrates that life cannot arise from non-life, let alone will itself into existence. Why should we believe that an exception took place at the beginning?
Logic
How can an entity will itself into existence? In other words, an act cannot be made prior to the existence of an entity with acting competency.
2. The universe came into existence by God.
The overwhelming proof in favor of a finite universe greatly helps the case for the existence of God. Since the physical realm had a beginning, it must have been . . .
a. caused by an immaterial entity
b. caused by an uncaused cause
c. caused by a personal agent
God fits the description. As a spirit, He is immaterial. As an eternal being, He is the uncaused cause. As a mind, He is a personal agent.

31. V. Apologetics – Philosophical Arguments
Premises
Notes
1. In most instances, Intelligent Design is the only reasonable option for explaining the origin of things that are functional, specific, and highly complex.
NASA
COMPUTER PROGRAMS
2. On a micro and macro level, the present universe is functional, specific, and highly complex.
MICRO – DNA
MACRO - EXPANSION OF UNIVERSE AND GRAVITATIONAL FORCE
3. Alternative theories, such as unguided processes or physical necessity, do not adequately explain the present universe. Intelligent Design does adequately explain the present universe.
Conclusion
Therefore, Intelligent Design is the best explanation for the present universe.

32. V. Apologetics – Philosophical Arguments
Moral Argument
Premises
Notes
1. If God does not exist, objective moral values and duties do not exist.
Created vs Discovered
If the Nazi regime would have taken over the world, would anti-Semitism be morally good?
2. Objective moral values and duties do exist.
Properly Basic Belief – No Defeaters
Examples:
The Creation of the World occurred more than 5 minutes ago
The fact that we are not dreaming
Anti-Semitism is objectively wrong
Conclusion
Therefore, God exists.
Although this argument does not logically lead to Christian theism, it does demonstrate the need for an external agent to justify objective values.

33. GOD is Not Dead
PSALM 102:25 - In the beginning you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands.
Argumentative Clips

34. If there is no god, would the Communist torturer be correct?
Richard Wurmbrand writes, “The cruelty of atheism is hard to believe when man has no faith in the reward of good or the punishment of evil. There is no reason to be human. There is no restraint from the depths of evil which is in man. The Communist torturers often said, ‘There is no God, no hereafter, no punishment for evil. We can do what we wish.’ I have heard one torturer even say, ‘I thank God, in whom I don’t believe, that I have lived to this hour when I can express all the evil in my heart.’ He expressed it in unbelievable brutality and torture inflected on prisoners.”
R. Z. Friedman argues, “Without religion the coherence of an ethic of compassion cannot be established. The principle of respect for persons and the principle of the survival of the fittest are mutually exclusive.”
If there is no god, would the Communist torturer be correct?
If God does not exist, how would this remove ultimate accountability from a person?
In the absence of God, why would it be meaningless to perform acts of compassion?

35. Game Time
1. __________ - refers to the study of the universe, especially its origin. 2. __________ - refers to the study of design. 3. The ______________________ telescope demonstrates that the universe is expanding. 4. __________________- demonstrates the universe is slowly running out of usable energy. 5. _________________ - the belief that life can come from non-life. 6. The law of _______________ states that life must come from life. 7. “Everything that begins to exist has a cause” is the first premise of the _________________ argument. 8. “Objective moral values do exist” - the 2nd premise of the _______________ argument. 9. A ________ basic belief is a rational belief to hold to in the absence of a defeater. 10. Micro and Macro evidences of design support the ________________ argument.

36. Free Speech Apocalypse
Video

37. Iv. Arguments against God’s Existence

38. PROBLEM OF EVIL
If God is perfectly loving, He must wish to abolish evil.
If He is all powerful, He must be able to abolish evil.
Evil exists.
Therefore, an all-powerful, loving God does not exist.

39. Iv. Arguments against God’s Existence
Rebuttals
Free Will Defense
Greater Good Response

40. Iv. Arguments against God’s Existence
“I used to think that wrath was unworthy of God. Isn’t God love? Shouldn’t divine love be beyond wrath? God is love, and God loves every person and every creature. That’s exactly why God is wrathful against some of them. My last resistence to the idea of God’s wrath was a casualty of the war in the former Yugoslavia, the region from which I come. According so some estimates, 200,00 people were killed and over 3,000,000 were displaced. My villages and cities were destroyed, my people shelled day in and day out, some of them brutalized beyond imagination, and I could not imagine God not being angry. Or think of Rwanda in the last decade of the past century, where 800,000 people were hacked to death in one hundred days! How did God react to the carnage? By doting on the perpetrators in a grandfatherly fasion? By refusing to condemn the bloodbath but instead affirming the perpetrator’s basic goodness? Wasn’t God fiercely angry with them? Though I used to complain about the indecency of the idea of God’s wrath, I came to think that I would have to rebel against a God who wasn’t wrathful at the sight of the world’s evil. God isn’t wrathful in spite of being love. God is wrathful because God is love.”
Miroslav Volf
(Free of Charge: Giving and Forgiving in a Culture Stripped of Grace)
Iv. Arguments against God’s Existence
An Alternative Syllogism
God is good; therefore, He wants to abolish evil
God is all-powerful; therefore, He is able to abolish evil
Evil has not yet been abolished.
Therefore, an all-powerful, good God will eventually abolish evil.
Evil Proves God’s Existence
Evil is objectively wrong.
Objective moral standards necessitate God for their existence.
Evil exists.
Therefore, God exists. (If there is no God ... )
FLIP THE SCRIPT
God-Centered Approach
How can a holy God allow something so contrary to His nature to exist in His presence?

41. The book of Job 1, 2, and 42:7-12 – Beginning and the End
29-31 – Job’s posture before he experienced God
38-40:2 & 40: God’s Wisdom
40:3-5 & 42:1-6 – Job’s Response
God is wise; Job is finite (limited). Job can trust that the ALL-WISE GOD knows what He is doing.

42. Iv. Arguments against God’s Existence
The Normative Issue
Experiential Dilemma
Logic is usually not the problem. By logic, Christians can point to the past and the future to in part explain the existence and annihilation of evil. Most people focus on the present: Why is this happening to me now? It is usually more emotional than philosophical.
Response
Ultimately, we don’t know, but no worldview is exempt from this dilemma. There are only a variety of options to choose from in dealing with suffering.
Options = New Age, Atheism, Karma, Christianity

43. HEBREWS 4:  Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. 16 Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.