Theological word of the day

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Creed
(Lat. credo, “I believe”)

A definitive statement or summary of the faith that normally represents a belief that is held by a majority within a faith based system. In Christianity, creeds are recognized as official statements of faith either for the historic tradition as a whole (e.g. the Nicene Creed) or a denominational traditional confession. The most important creeds in the Christian faith are generally those known as the “Apostles’ Creed,” the “Nicene Creed,” and the “Statement of Chalcedon.”

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Chiliasm
(Gk. “one thousand”)

also millennialism (lat. “one thousand”)

The belief in a future return of Christ that completes with a thousand year reign on the earth. This reign follows the present age and is followed by the judgment and the creation of a New Heaven and New Earth. This belief was held by most in the early centuries of the Church including Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Tertullian, Commodian, Lactantius, Methodius, Melito, and Apollinaris of Laodicea, but most began to shift in their theology during the fourth century to an amillennial stance (the belief that we are in the millennium). This was primarily due to the influence of St. Augustine who thought the idea of a future earthly reign of Christ was carnal minded. In the nineteenth century the term premillennialism began to describe chiliastic theology more precisely and eventually developed beyond the basic beliefs of the early Church. From the time of Augustine to the nineteenth century, chiliasm was generally condemned. Today it is held by the majority of pastors and lay people in Evangelicalism, but is still rejected by much of (if not most) Evangelical scholarship.

Suggested books:
The Case of Historic Premillennialism
Three Views on the Millennium and Beyond

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Five Ways, The
Refers to the five arguments for the existence of God given by Saint Thomas Aquinas. 1) Argument from Motion: If things are in motion, they must have been moved by an ultimate mover. 2) Argument from Efficient Causes: If their are effects their must be an efficient cause for the effects. 3) Argument from Possibility and Necessity (Reductio argument): If contingent things exist, there must be a non-contingent explanation for them. 4) Argument from Gradation of Being: If there is gradation in being (some things are better than others, there must also be something perfect which is to all beings the cause of their being, goodness, and every other perfection. 5) Argument from Design: If there is purpose and design to all things, then their must be a sufficient designer which births, guides, and directs all purpose and ends.

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Open Theism
Also referred to as “free will theism” and “openness theology,”it is the belief that God does not exercise meticulous control of the universe but leaves it “open” for humans to make significant free will choices that impact their relationships with God and others. A corollary of this is that God has not predetermined the future. Open Theists further believe that this would imply that God does not know the future exhaustively. (ref. theopedia).

[Some] Proponents of this view are Gregory Boyd, John Sanders, and Clark Pinnock.

Download a debate between James White and John Sanders on this topic here…or view Michael Patton’s discussion on Sovereignty here.

Added by me: It's also sometimes called "neotheism".

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Augustine, Saint
(Aurelius Augustinus Hipponensis)

November 13, 354 – August 28, 430

One of the most notable and important figures in the history of the church, Saint Augustine was a western theologian and philosopher who has shaped the way that theology is understood for most of Christendom (especially Protestants and Catholics). After his conversion from a life of carnality, Augustine became the Bishop of Hippo in North Africa. Because of his view on election, sovereignty, grace, and sin, Augustine is often considered by Protestants as the father of Reformation thought. He is most well known for his autobiography, Confessions, his polemics against the heretic Pelagius concerning the nature of sin and man, and his work On the Trinity, which is often considered on of the greatest theological works of all time.

Read On Christian Doctrine, Book I

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analogia entis
(Lat. “analogy of being”)

also, “analogy of imitation” or “analogy of participation”

The belief that there exists an analogy or correspondence between the creation and God that makes theological conversation about God possible. While many would say that finite beings with finite language cannot describe an infinite God, theologians of the medieval era discussed this problem, seeking to resolve it by developing a theory which alloted the communication of words into three separate categories. Some words are univocal (always used with the same sense), some were equivocal (used with very different senses), and some were analogical (used with related senses). It is this third sense that the analogia entis finds meaning. While finite man cannot describe and infinite God perfectly (univocally), he can do so truly being that God has created man in his image and, through this, has provided and analogical way of communicating himself. To deny the analogia entis is thought, by some, to be a self defeating proposition since it would present the situation where an all-powerful God is not powerful enough to communicate himself to his creation.

Purchase The Doctrine of the Analogy of Being According to Thomas Aquinas




Added by me: this is actually the one for the 25th and the other two come before it in order.

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Paedocommunion
Greek paidos, “infant” or “child” + Latin communio , “common union” (communion) or “fellowship”

Paedocommunion describes the practice of allowing infants or small children to the Lord’s communion table. This practice is common in the early church. Toady, the Eastern Orthodox church allows for all baptized children to receive communion. This practice is not common in the Protestant or Catholic church.

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Scriptorium
Lat, “A place for writing”

Additions to medieval libraries and monasteries that were designed for the reproduction of ancient texts by scribes and copyists. Many biblical texts were produced in the scriptorium, but the scribes reproductive assignments were not limited to the Scriptures.

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analogia fidei (hermeneutics)
(Lat. “analogy of faith”)

A principle of interpretation which believes that Scripture can never contradict itself and, therefore, Scripture is the primary interpreter of Scripture. The assumption behind the analogia fidei is that since the Scriptures have one ultimate author (God), it is going to find consistency and relevance in light of other Scriptures. This principle, with regard to hermeneutics (theory of interpretation), was popularized by the Reformers. The Westminster Confession 1.9 put it this way: “The infallible rule of interpretation of Scripture is the Scripture itself: and therefore, when there is a question about the true and full sense of any Scripture (which is not manifold, but one), it must be searched and known by other places that speak more clearly.” Some would object to this principle, believing that progressive revelation does not allow for such a subjective approach in interpretation. The principle is taken from Romans 12:6 (kata tes analogian tes pisteos- “according to the analogy of the faith”).

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analogia fidei (History)
(Lat. “analogy of faith”)

A principle which seeks the consent of belief among the rules of faith established by a particular tradition. In Protestantism, the analogia fidei will normally have reference to the coherence of the Scriptures as they are compared with each other hermeneutically. In the broader Christian tradition, the analogia fidei not only refers to the internal coherence of the Scriptures, but also the rule of faith (regula fidei) of all Church history. In this view, that which is believed must be tested against the belief of the historic and universal body of Christ.

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Monarchianism
Greek mono “one” + arche “ruler”

Monarchianism represents a type of teaching in the early Church which sought to preserve the uniqueness of the rulership of God through the preservation of an extreme monotheism and the essential denial of a plurality within the Godhead (i.e. the Trinity). There were two main types of monarchianism: 1) The Adoptionists or Dynamic Monarchians believed that Christ was not truly God in essence, but became God sometime during his life or at the resurrection. 2) The Patripassionists or Modalistic Monarchians (modalists) believed that God was one who who revealed himself in different ways or modes. Sometimes he would be the Father, sometimes the Son, and sometimes the Holy Spirit. To the modalist, God is not three persons, but one person who wears three different masks. Both types of Monarchianism was condemned in the early church since it did not recognize the plurality within the Godhead and therefore denied the Trinity. Modern day modalists are represented by those of the Oneness traditions.

Read more about Monarchianism at earlychurch.org

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imago dei
Lat. “image of God”

The theological concept that man uniquely represents the image and likeness of God (Gen. 1:26-27). It is debated exactly what characteristics are unique to man. The options are many: personality, eternality, relationality, volitionality, rationality, spirituality, morality, dominionality. The best option seems to be that man possesses all these qualities to a greater degree than does the rest of creation. According to the Christian worldview, the imago dei was marred at the fall, but not destroyed. Therefore, all people still represent God’s image and have dignity as his image bearers (Gen. 9:6; Jam. 3:8-9).

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Assumption of Mary
The Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox teaching that Mary, the mother of Jesus, was assumed bodily into heaven either shortly before her death or shortly after. The Catholics do not dogmatize when Mary was assumed but the Orthodox believe that the assumption took place three days after her death. Although this doctrine finds no biblical support and little support in early Church history, it was dogmatically and infallibly declared to be true by Pope Pius XII on 1 November 1950 in the Apostolic Constitution Munificentissimus Deus.

Read the official pronouncement

Read a refutation of the Assumption by William Webster

Added by me, MetalMark or anyone else reading this, please don't shoot the messenger, I'm just copying it off the blog. If you want to take issue with this, please start a thread in Ecclesiology. Thank you.

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Apologetics
(Gk. apologia “an answer”)

Apologetics is the discipline of defending or giving an answer for the faith to those who have questions or objections to the Christian faith. 1 Peter 3:15 says, “But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.” Significant apologists today include J.P. Moreland, William Lane Craig, Robert Bowman Jr., and Alvin Plantinga, among others.

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simul justus et peccator
[sim’-uhl yoos’-tuhs et peck’-aw-tore]

(Latin simul, “simultaneous” + Latin justus, “righteous” + Latin et, “and” + Latin peccator, “sinner”)

At the same time righteous and a sinner. The phrase was coined by 16th century German Reformer, Martin Luther. In his Lectures on Romans, Luther put it this way, “The saints in being righteous are at the same time sinners; they are righteous because they believe in Christ whose righteousness covers them and is imputed to them, but they are sinners because they do not fulfill the Law and are not without sinful desires. They are like sick people in the care of a physician: they are really sick, but healthy only in hope and in so far as they begin to get better, or, rather: are being healed.”