Below you will find pages that utilize the taxonomy term “Brief Introduction to Christian Doctrine (Evening)”
God exists as three persons
– Father, Son, and Holy Spirit –
and each is fully God, and there is one God.
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The Doctrine of Creation
Theology concerns itself with God and all things in relation to God.
Questions
What is creation?
How is creation?
Why is creation?
Who creates?
An article of faith, not an empirical observation
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and earth…
‘…the doctrine of creation no less than the remaining content of Christian confession is an article of faith, i.e., the rendering of a knowledge which no man has procured for himself or ever will; which is neither native to him nor accessible by way of observation and logical thinking; for which he has no organ and no ability; which he can in fact achieve only in faith; but which is actually consummated in faith, i.e., in the reception of and response to the divine witness…’ --(Karl Barth, CD III/1, 3-4)
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Doctrine of the Trinity
Pre-reading
Would it matter if God wasn’t triune?
Karl Rahner, 1967
'The treatise on the Trinity occupies a rather isolated position in the total dogmatic system. To put it crassly, and not without exaggeration, when the treatise is concluded, its subject is never brought up again. Its function in the whole dogmatic construction is not clearly perceived. It is as though this mystery has been revealed for its own sake, and that even after it has been made known to us, it remains, as a reality, locked up within itself. We make statements about it, but as a reality it has nothing to do with us at all.'
— Karl Rahner
The Trinity
The Trinity
Sources
Doctrine of God
Aims
To compare and contrast classical and modern intuitions about the being of God.
To become aware of the unique relationship between God and human language.
To gain a basic familiarity with certain issues surrounding talk of divine ‘attributes.’
To instil an impulse of humility and prayer when attempting to speak about God.
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Holy Scripture
Required reading
Recap: My own approach
Theology is rational reflection on the person, nature, and works of God which is guided by the witness of scripture, informed by tradition, and in conversation with culture.
Primarily systematic
diverse views
over time and
over place
Opening discussion: What is Scripture?
Ideas:
66 books + ?
inspired/revealed word of God, written by people
a guide
a gift
points to God, not to itself