Human Nature (Anthropology) - Answer-The line of study and inquiry that deals with the
origins, nature, physical and cultural development, biological characteristics, and social
customs and beliefs of humankind. (What does it mean to be a human being?)
/.Agnosticism - Answer-In response to the question, "Is there a God?" Agnosticism
answers, "I don't know." Often agnostics will add "One cannot know."
/.Correspondence view of truth - Answer-Understands the truthfulness of beliefs and
propositional statements in terms of their consistency or inconsistency with reality.
Something is true in so far as it accurately corresponds with what actually is.
/.Theology - Answer-The field of study and analysis of God and of God's attributes and
relations to the universe; study of divine things or religious truth; divinity. (Is there a
God? What is God like?)
/.Metaphysics - Answer-The branch of philosophy that examines the nature of
reality/universe. (What is the nature of the universe?)
/.Epistemology - Answer-The branch of philosophy concerned with the nature and origin
of knowledge. (Can we know? How do we know what we know?)
/.Ethics - Answer-That branch of philosophy dealing with values relating to human
conduct, with respect to the rightness and wrongness of certain actions and to the
goodness and badness of the motives and ends of such actions. (What is right and
wrong? How is it determined?)
/.Atheism - Answer-The belief there is no God or unbelief in the existence of God. In
response to the question, "Is there a God?" Atheism answers, "No."
/.Theism - Answer-In response to the question, "Is there a God?" Theism answers,
"Yes." Theism believes in one personal god as the creator and ruler of the universe,
who is involved with and relates to the world.
/.Deism - Answer-In response to the question, "Is there a God?" Deism answers, "Yes."
Deism believes in one creator God, who is not involved in the world.
/.Pantheism - Answer-In response to the question, "Is there a God?" Pantheism
answers, "Yes, kind of." Pantheism believes that everything is God; God is everything.
There is no distinction between creator and creation. God is a term used to describe the
life force or consciousness of the universe.
, /.Monism - Answer-(in metaphysics) Any of various theories holding that there is only
one basic substance as the ground of reality, or that reality consists of a single element.
This can be either physical/material (naturalism or materialism) or spiritual/immaterial
(pantheism).
/.Dualism - Answer-(in metaphysics) Any of various theories holding that there are two
basic substances as the ground of reality, or that reality consists of both the material or
immaterial.
/.Sole Authority Model - Answer-View of the relationship between faith and learning.
This views sees faith and learning in an antagonistic relationship. It is reflected in views
that prefer faith over reason or reason over faith. One has to give way to the other.
/.Separate Authority Model - Answer-View of the relationship between faith and
learning. This views the two as equally authoritative and overlapping such that they
should be combined to discover more truth. For example, the mixing of biblical
principles with psychological theories.
/.Foundational Authority Model - Answer-View of the relationship between faith and
learning. This view sees faith as a necessary foundation for learning. Each person
comes to learning with beliefs and must exercise trust, but that faith provides the
foundation to reason, test, and seek greater understanding.
/.Three Tests of a Worldview - Answer-1) Coherence (Logical Consistency - e.g.,
philosophy & logic)
2) Correspondence (Evidence/Experience - e.g., science, history, data, etc.)
3) Practical (Existential Satisfaction/Ethical - e.g., moral implications and foundations)
/.Textual Criticism - Answer-The scholarly discipline of restoring ancient texts as close
as is possible to their original form through the analysis and comparison of available
manuscripts.
/.Manuscripts - Answer-The hand-written copies of ancient texts--in this case the biblical
texts--available to scholars and translators
/.Translations - Answer-Also referred to as versions. The various translations of the
Greek and Hebrew texts into English (or other native languages). Translations fall along
a spectrum from more literal translations to paraphrases.
/.General Revelation - Answer-The belief that God has revealed or made himself known
to all people everywhere through the creation itself. Things like design, order, morality,
consciousness are seen as signs that give some knowledge of the existence and nature
of God.
origins, nature, physical and cultural development, biological characteristics, and social
customs and beliefs of humankind. (What does it mean to be a human being?)
/.Agnosticism - Answer-In response to the question, "Is there a God?" Agnosticism
answers, "I don't know." Often agnostics will add "One cannot know."
/.Correspondence view of truth - Answer-Understands the truthfulness of beliefs and
propositional statements in terms of their consistency or inconsistency with reality.
Something is true in so far as it accurately corresponds with what actually is.
/.Theology - Answer-The field of study and analysis of God and of God's attributes and
relations to the universe; study of divine things or religious truth; divinity. (Is there a
God? What is God like?)
/.Metaphysics - Answer-The branch of philosophy that examines the nature of
reality/universe. (What is the nature of the universe?)
/.Epistemology - Answer-The branch of philosophy concerned with the nature and origin
of knowledge. (Can we know? How do we know what we know?)
/.Ethics - Answer-That branch of philosophy dealing with values relating to human
conduct, with respect to the rightness and wrongness of certain actions and to the
goodness and badness of the motives and ends of such actions. (What is right and
wrong? How is it determined?)
/.Atheism - Answer-The belief there is no God or unbelief in the existence of God. In
response to the question, "Is there a God?" Atheism answers, "No."
/.Theism - Answer-In response to the question, "Is there a God?" Theism answers,
"Yes." Theism believes in one personal god as the creator and ruler of the universe,
who is involved with and relates to the world.
/.Deism - Answer-In response to the question, "Is there a God?" Deism answers, "Yes."
Deism believes in one creator God, who is not involved in the world.
/.Pantheism - Answer-In response to the question, "Is there a God?" Pantheism
answers, "Yes, kind of." Pantheism believes that everything is God; God is everything.
There is no distinction between creator and creation. God is a term used to describe the
life force or consciousness of the universe.
, /.Monism - Answer-(in metaphysics) Any of various theories holding that there is only
one basic substance as the ground of reality, or that reality consists of a single element.
This can be either physical/material (naturalism or materialism) or spiritual/immaterial
(pantheism).
/.Dualism - Answer-(in metaphysics) Any of various theories holding that there are two
basic substances as the ground of reality, or that reality consists of both the material or
immaterial.
/.Sole Authority Model - Answer-View of the relationship between faith and learning.
This views sees faith and learning in an antagonistic relationship. It is reflected in views
that prefer faith over reason or reason over faith. One has to give way to the other.
/.Separate Authority Model - Answer-View of the relationship between faith and
learning. This views the two as equally authoritative and overlapping such that they
should be combined to discover more truth. For example, the mixing of biblical
principles with psychological theories.
/.Foundational Authority Model - Answer-View of the relationship between faith and
learning. This view sees faith as a necessary foundation for learning. Each person
comes to learning with beliefs and must exercise trust, but that faith provides the
foundation to reason, test, and seek greater understanding.
/.Three Tests of a Worldview - Answer-1) Coherence (Logical Consistency - e.g.,
philosophy & logic)
2) Correspondence (Evidence/Experience - e.g., science, history, data, etc.)
3) Practical (Existential Satisfaction/Ethical - e.g., moral implications and foundations)
/.Textual Criticism - Answer-The scholarly discipline of restoring ancient texts as close
as is possible to their original form through the analysis and comparison of available
manuscripts.
/.Manuscripts - Answer-The hand-written copies of ancient texts--in this case the biblical
texts--available to scholars and translators
/.Translations - Answer-Also referred to as versions. The various translations of the
Greek and Hebrew texts into English (or other native languages). Translations fall along
a spectrum from more literal translations to paraphrases.
/.General Revelation - Answer-The belief that God has revealed or made himself known
to all people everywhere through the creation itself. Things like design, order, morality,
consciousness are seen as signs that give some knowledge of the existence and nature
of God.
