Key Concepts Flashcards
Define ‘Creation Ex Nihilo’
Means ‘Creation Out Of Nothing’. Before God created the universe, there was nothing. Only He can create out of nothing.
Define ‘Evolution’
A theory created by Charles Darwin. It describes the mutation and natural selection of animals which leads to changes in species over time to suit particular environments.
Define ‘Imago Dei’
Means ‘In The Image Of God’. It is the belief that humans are uniquely a reflection of God’s personhood; unlike other animals.
Define ‘Inspiration’
Means ‘God Breathed’. It is the belief that the Holy Spirit guides an individual to act or write what is good and true.
Define ‘Omnipotent’
It is the belief that God is all powerful. Catholics believe God is omnipotent because He created the world out of nothing.
Define ‘Revelation’
It is the word used to describe all the ways God makes Himself known to humans. He does this finally and fully through the person of Jesus Christ.
Define ‘Stewardship’
It is the duty to care for creation responsibly. As stewards, we must protect the Earth for future generations.
Define ‘Transcendence’
Means existing out of space and time. God exists above and beyond creation; in a way that makes Him nothing like anything else that exists.
Define ‘Conscience’
It is human reason making moral decisions. It is a God-given compulsion within all humans to do what is right and avoid what is evil and is the knowledge we have of what is right and wrong.
Define ‘Evil’
Evil is the complete absence of good. It is the desire to seek our own desires at the expense of the good of others which often results in suffering.
Define ‘Free-will’
The decision making part of a person’s mind is called the ‘will’. A will is free if a person is able to choose right from wrong without being controlled by other forces.
Define ‘Goodness’
It is the quality of being like God: seeking the well-being of others selflessly.
Define ‘Incarnation’
Means ‘Made Flesh’. It is the Christian belief that God became man in the person of Jesus, fully human and fully divine.
Define ‘Natural Law’
It is the moral laws of right and wrong which are universal and not dependant on human laws. The belief in natural law is the belief that the moral law is discoverable by every human being and is the same for all human beings in all places at all times.
Define ‘Privation’
It is the loss or absence of a quality or something that is normally present. Evil is a privation of good.
