Christian Spiritual Vision

1. Explain the meaning of the expression “faith seeking understanding.” What does it mean and how does this principle serve to balance faith and reason and avoid extremes that would undermine theology as an integral process of serious thinking about the objects of faith?
2. If God reveals himself to our natural reason through creation (i.e., the order and beauty of the physical universe, our moral consciousness, etc.) why, according to Christian belief, does God also reveal himself and his plan of salvation in specific historical ways (i.e., to Abraham, to Moses and the Israelites at Mt. Sinai, in Jesus of Nazareth)?
3. In what ways do the Jewish, Islamic, and Christian concepts of God overlap? Why would Christian theologians deny that the Trinitarian relations (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) conflict with this agreement on the basics of monotheism between the three religions?
4. Compare the New Testament Christological models in Mueller (117-120) with the summary of the teachings of the early ecumenical Councils concerning the nature of Christ (121-124). Where do you see lines of continuity between the New Testament and the later Councils? Where, if anywhere, do you see original creative contributions of the Councils?
5. How and why is the doctrine of the true manhood and true godhead of Jesus important to the idea of his atonement for sins? Please use and cite Albl’s analysis of this question in your response.
6. Certainly the Church is like a treasure house of divine goods, including the Scriptures, the Sacraments, the liturgies, the ancient traditions of spiritual discipleship and theological scholarship, the inspirational traditions of sacred art and music, not to mention the very communion of the Saints, but do we look to the Church simply for what it can do for us in our personal Christian walk? Is the Church more than a mere resource to the individual as such? Please use and cite Albl’s use of selections from Lumen Gentium in your answer.
7. The sacraments are visible signs, as is the Church itself. The Church is “visible” (which does not simply mean visible to the eyes) in at least the following ways: institutionally, historically, and socially. Similarly the sacraments have an institutional, historical, and social dimension. Sacramental visibility renders the internal and private dimensions of Christianity (faith, hope, love, grace, and even sin and repentance) external and public.
8. In light of this module's reading assignments, how would you characterize the relationship between knowledge and free will in those human actions both reason and revelation deem sinful? (For example: Why do we do what we know to be wrong?)

On the basis of your analysis of this question and your description of the relationship between reason and will in sinful acts, how do the means of moral formation described in your reading (including but not limited to Albl 185-186; Mueller 232-234) relate to the rational and volitional dimensions of this problem respectively? (i.e., which means address the problem of knowledge and which address the problem of will?)

Sample Solution