RS110 Study Guide - The Interior Castle, Catholic Theology, Unmoved Mover

• School: University of Waterloo
• Department: Religious Studies
• Course: RS110
• Professor: Peter Frick

Document Summary

End of 1st century - christians believe that torah has nothing to do with salvation: observing torah and the commandments of torah could not guarantee salvation, keeping torah happens on an ethical level, but solving salvation is an. Beginning in the second half of 1st century. Believed in a cosmic dualism between good and evil. Physical world and human body is under power of evil: creator made evil matter. Human beings have spiritual dimension that is trapped in body: this "divine spark" can transcend the evil body that traps the human, similar to plato: the mind is trapped in the body. The way to salvation is through gnosis (knowledge) that ignites the "divine spark" Rejected by early christians for a few key reasons: god is the creator of all, god is absolutely good, god sent jesus to allow for salvation. From the very beginning heresy and misunderstanding of the gospel was present.