CHRTC 250 Chapter Notes - Chapter 4: Paraclete, Andrew Greeley, Chemical Substance
22 Jun 2018
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Notes: Week 1
Chapter 4: God – A Community of Persons
- “The major tenants of Jewish faith are in fact the building blocks for Christian faith.
- Jewish faith – monotheism
oFirst Commandment
- There is one God, and in the one God there are three persons
oThe Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
- Not three gods but three persons in the one God
oTrinity
- “The divine persons do not share the one divinity among themselves but each of them is
God whole and entire” (CCC 253)
Persons in God
- The persons in the Trinity are distinct from one another
- They all have knowledge and love from the analogy of God.
- Water is a single chemical substance, but yet it exists in three different states: solid,
liquid and vapour
- “Andrew Greeley puts it, “The doctrine of the Holy Trinity was not revealed to us to test
our faith or to provide an abstruse puzzle for metaphysically inclined theologians. It was
revealed to tell us something about God, and hence something about the purpose and
meaning of human life.”
God the Father
- Abba = father, intimacy and endearment
- “Abba speaks of intimacy; we are God’s children, we are on intimate terms with God
just as Jesus was on intimate terms with his Father, God is our Abba, Father.
- God gives us life, and supports us, we owe him everything
- “As a mother comforts her child, so I will comfort you; you shall be comforted in
Jerusalem” (Isa 66:13)
- No gender in God
- “the power of God is not the power of force associated with physically strong people or
with armies. No, the power of God means the power of one faithful to us in love, the
power of a friend
-“God the Father, the First Person of the Blessed Trinity”
God the Son
- Jesus is the face of God
- Allows us to understand by speaking to us with human language
- “The Father and I are one” (Jn 10:30)
- No gender again
- Jesus is obedient, faithful, loyal, reliable, helpful, loving
-“God the Son, the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity”
God the Spirit
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Document Summary
Chapter 4: god a community of persons. The major tenants of jewish faith are in fact the building blocks for christian faith. There is one god, and in the one god there are three persons: the father, the son and the holy spirit. Not three gods but three persons in the one god: trinity. The divine persons do not share the one divinity among themselves but each of them is. The persons in the trinity are distinct from one another. They all have knowledge and love from the analogy of god. Water is a single chemical substance, but yet it exists in three different states: solid, liquid and vapour. Andrew greeley puts it, the doctrine of the holy trinity was not revealed to us to test our faith or to provide an abstruse puzzle for metaphysically inclined theologians. It was revealed to tell us something about god, and hence something about the purpose and meaning of human life.
