Chapter 1

    Cards (70)

    • The Trinity
      God is a Trinity of three persons in one God
    • The Nicene Creed declares this belief
    • The Trinity features in baptism and the celebration of the Eucharist today
    • The Trinity
      • Three persons (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit)
      • Each person is fully God and each person is different from the other persons
    • The Nicene Creed: 'I believe in one God, the Father almighty...<|>I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ...<|>I believe in the Holy Spirit...'
    • Revelation
      Something that is revealed by God to humans
    • The Trinity reveals something of the mystery of God to Catholics

      • God as Father and creator
      • God as Son and saviour
      • God as strengthening Holy Spirit
    • The oneness of God is an idea made clear in the Old Testament: "Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God is Lord" (Deuteronomy 6:4)
    • This is the beginning of the Shema - the most important prayer for Jewish people
    • This is also part of the Great Commandment given by Jesus (Mark 12:28-31)
    • The Father is God
      Our father who art in heaven (Matthew 6:9)
    • The Son is God

      The Word became flesh (John 1:14)
    • The Holy Spirit is God
      The Spirit of God descending like a dove (Matthew 3:16)
    • Baptism is a ceremony using water performed in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
    • The Eucharist is a sacrament involving bread and wine that begins with the sign of the cross, the Eucharistic prayer gives thanks to God and makes the Son present in the consecrated bread and wine, through the Holy Spirit
    • Doctrine
      A belief held by the Church
    • The doctrine of the Trinity is found in the Creed, a formal statement of belief
    • The baptism of Jesus revealed all persons of the Trinity in the same moment
    • The Council of Nicaea ended disagreement about Jesus' nature, while the Council of Constantinople clarified belief in the Trinity
    • Apostolic Tradition

      Teaching and doctrine that has been passed on from the earliest times through the Catholic Church
    • Creed
      A formal expression of what the Church believes, originally written to formally correct a mistake in teaching
    • The story from Matthew's Gospel of Jesus' baptism is a vital source of evidence and authority for the Trinity
    • There are two accounts of Creation in Genesis
    • John's Prologue describes the role of the Word (Jesus) in the process of Creation
    • Catholics believe God created the universe and only God has the power to do this
    • In the first account, God created the universe in six days and rested on the seventh
    • What was created on each day in Genesis 1:1-2:3
      • Day 1: Heavens, earth, light, dark
      • Day 2: Water, sky
      • Day 3: Land, plants
      • Day 4: Sun, moon, stars
      • Day 5: Fish, birds
      • Day 6: Land animals, humans
    • In the second account, God said Adam and Eve could eat fruit from all trees but one
    • God said if Adam and Eve ate the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they would have to leave the garden
    • Divergent Christian interpretations of the Creation accounts

      • Literal interpretation - the accounts are an exact retelling of how Creation occurred, a historical and scientific account (Creationism)
      • Metaphorical interpretation - the accounts are symbolic, sacred stories, a meditation on the nature and purpose of the universe
    • Most Catholics see the Creation stories as metaphorical and use science to help them understand the universe better
    • Creation is significant for Catholics because it reveals four key characteristics of God

      • God as Creator
      • God as benevolent (loving and good)
      • God as omnipotent (all powerful)
      • God as eternal
    • Humanity
      Catholics believe human beings alone are created in the image of God, meaning they have a conscience and can relate to God
    • Dominion
      Catholics believe humanity is given God-given authority to rule over creation
    • Stewardship
      Catholics believe humanity should express their authority over creation in a loving care and cultivation of it
    • A minority of Christians believe they do not need to worry about the environment as Jesus will soon return, and that will mean the end of the world anyway
    • The majority of Christians take the view that humans have a moral responsibility to care for the planet
    • Incarnation
      God becoming human, the God-man, fully God and fully human
    • The Incarnation refers to the Son of God, the Word in John's Gospel, becoming flesh and dwelling among us (John 1:14)
    • Jesus as fully human
      Born of Mary, died on the cross, got tired, cried at his friend's death, accused of blasphemy by the Jewish authorities