REVIEW GUIDE FOR FINAL:

  1. Remember to bring scantron 882E form and # 2 pencil.
  2. Do not be late to class.
  3. This is the only day I will be at A&M. Thus, do not miss exam!
  4. I will be testing you directly from lecture notes. See material website.
  5. This guide will help you prepare well for exam.
  1. Know the following terms, ideas, names, and background from your lecture notes:
  1. Zoroastrianism:
  1. History of Zoroastrianism:
  1. Religion of ancient Persia
  2. Derived from Zoroaster who lived some time in 6 Century.
  3. Today’s identification.
  4. Prehistory with Aryans
  1. What are the Devas (Indian) or Daevas (Iranian): Root word for Daevas or Devas: “Div” which literally means “to shine.” Same root preserved in English in the terms “divinities,” deities,” and (parodoxically) devil. W
  1. What were some of the daevas worshipped? What were their names and descriptions? It might be good to know both Indian and Iranian names so you do not get confused:

a.Mithra:

b.Intar:

c.Arta:

d.Vahu:

  1. Know chart on website regarding periods of Zoroastrian History and ancient Indo-Aryan Religions (
  1. Competing with Daecas are “asuras” or “ahuras. Asuras meant “lords.”
  1. Behind pantheon of gods is an original monotheism: Single god known as “Dyaus Pitar” literally “father god.” The stem of the word “pitar” survives in words such as “paternal.”
  1. See notes on animal sacrifice.
  1. Have basic understanding from notes on Zoroaster’s life.
  1. What were Zoroaster’s Teachings.
  1. What was central to Zoroaster’s teachings was his view of God. Unpack this doctrine. See lecture notes. Understand analogy of Zoroaster monotheism to Christianity’s view of Trinity.
  1. Who opposed the Ahura Mazda? Angra Mainu. What about this evil spirit? What did it try to do?
  1. Was Zoroaster’s view of God metaphysically dualistic?
  1. What was his concept of free will and future rewards?
  1. What about moral dualism under Zoroaster?
  1. What about ritual practice under Zoroaster?
  1. What happened in the Achaemid Perod (558 BC to 33 BC)?
  1. What happened n the Greek Period (330 BC to AD 226)?
  1. What happened in Sassanid Dynasty (AD 226-637 AD)?
  1. Why did they dispose corpses the way they did?
  1. What is the eschatology of Zoroastrianism?
  1. What are the two religious movements that flowed out of Zoroastrianism? Zurvanism and Manicheaism. Explain their significance.
  1. What is the Avesta?
  1. What is significant about Contemporary Zoroastrianism?

B.Christianity:

  1. What is “religion”?
  1. What is theology?
  1. What are four attitudes regarding theology?
  1. Why is theology so controversial?
  1. Central divisions of theology:

Apologetics

Exegetical Theology

Systematic Theology

Practical Theology

Historical Theology

Natural Theology

  1. Theological Terms:

Prolegomena

Bibliology

Theology Proper

Harmartiology

Demonology

Soteriology

Anthropology

Sanctification

Israelology

Ecclesiology

Hermeneutics

7.Why so many different theological systems?

8.Theological Systems: Basic concepts. Dates and names not necessary.

Dogmatic Theology:

Calvinism with TULIP?

Emphases of Arminianism?

Emphases of Covenantism?

Emphases of Dispensational Theology?

What is the Sine Qua Non of Dispensationalism? This is all that you need to know here.

Catholic Theology and emphases?

Emphases of Liberal Theology?

Emphases of Neo-Orthodox Theology?

Emphases of Liberal Theology?

Philosophical, Natural Theology:

Lutheran Theology

Wesleyan Theology

Black Theology

Feminist Theology

9.Why do people what they believe?

  1. Pascal quote
  2. Sociological reasons:
  3. Psychological reasons
  4. Religious reasons
  5. Philosophical reason
  6. Revelatory reasons

10.What is the biblical Christian worldview?

View of God

View of Man

View of Truth

View of Values

View of Reality

11.Meaning of Trinity.

12.Essential Elements of Trinity

13.What is Modalism?

14.What is Tritheism?

15.Descriptions of Trinity?

16.What are better illustrations of Trinity as discussed in class?

17.Why do Jewish and Gentile Christians believe Jesus was the Messiah of the Hebrew Bible?

a.Fulfillment of Messianic Bible Prophecy

b.God-Man in Isaiah 9:67

c.Suffering Servant prophecy in Isaiah 52:13-53:12

d.Historical miracles: 7 signs by John

e.Perfect humanity of Jesus

f.Moral character of Jesus

g.Historical resurrection: 1 Corinthians 15:1-8

h.Comparative mythology

i.Historical accuracy of Gospel: Trilemma Argument

j.Conversion of unlikely people

k.Concept of Grace

l.Results of Christ’s atonement for atonement for sin.

m.Claims of Jesus

18.Christology:

  1. Theanthropic
  2. Hypostatic Union
  3. Preexistence
  4. Virgin birth (almah and bethulah use of words)
  5. Purposes for incarnation:
  6. Famous Creed of Chalcedon in 451 AD
  7. What is Kenosis? Two views we spent significant time on where the views: Dr. Walvoord’s view that Christ Emptied Himself of the Independent use or exercise of divine attributes and Dr. Ryrie’s view, namely, the veiling of His preincarnate glory. Only these two views are necessary to know.

h.Impeccability vs. Peccability. What does these terms mean?

19.Pneumatology: Holy Spirit is called God, possesses the perfections of God, and performs the works of God.

a.Why do Christians say He is a Person?

b.Various views of the Sign gifts?

1.Hyper-cessationism

2.Cessationism

3.Soft-cessationism

4.Open but Cautious

5.Vineyard movement

6.Word of Faith

20.Four views of Sanctification?

  1. Wesleyan Perfectionism
  2. Keswick Sanctification
  3. Reformed Sanctification
  4. Chaferian Sanctification

21.Anthropology and Hamartiology:

  1. Atheistic Evoluton
  2. Theistic Evolution
  3. Progressive Creationism
  4. Gap Theory
  5. Creationism
  6. What is Intelligent Design movement?

22.Preexistence theory of the soul

  1. Creation view of the soul
  1. Traducian view of the soul
  1. Dichotomy view of person
  1. Trichotomy view of person
  1. Multi-faceted view of person
  1. Definition of sin? Sin is a transgression of the law of God, a failure to conform to the standard of God, a principle (state) with man, rebellion against God, and wrongful acts toward God and man.
  1. Four views of Nature of Sin:
  1. Pelagian
  2. Arminian
  3. Federal
  4. Augustinian (Seminal)
  1. Eschatology: Timing:
  1. Preterism
  2. Historicism
  3. Futurism
  4. Idealism
  1. Rapture views:
  1. Partial
  2. Posttribulational
  3. Midtribulatonal
  4. Prewrath
  5. Pretribulational
  1. Millennium view:
  1. Amillennial
  2. Postmillennial
  3. Premillennial

C.Islam:

  1. Life and Times of Muhammad
  1. Understand Pre-Islamic Context:
  1. Know history of Muhammad
  1. Two points of Muhammad’s message:
  1. There is only one God to whose will people must submit;
  2. There will be a day of judgment when all people will be judged in terms of whether or not they obeyed God
  1. Islam means “Submission to God”
  1. Qur’an is highest authority in Islam.
  1. What is a hadith?
  1. What are the basic features of the Qur’an?
  1. Four different school’s of Shari’a: What are they? How do they interpretet the Qur’an.
  1. Hanifite School
  2. Malikite School
  3. Shafi’ite School
  4. Hanbalite School:
  1. What is Shia? What is unique about Shia? See powerpoint.
  1. What is Sufism?
  1. What are the essential beliefs of Islam?
  1. Oneness of God
  2. What is strict Unitarian?
  3. How is Allah and Trinity alike and how do they dfffer from one another?
  1. Historical Origin
  2. Technical Theological Description
  1. Angels and Spirits
  1. What is Folk Islam? Highly animistic; found in areas that are not necessarily modern.
  1. What is a “nabi?” Prophet?
  1. What does the Qur’an say about Jesus?
  1. What is the eschatology of Islam?
  1. Mahdi?
  2. Future judgment?
  1. What are the basic soteriological ideas of Islam?
  1. Heaven and hell? Symbolic descriptions of places of physical pleasure and torment
  1. Sovereignty/Decree of God:
  1. What are the five pillars of Islam? Explain:
  1. Confession
  2. Prayer
  3. Fasting
  4. Almsgiving
  5. Pilgrimage
  6. What are the seven components of pilgrimage?

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