Theology Reflection

As Christians we often believe certain things simply because it’s what our parents and the people around us believe. We often go about our Christian walk without ever giving thought or reason to why we believe what we do. The world of Christian Theology is a place where Christians can find answer to the ‘what and why’ of Christianity. If we are able to begin comprehending Christian Theology and the rudimental knowledge of it, then we can take it with us into more in depth books and discussions about theology, know the importance of it and how vital it is for Christians

Earning my undergraduate degree from Seattle University has opened a lot of doors and has expanded my ability to reflect on my life, my intellectual progress and my purpose to find direction. My persistence and determination to advance my education is to increase my knowledge, to become a successful leader and to enhance my contribution to society. In order for me to have a true academic rigor, I believe having the integrity of the Jesuit teaching could help me understand and guide me through the process. I have always found a personal and a professional sense of purpose from a Jesuit tradition.

God calls us to serve and to do everything with love (1 Peter 4:10, 1 Corinthians 16:14). As a Student Affairs (SA) professional, my main goal is to help students discover their calling and equip them to better serve the world while integrating their faith. Smith (2004), states why it is important to serve as a mentor during a critical adult faith development stage. In The Council for the Advancement of Standards and Higher Education (CAS), CAS has incorporated faith, spirituality and religion into the standards and competencies that they advocate for individuals working as educators in the student affairs field ( Smith, 2004). In the CAS masters-level graduate program for student affairs standards (2004) the authors spoke to the essential need to incorporate spirituality.

Pope Francis once said, “An education in the fullness of humanity should be the defining feature of Catholic schools.” To me, this sentiment sums up why a Catholic education is so important for many reasons. I have attended many different types of schools: public, private, Catholic and homeschool as a result of my father’s career in the military. However, only my experiences at Catholic schools provide me with a truly well-rounded education because, at Catholic schools, I receive the opportunity to learn about the amazing gift of God’s love every day during school hours. I love studying Scripture and seeing ways in which God is present in our lives. It is such a special experience to be able to do that in a school environment where you can really learn the fundamentals of our faith, as well as experiencing many different aspects of our Catholic faith, from prayer to Mass as a part of

Faith operates in a unique way by providing the average, the noble, or the distasteful with a means to understand the world we inhabit. However, our worldly experiences also operate as a means to understanding the complexities of our faith. For St. Augustine, faith provides more questions than answers, but consequently leads to his life as a bishop and eventually sainthood. For some, however, the Bible provides the answers to all the questions that go unanswered by common sense. In St. Augustine’s Confessions, Augustine is able to further understand himself and his faith in Christ by reflecting on anecdotes of his past. Conversely, the Bible’s use of etiology provides spiritual justification for physical realities.

Theology 104 has changed my personal view of theology. Right away after week one when I open my Bible and start to read there was more clarification in the way I understood the scripture that was being read. There was a more comfortable and confident feeling in the way I regard God and redemption. In turn, I feel more knowledge of what I have learned and able to share the word of God more effectively. Finding factual proof to substantiate my theory of Christianity and the existence of God has become less challenging from the knowledge I have obtained from this division. Passing on my view of Christianity and God has been less challenging for me.

The lessons I’ve received from transitioning through the church as a child, youth, and adult member have taught me a number of lessons; patience, reverence, and empathy are all traits I’ve strengthened, and they have undoubtably helped me through my high school career. Taught how to ask thoughtful questions, I’m unashamed of my curiosity. Our faith is not always one of direct answers— even our most devoted

Their beliefs and understandings of faith are being challenged and questioned in order to strengthen their understanding. Rather than having the adults in their life tell them what to believe, they are now responsible for forming opinions about everything in their lives. For this reason, it is vital that students stay connected to God during their college years. If they are not firmly grounded in truth, the controversial ideology that college courses may bring will easily sway them. If a spiritual foundation is not there, a student will face a “spiritual struggle: an experience with which many students are familiar, particularly those who concern themselves with deep reflection on faith, purpose, and life

I am a committed Catholic whose faith has been fostered by my upbringing and education. As a result of completing four sacraments as well as attending Australian Catholic University, my relationship towards God has strengthened throughout my life. After completing my Religious Education Accreditation, I believe I demonstrate the skills to competently teach the values of the Catholic faith with the hope of fostering students’ appreciation and understanding of the Church. I am an active member at St Columba’s Parish, where I have gained a deeper understanding of scripture, liturgy and my own faith development. I am committed to embarking on a life long journey where Catholic values are embedded throughout my personality and actions.

Walking into class for the first time, I did not know what to expect. I grew up going to church every Sunday and going to Sunday School after the church service, it was a Christian household. I know the stories, the important Bible versus and the songs. I would say that I know my faith, my faith was something that I knew and I wouldn 't question it. It was something I was confident with since its something I have known since birth. In this class we question faith, we question everything, even Jesus. I am learning that questions are the best way someone can learn. While reading Night, The Plague and The Gospel of Mark, I got to explore the meaning of the word God.

In chapter one of the philosophical text, “Everyday Theology” author Kevin J. Vanhoozer defines faith seeking understanding as “the attempt to grasp conceptually the nature of God, Jesus Christ, and humanity in light of the significance of God’s acts.” Applied to everyday life, it is an understanding of what is going on and why something is occurring. Vanhoozer states that it is “an attempt to make sense of one’s surroundings” (16). Understood properly, culture is God’s good gift to creation, hence, if regarded with a faith seeking understanding, can be paramount within the process of

Theology 104 has really changed my outlook and views regarding systematic theology. I now understand more clearly that as Christians, in order to be able to accurately share our faith that we must all be a theologian to some extent. Looking at the totality of it all, the four religion courses I have taken since January 2015 have really expanded my views and understanding of what it is to be a Christian. Between Philosophy and Contemporary Ideas (PHIL201), Contemporary Worldviews (APOL 104), Survey of Biblical Literature (BIBL 104), and Introduction to Christian Thought (THEO 104), my understanding of the Bible and Christianity in general has increased exponentially. While my overall belief system has not been impacted, I now have a better

Pope John Paul II once said, “Faith and reason are like two wings on which the human spirit rises to the contemplation of truth; and God has placed in the human heart a desire to know the truth – in a word, to know himself – so that, by knowing and loving God, men and women may also come to the fullness of truth about themselves.” (Fallible Blogma) Based on this significant and powerful quote, one can infer that faith and reason are directly associated and related. It can also be implied that the combination of faith and reason allows one to seek information and knowledge about truth and God; based on various class discussions and past academic teachings, it is understood that both faith and reason are the instruments that diverse parties

Studies of Jesus primarily focus on the duality of Jesus and how he is able to be both human and divine at once. This subject was disputed at the Council of Chalcedon in the year 451 between the

The fields of philosophy and theology are often grounds of debate. While some hold these two to be relevant and dependent on each other, others find them to be completely independent of each other. In John D. Caputo’s work, Philosophy and Theology, he expresses his view of these fields as companions. Caputo states, “Think of philosophers and theologians as fellow sailors on [the] ocean,” depicting his view of the interdependence of these two fields (Caputo 69). Through his illustration we can find the influence philosophy and theology can have on each other in facilitating our toleration of such a mysterious future and world.