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Question 1Revelation and Scripture

In Catholic theology, which term describes God's self-communication to humanity, accomplished through deeds and words and culminating in Christ?

  1. Divine Revelation Correct answer.
  2. Natural theology
  3. Magisterium
  4. Sacred Tradition

Explanation

Divine Revelation is the free self-communication by which God makes known the mystery of his will, conveyed through deeds and words and fully realized in the person of Jesus Christ. It is distinguished from what reason alone can infer about God.

Question 2Revelation and Scripture

According to the First Vatican Council and Catholic teaching, what can human reason know about God apart from revelation?

  1. The full mystery of the Trinity
  2. That God exists, by reasoning from created things Correct answer.
  3. The exact number of the sacraments
  4. Nothing at all about God

Explanation

Catholic teaching holds that reason, beginning from the created order, can arrive at certain knowledge that God exists and has attributes such as unity and goodness. This natural knowledge is real but limited, which is why revelation is still needed.

Question 3Revelation and Scripture

Which biblical book is traditionally attributed to Moses and contains the account of the covenant at Sinai and the giving of the Law?

  1. Genesis
  2. Deuteronomy
  3. Exodus Correct answer.
  4. Leviticus

Explanation

Exodus narrates the deliverance from Egypt, the covenant at Sinai, and the giving of the Law to Moses. It is the second book of the Pentateuch and central to Israel's self-understanding as a covenant people.

Question 4Revelation and Scripture

What does the Church mean by the 'inerrancy' of Scripture as taught in Dei Verbum?

  1. Only the moral commandments are free from error
  2. Every word was dictated mechanically to a scribe
  3. The truths God wished to convey for salvation are taught without error Correct answer.
  4. Every historical detail is reported with modern scientific precision

Explanation

Dei Verbum teaches that the books of Scripture teach firmly, faithfully, and without error the truth God wished to be recorded for the sake of salvation. This concerns saving truth rather than modern scientific or historical reporting conventions.

Question 5Revelation and Scripture

Which Gospel begins with the prologue 'In the beginning was the Word'?

  1. Matthew
  2. John Correct answer.
  3. Luke
  4. Mark

Explanation

The Gospel of John opens with a prologue identifying the eternal Word who was with God and was God and who became flesh. This prologue frames the whole narrative as revelation of the Father through the Son.

Question 6Revelation and Scripture

What is the role of the Holy Spirit in relation to Scripture according to Catholic teaching?

  1. The Spirit guarantees that every private interpretation is correct
  2. The Spirit replaced Scripture after the apostolic age
  3. The Spirit inspired the authors and guides the Church's reading of Scripture Correct answer.
  4. The Spirit only assisted the original readers, not the authors

Explanation

The Holy Spirit both inspired the human authors of Scripture and continues to guide the Church in interpreting it. This is why the Church speaks of the Spirit's role in both the writing and the reading of the sacred text.

Question 7Revelation and Scripture

Which term refers to the list of books the Church recognizes as belonging to the Bible?

  1. Vulgate
  2. Canon Correct answer.
  3. Septuagint
  4. Targum

Explanation

The canon is the authoritative list of books accepted as Scripture. The Church discerned the canon through the guidance of the Holy Spirit and the witness of the early communities.

Question 8Revelation and Scripture

What does the Catholic Church mean when it says Scripture must be read 'within the living Tradition of the whole Church'?

  1. Scripture is subordinate to private revelations
  2. Scripture and Tradition are two separate, unrelated sources
  3. Scripture is understood in the community guided by the Holy Spirit and the Church's teaching Correct answer.
  4. Scripture is interpreted by each reader independently of the Church

Explanation

Dei Verbum teaches that Scripture must be read and interpreted in the same Spirit in which it was written, within the living Tradition of the Church and with attention to the analogy of faith. Interpretation is thus an ecclesial act, not a purely private one.

Question 9Revelation and Scripture

Which two senses of Scripture does the Catechism identify as the spiritual senses alongside the literal sense?

  1. Allegorical, moral, and anagogical Correct answer.
  2. Historical and literary
  3. Allegorical and moral only
  4. Literal and symbolic

Explanation

Catholic teaching distinguishes the literal sense from three spiritual senses: allegorical, moral (tropological), and anagogical. The literal sense is foundational, and the spiritual senses build upon it.

Question 10Revelation and Scripture

A catechist explains that the Exodus event prefigures baptism. Which spiritual sense of Scripture is being used?

  1. Literal sense
  2. Anagogical sense
  3. Moral sense
  4. Allegorical sense Correct answer.

Explanation

The allegorical sense reads events in terms of their significance for Christ and the economy of salvation; seeing the Exodus as prefiguring baptism is an example. The literal sense would be the historical event itself as narrated.

Question 11Revelation and Scripture

Why does Catholic teaching insist that Scripture and Tradition form a single sacred deposit of the word of God?

  1. Because Scripture was created first and Tradition added later
  2. Because Tradition can be written down and becomes Scripture
  3. Because Tradition corrects errors in Scripture
  4. Because both flow from the same divine source and are closely linked Correct answer.

Explanation

Dei Verbum teaches that Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture flow from the same divine wellspring and are closely connected, together forming one sacred deposit. They are not two independent or competing sources.

Question 12Revelation and Scripture

What does the term 'typology' mean in biblical interpretation?

  1. The reading of Old Testament persons and events as prefiguring Christ Correct answer.
  2. The classification of biblical genres
  3. The study of ancient handwriting styles
  4. The comparison of different manuscript copies

Explanation

Typology interprets persons, events, and institutions of the Old Testament as figures or patterns fulfilled in Christ and the Church. It rests on the unity of God's saving plan across both Testaments.

Question 13Revelation and Scripture

Which of the following best describes the 'sensus plenior' (fuller sense) of Scripture?

  1. The literal meaning of a text in its original language
  2. A meaning intended by God but not clearly grasped by the human author Correct answer.
  3. The ethical application of a passage by the reader
  4. A mistranslation introduced by later copyists

Explanation

The fuller sense refers to a deeper meaning intended by God that the human author may not have consciously grasped but which becomes evident in the light of later revelation. It is grounded in the divine authorship of Scripture.

Question 14Revelation and Scripture

According to Dei Verbum, how did God reveal himself in the Old Testament?

  1. Only through the wisdom literature
  2. Through words and deeds, forming a people for himself Correct answer.
  3. Through the natural law alone
  4. Only through prophetic oracles, with no historical events

Explanation

Dei Verbum describes revelation as occurring through deeds and words intrinsically connected, as God prepared a people for himself through the history of Israel. The Old Testament is thus a genuine stage of revelation, not merely a prelude.

Question 15Revelation and Scripture

A student claims that the four Gospels are simply four independent biographies of Jesus with no relationship to one another. Which response best reflects Catholic scholarship?

  1. Only one Gospel is historically reliable
  2. The Gospels draw on shared traditions and each presents a distinct theological portrait Correct answer.
  3. The Gospels were written without any community context
  4. The Gospels are entirely identical in wording

Explanation

Catholic scholarship recognizes that the Gospels arose from shared apostolic preaching and traditions, and each evangelist shapes the material for a particular community and theological purpose. They are not unrelated biographies nor simply identical accounts.

Question 16Revelation and Scripture

What is the 'analogy of faith' as a principle of interpretation?

  1. The comparison of biblical texts with other ancient literature
  2. The coherence of the truths of faith with one another within the whole plan of revelation Correct answer.
  3. The use of philosophical arguments to prove God's existence
  4. The rule that difficult passages are ignored

Explanation

The analogy of faith means that individual passages must be read in harmony with the whole of revelation and the Church's faith. Because God is the author, the truths of faith form a coherent whole.

Question 17Revelation and Scripture

Which criterion does the Catechism list for interpreting Scripture in the Spirit in which it was written?

  1. A focus on the original audience only
  2. Reliance on the most recent scholarly consensus alone
  3. Preference for the shortest textual variant
  4. Attention to the content and unity of all Scripture Correct answer.

Explanation

The Catechism lists three criteria: attention to the content and unity of the whole of Scripture, reading within the living Tradition of the Church, and respect for the analogy of faith. These ensure a genuinely ecclesial and coherent reading.

Question 18Revelation and Scripture

Which of the following correctly pairs a biblical book with its traditional genre?

  1. Amos - prophetic oracle Correct answer.
  2. Revelation - wisdom instruction
  3. Proverbs - historical narrative
  4. Psalms - apocalyptic visions

Explanation

Amos is a prophetic book containing oracles of judgment and calls to justice. Recognizing genre helps the reader apply appropriate interpretive expectations to a text.

Question 19Revelation and Scripture

How does the Church describe the relationship between the Old and New Testaments?

  1. The New Testament fulfills the Old without abolishing its value Correct answer.
  2. The Old Testament is read only as allegory with no literal meaning
  3. The Old Testament is obsolete and should be discarded
  4. The two Testaments contradict each other

Explanation

Catholic teaching holds that the New Testament is hidden in the Old and the Old is revealed in the New; the Old Testament retains permanent value as genuine revelation. Fulfillment does not mean rejection.

Question 20Revelation and Scripture

What does the term 'deuterocanonical' refer to in Catholic usage?

  1. Books rejected as heretical
  2. Books of the Old Testament accepted by the Catholic Church but not in the Hebrew canon Correct answer.
  3. Books accepted by all Christian traditions as canonical
  4. Books added to the New Testament in the Middle Ages

Explanation

Deuterocanonical books are those Old Testament books, such as Tobit and Wisdom, which the Catholic Church receives as canonical but which are not in the Hebrew canon. They are part of the Septuagint tradition.

Question 21Revelation and Scripture

A homilist argues that because a biblical passage describes ancient cosmology, the text cannot teach saving truth. Which principle of Catholic interpretation does this argument overlook?

  1. That only the New Testament is inspired
  2. That the Bible teaches saving truth without requiring modern scientific accuracy Correct answer.
  3. That the Church has rejected the historical-critical method
  4. That all biblical passages must be read literally

Explanation

Dei Verbum teaches that Scripture teaches without error the truth God wished to convey for salvation, which does not require modern scientific precision in matters like cosmology. Recognizing literary forms and the author's intention is essential to sound interpretation.

Question 22Revelation and Scripture

Which statement best captures the Catholic understanding of the relationship among Scripture, Tradition, and the Magisterium?

  1. Scripture, Tradition, and the Magisterium are so linked that none exists without the others Correct answer.
  2. The Magisterium has no role in interpreting Scripture
  3. Tradition is superior to Scripture and can replace it
  4. The Magisterium stands above Scripture and creates new revelation

Explanation

Dei Verbum describes Scripture, Tradition, and the Magisterium as so connected that one cannot stand without the others, each serving the others under the Holy Spirit. The Magisterium serves the word of God rather than dominating it.

Question 23Revelation and Scripture

How does the historical-critical method relate to Catholic interpretation according to Church documents?

  1. It is a legitimate tool when integrated with theological interpretation in faith Correct answer.
  2. It replaces the need for the spiritual senses
  3. It is the only acceptable method of interpretation
  4. It is forbidden because it undermines faith

Explanation

Church documents, including Dei Verbum and later statements, affirm that historical-critical study is legitimate and valuable for determining the literal sense, provided it is integrated with theological interpretation in faith. Method alone does not exhaust the meaning of the text.

Question 24Revelation and Scripture

Which of the following best explains why the Church venerates Scripture as the word of God while acknowledging human authors?

  1. Because God spoke through human authors who wrote as true authors in their own language and style Correct answer.
  2. Because the original manuscripts have been preserved without any textual variation
  3. Because the human authors merely copied earlier texts verbatim
  4. Because the Church treats the Bible as a purely human document

Explanation

Dei Verbum teaches that God chose and acted in human authors who, using their own faculties and styles, wrote as true authors, so that God speaks through them. This avoids both mechanical dictation and a purely human account of Scripture.

Question 25Revelation and Scripture

A scholar notes that a New Testament author reinterprets an Old Testament prophecy in a way that goes beyond its original context. Which category best describes this phenomenon?

  1. The fuller sense or typological fulfillment in light of Christ Correct answer.
  2. Textual corruption
  3. A contradiction that invalidates the canon
  4. A purely literary borrowing with no theological meaning

Explanation

The New Testament authors often read the Old Testament as fulfilled in Christ, sometimes discerning a fuller sense intended by God beyond the original author's explicit grasp. This reflects the unity of the divine plan and the revelatory significance of Christ.

Question 26Revelation and Scripture

Dei Verbum describes divine revelation as God's self-communication culminating in Christ. Which phrase best captures how the Council says God spoke to humanity in salvation history?

  1. Through philosophical reasoning available to all cultures
  2. Through words alone, with deeds serving only as illustrations
  3. Through inner private revelations given to each believer
  4. Through deeds and words that are intrinsically connected Correct answer.

Explanation

Dei Verbum teaches that the economy of revelation unfolds through deeds and words bound together, so that the works God performs in history both manifest and confirm the teaching. Neither deed nor word stands alone: the saving events interpret the words and the words illuminate the events. This pattern reaches its fullness in Christ, who is himself both the Word and the saving deed of God.

Question 27Revelation and Scripture

In Catholic teaching, what does the 'deposit of faith' (depositum fidei) entrust to the Church?

  1. The unanimous consent of the Church's theological schools
  2. The revelation of God in Christ, handed on in Scripture and Tradition Correct answer.
  3. Only the written books of the biblical canon
  4. The collected decrees of ecumenical councils since Nicaea

Explanation

The deposit of faith is the revelation given in Christ, which the Church receives and hands on through Scripture and Tradition together, guarded and interpreted by the Magisterium. It is not identical with the Bible alone, nor with any later collection of documents. The term names a living gift entrusted to the whole People of God.

Question 28Revelation and Scripture

A parish discussion group asks why the Church requires that Scripture be interpreted with attention to 'the content and unity of the whole of Scripture.' Which rationale best explains this principle?

  1. Because the original languages resolve every interpretive difficulty
  2. Because the Church wishes to harmonize contradictions by removing difficult passages
  3. Because the one plan of salvation unfolds across many books and culminates in Christ Correct answer.
  4. Because individual books were written independently and should be read in isolation

Explanation

The principle rests on the unity of God's saving plan: many human authors wrote over centuries, but the one divine economy moves toward its center in Christ. Reading any passage in light of the whole canon prevents distortion by isolating a text from the movement of revelation. It does not mean flattening differences, but discerning how each text serves the single mystery.

Question 29Revelation and Scripture

A homilist says a psalm's imagery of God 'riding on the clouds' reflects the literary conventions of ancient Near Eastern poetry. Which principle of Catholic interpretation allows him to acknowledge this while still affirming the psalm's inspired truth?

  1. Inspiration guarantees that every cultural image in Scripture is factually accurate
  2. Poetic passages should be omitted from liturgical proclamation
  3. Since the imagery is culturally borrowed, the psalm has no enduring theological value
  4. God condescends to speak through human literary forms, so the inspired truth is conveyed within them Correct answer.

Explanation

Catholic teaching holds that God speaks through human authors in their own idioms, genres, and cultural settings, a condescension that does not diminish the truth of what is communicated for salvation. Recognizing a borrowed poetic image therefore does not cancel inspiration; it clarifies how the sacred author communicates. The interpreter must ask what the text affirms theologically within its literary form.

Question 30Revelation and Scripture

Dei Verbum says the books of Scripture 'firmly, faithfully, and without error teach that truth which God, for the sake of our salvation, wished to have confided to the sacred writings.' Which reading of this sentence best reflects the Council's intent?

  1. Every historical, geographical, and scientific detail in Scripture is asserted with inerrant precision
  2. Scripture teaches saving truth without error, and the interpreter must discern what each text affirms in its own genre Correct answer.
  3. Inerrancy applies only to the New Testament, since the Old Testament is superseded
  4. The sentence leaves the question of truth entirely to individual scholarly judgment

Explanation

The clause ties inerrancy to the truth God willed to confide for the sake of salvation, so the interpreter must ask what the sacred author, in his literary form and historical setting, intends to affirm. This does not reduce Scripture to vague edification; it directs attention to the saving message actually conveyed. The Catechism echoes this by insisting on attention to literary genres and the unity of the whole.

Question 31God, Trinity and Creation

In the Nicene Creed, the Son is described as begotten of the Father before all ages, which means the Son's origin is best described as what?

  1. A creation of the Father at the beginning of the universe
  2. An eternal generation within the Godhead rather than a created event in time Correct answer.
  3. A temporary mission that ended at the ascension
  4. An adoption of the man Jesus at his baptism

Explanation

The Creed's phrase 'begotten, not made' distinguishes the Son's eternal derivation from the Father from anything brought into being. Generation names an eternal relation of origin within the one divine essence, not a moment of manufacture. Creation and adoption are both temporal acts, so they cannot capture what the Creed intends.

Question 32God, Trinity and Creation

Which statement most accurately expresses the doctrine of creation ex nihilo?

  1. God freely brought all things into being without using any prior material Correct answer.
  2. God formed the world from pre-existent matter that was already present
  3. God's creative act is simply the ordering of an eternal chaos
  4. God created only the spiritual realm, while matter is co-eternal with him

Explanation

Creation ex nihilo means that nothing existed alongside God before creation and that he gave being to all that is. It safeguards divine freedom and the total dependence of creatures on God. Any account that posits pre-existent matter or a co-eternal chaos compromises this teaching.

Question 33God, Trinity and Creation

The doctrine of the Trinity affirms that Father, Son and Spirit are three persons in one God. What does 'person' (hypostasis) mean here?

  1. Three separate divine beings who share a common purpose
  2. Three distinct subsistent relations of origin within the one divine nature Correct answer.
  3. Three parts or portions that together compose the divine essence
  4. Three modes or appearances of a single person across history

Explanation

In Trinitarian grammar, person names a distinct subsistent relation of origin, not a separate being or a role. The three persons are really distinct from one another yet each is wholly God. This rules out both tritheism and modalism.

Question 34God, Trinity and Creation

Which pair of terms correctly names the two processions within the Trinity?

  1. Generation and spiration Correct answer.
  2. Emanation and return
  3. Creation and redemption
  4. Incarnation and sanctification

Explanation

The Father generates the Son, and Father and Son together spirate the Holy Spirit; these are the two eternal processions. They describe relations of origin within the Godhead, not events in the economy of salvation. Creation, incarnation and sanctification are outward works, not inner processions.

Question 35God, Trinity and Creation

The Filioque clause concerns the procession of the Holy Spirit. What does it assert?

  1. That the Spirit's procession was defined only after the incarnation
  2. That the Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son as from one principle Correct answer.
  3. That the Spirit is generated by the Father in the same way as the Son
  4. That the Spirit proceeds from the Father alone through the Son's created mediation

Explanation

The Filioque states that the Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son as from a single principle, expressing the Spirit's relation to both. Its addition to the Latin Creed became a major point of division with the East. It does not make the Spirit's procession a created mediation or a generation.

Question 36God, Trinity and Creation

Genesis 1 portrays God creating by speaking. Which theological point does this imagery chiefly convey?

  1. That God's word is effective, bringing about what it declares Correct answer.
  2. That creation required a long struggle with opposing forces
  3. That creation happened through the agency of angels
  4. That the world is a literal transcript of divine speech

Explanation

The recurring 'and God said' with its immediate fulfilment presents the divine word as performative and sovereign. God does not need to overcome rivals or intermediaries. The imagery teaches the efficacy of God's will rather than a theory about language.

Question 37God, Trinity and Creation

What does the term 'perichoresis' describe in Trinitarian theology?

  1. The movement of the soul toward union with God
  2. The procession of creatures from God into the world
  3. The exchange of properties between Christ's two natures
  4. The mutual indwelling and interpenetration of the three divine persons Correct answer.

Explanation

Perichoresis names the mutual indwelling of Father, Son and Spirit, each wholly in the others without confusion. It expresses unity in distinction rather than any outward movement. The term is Trinitarian, though an analogous idea is used in Christology.

Question 38God, Trinity and Creation

The Council of Nicaea's homoousios teaching about the Son means that the Son is what?

  1. A perfect creature exalted above all other creatures
  2. The Father himself appearing under another name
  3. Of the same divine being or substance as the Father Correct answer.
  4. Of a similar but subordinate divine status to the Father

Explanation

Homoousios means 'of the same substance,' asserting that the Son shares fully the one divine being of the Father. It was chosen to exclude the claim that the Son is merely similar or subordinate. The term also rules out modalism, since the Son remains distinct as a person.

Question 39God, Trinity and Creation

A catechist says God created the world because he lacked companionship and needed creatures to love. How should this be assessed?

  1. It is correct, since creation completes the divine nature
  2. It is mistaken, since God is eternally complete and creates freely, not from need Correct answer.
  3. It is correct, since love requires an object outside God
  4. It is mistaken, since God does not love creatures at all

Explanation

God's inner life is already a communion of love among the three persons, so creation adds nothing to divine fullness. Creation is a free gift flowing from goodness, not a remedy for deficiency. The claim that God needs creatures therefore diminishes God.

Question 40God, Trinity and Creation

Why does classical theology insist that the divine essence is simple?

  1. Because God is not composed of parts, so attributes like goodness and wisdom are identical with his essence Correct answer.
  2. Because simplicity denies that God has any attributes
  3. Because simplicity means God is easy to understand
  4. Because simplicity reduces God to a single person

Explanation

Divine simplicity denies any composition in God, whether of parts, matter and form, or essence and accident. God's goodness, wisdom and power are not separate qualities added to him but are his one essence. Simplicity therefore safeguards God's transcendence and unity.

Question 41God, Trinity and Creation

How does the doctrine of the imago Dei apply to the human person in a way that grounds moral dignity?

  1. Human dignity rests on being created in God's image, which grounds respect regardless of usefulness Correct answer.
  2. Human dignity rests on social status within the covenant community
  3. Human dignity rests on the capacity to dominate other creatures
  4. Human dignity is a reward granted after faithful obedience

Explanation

Because every person bears the image of God by creation, dignity is intrinsic rather than earned or dependent on function. This grounds moral respect for the weak and marginal. Status, domination and reward all make dignity conditional and so undermine the doctrine.

Question 42God, Trinity and Creation

Genesis 1:26 speaks of humanity made in God's image. Which interpretation best reflects a relational reading of the imago Dei?

  1. The image consists in being created for communion with God and with one another Correct answer.
  2. The image consists in physical resemblance to a divine body
  3. The image consists mainly in human rationality as a static possession
  4. The image consists in political authority over other nations

Explanation

A relational reading sees the image as ordered toward communion, reflecting the God who is himself relational. It situates rationality and dominion within relationship rather than treating them as isolated properties. This reading also connects the image to the restoration of communion in grace.

Question 43God, Trinity and Creation

The term 'theosis' or divinization in Christian theology refers to what?

  1. Human beings sharing in the divine life by grace while remaining creatures Correct answer.
  2. Human beings becoming God by nature and losing creaturely status
  3. The absorption of the soul into an impersonal divine substance
  4. Creatures becoming additional persons of the Trinity

Explanation

Theosis describes participation in God's life through grace, so that believers become 'partakers of the divine nature' without ceasing to be creatures. It preserves the Creator-creature distinction. It is not pantheism, absorption, or an addition to the Trinity.

Question 44God, Trinity and Creation

A student argues that if God is everywhere, then the world must be part of God. Which distinction corrects this inference?

  1. The distinction between the Father and the Son
  2. The distinction between God's presence in all things and pantheistic identity with them Correct answer.
  3. The distinction between matter and spirit
  4. The distinction between creation and redemption

Explanation

God's omnipresence means he sustains all things in being, but sustaining is not identity. Classical theology distinguishes God's immanence from pantheism by affirming that creatures remain genuinely other than God. The other distinctions do not address the inference directly.

Question 45God, Trinity and Creation

Which statement best captures the meaning of creatio continua?

  1. God continually sustains creatures in being and cooperates in their actions Correct answer.
  2. God created the world once and then left it to operate entirely on its own
  3. Creation is repeated anew at every moment as a fresh act of manufacture
  4. Creatures have their own independent existence apart from God

Explanation

Creatio continua affirms that God's creative act is not only an initial beginning but a continual sustaining of all that exists. Creatures depend on God at every moment for being and action. This is not a repeated manufacture nor a deistic withdrawal.

Question 46God, Trinity and Creation

In the classical account, how do the divine attributes relate to one another in God?

  1. They are merely human projections with no basis in God
  2. They are acquired by God through his dealings with creatures
  3. They are identical with one another and with the divine essence Correct answer.
  4. They are distinct qualities that together compose God's character

Explanation

Because God is simple, his attributes are not separate parts but names for one undivided essence. Justice, mercy and wisdom are distinct to our understanding but identical in God. This prevents imagining God as a composite of virtues.

Question 47God, Trinity and Creation

What does the doctrine of analogy of being (analogia entis) aim to preserve when speaking of God?

  1. That our words about God are both genuinely true and infinitely unlike their creaturely sense Correct answer.
  2. That God can be described only through negation
  3. That our words about God are univocally identical to their creaturely meaning
  4. That all language about God is pure equivocation and says nothing true

Explanation

Analogy holds that language about God is neither univocal nor purely equivocal: it is truly predicated but falls infinitely short of God's mode of being. This protects both the truth of revelation and divine transcendence. Negation is one moment within this larger account rather than the whole of it.

Question 48God, Trinity and Creation

The problem of evil asks how evil is compatible with a good and omnipotent God. Which response is most consistent with classical theism?

  1. Evil proves that God is not truly omnipotent
  2. God created evil as a necessary counterpart to good
  3. Evil is an illusion with no reality whatsoever
  4. Evil is a privation of good, not a substance created by God Correct answer.

Explanation

The privation account holds that evil is a lack or corruption of a good that God created, not a positive substance he made. This preserves God's goodness while acknowledging the reality of moral and physical evil. The other options either deny evil or deny God's power.

Question 49God, Trinity and Creation

Which formulation correctly states the relation of the Son's incarnation to the Trinity?

  1. The whole Trinity became incarnate as three distinct human persons
  2. The Son, the second person of the Trinity, assumed a human nature without ceasing to be divine Correct answer.
  3. The Father became incarnate in the person of the Son
  4. The Holy Spirit took flesh and became the man Jesus

Explanation

The incarnation is the act of the Son alone, who takes a complete human nature into the unity of his divine person. The Father and Spirit are not incarnate, though the whole Trinity is involved in the work. The Son remains one person with two natures.

Question 50God, Trinity and Creation

What is the significance of the term 'consubstantial' in the Creed's description of the Son?

  1. It means the Son is merely similar in will to the Father
  2. It means the Son has a beginning like other creatures
  3. It means the Son was made from the same material as the Father
  4. It means the Son is one in being with the Father Correct answer.

Explanation

Consubstantial translates homoousios, affirming that the Son shares the one divine being of the Father. It excludes both subordination of essence and any material derivation. The term concerns being, not merely agreement of will.