Is anyone else a student of theology?

[cobl04]

Not too sure if this is the correct place to post this thread, but I thought I would start here.

I go to a Catholic school, but I'm an athiest (I find the whole concept of God a little hard to believe sometimes). This year we had a choice between an easy, bludgey Religion subject, and Year 12 Religion -Theology. I chose Theology because I thought, if I have to do a Religion subject, I may as well choose one that is interesting.

So far it has definitely been interesting, but extremely hard. I got 53% for my first task, which was on a range of "core beliefs".

What I have found hard is concepts such as "God is One, but three (Trinity)", with words like Homoouious, and Councils of Chalcedon and Niceaea. It is very in depth.

Anyone else have any idea of what I'm talking about?

 

[Liesje]

I took several theology classes in college. They were hard, but really interesting. My school was CRC, but all of my theology profs were ordained Presbys or other than CRC so I liked having different perspectives. The theology profs here test and assess grades different than most of the other subjects, so if you're not a theology or religion major it's basically impossible to get above a C because no one is used to how they grade, regardless of how well you know and understand the material.

 

[Ormus]

What I have found hard is concepts such as "God is One, but three (Trinity)", with words like Homoouious, and Councils of Chalcedon and Niceaea. It is very in depth.

Anyone else have any idea of what I'm talking about?

"Homoousios" comes across as a fancy word for "Monism."

Interesting stuff.

 

[AEON]

I've been chipping away at my Masters in Theology for a few years now. I'm happy to hear someone taking an interest. Theology used to be considered the Queen of the Sciences (I still think it is).

I encourage you to stick with your class even though it is tough. You won't regret it. Yes, some of the concepts are tough - as I'm sure Ormus, a very well read Interference.com resident Theologian, will attest.

Please remember the word Mystery - there are some things the human mind simply cannot fully comprehend. It doesn't mean it is a contradiction, that is false, or nonsense. It simply means our finite grasp cannot fully grasp the idea. The Holy Trinity is a Mystery. What exactly happened at the Cross is a Mystery. Communion is a Mystery...etc.

 

[cobl04]

Yeah... everything is really interesting, I guess just having done basic Religion before I never knew this other side existed. We've just started on Arianism, as in "there was a time when he was not." Very very complex, but as I've understood it, Arius came from the school of Antioch, where the emphasised the full humanity of Jesus.