Questions & explanations
1. Compare Protestant views on government authority with those of the Catholic Church.
Both Protestants and Catholics believe government is established by God, but they differ on how much the church should guide the state. Historically, the Catholic Church taught that the Pope has authority over kings in moral matters. Early Protestants like Luther said that church and state are separate but both under God's rule. Many Calvinists believed that the state should enforce religious laws. Today, many Protestants support a clear separation of church and state, while Catholics often argue that the church's moral teachings should influence public policy. Both traditions agree that government must protect human dignity, but they disagree on the proper relationship between religious and political power.
2. Compare the goal of ecumenism with the original Protestant emphasis on 'sola scriptura' (the Bible alone).
The original Protestant emphasis on 'sola scriptura' meant that the Bible is the only authority for faith and practice. This led to many separate churches because each group interpreted the Bible differently. Ecumenism tries to bring those churches back together, even though they still disagree on some Bible interpretations. So ecumenism focuses on unity, while 'sola scriptura' focuses on strict biblical truth. These two goals can be in tension: too much unity might overlook serious biblical differences, but too much emphasis on Bible-alone can keep churches divided. Ecumenical dialogues often try to find a balance by agreeing on core Bible teachings while allowing freedom on other matters.
3. Give an example of a Protestant bioethical stance on abortion.
Many Protestant groups, such as conservative evangelicals, believe that abortion is wrong because they think life begins at conception. They see the fetus as a person with a right to life. They oppose almost all abortions, except sometimes to save the mother's life. On the other hand, many mainline Protestant churches, like the Methodist or Presbyterian Church (USA), hold that women should have the choice to have an abortion, especially in cases of rape, incest, or danger to the mother. They argue that the Bible does not clearly forbid abortion and that compassion for the woman is important. So across Protestantism, there is a strong divide between 'pro-life' and 'pro-choice' positions.
4. Compare Protestant ethics on family with those on sexuality.
Protestant ethics on family emphasize marriage as the foundation, with a focus on raising children in the faith. They encourage strong family bonds and parental responsibility. On sexuality, traditional Protestant ethics say that sex should only happen within marriage between a man and a woman. But many modern Protestants accept other forms of sexuality, like same-sex relationships, as compatible with Christian love. The difference is that family ethics tend to be more stable across denominations, while sexual ethics are deeply debated. Both areas reflect the broader Protestant emphasis on Scripture, but interpretations vary widely, leading to both conservative and liberal views.
5. How does the Pentecostal World Fellowship compare to other global Christian networks like the World Council of Churches?
The Pentecostal World Fellowship is different from the World Council of Churches (WCC) in several ways. The WCC includes many mainline Protestant and Orthodox churches, while the Pentecostal fellowship only includes Pentecostal groups. The WCC focuses on ecumenical dialogue and social justice, but the Pentecostal fellowship emphasizes evangelism and spiritual experiences. Pentecostals often feel the WCC is too liberal. The Pentecostal fellowship has no central authority, unlike the WCC which has a headquarters. Both networks aim for Christian unity, but they do it differently. Many Pentecostal churches do not join the WCC because they disagree with its goals.
6. Critique the free will defense by pointing out a potential weakness.
A common critique is that free will defense does not explain natural evil like earthquakes and diseases. These are not caused by human choices, yet they cause immense suffering. The defense only covers moral evil that comes from free actors. Also, some argue that God could create free beings who always freely choose good; that would not violate free will. It assumes that free will must include the ability to do evil, but maybe God could make perfect beings without that ability. Another weakness is that the amount and intensity of evil seem excessive for the purpose of freedom. For example, the Holocaust causes doubt that free will justifies so much horror.
7. Compare the approaches of Schüssler Fiorenza and Trible.
Both scholars want to free the Bible from male bias, but they use different tools. Phyllis Trible focuses on literary and poetic readings of Bible passages, especially stories about women. She stays within the Bible itself and shows how its own words can support women's dignity. Elisabeth Schüssler Fiorenza uses a social-historical approach, asking about the real lives of women in early Christian communities. She also looks at how church traditions have silenced women. Schüssler Fiorenza is more critical of the Bible as a whole, while Trible finds positive value in its stories. Both help readers see that the Bible can speak for women, not against them.
8. What is the Anglican Church's relationship to the Catholic Church?
The Anglican Church started in the 1500s when King Henry VIII broke away from the Catholic Church because the Pope would not let him divorce his wife. So the Anglican Church is a Protestant church, but it kept many Catholic traditions like bishops and liturgical worship. Anglicans do not accept the Pope's authority and consider the Bible and reason important. Some Anglican churches are 'high church' with rituals similar to Catholic Mass, while others are more simple. In recent years, some Anglicans have moved closer to Catholic teachings, but they remain separate. The Archbishop of Canterbury is the leader, but he has no authority over other churches.
9. How do Protestant views on marriage differ from Catholic views?
Protestants see marriage as a holy covenant but not a sacrament, unlike Catholics who consider it one of the seven sacraments. Most Protestants allow divorce and remarriage in some cases, while the Catholic Church generally forbids divorce and does not allow remarriage unless the first marriage is annulled. Protestants also do not require that marriages be performed by a priest; any ordained minister or even a civil official can do it. Many Protestant traditions accept contraception, while the Catholic Church prohibits artificial birth control. So there are significant differences in how the two traditions understand the nature and rules of marriage.
10. Compare Pelagianism and semi-Pelagianism on the role of grace in initiating salvation.
Pelagianism says grace makes salvation easier but is not necessary. Humans can begin to believe in God on their own. Semi-Pelagianism agrees that humans can take the first step toward God by wanting to believe. But semi-Pelagians say that once a person starts, God's grace helps them continue and complete salvation. Augustine and later the Council of Orange condemned semi-Pelagianism. The Catholic and Protestant traditions teach that grace must begin and finish the work of salvation. No human can even desire God without grace first moving the heart. Both Pelagianism and semi-Pelagianism were rejected for giving too much power to human free will.
11. Why does the Irenaean theodicy often appeal to soul-making?
Irenaean theodicy uses soul-making to explain that evil and suffering serve a purpose in shaping human character. Just as physical exercise builds muscle, facing challenges builds virtues like patience and empathy. In this view, the world is a place of moral and spiritual development. If there were no obstacles, people would not grow in love, courage, or faith. The process of soul-making involves learning through hardship, which makes the final state of perfection more valuable. So evil is not a punishment but a tool that God uses to develop his children. This idea is borrowed from the theologian Irenaeus and later developed by John Hick.
12. Why do critics argue that Pelagianism undermines the need for Christ's atonement?
Critics say that if humans can avoid sin by their own will, then Christ's death on the cross is not strictly needed. Pelagianism teaches that people can live perfectly without special help, so why did Jesus have to die? The atonement would only serve as a good example, not as a necessary payment for sin. This reduces the cross to a moral lesson rather than a rescue from sin. Augustine and his followers argued that only a real savior can fix a truly broken human nature. Pelagianism makes salvation something humans can earn, leaving little room for grace. Thus, it weakens the central Christian belief that Christ died to save sinners.