Small Group Discussion Questions
This document contains questions for your group discussion.
- Questions for Understanding the Core Principles
Question: How does Bishop Barron’s definition of God as Actus Purus (“pure actuality”) distinguish the Christian God from other deities or concepts of a “supreme being”? Why is this distinction crucial for defending Christian beliefs against modern intellectual challenges?
Question: Barron uses the image of the burning bush from Exodus 3 to explain God’s non-competitive transcendence. What does this mean, and how does it challenge the modern atheistic critique that the affirmation of God necessitates the denial of humanity?
Question: According to the text, why is God’s act of creation understood as a “gratuitous overflow of His own intrinsic goodness and love,” rather than an act of necessity or need? What does the principle of bonum diffusivum sui (“the good is self-diffusive”) reveal about our relationship with God?
Question: What is the significance of the Nicene Creed’s distinction between “begotten, not made” and the word homoousios (“consubstantial with the Father”)? Why did the early Church, particularly St. Athanasius, believe that the salvation of humanity depended on this specific Trinitarian language?
Question: Barron argues that original sin is fundamentally a “liturgical disorder” or “misdirected worship.” What does he mean by this, and how does this definition help explain why humanity cannot save itself?
- Questions for Growing in Intimacy with Jesus
Question: The chapter presents God as the “un-originated origin” and the “ever-generous source.” How does this understanding of God as a non-competitive, life-giving source change your perception of God’s relationship with you personally?
Question: Barron connects the continuous act of creation, symbolized by the “singer sustaining a song,” to the idea that God is “closer to us than we are to ourselves.” How does the awareness of God’s constant, moment-by-moment presence affect your daily prayer life and your sense of self-worth?
Question: The text states that the moral life is not about following rules to appease a demanding God, but about participating in God’s own life of self-giving love. What are some specific ways you can practice this “participation” in your own life this week?
Question: The chapter’s conclusion discusses moving from a “mind of fear” to a “mind of trust” in God the Father. What are some fears or anxieties that prevent you from fully trusting in God’s love and generosity? How can a deeper understanding of God as the non-competitive Father help you release those fears?
Question: The phrase “The glory of God is a human being fully alive” is a central theme. What does it look like for you to be “fully alive” as a person made in God’s image? How does this concept inspire you to pursue a deeper relationship with Jesus?
When Time Allows Reflect on the Posts in Library and Musings
Sharing
Jesus last words on Earth were to his disciples, can be found in Matthew Chap 28 when Jesus told his disciples, “Then Jesus approached and said to them, “All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”
Jesus calls all of us to share in his redemptive mission here on Earth. I would ask you to share this Scripture reflection with your family, your friends and your acquaintances, and then share it with a couple of individuals that you may may not be comfortable sharing with, keeping in mind always the words of Jesus, And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age
Author was assisted by AI in the drafting of this Post