Doctrine Analysis
Doctrine Analysis
This curriculum’s doctrine registry tracks 40 doctrines drawn from Romans 1-16, each recorded in full in doctrine_risk_registry.json with its risk tier, key terms, primary passages, and review routing.
Risk distribution
- Critical (3): Salvation, Sainthood, and Prayer and Intercession — the smallest Critical count of any language in this Language Package’s cohort, reflecting that Filipino Catholic culture already affirms core Christology; risk concentrates narrowly in folk-devotional practice.
- High (12): doctrines including Messianic Promise, Incarnation, Deity of Christ, Sonship of Christ, Lordship of Christ, and Grace, where mistranslation or unclarified rendering creates meaningful theological confusion even though outright denial is not the concern.
- Medium (22): the largest tier in this registry, covering doctrines like Gospel, Apostleship, Faith, Adoption, and Church as God’s People, where existing Filipino Christian vocabulary is comparatively well understood and low-risk.
- Low (3): Thanksgiving, Mutual Edification, and Christian Fellowship, cleared for automated review.
Why this registry looks different from the rest of the cohort
Every other language in this Language Package’s cohort has its highest-risk doctrines concentrated in Critical and High tiers because a competing religious or cosmological framework offers a fluent, tempting wrong word. Filipino inverts that shape: 22 of 40 doctrines sit at Medium risk specifically because centuries of Catholic catechesis already got the core vocabulary right. The risk that remains is narrower but no less real — it is about which of several already-legitimate practices (saint intercession, sacramental participation) a reader will implicitly treat as functionally equivalent to what Romans assigns to Christ alone.
Why Prayer and Intercession is the single highest-priority doctrine
Unlike Salvation and Sainthood, which risk conceptual confusion, Prayer and Intercession risks direct functional substitution: a reader can pray through a saint for years without ever examining whether that structurally competes with Christ’s unique mediatorial role. This makes it the doctrine most likely to be affected by translation choices without anyone noticing a problem.
Review routing summary
15 of 40 doctrines (all Critical and High) route to mandatory human theologian review; 22 Medium-risk doctrines route to native speaker review; 3 Low-risk doctrines are cleared for automated review only. See doctrine_risk_registry.json’s risk_summary block for the exact counts.
Critical Risk Doctrines
Prayer and Intercession
Filipino name: Panalangin at Pamamagitan
Key terms: prayer, intercession, pray, groan, spirit intercedes
Review routing: Human theologian
CRITICAL: Pamamagitan ng mga santo (intercession of the saints and Mary as a go-between for specific needs) is a central, extremely common devotional practice. Every occurrence needs a teaching note affirming Christ’s intercession as unique and sufficient.
Sainthood (Called to be Holy)
Filipino name: Pagtawag na Maging Banal
Key terms: saints, holy ones, called to be holy
Review routing: Human theologian
CRITICAL: Mga banal is the same term used for canonized Catholic saints venerated with feast days, images, and novenas. Every occurrence needs a teaching note clarifying that Romans applies this word to every believer, not an elite canonized class.
Salvation
Filipino name: Kaligtasan
Key terms: salvation, saved, save, deliverance
Review routing: Human theologian
CRITICAL: Folk-Catholic practice can treat salvation as mechanically secured through receiving the sacraments apart from genuine faith. Every occurrence needs explicit framing distinguishing faith-received salvation from ritual-guaranteed salvation.
High Risk Doctrines
Assurance of Salvation
Filipino name: Katiyakan ng Kaligtasan
Key terms: nothing can separate, who shall separate, no condemnation, more than conquerors
Review routing: Human theologian
Assurance rests on God’s unchanging character and Christ’s finished work, not on the ongoing performance of sacramental obligations.
Christian Identity in Christ
Filipino name: Pagkakakilanlan sa Kristo
Key terms: in Christ, in Christ Jesus, united with Christ, dead to sin alive to God
Review routing: Human theologian
Identity is located in union with Christ, not in denominational affiliation or frequency of sacramental participation.
Deity of Christ
Filipino name: Pagka-Diyos ni Kristo
Key terms: son of God, declared son, God over all
Review routing: Human theologian
Already affirmed in Filipino Catholic catechesis; risk is devotional dilution through disproportionate attention to Mary or particular saints rather than outright denial.
Grace
Filipino name: Biyaya
Key terms: grace, unmerited, gift, given freely
Review routing: Human theologian
Unmerited favor must be distinguished from utang na loob, the deeply held Filipino social value of a debt of gratitude requiring repayment.
Incarnation
Filipino name: Pagkakatawang-Tao
Key terms: flesh, seed of David, son born, came in flesh
Review routing: Human theologian
Risk here is devotional localization: intense attachment to specific miraculous images (the Santo Niño) can shift focus from the historical incarnation to a particular statue’s perceived power.
Lordship of Christ
Filipino name: Pagka-Panginoon ni Kristo
Key terms: lord, lord jesus, jesus is lord
Review routing: Human theologian
Romans 10:9’s confession is the salvation-defining statement; must not be diluted by devotional attention shared broadly with Mary and the saints.
Messianic Promise
Filipino name: Pangako ng Mesiyas
Key terms: messiah, christ, anointed, promised
Review routing: Human theologian
Filipino Catholic tradition has no rival messianic figure; the teaching task is connecting Mesiyas back to its OT roots rather than guarding against a competing concept.
Obedience of Faith
Filipino name: Pagsunod na Mula sa Pananampalataya
Key terms: obedience of faith, obedience, faith-produced obedience
Review routing: Human theologian
Obedience flowing from faith, not sacramental or ritual compliance performed to secure standing.
Power of God for Salvation
Filipino name: Kapangyarihan ng Diyos para sa Kaligtasan
Key terms: power of God, God’s power
Review routing: Human theologian
God’s own power to save; never anting-anting (folk amulets believed to grant supernatural power or protection).
Sonship of Christ
Filipino name: Pagka-Anak ni Kristo
Key terms: son of God, his son, God’s son
Review routing: Human theologian
Eternal, unique Sonship; teaching should keep Christ’s Sonship central against competing devotional attention.
Universal Human Accountability
Filipino name: Pananagutan ng Lahat ng Tao
Key terms: all have sinned, no one is righteous, no distinction, all are accountable
Review routing: Human theologian
All humanity stands equally guilty before a personal God; must be retained without exception for those who are especially devout or regularly observant of sacramental practice.
Universal Scope of the Gospel
Filipino name: Pandaigdigang Saklaw ng Mabuting Balita
Key terms: everyone who believes, all who call, no distinction, Jew and Gentile
Review routing: Human theologian
No ethnic, social, or regional (Luzon/Visayas/Mindanao) barrier to the gospel; must retain unqualified universality.
Medium Risk Doctrines
Adoption into God’s Family
Filipino name: Pag-ampon sa Pamilya ng Diyos
Key terms: adoption, spirit of adoption, sons, children of God, abba
Review routing: Native speaker review
Filipino adoption custom is culturally well understood; the emphasis needed is that this sonship is full, permanent, and comes with complete inheritance rights.
Apostleship
Filipino name: Pagka-Apostol
Key terms: apostle
Review routing: Native speaker review
Established loanword with low syncretism risk; comparatively straightforward in Filipino Christian usage.
Christ-Centered Ministry
Filipino name: Paglilingkod na Nakasentro kay Kristo
Key terms: what Christ has accomplished through me, in Christ Jesus, minister of Christ
Review routing: Native speaker review
Ministry done in Christ’s name and by his power for his glory, not humanitarian service performed to accumulate personal religious merit or status.
Church as God’s People
Filipino name: Iglesia bilang Bayan ng Diyos
Key terms: body of Christ, one body, church, saints, assembly
Review routing: Native speaker review
A new-covenant community, not merely the physical parish building (simbahan) or its institutional hierarchy.
Davidic Covenant
Filipino name: Tipan kay David
Key terms: seed of David, David, covenant
Review routing: Native speaker review
Requires OT background teaching; no significant competing folk concept.
Divine Calling
Filipino name: Pagtawag ng Diyos
Key terms: called, calling
Review routing: Native speaker review
God’s personal call should be distinguished from swerte/kapalaran (luck/fate), a common folk-fatalistic framing.
Effectual Calling
Filipino name: Mabisang Pagtawag
Key terms: called, calling, election, chosen
Review routing: Native speaker review
God’s sovereign call that secures the salvation of the called; not swerte/kapalaran (luck/fate).
Evangelism
Filipino name: Pagpapahayag ng Ebanghelyo
Key terms: preach, proclaim, evangelize, send, how will they hear
Review routing: Native speaker review
Use language of witness and proclamation; comparatively lower social sensitivity than in this Language Package’s Muslim-majority or Buddhist-majority contexts, but still requires care given denominational sensitivities within Philippine Christianity.
Faith
Filipino name: Pananampalataya
Key terms: faith, believe, belief, trust
Review routing: Native speaker review
Personal trust in Christ; well-established term with comparatively low ambiguity risk.
Fulfillment of Prophecy
Filipino name: Katuparan ng Propesiya
Key terms: prophecy, promised, foretold, scriptures say
Review routing: Native speaker review
Linear, one-time historical fulfillment (OT to NT); comparatively low syncretism risk in this Language Package.
Gospel
Filipino name: Mabuting Balita
Key terms: gospel, good news
Review routing: Native speaker review
Well-established term across Catholic and Protestant usage; comparatively low syncretism risk in this Language Package.
Humanity of Christ
Filipino name: Pagkatao ni Kristo
Key terms: born of the seed of David, flesh, human
Review routing: Native speaker review
Already clearly affirmed in Filipino Catholic catechesis; comparatively low doctrinal risk.
Inspiration of Scripture
Filipino name: Inspirasyon ng Kasulatan
Key terms: scriptures, holy scriptures, prophets
Review routing: Native speaker review
God-breathed Scripture should be distinguished from Church tradition and magisterial teaching as separate, equally weighted authorities, a distinction relevant given the Philippines’ majority-Catholic theological context.
Kingdom Mission
Filipino name: Misyon ng Kaharian ng Diyos
Key terms: kingdom of God, righteousness peace and joy, advance the kingdom
Review routing: Native speaker review
God’s reign advancing through gospel proclamation; not a political or denominational-institutional project.
Mission to the Nations
Filipino name: Misyon sa mga Bansa
Key terms: nations, gentiles, all peoples, to the ends of the earth
Review routing: Native speaker review
Established term with some historical association with Spanish colonial-era friar orders; teaching should keep the focus on proclamation by ordinary believers.
Peace with God
Filipino name: Kapayapaan sa Diyos
Key terms: peace with God, peace, peace through justification
Review routing: Native speaker review
Relational, covenantal peace secured through justification; comparatively low syncretism risk.
Providence
Filipino name: Kalinga ng Diyos
Key terms: all things work together, God works, foreknew, predestined, called, justified, glorified
Review routing: Native speaker review
God’s personal, purposive, loving care; never reduced to bahala na (fatalistic resignation).
Resurrection of Christ
Filipino name: Muling Pagkabuhay ni Kristo
Key terms: raised, resurrection, from the dead, raised from death
Review routing: Native speaker review
Already clearly affirmed in Filipino Catholic catechesis, including the widely observed Easter (Pasko ng Pagkabuhay) tradition; comparatively low doctrinal risk.
Sanctification
Filipino name: Pagpapabanal
Key terms: sanctification, holiness, set apart, holy living
Review routing: Native speaker review
The Spirit’s ongoing work of making believers holy; well-established term with comparatively low syncretism risk.
Separation unto God’s Service
Filipino name: Paghihiwalay Para sa Paglilingkod sa Diyos
Key terms: set apart, separated, holy
Review routing: Native speaker review
Should not be confused with entering a religious vocation (pagpapari, pagmomonghe) as the primary model of devoted service; biblical separation applies to every believer in ordinary life.
Spiritual Gifts
Filipino name: Kaloob na Espirituwal
Key terms: spiritual gift, gift, grace gift, measure of faith
Review routing: Native speaker review
Spirit-given enablements for service, never anting-anting (folk amulets believed to grant supernatural power).
Unity of Jews and Gentiles
Filipino name: Pagkakaisa ng mga Judio at Hentil
Key terms: Jew and Gentile, no distinction, one body, olive tree
Review routing: Native speaker review
Requires OT/NT background teaching; comparatively low direct cultural-analogue risk in the Filipino context.
Low Risk Doctrines
Christian Fellowship
Filipino name: Pagsasamahang Kristiyano
Key terms: fellowship, share, participate, community
Review routing: Automated review
Shared participation in Christ; minimal doctrinal risk.
Mutual Edification
Filipino name: Pagpapatibay sa Isa’t Isa
Key terms: build up, edify, encourage one another, strengthen
Review routing: Automated review
Building one another up in faith; minimal doctrinal risk.
Thanksgiving
Filipino name: Pasasalamat
Key terms: thanksgiving, give thanks, grateful, thank God
Review routing: Automated review
Standard term; minimal doctrinal risk.
Referenced passages