In his book, Introducing theologies Of Religion, Paul Knitter discusses four different models of how Christians may respond to religions that are not their own. The models are: the replacement model, the fulfillment model, the mutuality model, and the acceptance model. The book is organized in fours parts, a part for each model. Knitter begins with the Replacement model; he says that the Fundamentalists use this model the most. Fundamentalists and Evangelicals make up a big part of contemporary Christianity. Knitter uses a quote by Martin Marty on page 19 to stress the presence of Fundamentalist and Evangelicals, comparing them to the rocky mountains of the American landscape, hard to miss. Knitter stresses that people should not dismiss …show more content…
In the 20th century, a Swiss theologian, Karl Barth did revitalize this model even though he was not a fundamentalist. After witnessing WWI, Barth did not see the optimism from the 19th century and believed “human beings cannot get their act together by themselves. But with God, they can” (p.24), meaning that humans are naturally sinful so they need God. This belief stems from the New Testament, especially from St. Paul and the Reformers. Knitter explains how it can all be broken down into 4 alones: grace alone, faith alone, Christ alone, and Scripture alone. These inspire Protestant Christians. Another belief from Barthe is “Religion is unbelief” (p.25), which basically explains how religions are flawed since they are human creation therefore religion hinders our connection to God.
This belief is a huge contradiction to Barth’s other beliefs. According to “religion is unbelief”, Christianity is no better then other religions, however Barth stands by the replacement model believing that Christianity will replace all other religions. However, a strength of the Replacement model is its alignment with the scripture and church tradition, acknowledgment of evil hence the need for grace, and its view of Jesus, which reflect early
H.J McCloskey’s article, “On Being an Atheist,” is an attempt to show atheism as a more practical alternative to the Christian belief. McCloskey reasons against the theistic beliefs of the cosmological argument, the teleological argument and design. He references the presence of evil in a world created by God and the absurdity of living by faith. This article is an attempt to reason that God does not exist because He is perfect and the world is not perfect; evil exists therefore God cannot exist. McCloskey’s article labels these arguments as “proofs” and concludes none of these arguments would be evidence of God’s existence. I find McCloskey’s article to lack logic and coherence which only serves to invalidate his arguments. I find this little more than an attempt to justify his own atheistic worldview.
There are probably as many definitions of religion as there are religions themselves. Behind the definitions lie differing intentions and originate from various sources. Everyone from scholars, to religious leaders, to scientists has weighed in his or her opinion. Even an entire field of academic study arose to help define religion. This academic study of religion has proven useful in facilitating a better definition of religion, as it has identified six key aspects to create a decent definition of religion (Shulman, Definitions of Religion Quiz). The six points are not being bias, not being too narrow, not being too broad, being substantive, being functional, and being comprehensive. Three definitions of religion—one acceptable, one lacking, and this author’s own—go through a compare-and-contrast analysis using these six points as the basis of critique in order to illustrate what makes a definition of religion either acceptable or lacking.
The religious Maximalist approach to religion Lincoln notes, rather than "fundamentalist" a Maximalist believes that religion should permeate all aspects of social , indeed of human existence"(5). Basically what Lincoln is saying that Maximalists believe religion should take precedence in our social order and not be constrained to any singular facet of our social world. Lincoln also uses the term Minimalist which is more or less the opposite of Maximalist. Minimalists, believe that religion should be "restricted to an important set of (chiefly metaphysical) terms, protects its privileges against state intrusion but restricts its activity and influence to its specialized sphere"(5). The Minimalist makes sure that religion stays within its own "sphere" and does not spill over into economical or political order.
The United States is commonly thought to be on an inevitable march towards secularization. Scientific thought and the failure of the enlightenment to reconcile the concept of god within a scientific framework are commonly thought to have created the antithesis of religious practice in the rise of the scientific method. However, the rise of doubt and the perception that secularization is increasing over time has in actuality caused an increase in religious practice in the United States through episodic revivals. Moreover, practice of unbelief has developed into a movement based in the positive assertion in the supplantation of God by the foundations of science, or even in the outright disbelief in God. The perception of increasing secularism in the United States spurs religious revivalism which underscores the ebb and flow of religious practice in the United States and the foundation of alternative movements which combines to form the reality that the United States is not marching towards secularism but instead religious diversity.
Molloy, Michael. Experiencing the World's Religions. 5th Edition. New York, NY: McGraw Hill, 2010. 320-322. Print.
...ered a depth of understanding of the progression of the fundamentalist movement, and through that have come to better appreciate its impact on American culture. I have also obtained a better outlook on how the movement’s leaders interpreted and responded to their context which lead to further developments of fundamentalism. Previous assumptions of this movement have been reevaluated and adjusted from a flat narcissistic view of militarism fundamentalism to one that seeings the complex nuances within the overall movement. I appreciated the comprehensive analysis that included both the intellectual and social forces which made the whole movement comprehendible to the reader. One can see clearly where the antebellum period, Baconism, Common Sense realism, Premillennialism, Pietism, and many other influences contributed to the fundamentalist view within American society.
...en civilization and the individual. Living in a nation still recovering from a brutally violent war (Germany), Freud began to criticize organized religion as a collective neurosis, or mental disorder. Freud, a strong proponent of atheism, argued that religion tamed asocial instincts and created a sense of community because of the shared set of beliefs. This undoubtedly helped a civilization. However, at the same time organized religion also exacts an enormous psychological cost to the individual by making him or her perpetually subordinate to the primal figure embodied by God.
There are several aspects to consider when exploring the Christian worldview. There are many facets or denominations and they each have their own distinct beliefs and practices, but they all share the same fundamental beliefs. In this Paper we will explore the character of God, His creation, humanity and its nature, Jesus’ significance to the world, and the restoration of humanity, as well as my beliefs and the way that I interact with Christianity and my personal worldview.
Smart, Ninian. "Blackboard, Religion 100." 6 March 2014. Seven Dimensions of Religion. Electronic Document. 6 March 2014.
Oxtoby, Willard G., and Alan F. Segal. A Concise Introduction to World Religions. Oxford, Canada: Oxford University Press, 2007.
America is a melting pot of culture and race. Thus, bringing many different types of religious faiths to today’s society. Whether the beliefs are ancient, new, reconstructed or if people have no faith at all, it is all in America. It is difficult to scrutinize one religion without it concerning another. All religions have diverse beliefs ranging from; the belief of...
“Religion is an institution established by man for various reasons. Exert control; instill morality, stroke egos, or whatever it does. Organized, structured religions all but remove god from the equation. You confess your sins to a clergy member, go to elaborate churches to worship, and told what to pray and when to pray it. All those factors remove you from god.”
Religious Fundamentalism is not a modern phenomenon, although, there has received a rise in the late twentieth century. It occurs differently in different parts of the world but arises in societies that are deeply troubled or going through a crisis (Heywood, 2012, p. 282). The rise in Religious Fundamentalism can be linked to the secularization thesis which implies that victory of reason over religion follows modernization. Also, the moral protest of faiths such as Islam and Christianity can be linked to the rise of Religious Fundamentalism, as they protest the influence of corruption and pretence that infiltrate their beliefs from the spread of secularization (Heywood, 2012, p. 283). Religious Fundamentalists have followed a traditional political thought process yet, have embraced a militant style of activity which often can turn violent (Heywood, 2012, p. 291). To be a fundamentalist is to wholly believe in the doctrine they are preaching or professing and will go to any lengths possible to have these beliefs implemented by their government , even using force or violence ( Garner, Ferdinand and Lawson, 2007, p. 149). All religions have a fundamentalist element, however, there is more of a significant conflict with Islamic fundamentalists and Christian fundamentalists. It is wrongly thought fundamentalism is exclusively linked to Islamic fundamentalist such as the jihadi group al-Qaeda nonetheless Christianity is the world's largest religion and is bond to have some fundamentalist component such as the Christian New Right in the Unites States of America (Garner, Ferdinand and Lawson, 2007, p. 150).
..., this paper will talk about the forms and structure of fundamentalism specifically in Christianity and Islam. To begin the inquiry of what fundamentalism is it’s pertinent to understand how it is structured, how it responds to mainstream religions and why it exists. To define fundamentalism, fundamentalism is a reaction, whether it be religious or political, against current societal mainstream dogma or ideology. With this reaction against any set of mainstream ideology politically and religiously, what makes a group fundamentalist are define through these characteristics as Richard T. Antoun of State University of New York at Binghamton. These Antoun defines fundamentalism as, “Fundamentalist movements are defined ideologically, by their opposition to and reaction against the ideology that suits the permissive secular society, the ideology of modernism” (Antoun, 3)
THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR THE PSYCHOLOGY OF RELIGION. (2009). Journal of Psychology and Theology, 37(1), 72. Retrieved April 21, 2009, from ProQuest Religion database. (Document ID: 1675034711).