Merit, in general, can be understood as receiving a reward from someone or something for doing a good service or action. However, in the theological context, merit refers to actions that are considered charitable by God. A supernatural reward can then be gifted by God, with the ultimate reward of eternal life in heaven. When it pertains to the subject of merit, one has to state the nature, the conditions, the types, the purpose, and the ending results on the subject of merit. In Christianity, the general concept for merit is constructed and centralized on Jesus. Although, the communion of saints is also centered around merit later in history. It is Jesus whose own merit for honor is the image of suffering and the ultimate sacrifice. Paul …show more content…
Protestant thinkers inherit a tradition that cherishes grace as the moral standard, and typically without the consideration of merit. Reformation theology raises a strict reaction towards medieval thinkers. Medieval thinkers suggested two principles. The principles are that God will reward our good deeds if they are done in charity, we must choose to act, and Free Will is the faculty in which we must merit. A quote from an article titled Retrieving the Moral Significance of Deserving for Protestant Ethics say, “Among the Reformers, John Calvin famously denies that humans have any legitimate claim to positive merit, whether in moral behavior or soteriological status; the good I any virtuous or salvific work comes from God alone” (Turner). Michael R. Turner gives a good explanation on how the basic principle of grace overriding matters in an ethical sense influences protestant thinkers, even those who not follow John Calvin. Along with Calvin, Baius and Jansenists reject the existence of merit. Baius said only good works are those that conform to the law and Jansenists believe that merit does not need true freedom. It is at the Council of Trent where the ideas against merit should have been discussed. Fortunately, because of these claims, the Catholic teaching on merit has been developed through the challenges of coming to conclusions on the
In these Thesis’ Luther basically criticized the church’s wrongful practices and exposed the church’s corruption in order to bring about change in the church. Luther is quoted in Document 3 from his 95 thesis’ “Christian’s should be taught that he who gives to a poor man, or lends to a needy man, does better if he bought pardons.” Luther believed that actions, such as helping others did way more toward saving a person’s soul than buying a pardon did. He saw through the idea that one could by their way into heaven. He brought about new ideas such as God’s grace is the only way into heaven, not buying indulgences, or simply participating in church activities. His ideas eventually spread out all over Europe and his followers formed a group calling themselves Lutherans. This eventually became a protestant denomination, where Luther preached ideas, and his version of christianity. Also other reformist such as John Calvin had their own ideas, like predestination, and that everyone was full of sin until they were saved by christ. “We must resist the lust of the flesh, which, unless kept in order, overflows without measure.” (Document 6) Calvin believed that everyone was filled with this sinful “lust” that could not be kept in order without the power of christ. Calvin also started a sect of christianity nicknamed Calvinist after their leader. Both Luther and Calvin inspired others such as George Fox, who created quakerism, and Ulrich Zwingli who started anabaptism. Overall a huge force that drove the Protestant Reformation was reformers such as Martin Luther and John
In the Light of Reverence is a film about the destruction and exploitation of the sacred lands of the people who have worshipped them for years: the Native Americans. Freedom of religion is something Americans take pride in. However, many religions are still looked down upon for their practices which is displayed clearly in this film. It upsets me greatly to hear how ignorant many people are about the Native American religion. They call the prayer bundles “dirty laundry” and say nature has no “similarities with the church at all” (In the Light of Reverence). Religion has never had a specific definition. All religions have different practices and themes. It just so happens that Native Americans practice their religion in regard to nature. Nature is sacred land to Native Americans and as one women said in the film, “you can’t have a religion without the land” (In the Light of Reverence). Native Americans have always believed that natural world is holy. Destroying the Earth will never lead to world peace (Lyons 11). I agree with the Native Americans that we need to have more respect for the Earth we live on. Chief Oren Lyons said in his essay, “we need to learn how to respect nature” (Lyons 6). If we keep treating the
beliefs of John Calvin, and one of the major ideals they focused on was the
Many works of literature have been known to have their words wrap around a certain subject such as gender, politics, and experiences. But some works go into a more personal level such as religion. In Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” and Salman Rushdie’s “Imagine There’s No Heaven”, they talk about the strength in the relationship between individuality and religion. These two authors have written their stories based on how an individual’s life, choices, and beliefs can or can be altered by the religion that surrounds them. As one reads these stories, they might be able to notice that they have a lot in common but there are many difference on what the stories are actually about. These two authors have expressed the relationship between individuals and religion through the similarities, differences, and resolutions.
Martin Luther inspired another thinker of the time that questioned the Church’s beliefs. That man was John Calvin. The Catholic belief during the Renaissance and Reformation was that one’s good deeds hel...
...s did not have to be run by a religious leader or Monarchist and that a person’s life did not have to be centered on religion or the afterlife. If it were not for the Reformation and Counter-Reformation, the world we live in now would be a much different place. The Protestant Reformation was a major building block of history, and some would say our country.
Justification by faith is of great importance, it is the foundation of our whole position and standing with God. Martin Luther wrote, “When the article of justification has fallen, everything has fallen.” John Calvin called it, “the main hinge on which religion turns.” Thomas Watson said, “Justification is the very hinge and pillar of Christianity.” The issue of Justification was the primary dispute between the reformers and the Roman Catholic Church, and the problem was, and still is, between salvation by faith alone and salvation based on good works.
... Christ and for his role in overcoming evil and suffering, and with the idea that the negative effects of suffering can be countered by compassionate love of others.
The sociology of religion is easiest to define by understanding the core of sociology. According to Ronald Johnstone in Religion and Society, the goal of sociology is to “[understand] the dynamics of group life” and “[understand] the influence of groups on individual and collective behavior” (Johnstone 2). This goal is sought under the assumption that “people become human only in groups” (Johnstone 4). Thus, the sociology of religion is the study of religion from the perspective of humans as communicative and influenceable beings, both on an individual level and more importantly, as religious groups. This means that the sociology of religion is less about specific religious belief systems and more about the implications and influence of religious
A Mercy is strongly concerned with themes of religion and mercy and their connection and their divergence. It depicts a range of religious communities and paradigms: colonial Roman Catholics, Anabaptists and Presbyterians, English Anglicans and Quakers, and an amalgam of aboriginal American, African, and European beliefs in Lina’s character. Nearly all of religious groups appear more preoccupied with divine retribution than with salvific grace. Rebekah reveals that “Religion, as [she] experienced it from her mother, was a flame fueled by a wondrous hatred.”
Martyrdom was common for many of the saints of the early Christian church. This act of selflessness and total devotion to God occurred when a Christian during the establishment of the churches in the East and West were identified by authorities and remained steadfast in identifying as a Christian. When a Christian was sentenced to death for being so and was willing to undergo suffering for their beliefs, this is referred to as martyrdom. Many of the saints we recognize have paid this ultimate sacrifice in order to ensure the growth of the Church, the spreading of the Good News and to be an example to other faithful people that if one remains steadfast in faith in Jesus Christ that any amount of physical and earthly pain can be overcome. The
This emphasis on doing, on acting to transform a sinful world, became one of the chief characteristics of Calvinism. “In emphasizing God 's sovereignty, Calvin 's Institutes lead the reader to believe that no person, king, bishop, or anyone else can demand our ultimate loyalty” (Curtis).
John Calvin faced many obstacles as a second generation reformer such as the inability to obtain citizenship until 1559. He was the founder of the Reformed church which has now transcended into Christian Reformed and Presbyterian churches. While lacking the necessary power and support to emerge as quickly and strongly as past reformers. Calvin is discredited for bad scholarship, lack of originality and being viewed more so as a politician, rather than a reformer. What separated Calvin from other sixteenth-century writers was his aptitude as a thinker and wordsmith, and, above all, his absolute devotion to scripture and personal beliefs. In the public’s eye, Calvin walked and spoke with sheer reliance and conviction. Although he seemed confident to those around him, Calvin understood his weaknesses and strived for absolute perfection in his theology and devotion to not only the reformation, but ultimately God. One of the most evident fortitudes throughout his life was the acute awareness he had in his remarkable confidence in his calling and intelligence. Calvin often became menacingly prone to moments of shoddy acumen on account of his anger. Given his feats and pitfalls, Calvin was one of the most influential reformers of the sixteenth century and this can be accredited chiefly to his sense of self-realization and devotion to absolute perfection.
...e greatest among the Compsons. Both Dilsey and Jesus chose to commit their time to serve others rather than worrying about themselves. A term often used for this is “dying to self,” or in other words risking your wants and lifestyle to help others. There is a slim amount of people these days that have this gift, because selfishness has taken over selflessness. Therefore, to acquire a selfless attitude we must go against our desires for power, popularity, and prominence, hence why we are all selfish. We choose to take the easy way out because being selfless requires you to go out of your way and put your desires to the side for a while. No one is obligated to be a servant to others; therefore, we can more easily see the ones in our society who are, compared to the ones who are not. The choice to be a servant can reveal a certain character that everyone loves.
The central assertion of Calvinism canons is that God is able to save from the tyranny of sin, from guilt and the fear of death, every one of those upon whom he is willing to have mercy. God is not frustrated by the unrighteousness or the inability of men because it is the unrighteous and the helpless that he intends to save. In Calvinism man, in his state of innocency, had freedom and power to will and to do that, which is good and well pleasing to God; but yet mutably, so that he might fall from it. This concept of free choice makes Calvinism to stand supreme among all the religious systems of the world. The great men of our country often were members of Calvinist Church. We had the number of Presbyterian presidents, legislators, jurists, authors, editors, teachers and businessmen. The revolutionary principles of republican liberty and self-government, taught and embodied in ...