Theology is the study of God and the first topic “Doing theology in our context; sign of our times” introduced me to the meaning of studying theology and the importance of relating it to contemporary times and our own context to enhance our understanding. Using objectives in our society that we are surrounded by such as conflict, racism, violence and technology that are being introduced to future generations who will eventually have entitlements to vote and be responsible for their well-being. We explored societal problems such as; addiction, social decline within religion, families and communities just to name a few. Relating concepts to human emotions and nature were beauty, love and hope. The use of modernism and post-modernism in theology and where it place’s itself in contemporary times.
‘Faith and revelation, in relation to our self communication with God’ is the significance of a personal experience and how it shapes our faith. Concepts introduced to me were primordial faith meaning strength or a purpose and religious faith is something that deepens, extends and transforms a person’s faith to an extent that it shapes the way they live and approach daily life. This led to objectives that block or enhance our self-communication with God that impacts a person’s faith.
‘The mystery of God: Images and God Language’ is exploring our image of God and the way other people see God whether they feel fear, gives a harsh image as a result of prior experience or pushes people away from religion. However, if your image of God is compassionate and loving this enhances an individual’s image of God as this is how we would like people to view God.
Analysing contemporary culture to portray an image of God was analysing ‘God is a DJ’ by Pink. We can relate this song to 21st century generations as we live in a society where music has a predominant place and it is a great way to relate theology to contemporary times. My interpretation is that it is by choice the way you view God and Pink’s song is poetic in that the DJ is God and the DJ manipulates/mixes music as can God. Other key concepts explored were Theism when someone believes that God exists and Atheism when someone believes that God does not exist. Agnosticism is a person who is a fence sitter and does not believe in God however, they can come to terms with the reality if there is a God.
In this essay, the author
- Opines that exploring the blockers and enhancers of faith can have huge or little effect on their individual opinion. they think media could be causing horrible mental illness in young people.
- Explains that exploring faith and revelation in contemporary culture was interesting to learn how people in different periods of time experienced theology differently.
- Explains that theology is the study of god and the importance of relating it to contemporary times and our own context.
- Opines that the vatican council has had to be open to contemporary culture and the massive changes that have evolved since the 16th century.
Related
- explanatory
- analytical
- argumentative
- Personal Theology of Discipleshipexplanatory essayPersonal Theology of Discipleship Just what is theology? This question can have a wide variety of answers, from irrelevant facts about God thought up by men centuries ago, to complicated theories discussed by scholars. Typically, the average 21st century man does not consider theology as relevant. Unfortunately, nothing could be further from the truth.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that theology can have a wide variety of answers, from irrelevant facts about god thought up by men centuries ago, to complicated theories discussed by scholars. theology and the church are intricately combined.
- Explains that since jesus issued the great commission, many systems have been put in place to obey it. three models were reviewed in order to ascertain best practices and obey this command.
- Explains the integrated competency-based training model (icbt), based on the great commission of jesus in matthew 28:19-20.
- Describes the discipleship consortium model, which borrows from paul's description of the body in 1 corinthians 12:12-31.
- Explains that breen, m., and cockram, s. (2011). building a discipling culture.
- Explains the lifeshapes model, which utilizes three learning tools to build a culture for discipleship.
- Explains richard foster's celebration of discipline, which was first published in 1978. it presented sets of disciplines that, if followed, would serve as vehicles for a deeper relationship with christ as well as preparation for service.
- Explains that the discipleship consortium model is committed to a theology of revelation that is embodied in the church.
- Explains that the church leadership employs situational leadership in ephesians 4:11, where the follower is evaluated in reference to the five levels of ministry.
- Explains how the icbt model adapted the three main areas, knowing, being, and doing, insuring complete and accurate transference of these concepts.
- Explains the discipleship consortium model, which incorporates a consortium of churches who are willing to be part of an expanding ministry.
- Explains that dietrich bonhoeffer's discipleship as theological praxis is a resource for educational ministry. mwangi, j. k., & klerk, b.
1779 wordsRead More - "EXPLORING THEOLOGY 1 & 2." EXPLORING THEOLOGY 1 2. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 May 2014.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that theology is an intentionally reflective endeavor. we reflect upon the real, vital, and true experience of the benevolent god that exists.
- Argues that protest atheism is a false theological view and that evil occurrences are sometimes uncontrollable.
- Explains that parenthesis is similar to pantheists believe the entire universe is one with god, but they also believe that multiple gods exist in the universe.
- Explains that the statement "an omnipotent and good nature would never allow suffering that is unjust" is false. just because evil occurs does not mean that god is not capable of doing everything and anything.
- Opines that protest atheists need to step aside and view the big picture of what happens everyday in society.
- Describes exploring theology 1 & 2. n.p., n.d.
- Opines that karl marx on religion: the opiate of the masses? about.com agnosticism / atheism.
- Explains where was god? an interview with david bentley hart. n.p., n.d.
- Explains that deism is the belief in a single creator god, yet they reject revealed religion. deists believe that god lacks the ability to interfere with his creation.
- Analyzes how marx's views on religion are examples of how even the most intelligent philosophers can interpret the actions of the church in a different manner.
- Concludes that the pessimistic views of protest atheism inaccurately do this in a very close-minded approach.
1850 wordsRead More - Essay About Faithanalytical essayMany sources define faith as a belief in something not based upon proof, an intangible trust that a person holds close to their heart despite inconclusive evidence. This notion of faith depicts both ones wishes that their favorite sports team will win a match tomorrow and a hope that they will return safely from distant travels. Many also use this same term – “Faith” – to describe an individual’s given religious beliefs. This notion of religious faith infers that faith in God is something exclusively spiritual and nonconcrete – a belief only supported by inexplicable ideas as opposed to facts and evidence. Yet, as one begins to examine faith further, they come to realize that faith reaches far beyond an individual’s spiritual experience. Although many classify faith as intangible and lacking in proof, religious faith is in fact a concrete reality of life that displays the emotional, physical, and experiential aspects of the human soul. In Proverbs 3: 1-12, the author exemplifies how the emotional, physical, and experiential aspects of faith should play out regularly in everyday life.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that faith is a concrete reality of life that displays the emotional, physical, and experiential aspects of the human soul.
- Analyzes how proverbs falls under the category of wisdom literature and offers advice on honoring and fearing the lord. the heart symbolizes a person's emotional, rational, and spiritual self.
- Analyzes how explains how one should involve his physical body in faith. the shema calls the faithful to follow the lord with their heart and body.
- Explains that faith is not just a feeling or belief; it is an all-encompassing way of life. the faithful must trust and revere the lord with their entire emotional, physical, and experiential life
- Explains that faith is an emotion, spiritual experience that must surround and penetrate our hearts, as well as a physical experience. faith includes our careers, relationships, wealth, sadness, and happiness.
864 wordsRead More - Theology of Revelationanalytical essayIntroduction Trinitarian theology within the book of Revelation is not at first sight easily recognisable amongst the plethora of images and prophecies that are recorded. The beauty of John’s theology is that the Trinity is deeply embedded in the text so that the reader must dissect the book in order to glimpse the theological beauty that is present. This essay will seek to explore the threads of the Holy Trinity that appear in the book of Revelation by looking at the characteristics of God, the specific Christology of John and the role of the Holy Spirit in the book of Revelation. In looking at each of these three areas as distinct yet overlapping threads I hope to give a succinct and scholastic Trinitarian theology of Revelation. Characteristics of God in Revelation
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the trinity is deeply embedded in john's theology, and this essay seeks to explore the threads of the holy trinity that appear in the book of revelation.
- Explains woodman's view that god permeates the entire book of revelation. god is behind the book as the vision giver, in the book as a character, and within the whole narrative.
- Explains that angelomorphic christology is the appearance of christ in angelic like form, which differs from a christophany. the seven descriptions are not complete on their own but they form part of john's christological coin.
- Analyzes why john portrays jesus the way he does. the image of the lamb is the main area of distinctiveness in john's christology.
- Describes his initial entry into his visionary trance, "i was in the spirit on the lord’s day."
- Narrates how they entered heaven and were in the spirit, and there stood a throne, with one seated on it.
- Narrates how they witnessed the judgment of the great whore. he carried them away in the spirit into a wilderness, and saw the woman sitting on the scarlet beast.
- Cites aune, david e., in apocalypticism, prophecy and magic in early christianity: collected essays.
- Analyzes the three groups of titles, connectedness, and being in revelation.
- Analyzes how john's christology in the book of revelation is both mysterious and cements the gospel of jesus christ within the canonical bible.
- Opines that there is no equal treatment of the persons in revelation. the paucity of material featuring the holy spirit stands in stark contrast to the amount and variety about god the father and about jesus christ.
- Analyzes how the 'seven spirits of god' are an enigma in revelation. carrell's point that the material on the spirit is less than the other members of the godhead stands proved.
- Concludes that john's final woven strand is one of poetic trinitarian splendour, lofty in visions, judgment, and hope.
- Describes carrell, peter r., johns, loren l.
2360 wordsRead More - Essay On Religion As A Living And Dynamic Traditionexplanatory essayReligions play a crucial role in impacting how adherents live their lives and their understanding of humanities enduring questions of life. Religion is an active system of faith. Christianity is a religion centred on the teachings of Jesus Christ and the bible. A living tradition is one that is active amongst followers in present society. Whereas a dynamic tradition is capable of adapting and amending in order to meet the needs of society. Christianity is formed as a living and dynamic tradition, which is defined by its distinct characteristics. Characteristics include, sacred texts and writings, rituals and ceremonies, beliefs and believers and ethics. Ultimately, Christianity is shaped as a living and dynamic tradition through the characteristics of religion’s impacts on adherents.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that religions play a crucial role in impacting how adherents live their lives and their understanding of humanities enduring questions of life.
- Explains that sacred texts and writings are integral to a living and dynamic religious tradition. they provide followers with information on core ethical behaviour, rituals, and beliefs.
- Explains that religious rituals and ceremonies are essential for a tradition to be living and dynamic.
628 wordsRead More - The Holocaust's Influences on My Concept of Godargumentative essayIn my theology, an overwhelming theme that permeates as a lens that all of the rest is seen by is the concept that the image of God that any individual possesses drastically influences every other aspect of an individual’s life, including everything from social interactions, to career vocations, to daily decisions. That being said, while undertaking the process of education as I am in such an institution, every new idea that is learned has potential to influence my interpretation of who God is and what he looks like. My task then as a theologian is to use scripture to filter, test, and critique my influences to obtain more correct understanding of who God is every day. This undertaking grows increasingly complicating with meditation of events and theories that presents apparent differences to the previously understood concepts of God. With Holocaust Remembrance Day in passing within the last month and the events held on campus, I am unable to avoid pondering to what degree the holocaust influences my concept of God.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the concept of god influences every aspect of an individual's life, including social interactions, career vocations, and daily decisions. their task as a theologian is to use scripture to filter, test and critique their influences to obtain correct understanding of who god is.
- Explains that the holocaust is universally accepted as absolute evil, and that it presents a particular set of problems to christianity. richard swinburne suggests that god should not allow men to bring about large scale horrors.
- Analyzes how victoria barnett, director of the programs on ethics, religion, and the holocaust at the u.s. holocaust memorial museum, described the wide spread anti-semitism that is deep rooted into the christian tradition.
- Concludes that the holocaust presents christian theology a set of challenges that need to be addressed.
- Explains that luhman, regiland s., marendy, peter m. 2005. "anti-semitism, christianity, and the catholic church."
741 wordsRead More - What is Faith?explanatory essayWhat is faith? Faith is something different to everyone. If you asked a hundred different people, it is possible that you would get many diverse answers. Religious faith and non-religious faith are two very distinct terms. Faith holds an extremely complex meaning when discussing it in the context of religion. Faith is a belief. That holds true to every religious and non-religious person. Every faith involves a decision. It is not about what we claim to believe, but what we actually do believe, that is true faith. Throughout this paper, I am going to discuss Christian faith, how it pertains to daily life and Christianity as a whole. I also intend to delve into George W. Forell's discussion of Christian faith and analyze and interpret his statements and conclusions.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that faith is something different to everyone. religious faith and non-religious faith are two very distinct terms.
- Explains that their strong methodist beliefs and background have somewhat tainted their academic viewpoint of the term "faith".
- Opines that all religions are based on some form of faith, a belief in something or somebody. george w. forell states that "faith is universal."
- Explains that christian faith has an implication of love, and the "agape" that exists between the lord and all of his creations is manifested into each religion's faith.
- Explains that faith is not the same as hope. hope is wishing for something. faith is having it in a faith dimension.
- Explains the realism of faith, which is the basis of its mystical value. faith is human knowledge and must be structured by the categories of the human mind.
523 wordsRead More - Exploring the Relationship Between Faith and Beliefanalytical essayI will explore the relationship between faith and belief. At first glance, most of us will have the same thought that there is no difference between faith and belief. However, if we carefully examine them in detail, we will recognize their differences. Consider the difference in the meaning of “belief” in the following propositions: “I believe it will rain tomorrow” and “I believe 2+2=4.” Our general purpose is to express our thoughts to others and show them what things we want to believe. Shortly, our belief can be changed depending on our mood or our different cultures. When we’re talking about our faith, we must keep it in constancy. We can not say today our faith is this and tomorrow is on another. Therefore, the difference between faith and belief can be express as: faith is constant, and belief is varied. Faith shows “X-experiences and pre-cu...
In this essay, the author
- Argues that today we have a crisis of belief, not faith. they will examine the relationship between faith and belief and explain how cultural shift is important to note when trying to understand religious issues. tillich's notion of correlation deals with this idea.
- Analyzes the relationship between faith and belief, and explains that both have elements of reliance and trust.
- Explains why cultural shift is important to note when trying to understand religious issues. cultural shift also changes the world in preparation for the final stage of the earth's evolution.
- Explains the three hallmarks of each of the two cultures and how they compare with each other. in classical culture, structure is fixed in per unit and has a certain mean.
- Analyzes how tillich's notion of correlation deals with this idea of culture and a crisis of belief.
- Explains how marsh's notion of a "theology of negotiation" fits lonergan’s definition and allows him to argue that film can help us raise theological questions.
- Concludes that the only way to view religious issues is to look on the cultures.
996 wordsRead More - The Sociological Theories Of Religionanalytical essaySome sociologists claim that what changes primarily is the social system and religious change is an effect of the change in the former. It is not religion but, to a larger extent, the economy that is supposed to legitimize reality. From this perspective it is the social system that changes and this change in relation to religion means secularization, which generally speaking means the diminishing impact of religion on social life at various levels, degrees and intensities. Theories such as Luckmann’s privatization thesis or Hervieu-Le´ger’s emotional theory of religion may be categorized as giving priority to changes within the individual. The fundamental thought is that in contemporary society it is primarily the individual who changes. It is the individual that seeks direct contact with the sacral sphere, is driven by emotion, feeling, a personal and individualized need. The third current of theoretical solutions to the question of what predominates in modern and post-modern changes is the one that points to religion itself as the sphere of these changes. It is neither the society nor the individual, but rather religion that is pushed to the forefront of the phenomenon. Religion in confrontation with modernity takes on new forms which function well in the modern
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes irena borowik's research article on sociological theories of religion in the last 100 years.
- Analyzes borowik's theory of religion and social change, stating that it is the social system that changes, and the economy that legitimizes reality.
- Analyzes how sociologists struggle to study religion and its changes in an objective way and try to put aside their own religious beliefs.
- Analyzes how the post-classical period focused on the debate about theories of secularization.
999 wordsRead More - The World as Will as Theologyanalytical essayThe World as Will as Theology "The Absolute is its appearances; it really is." ... Bradley "And look at everyone — it's in them all" ["Und sieh dir andre an: es ist in allen"] ... Rilke It is interesting to view Schopenhauer's teaching of the world as Wille as a theology. In this light Schopenhauer can be considered an 'atheist' only from a narrow perspective. * Schopenhauer's theology, as a Western monist/monotheist view based on Eastern thought, offers an alternative both to atheism and to Western/Middle Eastern monotheism (Judaism, Christianity, Islam).
In this essay, the author
- Explains that god's essence is existence (taliaferro, helm, williams, aquinas).
- Explains that mccann is the creator of the universe and thus separate from its creation.
- Opines that not all theologians would agree with all these characteristics, and some consider some to contradict others, but the general pattern is clear: faith, not reason, must be the ultimate guarantor of god's importance in our lives.
- Explains that it is problematical what 'goodness' could mean in relation to a god. wille cannot be good if the world is evil.
- Explains that the 'jewish god' (who reappears in the gospels) has a plan for mankind's salvation, whereas wille has according to schopenhauer no plan.
- Opines that worship is as irrelevant to wille as it is to the force that disperses the galaxie. even if there is an almighty yahweh, worship ultimately is also irrelevant.
- Explains that wille does not have intentions and can be neither benevolent nor evil.
- Argues that schopenhauer's philosophy is atheistic, if by god is meant a good and wise creator of the world.
- Explains that schopenhauer's voluntaristic metaphysics precludes theism and implies atheists. if true, theistic religions such as christianity or islam must be false.
- Opines schopenhauer's teaching rules out the three major western religions, but there are other teachings that acknowledge something that in important ways can be seen as a god.
- Cites higgins, kathleen marie, "schopenhauer and nietzsche: temperament and temporality".
- Explains that christopher janaway, ed., willing and nothingness: schopenhauer as nietzsche's educator.
- Cites loiskandl, helmut, and weinstein, deena, in simmel's "introduction".
- Cites hoffman, joshua, and rosenkrantz, gary. "omnipotence". quinn & taliaferro.
- Explains quinn, philip l., and taliaferro, charles. a companion to philosophy of religion.
- Analyzes how schopenhauer's theology, as a western monist/monotheist view based on eastern thought, offers an alternative to atheism and to western/middle eastern monotheis
- Analyzes how schopenhauer's wille is essentially kant’s noumenon, but with his intentions subverted.
- Explains that schopenhauer views our bodies as the key to the mystery of wille.
- Argues that schopenhauer has set the bar too high. wille is not completely blind, or completely goal-less.
- Analyzes schopenhauer's resolution to the conundrum of self-knowledge.
- Analyzes how schopenhauer's view of the world as a calamity seems to be weak and susceptible to more than one conclusion.
- Argues that schopenhauer's turn to pessimism and mitleid is a theological turn, based on faith, not directly derivable from viewing the world as wille.
- Explains quinn & taliaferro's (1997) thorough survey of western theologians regarding a deity.
- Analyzes how schopenhauer's will is like the god of theism in being a metaphysical principle that underpins and explains the world.
- Explains that western religions have held that a god created the world, and that it is radically separate from that god. schopenhauer and spinoza's relationship is more like neoplatonic emanation.
- Explains that the jewish god created the universe, and is separate from it. everything there is, is an objectification or emanation of wille.
- Explains that wille acts without consciousness, according to schopenhauer, therefore without intentionality. he condemned the 'jewish' doctrine that the world has its existence from a supremely eminent personal being.
- Argues that schopenhauer's metaphysics is speculative and derived from both eastern and western religious teachings and philosophical tradition.
- Explains that the thing-in-itself is will in only one of its aspects, and that it has other aspects that are the focus of mystical awareness.
- Argues that schopenhauer's views of energy have no foundation in previous scientific research and are lucky, albeit insightful guesses.
- Explains that brahma represents the generation, the origin, and shiva's destruction and extinction, while vishnu symbolizes the dynamism of the world.
- Cites atwell, john e. schopenhauer on the character of the world: the metaphysics of will, and berman, david.
- Cites schopenhauer, arthur, simmel, and loiskandl. the world as will and represent, translated from the german by e.f.j.
4740 wordsRead More