History of Religions of Eastern Origins Commons^™

Farewell To An Old Friend: Remembering Antony Flew, Gary R. Habermas

Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary (1973-2015)

No abstract provided.

What We Talk About When We Talk About The Soul, Stephen Asma

Stephen T Asma

The author discusses the popularity among college students of the concept of the soul, and attempts to place it in its proper context. He dispenses with orthodox theological arguments and New Age arguments as scientifically untenable. He takes a so-called Wittgensteinian approach, noting soul's linguistic significance. He analyzes expressions which use the concept of soul and concludes that they are qualitatively different from testable factual expressions. He notes that soul talk is about hopes and aspirations, inspiration, or feelings deeper than friendship. He assigns it meaning outside of scientific concepts. He likens expressions of soul to creative and ethical acts, …

The Lord's Anointed: Covenantal Kingship In Psalm 2 And Acts 4, Alexander C. Stewart

Senior Honors Theses

This study examines the title “Christ” as applied to Jesus in Acts 4:25-27. “Christ” or “Anointed One” here is directly connected to Psalm 2:1-2, and ultimately derives from the royal anointing ceremony of Israel. That ceremony symbolizes a commitment by God to the monarch which is made most specific in the Davidic covenant. The Gospel of Luke uses the title “Christ” to connect these Davidic themes to Jesus. In Acts 4:25-27, “Christ” continues to signify Israel’s king backed by the Davidic covenant. The apostles’ reading of Psalm 2 provides a foundation for understanding their own recent persecution and for their …

Was Jesus Illegitimate? The Evidence Of His Social Interactions, James F. Mcgrath

James F. McGrath

This article examines the social status of the historical Jesus in relation to recent studies that place Jesus into the social category of an illegitimate child. After surveying the evidence with respect to the situation of such individuals in first century Mediterranean and Jewish society, we shall proceed to examine whether Jesus' implied social status (as evidenced by accounts of his adult social interactions) coheres with what one would expect in the case of someone who bore the stigma of that status. Our study suggests that the scandal caused by Jesus' association with the marginalized clearly implies that he did …

Was Jesus Illegitimate? The Evidence Of His Social Interactions, James F. Mcgrath

James F. McGrath

This article examines the social status of the historical Jesus in relation to recent studies that place Jesus into the social category of an illegitimate child. After surveying the evidence with respect to the situation of such individuals in first century Mediterranean and Jewish society, we shall proceed to examine whether Jesus' implied social status (as evidenced by accounts of his adult social interactions) coheres with what one would expect in the case of someone who bore the stigma of that status. Our study suggests that the scandal caused by Jesus' association with the marginalized clearly implies that he did …

Whosoever Will: A Review Essay, C. Fred Smith

Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary (1973-2015)

No abstract provided.

Imam, Shah, And Ayatollah: Charismatic Leadership In The Shi'i Tradition, And Its Role In Iran's Shi'ite Revolutions, Jonathon Case Henderson

Master of Humanities Capstone Projects

This thesis examines the role of charismatic religious leadership in Iran’s two Shi’ite revolutions. Included within the larger arguments of this work, are sections addressing the scholastic categorizations of charisma, the development of the Shi’i Islamic tradition, and they way in which the charisma of the was appropriated by later Shi’i figures to bring about social, political, and religious revolutions in Iran. For this work, Shah Isma’il ibn Haydar and Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini serve as examples of charismatic Shi’i figures that drew upon the suspended charisma of the Shi’i Imams. This work also briefly comments on events in contemporary Iran …

Jeremiah's Message Of Judgment And Hope For God's Unfaithful "Wife", Gary E. Yates

Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary (1973-2015)

No abstract provided.

Postcolonial Anxiety And Anti-Conversion Sentiment In The Report Of The Christian Missionary Activities Enquiry Committee, Chad M. Bauman

Chad M. Bauman

Conversion to Christianity is one of the most politically charged issues in contemporary India and has recently been very much in the news.1 For example, in 2006, on the fiftieth anniversary of B. R. Ambedkar’s conversion to Buddhism2 hundreds of dalits gathered to convert, some to Buddhism and others to Christianity, rejecting Hinduism, a religion they claim oppresses and demeans them. In attacks on Christians in Orissa at the end of 2007 (and associated reprisals), dozens of churches, homes, and businesses were destroyed, hundreds of people were injured, and thousands were displaced.

Redeeming Indian ‘Christian’ Womanhood?: Missionaries, Dalits, And Agency In Colonial India, Chad M. Bauman

Chad M. Bauman

This study of dalit Christians in colonial North India suggests that women who converted to Christianity in the region often experienced a contraction of the range of their activities. Bauman analyzes this counterintuitive result of missionary work and then draws on the work of Saba Mahmood and others to interrogate the predilection of feminist historians for agents, rabble-rousers, and gender troublemakers. The article concludes not only that this predilection represents a mild form of egocentrism but also that it prevents historians from adequately analyzing the complexity of factors that motivate and influence human behavior.

Why I Am A Buddhist, Stephen Asma

Stephen T Asma

Profound and amusing, this book provides a viable approach to answering the perennial questions: Who am I? Why am I here? How can I live a meaningful life? For Asma, the answers are to be found in Buddhism.

There have been a lot of books that have made the case for Buddhism. What makes this book fresh and exciting is Asma's iconoclasm, irreverence, and hardheaded approach to the subject. He is distressed that much of what passes for Buddhism is really little more than "New Age mush." He loudly asserts that it is time to "take the California out of …

The Pursuit Of Tangible Happiness: Religion And Politics In A Japanese New, New Religion, James Shields

Faculty Journal Articles

The decline of traditional religions in Japan in the past century, and especially since the end of World War Two, has led to an explosion of so-called “new religions” (shin shūkyō 新宗教), many of which have made forays into the political realm. The best known—and most controversial—example of a “political” new religion is Sōka Gakkai 創価学会, a lay Buddhist movement originally associated with the Nichiren sect that in the 1960s gave birth to a new political party, Komeitō 公明党 (lit., Clean Government Party), which in the past several decades has emerged as the third most popular party in Japan (as …

Green Guilt, Stephen Asma

Stephen T Asma

The essay discusses the more neurotic aspects of environmentalism, involving guilt over failure to recycle or turn off the lights. It notes that those most prone to these sensibilities are those who have left traditional religion. It quotes philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche who states that religious emotions such as guilt and indignation are still present in a post-Christian world. The essay argues that we should certainly save the planet but avoid the neurosis that often accompanies it.

Q&A: The Death And Resurrection Of Jesus Christ, Gary R. Habermas

Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary (1973-2015)

No abstract provided.

Q&A: Religious Doubt, Gary R. Habermas

Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary (1973-2015)

No abstract provided.

Q&A: Theology, Gary R. Habermas

Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary (1973-2015)

No abstract provided.

Q&A: The Reliability And Inspiration Of The Bible, Gary R. Habermas

Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary (1973-2015)

No abstract provided.

Q&A: Naturalistic Theories, Gary R. Habermas

Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary (1973-2015)

No abstract provided.

Q&A: Evidence For The Resurrection, Gary R. Habermas

Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary (1973-2015)

No abstract provided.

Q&A: General Apologetics, Gary R. Habermas

Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary (1973-2015)

No abstract provided.