Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Mary In Islam, Zeki Saritoprak

Zeki Saritoprak

In the Qur’an, Mary has a unique place. As the only woman mentioned by name, the mother of Jesus, and a pious servant of God, she has inspired Muslim men and women since the beginning of Islam. In this chapter, there will first be a short overview of Mary’s place in the Qur’an and the sayings of the Prophet, that is, Hadith. Following this, the importance of Mary in Islamic theology and spirituality generally as well as Mary’s historical place within Islam will be outlined. The views of important Muslim mystics, theologians, and various other scholars will be examined. There …

Reconsidering Christianity As A Support For Secular Law: A Final Reply To Professor Calhoun, Wayne R. Barnes

Wayne R. Barnes

This symposium has revolved around Professor Calhoun’s article, which posits that it is completely legitimate, in proposing laws and public policies, to argue for them in the public square based on overtly religious principles. In my initial response, I took issue with his argument that no reasons justify barring faith-based arguments from the public square argument. In fact, I do find reasons justifying the prohibition of “faith-based,” or Christian, arguments in the public square—and, in fact, I find such reasons within Christianity itself. This is because what is being publicly communicated in Christian political argumentation is that if citizens comply …

Review Of The Sacrifice Of Jesus: Understanding Atonement Biblically, James F. Mcgrath

James F. McGrath

Article reviews the book "The Sacrifice of Jesus: Understanding Atonement Biblically," by Christian Eberhart.

Review Of Teachings Of The Odd-Eyed One By David P. Lawrence, Sucharita Adluri Ms.

Sucharita Adluri

No abstract provided.

Review Of Indian Thought And Western Theism: The Vedanta Of Ramanuja, Sucharita Adluri

Sucharita Adluri

No abstract provided.

Sabda Pramana As A Theological Category In Vedanta Desika's Tattvamuktakalapa, Sucharita Adluri Ms.

Sucharita Adluri

This article considers the Sravaisnava theologian Vedanta Desika's (14th-century CE) understanding of sabdapramana and deference to sabdapramana that is evident in one of his most important expositions the Tattvamuktakalapa and its commentary the Sarvarthasiddhi. For Desika, deference to sabdapramana is motivated by belief in a particular view of reality. This would be the acceptance of Visnu as the Brahman of the upanisads, his connection to authoritative scripture, and its propagation. Furthermore, to defer to sabdapramana requires membership in a community and the requisite pedagogical training that confers the authority needed to speak for the tradition.

Theological Foundations Of Pastoral Care In Catholic Universities, Thomas V. Gourlay

Thomas V. Gourlay

One defining element of life in any Catholic educational institution, whether it be primary, secondary, or tertiary, is the focus on pastoral care for staff and students. This paper provides a distinctly Catholic definition of the term ‘pastoral care’ and briefly examines the theological foundations that underpin this concept, particularly, in relation to its application in the Catholic university. The paper traces the motif of pastoral care through the Scriptures and, building on insights from St. Pope John Paul II’s Apostolic Constitution on Catholic Universities, Ex Corde Ecclesiae (1990) and the broader theological anthropology of the Vatican II Council. The …

Whosoever Will: A Review Essay, C. Fred Smith

Fred O. Smith Jr.

No abstract provided.

The Legacy Of Avery Cardinal Dulles, S.J.: His Words And His Witness, Anne-Marie Rose Kirmse, Michael M. Canaris, Cardinal Theodore E. Mccarrick

Michael Canaris

In his nearly 50-year career teaching philosophy and theology at Fordham and other distinguished universities, Avery Cardinal Dulles wrote and traveled extensively, writing 25 books and more than 800 articles, book reviews, forewords, introductions, and letters to the editor, translated into at least 14 languages and distributed worldwide. This work serves as a companion to the previous volume of McGinley Lectures, published as Church and Society (Fordham, 2008), and also provides an independent research guide for scholars, theologians, and anyone interested in American Catholicism in the decades immediately before and following the Second Vatican Council.

From his poems and reflections …

The Resurrection (1 Corinthians 15).Pdf, Charles Sabo

Charles Sabo

Swipe Left: A Theology Of Tinder And Digital Dating, Michael Murphy

Michael Murphy

The juggernaut of digital culture, which really has hatched the biggest cultural metamorphosis since Gutenberg’s printing press, affects every aspect of late modern life in fundamental ways—ways, moreover, that are often obscured from our perception. After all, the hardest chains to break, the saying goes, are the ones you can’t see.

Review Of Piety And Responsibility: Patterns Of Unity In Karl Rahner, Karl Barth, And Vedanta Decika, Hugh Nicholson

Hugh Nicholson

The article reviews the book Piety and Responsibility: Patterns of Unity in Karl Rahner, Karl Barth, and Vedanta Desika by John Sheveland.

Bryan Ball As Historian, Daniel Reynaud

Daniel Reynaud

This chapter evaluates Seventh-day Adventist theologian Bryan Ball’s contribution to studies of Puritanism in Elizabethan and Stuart England. Ball locates the origins of many distinctive Seventh-day Adventist beliefs in various thinkers during the period, on a continuum from the main stream to the marginal. His work is innovative among SDA scholars in plumbing the origins of SDA thought long before the movement actually began.

Will And Grace: The Essence Of The Pelagian Debate, Steve Curtis

Steve Curtis

The early centuries of the Christian church saw a number of clarifying councils and theological treatises directed at objective doctrines such as the triunity of God and the hypostatic nature of Christ. By the late fourth century, the discussions were becoming more subjective: to what extent does man possess a free will? What is the cause of sin? What are the theological implications involved in salvation, and to what extent does the grace of God hold sway? Such questions naturally led back to the very beginning of time and to the nature of Adam and the consequence of his sin …

The Profanation Of Revelation: On Language And Immanence In The Work Of Giorgio Agamben, Colby Dickinson

Colby Dickinson

This essay seeks to articulate the many implications which Giorgio Agamben’s work holds for theology. It aims therefore to examine his (re)conceptualizations of language, in light of particular historical glosses on the ‘name of God’ and the nature of the ‘mystical’, as well as to highlight the political task of profanation, one of his most central concepts, in relation to the logos said to embody humanity’s ‘religious’ quest to find its Voice. As such, we see how he challenges those standard (ontotheological) notions of transcendence which have been consistently aligned with various historical forms of sovereignty. In addition, I intend …

The Jewish Nature Of The First Century Church, Barry D. Fike

Barry D. Fike

“When men realized that the teaching of God was no heritage that one accepts passively but rather a heritage that has to be won, they began to see this relationship to the Bible as a religious obligation. It became a supreme commandment to “study”, to explore the Scriptures. To explore means to consider the Bible as a challenge rather than a gift…..The duty to “explore” requires further rethinking: each end becomes a new beginning and each solution a new problem…Once Today’s Church is fully aware of the vast importance of learning, it too will realize that it cannot afford to …

The Decline Of Christianity In Modern Europe, David C. Taylor Jr

David C Taylor Jr

Europe was once considered the epicenter of the Christian religion. For centuries Christianity was not only the main religion of Europe it was also a main political power. The Roman Catholic church, and in turn the Christian faith, enjoyed great power at various times throughout history in the European countries and influenced the culture in many ways. However, today there has been a moral and spiritual decline in Europe of staggering numbers. This short essay will explore possible reasons for Christianity’s decline in Europe in the last century and whether or not there is a possibility that the church could …

A Theology Of Good Works: The Apostle Paul’S Concept Of Good Works Within The Context Of Second Temple Judaism, Martin E. Sheldon

Martin E Sheldon

The apostle Paul lived and ministered within the context of Second Temple Judaism. Following just over three decades of adherence to and immersion in Pharisaic Judaism, Saul of Tarsus converted to Jesus Christ and in consequence, conducted several missionary journeys proclaiming the gospel of Christ and writing letters to the newly established churches. While the Hebrew Scriptures provided the theological foundation for the apostle Paul’s teaching, his concept of good works was forged within the historical context of Second Temple Judaism. Inasmuch as this is the case, it is essential to explore the concept of good works within the OT …

The First Crusade, Was It Christian?, David C. Taylor Jr

David C Taylor Jr

On February 5th, 2015, President Barack Obama addressed the audience at the National Prayer Breakfast. During this breakfast he made comments about the Islamic State and the Crusades that sent waves throughout the religious world. In his speech, he claimed that just like the Islamic State is doing things, terrible things, in the name of Islam, we should remember that terrible things were done in the name of Christ during the Crusades. While it did not sit well with members of the church, the question must be asked. Was he right? This paper will examine the First Crusade, its cause, …

A Reinvestigation Of "The Creation Of Woman" From A Hebraic Viewpoint, Barry Fike

Barry D. Fike

This paper looks at the role of women in society and the church while investigating the original creation story in Hebrew without the sociological intervention and gross misinterpretation of the text by modern man so often used to show the "superiority" of men because of the "after thought" in the creation of woman. Because of the misinterpretation of ideas and words, such as submissive and helpmeet used in the Biblical text, many men claim "superiority" over women in a spiritual sense when nothing is further from the truth.

The Author Of The Gospel Of John, Gary E. Silvers Ph.D.

Gary E. Silvers Ph.D.

Who actually wrote the gospel John? Many have debated this issue for years. This paper explores the arguments that against the apostle John as the author. The paper concludes that both the internal and external evidence points to non other than the apostle John the son of Zebedee as the author of this gospel.

Aquifer Analysis: Told And Untold Stories In Warwick Churches, Vaughan S. Roberts

Vaughan S Roberts

What A Wonderful Idea!, Barry D. Fike

Barry D. Fike

A brief meditation on unity in the Christian church.

Does God Bend The Rules?, Barry D. Fike

Barry D. Fike

A brief meditation on Jonah and Hezekiah.

The Sin Of Ham, David C. Taylor Jr

David C Taylor Jr

Is the sin of Ham simply Ham looking at Noah's Nakedness or is it something more?

Theology, Politics, And Antimodernism In Nazi Germany: Problematizing Theological Rhetoric And Political Theology, Brent A. R. Hege

Brent A. R. Hege

A review essay of: Hitler’s Theology: A Study in Political Religion. By Rainer Bucher. Translated by Rebecca Pohl. Edited and with an introduction by Michael Hoelzl. London: Continuum, 2011. xx+140 pp. $120.00 Cloth, $34.95 Paper Theological Tractates. By Erik Peterson. Edited, translated, and with an introduction by Michael J. Hollerich. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2011. xxx + 256 pp. $75.00 Cloth, $24.95 Paper

Arguing With God: An Honest Conversation, Barry Fike

Barry D. Fike

For the Jew, “I beg to differ” has been an enduring tactic of achieving and affirming identity. The Jew had addressed the same caveat to God—not in self-contradiction, but in dialectic aiming at attainment of fuller realization of who he is, as Jew and as human being. In asking about God, we examine our own selves: whether we are sensitive to the grandeur and supremacy of what we ask about, whether we are wholeheartedly concerned with what we ask about. Unless we are involved, we fail to sense the issue.

Stasis In Moltmann E Schmitt, Pier Giuseppe Monateri

Pier Giuseppe Monateri

The essay introduces an original interpretation of Moltmann’s thought on Christian kenosis, according to the fundamental critical method known as ‘close reading’. On this ground, the Author brings to the surface the complex bulk of literary quotations which give substance to a specific passage in Moltmann’s work “The Crucified God”. Quotations become an intellectual device apt to produce meaning through its proper deferral and suspension. Within this framework, the Author’s main purpose is to put at the centre of the scene the explicit reference made by Moltmann to C. Schmitt’s concept of stasis, in order to explain the self-emptying of …

The Fate Of The Unevangelized, David C. Taylor Jr

David C Taylor Jr

The debate of what happens to those who never hear the word of God. Do they go to Heaven or Hell? This topic can also be referred to as the Unevangelized Debate.

The Doctrine Of Baptism And Its Controversies, David C. Taylor Jr

David C Taylor Jr

Throughout the history of Christianity, Baptism has been a topic of strong debate both theologically and practically. There are two major sections of debate that are currently fought in Christian circles. The first is the question of for whom is baptism intended? The second question is how should one be baptized? The questions have long been argued for both sides and there are favorable evidences for the various positions on all sides. The sides can be divided into two main groups, Protestants and Catholics. However, within the two main groups there are also sub-groups that add many beliefs to the …