Arts and Humanities Commons^™

God Is His Own Interpreter, And He Will Make It Plain, Barry Fike

Barry D. Fike

Religion, in its mystical, emotional or practical expression is, to me at any rate, of little value if divorced from intellectual integrity. I think that the reason “many believers” are so repulsive is that they don’t really have faith but a kind of false security. They operate by the slide rule, and the Church for them is not the body of Christ but the poor man’s insurance system. It’s never hard for them to believe because actually they never think about it. Unfortunately the reality is simply that it is not easy to get vast masses of men to think …

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 …

Does Donald Trump Need To Repent?, A. Thornhill

A. Chadwick Thornhill

No abstract provided.

The Bible, Same-Sex Sexual Activity, And The Parameters For Flourishing (Part 3), A. Thornhill

A. Chadwick Thornhill

No abstract provided.

The Bible, Same-Sex Sexual Activity, And The Parameters For Flourishing (Part 2), A. Thornhill

A. Chadwick Thornhill

No abstract provided.

The Bible, Same-Sex Sexual Activity, And The Parameters For Flourishing (Part 1), A. Thornhill

A. Chadwick Thornhill

No abstract provided.

A Theology Of Vacation, A. Thornhill

A. Chadwick Thornhill

No abstract provided.

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 …

“Robert Zemekis’ Contact As A Late Twentieth-Century Paradiso.”, Gregory M. Sadlek

Gregory M Sadlek

The film Contact employs a plot and literary motifs that are in many ways parallel to those in Dante's Paradiso. Although the film's philosophical and theological content has received mixed reviews, the film has deep significance because it not only seeks to convey a religious experience but also offers a kind of existential consolation similar to that offered by Dante. This is true even though the film is grounded in a vision of the numinous that is congruent not with the Dante's cosmos but with late twentieth-century science and cosmology. Contact, then, is a Dantean film that can be embraced …

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, …

Psalms 69 And 117, Michael Murphy

Michael Murphy

Medievalism And The Subject Of Religion, Richard Utz

Richard Utz

Assesses the reasons for the relative disregard of scholarly work on studying the continuity of religious thought and faith by scholarship in Medievalism Studies over the last 25 years. Postulates that medievalism scholars have an ethical obligation to investigate and historicize religion and theology, at least in its temporal manifestations.

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.