Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons^™

The Doctrine Of Religious Freedom, W. Cole Durham Jr.

Vol. 2: Service & Integrity

This devotional address was given to the BYU student body on April 3, 2001.

Healing Gifts Cultivate Joy, Lawrence Frizzell

Department of Religion Publications

Cycle C liturgical readings for the Third Sunday of Advent, December 13, 2009: Zep 3:14-18; Is 12:2-6; Phil 4:4-7; Lk 3:10-18.This article was previously published in The Catholic Advocate.

An Appraisal Of The Esv Study Bible, James A. Borland

SOR Faculty Publications and Presentations

No abstract provided.

Aesthetics Versus Ethics: Is There Good And Evil In Music?, Lilianne Doukhan

Faculty Publications

A balanced and informed approach to the topic must take into account the dynamic character of the musical experience. Musical meaning cannot be attached to isolated elements of the musical language, such as an instrument, a chord, a melody, or a rhythmic pattern. Those elements are neutral in themselves. However, music does affect us strongly when it acquires meaning within an event, an experience. When melodies, chords, rhythms, and harmonies are combined together, they are given a specific meaning within a particular cultural setting and are, then, interpreted as happy or sad, elevating or debasing.

Revisiting Holy Spirit Language…What Happened At Pentecost?, Donald L. Fowler

SOR Faculty Publications and Presentations

No abstract provided.

The Art Of Aidagara: Ethics, Aesthetics, And The Quest For An Ontology Of Social Existence In Watsuji Tetsurō’S Rinrigaku, James Shields

Faculty Journal Articles

This paper provides an analysis of the key term aidagara (“betweenness”) in the philosophical ethics of Watsuji Tetsurō (1889-1960), in response to and in light of the recent movement in Japanese Buddhist studies known as “Critical Buddhism.” The Critical Buddhist call for a turn away from “topical” or intuitionist thinking and towards (properly Buddhist) “critical” thinking, while problematic in its bipolarity, raises the important issue of the place of “reason” versus “intuition” in Japanese Buddhist ethics. In this paper, a comparison of Watsuji’s “ontological quest” with that of Martin Heidegger (1889-1976), Watsuji’s primary Western source and foil, is followed by …

Isaiah’S Promise Of The Restoration Of Zion And Its Canonical Development, Gary E. Yates

Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary (1973-2015)

For nearly three millennia, Isaiah’s prophecies of a peaceful kingdom centered in Zion have captured the human imagination and expressed the longings of the human heart. 1 These prophecies have also had a major influence in shaping the Christian vision of the kingdom reign of Jesus as Messiah and Lord.2 The purpose of this study is to examine the significance of Isaiah’s prophecies concerning the transformation of Zion from a canonical perspective. This study will set forth the meaning of Isaiah’s Zion prophecies in their historical context with sensitivity to the conventions of prophetic language and will then explore how …

Analogy As Higher-Order Metaphor In Aquinas, Robert Masson

Theology Faculty Research and Publications

At a Thomas Instituut conference in 2000, Otto-Hermann Pesch suggested somewhat enigmatically that the sharp distinction in scholastic Thomism between analogy and metaphor can no longer be maintained since on closer examination analogous statements are in effect instances of a kind of 'higher-order metaphor'. I Pesch intended this qualification primarily to draw attention to the agnostic or negative aspect of analogous speech.2 It is evident from Herwi Rikhof's portrait of 'Thomas at Utrecht' ,3 that this emphasis on the negative dimension did not introduce anything controversial or novel at the Instituut.

Service And Suffering In The Spiritual Life, Lawrence Frizzell

Department of Religion Publications

Cycle B liturgical readings for the Twenty-Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time, October 18, 2009: Is 53:10-11; Ps 33; Heb 4:14-16; Mk 10:35-45. This article was previously published in The Catholic Advocate.

"You Shall Bear Witness To Me": Thinking With Luther About Christ And The Scriptures, Gary M. Simpson

Faculty Publications

To get Scripture right, we must start with the right questions, as Martin Luther did: What is Scripture for? What is the relation between Christ and Scripture? Between law and gospel? How does the gospel function as promise?

Creating Religious Identity, Karma Lekshe Tsomo Phd

Theology and Religious Studies: Faculty Scholarship

The author, a Buddhist monastic and scholar, explores the varieties of religious identity, their sources, and their effects on society. She discusses the fluidity of religious identities in the modern world and, in particular, the various challenges to women in confronting the stubborn persistence of gender-based exclusionary practices in religious traditions.

Shifting Focus: Redefining The Goals Of Sea Turtle Consumption And Protection In Bali, Audrey Jensen

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Many would say that the environment and human culture consists of an evolutionary process, complete with necessary adaptations to current situations and the availability of resources. However, religion is usually thought to be a constant, an entity that grounds the individual believer in a “truth” that transcends time. Ultimately, the boundary between culture and religion is especially hard to decipher, particularly in the daily rituals of the Balinese. While religious beliefs are often rooted in history, they too transform through inevitable reinterpretation. The following paper describes the tremendous environmental and cultural impact of the controversial turtle trade in Bali, specifically …

Rising Buddhism In Vietnam, H. Rebecca Lockwood

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The religion in Vietnam has come to a turning point. Buddhism has been revived and the people of this country are taking interest in this renewed Buddhism. I visited several of the revitalized Truc Lam Zen monasteries and discussed with monks their current practices. I also read an article that addresses this new phenomenon in Vietnam and criticizes its origination. I interviewed two laity about their experiences and opinions about the rising Buddhism in Vietnam today. I found that there are several factors contributing to this new attraction, particularly in the younger generation. I concluded with agreeing with my last …

Churning The Ocean Of Milk: The Role Of Vocal Composition In Tibetan Buddhist Ritual Music, Gabriel Gordon

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Ritual music is a significant but often misunderstood aspect of Tibetan Buddhism. Specifically, vocal music serves a variety of purposes that distinguish the genre from Western music. In order to understand and appreciate ritual vocal music from a Western perspective, there must be firm understanding of the importance of melody and the source of its value. The author has studied with members of the Tibetan Buddhist monastic community, focusing on ritual vocal music and the process of composition. Through an examination of the vocal music composition and of concepts of inspiration and creativity, this paper will shed light on the …

Chinese Painting: Philosophy, Theory, And The Pursuit Of Cultivation Through The Dao, Elizabeth Reynolds

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Chinese painting and painting theory have roots within China’s major philosophies significantly including Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism. Chinese painting while not exclusively adherent to the beliefs and practices of a single belief system instead reveals to overlap these beliefs in the thought process and execution of painting. There is a strong precedent of Chinese painters and their styles embodying Daoist philosophy in not only the appearance and practice of painting but in painting theory as well. Searching for the truth, or the Dao, was a key goal of many artists who through cultivation of one’s intellect or artistic skill could …

Spirits & Sacred Sites: A Study Of Beliefs On Unguja Island, Julie Bardenwerper

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The spiritual beliefs and mizimu, or sacred sites, of villagers were studied in Mangapwani, Makunduchi, and Muungoni on Unguja Island. Through semi-formal interviews, a better understanding of the prevalence and tenets of spiritual beliefs and mizimu use in present Swahili culture was gained. It was found that belief in the existence of spirits is very widespread still today, although these beliefs include many variances. Mizimu are generally being kept in tact for traditional purposes, but the spiritual belief behind them is fading. It was recommended that further study of this topic is done, particularly on mizimu, as it is an …

Peopled By The Book, Allen Jorgenson

Luther Faculty Publications

Christians, along with other religious groups, are sometimes called “people of the book.” Despite its laudable intentions, this phrase sometimes fosters the tendency to set up readers of the book as masters of this object in their possession. I seek here to unsettle this prejudice with the suggestion that the Triune God uses the Christian Scriptures to master us by transforming us into the people of God. We are, in fact, peopled by the book. I will unpack this thesis in three steps: by exploring the notion of authorship of Scripture, by discussing the question of scriptural authority, and by …

Enlightenment And Ecumenism, Ulrich Lehner

Theology Faculty Research and Publications

The contribution of monasticism to Christian theology's framework in almost all periods is undisputed. However, the eighteenth century as a period of monastic theology is still—unjustly—overlooked. That was precisely the time when monks, mostly Benedictines, challenged the traditional ways of theologizing and, along with a number of dedicated individuals, initiated what came to be called the Catholic Enlightenment.1 This movement worked not only for a renewal of ecclesiastical practice and thought, but also for a peaceful dialogue between the Christian churches and even toward an ecumenical theology. One of the most intriguing figures of this enlightened theology is the Swabian …

The Pteromorphic Angelology Of The Apocalypse Of Abraham, Andrei Orlov

Theology Faculty Research and Publications

The purpose of this article is to explore the anti-anthropomorphic features of the angelological developments in the Apocalypse of Abraham.

What's Good About Feeling Bad Handout For Aacc World Conference 2009, John C. Thomas

Faculty Publications and Presentations

Based upon the book "What's good about feeling bad: Finding purpose and a path through pain" by Drs. John C. Thomas and Gary Habermas. The presentation covers the benefits that God can bring from suffering

Protestant Observers Of Vatican Ii: A Bibliography, Peter Gavin Ferriby

Presidential Seminar on the Catholic Intellectual Tradition

This bibliography is a working draft, insofar as no authoritative bibliography of observers (whether as formal periti or informally invited scholars) exists at this time.

An additional difficulty is conclusively to identify particular writers as Protestant Christians. For example, newspaper and other media reporters might have been formally Protestant (whether closely affiliated or distantly related), but did not identify their writings or observations as relevant to or influenced by any Protestant point of view. As a result, this bibliography lists entries whose authors in some sense identified themselves as Protestants, or representing the viewpoints of Protestant churches and organizations.

The …

Noticing The Duck: The Art Of Asking Spiritual Questions, Marykate Morse

Faculty Publications - Portland Seminary

No abstract provided.

God's Activity In Today's World: A Review Essay On Kingdom Triangle, Gary R. Habermas

Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary (1973-2015)

In this review essay, I consider J. P. Moreland's Kingdom Triangle as a recent example that takes seriously the incursion of God's Kingdom into the human realm. Among other things, Moreland's book helpfully provides some needed leadership and modeling for Christian philosophers as we reflect upon what it means to know and indeed experience first-hand the supernatural in-breaking of God's power. Moreland's approach locates the experience of God's miraculous activity within the panoply of the Christian knowledge tradition and alongside what it means for Christ to be formed in our interior. I conclude with some of my own research examples …

John Paul Ii And Christian Personalism Vs. Peter Singer And Utilitarianism: Two Radically Opposed Conceptions Of The Nature And Meaning Of Suffering, Peter J. Colosi

Faculty and Staff - Articles & Papers

Although Christian ethics and contemporary utilitarianism both employ terms such as love and compassion, they are in fact polar opposite ethical views. This fact is not at all easy to discern. One key to perceiving the radical opposition between them lies in clarifying their respective concepts of suffering. In the Christian view, suffering is always understood as the suffering of individual persons, while in utilitarianism suffering is primarily understood as a quantifiable entity detached from the individuals who experience it. The paper attempts a primarily philosophical elucidation of this difference, including some theological points, by taking as its point of …

Returning To The Sources: The Literature Of Christian Librarianship, Gregory A. Smith

Faculty Publications and Presentations

By definition, a research study explores new intellectual territory yet builds on previous inquiry that has led up to it. However, many sources that explore the connections between Christian faith and the information professions fail to acknowledge the existence of prior discourse on the subject. The author has assembled a database of more than 450 sources that discuss topics such as philosophy and ethics of librarianship from a Christian perspective; the mediation of Christian/religious information in various library contexts; Christian, religious, and theological publishing; and more. Insights from these sources can help readers develop professionally and engage in productive dialogue …

Reflections On The Asymmetry Of The Tetragrammaton, Ethan Annis

Collected Faculty and Staff Scholarship

The Tetragrammaton are the four Hebrew letters for the word God, yud hey vahv hey, that God used to reveal himself to Moses. The name is commonly translated as He brings into existence whatever exists. People do not know how the name was pronounced. When the Temple existed, it was pronounced by the High Priest once during the high during the High Holidays each year. The name was probably once ubiquitous in the Tanak but was largely replaced by the Masoretes between the 6th and 10th C AD

Hope Possessed Or Hope Postponed: Paul’S Presentation Of The Believers’ Present Justification And Future Hope In Romans 5-8 In Comparison To N.T. Wright’S Future Justification Perspective, Levi S. Baker

Senior Honors Theses

Over the past three decades, New Testament scholars of the Reformed tradition and the “New Perspective” have debated whether the Apostle Paul’s Christian theology about the Law and salvation was in agreement with the teaching of mainstream first-century Judaism regarding the Law and the salvation of God’s covenant people. Among these New Perspective scholars is the Bishop of Durham, N.T. Wright, whose works will be considered in this paper. The Reformed position’s insistence that the imputed righteousness of Christ is the grounds of believer’s present justification and hope has been challenged by Wright, who has proposed an alternative view on …

The Covenant And Christ’S Presence In Eucharist, Lawrence Frizzell

Department of Religion Publications

Cycle B liturgical readings for the Fifth Sunday of Easter, May 10, 2009: Acts 9:26-31; Ps 22; 1 Jn 3:18-24; Jn 15:1-8. This article was previously published in The Catholic Advocate.

The Religious Other As Neighbor, Lawrence Frizzell

Selected Works of Lawrence E. Frizzell

Many stories are told about antagonism between Christians and Jews, especially in countries with a large Jewish minority. The history of persecution should be told along with the lessons learned for our time. A brief review of examples whose participants were neighbors, either in reality or in principle, may be instructive. This paper will move through the centuries in a rapid survey, recalling friendly contacts or benign exchanges between Christians and Jews.

The Sky Is Wide Enough: A Historico-Critical Appraisal Of Theological Activity And Method In Africa, Agbonkhianmeghe E. Orobator

Theology Faculty Research and Publications

This essay presents and critiques the methods and claims of the principal theological schools and camps of African theology. While situating them in their historical context, it examines their respective claims as the best representative or expression of theological activity in Africa. The historico-critical appraisal of these African theological schools generates some useful lessons on the nature and method of theological reflection in Africa, particularly the necessity of taking experience and context seriously.