Study Like a Boss
The doctrine of the Trinity is foundational to the Christian faith and helps us realize that God exists as three distinct, consubstantial persons– the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The first defense of the doctrine of the Trinity was in the early 3rd century by the early church father Tertullian. He explicitly defined … Read more
Gerd Theissen’s contemporary piece, The Shadow of the Galilean: The Quest of the Historical Jesus in Narrative Form, is recognized for its engaging narrative that explores the social, religious, and historical contexts of the era of the New Testament. Throughout the work, Theissen weaves biblical references and historical citations to give the reader insight into … Read more
The Prince by Machiavelli is one of the most influential treatises in human history, conceived by Italian political theorist and diplomat, Niccolo Machiavelli. The Prince is often regarded as one of the first true examples of modern philosophy, most notably, political philosophy, and Machiavelli addressed many different attributes of politics, war-time strategies and the implementation … Read more
Throughout Mark’s Gospel, we see Jesus referred to as the ‘Son of God’ and the ‘Son of Man’ on numerous occasions, the former occurring a total of eight times within the text, and the latter, being ‘the most frequent of the Christological images in the Gospel of Mark[1]’, a total of fourteen times. With the … Read more
AUTHOR’S NOTE: The following paper received first place at the 2005 Concordia University President’s Showcase, Tier Two, and was presented at the Southern California Conference on Undergraduate Research at the University of California, Riverside. Jesus in Context: The Influence of the Galilee Region on the Life and Ministry of Jesus and His Followers Introduction: History, … Read more
First of all, the question is what is Karma? The actual definition of this word from the dictionary is, “ an action, seen as bringing upon oneself inevitable results, good or bad, either in this life or in a reincarnation” If you really think about it this definition has a very powerful meaning. I can … Read more
Exodus 16 and Numbers 11 both recount the story of the manna and quails. Though these two chapters concern the same story, they offer different details and variable facts. The two stories differ especially in their characterization of the Hebrew people, God, and the relationships between them. Exodus focuses on the Israelites’ relationship with God … Read more
Depicted in Pierre Auguste Cot’s most notorious painting, All Souls’ Day at the Camposanto, Pisa, a woman and her two children mourn the death of her husband/their father. Painted in 1872, All Souls’ Day at the Camposanto, Pisa emphasizes the Catholic church, and the role it played in everyday life. This painting includes many practices … Read more
During her childhood, St. Bernadette lived in Lourdes, France. She was the oldest of her eight siblings. Two days after she was born, Bernadette was baptized at St. Pierre’s Church. St. Bernadette had terrible asthma as a child. As a result, she lived the duration of her life with fragile health. When she was fourteen, … Read more
St Jerome’s letter emphasizes on using “Sense-for-sense” translation rather than “word-for-word” translation. He justified his method of translating sense-for-sense by listing examples of Cicero, Horace, Hilary the Confessor and other Classical authors, as well as the Evangelists and the Seventy Translator when translating from the sacred texts. Since the charges by the Clergy against St … Read more
Hell has been described as a residence for souls after death has long been a topic of discussion and debate. This notion intrigues man. It is a concept that man cannot know about except through direct experience, which, once obtained, cannot be shared. Yet this does not prevent man from envisioning its form. Since the … Read more
When T. S. Eliot wrote The Waste Land in 1922 he was a self-proclaimed atheist. Some six years later, he described himself as an adherent to anglo-catholic Christianity and thus wrote the Four Quartets. As is possible to postulate, some scholars believe that there is an innate Christian-ness in The Waste Land and have hence … Read more
A New Strength in Church Ties The Mormon Response to the Great Depression The State of Utah has a reputation; the Mormon State. Rightfully so, as the majority of Utah is affiliated with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. This religion, while a sect of Christianity, is often looked at as the outcast. … Read more
Christian Worldview A worldview is the way someone sees the world. It’s their viewpoint on life and the world around them. This being said, what is a Christian worldview? A Christian Worldview is when someone views the world with the Bible in mind and the understanding that everything in it is entirely true[1]. Knowing that … Read more
Introduction A worldview represents a conception of how an individual thinks and sees their daily life. They are two predominant types of worldviews: 1) The humanistic worldview centers around a way of life which is centered on human interests or values; especially: a philosophy that typically rejects supernaturalism and stresses an individual’s dignity, worth and … Read more
I live in Charlotte North Carolina, in mecklenburg county. Growing up I was never taught the history of charlotte or even mecklenburg county, so I had to take matters into my own hands. While researching influential people from mecklenburg county I stumbled across the Brevard Family. The Brevard’s were French Huguenots who moved to Ulster … Read more
Small towns are often considered a safe place to grow up. Many who are born into these small towns never leave, perhaps because they are too frightened to leave all that they have ever known. These towns, however, are not without their problems. Rural small towns, especially in the South, carry a stigma of being … Read more
Counter-Cinema & Wollen Peter Wollen’s article, “Godard and Counter-Cinema: Vent d’ Est,” outlines the “seven deadly sins and seven cardinal virtues” of cinema and deliberates the formal elements that reflect counter-cinema, that film director, Jean-Luc Godard, utilizes in nearly all his compositions. (Wollen 120). Wollen lists the values of traditional cinema and disputes them with … Read more
The Holy Spirit is not merely a force or a power, but He is a person possessing a mind, a will, and emotions. There are many unique characteristics that can be attributed to the Holy Spirit that show He is not simply a thing, but that He is, indeed, a living being. One characteristic attributed … Read more
Saint Paul’s entire life can be explained in terms of one experience—his meeting with Jesus on the road to Damascus. In an instant, he saw that all the zeal of his dynamic personality was being wasted, and his life changed at that very moment. Perhaps he had never seen Jesus, who was only a few … Read more
The “Christ Delivering the keys of the kingdom to St. Peter” in the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican City, Rome, Italy is a fresco created by Pietro Perugino with a dimension of 11’5 ? x 18’8 ? that represents the papacy having authority over the Catholic Church. The painting dates to the 15th century, specifically … Read more
The Protestant reformation (more accurately known as the Lutheran upheaval) is the product of the observance of a ridiculous amount of corruption amongst the highest ranking officials within the Catholic Church. Yet despite its origins, its events, people and publications left a lasting impact on Europe that is still felt to this day. The words … Read more
Mary, Mother of God That Mary is the mother of Jesus Christ our Lord and named as the “Mother of God” or in greek term “Theotokos” or “Birthgiver of God”. According to what I’ve researched in the internet, Mary’s divine motherhood was proclaimed at the Council of Ephesus in 431. According to CCC 509, “Mary … Read more
The doctrine of creation is not an ambiguous aspect of the Bible. The first four chapters of Genesis contain the primary biblical information on creation; therefore, they provide the basis of the biblical doctrine. This seemingly straightforward portion of the Bible, however, has for several millennia remained the object of considerable speculation by various writers … Read more
In the poem, “Snow White and the Seven Deadly Sins” (reprinted in Thomas R. Arp, Perrine’s Literature: Structure, Sound, and Sense, 7th ed. [Fort Worth: Harcourt, 1998] 854), author R.S. Gwynn presents the reader with an account of a woman’s struggle to stay faithful to both her husband and to God. The poem openly alludes … Read more
The Philosophy of Christian Education isn’t necessarily defined anywhere, however, the Bible does mention different spiritual and moral guidelines for both children and believers. When we think of the word philosophy, we can best describe it as beliefs, ideology, or even our view on life. I would like to say that Jesus is a role … Read more
Part 1: The Book of Exodus and its Message In his theory of forms, the philosopher Plato proposes that the objects and situations encountered in the mundane world are often indicative of a higher and fuller reality. While Plato did not have the Old Testament in mind when he wrote “The Republic”, his concept of … Read more
“Out of the ground the Lord God made to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food, the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil,” Genesis reads (Gen 2.9). In the Genesis story of Adam and Eve and … Read more
Christians have been developing and practicing various Scripture engagement techniques for hundreds of years. This article is trying to help us understand the true methods of experiencing God in the Bible. The scripture engagement technique the article focuses on is Lectio Divina, this means “sacred reading” in Latin. This practice has been used for over … Read more
Paul’s teachings and doctrines set the course for Christianity to become the worldwide religion it is today, and in this way, Paul’s impact and contribution to Christianity is extremely significant, Paul challenged the concept of Jews being the ‘Chosen Ones’ and allowing Christianity to flourish. He also played a crucial role in establishing Churches and … Read more
St Jerome’s letter emphasizes on using “Sense-for-sense” translation rather than “word-for-word” translation. He justified his method of translating sense-for-sense by listing examples of Cicero, Horace, Hilary the Confessor and other Classical authors, as well as the Evangelists and the Seventy Translator when translating from the sacred texts. Since the charges by the Clergy against St … Read more
What you Sow you Will Reap In William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, there is one character who changes drastically throughout the play. That character is Macbeth. In the beginning, Macbeth is an honest and loyal thane to King Duncan. However, he lets greed and evil desires drive him to an act of regicide. His guilt and fear … Read more
Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak. -I Corinthians 14:34 It is a good thing that women religious writers, especially Marguerite Porete, did not listen to this scripture and spoke up in church. While all women mystics are quite different from each other, they all … Read more
As 1950s America engulfed itself in a widespread fear of Communism, government officials became extra vigilant in finding and punishing possible spies and traitors. Suspects were arrested for saying the wrong thing, being seen in the wrong place at the wrong time, and even for thinking the wrong thoughts. As mass nervosa ensued, Americans began … Read more
In regards to the diversity of religious groups across the world in both the mainstream religious groups and substreams divisions, my focus will be based on a Christian church, which is based on Protestants foundation. Southport Christian Church is located in the southern part of Indianapolis. Before I went there, a friend had directed me … Read more
Christian Worldview A worldview is the way someone sees the world. It’s their viewpoint on life and the world around them. This being said, what is a Christian worldview? A Christian Worldview is when someone views the world with the Bible in mind and the understanding that everything in it is entirely true[1]. Knowing that … Read more
The atonement of Christ according to this Moral Influence theory is that Jesus Christ came and died in order to bring about a positive change to humanity. This moral change comes through the teachings of Jesus alongside His example and actions. This is the belief that the atonement of Christ is a demonstration of God’s … Read more
Isaac, the son of Abraham, was a central figure in the establishment of the Jewish people. Both him and his father had played tremendous roles in the bible. However, Isaac’s life reflected Abraham’s similarly when compared side by side to his father’s. There are many other things he did that his father had also done … Read more
The Divine Comedy: Inferno’s “Canto XV” begins with the reader joining Dante pilgrim and Virgil as they exit the wood of the suicides on their way to the third ring of the seventh circle of hell: the burning sands. This is where the blasphemers, sodomites, and usurers are held for their eternal punishment. Dante and … Read more
Gerd Theissen’s contemporary piece, The Shadow of the Galilean: The Quest of the Historical Jesus in Narrative Form, is recognized for its engaging narrative that explores the social, religious, and historical contexts of the era of the New Testament. Throughout the work, Theissen weaves biblical references and historical citations to give the reader insight into … Read more
Counter-Cinema & Wollen Peter Wollen’s article, “Godard and Counter-Cinema: Vent d’ Est,” outlines the “seven deadly sins and seven cardinal virtues” of cinema and deliberates the formal elements that reflect counter-cinema, that film director, Jean-Luc Godard, utilizes in nearly all his compositions. (Wollen 120). Wollen lists the values of traditional cinema and disputes them with … Read more
Christianity, Islam, and Judaism are three of the most influential world religions in history. While Judaism isn’t as large as Christianity and Islam, its impact on the world has still been as profound. Judaism, Islam, and Christianity are sometimes called “Abrahamic religions” because they trace their history to the ancient figure of Abraham, first mentioned … Read more
Christ the Redeemer is located in the Tijuca National Forest, at the top of the Corcovado Mountain in Brazil. It is considered an icon of Rio de Janeiro. In 1850, the idea of building a religious monument was first suggested by a Catholic Priest and was funded by the Catholic community of Brazil. In 1989 … Read more
This paper will employ close visual analysis of the Gates of Hell and the Last Judgment describing how the form of the work relates to its function within the representation of hell. When one stands before the Gates of Hell, s/he is immediately struck by its sheer enormity, complexity and the multitude of figures. The … Read more
First of all, the question is what is Karma? The actual definition of this word from the dictionary is, “ an action, seen as bringing upon oneself inevitable results, good or bad, either in this life or in a reincarnation” If you really think about it this definition has a very powerful meaning. I can … Read more
The Protestant reformation (more accurately known as the Lutheran upheaval) is the product of the observance of a ridiculous amount of corruption amongst the highest ranking officials within the Catholic Church. Yet despite its origins, its events, people and publications left a lasting impact on Europe that is still felt to this day. The words … Read more
Priesthood The life of a priest is unique and challenging. Becoming a Catholic priest is not for everyone. The job of priest requires someone committed to the Catholic faith. A priest must know all about the Catholic religion, and he must serve as a model for the Catholic faith, leading by example. Doing so requires … Read more
Different Bible translations word this differently; some use the phrase “eternal sin” or “unforgivable sin.” In some, the sin is to “blaspheme against” or “curse the Holy Spirit.” Whatever the wording, what troubles many readers is the suggestion that there is a type of sin that God will not forgive. Doesn’t this contradict verses like … Read more
Tommy Tenney brings a fascinating biblical story to life with his new novel, Hadassah: One Night with the King. This novel blends Bible history the Old Testament story of Esther with the historical setting of Ancient Persia. The novel Hadassah: One Night with the King is a continuous narrative written with admirable artistic beauty. As … Read more
Do you know what your worldview is? Do you think that the world is an illusion and we are on a journey to enlightenment as some with a Pantheism worldview? How about the Naturalism worldview of scientific based proof and evolution? Polytheism, or Postmodernism, even Theism? There are many different worldviews available for consideration. Whichever … Read more
