Teaching the Faith Forming the Faithful

Summary The book under analysis called Teaching the Faith, Forming the Faithful is dedicated to discussing the current environment in terms of people’s affiliation to church, as well as their understanding of the actual content of faith. The point is that many Christians are not fully aware of the fundamental...

Prayer in School and Gun Violence: Rough Draft

Introduction School-based gun violence has become a widespread occurrence in the United States. Importantly, numerous factors such as bullying, easily accessible weaponry, and a lack of conscientiousness regarding students’ mental health contribute to its growth. Prayer, as a moral guiding compass and an act of self-reflective mediation, could help school...

Character Analysis of Mohammed V

Introduction Mohammed V who was born in 10 August 1909 and died on 26 February 1961 was Sultan and king of Morocco. His full name was Sidi Mohammed ben Yusef. He was the son of Yusef, upon whose death he succeeded. Born at Rabat in Morrocco, Mohammed V was a...

Modern Interpretations of the Bible

I am one of Jesus Christ’s disciples. I spent all my life discovering the truth to the people. Jesus Christ came to the Earth to put the people in a straight and narrow way. All his life, he preached God’s Word to the people but his sermons written in the...

Zionism: The Evolution of Judaism

Zionism is an international political movement that identifies the existence of a sovereign Jewish national homeland. This is a movement that has been constantly campaigning and supporting Jewish return to their ancestral land since the recognition of the state of Israel. It is a movement that is based on religious...

Ethical Conduct and Religion

In ancient and medieval times religion was practically the only moral beacon for people. Different beliefs provided moral guidance systems various in depth and complexity. However, in present-day society religion ceased to play that role. In the theoretical situation where no gods and celestial beings are taken into account, nothing...

Freedom of Religious Beliefs in the Workplace

As businesses and corporations spread to a number of nations throughout the world the multicultural workforce is becoming very common. But the truth about modern civilization is that there is a lot of prejudice and stereotyping still excitant. These could be based on previous conflicts between nations, terrorism that does...

“Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood” by Piper

Summary of the concepts of the book Christians need to understand the issues of biblical manhood and womanhood as the two issues if well understood will help Christians to co-exist peacefully especially in the context of marriage. The book, “Recovering biblical manhood and womanhood,” as edited by John Piper and...

United Methodist Church: Organizational Systems

Introduction Systems Thinking is the process of understanding how specific components work together within a whole (Meadows, 2008). This concept can be effectively used in the resolution of the problem by addressing challenges as constituents of an overall system (Seddon, 2008). This essay seeks to illustrate how the Systems Thinking...

Non-christian World Religions: History, Concepts, and Beliefs of Buddhism

Introduction Religion can be described as a set of beliefs about the origin, purpose and the nature of the universe more especially when it is considered to have been created by supernatural agencies or agency. The believers have a set of rituals they observe and a moral code that governs...

Methodists Church: Organizational Leadership

The United Methodist Church is a global missionary church that is on the verge of bringing the good news to the people who have not received it as yet. Like any other missionary church, there are lots of difficulties the church has to encounter. The leaders have to concentrate on...

Relation Between Forgiveness and Justice

Introduction There perhaps is no effective way to show importance of forgiveness in human life. Human beings ranging from scholars, theologians and even atheists acknowledge that forgiveness is crucial to effective functioning of human life and relationships. Closely related to forgiveness is justice. Though various religions stress importance of both...

Conflict Between Augustine and Pelagius

This conflict is based on the place of grace in the salvation of man as well as the doctrine of the ‘original sin’. Augustine believed that grace played a vital and central role in keeping man from sinning. Pelagius believed that man’s free will was adequate to keep him from...

Christology: Development of Christology

Introduction In no doubt, one will never understand Theology, the idea about God, without mentioning the character of Jesus. Christology then comes in, as among the many branches of Christian theology that purely addresses the mystery behind Jesus Christ: his nature, actions, and person, as it appears in the New...

“How to Read the Bible for What It’s Worth” by D. Stewart and G. Fee

Summary “How to read the Bible for what it’s worth” written by Gordon Fee and Douglas Stewart is a modern-day revolutionary text that goes into depth describing various aspects of the Holy Bible including the text, its meaning and application in the modern age. The book covers the different chapters...

Synoptic Gospels and the Gospel of John

Synoptic gospels refer to biblical doctrines which were documented as part of good news during the New Testament times. These gospels have several similarities (Perkins, p. 19). As such, there are myriad of common features which characterize them. These include content, style, paragraphs, chronology and timing of events. In a...

Religious Studies and Theology: Paganism in the Military

Overview Any form of involvement in a religious practice that goes against the Christian doctrine has been largely defined as paganism. This term is also used by the two main religious mainstreams, namely Christianity and Islam to refer to those who do not belong in either of the two religions....

A God-Sized Vision by Collin Hansen and John Woodbridge

Concepts and Insights from the Text The book under review is A God-Sized Vision by Collin Hansen and John Woodbridge. This book is a thoughtful and rather interesting work that provides a series of new insights for me as a believer and a practitioner of religion. First of all, discussing...

Tsimtsumt in Life of Pi: The Synthesis of the World Religions

Life of Pi by Yann Martel is an account on the adventures of a sixteen-year old Indian boy who spent 227 days with a Bengal tiger on the lifeboat. The narration also determines the religious searches of the protagonist Piscine Molitor Patel where he strives to find the essence of...

Mystical Experience in Real Life Analysis

The main characteristics of mystical experience highlighted in St. Teresa of Aliva’s statement Mystical experience is the process when the believer reunites with the transcendent casting away all material things and problems. The feeling of the whole unification of the cosmos, the deity or other reality, and a real-life penetrates...

The Great Awakening That Refers to the Spiritual Revitalization

The Great Awakening refers to the spiritual revitalization that swept across New England colonies in the 18th century, which sparked renewed religious activity in America. Many preachers participated in the dynamic transformation of the faithful and followers of the traditional Protestantism like Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield. This radical religious...

Importance of Speaking in Tongues in Christianity

Introduction Speaking in tongues is a term that is common especially when referring to the Pentecostal churches. It is a supernatural language that is believed to be imparted to Christian believers when they have been baptized in the Holy Spirit. The issue of speaking in tongues has raised a lot...

The Awakening of Central Asian Islam

Introduction Most Soviet Muslims lived in Central Asia; they were the first to adopt Islam from the chronological point of view (7-9th centuries). There are two things that characterized Central Asian Islam: The unofficial clergy in the region has always been very influential, having emerged from Sufistic orders; it opposed...

The Role of Religion in the Evolution and Creation Debate

Introduction Religion is one of the most essential factors or to be very precise one of the most discussed questions in human existence. Religion has its own way of describing the origin of humankind while great scientists have given explanations on the evolution of living beings. And as it goes...

How Diverse Traditional Beliefs Affect the Spheres of Life in Ghana

Ghana is a post colonial country situated in Africa that embraces diverse ethnic group, religious concepts, beliefs, and languages, greatly affected by European influence. As in most African countries “religion is inseparable from virtually every aspect of Ghanaian life and is important in the determination of worldview” (Salm and Falola...

Environmental, Social or Political Conflict in Buddhism

Any religion is the phenomenon which is believed to deliver messages of moral issues to the world community. Still, as contemporary society is highly concerned with economical, social and political questions, religions become the objects of speculation. Buddhism is not an exception. There is a simple fact which is known...

Christian Social Concern in Pentecostal Perspective

Pentecostalism has turned out to be a strong basis in terms of renewal and spreading of the gospel. The Pentecostal mission has grown and now has many followers who believe in God, and they just keep growing in number. The Pentecostal community teaches according to what is prophesied in the...

Religious Philosophy: Term Definition

There is indeed an infinite amount of variation in terms of what meaning is given by people to God. There are several common connotations which are often considered in this regard, especially amongst the people who come from more of a westernized culture of philosophy and religion. Since this category...

Christian Music and Vital Congregations

Music for Funerals and Weddings The chapter entitled “Music for Funerals and Weddings” in Music and Vital Congregations by W.B. Roberts is an extensive overview of music at weddings and funerals in churches. The chapter presents the author’s view, combined with different policies on planning such ceremonies, in which the...

Critique of Westerhoff’s Spiritual Life

Introduction This is a critical analysis of the book entitled “Spiritual Life” by Westerhoff. Westerhoff says that it is not possible for preachers as well as the teachers to have a ministry that is fully effective if their personal divine lives are not effervescent. He therefore offers a resource to...

The Gospel of Mark (Mark 10:46-52)

The verses 10: 46-52 in the Gospel of Mark contain two remarkable episodes, which are Jesus leaving Jericho with his disciples and the healing of blind Bartimeus episode. With blindness being a unifying theme for a whole section in the Gospel of Mark, Mark 8-10, the importance of Bartimeus’s story...

Scribes and Pharisees Once Christ Was Crucified

Introduction Literary critics have often described the fact that Anthology of World Literature by Sarah Lawall restrains the world’s best-selling literature. Sarah Lawall introduces each writer and their works with a detailed biography, background description, and critical analysis. The Scribes and Pharisees in Bible have often been considered as the...

Did Christianity or Islam Liberate Women?

Introduction Just as it is true that religion is everywhere, it is equally true that religious popularity has varied over time and from place to place at any one time. Its popularity has been shaped by its response to three cultural sets of beliefs and values that have appeared during...

The Acceptance of Santeria in Modern Day Society

Freedom of religion and spiritual practices is one of the main issues granted by the Constitution. Santoria is a unique authentic form of religion that causes criticism and controversies because of its cruel practices and animal killing. Thus, the Constitution grants rights and freedoms to all citizens in spite of...

“Being Religious Interreligiously” by Peter Phan: Religion Fundamentals

Introduction Peter Phan in his book has welcomed all the diverse readers across the world to embrace elegance in religious pluralism all the time even at the period of postmodernism. Peter Phan himself is a theologian and subscribes to the catholic faith and he has highlighted many social and spiritual...

Buddha’s Four Noble Truths

Life is all about suffering Life symbolizes suffering. Human nature is imperfect, just like the world in which we live. Every human being has to endure some sort of suffering in their lives. Suffering includes physical affliction such as pain, exhaustion, injury, old age, and even death in the end....

The Role of Sexuality in Jewish Humor

Introduction According to (Harap 1987), humor was used as a mechanism for coping with hard situations in Israel by the Jews. Among the areas that humor was applied is sexuality, where Jews were made to divert their thoughts from depressions and were made to laugh or smile, as laughter is...

Comparing Islam, Christianity, and Judaism Religions

Abstract There are well over 19 independent religions in the world. These religions have been further subdivided into 270 groups. They differ mostly in terms of origin, ethical and sacred texts, and in numerical strength (percentage of the believers in the world population and their absolute numbers). According to (David,...

A Marriage Built on Christian Love

Often people do not even know the meaning of the words they tend to use; this fact leads to misunderstanding, ambiguity, or creates a fundament for jokes and mockery. No one likes to be mocked; therefore, people try to avoid unclear or unknown words. Polite people use simple words if...

The Uniqueness of the Eight Fold Step

Buddhism is a religion that is based on the Eastern Philosophical faiths with their origins being traced in South Asia. Buddhism is against the Vedas authority and built independent textual traditions that are based on the teachings of the founders of the religion that later led to the development of...

Native American and African Religions

Religion has existed since antiquity. While different communities practiced different religions, they nonetheless have a common ground when it comes to the unity of the material and spiritual world. According to Toropov and Buckles, within the Native American spirituality, all processes whether human or non human (spiritual), are linked. Native...

Augustinian Themes in the Culinary Article

Introduction The article under analysis “Cilantro haters- it’s not your fault” was an examination of why coriander leaves or cilantro elicits very strong negative reactions from some eaters and surprisingly pleasant responses from others but it also demonstrates striking resemblances with “confessions by Augustine.” The paper shall examine common Augustinian...

Buddhism and Christianity: Understanding of Religions

Aisha listens carefully as two of her colleagues continue with the heated debate on whether Christianity is the true religion. In their argument, one believes that Christianity is the only true religion while the other, who is a pagan, prefer believing in Buddhism citing that this is the only religion...

Impacts of Censoring Religious Criticism

Introduction The religious censoring criticism has greatly influenced people’s behaviors. People consistently avoid talking about certain things since their religion views them as obscene and contrary to their teachings. Therefore, different religions have different censorship behaviors since they apply different scriptural teachings. Although the religious censoring intends to control and...

Theology History: Forms of Beliefs

Introduction The human race even from prehistoric times has been fascinated by the spiritual and the mysterious factors that exist in their social and physical environment. Humans began to worship physical forms commonly seen around them in the form of oceans, mountains, the sun and the moon, animals, and even...

Religion and Architecture: Christian Church, Buddhist, Islamic Mosques

Religious architecture is mainly concerned with design and building of houses of reverence or holy deliberate places such as stupas, mosques, churches and temples. Many cultures sacrificed a lot of their resources and effort in establishing places of worship. In fact, these places are among the most remarkable and durable...

The Literary Legacy of Paul of Tarsus

Introduction First, it is important to consider the direction of Paul’s life before the Damascus encounter, before turning to the encounter as supported by his epistles. In many occasions, we see Paul testifying about his conversation. He describes the vision to be a reality in as far as he saw...

The Array of the East Asian Religion Components

Eastern Religion Elements Matrix HINDUISM BUDDHISM CONFUCIANISM TAOISM SHINTO COUNTRIES inDIA, japan, indonesia CHINA, india, japan, korea CHINA,JAPAN, KOREA, TAIWAN china japan HISTORICAL FIGURES and EVENTS no founder, except divinly figures of holy books founder- ashoka, different budhist councils confucius from Zhou dynasty-founder, based on five classics hermit tradition, social...

Elie’s Faith in “Night”

In the novel Night by Elie Wiesel, faith is depicted in a lot of scenes. The Auschwitz environment was not friendly and thus it provoked a lot of religious confusion. At one point, Elie says, “Never shall I forget those flames which consumed my faith forever” (Wiesel 17). On arrival...

Paul and Philemon. Conversion of People to Christianity

Introduction During the period when the first church had just been established, Paul, then Saul, was a force to reckon, both before and after his conversion to Christianity. He exhibited strong leadership skills whichever side of the divide he was on. He believed so much in the ideals he followed,...

The Quakers. Their Origin, Ideology, and Meeting Houses

Introduction The Quakers, also known as the Society of Friends, were the participants of the religious movement of the 17th century in England. In the course of its expansion, the movement extended into numerous parts of the world, particularly to Africa and America. With time, the Quakers started constructing separate...

Religious Fundamentalism in Islam and Christianity

The religious fundamentalism is best defined as people’s tendency to idealize their sense of religiosity to such an extent that they begin to pose danger to themselves and to society. Traditionally, such fundamentalism is being closely associated with the Semitic religions of Islam and Christianity, which can be explained by...

Sin and Perfection in Religious Literature

The three stories by Nathaniel Hawthorne namely the Ministers Black Veil, the Birthmark and Rapaccini’s Daughter all have some elements of sin and perfection. Precisely sin is apparent in these works. In the Ministers Black Veil, the message conveyed is that of concealed sin. Here Hooper the town minister is...

World Religions: Islam vs Christianity

Without a doubt, the three major religions on the planet earth are Christianity, Buddhism, and Islam. Available literature shows that these religions have followers in every region and sphere of the earth. Numerical evidence points out that Christianity is the largest religion accounting for an estimated 1.8 billion followers. It...

Put Off the Flesh Put On Christ: Colossians 3:5-16

Introduction To correctly understand the meaning of these scriptures it is important to note the context within which Paul wrote the text. This letter was addressed to the church in Colosse which is a town in Asia Minor east of Ephesus. This particular church was under Paul’s jurisdiction even though...

Prophet Moses – Deliverer of Israel

Prophet Moses Moses was reluctant when the Lord called him to deliver the children of Israel from Egypt. God decided to perform miracles to Prophet Moses so that people would believe him (Exodus 4:1-2). God commanded Moses to throw the stick he had in his hand on the ground. He...

Islamic Mosque Customs and Architecture

There were some substantial differences between the holy places of Roman Catholics and the Sunni Islamic Mosque at Florida, the most crucial one being the segregation between males and females for entering the mosque. The Florida mosque is only for male members and females are not allowed to enter the...

A Belief System From Personal Point of View

All human beings believe in some sets of values, which influence their actions and thoughts. These beliefs, though vary with individuals, are inevitable in everybody’s lives. The set of beliefs followed by each person is called his belief system. Every action and thought of an individual is judged right or...

Sri Aurobindo’s Rebirth and Karma

The doctrine of Karma and rebirth dates back to ancient times and therefore its origin is not well known. Sri Aurobindo is one of the major contributors and proponents of this doctrine. At this point, it is important to note that, I will evaluate the doctrine alongside its function ability....

Christian Spirituality in History and Today

The question of spirituality and relationship of a man and God should be topical today taking into consideration the present cultural and ethical situation in contemporary society. Nowadays mankind is lead by and inspired by material values, the main characteristic of our life and lifestyle is their being mercenary. The...

A Beginner’s Guide to Preaching by C. F. Guthrie

Summary The book under consideration is called “From Pew to Pulpit: a Beginner’s Guide to Preaching” by Clifton Floyd Guthrie. This work serves to be a practical guide for the preachers that helps to choose the appropriate topic. It also learns how to be a good listener and an excellent...

Evolution vs. Religious Dogma

Introduction The theory of evolution was challenged by religion when first publicly demonstrated by Charles Darwin in the mid-Nineteenth Century. The religiously fervent still rejects the idea of man evolving from ape but over the past 150 years opinions have certainly evolved and most religious persons today accept evolution to...

Communicating with God: Revelation and Christology

The Old Testament promotes revelation as the most important process in religion which helps believers to communicate with God. The attention from the divine to believer through which all of a man is involved is revelation. It is God making Himself known to all people, disclosing Himself so that believers,...

The Role of Medieval Roman Catholicism in Christianity

Introduction The Roman Catholic Church is the major and leading Christian denomination in the world. It has existed as an institution since the first century AD, and its form, scope, and teachings have changed over the years. The headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church is in Italy, the Vatican City...

Biblical Prophets of Israel

The Bible is an indivisible entity, a document of spiritual and historical relevance. Depending upon interpretation and usage, it has been and can be an indispensable tool of liberation or a weapon of mass destruction and oppression. It is the infallible word of God as depicted by His inspired prophets...

Religious Pluralism, the Interfaith Movement

Religious pluralism is a loosely defined term that means accepting and understanding the fact that more than one religion exists in the world. Ellis (2009) shows the difference between this term and religious tolerance. Religious tolerance is accepting the fact that each and every person is entitled to his or...

Five Percents of the Muslim Religion

The basic faith of Muslim religion is same, i.e. to believe in one God Allah and His prophets as messengers. Different Muslim sects evolve from followers of different Imams. Though basic teachings of Islam are same but with time different groups and denominations were formed. Theologically they are same but...

Christianity in South Korea and Japan

South Korea embraces Christianity more than Japan. When visiting South Korea today, one is bound to be struck by the many churches every where, ranging from splendid cathedrals in big cities to small and humble churches built in villages. These churches can be easily seen when traveling either by train...

International Relations: Growing Importance of Secularization

At the beginning of the 21st century, growing religiosity and secularization are the direct causes of political, economic and social crisis affected modern society. Within the context of increasing secularization, religion undergoes two crucial changes. First, its authority is narrowed to an ever-diminishing realm, as social institutions differentiate from religion...

Church History: Egeria and the Crusades

Introduction The starting point of the present research should be the justification of the actuality and necessity of it. It is evident that in the study of historical events the primary role is always played by the study and analysis of the primary sources (documents, letters, etc.) as they the...

What is this Good News?

Faith in God is a power which gives people life and allows them to be busy with their casual life. Faith in God gives power to live. There are a lot people who follow all God’s passages and live godly life. Jesus, God’s son, was transmitted to Earth to tell...

The Difference in the Islamic Terms

Introduction The world of Islam impresses with its historical and mythological background according to the religious approach toward the disciples of Islamic prophet Mohamed and his followers. In this respect the idea about Islam should designated in its unique and rather significant coloring in characters and people who provide the...

How Buddhism do not believe in Gods?

Any metaphysical speculation made so far in the history of the world religions proposes two theologies. First, it forbids to discuss things for which we remain unable to show some reasonable evidence, and secondly it do not allow to discuss things that are of no good use for us. Buddhism...

Argument From Evil Against God

Introduction Man has been accused of infidelity because he serves both God and evil. He has most of the times denied the existence of God (Psalms 14:1). Perceptive observers talk of these as a post-Godly era. Robert Taylor, Jr. argues that those who believe in evil can still be swayed...

Preaching Acceptance of Santeria in Modern Society

Introduction Santeria is regarded as the syncretic religion of the Caribbean origin. Originally, it is formed on the biblical legends and oral legends of the Africans. All the santerians are officially regarded as Catholics, and the participation in Catholic church is the obligatory condition for joining santerian sect. As for...

Bible: The Healing of Bartimaeus

Introduction The Bible is the literary source that may be compared with the treasury of wisdom and experience; it is not a hyperbole when a faithful person says that all the answers to all questions can be found in this holy book. The reflection on the literary merit of the...

Major Religions of the Modern World: Islam

Abstract This paper discusses Islam as one of the major religions of the world today. The work done include the origin of Islam and the authors of the Koran, the religious book used among the Muslim faithful. It also gives an account of the major characters, where and when was...

Democracy in Islamic World

The second part of the twentieth century, just as the beginning of the twenty first century may be called the epoch of democracy. The problem of democratization of human society should be treated as universal problem because the right to life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness are not only main...

A Letter From the Buddha to a Follower

My friend, in experiencing the world, you have no doubt stumbled across the problem of suffering, which is ever-present. All have experienced suffering and have seen its toll on the outside world. What is it that causes suffering and pain? The answer is desire. Desire for material goods, for social...

The Significance of the Ethical Pillars of Jainism

The non-Vedic native Jainism religion has an origination in India and Mahavira is the most prominent tutor of the doctrine of this religion. The main belief of the religion is that Universe is forever it is not affected by time, there is no commencement or an end and it is...

Confucius. His Unique Contribution to World Religions

Introduction Many individuals who lived on this earth have made contributions to world religions. Long after their deaths some of the teachings they made still influence some world religions. Therefore they left a lasting legacy. This paper shall look at one such personality in history called Confucius. Give his historical...

Hindu Religion: Sacred Elements and Traditions

Introduction A Hindu is one who born in Hindustan or India and he is the one who believe in Hinduism. The term Hindu was derived from the river Sindhu. This term was first used to recognize the inhabitants who lived beyond the Indus River. Hinduism is considered as one of...

Christian Salvation: Essential Elements

Introduction Salvation is derived from a Greek word sozo or soterion which means deliverance (Arnold para.1). Salvation in the Christian context can be used to mean deliverance to safety, which means individuals believably get their sins forgiven and thus they are rescued from the ultimate penalty for sinning. This essay...

Core Elements of Christian Understanding of Salvation

Every problem in this world is diagnosed depending on its cause. According to Christianity, the main human problem is sin which is known to cause suffering in this life and also in eternal life. Therefore, the only treatment or solution for sin is the salvation which sets someone free from...

Ibn Khaldun’s Understanding of Civilizations and the Dilemmas of Islam and the West Today

Introduction In recent years, there have been many attempts, on the part of representatives of world’s intellectual elite, too weaken irreconcilable antagonisms between Western and Islamic mentalities, as the ultimate mean of making this world a better place to live. Akbar S. Ahmed’s article “Ibn Khaldun’s Understanding of Civilizations and...

“The Confusion of Tongues” by William G. Bellshaw: Article Critique

Critique The purpose of this article is to trace whether the gift of tongues is still present today and to understand if the Holy Spirit has really bestowed this gift upon some people nowadays. In order to examine the view of the Bible on this problem, the author presents a...

Early American Religion History

Introduction According to Mark (2007), colonies that formed the U.S had people who were deeply rooted in religion, which resulted in the movement across the Atlantic Ocean where they spread their beliefs freely. However, it was thought that this vigor would last for only a short period and then diminishes...

“Passion of Saints Perpetua and Felicitas” by Lualdi

The book “Passion of Saints Perpetua and Felicitas” reflects the unique ideals and values o women during the Middle Ages and desires to enter martyrdom similar to men who follow this experience for centuries. The uniqueness and impotence of his text are that it is written by a Christian woman...

The Angel of Jehovah

Brief Introduction and Background Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are considered as the three Abrahamic religions and share almost the same traditions, Scriptures, and mythology. The diction, style, and theme of their Scriptures, including Old Testament (Holy Torah), New Testament (Holy Bible), and the Holy Quran and the personalities discussed in...

“Four Views on Hell” by William Crockett

Introduction Life after death has always been of great interest to people. The only question most living human beings are preoccupied with is whether this life exists and if it does, whether there exists a separation between hell and heaven. Hell is traditionally regarded as a place where human souls...

“Biblical Inerrancy” Book by Stephen L. Andrew

Critique The main goal of the article is to demonstrate the arguments for and against inerrancy with the invalidity of some of the supporting evidence as to the main thesis. The author reached his purpose by constructively building his article starting from defining terms, historical background, refutation, and support. The...

Deviations in the Perception of the Personality of Jesus Christ of Nazareth

Introduction Jesus Christ of Nazareth is a one of the most important, if not the most important figure in the history of mankind. His name is being mentioned in every corner of the globe. Men, women, and children adore him while others extol his great teachings. Authors, commentators, and researchers...

Old and New Testaments. Septuagint in the Epistle to the Hebrews

Introduction Evidence abounds to testify to the surmised and indeed existent relationship between the Old Testament and the New Testament. The author of Hebrews manipulates allusions to the Old Testament scripture to reinforce his message and authorial persuasions. In Hebrews the author makes constant reference to the new covenant. The...

“Mysterium Paschale” by H. U. von Balthasar

Introduction The book Mysterium Paschale: The Mystery of Easter is historical research aimed to unveil a mystery of the Christ resurrection and origins of Easter. The value of the research is that it is based on deep historical analysis of documents and the Bible, and proposes readers a unique interpretation...

Zen Buddhism: Main Features

Introduction Zen Buddhism is a peculiar religion because unlike most other religion such as Christianity, Islam, Hinduism and many others, Zen Buddhism does not have a god to worship. In Zen Buddhism there is no particular spiritualism since any Zen practitioner is expected to meditate in search of enlightenment and...

Religion. Hays’s Article Critique and Personal Reflection

Critique The article’s main purpose is to critique the hermeneutics of the supporters of classical theism in their ongoing debates with the open theism proponents. The author’s critique is mostly achieved in pointing the flaws of classic theism views of immutability and impassibility. The main thesis is seemed to be...

Civilization Concepts: Religion and History

Introduction Civilization refers to where by a society or community is being transformed from its old ways of doing things to modern ways. Civilization comes as change is made in the political social, economic and religious doing. Western civilization was brought about in forms of art literature drama as well...

Zen Buddhism: Brief Giude

Introduction Religion has always been an integral part of human life. From the first polytheistic religions of the ancient world to the mono- or non-theistic religions of today, people has always looked for a force that created the world and rules all the events in it. Thus, in this pursuit...

The Indwelling of the Holy Spirit

Introduction Holly Spirit is part of what the Bible calls the Holy trinity. It comprises of the Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ the Son of God and God himself. The Bible says that the Holly trinity is one but they act in different forms because of the different activities they perform....

The Bintel Brief: Jewish Culture in the U.S.

The Bintel Brief is a book of letters from the Jewish daily forward which brings the reality of the life of the Jews immigrant in the United States. It is a renowned advice column that gave fair-minded and practical advice to its readers in addition to giving them an opportunity...

Religious and Cultural Aspects of Arab Women

Women in the Arab world have had a lot of difficulties in the way they relate with others. This is because discrimination was the order of the day. They have been deprived of their rights and freedoms which had their basis on religious beliefs and more so on cultural aspects....

Religions: Zoroastrianism and Judaism

Introduction The religion Zoroastrianism has been named after the Prophet Zoroaster. He brought the religion in the region and is analogous with Mazdaism. Mazdaism preached and called upon the worship of Ahura Mazda elevate by Zoroaster as the Al Mighty and the biggest divine authority. The religion was deeply integrated...

Components of Abraham’s Legacy and Hinduism

Component One Similarities Monotheistic nature – Judaism, Christianity, and Islam state the existence of the only one God; The holy scripture – the Bible in Christianity, the Torah in Judaism, the Koran in Islam; Presence of a prophet – all the three major Abrahamic religions are based on the teachings...

Christianity Framework: Personal Evaluation

Introduction Studying and comparing religions is a sensitive task that requires a specific approach when doing so. This approach generally implies that a neutral position will be maintained throughout the study in order to exclude bias toward a particular religion. In light of the aforementioned statement, “A Framework for Understanding...

Western Civilization: Christian Heresies

Introduction Establishment of the orthodox Christianity was a result of the emergency of the danger of new converts following teachings that differed from those widely accepted by Christianity. Christian statements like the Apostles Creed and the Nicene Creed resulted from the churches’ efforts to make statements of faith lined with...

Zen Buddhism: Basic Teachings

Introduction If there has been any puzzle that has disturbed the human mind, then it is the search for truth. Human kind has always put all their effort to get the real meaning of life. In addition, they have tried to know the origin of life and the probable destiny....

Social Theory. Religion as a Tool for Social Oppression

Introduction There can be no doubt as to the fact that religion played an important role in shaping up socio-political realities, ever since the dawn of history. In its turn, this allows the proponents of religious worldview on culture and science to suggest that people’s tendency to indulge in theological...

Religion and Science. Intelligent Design vs. Evolution

Nothing illustrates better Christianity’s unwillingness to loosen its ideological grip over people’s minds as the emergence of so-called a “scientific creationism”, which refers to the functional complexity of living organisms as such that proves the existence of God, and which in its turn, allows us to conclude that Creationism is...

Promotion Religion in Schools

The history of the case started on February 5, 2004 when Nicholas Rotolo was engaged in a hockey tournament at a skating rink and suffered a cardiac arrest. The skating rink was owned by San Hose Sports and Entertainment. Medical aid was given by two parents witnessing the event who...

Prophet Moses: Religion Figure Review

According to the Bible in the book of Exodus, Moses was the son of Amram and Jochebed and had an elder brother who was called Aaron. Prophet Moses is the one who led the Israelites from Egypt at the time that they were slaves. Moses was born at a time...

French Hijab Ban and Its Effects on Society

Alma and Lila are teenage sisters from the lower-class suburbs of Aubervilliers who were expelled from their school in 2003 after they defied the French law requiring them not to wear headscarves. Their father is a Jew who does not believe in God and a lawyer who works for an...

Issues and Traditions in Western Religion

Abstract Western Religion is composed of Abrahamic Religions with origin in the ancient Middle East including Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. Even though the Western Religion constitutes more than Abrahamic religions, mostly used is Christianity as the religion which the Westerners like to identify themselves with. Since their foundations, all the...

Theology Concepts Brief Review

The events that first marked the difference between Judaism and Christianity immediately after Jesus’ death in the first century of Christian history first came clearly when the Roman army which was very brutal attacked Jerusalem and destroyed the temple which was their center of focus. This made them lose hopes...

The Christological Interpretation of the Psalms

Psalms is a sacred book of the Old Testament. The book of Psalms consists of 150 psalms devoted to different religious values and norms. Each psalm is a song consisted of chants. Critics suppose that the Book of Psalms was composed by the Babylonians, from about 586 to 538 B.C....

Peculiarities of Saint Augustine’s “The Confessions”

There is a widely held opinion among many literary critics and theologians that Saint Augustine’s “Confessions” is the first autobiographical work in the history of Western European literature. It reflects the main peculiarities of philosophical and theological thought in the Middle Ages. The author gives a full account of his...

Christian Foundations and Cultural Engagement

All human beings live with a certain set of beliefs or beliefs and the belief, which shows reality and creates a meaning to our view, is a worldview. It is a belief about what is fundamental in our lives and in our relationship towards the others in our society and...

Middle Eastern History: The Five Pillars of Islam

Introduction Islam was introduced through Prophet Muhammad who was born in Mecca, Saudi Arabia in 571 AD. He preached the basic belief, the oneness of God to the people of Mecca for ten years until he was forced to leave the city to settle in Medina where he passed the...

Wars of Religion: Historical Review

The most fanatical and catastrophic time in the history of Europe dates back to the period between the second half of the sixteenth century and the commencement of the seventeenth century since it was during this time that the most appalling and fervent sequence of wars broke out. It is...

Jesus and the Disinherited by Howard Thurman

The book Jesus and the Disinherited written by Howard Thurman is devoted to the religious and race aspects and their positions in the modern world. The work discloses the main sides if the biblical positions and gives an opportunity to evaluate the level of racism, the relation of the poor...

Passover and the Four Questions

Introduction The lord said to Moses, ” I will bring one more plague on Pharaoh and on Egypt. After that he will let you go from here and when he does he will drive you out completely. Tell the people that men and women alike are to ask their neighbors...

Philosophical Arguments for God’s Existence

Introduction The existence of God is one of the oldest debates in the history of humanity, and the topic is still extremely popular today. Anselm of Canterbury was among the first philosophers to present arguments that explain why God should exist. The thinker’s ontological argument was provided in his Proslogion...

Zoroastrianism: Ancient Religion, Beliefs, and Modern Practice

Zoroastrianism is one of the oldest religions in existence, which was instituted by Zarathushtra which means ‘Zoroaster’ in Greek more popularly known as ‘Zarthosht’ in India and Persia. Conservative Zoroastrians believe that the religion was founded in about 6000BCE whereas historians and religious scholars generally believe the birth of Zarathushtra,...

Death Explanation in Christian Religion

Human death has been explained in many different ways by the different religions existing in this global world. Death explanation has taken a variety of pathways depending based on the founders of the particular religions. The Christian religion is founded on the divine almighty God, who is believed to have...

Augustine’s On Christian Doctrine Literary Criticism

Introduction In Augustine’s famous treatise, On Christian Doctrine as translated by Dr. Robertson emphasis is on the interpretation of the Bible, dealing with philosophical and rhetorical principles for the Christian use of the scripture. Dr. Robertson emphasizes in his introduction the tremendous influence that this work had upon Christian doctrine....

Suffering in The Book of Job and The Old Testament

Job’s story is difficult to understand since it raises many questions, answers to which a person can only find in his or her own faith in the Lord. However, many lines of this book can be instructive and useful for people in distress as it explains the causes, paths, and...

Ruth Barton’s “Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership” Book Review

Thesis of the Book It is quite a pervasive occurrence in today’s hectic environment for oneself to lose the connection with the soul. From the religious point of view, the soul is a very private space where God’s Spirit dwells to be united with the soul and to lead from...

King David’s Reign: Triumphs, Sins, and God’s Judgment

David is one of the most prominent rulers who united many tribes and established a strong monarchy for the people of Judah and Israel. He gained fame and respect of many people at an early age when he defeated Goliath, and he later became one of the closest people to...

David: The Legacy of Leadership

Introduction The Bible interprets leadership as an act of serving and influencing others while having Christ’s interests at heart. Any person in Christ can turn to the Bible for excellent examples of leadership galore and learn from the greatest. Probably, one of the most influential leadership figures represented both in...

Historical and Contemporary Modifications in Orthodox Puritanism

Introduction It should be noted that the views of religion and death changed significantly during the time period 1720-1820. Initially, death was regarded as a terrifying event and God’s punishment for one’s sins. People believed that, when someone died, they were sent to hell and there was no hope of...

Baptism in Christianity: History and Meaning of the Rite

Baptism is among the oldest Christian sacraments, as it has been introduced in the Bible and is likely older than the writing. It is usually considered necessary to perform the rite to join the religion. The procedure usually involves immersion into a body of water, preferably a river, but other...

Theological Inquiry: Does God Allow Evil? Perspectives and Arguments

Introduction While proving the reality of God seems to be counterproductive to the belief, numerous philosophers have attempted to outline various arguments that aim to prove the existence of such a power. Most assertions formulate themselves on the fact that God is un-perceivable and, therefore, must be shown to exist...

A Statement and Defense of Faith in Literature

Everyone has faith – from the irrational religious zealot to the fervent philosopher and the meticulous scientist. We all believe in something and thus we behave in line with these beliefs. Therefore, the underlying question, in this case, is not whether we have faith, but the truth behind the things...

Mummification: Ancient Egyptian Afterlife Rituals

Death has always been one of the phenomena that frightened people because of its mysterious and incomprehensible character. Trying to explain it, societies of the past created various religious beliefs that offered their vision of death and suggested rituals on how to act to minimize fear. One of the most...

The Concept of Death and Dying in Religions

Religions teach people to perceive the world around them by certain canons and laws prescribed by higher powers. In different faiths, approaches to the interpretation of human existence during life on earth and after it may differ. The case of George who learns about the terrible diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral...

“The Prince Who Loved Sweetmeats” by Prof Granoff

Introduction The story “The Prince Who Loved Sweetmeats” is an example of the Jain belief in asceticism and the error of worldly possessions and attachments. It is very different from the monotheistic tradition of Western cultures that treat one’s body as a creation in God’s image. Story Explanation The story...

The Catholic Inquisitions: A Defense of Historical Perspectives

Introduction One of the notable elements about the history of the Roman Catholic Church is the inquisitions. It refers to a former tribunal of the church that was created to discover and suppress heresy, which was a belief that rejected the orthodox tenets of the religion (Kamen 13). The ecclesiastical...

The Covenant Between God and the Jewish People

Introduction Jews in the Bible are a religious-ethnic group of people descending from Abraham and connected with God by several unions (covenants). The beginning of the Jewish people’s formation can be considered the conclusion of an agreement between God and Abraham. God’s Covenant for the Israeli people as a whole...

Zen Buddhism: History, Beliefs, and American Adaptation

Introduction Zen Buddhism is a separate school of Mahayana Buddhism that emphasizes mindfulness and meditation practices as the path to achieving enlightenment. According to Wienpahl, the basic principle of Zen is that it cannot be transferred through books as “the heart of the matter is a practice” (3). Although meditative...

Comparing European and Non-Western Witchcraft Practices

In Europe, witches were considered in terms of theology. It was believed that Satan enters the bodies of women to acquire physical presence. The Inquisition aimed to eradicate witchcraft by torturing and executing them. The purpose of these beliefs was to blame witches for diseases and epidemics as well as...

Spiritual Wellness: Insights from Hrabe, Melnyk, & Neale (2018)

Assigned Article Summary The object of the review and summarizing is the article “Spiritual Wellness: A Journey Toward Wholeness,” written by Hrabe, Melnyk, and Neale (2018). The key idea of ​​this work is to find an answer to the question of how to achieve the unity of the soul, mind,...

“Martin Luther: A Late Medieval Life” by V. Leppin

Introduction Martin Luther, known as the father of the Reformation, had a remarkable life that is discussed by several authors. In his Martin Luther: A Late Medieval Life book, Volker Leppin offers his vision on the key biographic points of this theologian. By reading and analyzing the lives of prominent...

Judaism, Its Tradition and Artifacts

Introduction Talking about Judaism, practicing Jews means the Jewish tradition. This tradition means the obtaining of knowledge about God, who created everything, his relationship with people, the goal of creation, the way of living, and following certain laws. This paper is dedicated to learning some principles of the Jewish tradition...

Religion: “The Sage From Galilee” by David Flusser

Introduction The Sage from Galilee: Rediscovering Jesus’ Genius is a historical book written by David Flusser in the 20th century and edited in 2007 for the fourth time. Its major themes are early Judaism and Christianity and the life of Jesus in one of the best interpretations for scholars and...

Understanding Suicide: Religious Perspectives and Modern Implications

Suicide is a highly controversial issue that requires special attention of society. Significant efforts have been put on a global scale into the research of this grave phenomenon and the development of the prevention programs. In this section, suicide and its implications will be regarded from the religious perspective. The...

Doctrinal Statements in Christianity

Introduction In the contemporary world, there is a great variety of different Christian groups. Many of these groups make doctrinal statements in an attempt to convey their specific interpretation of certain Biblical concepts, as well as values and viewpoints. Doctrinal statements are a significant part of Christianity, and they serve...

Evolution and Formation of the Christian Church: Key Perspectives

The evolution and formation of the Christian Church were complex processes impacted by the appearance of various perspectives on basic dogmas, rituals, cannons. For this reason, there were many attempts to structure all existing ideas and outline a unified vision that should be followed by all adherers. For instance, the...

Exploring the Ability of People to Know Right or Wrong

Spirituality Over the years, several connotations have been developed with regard to the concept of spirituality. The commonly accepted definition of spirituality describes it as a religious process through which human beings seek to reorient their originality in the image of God through the help of the Holy Spirit (Sheldrake,...

Paul’s Theodicy in Romans: Brendan Byrne’s Commentary

The attempts to justify God’s treatment of human beings play an important role in the Bible. This issue is explored in the Epistle to the Romans, in which Apostle Paul discusses God’s relations with the people of Israel. To some degree, his rhetoric can be regarded as the theodicy aimed...

Saint Prosper of Aquitaine: Defender of Augustinian Theology

The Christian Church has passed a long way to become one of the most powerful human social institutions. The process of its evolution and especially its initial stages can be associated with the numerous attempts to create a unified theological ground for further rise. However, differences in perspectives on the...

Saint Thomas Aquinas’ Views of Predestination

The question of predestination has always been topical for the Christian Church. Being one of the main dogmas of faith, it triggered multiple debates about factors impacting the divine providence and individuals lives. For decades, theologians argued about the role or prayers in furthering predestination and the ways in which...