...Analysis of Philip Larkin's "Church Going" | Philip Larkin http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1074/1417827433_85ef38935a.jpg | The theme of Philip Larkin’s poem “Church Going” is the erosion of religious abutments. Larkin is largely considered to be an atheist; however, he did live in a society that was predominantly Christian, so this poem is perhaps his way of trying to understand the attraction of religion. The narrator, who appears to be an atheist also, goes to a church, wanders around, and leaves unsatisfied. He doesn’t understand the allure of churches or religion, and wonders to himself when they will go out of fashion. He then goes on to imagine what they will be turned into once they do fall out of use. In the end, the narrator comes to the realization that religion and churches will never go out of style, because mankind has an innate need to believe in something greater than themselves. This poem was written in 1954, and published in 1955. The rhythm of the poem is iambic tetrameter, and it has a strict rhyme of ababcadcd. The language of the poem is conversational, and the narrator poses many interrogatives (asks questions). Larkin uses a lot of religious imagery and words, some are used as they are intended, but others are used in a blasphemous way. Blasphemy is the act of expressing lack of reverence for God, but if one doesn’t believe in God can what they say really be considered blasphemy? That is just something to consider while reading the poem. The title...
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...Hybrid Church Dave Browning’s Hybrid Church, claims that those churches that emphasize community, togetherness, fellowship, and belonging are considered to belong to intimacy. The churches focusing on outreach and mission are related to impact. According to Browning, the discourse of the church is exclusive of the other where a new church should engage in activities of learning new things and later behave in a manner that cooperate with others. The hybrid church provides a new aspect for making discussions regarding the advantages of both big and small ministries (Browning 2010). This book also provides a better background on how people can understand the concept regarding intrinsic value of blends about the hybrid church. When focusing on the three chapters of the book, the author focuses on balancing by extreme. This is a means of achieving intimacy and impact. Becoming a hybrid church has taken a different dimension as compared to the past church model. There is a spectrum of church ministry that has an intimacy on one side and the other side has an impact. Evidence shows that most modern churches are drawn almost magnetically in respect to either of one of the above concepts. Those churches that focus on togetherness, belonging, fellowship, and community aspect is said to belong to the intimacy spectrum. The group of churches that aim at mission and outreach are related to an aspect of the impact spectrum. In this case, it is essential in the first place to establish...
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...Catholic we go to church on Sunday. Our church is a bit more conservative than Christian churches. We go there and sit in the pews waiting for the priest and the altar servers to make their entrance. It is usually quiet before church starts although one knows the atmosphere of the church. Not only does one smell the incense but one sees the all the stain glass windows littered with images of Jesus, the Virgin Mary, angles, and other biblical characters. One thing I’ve found out about Catholic churches is that they always have the images or sculptures of the fourteen Stations of the Cross. There is also an area in the church that has multiple candles that parishioners can light in memory of a loved one or in respect to Jesus, the Virgin Mary, God, and so on. One other thing that is a given at a Catholic church is the open access to the Holy Water. Up at the front there is the alter were the Priest will lay out the bread and wine to do the blessing for communion. Behind the alter is usually a large sculpture of Jesus on the cross. To the side of all the pews is where the choir sits. Once church starts we do our blessings and great one another. We have two readings from the bible and then the priest does his sermon explaining the readings. After that we take the bread and wine and then do our closing song. This is what I was used to. So going to my friend’s church was rather outside of my comfort zone. My best friend Jess is a very devout Christian. She loves her church very much...
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...Writing about churches starting churches is a little like conducting a chemistry experiment. Relational models for church planting are the catalyst that causes the experiment to boil over. Relational models focus on sending out Christians to gather and disciple unchurched people in their communities. If enough people are gathered, new formal congregations may form. While the general idea may sound intriguing, the specific models inspire frustration and fear for numerous leaders of established churches. Pastors are frustrated their churches, where the Gospel is preached and fellowship shared each week, are somehow not considered “missional communities.” For many formal church leaders, “house churches” are gatherings of disenchanted former...
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...THE MARONITE CHURCH: UNITED AND UNIVERSAL An apostolate for this age - a strategic vision "Lebanon could be one of the world’s strongest countries if it better utilized the potential of its Diaspora." His Beatitude Nasrallah Butros Cardinal Sfeir(11/28/01) Introduction The Lebanese outside of Lebanon vastly outnumber those in Lebanon. This is especially true of the Christians, and the Maronites in particular. Those Maronites are numerous and influential on an individual basis. Most, however, shun involvement with organized groups dealing with socio-political issues concerning Lebanon and the Christians due to the fractured approach and the myriad of elements supposedly acting on behalf of the Maronites in Lebanon. These Maronites of the Diaspora have an opportunity to influence the outcome of deliberations concerning socio-political issues in Lebanon and the Middle East if they unify under, and maximize the resources of, the Maronite Church under the strong leadership of the Patriarch. Background Throughout history the Maronite Patriarchy has played both a religious and political role in Lebanon and the Middle East. The Patriarch has been a diplomatic force for the building of consensus among divergent religious and political elements. It commands the allegiance and obedience of all of the bishops in Lebanon and the trust of the faithful. As time passed, there has been a geographical shift in the location of the Maronites. Many of them...
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...The Eastern Church vs. the Western Church In the year 1054, due to political, cultural and religious reasons, the Great Schism divided Christianity into the Eastern Church (the Orthodox Church) and the Western Church (the Catholic Church). As a result of the Schism, differences increased between the two. The primary differences are the Papal claims of authority and the insertion of the filioque clause into the Nicene Creed (Ware, 1963). Since the two were one prior to the Schism, there are similarities; for example, both celebrate the seven Sacraments, partake of Holy Communion, have Apostolic origins, have a hierarchical priesthood and celebrate Easter; however, even within these similarities are differences. The primary difference between the Eastern Church and the Western Church is in regards to the title and role of the head of the Church. The Pope is the head of the Western Church; whereas, the Patriarch is the leader of the Eastern Church. In the Catholic Church, the Pope is infallible. He can contradict lower ranking Church leaders. On the other hand, in the Orthodox Church, the Patriarch of Constantinople, also known as the Ecumenical Patriarch, is not infallible and does not have supreme authority. Sitting at the head of a council of Orthodox bishops, he is considered a "first among equals" (Brown, 2013). In addition to the difference between the Pope and Patriarch, is the insertion of the filioque clause into the Nicene Creed. Originally the Nicene Creed...
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...Critique of the Journal Article: The Nature of the Church By Walvoord, John F. Submitted to Professor Kevin Richard in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the completion of the course THEO 510-B06 Survey of Theology by Mark W. Clark, L26613732 January 23, 2014 Contents Introduction 1 Brief Summary 1 Critical Interaction 2 Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................................4 Bibliography 6 Grading Rubric 7 Introduction: Digging around the archived files of Bibliotheca Sacra (affectionately known as “Bib Sac”) evoked a deep sense of history and legacy. Although my exploration was limited to the broad, colorful screen of my iMac computer, I could almost smell the dusty stacks, piled high in the bowels of Dallas Theological Seminary’s archive rooms. Bib Sac was first published in 1844 and lays claim to being the oldest theological journal in America. The list of past editors stirs my earliest memories in Bible college on the coast of Maine. The theological foundations of my studies there included Lewis Sperry Chafer, John Walvood and Roy Zuck, all prolific writers and former editors of Bib Sac. It was here, in a relatively modern volume: October, nineteen fifty-nine, that I struck pay dirt. The volume I was perusing contained an article entitled The Nature of the Church, by Dr. John F. Walvoord. I was overjoyed and wondered...
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...The Episcopal Church and My Reflections on Service Attendance History The earliest beginnings of what is now known as the Episcopal Church were rooted in the Church of England. St. Augustine of Canterbury in 597 C.E. established the formal beginnings of the church with papal authority. During the English Reformation of the 16th century, papal authority was thrown aside as the Church split and the separation of Protestantism and Catholic faith intensified when the crown of England assumed official rule of the Church. As colonization spread into the new world, so did the Anglican Church of England. Unfortunately, the Revolutionary War brought upheaval to the church and its followers. With the newly established separation of church and state, clergy abandoned the churches, returning to England and Canada. Eventually, there was also renaming of the Church as The Protestant Episcopal Church in 1783. Between 1789 and 1790, the American Church pursued the unification of all Episcopalians in the United States into one church. They adopted a constitution, set-up new canon laws, and even revised the Book of Common Prayer. Having its history in the liturgy, customs, and framework of medieval Catholicism, the Episcopal Church has maintained its connections to these early symbols of the religious experience. Their services include the Creeds and the use of the Book of Common Prayer, while asserting the primary role of the Bible. Within this one denomination there is an amalgam...
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...For my second Observation Report, I visited the church of St. Charles Borromeo in Arlington. Every Wednesday, the church holds what they call the “P3” service for Young Adults. It was my second time visiting this church and the impression was the same as the first time: admiration for the many young adults that participate in this type of service in a church. Again, the church location is great because the area is very active and there are a lot of young people around. “P3” started at 6:30pm, this Wednesday was special because it was Holy Week. The church gives special attention and encourages its members to participate in the Sacrament of Reconciliation or confession. Therefore, the Church was somewhat full. I was very amaze when I entered the Church, to see such a big number of people waiting for the priest to hear their confession. For the most part, they were all young adults. Young adults between 26 to 40 years of age. There were a few couples and its majority it was single young adults attending the service. Another thing that surprised me a lot, was the devotion that each of them showed during the...
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... THESIS 3 INTRODUCTION 3 THE CATHOLIC CHURCH 3 THE BAPTIST CHURCH 6 THEY DECIDED TO MEET 8 RELIGIOUS PLURALISM 11 CONCLUSION 12 BIBLIOGRAPHY 13 THESIS How did the meeting between the Southern Baptist and Catholics come to pass? What was the driving force that facilitated a meeting of the minds after centuries apart? INTRODUCTION The Catholic Church and Protestants have not had the greatest of relationships. In fact since the reformation, Protestants were not even considered brothers within the realm of the Catholic Church. Within the pages of Vatican II one can find a decree to not refer to them as brothers. However something new has occurred and this is what this paper will aim to delve into. While not attempting to be an exhaustive work regarding the meeting of the minds. It would seem that Baptist and Catholics have started talks across denominational lines. This paper will focus on why this meeting took place and what can other denominations gleam from these talks. CATHOLIC CHURCH “Over the past three decades a true revolution has occurred in the Catholicism in respect to the authority and use of scripture.” According to Donahue the Bible was believed to have held an extremely high position within the Catholic Church, he believes that the period between the Council of Trent leading up...
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...Paper 1 Shift in Church Architecture from Church Houses to Basilicas The early Christians were faced with many tribulations as they attempted to develop the foundation of their religion in the early centuries while facing persecution. The ability to keep their faith open to anyone who wanted to follow the word of Christ allowed for greater development and expansion as the word spread in different directions. With growth came the changes in traditional worship practices as the Christians wanted to differentiate themselves from other religions; to create their own traditions and practices. By shifting towards the larger basilicas, a new and innovative governance system was needed to be in order as a hierarchy for the religion that was growing in numbers. With the need for standardized leadership came the Conclaves of Bishops as they represented the unified power. Standardization was the main theme during the transformation from house churches to basilicas. With traditional Christians worship practices beginning to make their mark universally through the religion came a standardization of traditions. With numerical pressure of followers, the need for recording and practicing traditions, especially in the prayer space, became a main issue. Foley expresses in Age to Age that “The many doctrinal controversies and theological developments of this era demanded new levels of precision in public prayer,” (Foley, 103). In this sense, the Christians were on their way to creating their...
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...Youth & and the future of the Church The question of how to attract and keep our young people close to the Church is one of major concern in our troubled age. To remain indifferent to this problem can only be regarded as a grave sin and is an indication of soul-destroying self-love. The proposed solutions to this problem are many and varied, but unfortunately most succumb to the easy allure of gimmicks, i.e. the attempt to use methods popular in our fallen society, but sadly distant from the true aim of our salvation. Among these we find an exaggerated call to social action, distraction through social activities, appeals to the intellect, and outright distortions of the Gospel message to accommodate each individual appetite. Let us briefly examine each of these methods, beginning with the call to social action. This approach plays upon what are basically positive and as surely Christian virtues such as mercy, loving-kindness and brotherly concern. Apostles of social action exaggerate the human aspect of Christ's message, stressing it over and above all other considerations. Thus, the primary functions of our Lord's Incarnation are understood to be feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, healing the sick, etc. Far different is the Orthodox concept which recognizes as above all these things the "freedom from the slavery of sin" wrought by the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of our Savior. Therein lies the fullness and the perfection of love. However, to belittle the previously...
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...Roman Catholicism, Christian church that has been the decisive spiritual force in the history of Western civilization. Along with Eastern Orthodoxy and Protestantism, it is one of the three major branches of Christianity. The Roman Catholic Church traces its history to Jesus Christ and the Apostles. Over the course of centuries it developed a highly sophisticated theology and an elaborate organizational structure headed by the papacy, the oldest continuing absolute monarchy in the world. The number of Roman Catholics in the world (nearly 1.1 billion) is greater than that of nearly all other religious traditions. There are more Roman Catholics than all other Christians combined and more Roman Catholics than all Buddhists or Hindus. Although there are more Muslims than Roman Catholics, the number of Roman Catholics is greater than that of the individual traditions of Shīʿite and Sunni Islam. These incontestable statistical and historical facts suggest that some understanding of Roman Catholicism—its history, its institutional structure, its beliefs and practices, and its place in the world—is an indispensable component of cultural literacy, regardless of how one may individually answer the ultimate questions of life and death and faith. Without a grasp of what Roman Catholicism is, it is difficult to make historical sense of the Middle Ages, intellectual sense of the works of Thomas Aquinas, literary sense of The Divine Comedy of Dante, artistic sense of the Gothic cathedrals...
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...18 March 2014 REED Church Involvement (Discovery, Insights, and Learning Experience) “Being involved is being enlightened”. There are so many to learn and discover when one takes time to be a part of the church, not only during mass on a Sunday, but also the programs and activities the church have that involves reaching-out to the society and spreading the good news of the lord, including support for those who are in need. I have been keen on initiating a part of my personal time to get involved. Each day, I discover a lot of fruitful knowledge from a simple conversation with a priest and group reading of the Bible. We share ideas and information not only about the history of the Catholic Church but also its main core of existence. This is beneficial for me, as life moves on, I am able to adapt to the morality of my existence. I also experienced getting involved with our local church during times of calamity where we volunteer to assist the church programs on collection of goods, working shoulder to shoulder with friends, sorting offerings from kind heart. The experience is quite dramatic and enriching, as I have witness our society share and help each other when in need. By being an active part of the church, I gained friends and acquaintances, I learn from their ideas and experience. Moreover, I have observed different perspective of people with regards to their faith and life in general. This learning experience can be used as my reference when dealing with my own...
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...Biblical View of the Church The Church was birthed in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost after receiving the promised Holy Spirit. The book of Acts describes the beginning as well as the characteristics of the risen Christ newborn church (Acts 2:42-47). During this time, the Good News of Jesus Christ was proclaimed initially to Jews in Jerusalem and later spread to Gentiles throughout the Roman Empire. Since Jews and Gentiles were God’s “called out ones”, their mutual hostility was transformed into a cooperative unity due to their common salvation provided through Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:13-16). All the people that God has called to himself constitute Christ church on earth, which is surrounded by a big “cloud of witnesses” (Heb. 12:1). Undoubtedly, the New Testament teaching on church is essentially the “ekklesia” formed by a group of people who has been called out of the world by God. Paul refers to the church in Rome as the ones “called to belong to Jesus Christ” and “called to be saints” (Rom. 1:6-7). Hammet (2005) asserts in his book Biblical Foundations for Baptist Churches, that the New Testament churches gathered with the absolute goal “to worship (Acts 13:2-3; 1 Cor. 14:23ff), which included prayer (Acts 12:5; 13:3; 14:23), reading of Scripture (Co. 4:16; 1 Tim. 4:13), teaching from the leaders (Acts 20:28-31; Eph. 4:11; 1 Tim. 3:2), and the Lord’s Supper (1 Cor. 11:18ff.)”. It is important to notice that even though the people of God in the New Testament...
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