...Traditions Religion is a big part of today’s society; it has always been a big part of society. What is religion? The dictionary definition of religion is a system of beliefs that involves worship of a god, prayer, ritual and a moral code. Not all religions follow those guidelines, so it is not an accurate definition. Instead we look at a number of characteristics such as a belief system, community, ritual beliefs, and ethics. Below will discuss the relationship with the divine, sacred time, sacred space, the natural world, and how religion affects humans. Religious traditions encourage humans to worship the divine. The divine is another term for a god, great mother or Great Spirit. For example, Catholics often consider Mary the mother of Jesus a saint and holy. Mary is worshiped and considered divine by the Catholic faith. Mary is believed to possess superhuman powers and is a strong role model for women, in the Catholic faith (Molloy, 2010). How do religious traditions describe and encourage Relationships with sacred time and sacred space? Our everyday life happens in ordinary time. Sacred time is the time of eternity. Sacred space is believed to always return to its origins for renewal. Different cultures refer to sacred time differently. For example, the Koyukon people of the Arctic refer to it as distant time. The Australian aborigines often called it dream time. Ordinary space exists in everyday life. Sacred space is believed to be the doorway to the...
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...God Works His Will through Divine Order We're going to look at several verses in Ephesians starting with the first chapter. Divine order is very important, and we find it all the way through the Scriptures. There is a very simple reason for God using divine order like He does. It is because God's plans are carried out by men. He works through His people. Thus, divine order becomes most important and necessary. Divine order is clearly seen in the life of Jesus Christ. Couldn't God have saved mankind without working through an individual? Couldn't He have spoken a word and accomplished it as He did with the creation of the world? Either it was not possible or He just simply chose not to do it that way. In His wisdom He chose to save man by becoming man. Jesus was the answer to everything. He said, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes unto the Father, but by Me. John 14:6. No man can come unto God except through Jesus; that is divine order. It can't be done any other way. Everything has to be done exactly the way God wants it done. Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of Me,) to do Thy will, O God. Hebrews 10:7. Again, I can of Mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and My judgment is just; because I seek not My own will, but the will of the Father which has sent me. John 5:30. Again, Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak unto you I speak not of Myself: but the Father that dwells in Me, He...
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...word for “God.” These divine entities tend to distinguish particular functions, and often took on human characteristics. The gods acted like humans, and had human voices. They would interact with humans, sometimes even spawning children with them. Even though the Gods were immortal, nor some of them are not all powerful. Fate is what they had to obey, which overrode all. The number of the deities would expand as the culture’s belief system developed. The Greek Gods/Goddesses directly took on human activities. The divine entities would also take on human form and personality. Man learned to accept or fear the powers of nature, such as the deities. Humans tended to see the divine entities as storms, seasons, the sun, and the moon as personal beings. However the earliest humans believed the main deities were An, Enlil, Enki, and Ninhursaga. In ancient Greece there were twelve deities that sat on top of Mount Olympus: Hermes, Poseidon, Apollo, Artemis, Hephaestus, Ares, Athena, Demeter, Aphrodite, Hestia, Hera, and Zeus, king of the gods. Under them sat Zeus' brother Hades, king of the underworld. Since its miraculous beginning in mainland Greece around 1800-1500 BCE, when Poseidon was the chief God and not Zeus, the deities were worshiped wherever Greeks lived or had a concept of influence. An was the deity of the sky. He was known as the most import force in the universe. The second most important deity was Enlil. Enlil was known as the God of the wind. He could control just...
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...was a miracle for those who had lived with the guilt and shame of sexual activities within cults and other destructive involvements. Rescuing them from the satanic lust that saturated Egypt’s numerous gods of idolatry and giving them the mystical treasure of God’s perfect love. Still, through time, due to the Israelite’s intermingling with others that influenced them with idolatry of worshipping graven images, and other lewd sexual misconduct, various centuries passed by as the glory of the LORD’S sacred Truth faded. God’s endearment to His people became the Prophet’s sorrow; which is shown throughout the Holy Scriptures, for God’s battle scars of love to raise people’s moral beings to a higher conscious level, sorrowfully slips away. The winds of sadness blew in scores of years of turmoil and destitution for the Jewish people as they struggled to overcome sexual impurities. As previously mentioned, the Prophet Ezekiel expresses how sexually disappointed God was by...
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...describe the creation of the world and how the first humans came into existence. According to Leonard and McClure (2004), human societies began as goddess-oriented and matrifocal (women-centered). Human societies evolved from primitive beginnings to a superior culture system of patriarchy (Leonard & McClure, 2004, p. 104). Although myths may differ from culture to culture, common elements and roles exist in each myth. In today’s society, myths and legends are fantasy-filled tales from ancient societies long gone. Therefore, Team A will describe the elements and functions of goddess myths, and compare two myths of the female divine from different cultures. Second, the team will describe the elements and functions of god myths, and compare two myths of the male divine from different cultures. Last, the team will summarize the elements and functions shared by both divines. According to the euhemerist Gimbutus, goddesses have three basic roles life, death, and regeneration (Leonard & McClure, 2004, p. 114). The goddesses of life are Mother Earth, nature, sea, and universe. These goddesses are nurturers and overseers of security and contentment, prosperity and growth, and creativity and artistry. The mother earth goddesses are creators of earth and universe, such as Gaia of the ancient Greeks, and Tellus of the Romans. These two Earth goddesses gave birth to the sky, mountains, sea, moon, and stars. Some goddesses of life protect the institutions of family and marriage, such as Greek...
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...Nature in Romanticism The Romantic Period came as a reaction against the Industrial Revolution and the rising emphasis on science and technology that the movement brought along. People traditionally living in the country now gathered into urbanized areas in hopes of employment as farmland gradually developed into factories (“Introduction”, Pages 5-7). As a result, cities became crowded and unsanitary as this sudden influx of population was not accounted for in city works. The lack of a citywide waste disposal system created an environment where litter dusted the streets and smog suffocated the populace (Wood). In the heavily industrialized cities of the time, flora and other greenery became a rare sight. The people of the late eighteenth century became rapidly disillusioned by their surroundings and yearned for the better days of the past where there was more space to breathe and distance themselves to find spiritual meaning in their life (Wood). The people sought for a refuge from the turmoil of society and found that coveted solitude in nature, which became idealized as a meditative sanctuary where people could go to reflect upon life or draw inspiration. Each writer of the Romantic period came upon different interpretations from their experiences with nature and these varying perspectives are reflected in their works. Pantheism was a very pervasive theme found in the works of the Romantic Period. This shared sentiment did not come as a surprise as nature became personal...
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...the physical world of the senses into a different world of spiritual experience through free will and intuition. Emerson and the Transcendentalists believed that God was not distant and unreachable, but knowable through our own souls and through a deep connection with nature. The central themes in all of his works were individuality, freedom, human self-realization and relation to nature. In his essay on Nature, Emerson explores the relationship between humans and nature. He asserts that the beauty of nature can be understood by people only when one is in solitude. The true understanding of significance of nature is hindered by the hustle and bustle of daily life. Emerson is of the view that we take nature for granted. For example, we take the stars for granted because we know that they will always be there. However, although they are “accessible” in that they are visible to us, they are also inaccessible due to the distance between us. We can never physically touch them. However, there is an inter-connectedness among the nature, soul and the divine that we miss. “Nature always wears the colors of the spirit.” He feels that we must view nature from the eyes of a child. A child sees things in new an unbiased ways, untainted by any previous judgments. Emerson then rejects the analysis of the ancient historians and ancient theories. He suggests that divinity is in all of nature. Nature is never “mean” or unpleasant in any way. Like the Stoics, Emerson believed that Nature could...
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... But the limitations of Hinduism may also be its strengths. It is like a palace that began as a two-room cottage. Over the centuries, wings have been built on to it, and now it has countless rooms, stairs, corridors, statues, fountains, and gardens. (Molloy 78) 3 What features have enabled Hinduism to develop freely in many directions? Many influences—early indigenous religion and influences from later immigrants—have added to its inherent momentum. It has no one identifiable founder, no strong organizational structure to defend it and spread its influence, nor any creed to define and stabilize its beliefs; and in a way that seems to defy reason, Hinduism unites the worship of many gods with a belief in a single divine reality. (Molloy 78) Molloy, Michael. Experiencing the World's Religions, 5th Edition. McGraw-Hill Learning Solutions, 2010. VitalBook file. The Earliest Stage of Indian Religion 1 What is noteworthy about the ancient Harappa culture? The Religion of the Vedic Period 1 Describe the main theories that have sought to explain the origins of the Vedas and the religion they describe. 2 What were the chief features of Vedic religion? The basic characteristics of the Vedic religion were deification of the forces of nature,...
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...play // father hood // identity // other kingly characters In keeping with Jacobean thought, Lear is portrayed as having a divine duty to rule. This is echoed by King James belief of the divine right of the Kings, and both him and Elizabeth saw it a sin to either abdicate the throne, or divide it up – both of which Lear is guilty of. To a Christian audience therefore, he was clearly failed his divine duty in acting as “God Lieutenant” (as King James I phrased it). Whether his failure was necessary in his duty as a father or in finding his identity can be explored. The start of the play is imperative it setting up Lear’s duty and role as King. He enters the kingdom as an absolute ruler, with an air of grandeur about him, and he was highly respected – as highlighted by the fact he was referred to as “my lord” and “my liege”. His word was never challenged; it held a divine authority evident through the use of imperative such as “Attend the lords” and “Speak first”. Shakespeare deliberately, therefore offers us the perfect painting of a dutiful king. The consequential break down in society is therefore unexpected, and is summarised in the horrific irony that Lear wishes to “divide our kingdom into three” so that “future strife may be prevented”. Lear is blinded by his selfish wish to “crawl unburdened toward death” that he neglects his role as a divine ruler by selfishly dividing the kingdom. The view that the division is selfish however is rooted in the Jacobean idea of...
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...the ruling house. His first deportation occasioned numerous brilliant lyrics songs: Outpouring of sorrow, Inquiry into Cosmos and Encountering Sorrow. There were other songs he composed in different banishments (Minford, 2000). Typically, Li sao is allegoric and yet anagogic. It dual, the tristesse and quest. The latter reflects the poet’s sorrow, resentments and complaints against the wicked society the through the malicious misrepresentation has disjointed him with the Fair One he serves. The quest, itineraria describes the journeys of the poet in search of mate, perhaps a legendary beauty or goddess, it end where the spiritual deities triumphs over anguished nostalgia and resentful despair. The songs of the south begins declaring the divine heritage through Chuan Hsu, or Kao Yang, the greater grandson of the North Soveriegn God who monitor the Estrangement of the world from heaven. The...
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...RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE A2 Philosophy of Religion What is Religious Experience? • A religious experience is a non-empirical occurrence and may even be perceived as supernatural • It can be described as a “mental” event which is undergone by an individual and of which that person is aware. • Such an experience can be spontaneous or it may be brought about as a result of training and self-discipline. • Recipients of religious experiences usually say what has happened to them has drawn them into a deeper knowledge or awareness of God. • It is very important to remember that the experience itself is not a substitute for the Divine, bit a vehicle that is used to bring people closer to the Divine. • The experience that each individual has is absolutely unique and cannot be shared with anyone. • Finally, genuine religious experiences seem to be encouraging, they do not condemn the individual, but help them to live a better life or, for example, to help others. Arguments from Religious Experience from William James. The most famous commentator on Religious Experience is William James (1842 – 1910) He recognised that the term mystical is used in a wide variety of contexts but suggested that using it to refer to “any person who believes in thought transference and spirit return” is far too ambiguous. His famous work “The Varieties of Religious Experience”, published in 1902 includes his categorisation of the four characteristics which, he claims, will enable us to...
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...ultimate reality? In this position paper, the worldview that I find the most persuasive is metaphysical naturalism. I realized that I am a naturalist that believes the nature is all that exist. Therefore, that all things supernatural (including God, spirits, souls and non-natural values) do not exist. Naturalists hold that all minds, the contents, powers, and effect of minds that are entirely constructed from or caused by natural phenomena. Following to argument from physical minds, scientists have many evidences that the human mind is a product of a functioning brain, which is entirely constructed from different interacting physical systems that evolved over time through the animal kingdom. In addition, mental and physical have a close relationship, so it means there is no mental happens that does not go with physical. Therefore, it is impossible to say that there are some souls and God exist. And, this argument is what we would expect if naturalism is true. According to argument from history of science, there is a single theme unifying the history of science, it is that naturalistic (non-supernatural) explanation work. The history of science has many examples of naturalistic explanations; however, there is no example’s supernatural explanations about naturalistic. Luckily, the naturalistic explanation is so successful that even these explanations also make scientific theists have to accept. Therefore, the history of science is some evidence for metaphysical naturalism and against...
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...A veil is an article of clothing or cloth hanging that is intended to cover some part of the head or face, or an object of some significance. It is especially associated with women and sacred objects. One view is that as a religious item, it is intended to show honor to an object or space. The actual sociocultural, psychological, and sociosexual functions of veils have not been studied extensively but most likely include the maintenance of social distance and the communication of social status and cultural identity.[1][2] In Islamic society, various forms of the veil have been adopted from the Arab culture in which Islam arose The first recorded instance of veiling for women is recorded in an Assyrian legal text from the 13th century BC, which restricted its use to noble women and forbade prostitutes and common women from adopting it.[citation needed] The Mycenaean Greek term a-pu-ko-wo-ko meaning "craftsman of horse veil" written in Linear B syllabic script is also attested since ca. 1300 BC.[3][4] In ancient Greek the word for veil was "καλύπτρα" (kaluptra, Ionic Greek "καλύπτρη" - kaluptrē, from the verb "καλύπτω" - kaluptō, "I cover"[5]) and is first attested in the works of Homer.[6][7] Classical Greek and Hellenistic statues sometimes depict Greek women with both their head and face covered by a veil. Caroline Galt and Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones have both argued from such representations and literary references that it was commonplace for women (at least those of higher...
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...therefore hadn’t the power to suspend them mid-air any longer; so the tragic fall. The above narration is a true experience laced with a warning from God, that when one desires to do exploit for one’s creator, one desires a good thing but one must not allow one’s just cause to overwrite the actual place of growth, for maturity is equally central to our pursuit and race heavenward as such mustn’t be treated simplistically. Heaven is very keen about the stages of growth in our life and our walk as an axiom goes “ to be much for God, you must be much with God” interpreted as “for one to be of service to God, one must truly know this God deeply, in fact one must understand Him beyond the ground of religion, one must relate with Him closely in a relationship scenery to function properly and to be used...
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...THE WEST AFRICA THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY IPAJA, LAGOS, NIGERIA. COURSE TITLE: OLD TESTAMENT PROPHETS COURSE CODE: OT 614 COURSE LECTURER: PASTOR AKINOLA TOPIC: BOOK SUMMARY OF “A STUDY OF THE MAJOR AND MINOR PROPHETS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT” by Emmanuel Itapson & George E. Janvier prepared by: AYOBAMIJI JOSEPH OLUWAGUNNA March 2013 CHAPTER 1 It is pertinent to have a good understanding of hermeneutics in order to have a correct content and context concepts in the interpretation of the prophets. Because the Bible is quite uniquely different from all other types of literature – its divine Authorship and inspiration, being the major distinguishing feature and prominent hallmark, the interpretation requires divine guidance. Inspiration is the act of the Holy Spirit in leading a man to record the message of God in written documentary while Interpretation is the act of a man in determining the meaning as intended by God in the original passage and how it applies to us today. Interpretation involves skill, but more critically involves Spirit in keeping to rightness. The grammatico-historical method is generally applicable in Biblical hermeneutics to both basic, broad types of writings contained in Biblical literature. Categorized broadly as prose and poetry. Further insights is gained when there is understanding of the literature type being interpreted. Features of Old Testament prophecy: • Bible...
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