...“If you have faith as small as a mustard seed you can move mountains”. “The just shall live, and live by faith”. “For by grace you have been saved through faith”. These are just a few sayings of scripture that I have heard echoed through my entire upbringing from church members in my community. I’ve grappled with what the meaning of faith is and how it works in its many facets of interpretations. In the book “Dynamics of Faith” Paul Tillich addresses faith on what is and what it isn’t. One way for me to really understand a concept is to fathom what the concept is not. Combing through the course reading I was able to accumulate what faith is not from 3 key distortions Tillich brings out about faith. In the Intellectualistic Distortion of faith he says, “The most ordinary misinterpretation of faith is to consider it an act of knowledge that has a low degree of evidence”. From this concept I gather that many deduce faith down to merely having a cerebral belief or knowledge, rather than faith itself. Trust in an authority is one way a person can gain knowledge of faith. Many will accept a proposition as faith given by an authority such as a minister or pastor with little to no evidence. Oftentimes our trust in an authority would be just enough to believe. Without this trust we hold for good authorities, our awareness and perception would be significantly smaller. With that said, acceptance of a proposition validated from an authority is not faith. Tillich barrows...
Words: 948 - Pages: 4
...WHAT IS FAITH? What really is faith? One little boy in Sunday School was asked that question and quick as a flash he replied, "Believing something you know isn't true." And I don't know what you feel about it. I often thought that that's what faith was.It's believing something that you know with your mind isn't true. It's some kind of overdrive that you push in with a button of some kind in your mind or your emotions or somewhere as "they" say down in your heart, to get you to accept something that you know with your intellect could not possibly be true. And so many of us, I think, in this world today are skeptical of the whole idea of faith, because we think of it as something not connected with the ordinary processes of the mind at all and actually opposed to the convictions of the intellect. And so many of us who have been through some kind of education and especially some kind of scientific education get the idea that to have faith you have to in some way close up your mind, or in some way put your intellect to sleep, or in some way ignore the conclusions of science and conclusions of research. That's absolutely ridiculous. Faith is not that kind of an irrational thing at all. Faith, in fact, is something that you and I exercise every day in our lives. And we've exercised it from the very moment we were born. I suppose it's true that your mother even encouraged you to feel that we could trust her when we lay in her arms. And we learned day by day that was true, she would...
Words: 1282 - Pages: 6
...I agree that the Labor Management Relations Act’s goal is to require unions and employers to be able to meet amongst one another and bargain in good-faith. Generally, under state and federal labor laws, employers and unions have an obligation to bargain in good faith when they are negotiating or renewing a collective agreement. Furthermore, this encompasses a number of responsibilities, such as a duty to consider the other side’s suggestions and to respond to them. It also includes an obligation not to keep material facts from the other side. Equally important, The duty to bargain in good faith is found in Section 8(d) of the National Labor Relations Act and governs negotiating collective bargaining agreements between labor unions and management. Additionally, to bargain in good faith means to meet at reasonable times and have...
Words: 619 - Pages: 3
...In arguing the existence of God, there are numerous teachings and arguments, some more rational than others, the classical arguments being the most well known to all. The claim in all these arguments uses a non-religious approach to logically reason the existence of God, rather than argue on the premise of faith to obtain a rational belief; a belief reasoning as justification. The classical arguments are divided into what is considered empirical and rational arguments, with every individual finding their own reasoning to relate to them. In this essay, I will explore the extent of how the classical arguments can proves God existence, and why some people counter-argue they cannot. The first of the classical arguments being Anselm’s Ontological argument, an argument attempting to prove God’s existence through abstract reasoning alone. The argument is entirely a priori as it does not include real evidence or anything factual, seeking to demonstrate that God exists based on the concept of God alone. The outline of the argument is that because we have an idea of God, an idea of a being which no greater can be thought, therefore God must exist. The argument relates to three concepts: the concept of God, perfection and of existence. The three concepts associate with one another, arguing that perfection is part of the concept of God, and that perfection entails existence, therefore the concept of God entails God’s existence. Anselm’s argument is set on the basis of a conception of...
Words: 2038 - Pages: 9
...Understanding Christian Faith from the Biblical Perspective The definition of faith is defined in the Bible as “faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (BibleGateway, Hebrews 11:1). In other words, faith believes that something will take place or manifest before it actually does. Faith is not based on whether God believes it or not but if the believer does. Faith is a process. Each believer’s faith level is different. “For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, the just shall live by faith” (BibleGateway, Romans 1:17). A mature believer recognizes that one should have childlike faith but not be childish. Some people have incomprehensible faith while some others are afraid to operate in faith at all. In order to understand how to live a Christian life style of faith one must understand the biblical perspective and foundation of faith in Hebrews 11 verse 6, Matthew 17 verse 20 and Matthew 21 verses 21 and 22. Hebrews Chapter 11 is commonly known as “The Faith Chapter” and sets the foundation of faith. The scripture states, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (BibleGateway, Hebrews 11:6). This scripture clearly states that in order to please God, one must have faith. The scripture also goes on to say that one must believe that God exist and that secondly, He rewards those...
Words: 1627 - Pages: 7
...Dialogue between Faith and science assignment: What is the kind of relation between faith, and reason or science ? General: The discoveries we make through science make the people think and ask questions about his identity, sometimes they even change ones ideas about himself. We see for example that by Copernicus revolution about astronomy the people got to know that they are not living in a world that is not found at the centre of the universe, to the contrary to what was thought before but we live in a planet amongst many others. The theory of revolution of Charles Darwin taught people that we are a member of many different species of animals. These discoveries challenge us to think about the world in general, life and humans in a different way. Nowadays faith cannot forget reason and psychology has to be taken with the importance it needs. During this assignment as indicated by the title we are going to see the relationship between faith and psychology (reason). First we start by showing the type of relationship that can take place between them then we explain how and why they go hand in hand with religion. In the second chapter we see how reason challenges our faith, then conclude by giving some suggestions how reason can contribute with faith. The relation between faith and reason: You cannot actually talk about the relation between faith and reason because there are many psychological reasons like there are religions. Faith cannot be separated from the...
Words: 1846 - Pages: 8
...recalls events in his life that affect him to what his religious faith is, which shows that the text is based on Augustine’s individual faith. Throughout Augustine's life, he struggles to have faith in God and he uses his encounters to represent how he struggles to have faith in God, and how he deviates from having faith in God. Augustine uses verses from the bible, which inspired him to get closer to God in the sense that he begins to have more faith in believing and trusting that there is a God who can not be seen physically, but seen and felt spiritual. Augustine faces different moments in his life where he does not have faith in God and focuses...
Words: 1827 - Pages: 8
...Shaniqua S. Boyd Instructor: Hall, J March 6, 2015 THEO 104 Reflection Paper #2-Wisdom and Faith I. Introduction: As a Christian of God, having wisdom and faith are the key elements of your religion. How to practice faith is putting your trust in god instead of oneself. Faith is another way we as Christians humble ourselves to God by letting him have the power and authority over our lives. As Christians we also can expand in faith by seeking wisdom in God word. As we ask the lord for wisdom and knowledge to help us understand his word, we mature as Christians and are able to share his holy messages to others. II. Part One- Wisdom A. Theological Definition- What is Wisdom? Wisdom is the ability to discern what is right. Wisdom is not knowing good and evil, wisdom is knowing good from evil. So as we see it, wisdom is knowing what is good and seeking its application in life. B. Biblical Foundation- When we read the bible, the bible tells us that we should seek wisdom in God, not in ourselves or people out in the world. God states (Proverbs 3:7) “Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil. Wisdom does not come all at once. People gain wisdom with time, education, and experience. Meanwhile the knowledge that we use will only make us wiser when applying it to different situations in life. C. Practical Application- By being able to read the word of god, and having the wisdom and knowledge to understand the difference from good and bad, we can...
Words: 872 - Pages: 4
...The Catholic Approach to faith, God, Jesus, Scripture, and Church My perspective on Christianity is characterized by an intimate connection with God. Identifying oneself as a specific denomination and the actual institution of religious is not as important as this relationship. Faith can be defined as an intimate conviction of allegiance, faith, fidelity, and trust. Faith can also be described as that which you give your mind, energy, and heart to; that which gives meaning to your life. Faith is one’s intimate connection with God and serves as the lens through which we interpret life; faith gives meaning to our experiences. Examining faith from a Christian perspective may lead one to ask if faith is even practical in today’s society. What does it mean to believe since believers sometimes experience doubt? When examining faith from a Christian perspective, theologians Marcus Borg and James Fowler provide the best way of understanding the most important part of Christianity—faith. Borg explores faith as an awareness defined by four factors while Fowler examines faith in stages. Both theologians provide a thorough account of Christian faith. Faith is the most important part of religion; one’s personal relationship with God. Religion ties and binds believers to one another, but it is important not to loose sight of the essence of religion—faith. Faith can become lost in the institution of religion transforming faith from a matter of the heart to a matter of the head. ...
Words: 1000 - Pages: 4
...Joanna Fleming Theo-104 B43 Reflection 1 Prof. Fowler Sept. 17, 2012 Reflection: Faith and Wisdom I. Introduction Faith and wisdom are key elements that are needed as a Christian. The practice of faith is the idea of putting your trust in the Lord, instead of relying on oneself. It is another way that we as Christians humble ourselves before God by this commitment and giving Him the power and authority over our lives. We can grow in faith by seeking wisdom in His Word. When we ask Him for wisdom and knowledge to better understand His Word, we grow as Christians in His mercy and love and are able to share His message with the world. is II. Part One (Faith) a. Theological Definition Faith is the belief that something is true. The Hebrew word for faith is hupostasis. In the article “What is Faith”, Ditzel explains that “hupostasis came to mean, "a steadfastness of mind,""confidence," or "assurance” (Diztel, 2009). Faith may come in various forms; however, its concept can be easily misunderstood. Faith means something different for everyone, but for the Christian, faith is a way of life, a way that we can grow in our relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ. b. Biblical Foundation The Bible tells us that by placing our faith in Christ, all things are possible. Jesus stated “If you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done” and...
Words: 1108 - Pages: 5
...“STABILITY & FLEXIBILITY” St. Anselm said that theology was “faith seeking understanding”. What appeared to me at first reading to be a simple statement has proven to be even more profound than I first thought. The idea of combining faith and reason is by no means simple, but as I reflected on it, I found myself wanting to go even deeper as I saw connections to other ideas presented in the most recent weekend and subsequent readings. Anderson’s statement that “theology is a contextual enterprise, conditioned by time and space” immediately resonated with me, as did Dulles’ quote that “theology does not simply repeat what is in its sources…it reflects on the sources with a view towards answering contemporary questions…” My Church strives to be, and rightly so, a meeting of God and God’s people, of tradition and the real world. Theology needs to be the melding of those two worlds. Contemporary culture and theology need to be in dialogue with each other as the Church works to bring relevance to its teachings as it addresses the challenges of contemporary life. Theology needs to provide us with the resources to make connections between our faith and the practical issues we face on a day-to-day basis. When theology collides with the world, that theology has to provide strength to those facing the challenges engendered by that collision. Anderson’s statement in his lecture that theology is "paradoxical in that it is both relativistic and universal” is something I feel very much in agreement...
Words: 1439 - Pages: 6
...following a life-formula, that future is almost a summation of all the positive and negative things one has done to his life, that his future is by and because of him, that future is something known beforehand and controllable. However, existing for almost another decade in this universe has taught me that the notion of life is exactly the opposite of what my father had strongly instilled in me during my early years. Through time, life proved and continuously proves to be an unsolvable mystery, a complex maze, a field of surprises, that even more than or equal to a second from now is unknown, that Forrest Gump would even metaphorize as “a box of chocolate with which you never know what you’ll get”. This, in my eighteenth year that I have just realized, had become my object of faith. Despite its uncertainties, the future carries a transcendent value, something unexplainable, an incognito of knowledge, yet which I paradoxically completely commit and surrender the whole of myself into. The future is what motivates me to act and live every single day. It is what influences my every move, my every decision, my every breath. I have faith in the future,...
Words: 994 - Pages: 4
...LIBERTY UNIVERSITY JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH RESEARCH PAPER SUBMITTED TO PROFESSOR BRADLEY MCDANIEL 201540 FALL 2015 BIBL 161-B01 LUO BY DEIRDRE JONES-SHOOK LYNCHBURG, VIRGINIA OCTOBER 2015 Table of Contents Definition 3-5 How is the term justification defined by scholars? What is your own definition based on your research? Basis 5-6 What is the act of being justified based or grounded on, that is, what is necessary to have happened or to be true in order for justification to be possible? Means 6-7 How does one obtain justification? What is the means by which one is justified? Time Factors 7-8 Is justification an act or a process? Is it instantaneous or gradual? Results/Fruits 8-10 Once one has been justified, what benefits or results follow? Assurance 10-12 How can one be assured of justification? Conclusion 12 Bibliography 13 JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH “Justification by faith alone” (justificatio sola fide) summarizes the doctrine of justification that has come to us as the great legacy of the Protestant Reformation. We frequently hear this formula used in preaching and teaching. The doctrine of justification by faith is a biblical doctrine. The Apostle Paul gives a full exposition of this doctrine. The letters he wrote to the Galatians and the Romans are especially important in this connection. However, the core message of justification by faith is found in the Old Testament. Paul himself argues from the...
Words: 3443 - Pages: 14
...Colossians 1. HLT 310V Week 3 Topic 3 DQ 2 What tensions do you think you might experience arising from the differing worldviews of administrators, health care providers, and patients? Base your response from the GCU introduction and the textbooks. Cite references from your reading to support your answer. HLT 310V Week 3 Assignment Health Care Provider and Faith Diversity: First Draft Max Points: 100 Details: The practice of health care providers at all levels brings you into contact with people from a variety of faiths. This calls for knowledge and acceptance of a diversity of faith expressions. The purpose of this paper is to complete a comparative analysis of two faith philosophies towards providing health care, one being the Christian perspective. For the second faith, choose a faith that is unfamiliar to you. Examples of faiths to choose from: Sikh, Baha’i, Buddhism, Shintoism, etc. In a minimum of 1,500-2,000 words, provide a comparative analysis of the different belief systems, reinforcing major themes with insights gained from your research. In your comparative analysis, address all of the worldview questions in detail for Christianity and your selected faith. Refer to chapter 2 of the Called to Care for the list of questions. Be sure to address the implications of these beliefs for health care. In addition answer the following questions that address the practical and healthcare implications based on the research: 1. What are critical common components to...
Words: 2501 - Pages: 11
...Explain different views of faith and its relationship to reason (30) While we are alive, as believers, our life is a long road where we choose different paths to get us to the right destination; and at the end of the road we will hopefully choose the path, which gets us to the proof of God’s existence. However the faith we use to get us to the end must be meaningful. Faith is hard to define, before making assumptions we have to be very clear on what we think it is. Faith is very different from knowledge, when we know something for a fact for example 1 + 1 = 2, we don’t question it on being false, this is where faith can be mistaken. But believers do not generally live questioning themselves on their faith, they hold their beliefs of the existence of God as strongly as scientists know the earth is round, with reasons for believing its true. Faith can be divided into two types, propositional faith and non-propositional faith. Propositional faith is the belief that there is an objective reality to which we give the term God, and that we can make claims about him, which are objectively true. Whereas non-propositional faith is a trust in God, which may be held even, when evidence or experience would seem to point against it. This kind of faith must be based in some personal knowledge of God, and not simply in the acceptance of facts about him. Propositional faith has certain attributes to our knowledge about the world for example the believers who believe in a God who...
Words: 685 - Pages: 3
