Langston takes to heart the fact that when you accept Jesus, you will “see a light” and how “Jesus will come into your soul”, but in his case, it was different because you do not always see Jesus face to face when you accept Him as your savior (Hughes 345). Langston had the wrong concept of Christianity and the first Christian
And last, he states that there is a perseverance of saints, therefore all who are saved are saved for eternity. Calvin expressed these ideas in the Institutes of the Christian Religion. This work of his was received with both criticism and intrigue. Calvin’s ideas were very radical, but he sought to back each of them up with what he believed was the ultimate authority of the Scripture. Calvin combats the idea that the church gives Scripture its authority because he believes that the Bible offers “as clear evidence of its truth, as white and black things do of their color, or sweet and bitter things of their taste” (31).
As Quinn observes, for Firmicus as for Tertullian, Minucius Felix, Cyprian, and Arnobius, all Christians have the ability to exorcise. “Lo, that demon whom you worship, when he hears the names of God and His Christ, trembles and can hardly put together stammering words,” he writes in another place. The devil, who as the prince and “procreator” of demons, is the chief target of the attack on paganism. Quinn rightly comments that Firmicus’ understanding of the gospel message in terms of exorcism has its roots in Jesus’ message. This is evidenced in Firmicus’ citation of the Gospel of Matthew’s story of Jesus casting out a devil into a heard of pigs as paradigmatic for the exorcizing task.
In Rudolfo Anaya's post WWII Chicano novel Bless Me, Ultima Anaya uses the symbol of the Golden Carp to present an alternative from Christianity that Antonio feels he needs. At the beginning of the novel Antonio is stressed and concerned by his religion Christianity. This was probably why the Golden Carp is such an escape for all his questions and problems. For
I would actually consider Jesus a great example in regards to what powerful religious figures should do in their life Jesus preached to inform and notify people because of his faith not to spite the Roman government at the time (Frost, W. J. (2012, March)) I view my case with me trying to spread Quakerism in England in the same regard. Religion is meant to be the reflection of one’s conscience in their own ability to worship, and their conscience to worship must not be coerced to worship as through
In Ephesians 2:10 it’s says “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” This verse explains that everyone’s identity needs to be found in Christ not others. As you see in A Separate Peace Gene’s focus is becoming like Finny instead of becoming Christ like. In James 3:14-16 it says “But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.” This goes a long with the jealousy Gene had for Finny and what his envy caused him to do.
Apess and Petalesharo are Native American were Native American authors whose style, tone and argument are very different. Apess used shared Christian beliefs to bolster his argument and his rhetorical form is one of encounter between the Native and Christian cultures. Apess asked his white audience to look in the mirror and he was more direct in criticizing his audience. Although he does not base his writings on Scripture, he quoted Scripture later in the selection as support for his argument. His purpose was to “penetrate more fully into the conduct of those who profess to have principle”, and who tell us to “follow Jesus Christ and his ancient disciples” (Apess B: 156).
When encountered early in the book, the implication of this religious imagery is not fully apparent. However, once viewed in the context of the later Christian allusions found in A Clockwork Orange, it becomes clear that this is the proclamation of Burgess’ intent in this novel. Burgess views humanity as an organic thing, full of great potential to please God, and he sees the implication of conditioning, specifically, or more generally anything that would sap the essential ability of humans to choose, as a detriment to God’s
The notion of God’s existence isn’t held as highly as it once was. John Irving presents this secular view by creating various characters with a disparity of beliefs. He sets Owen to believe that he is God’s instrument; however Owen juxtaposition is John Wheelwright who is cynical about God’s impact of the natural world. John Wheelwright’s story illustrates that in a secular, closed immanent world, Christians have to “struggle to recover a sense of what the Incarnation can mean” (John Irving, pg 753). Which means that God has this whole world in the palm of his hands and he basically can do his own bidding with it.
We can say that Doctor Faustus is also a Christian play, because it deals with themes of Christianity during the play. First there is idea of sin, which Christianity considers something that is against the will of God. According to Christianity, Doctor Faustus’s sin is the act of making pact with Lucifer, by disobeying God and making pact with the devil. In Christian religion even the worst sin can be forgiven through the power of Christ, who according to Christian belief he is God’s son. After Doctor Faustus’s sin where he makes pact with Lucifer, he still has opportunity for redemption, all that he needs to do is to ask God for forgiveness.