William T Cavanaugh (2008), wrote Being Consumed: Economics and Christian Desire which is a philosophical book, which focus on four (4) economic life matters that addresses the consumer culture within society. These four economic life matters are free market, consumerism, globalization and economic scarcity. In order for this topic to be discussed on a theological point of view, the author draws the reader’s attention to human life, the ends of life in God. The key question in every process is whether or not the transaction contributes to the flourishing of each person involved. In order to address these questions the author points to concrete examples of alternative economic practices in which Christians participate-: business, co-operatives, credit union, practices of consumption which marks the vision for Christian economic life.
Being Consumed: Economics and Christian Desire deals with what Cavanaugh refers to as “the basic matters of economic life”, which is the free market, consumerism, globalization, and scarcity, as he aims to change the reader’s views on each of these topics. Cavanaugh also gives his argument both for and against each of these matters, which are often characterized by stories or comparisons which make his arguments and points a little easier to understand and a little clearer. Cavanaugh also answers few questions such as, are we for or against the free market? Should we not think of ourselves as a consumer? Are we for or againt globalization?
Christian Desire. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.). Being Consumed: Economics and Christian Desire deals with what Cavanaugh refers to as “the basic matters of economic life”, which is the free market, consumerism, globalization, and scarcity, as he aims to change the reader’s views on each of these topics. Cavanaugh also gives his argument both for and against each of these matters, which are often characterized by stories or comparisons which make his arguments and points a little easier to understand and a little clearer.
C.S. Lewis, a christian apologist writer wrote Mere Christianity in the nineteen-forties during world war two. Lewis wrote Mere Christianity in attempt to bring together a “common ground” of truths for the core of the Catholic Church’s beliefs. Mere Christianity shows readers logical ways of understanding the Catholic faith and he is presenting this central idea to help comprehend such ideas. The preface of Lewis’s Mere Christianity sets forth his ideas and arguments. Lewis is trying to convince readers his argument is credible and trustworthy, he is trying to get readers to understand his positioning and he is trying to give a sense of clarity.
The become what Sweet terms generally as the blood through which meaning flows. In his section “'B+' Blood Building” he concludes with several questions that aid the preacher in thinking more critically about the role of the metaphor in preaching narrative and how that might be used to communicate meaning. However, sometimes metaphor in the Bible need to be related to more contemporary metaphors to resonated with modern day listeners. Sweet, hoping to help pastors recognize the need for comparison and put the need into practice, poses the following question, “Paul's image of the body in 1 Corinthians 12 was a brilliant choice of metaphor. This may not be the metaphor you want to use for your people.
There is one particular part of the book, that stands out and should be looked a little closer, as it contains key information and questions on understanding the revival. Chapter Two is called “Society” and it focuses on four main points that all return back to an overarching question. How did the higher level merchant and master-craftsman class lose dominance over the working class society and how does that factor into the revival? By looking at the individual data for each point Johnson presents, the answer to this question can be
As I mentioned above, I think the main target market or people who would benefit from reading this book will be people who are interested in the comparison between theology and economics and also people who are looking for a concise theological response to North American consumerist society. Message of Author: I think the main message that Cavanaugh tries to get through to the reader is that Christians should consider their beliefs like; freedom, incarnation and the Eucharist and take it seriously and commit themselves to the transformation of the principles of the free market. I also think that Cavanaugh achieved what he wanted with writing this book and being able to help people understand the comparisons between theology and economics and he also helps people to be able to change their consumer habits in a way that is wiser.
TALK #3 (3) John Stonestreet. Summary. In this talk, John Stonestreet engages his audience regarding the role of Christianity in culture and explains the form in which Christians are to act within the negative spiral of decaying morals and evil in our midst. Stonestreet showcases examples from history (White Rose Society and Bonheoffer) to illustrate Christian responsibility towards cultural engagement and to avoid isolationism.
Both Chaos and God can be considered the “first mover,” but in Aquinas’ case God’s essence is His existence, thus making him a self-necessary being that all other beings must come from. Hesiod, on the other hand, mentions that all things come from Chaos, but does not elaborate any further about its nature, or how, if ever, it came into existence. Either way, the Theogony helps us to understand the Christian truth by showing that creation had to have come from somewhere, but also that something to which all things come must have some type of nature and essence that explains how this process would be possible. Thus, Theogony could perhaps be seen as laying the foundation for the allegorical creation story written by the biblical authors, but also by allowing Christian philosophers to alter and perfect elements where the story left
He also mentions that "suffering is not optional. It is part and parcel of the human condition, but suffering can either embitter or ennoble. According to him, our suffering can become a spirituality of transformation when we understand that we have a role in God 's transfiguration of the world. If we are truly partners with God, we must learn the eye of God, not just to see the eyes of the head, but to see with the eyes of the heart"(pg. 71). Nelson Mandela, for him, he faced suffering, he was imprisoned for 27 years.
In the book Branded Nation: The Marketing of MegaChurch, College Inc., and Museumworld, author James Twitchell suggests that modern Christianity falls into a “merchandising system” (Twitchell), in which the brands (churches) become aware of the demands of the consumers (church-goers) (Hanson). As the Christian religion evolves, churches have become aware that denominations are no longer a vital selling point to consumers site. In return, churches have become nondenominational, which has given churches a new way to brand themselves without having to fall into the requirements that their denominations defined as necessary (Hanson). With modern marketing and branding of churches, faith values of churches are highlighted and then connected to the needs and values of the consumers and churchgoers (Hanson).
This awakening promised access to salvation through a person’s actions and declared the truth of personal salvation. The reformers of the era called for a recreation of the protestant faith something that had been set in place for over hundreds of years. Through this awakening church leaders wanted to reinvent the Christian faith and broke into groups such as the Mormons, Millerites, and the Shakers. This era proved the American characteristic of reinvention through the recreation of the Christian faith to the denominations likings, much similar to the
What is fundamentalism? Essentially, it is an adherence to the literally interpreted Bible as fundamental to life and teaching. In his book, Fundamentalism and American Culture, George M. Marsden attacks the daunting question of “How has the fundamentalist movement managed to resist the pressures of the scientific community and the draw of modern popular culture to hold on to their ultra-conservative Christian views?” Not only does this History textbook answer that pressing question, but it also tells the incredible, encouraging tale of how Christian principles CAN survive in a godless world. From the first chapter, Marsden notes fundamentalism’s steady march through American history.
“Caesar’s rule was a blessing” Within the short story “Killing Caesar” by Jon Herman, there are many facts to prove that Julius Caesar was a true hero for the people in Rome. Caesar did things for Rome that no one else had ever done. Also Caesar was for the people that no one really cared about. To start Caesar gave the people of Rome opportunities they probably would’ve never had if Caesar had not become the king “Caesar created jobs by building roads, temples, and aqueducts” which allowed for the people of Rome to have more money to buy what they needed, not only did this help the businesses but it helped the city become a better place because the things that were messed up before were fixed.
Good morning. Now, you can either choose to be attentive to my argument or you can choose to inconspicuously take out a phone from your pocket, which is presumably a smartphone. Memory storage for applications and games is entertaining and for sure, but the sole purpose of portable telephones exists to provide efficient and fast communication between parties. But pretend you never heard that, because modern techno companies such as Apple and Samsung don’t want you to know. They’d rather you bust a gut, a lung and a heart to buy that glorious new release of smartphone, equipped with unecessary features for only $800 more from its older model!