The extensive examples and case studies from around the world add a depth to the teaching points that brings the book into real life, especially if that life is unfamiliar to the reader. By continually including Christian examples along side of these, the author uncovers that Christianity finds its own roots in some aspects of folk religion, and that our present Christian expressions have some parallels as well. For example, our focus on the need for righteousness with God and others, the presence of creation and flood myths, and rituals that could be defined as rites of transformation (conversion) and intensification (baptism). At the end of each chapter, the “Christian Response” section was key to bridging the gap between folk religion and Christianity by explaining points of commonality and avenues for
A frequently used argument, especially by scientists who believe in god is that religion and science are two completely separate fields of knowledge and therefore there is no rising conflict between them. On the one hand, religion is about faith and provides a legit moral system for people to follow. Religion is about the spirituality of people and ethics. On the other hand, science is a system of empirical facts and data having to do with the understanding of the physical world. Stephen Jay Gould has advocated the non-overlapping magisteria theory according to which science and religion represent different nets of the same inquiry.
“Man cannot grasp how death could be the source of life and love; yet to reveal the mystery of his saving plan God has chosen precisely that which reason considers "foolishness" and a "scandal" (John Paul pg. 21). The main justification that Paul provides is the truth about the deeper meaning of the Cross of Christ. The cross provides the wisdom needed to understand the motives of God and the amount of love that humans are truly capable of. In total, reason alone cannot fully eliminate the reason for the crucifixion itself. Faith is needed to fully understand His death and that faith in the Cross can lead to the ultimate answer of
Jesus died for our sins, was buried, was resurrected, and thereby offers salvation to all who will receive Him in faith. Unique among all other faiths, Christianity is more about a relationship than religious practices. Instead of adhering to a list of “do’s and don’ts,” the goal of a Christian is to cultivate a close walk with God. That relationship is made possible because of the work of Jesus Christ and the ministry of the Holy Spirit. Beyond these core beliefs, there are many other items that are, or at least should be, indicative of what Christianity is and what Christianity believes.
This paper will argue that existential philosophy provides a useful model for understanding Christian faith. Specifically, I will show how two major concepts in existentialism – the ontological priority of existence and the love of fate – suggest helpful ways of thinking about faith. I’ll begin by outlining these two concepts as they are expressed by existentialist thinkers. Then I will choose one theology of faith as a starting point, and examine how it intersects with existentialism. The goal is to use existentialist philosophy to form a more complete and practicable view of faith.
My goal is to describe the ethical theories from which I based my approach, and to support my position by explaining and applying those theories to the marriage and cohabitation issue of sexuality and sexual immorality. My position is that cohabitation has a prima facie appearance of being a marriage; however, its appearance alone does not make it a marriage. Therefore, anything that falsely attempts to imitate something else is a lie, which is a sin and betrayal against God. As such, Christians should refrain from engaging in or even supporting the practice of cohabitation.
For the Christians: The Bible is called a language of intimacy with God. The Bible answers the ultimate mystery of the universe, a purpose for living, and reconciliation of humanity with their creator. Early Christianity found in such words evidence both of a special standing or position with their Heavenly Father. Literal Interpretation It’s commonly known that the Bible has hundreds of different translations.
We can say the same about science and evolution and counter argue the reason of God bringing his son down for forgiving our sins. Not everything that is man made, it correct, not saying religion is
The word conviction expresses a strong belief about an opinion of a matter. We all have opinions but when our desire to impress upon others our belief and nothing less, we are being convicted. The things that convict me and my belief may not be the same for others; especially, opinions concerning church denominational belief. Someone of a different denomination may receive Communion differently than I do, but the bottom line is, we still participate in the holy ceremony. Baptism or sprinkling is another area in which spiritual conviction prevails and depending on denomination, may have biblical references.
Atheists also widely support these theories, much like Christians support the Biblical theory of creation. Mark Looy noted, in his 2017 article, that atheism is in fact a religion. To prove atheism is a religion, Looy states “Atheists hold a worldview that fits this definition well, for they have a cause to promote, embrace a naturalistic system of beliefs, and hold them with ardor and faith.” Looy went on to discuss that when science teachers explain the universe and all of life, they usually ignore the theory of God and go right to the “scientific rationale that supports atheistic humanism.” If atheism is a religion, then the argument of religious views being restricted from schools will no longer suffice (Looy, 2017).
Integrative approaches to psychology and Christianity: An introduction to worldview issues, philosophical foundations, and models of integration by David N. Entwistle covers an extremely topical and controversial issue of whether psychology and theology can be successfully integrated into contemporary counseling practice. In fact, the author starts his book by emphasizing that psychology and Christianity have been largely considered as mutually incompatible and exclusive. However, Entwistle (2010) does not agree with this idea and supposes that faith can be an integral component of all daily activities, including counseling practice. Entwistle provides an in-depth look at both and extends a way to model the two in such a way they supplement
Summary The author of Integrative Approaches to Psychology and Christianity, David Entwistle (2010), states that the premise of the book is to help us understand human nature by “weaving together perspectives from psychology and Christian theology” (Entwistle, 2010, p. 13). His goal is to prove that, when used wisely, psychology and Christian theology can provide a more accurate picture of the physical and spiritual man “because both of them are concerned with truths revealed by God in nature and in His Word” (Entwistle, 2010, p. 221). The book discusses how the integration of Psychology and Christian Theology can be integrated, into Christian counseling, through our understanding of worldviews, counseling models, etc.
Of course, anyone could make a mistake, however, as you guys like to say peer review would correct any errors as unlike atheism Christianity has a source of authority that is held by every Christian, therefore, a Christian apologist does not only have atheistic criticism but those like me holding them to the source of our
Although many, including myself, criticize contemporary Christian music as not being truly about the glorification of God, the genre’s main focus is to change how everyone views God and Christianity as a whole. Although, some people like me believe that this shouldn’t be changed due to the possibility of God no longer being the center of the message, the main focus of the genre is to attract Christians and Atheists alike through their music, in the same way that secular Rock sought the attention of all
MEDICAL SCIENCE AND DIVINE HEALING 2.1 Medical Science and Divine Healing One of the most prominent points of contention is the relationship between divine healing and medical science. Is trusting God for healing require refraining from seeking the care of physicians or to abstain from medical remedies? Paul Tillich,whose theology of healing is rooted in the concept of salvation asserts that sickness can be deeply rooted in mental anguish and estrangement, which manifests itself in the physical body. He then raises the question: If ultimate healing comes through the salvation of Christ, should people seek psychologists, and doctors for help? He practically answers "Sometimes."