DOCSLIB.ORG

Read Book the Christian Doctrine of God, One Being Three Persons Kindle

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Read Book the Christian Doctrine of God, One Being Three Persons Kindle THE CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE OF GOD, ONE BEING THREE PERSONS PDF, EPUB, EBOOK Thomas F. Torrance | 296 pages | 28 Jan 2016 | Bloomsbury Publishing PLC | 9780567658074 | English | Edinburgh, United Kingdom The Christian Doctrine of God, One Being Three Persons PDF Book God is the third of three; when there is no Lord save the One Lord. OUP Oxford. As Basil wrote: "We perceive the operation of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit to be one and the same, in no respect showing differences or variation; from this identity of operation we necessarily infer the unity of nature. Then, he says, his disciples will dwell in him, as he dwells in the Father, and the Father dwells in him, and the Father will dwell in them. That's the heresy called Modalism. We believe that the one God eternally exists in three Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; and that these three are one God, co-equal and co-eternal, having precisely the same nature and attributes, and worthy of precisely the same worship, confidence, and obedience. I cannot grasp the greatness of that One so as to attribute a greater greatness to the rest. Carrying this concept over to the Trinity, it is not a contradiction for God to be both three and one because He is not three and one in the same way. The Messiah, son of Mary, was no other than a messenger, messengers the like of whom had passed away before him. The fact that the Holy Spirit is a Person, not an impersonal force like gravity , is also shown by the fact that He speaks Hebrews , reasons Acts , thinks and understands 1 Corinthians , wills 1 Corinthians , feels Ephesians , and gives personal fellowship 2 Corinthians They don't "prove" the Trinity, they simply help us understand the concept. Lewis The Four Loves, for example. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Imamich, George F. In the fourth century, Arianism , as traditionally understood, [note 2] taught that the Father existed prior to the Son who was not, by nature, God but rather a changeable creature who was granted the dignity of becoming "Son of God". Each person is understood as having the identical essence or nature, not merely similar natures. The Christian doctrine of the Trinity Latin : Trinitas , lit. Why the shift? In so doing I end where I began. The personhood of each member of the Trinity means that each Person has a distinct center of consciousness. The idea of God as a duality or trinity is heretical — it is even considered by some to be polytheistic. The Son is begotten of the Father, not the other way around. So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God" 1 Cor. Nontrinitarianism or antitrinitarianism refers to Christian belief systems that reject the doctrine of the Trinity as found in the Nicene Creed as not having a scriptural origin. Basil said:. The Latin equivalent for this term is circumincessio. Francis Schaeffer emphasized this point in his books. Ayyavazhi theology Krishnology. They concluded that God is …. Those words may sound harsh, but they represent the judgment of the Christian church across the centuries. The doctrine of the Trinity was used to oppose alternative views of how the three are related and to defend the church against charges of worshiping two or three gods. He may be represented by a symbol — typically the Lamb agnus dei or a cross — or on a crucifix , so that the Father is the only human figure shown at full size. Several terms redirect here. Escape the Present with These 24 Historical Romances. God is more than the Trinity, but he is not less than that. More Details As you might imagine, the early church struggled mightily over this doctrine. While the developed doctrine of the Trinity is not explicit in the books that constitute the New Testament , it was first formulated as early Christians attempted to understand the relationship between Jesus and God in their scriptural documents and prior traditions. A number of illustrations have been suggested. He explicitly defined the Trinity as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and defended his theology against " Praxeas ", [55] though he noted that the majority of the believers in his day found issue with his doctrine. The Christian Doctrine of God, One Being Three Persons Writer Then, he says, his disciples will dwell in him, as he dwells in the Father, and the Father dwells in him, and the Father will dwell in them. Other statements may at first seem contradictory but are really not. Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. What exactly do we mean when we speak of the Trinity? Theologian R. Thus the whole universe witnesses to the character of the God who made it cf. Torrance offers many necessary correctives for Western Christian's in their doctrine of God. The Trinity is a doctrine that all Christians believe but no one really understands. Torrance aims to clarify understanding of the most profound article of Christian Faith, the doctrine of the Holy Trinity. This can be problematic since he explicitly denies that the Father is the Monarchy of the Godhead. He may be represented by a symbol — typically the Lamb agnus dei or a cross — or on a crucifix , so that the Father is the only human figure shown at full size. Obviously we cannot, for Scripture is clear that there is only one God: "There is no other God besides me, a righteous God and a Savior; there is none besides me. Let's take a look at the defintion of the Trinity and what the role of the Trinity is today The Trinity Defined There are many places we might go to find a suitable definition. It is very simple: All three Persons are one God because, as we saw above, they are all the same essence. The Fathers of the Church distinguish between theology theologia and economy oikonomia. If one presses the cappadocian distinctions too far, then we are left with the claim that the person of the Father causes, deifies, and personalizes the Being of the Son, Spirit, and even Godhead! While noting that it is natural to see a subordination in function as reflecting a similar subordination in substance, he suggests that this might be the result of " I can think of at least three reasons for believing in the Trinity: The Bible teaches this doctrine. Wikimedia Commons has media related to Holy Trinity. Indeed it is a mystery, and with all the saints we bend the knee in worship before our great God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. But how does it show us why there is only one God instead of three? In the New Testament, the Spirit is not a recipient of devotion or worship as can be found in the Nicene Creed , though there are aspects of the New Testament which describe the Spirit as the subject of religious ritual in Matthew and 2 Corinthians Original Title. Augustine found that it is, and consists of "three: the lover, the beloved, and the love. The Father and the Son are usually differentiated by age, and later by dress, but this too is not always the case. The pseudonymous Ascension of Isaiah , written sometime between the end of the first century and the beginning of the third century, possesses a "proto-trinitarian" view, such as in its narrative of how the inhabitants of the sixth heaven sing praises to "the primal Father and his Beloved Christ, and the Holy Spirit". Daniel Rempel rated it really liked it Mar 28, Justin appropriated the God who visited Abraham to Jesus, the second person of the Trinity. Yet I am only one person. I persevered well beyond the point demanded by charity, and in the end I spent several hours translating a couple of pages into English. The term can also refer to the religious act of devotion towards a deity. In the later part of the Christian Era , in Renaissance European iconography, the Eye of Providence began to be used as an explicit image of the Christian Trinity and associated with the concept of Divine Providence. In their minds Christians worship three Gods, not one. Heaven - What is it Like, Where is it? Gregory of Nazianzus would say of the Trinity, "No sooner do I conceive of the One than I am illumined by the splendour of the Three; no sooner do I distinguish Three than I am carried back into the One. In the Pauline epistles , the public, collective devotional patterns towards Jesus in the early Christian community are reflective of Paul's perspective on the divine status of Jesus in what scholars have termed a "binitarian" pattern of devotion. The eternal Son cries out to the Father at the moment when the penalty of sin has been laid upon him. The Trinity has a very significant application to prayer. Michael rated it it was amazing Oct 10, While I believe that this is a helpful definition, it should be recognized that Grudem himself is offering this as more of an explanation than definition of Person. The Christian Doctrine of God, One Being Three Persons Reviews The doctrine of the word of God prolegomena to church dogmatics, being volume I , 1. Acts further describes a common ritual practice inducting new members into the early Jesus sect by baptizing them in Jesus' name ; ; ; Third, notice that although the three divine Persons are distinct, we are baptized into their name singular , not names plural. Lists with This Book. Quran Some Christians interpret the theophanies or appearances of the Angel of the Lord as revelations of a person distinct from God, who is nonetheless called God.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Core Knowledge Intuitions of God As a Person Are Not Revised by Christian Theology Despite Lifelong Experience
    Psychonomic Bulletin & Review https://doi.org/10.3758/s13423-017-1421-6 BRIEF REPORT Representational coexistence in the God concept: Core knowledge intuitions of God as a person are not revised by Christian theology despite lifelong experience Michael Barlev1 & Spencer Mermelstein1 & Tamsin C. German1 # Psychonomic Society, Inc. 2018 Abstract Previous research has shown that in the minds of young adult religious adherents, acquired theology about the extraordinary characteristics of God (e.g., omniscience) coexists with, rather than replaces, an initial concept of God formed by co-option of the person concept. We tested the hypothesis that representational coexistence holds even after extensive experience with Christian theology, as indexed by age. Christian religious adherents ranging in age from 18 to 87 years were asked to evaluate as true or false statements on which core knowledge intuitions about persons and Christian theology about God were consistent (both true or both false) or inconsistent (true on one and false on the other). Results showed, across adulthood, more theological errors in evaluating inconsistent versus consistent statements. Older adults also exhibited slower response times to inconsistent versus consistent statements. These findings show that despite extensive experience, indeed a lifetime of experience for some partici- pants, the Christian theological God concept does not separate from the initial person concept from which it is formed. In fact, behavioral signatures of representational coexistence were not attenuated by experience. We discuss the broader implications of these findings to the acquisition of evolutionarily new concepts. Keywords Core knowledge . Person concept . God concept . Religious beliefs . Conceptual change Introduction features of the environments in which humans evolved.
    [Show full text]
  • The History of the Church
    The History of the Church Introduction Ages of the Church • The Age of catholic Christianity • The Age of Imperial Christianity • The Age of Christendom • The Age of Reformation • The Age of Reason and Revival • The Great Awakening • The Second Great Awakening • The Layman’s Prayer Revival • The Rise of Liberalism • The Rise of Pentacostalism 2 July 22, 2012 Ages of the Church • So we have studied the ages of the church from the book of Acts to the latest televangelist in an Armani suit! • We have seen the first church, simple, fast growing, establishing its identity. • Next came the Imperial Church. Emperor Constantine, seeing the cross and winning the battle, made Christianity the State Church, requiring that all become Christians. We saw how that turned out. • With the split between east and west, the Bishop of Rome became the Pope of the Catholic Church and the age of Christendom began with the withholding of the sacraments and a king in sack cloth on his knees in the snow. 3 July 22, 2012 Ages of the Church • Next, a corrupt church and a few strong voices created Protestantism. Immediately there were differences and splits. • Christianity moved to the New World and we saw the first Great Awakening, the establishment of Colleges, the creation of more denominations. • It took another Great Awakening and the Layman’s prayer revival to keep Christianity blossoming and growing in America. Christians tend to forget from generation to generation. • Then came the Germans, the philosophers and the Liberal Christians trying to reconcile God with Science. 4 July 22, 2012 Ages of the Church • This was answered by the Fundamentalist and an attempt to return to the root of Christianity.
    [Show full text]
  • God in Christianity
    God in Christianity In Christianity, God is the eternal being who created and preserves all things. Christians believe God to be both transcendent (wholly independent of, and removed from, the material universe) and immanent (involved in the world).[1][2] Christian teachings of the immanence and involvement of God and his love for humanity exclude the belief that God is of the same substance as the created universe[3] but accept that God's divine nature was hypostatically united to human nature in the person of Jesus Christ, in an event known as the Incarnation. Early Christian views of God were expressed in the Pauline epistles and the early creeds, which proclaimed one God and the divinity of Jesus, almost in the same breath as in 1 Corinthians (8:5-6): "For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many 'gods' and many 'lords'), yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live."[4][5][6] "Although the Judeo- Christian sect of the Ebionites protested against this apotheosis of Jesus,[7] the great mass of Gentile Christians accepted it."[8] This began to differentiate the Gentile Christian views of God from traditional Jewish teachings of the time.[4] The theology of the attributes and nature of God has been discussed since the earliest days of Christianity, with Irenaeus writing in the 2nd century: "His greatness lacks nothing, but contains all things".[9]
    [Show full text]
  • Subordinationism
    Subordinationism Subordinationism is a heresy in Christian theology 1.2 Pre-Nicean which holds that the Son and the Holy Spirit are subor- dinate to God the Father in nature and being. Subor- Perhaps the most elaborate of advocates in favor of Sub- dinationism, in its various forms, was believed by some ordinationism was Origen of Alexandria. Origen taught in the Early Christian period until the mid 4th century, that Jesus was a “DEUTEROS THEOS” (second God) [1] when the Arian controversy was finally settled, after many He also said the Son was “distinct” from the Father.[2] Fi- decades of debates, with the formulation of the doctrine nally Origen insisted that the Son is other in substance of Trinity. than the Father.[3] It should be noticed that some of these same references are used to defend the concept of the Subordinationism has some commonalities with Trinity. However, Subordinationism is not a differenti- Arianism, but has some differences. While many ation or distinction between persons in the Trinity. In Christian leaders in the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Centuries this regard they agree. Subordinationism rather suggests acknowledged a “relational subordination” of the Son that the Son (and Spirit) are other in substance than the and the Holy Spirit to the Father, as to an authority, not Father.[3] as an inferior being to a superior one, the Arians went even further to assert that the Son was a created being, Other pre-Nicean references which are often interpreted and was therefore not eternal, and therefore he is inferior as Subordinationist views include (but are not limited to): in nature to the Father, whom they believed to be the One and Only God.
    [Show full text]
  • The-Trinitarian-Space-And-Public
    Results of plagiarism analysis from 2019-06-26 15:44 UTC 10.1% 4.6 The_Trinitarian_Space_and_Public_Space.pdf Date: 2019-06-26 15:40 UTC All sources 41 Internet sources 38 Own documents 1 doczz.net/doc/5736408/trinity-and-the-plurality-of-religions.-by-albert-noronha-op [3] 3.5% 20 matches scholar.sun.ac.za/bitstream/handle/10019...7.pdf.txt?sequence=4 [4] 2.0% 11 matches www23.us.archive.org/stream/ashlandtheol...ic19124with_djvu.txt [5] 1.7% 10 matches https://archive.org/stream/gospelherald198578unse/gospelherald198578unse_djvu.txt [6] 1.1% 9 matches https://epdf.pub/cambridge-history-of-ch...2dd2dbbf3c43664.html [7] 1.1% 8 matches "4.3 TRANSCENDING PLURALISM Joas Ad...ot; dated 2019-06-26 [8] 0.4% 5 matches https://archive.org/stream/ReadingsInThe... of Science_djvu.txt [9] 0.8% 6 matches karyailmiah.sttjakarta.ac.id/?p=433 [10] 1.1% 5 matches www.cfdiocese.org/wp-content/uploads/201...tecostal-Worship.pdf [11] 0.8% 7 matches https://www.westernseminary.edu/files/do...lity_Trinity_Wan.doc [12] 0.9% 7 matches docshare.tips/02-whole_575ba6fbb6d87f0a068b4873.html [13] 0.6% 6 matches https://bible.org/series/à¸à​ ¸à​ ¹à​ ¸£à¸µà¸¢à¸à​ ¸à​ ¸£à¸°à¸à​ ¸£à¸£à¸¡?page=21 [14] 0.6% 6 matches https://epdf.pub/with-reverence-for-the-...64ceab660770859.html [15] 0.6% 5 matches bib.irr.org/reflections-on-doctrine-of-holy-trinity-part-1 [16] 0.7% 6 matches https://www.academia.edu/185249/_Fully_Social_Trinitarianism_ [17] 0.5% 3 matches https://epdf.pub/redeeming-mulatto-a-theology-of-race-and-christian-hybridity.html [18] 0.5%
    [Show full text]
  • Christianity Explained PDF Book
    CHRISTIANITY EXPLAINED PDF, EPUB, EBOOK Scripture Union | none | 01 Jan 1985 | SPCK | 9780858923942 | English | none Christianity Explained PDF Book Further information: Canonical hours. Help Learn to edit Community portal Recent changes Upload file. Main articles: Christianity by country and Christian population growth. From the year , Christian teachers began to produce theological and apologetic works aimed at defending the faith. These groups may vary ecclesiologically in their views on a classification of Christian denominations. Constantine I was exposed to Christianity in his youth, and throughout his life his support for the religion grew, culminating in baptism on his deathbed. The Routledge Companion to the Study of Religion Catholics, Eastern Christians, Lutherans, Anglicans and other traditional Protestant communities frame worship around the liturgical year. In all European countries, different Christian denominations found themselves in competition to greater or lesser extents with each other and with the state. In these battles, Christians fought against Islamic rulers and their Muslim soldiers to reclaim holy land in the city of Jerusalem. There are numerous other countries, such as Cyprus, which although do not have an established church , still give official recognition and support to a specific Christian denomination. The death and resurrection of Jesus are usually considered the most important events in Christian theology , partly because they demonstrate that Jesus has power over life and death and therefore has the authority and power to give people eternal life. New York: Macmillan Co. Christianity Explained Teaching Manual 80 Pages. The Protestant Reformation. The New Testament mentions several post- resurrection appearances of Jesus on different occasions to his twelve apostles and disciples , including "more than five hundred brethren at once", [1Cor ] before Jesus' ascension to heaven.
    [Show full text]
  • What Is Christianity? Pdf, Epub, Ebook
    WHAT IS CHRISTIANITY? PDF, EPUB, EBOOK Dr. Rowan Williams | 48 pages | 10 Dec 2015 | SPCK Publishing | 9780281074396 | English | London, United Kingdom What is Christianity? PDF Book While Christians worldwide share basic convictions, there are also differences of interpretations and opinions of the Bible and sacred traditions on which Christianity is based. Introducing Christianity. He was witnessed by many who were eventually martyred for their faith. Herder, Freiburg Protestant Christians believe that the Bible is a self-sufficient revelation, the final authority on all Christian doctrine, and revealed all truth necessary for salvation. Therefore, "What is Christianity? Eastern Orthodox Church. Related Articles What is salvation? Many were brutally tortured and killed during this time. Other groups originating in this time period include the Christadelphians and the previously mentioned Latter Day Saints movement. However, since God loves us so much , He has provided another means by which we can attain perfection. There are numerous denominations within Protestant Christianity, many of which differ in their interpretation of the Bible and understanding of the church. In Matthew , Jesus commands: "Be perfect, your heavenly Father is perfect. Most Christians Catholic , Eastern Orthodox , Oriental Orthodox , and Protestant alike accept the use of creeds, and subscribe to at least one of the creeds mentioned above. The significance of the text includes the ensuing use of the text or application. Eastern Catholic Churches. The Athanasian Creed. The history of Judaism is essential to understanding the Jewish faith, which has a rich heritage of law, In comparison, his adulthood, especially the week before his death, is well documented in the gospels contained within the New Testament , because that part of his life is believed to be most important.
    [Show full text]
  • A Review of Russ Houck's Epidemic
    How (Not) to Reform a Church: a review of Russ Houck’s Epidemic: Examining the Infected Roots of Judaism and Christianity By William J. Rhea Mary’s Well Occasional Papers are published by Nazareth Evangelical Theological Seminary Director of PuBlications: Duane Alexander Miller, PhD Citation: Rhea, William J. ‘How (Not) to Reform a Church: a review of Russ Houck’s Epidemic: Examining the Infected Roots of Judaism and Christianity’ in Mary’s Well Occasional Papers, 5:1, January (Nazareth, Israel: Nazareth Evangelical Theological Seminary 2016). Abstract William Rhea reviews Epidemic: Examining the Infected Roots of Judaism and Christianity, by Russ Houck. Houck’s book proposes that both Judaism and Christianity have fundamentally misunderstood their own religious texts. Christianity, in particular, is profoundly mistaken in regarding Jesus as fully divine and the Second Person in the Trinity. For these failings, Houck blames Constantine. Rhea responds by examining the biblical development of early Christology as well as the history behind the events at the Council of Nicaea. He seeks to demonstrate a fundamental continuity between the early church’s worship of the enthroned Jesus and the confession of Nicaea, as well as the futility of divorcing the Bible from the religions of which it is inseparably a part. About the Author William Rhea is an adjunct professor of church history at the Latin American Bible Institute in San Antonio, Texas. He holds an M.A. in Historical Theology from Concordia Seminary, St. Louis. How (Not) to Reform a Church: a review of Russ Houck’s Epidemic: Examining the Infected Roots of Judaism and Christianity William J.
    [Show full text]
  • List of Christian Denominations - Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia Page 1 of 18
    List of Christian denominations - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Page 1 of 18 List of Christian denominations From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (Redirected fromChristian Denominations) List of Christian denominations (or Denominations self-identified as Christian) ordered by historical and doctrinal relationships. (See also: Christianity; Christian denominations; List of Christian denominations by number of members). Some groups are large (e.g. Catholics, Lutherans, Anglicans or Baptists), while others are just a few small churches, and in most cases the relative size is not evident in this list. Also, modern movements such as Fundamentalist Christianity, Pietism, Evangelicalism, Pentecostalism and the Holiness movement sometimes cross denominational lines, or in some cases create new denominations out of two or more continuing groups, (as is the case for many United and uniting churches, for example). Such subtleties and complexities are not clearly depicted here. Additionally, some groups viewed by non-adherents as denominational actively resist being called a "denomination" and do not have any formal denominational structure, authority, or record-keeping beyond the local congregation; several groups within Restorationism fall into this category. Note: This is not a complete list, but aims to provide a comprehensible overview of the diversity among denominations of Christianity. As there are reported to be approximately 38,000 Christian denominations,[1] many of which cannot be verified to be significant, only those denominations with Wikipedia articles will be listed in order to ensure that all entries on this list are notable and verifiable. Note: Between denominations, theologians, and comparative religionists there are considerable disagreements about which groups can be properly called Christian, disagreements arising primarily from doctrinal differences between groups.
    [Show full text]
  • Mark 11-27-12-12 Authority Copy.Key
    Mark 11 What is going on here? “27 And they came again to Jerusalem. And as He was walking in the temple, the chief priests, and scribes, and elders came to Him, 28 and began saying to Him, “By what ✓ The Jewish leaders are asking authority are You doing these things, or who gave You Jesus to produce official this authority to do these things?” 29 And Jesus said to credentials of his authority. them, “I will ask you one question, and you answer Me, and then I will tell you by what authority I do these Jesusʼ response reveals that the things. 30 Was the baptism of John from heaven, or from ✓ men? Answer Me.” 31 And they began reasoning among leaders had no interest in themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say, submitting to spiritual authority ‘Then why did you not believe him?’ 32 But shall we say, ‘From men’?” - they were afraid of the multitude, for all outside themselves. considered John to have been a prophet indeed. 33 And answering Jesus, they said, “We do not know.” And Jesus ✓ Jesus therefore refuses to give said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do them more revelation. these things.”” Matthew 13 Mark 11:33 “12 For whoever has, to him shall “Neither will I tell you by what more be given, and he shall have an authority I do these things.” abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be Am I demanding more taken away from him.
    [Show full text]
  • UNIVERSITY of CALIFORNIA Santa Barbara How the Mind Builds
    UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA Santa Barbara How the mind builds evolutionarily new concepts A dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology by Michael Barlev Committee in charge: Professor Leda Cosmides, Co-Chair Professor Tamsin German, Co-Chair Professor Michael Gurven Professor Ann Taves Professor John Tooby January 2018 The dissertation of Michael Barlev is approved. ________________________________________ Michael Gurven ________________________________________ Ann Taves ________________________________________ John Tooby ________________________________________ Tamsin German, Committee Co-Chair ________________________________________ Leda Cosmides, Committee Co-Chair December 2017 How the mind builds evolutionarily new concepts Copyright © 2018 by Michael Barlev iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I have been fortunate to have several mentors who have guided me through graduate school. While I learned much from each, each stands out in mind for a particular important lesson or two. Tamsin German taught me how to be a thorough experimental psychologist, how to always stay close to my data, and how to decide whether to send an angry email only the day after writing it (who’s to say whether I always follow that last teaching). Leda Cosmides and John Tooby taught me how to think like an adaptationist, which is at the very core of my theorizing about the structure and function of the mind (psychology really does make no sense except for in the light of evolutionary biology). Moreover, the Center for Evolutionary Psychology they built, with its open and highly stimulating intellectual atmosphere, where nothing is sacred and where every hypothesis must be explained from first principles, is none like I’ve seen before or since, and I’m thankful to have been a part of it.
    [Show full text]
  • Interreligious Learning As Monotheist Imperative
    Chapter 2 Interreligious Learning as Monotheist Imperative Reuven Firestone Abstract Because seminaries are designed to further the goals of the religious communities that fund and support them, interreligious learning may not be generally accepted as fulfill- ing their institutional needs. This perspective derives from the history of interreligious polemic and competition between and within monotheist traditions, based on the as- sumption that God represents a single Truth that cannot be compromised, and that our expression of religion represents that Truth. This essay interrogates these assump- tions and argues that true understanding must transcend the limits of religious institu- tion, and offers an instructive way to understand the distinctiveness of one’s particular spiritual tradition in relation to other attempts to understand the Infinite. 1 University and Seminary Teaching I have been teaching for decades simultaneously in seminary and university settings, and I have had to be cognizant of the different approaches to the teaching of religion therein. It is important to differentiate between seminary and university settings in higher education, and equally important to relate to the two as “ideal-types” (idealtypus) in the Weberian sense, since not all univer- sities are equally open in their quest for knowledge, and not all seminaries are equally constrained by religious creed in their pursuit of understanding. In this essay, I do not discuss the university setting, because, at least in theory, it is open to a highly analytic examination of religion that neither privileges nor disparages any individual religion, or the notion or practice of religion in gen- eral. In real life, of course, there is certainly deviation from this norm, but the norm nevertheless stands as the standard educational philosophy for the study of religion in the academy.
    [Show full text]