September 13, 2017

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

September 13, 2017 September 13, 2017 From the King James Version of the Bible Isa. 1:19 If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: Ex. 24:6 (to Moses), 7 took And Moses ... took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people: and they said, All that the LORD hath said will we do, and be obedient. Deut. 12:28 Observe and hear all these words which I command thee, that it may go well with thee, and with thy children after thee for ever, when thou doest that which is good and right in the sight of the LORD thy God. Deut. 27:9 Take, 10 Take heed, and hearken, O Israel; this day thou art become the people of the LORD thy God. Thou shalt therefore obey the voice of the LORD thy God, and do his commandments and his statutes, which I command thee this day. Gen. 22:1-18 AND it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am. And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of. ¶ And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him. Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off. And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you. And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together. And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together. And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood. And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son. And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I. And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me. And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son. And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah–jireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen. ¶ And the angel of the LORD called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time, And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice. Matt. 8:5-10, 13 ¶ And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him, And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented. And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him. The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it. When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. ... And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour. John 5:2-9 Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches. In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water. For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had. And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years. When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole? The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me. Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk. And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath. Luke 22:31 (to Lord), 39-42 went ¶ And the Lord …went, as he was wont, to the mount of Olives; and his disciples also followed him. And when he was at the place, he said unto them, Pray that ye enter not into temptation. And he was withdrawn from them about a stone’s cast, and kneeled down, and prayed, Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done. I John 2:3-6 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked. I Pet. 1:13 (to 1st ,), 14-16 Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, ... As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. Jer. 26:13 (to 1st ;) Therefore now amend your ways and your doings, and obey the voice of the LORD your God; From Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, by Mary Baker Eddy SH vii:18-20 The only guarantee of obedience is a right apprehension of Him whom to know aright is Life eternal. SH 184:6-15 Belief produces the results of belief, and the penalties it affixes last so long as the belief and are inseparable from it. The remedy consists in probing the trouble to the bottom, in finding and casting out by denial the error of belief which produces a mortal disorder, never honoring erroneous belief with the title of law nor yielding obedience to it. Truth, Life, and Love are the only legitimate and eternal demands on man, and they are spiritual lawgivers, enforcing obedience through divine statutes. SH 579:10-14 ABRAHAM. Fidelity; faith in the divine Life and in the eternal Principle of being. This patriarch illustrated the purpose of Love to create trust in good, and showed the life- preserving power of spiritual understanding. SH 11:21-25 Petitions bring to mortals only the results of mortals’ own faith. We know that a desire for holiness is requisite in order to gain holiness; but if we desire holiness above all else, we shall sacrifice everything for it. SH 458:32-11 Christianity causes men to turn naturally from matter to Spirit, as the flower turns from darkness to light. Man then appropriates those things which “eye hath not seen nor ear heard.” Paul and John had a clear apprehension that, as mortal man achieves no worldly honors except by sacrifice, so he must gain heavenly riches by forsaking all worldliness. Then he will have nothing in common with the worldling’s affections, motives, and aims. Judge not the future advancement of Christian Science by the steps already taken, lest you yourself be condemned for failing to take the first step. SH 447:1-11 The heavenly law is broken by trespassing upon man’s individual right of self-government.
Recommended publications
  • The Validity of Human Language: a Vehicle for Divine Truth
    Grace Theological Journal 9.1 (1988) 21-43 [Copyright © 1988 Grace Theological Seminary; cited with permission; digitally prepared for use at Gordon and Grace Colleges and elsewhere] THE VALIDITY OF HUMAN LANGUAGE: A VEHICLE FOR DIVINE TRUTH JACK BARENTSEN Doubts have arisen about the adequacy of human language to convey inerrant truth from God to man. These doubts are rooted in an empirical epistemology, as elaborated by Hume, Kant, Heidegger and others. Many theologians adopted such an empirical view and found themselves unable to defend a biblical view of divine, inerrant revelation. Barth was slightly more successful, but in the end he failed. The problem is the empirical epistemology that first analyzes man's relationship with creation. Biblically, the starting point should be an analysis of man's relationship with his Creator. When ap- proached this way, creation (especially the creation of man in God's image) and the incarnation show that God and man possess an adequate, shared communication system that enables God to com- municate intelligibly and inerrantly with man. Furthermore, the Bible's insistence on written revelation shows that inerrant divine communication carries the same authority whether written or spoken. * * * As a result of the materialistic, empirical scepticism of the last two centuries, many theologians entertain doubts about the ade- quacy of human language to convey divine truth (or, in some cases, to convey truth of any kind). This review of the philosophical and theological origins of the current doubts about language lays a foundation for a biblical view of language. THE CONTEMPORARY PROBLEM One recent writer stated the problem of the adequacy of religious language in these words: The problem of religious knowledge, in the context of contemporary philosophical analysis, is basically this: no one has any.
    [Show full text]
  • Melchizedek Or the Secret Doctrine of the Bible by JC Grumbine
    Melchizedek or the Secret Doctrine of the Bible by J.C. Grumbine Melchizedek or the Secret Doctrine of the Bible by J.C. Grumbine Published in 1919 "I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world". Matthew 13: 35 CONTENTS INTRODUCTION Lecture 1 Who is Melchizedek? Biblical History. His Office and His Order The Secret Doctrines of the Order. Its Myths, Mysteries, Lecture 2 Symbolisms, Canons, Philosophy The Secret Doctrine on Four Planes of Expression and Lecture 3 Manifestation Lecture 4 The Christ Psychology and Christian Mysticism Lecture 5 The Key - How Applied. Divine Realization and Illumination Page 1 Melchizedek or the Secret Doctrine of the Bible by J.C. Grumbine INTRODUCTION The Bible has been regarded as a sealed book, its mysteries impenetrable, its knowledge unfathomable, its key lost. Even its miracles have been so excluded from scientific research as to be invested with a supernaturalism which forever separated them from the possibility of human understanding and rational interpretation. In the midst of these revolutionary times, it is not strange that theology and institutional Christianity should feel the foundations of their authority slipping from them, and a new, broader and more spiritual thought of man and God taking their places. All this is a part of the general awakening of mankind and has not come about in a day or a year. It grew. It is still growing, because the soul is eternal and justifies and vindicates its own unfoldment. Some see in this new birth of man that annihilation of church and state, but others who are more informed and illumined, realized that the chaff and dross of error are being separated from the wheat and gold of truth and that only the best, and that which is for the highest good of mankind will remain.
    [Show full text]
  • A Constructive Theology of Truth As a Divine Name with Reference to the Bible and Augustine
    A Constructive Theology of Truth as a Divine Name with reference to the Bible and Augustine by Emily Sumner Kempson Murray Edwards College September 2019 This dissertation is submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Copyright © 2020 Emily Sumner Kempson 2 Preface This thesis is the result of my own work and includes nothing which is the outcome of work done in collaboration except as declared in the Preface and specified in the text. It is not substantially the same as any that I have submitted, or, is being concurrently submitted for a degree or diploma or other qualification at the University of Cambridge or any other University or similar institution except as declared in the Preface and specified in the text. I further state that no substantial part of my dissertation has already been submitted, or, is being concurrently submitted for any such degree, diploma or other qualification at the University of Cambridge or any other University or similar institution except as declared in the Preface and specified in the text. It does not exceed the prescribed word limit for the relevant Degree Committee. 3 4 A Constructive Theology of Truth as a Divine Name with Reference to the Bible and Augustine (Summary) Emily Sumner Kempson This study is a work of constructive theology that retrieves the ancient Christian understanding of God as truth for contemporary theological discourse and points to its relevance to biblical studies and philosophy of religion. The contribution is threefold: first, the thesis introduces a novel method for constructive theology, consisting of developing conceptual parameters from source material which are then combined into a theological proposal.
    [Show full text]
  • The Exodus, Then and Now
    Seton Hall University eRepository @ Seton Hall The Bridge: A Yearbook of Judaeo-Christian Studies, Vol. I The Institute of Judaeo-Christian Studies 1955 The Exodus, Then and Now Barnabas M. Ahern Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarship.shu.edu/jcs-bridge-I Part of the Biblical Studies Commons, Christianity Commons, and the Jewish Studies Commons Recommended Citation Barnabas M. Ahern, "The Exodus, Then and Now." In The Bridge: A Yearbook of Judaeo-Christian Studies, Vol. 1, edited by John M. Oesterreicher and Barry Ulanov, 53-74. New York: Pantheon Books, 1955. ! of moral­ I but made nt on, and Barnabas M. Ahern, c.P. THE EXODUS, THEN AND NOW UPHEAVAL stirred the world of Abraham. Dynastic changes at Ur and vast migrations over the Fertile Crescent clogged the stagnant pool of a world that had died. Babylon in the early second millennium vaunted the boast, "I am rich and have grown wealthy and have need of nothing"; and all the while the bragging corpse failed to see how "wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked" it really was (Apoc 3:17) . All flesh had corrupted its way; God's clean sun shone on a pool full of death. But life still throbbed at Haran in northern Mesopotamia, for Abraham lived there, a newcomer from Ur in the south. All future history would flow from him; he was to become "the father of us all ... our father in the sight of God" (Rom 4 : 17). For one day at Haran, in the middle of the nineteenth century, a merciful God spoke to the heart of this tribal chief (Gen 12: 1-3) and broke it wide open with a freshet of mercy, gushing forth and bubbling over to cleanse all heartS by faith.
    [Show full text]
  • November 1, 2017
    November 1, 2017 From the King James Version of the Holy Bible Ps. 92:12 The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Gal. 5:1-3, 4 (to 2nd,), 6 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love. Gen. 12:1-4 NOW the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran. Gen. 22:1, 2, 9-12 AND it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am.
    [Show full text]
  • Gleanings in Genesis A. W. Pink This Work Is Licensed Under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Work 3.0 License
    Gleanings In Genesis A. W. Pink This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Work 3.0 License Introduction Appropriately has Genesis been termed "the seed plot of the Bible," for in it we have, in germ form, almost all of the great doctrines which are afterwards fully developed in the books of Scripture which follow. In Genesis God is revealed as the Creator-God, as the Covenant-God, as the Almighty-God, as well as "the Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth." In Genesis we have the first hint of the Blessed Trinity, of a plurality of Persons in the Godhead——"Let us make man in our image" (Gen. 1:26). In Genesis man is exhibited. First as the creature of God’’s hands, then as a fallen and sinful being, and later as one who is brought back to God, finding grace in His sight (Gen. 6:8), walking with God (Gen. 6:9), made "the friend of God" (Jam. 2:23). In Genesis the wiles of Satan are exposed. We "are not ignorant of his devices," for here the Holy Spirit has fully uncovered them. The realm in which the arch-enemy works is not the moral but the spiritual. He calls into question the Word of God, casts doubt on its integrity, denies its veracity. In Genesis the truth of sovereign election is first exhibited. God singles out Abraham from an idolatrous people, and makes him the father of the chosen Nation. God passes by Ishmael and calls Isaac. In Genesis the truth of salvation is typically displayed.
    [Show full text]
  • Spiritual Experiences and Discernment CREATIONSWAP
    Theodidaktos Taught by God Journal for EMC theology and education | Volume 11 Number 1 July 2016 Spiritual Experiences and Discernment CREATIONSWAP Inside: Poetry and Power: The Language of Spiritual Formation Responding to Spiritual Experiences Arianism: The Heresy that Won’t Go Away Book Review: Benefit of the Doubt: Breaking the Idol of Certainty When God Fails His People A PUBLICATION OF THE EVANGELICAL MENNONITE CONFERENCE Editorial Potty Politics HE POSTMODERN MINDSET And all who oppose this “truth” need to get with the Tespouses a relativistic outlook when it comes times. So truth is not relative after all. to truth. That truth is relative underlies the common John Stackhouse recently wrote a piece on worldview of many in our age. “What is true for you Canadian democracy decrying the current stance of is not necessarily true for me.” Core values of one the government. If, Stackhouse stated, Canada is a true organization or community will find opposition and democracy then the laws that are established today may resistance from other groups. There are no absolutes be amended or repealed in the future by a different when it comes to truth in our generation. Is this not the government. Same-sex marriage may not always be legal philosophy we have come to realize in our generation? in that sense. Stackhouse is correct in his definition In recent news, North Carolina has been vilified of democracy, but he has overlooked one obstacle to by the media for standing against pressure from the democratic process: precedence. In the court system Obama administration to allow transgender persons into lawyers will argue their cases based on precedence, the washrooms of their choice.
    [Show full text]
  • Dissertation
    THE LIFE AND WORKS OF GEORGE LIPPARD DISSERTATION Presented In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Emilio De Grazia, B.A., M.A, The Ohio State University 1969 Approved by n ivU / ■ AaviserAdviser Department of English ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I wish to express thanks to some of the people who have made this study possible. First, I greatly appreciate the efforts of the staffs of the Interlibrary Loan Service of the Ohio State University Library, the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, and the Library Company of Phila­ delphia. For her care and efficiency I also want to thank Sharon Fulkerson. A number of friends and teachers are greatly responsible for whatever virtues this study may have. Thai'iks first to Professor Keith Fenimore of Albion (Michigan) College, who suggested the subject, contributed notes, and made me read many American novels; to Professor Charles Held, also of Albion, a teacher and friend who first taught me to value books; to Professor John Muste, of the Ohio State University, for sharing his time and Insights; and, of course, to Professor Julian Markels, for providing careful and Just criticism, for giving often needed encouragement, and for teaching me new ways of seeing things. It goes without saying that this study is dedicated to Mom and Dad, and to Candy, the girl on the ship I brought home to Mom and Dad, ii VITA February 16, 1941.,,, B o m — Dearborn, Michigan 1 9 6 3.............. B.A., Albion College, Albion, Michigan 1 9 6 3 -1 9 6..........
    [Show full text]
  • Mary Magdalene As Counter-Heroine: Late Middle English Hagiography and Social Order
    Mary Magdalene as Counter-Heroine: Late Middle English Hagiography and Social Order Rachel Elizabeth Jones (BA. MA.) Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of PhD in English Literature School of English, Communication and Philosophy Cardiff University March 2013 Summary This thesis, which examines episodes from Middle English Magdalene hagiography, argues that Magdalene is represented there as a counter-heroine. It concentrates on the vita in Mirk’s Festial (ca. 1380s); the 1438 Gilte Legende; and Bokenham’s Legendys of Hooly Wummen (completed by 1447). The study contends that Magdalene challenges a variety of hegemonic and patriarchal structures, though her unruliness is typically suppressed by the hagiographers. Chapter one provides context and outlines key terms which run throughout the thesis: subversion, containment and consolidation. The first part foregrounds the thesis’s argument and methodology; the second part introduces the Mary Magdalene cultural narrative; the third situates the thesis in terms of work in related fields. The second chapter interrogates the earliest chronological unit in Magdalene’s medieval biography: the account of her sin and repentance. It argues that Magdalene’s penance represents a moment of containment in the legend. The chapter suggests that the texts, when read as a group, depict Magdalene as choosing to surrender her social, sexual and economic freedoms. At a moment marked by anxieties about changing social roles, the hagiographies endorse a conservative model of social order. Chapter three examines the episodes depicting the Resurrection and Magdalene’s preaching activities in Marseilles. This chapter argues that although Peter’s spiritual authority is emphasized in the post-Resurrection narrative, the subversive potential found in earlier representations of Magdalene’s first witness is never fully erased.
    [Show full text]
  • Christian Theological Interpretations of God's Grace in the Binding of Isaac
    Perichoresis Volume 10. Issue 1 (2012): 41-66 DOI 10.2478/v10297-012-0003-7 CHRISTIAN THEOLOGICAL INTERPRETATIONS OF GOD’S GRACE IN THE BINDING OF ISAAC * CAREY ELLEN WALSH Villanova University, Pennsylvania ABSTRACT. Typological exegesis, practiced by the early church fathers, enables us to catch spiritual meanings in the promise to Abraham, namely, that through him “all the nations of the earth be blessed” (Genesis 22:18). Christian interpreters caught a divine truth when they dis- cerned an ecclesial meaning. God had just revealed to Abraham that he was not alone, that a church was in the future. His typological interpretation accounts for the seeming repetition of the promise in Scripture: it contains new revelation. The promise to Abraham has always in- volved a multitude of descendants through Isaac. But after his near sacrifice as a Christ figure, the multitude is the church which emerged after Christ’s death and resurrection. KEY WORDS: “Binding of Isaac”, typology, righteousness, “sacrifice of Isaac”, atonement, Abraham, Moriah Introduction From its beginnings in the New Testament the Christian interpretation of Genesis 22 saw connections between the near sacrifice of Isaac and the cru- cifixion of Christ. It focused on the element of sacrifice in the tale while Jewish interpreters tended to focus on the relationships between God, Abraham, and Isaac. The other elements of the story also typical in Jewish interpretation, e.g., the conversation between father and son, the location of the sacrifice, the knowingness of Isaac, etc., by comparison receive scant attention in Christian interpretation. The term Aqedah—the binding of Isaac—is typical of Jewish, but not Christian interpreters, who focus primarily on the spiritual meanings of the * CAREY ELLEN WALSH, ThD (Harvard) is associate professor of Old Testament at Villanova University.
    [Show full text]
  • Jacques Basnage and the History of the Jews: Polemic and Allegory in the Republic of Letters
    Trinity College Trinity College Digital Repository Faculty Scholarship 1992 Jacques Basnage and the History of the Jews: Polemic and Allegory in the Republic of Letters Jonathan Elukin Trinity College, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalrepository.trincoll.edu/facpub Part of the History Commons Jacques Basnage and the History of the Jews: Anti-Catholic Polemic and Historical Allegory in the Republic of Letters Author(s): Jonathan M. Elukin Source: Journal of the History of Ideas, Vol. 53, No. 4 (Oct. - Dec., 1992), pp. 603-630 Published by: University of Pennsylvania Press Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/2709940 . Accessed: 22/07/2013 11:43 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at . http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp . JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. University of Pennsylvania Press is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Journal of the History of Ideas. http://www.jstor.org This content downloaded from 157.252.133.51 on Mon, 22 Jul 2013 11:43:47 AM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions Jacques Basnage and the Historyof the Jews: Anti-CatholicPolemic and HistoricalAllegory in the Republic of Letters JonathanM. Elukin Sincethe first Christian communities sought to distancethemselves fromJudaism, Jews and their religion have haunted Christians.
    [Show full text]
  • SIGNS and WONDERS: REASON and RELIGION in SOCIAL TURMOIL by Kimberly D
    MIAMI UNIVERSITY - THE GRADUATE SCHOOL CERTIFICATE FOR APPROVING THE DISSERTATION We hereby approve the Dissertation of Kimberly D. Murray Candidate for the Degree: Doctor of Philosophy ________________________________________ Alice E. Adams, Director ________________________________________ Jennie Dautermann, Reader ________________________________________ Britton Harwood, Reader ________________________________________ LuMing Mao, Reader ________________________________________ Elizabeth Wilson, Graduate School Representative ABSTRACT SIGNS AND WONDERS: REASON AND RELIGION IN SOCIAL TURMOIL by Kimberly D. Murray The purpose of this dissertation is to propose that exploratory thinking (or the use of wonder) can serve as an effective alternative to exclusive thinking and improve the functioning of critical reason within ideological frameworks. In the first half, I explore the ways in which current ideals and values in America– including the view of God as a Supreme Being, belief in the dualism between humanity and divinity, and current practices of exclusive religion and nationalism– intensify cultural strife by increasing social dichotomization and decreasing the influence of critical reason. In the first chapter, I discuss four interrelated signs that serve as strong indicators of escalating global conflict: greater attention to exclusive religion and nationalism, stronger ties between church and state, increasing social extremism, and the diminishing influence of reason. Chapter Two is an analysis of how exclusive forms of religion
    [Show full text]