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On Being a Confessional Church by Gregory Edward Reynolds
On Being a Confessional Church by Gregory Edward Reynolds In 1980, at my first General Assembly, in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, the late Bernard “Chip” Stonehouse exhorted rookie commissioners to wait five years before we opened our mouths in debate. Fresh out of seminary I thought my Old School theology made my position superior to Chip’s on most questions. However, I am pleased to have heeded his exhortation. Over the past several decades I have been privileged to observe and participate in a system of church government based on principles that are self-consciously Biblical. It has been difficult at times to learn to think and communicate in a way different from my native egalitarian instincts. As an outsider, raised in liberal New England Congregationalism, it took a conscious effort, time and experience to learn to participate in the culture of Presbyterianism. I am glad I waited. Chip gave us good advice on this point. With an increasing number of ministers entering the OPC from outside the Presbyterian tradition, and with the increasing variety of seminary training of our ministers, I would like to pass on some thoughts on what it means to be a confessional church. I, with my fellow officers, have taken a vow to uphold the purity, peace and unity of the church. I believe that only a truly confessional church has the ability to keep such a vow, because we have corporately agreed on what we believe. If we cannot continue our agreement we will face, as is perhaps already evident, a confessional crisis. As one astute observer of the last General Assembly comments: “The church is particularly ill-equipped to judge the way in which her subordinate standards serve to establish both the unity and the diversity of its faith. -
Capper 1998 Phd Karl Barth's Theology Of
Karl Barth’s Theology of Joy John Mark Capper Selwyn College Submitted for the award of Doctor of Philosophy University of Cambridge April 1998 Karl Barth’s Theology of Joy John Mark Capper, Selwyn College Cambridge, April 1998 Joy is a recurrent theme in the Church Dogmatics of Karl Barth but it is one which is under-explored. In order to ascertain reasons for this lack, the work of six scholars is explored with regard to the theme of joy, employing the useful though limited “motifs” suggested by Hunsinger. That the revelation of God has a trinitarian framework, as demonstrated by Barth in CD I, and that God as Trinity is joyful, helps to explain Barth’s understanding of theology as a “joyful science”. By close attention to Barth’s treatment of the perfections of God (CD II.1), the link which Barth makes with glory and eternity is explored, noting the far-reaching sweep which joy is allowed by contrast with the related theme of beauty. Divine joy is discerned as the response to glory in the inner life of the Trinity, and as such is the quality of God being truly Godself. Joy is seen to be “more than a perfection” and is basic to God’s self-revelation and human response. A dialogue with Jonathan Edwards challenges Barth’s restricted use of beauty in his theology, and highlights the innovation Barth makes by including election in his doctrine of God. In the context of Barth’s anthropology, paying close attention to his treatment of “being in encounter” (CD III.2), there is an examination of the significance of gladness as the response to divine glory in the life of humanity, and as the crowning of full and free humanness. -
"Historical Roots of the Death of God"
Portland State University PDXScholar Special Collections: Oregon Public Speakers Special Collections and University Archives 7-2-1968 "Historical Roots of the Death of God" Thomas J.J. Altizer Follow this and additional works at: https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/orspeakers Part of the History of Religion Commons, and the Philosophy Commons Let us know how access to this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Altizer, Thomas J.J., ""Historical Roots of the Death of God"" (1968). Special Collections: Oregon Public Speakers. 57. https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/orspeakers/57 This Article is brought to you for free and open access. It has been accepted for inclusion in Special Collections: Oregon Public Speakers by an authorized administrator of PDXScholar. Please contact us if we can make this document more accessible: [email protected]. Thomas J. J. Altizer "Historical Roots of the Death of God" July 2, 1968 Portland State University PSU Library Special Collections and University Archives Oregon Public Speakers Collection http://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/11281 Transcribed by Nia Mayes, November 25, 2020 Audited by Carolee Harrison, February 2021 PSU Library Special Collections and University Archives presents these recordings as part of the historical record. They reflect the recollections and opinions of the individual speakers and are not intended to be representative of the views of Portland State University. They may contain language, ideas, or stereotypes that are offensive to others. MICHAEL REARDON: We’re very fortunate today to have Dr. Altizer, who is teaching on the summer faculty at Oregon State in the department of religion there, give the first in a series of two lectures. -
Law and Gospel Article
RENDER UNTO RAWLS: LAW, GOSPEL, AND THE EVANGELICAL FALLACY Wayne R. Barnes∗ I. INTRODUCTION Many explicitly Christian voices inject themselves frequently and regularly into the current public policy and political discourse. Though not all, many of these Christian arguments proceed in something like the following manner. X is condemned (or required) by God, as revealed in the Bible. Therefore, the explicitly-required “Christian position” on X is for the law to prohibit or limit the activity (or require it), in accordance with the advocate’s interpretation of biblical ethical standards. To be clear, I mean to discuss only those scenarios where a Christian publicly identifies a position as being mandated by Christian morality or values --- i.e., where the public is given a message that some law or public policy is needed in order to comply with the Christian scriptures or God’s will. That is, in short, this article is about explicit political communications to the public in overt religious language of what Christianity supposedly requires for law and policy. As will be seen, these voices come quite famously from the Christian Religious Right, but they come from the Religious Left as well. Political philosophers (most famously John Rawls) have posited that pluralism and principles of liberal democracy strongly counsel against resort to such religious views in support of or against any law or public policy.1 That is, in opposition to this overt religious advocacy in the political realm (though, it should be noted, not necessarily taking a substantive position on the issues, per se) is the position of Rawlsian political liberalism, which states generally that, all things being equal, such inaccessible religious arguments should not be made, but rather arguments should only be made by resort to “public reason” which all find to be accessible.2 Christian political voices counter that this results in an intolerable stifling of their voice, of requiring that they “bracket” ∗ Professor, Texas Wesleyan University School of Law. -
Justification: Law, Gospel and Assurance of Salvation
JUSTIFICATION: LAW, GOSPEL AND ASSURANCE OF SALVATION In paragraphs 31-33, the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification (JDDJ) considers the relationship of the Gospel to the Law of Moses. In keeping with the Christian teaching since Apostolic times, both Catholics and Lutherans affirm that “Christ has fulfilled the law and by his death and resurrection has overcome it as a way to salvation.” [JDDJ, #31] We are justified by faith in the Gospel, not by following the commands of the Old Law. Does this mean that the Old Testament commandments are irrelevant and we can ignore them? Not at all. Although we receive our salvation through Jesus Christ and not through the law, God’s commandments still offer us guidance for proper behavior and our failures to follow them can be accusations of our sinfulness. It is not enough for us to be justified, we must also live as the justified. By his teaching and example, Christ has shown us God’s will, which is the standard for our conduct. Christ is not a lawgiver like Moses, but is the Father’s perfect revelation of himself. Christ did not give us a listing of commands to follow, but rather showed us in his person how to live as children of God. Even as we recognize our sinfulness when we violate the commandments, we also realize that it is only the mercy of God in Christ that justifies us, not the remedies or practices of the law. “The law as a way to salvation has been fulfilled and overcome through the gospel.” [JDDC, #31] So when we repent of sin, we do not rely on our own penitential actions for our redemption, but rather put our faith in the Gospel and place ourselves at God’s mercy in Christ, our only source of salvation. -
Sermon Notes: June 7, 2020 Focus: Trinity Sunday Lectionary Readings Trinitarian Images Are Everywhere in Our Liturgy
Sermon Notes: June 7, 2020 Focus: Trinity Sunday Lectionary Readings Trinitarian images are everywhere in our liturgy. At the same time, there are many Christian groups who reject the Trinity. Pentecostal churches (Church of God, independent Pentecostals); Jehovah’s Witness; Mormons and denominations that you’ve never heard of don’t believe “In the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” If you forget most of this sermon, just remember that Trinity is a relationship. I want to get into some theology; but my primary goal is to give you a reason to care about the Trinity or to know why you don’t care. There are lots of small pieces that one could use to cobble together a scriptural understanding of the Trinity. This is found especially in the beginning of Genesis and when people get baptized. The most explicit verse is at the end of Matthew. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. There is also a reference in 1st John - For there are three that testify: the Spirit, the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement. It’s a stretch to build the Trinity upon these and other oblique references, but that is exactly what the church in history has tried to do. Here are some historical “heresies” around the Trinity. I am willing to bet that one of them is your favorite. Sabellianism, Noetianism and Patripassianism Trinity is expressed in Could not find an image reference, but it leans to modal and tritheistic sensibility different “modes.” Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are not distinct, but rather different faces God. -
B50FF03 Introduction to Contextual Theology
B50FF03 Introduction to Contextual Theology Bachelor of Divinity Degree Pacific Theological College Semester 1A, 2018 Course Lecturer: Dr Richard Davis, [email protected] Course Description This course aims to provide students with an introduction to the study and practice of theology. It will look at what theology is, who does theology, where it is done, and for what purpose. The traditional sources of theological reflection, such as the Bible, traditions, experience and reason will be examined. The contextuality of all theologies will be stressed, and the relativity of traditional Western theology will be exposed, and newer approaches to theology will be explored, including liberation theologies of the two-thirds world. Students will be encouraged to bring a Pacific focus to their own work, drawing on various models of contextual theology with a view to identifying, describing and critically analysing the methods that undergird such models. Objectives By the end of the course students should be able to: Be aware of and describe the context in which they do theology Define what theology is and understand the role of the theologian Describe several sources for doing theology Appreciate several different models of doing contextual theology See how key doctrines have been interpreted through contextual methods Method of Teaching A combination of lectures, readings, writing and discussion. Assessment Assessment will be as set out below, with one essay, class participation, and an exam. All assessment must engage with the class materials, readings, and additional scholarly materials (books, journal articles, and generally not online materials). Every effort should be made to write correct English in the essay and exam. -
A Complete Course
A Complete Course Forum Theological Midwest Author: Rev.© Peter V. Armenio Publisher:www.theologicalforum.org Rev. James Socias Copyright MIDWEST THEOLOGICAL FORUM Downers Grove, Illinois iii CONTENTS xiv Abbreviations Used for 43 Sidebar: The Sanhedrin the Books of the Bible 44 St. Paul xiv Abbreviations Used for 44 The Conversion of St. Paul Documents of the Magisterium 46 An Interlude—the Conversion of Cornelius and the Commencement of the Mission xv Foreword by Francis Cardinal George, to the Gentiles Archbishop of Chicago 47 St. Paul, “Apostle of the Gentiles” xvi Introduction 48 Sidebar and Maps: The Travels of St. Paul 50 The Council of Jerusalem (A.D. 49– 50) 1 Background to Church History: 51 Missionary Activities of the Apostles The Roman World 54 Sidebar: Magicians and Imposter Apostles 3 Part I: The Hellenistic Worldview 54 Conclusion 4 Map: Alexander’s Empire 55 Study Guide 5 Part II: The Romans 6 Map: The Roman Empire 59 Chapter 2: The Early Christians 8 Roman Expansion and the Rise of the Empire 62 Part I: Beliefs and Practices: The Spiritual 9 Sidebar: Spartacus, Leader of a Slave Revolt Life of the Early Christians 10 The Roman Empire: The Reign of Augustus 63 Baptism 11 Sidebar: All Roads Lead to Rome 65 Agape and the Eucharist 12 Cultural Impact of the Romans 66 Churches 13 Religion in the Roman Republic and 67 Sidebar: The Catacombs Roman Empire 68 Maps: The Early Growth of Christianity 14 Foreign Cults 70 Holy Days 15 Stoicism 70 Sidebar: Christian Symbols 15 Economic and Social Stratification of 71 The Papacy Roman -
Tuomas Havukainen: the Quest for the Memory of Jesus
Tuomas Havukainen The Quest for the Memory of Jesus: A Havukainen Tuomas Viable Path or a Dead End? Tuomas Havukainen | This study is focused on the active international or a Dead End? Path Viable the Memory Quest for The of Jesus: A field of study in which various theories of mem- ory (e.g. social/collective memory and individual The Quest for the Memory of Jesus: memory) and ancient media studies (e.g. study A Viable Path or a Dead End? of oral tradition and history) are applied to historical Jesus research. The main purpose of the dissertation is to study whether the memory approach constitutes a coherent methodological school of thought. The dissertation discusses in what ways the memory approach distinguishes itself from earlier research and whether one can speak of a new beginning in historical Jesus research. A central focus of the study is the research-historical discussion on the nature and processes of the transmission of the Jesus tradi- tions in early Christianity, which is a significant research problem for both earlier historical Jesus research and the memory approach. | 2017 9 789517 658812 Åbo Akademi University Press | ISBN 978-951-765-881-2 Tuomas Havukainen (born 1988) Master of Theology (MTh) 2012, University of Wales Cover Photo: by Patrik Šlechta, September 11, 2014, from Pixabay.com. Photo licensed under CC0 1.0 https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/ https://pixabay.com/en/israel-path-dune-desert-499050/ Åbo Akademi University Press Tavastgatan 13, FI-20500 Åbo, Finland Tel. +358 (0)2 215 3478 E-mail: [email protected] Sales and distribution: Åbo Akademi University Library Domkyrkogatan 2–4, FI-20500 Åbo, Finland Tel. -
A Study on Religious Variables Influencing GDP Growth Over Countries
Religion and Economic Development - A study on Religious variables influencing GDP growth over countries Wonsub Eum * University of California, Berkeley Thesis Advisor: Professor Jeremy Magruder April 29, 2011 * I would like to thank Professor Jeremy Magruder for his valuable advice and guidance throughout the paper. I would also like to thank Professor Roger Craine, Professor Sofia Villas-Boas, and Professor Minjung Park for their advice on this research. Any error or mistake is my own. Abstract Religion is a popular topic to be considered as one of the major factors that affect people’s lifestyles. However, religion is one of the social factors that most economists are very careful in stating a connection with economic variables. Among few researchers who are keen to find how religions influence the economic growth, Barro had several publications with individual religious activities or beliefs and Montalvo and Reynal-Querol on religious diversity. In this paper, I challenge their studies by using more recent data, and test whether their arguments hold still for different data over time. In the first part of the paper, I first write down a simple macroeconomics equation from Mankiw, Romer, and Weil (1992) that explains GDP growth with several classical variables. I test Montalvo and Reynal-Querol (2003)’s variables – religious fragmentation and religious polarization – and look at them in their continents. Also, I test whether monthly attendance, beliefs in hell/heaven influence GDP growth, which Barro and McCleary (2003) used. My results demonstrate that the results from Barro’s paper that show a significant correlation between economic growth and religious activities or beliefs may not hold constant for different time period. -
Summary of Baird, History of New Testament Research Vol
A SUMMARY OF HISTORY OF NEW TESTAMENT RESEARCH, VOL. 1–3 BY WILLIAM BAIRD VOLUME 1: FROM DEISM TO TÜBINGEN INTRODUCTION Baird introduces his book with a quick sketch of the history of NT research before the Enlightenment, as well as a brief word about the methodology of his book. His plan is that the volumes will investigate NT research in the modern age.1 Before the Enlightenment The early church dealt with the issue of the canon. They judged all of the books to be of apostolic authority. They moved between literal (Antiochene) and allegorical (Alexandrian) interpretation. They gradually agreed that the apostolic church had the exclusive right to interpret the scriptures.2 In the Middle Ages, people interpreted the Scripture according to the four levels of meaning: literal, allegorical, tropological (or moral), and anagogical. Thus, “in Gal. 4:24-25, ‘Jerusalem’ could properly be interpreted to mean the historical city in Judea (literally), the Christian church (allegorically), the human soul (morally), and the heavenly city (anagogically).”3 Some were aware of the potential to abuse, and gave priority to the literal sense (as with Aquinas, who said the three spiritual senses had to be rooted in the literal sense).4 During the Reformation, the Bible was placed at the forefront as the foundation for the Christian faith. The reformers were influenced by the exegetical methods of the Renaissance humanists. They inherited the technical methods that were used for the study of ancient literary works. Furthermore, they agreed that the only meaning Scripture has is the literal meaning. The Reformers attempted to return to a study of what the authors of Scripture meant. -
The Transfiguration in the Theology of Gregory Palamas And
Duquesne University Duquesne Scholarship Collection Electronic Theses and Dissertations Spring 2015 Deus in se et Deus pro nobis: The rT ansfiguration in the Theology of Gregory Palamas and Its Importance for Catholic Theology Cory Hayes Follow this and additional works at: https://dsc.duq.edu/etd Recommended Citation Hayes, C. (2015). Deus in se et Deus pro nobis: The rT ansfiguration in the Theology of Gregory Palamas and Its Importance for Catholic Theology (Doctoral dissertation, Duquesne University). Retrieved from https://dsc.duq.edu/etd/640 This Immediate Access is brought to you for free and open access by Duquesne Scholarship Collection. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Duquesne Scholarship Collection. For more information, please contact [email protected]. DEUS IN SE ET DEUS PRO NOBIS: THE TRANSFIGURATION IN THE THEOLOGY OF GREGORY PALAMAS AND ITS IMPORTANCE FOR CATHOLIC THEOLOGY A Dissertation Submitted to the McAnulty Graduate School of Liberal Arts Duquesne University In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy By Cory J. Hayes May 2015 Copyright by Cory J. Hayes 2015 DEUS IN SE ET DEUS PRO NOBIS: THE TRANSFIGURATION IN THE THEOLOGY OF GREGORY PALAMAS AND ITS IMPORTANCE FOR CATHOLIC THEOLOGY By Cory J. Hayes Approved March 31, 2015 _______________________________ ______________________________ Dr. Bogdan Bucur Dr. Radu Bordeianu Associate Professor of Theology Associate Professor of Theology (Committee Chair) (Committee Member) _______________________________ Dr. Christiaan Kappes Professor of Liturgy and Patristics Saints Cyril and Methodius Byzantine Catholic Seminary (Committee Member) ________________________________ ______________________________ Dr. James Swindal Dr.