Ultimately, it is inconceivable why any God, much less a loving God, would ever conceive of a universe in which His creatures had no will of their own or were not free to accept His offer of love or to reject it. Salvation, therefore, cannot be pre Continue Reading...
Therefore, they are compelled to choose what they do in order to instantiate God's foreordainment of history. It wouldn't seem to make sense, therefore, for the person to attempt to change their circumstances or to fight against fate. Affliction, tr Continue Reading...
It was not simply that his body did not obey his will and that he possessed a stronger spiritual and a physical will after his conversion, but that before his conversion his will was not fully sincere internally. He had not yet accepted God's grace, Continue Reading...
This essence is based on his belief that free will an the freedom of choice which is the exercise of free will are rooted in "uprightness": If freedom-of-choice had not been given to rational nature in order for it to keep uprightness-of-will for t Continue Reading...
In Chapter 5, the great churchman informs us that Water is in fact an apt designation for the Divinity, better than any of the other elements. Water possess the unique properties of being more moveable than earth (though less movable than air) whil Continue Reading...
Salvation Debate- Calvinism and Arminianism Calvinism and Arminianism are two different systems of theology that attempt to explain the relationship between God's sovereignty and man's free will. What differentiates these views is the issue of free Continue Reading...
Providence Debate According to J.P. De Caussade, God speaks "today as he spoke in former times to our fathers when there were no directors as at present, nor any regular method of direction." In other words, Fr. De Caussade asserts that God maintai Continue Reading...
Knowledge makes one godlike, and so does the power of reproduction, according to Satan in Eve's dream. The reference to gods once again parallels the images and language Homeric epic, and the persistence of pagan spirits like Zephyr and Flora in Ed Continue Reading...
Although sometimes attributed to Calvin, the Synod of Dort actually wrote the Five Points of Calvinism in 1619. In the article, "New outlook, Volume 104," Alfred Emanuel Smith wrote that the Synod of Dort created the five points of Calvinism "to co Continue Reading...
However, although Machiavelli held firm in his belief that the Church should not have the same governing functions as the State, he provided the example of Pope Julius in demonstrating how, if a religious leader holds firm to his beliefs and manner Continue Reading...
American Religious History Defining fundamentalism and liberalism in Christianity is hardly an exact science, especially because prior to about 1920 there was not even a term for fundamentalism as it exists today. While present-day fundamentalists o Continue Reading...
All human beings are considered corrupt and sick and, because of the original sin, are in close relations with the powers of evil, rending them unable to make a significant contribution to their liberation. Ironically in some way, it can be said tha Continue Reading...
4. How does Luther and Calvin's view of moral evil differ from that of Catholicism? The classical Christian approach to the dilemma of moral evil has been that people are abusing the freedom of choice given to them by their creator. With free will Continue Reading...
The fact that God seems to be taken surprise by human action, and the fact that the Lord can also change his mind in the last verse of the passage, Exodus 32: 14, suggests free will exists, or the ability of humanity to change the world through pray Continue Reading...
This handbook was compiled as a remedy in the form of a sourcebook or guide to current work on free will and related subjects for those who wish to keep up with the latest research. (p. 3) What is often called "the free will issue" or "the problem Continue Reading...
In Book Eleven, Augustine contemplates the possibilities that lay in wait upon his death, possibilities that surely would have come to fruition if he had not converted to Christianity, being damnation and eternal punishment at the hands of Satan an Continue Reading...
Calvinism in the South Calvinism Calvinism is an interconnection of beliefs and influences adopted by many denominations, and creeds (Bowen 2014). It was first known as the reformed theology, produced by the Protestant Movement started by Martin Lu Continue Reading...
Saint Paul The man we know as St. Paul was Paul of Tarsus. He is not a saint that everyone has felt comfortable. Many find him harsh, difficult and uncompromising. This is true not only, now but was so in the case of his early associates and later w Continue Reading...
But the Bible is clear that Esau, Judas, and anyone else who does not believe in Jesus Christ is condemned to an eternity in hell, separated from God forever, never to be redeemed. (Himes R.) The Particular Movement was founded by Henry Jacob (1563 Continue Reading...
Faustus' Acceptance to Eternal Damnation Many traditions and legends have been created all the way through the long history of western culture. Among which one of the most outstanding and well-known as well long lasting traditions of western cultur Continue Reading...
Jonathan Edwards' "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" and Benjamin Franklin's "Advice to a Young Tradesman." The writings of Jonathan Edwards and Benjamin Franklin represent two opposite extremes of Colonial thought. Edwards' "Sinners in the Han Continue Reading...
Christianity and Islam: Comparison and Contrast In the world today, religion is one of the most divisive and persistent elements of human life. While many are leaving the traditional format of organized religion, these age old traditions remain as t Continue Reading...
John Wesley understand the human condition and human need for grace? The Wesleyan understanding of grace is that grace is a gift given by God, not something that human beings can win by performing particular actions (cited by Outler, 1980, p. 126). Continue Reading...
In contrast Mozi argued that people should always care for others equally. Linking the thoughts of different philosophers The ancient Chinese sacrificial practice was very common whereby the historical dynasties had carried out human sacrifices qu Continue Reading...
Protestant Reformation Calvin vs. Luther John Calvin and Martin Luther while both proponents of reform in the Catholic church, held distinctly different views of religious doctrine that profoundly influenced the religious landscape during the 16th c Continue Reading...
Medieval Philosophy In the introduction to the Greenwood series the Great Cultural Eras of the Western World, A.D. 500 to 1300, is described as the Middle Ages. "Borders and peoples were never quiescent during these tumultuous times." Schulman (200 Continue Reading...
Luther's concept of the "liberated Christian" allows for both an almost existential responsibility and an odd passivity on the other hand. Humans are responsible for creating faith within themselves, but having once accomplished the achievement of Continue Reading...
Religions and Development It is popularly believed that countries, where religion has major influence in governance, tend to develop slower than those where religious beliefs are not a main influence or consideration. This statement uses the cases o Continue Reading...
While each of these readings provide useful insights into the character, this study suggests that Gil-Martin represents something more than either the devil or Robert's imagination. Instead, one may read Gil-Martin as the specter of Robert's religio Continue Reading...
HTH-515 Topic 2Revelation and GodI. Ranking Christian Doctrines Activity and ReflectionWithout doing any prior research, use the chart below to organize the following 20 doctrines by placing them under the category you think they best fit.Election Si Continue Reading...
Faustus, who sees his time also coming to a close, becomes a kind of Hamlet-figure and doubts that he can be forgiven. Faustus' problem is more than a life of misdeeds -- it is a problem of lack of faith. The faith of Everyman may have been lukewarm Continue Reading...
Instead, Paul positions the way of faith over against "works of the law" (Rom 3:27-28), pitting God's sovereign grace over against human effort. In the interests of his Gentile mission, Paul aims to deflate an inflated sense of Jewish identity, par Continue Reading...
His most crucial involvement was in the organization of the governing of the church and the social structure of not only the church but the city (of Geneva, Switzerland). He was also a major political strategist and thinker. He modeled the social o Continue Reading...
Secular Humanism We live in a world that is so dictated by religious politics. Religion has seemingly become a defining characteristic of who we are. Yet, there are many who choose to free themselves from limited notions of religious doctrine. Many Continue Reading...
His career at school and university was undistinguished - his certificate mentioned his "inadequate grasp of philosophy." At Tubingen university he studied not philosophy but theology - and in a sense all his philosophy was essentially a theology, Continue Reading...
The universe viewed through a telescope looked different, and this difference in itself played into the Protestant argument that received truths may be fallible. In fact, the notion of truth outside empirical evidence became unsteady: For most thin Continue Reading...
