Religion and Theology

This paper tackles the many ways in which sin is conceived in Christianity as well as the evil effects of the sin on the spirit. The paper further discusses the few ways in which sin can be overcome by the Christian. It is also emphasized by this paper that ones reason for overcoming sin is for him to avoid its evil effects. Introduction Man is not only a physical being but also a spiritual one, and just as an illness weakens him in the physical, sin weakens his spirit. The idea behind the concept...

The angel of the Lord in the Old Testament is not Jesus Christ in the New Testament. Various scriptures in the bible have shown this.  The angel of the Lord in the Old Testament was watching over the chosen people of God who were the Israelites. Jesus Christ claims that he had come for both the Jews and gentiles. For examples, when the children of Israel were in the wilderness, the angel of Jehovah appeared to Moses claiming that he had seen the suffering of the people of Israelite (Exodus...

The Prajpramit Hridaya Sutra, known commonly as the Heart Sutra, and the Vajracchedik Prajpramit Sktra, known commonly as the Diamond Sutra, embody the very essence of the wisdom school of Mahayana Buddhism. They are based on the concept of Prajpramit, or Perfection of Wisdom. Both of them are widely popular and constitute the most chanted sutras in Zen. They are indispensable for gaining an understanding of Zen philosophy. The Heart Sutra presents the deepest teaching of Buddhism in a very cryptic...

The problem with worshiping idols from an Islamic perspective Islam is based on the belief that there is only one God who is all supreme, the creator of the world and who is called Allah. The belief is based on the unity of God and is a pure monotheistic religion. Idol worship is strictly condemned in all forms even if it is a means of getting to god. From an Islamic perspective idol worship is unacceptable, is considered unforgivable and condemned as a violation of the first commandment in the...

Gandhi is an icon in world history because no one has lived with such compassion amidst a long history of foreign invasion like he had. He lived his teachings and his beliefs. That by itself is a feat that leaders of the modern day world are challenged by.  What is it about his particularly inclusive approach to world religion that is positive To what extent is this approach derived from Hinduism and its particular religion Gandhi embraces non-violence. He taught and showed the world the...

The Chinese religion is one of the oldest religious practices. The evidence to their practices by the Shang people is found in the Oracle texts or the Oracle bone inscriptions dating back to 1028 B.C.E. This was the times of great divination.  Earliest Shang diviners believed on bone cracking as a way of communication with the spirit, where the cracks were used in foreseeing the future events. Reading of the Oracle inscriptions involved the use of sacrifices to the ancestors and spirits. These...

The Holy Family are unique and so is their story, yet at the same time they are a model for any family. Their story is told in the Gospels, especially those of Matthew and Luke. They obviously care for each other and trust each other and God and obey him as in Luke 1 v 38 where Mary places herself in Gods hands and Matthew 2 v 14 where Joseph obeys Gods instructions. They worship God and keep his commandments as when they present Jesus in the temple (Luke 2 v 21). They are also an extraordinary...

The world is characterized by a unique diversity as far as religion is concerned. At the same time, there are various similarities that exist in different religions. This paper brings out the similarities between Judaism, Islam and Christianity. Similarities exist despite the diversity These religions co-exist in different countries of the world. For example in Ethiopia, Christianity, Islam and Judaism are practiced. Most Americans practice Christianity and Judaism than Islam. However, the United...

It has been said that faith and truth are often conflicting things.  Yet in ones quest for truth, ones faith may be strengthened.  This is why I feel that my time at Liberty University will provide me with the perfect opportunity to strengthen my faith.  Truth is all around.  The power and glory of God is reflected in all the things that he has created.  By furthering my education and learning more about the world around me, I feel that I am investigating the truth behind...

Pagels, a professor of religion at Princeton University with a PhD from Harvard, is well known for her 1979 book on the Gnostic Gospels, to which she refers (p 33). She worked, with others, on translating and annotating the texts discovered at Nag Hammadi in 1945. It was these non-canonical gospels that interested her in the diversity of early Christian thought. Beyond Belief is an exploration of how Christians decided to condemn certain gospels as heretical while declaring others orthodox. Pagels...

Mother Theresa is able to talk about social issues such as relationships between family members, drug addiction, and abortion because she is speaking from an authority that can never be wrong  the Holy Bible.  She derives her proof and her validation from the scripture and since the scripture is considered to be the Word of God, then it follows that Mother Theresa is speaking according to an authority beyond this world, the authority of God. While Mother Theresa talks about many things...

Spiritual Discovery and Christian Orthodoxy In the book Beyond Belief The Secret Gospel of Thomas, Pagel tussles with her own faith as she wrestles to understand the question of when and why Christianity became connected almost exclusively with the ideas codified in the early church especially in the fourth century Nicene creed as well as in the canonical texts of the new testament. The book concisely uncovers the richness and diversity of the Christian philosophy. Pagel incorporates a new scholarship...

Religion will always be an issue of discussion in the world. It unifies a people of a certain group, and connects them to a supernatural power. Recently, there is a new shape of the world religion distribution .The Charismatic groups and the Pentecostals are coming up, and are predicted to influence the world in the coming generations. Despite the rise in other Christian religions, the Catholic religion is still ranking high in several parts of the world. This is because it is one of the oldest...

Zions Christian Soldiers, the celebrated work of Stephen Sizer is a great reading for all students of Bible. This text includes the fundamental methodology that questions several assumptions regarding end times prophecy. The work is an insightful Christ-centered critique of few established but fatally flawed theories that has contributed to several spiritual dysfunctions. In this text the author skillfully criticizes several exegetical missteps advocated by contemporary Christian Zionists. Zions...

The omnipotence of God draws many deep, unfathomable variables that contain the power to influence events as they happen.  Because these events happen as God orders them to happen, it becomes at odds with what they call the humanistic nature of free will and the picture of Jesus Christ who always believed and preached according to the peoples free will to choose.  It is said that choices are being made by people and not by God.  According to Gregory Boyd (2003), We are ultimately...

This dissertation is about the life and works of Saint Paul the Apostle, especially focused on his holy journeys, based chiefly from the holy book, the Bible. His character as a person and as an Apostle was first introduced. The controversial beginnings of St. Paul until the time that he was baptized were also given light during the first part. The researcher examined the first, second and third journey of St. Paul his itinerary and his teachings and discourses. The first was more of an assessment...

Robert Jensons works is among the great contributions in modern dogmatic and theology that has not been realized. His work on Systematic Theology has gained him the reputation of a respectable writer. His works are vital in the development of the theologian world. But then again, as usual as it does, his work has not been given the proper dignity it should have. His works are seemingly not studied by other theologians and Christian scholars. The reasons for not having been one of the favorites...

1. The Author Matthew   was a Galilean and the son of Alpheus (New International Version, Mark 2.14).According to Matthew 99, his name was Levi. He collected taxes from the Hebrew people for Herod Antipas. His Tax Office was located in Capharnaum where he was despised and considered an outcast. However, as a tax collector he would have been literate (Marx 148-57). It was in this setting that Jesus called Matthew to be one of the Twelve Disciples, and after his call, Matthew invited the Lord...