Religion and Theology

In the famous Greek mythology, the supreme male deity is Zeus. Zeus was noted as the overall sovereign that rules, both the earth and the sky. Zeus, according to the myth was the youngest child of Rhea and Kronos. He gained his position by revolting against his father along with his two brothers and three sisters. According to the myths, Kronos was imprisoned forever on Tartarus. Later on, Zeus married his sister Hera. Their offspring are Ares, Hephaestus and Hebe. Nevertheless, Zeus fathered several other children from different women.

Zeus was known as the god of justice and the god of the sky. He was usually portrayed holding a thunderbolt, with muscular features and wavy hair. His face is bearded with a stern look. According to the myths, other Gods would not defy the command of Zeus. His wrath is inescapable and his decisions are often final.

The description of Zeus alone reflects that the Gods of Greeks are not perfect. Zeus is not forgiving. He commits incest when he married Hera. He often tricks other women to make them fall in love. Furthermore, he started the revolt against his own father to the point of imprisoning him on the depths of the earth.

Christianity, one of the most popular among religions presented its male deity as rigidly moral. Jesus Christ, according to the writings, was the son of God. The God put him into Marys womb to give him a human form. While human, his purpose is to spread the word of God and purify man from sins. This implies that the supreme God and Jesus are both forgiving. Jesus was depicted as being single all his life and being devoted to his purpose throughout his life. He never lied and followed his father (God) commands. He could have escaped death, but he preferred to accept it than to defy his destiny.
Zeus is cruel and unpredictable. His actions are more similar to how humans act and react. On the contrary, Jesus Christ is presented as a holy figure. Jesus and the divine God were both very strict and kind. Nonetheless, both were respected and authoritative. Both had left the side of their father and lived on Earth temporarily. Both pursue to fulfill their destiny. The reason why Kronos swallowed all his children was due to an oracle that depicted his downfall. Jesus was sent as the messiah that would save humanity.

Divinities are usually associated with certain elements and characters that are attached to their gender. For example, the element fire often symbolizes the Sun and the skies. This is reflected in the cases of Zeus, the god of the sky and thunder in the Greek myths Amon Ra, the god of the Sun in Egypt Agni, the fire Hindu deity. Fire is largely a male element. It symbolizes courage, fear, heat, and war. Nevertheless, there are also several female deities with the fire attribute. One is Amaterasu, the Japanese goddess of fire. Another was Pele, the powerful goddess of fire in Hawaiian tradition. In comparison to the other elements, fire symbolizes the supreme divinities. It also reflects both destruction and creation.

The second element would be earth. This is an element that is largely feminine. The reason could be generally due to the capacity of earth to yield or bear. Some of the famous earth divinities are Gaia from the Greek tradition, Cihuacoatl or Quilaztli from the Aztec culture, and Izanami from Japanese religion.

Male deities also dominate the air element. Aether was the elemental god of air in Greek mythology. Enli was the Summerian god of air and storms. These deities are strong deities and usually portrayed as intellectuals.

Lastly, the water element is also known to be a female domain. Water symbolizes tranquility or emotional outburst. This could be connected to tears, rainstorm and other water formations. Most water deities like EaEnki (Summerian), Susanoo (Japan), Nun (Egypt) and Poseidon (Greek) are male. Nevertheless, several nymphs or lesser deities lives in the water. In Welsh, the goddess Morgan LeFay was the goddess of the sea, curses, fate and death. In Celtic tradition, Latis was the goddess of water and beer. Female deities of water have other attributes, which are still part of the water character. Water often symbolizes chaos or sudden changes. In Persian myths, Anahita is the goddess of water as a representation of semen and mothers milk. This emphasized that elements that are related to fertility are often attributed as feminine.

Marks Gospel has been described as quoted by Bartlet (page 3) as -
A succession of pictures in which a painter represents a complete history or
rather his interpretation of a unique person and his mission on earth.

Blaiklock ( page 110, 1966) describes it as fast-moving, tense and eager to convince.
It is of course one of the three synoptic gospels, the others being Luke and Matthew, both are whom are generally considered to have used large sections of Marks text as their basis. Matthews emphasis is on the Kingly Messiah, Luke concentrates on Jesus as the friend of the outcast and sinners, but Marks depiction is of Jesus as a wonder worker and tireless  servant of God, the Son of Man as in 8 v 38. This essay will consider how and why this gospel was written. This will include a summary of its contents and also how they are influenced by Marks purpose in writing and the particular audience he was writing for.

Author and Date
The document itself gives no clues as to authorship, although the gospel is closely associated from the earliest times with Mark. He was neither famous or important so there would be no reason for linking him with the gospel unless he was actually the  author. He, in his turn, is closely associated with Peter. Metzer and Coogan ( page 493) quote, as do other authors, Papias, the bishop of Hierapolis, who wrote in about C.E. 130 claimed that Mark was the author and that he was the Interpreter of Peter. Papias, according to Blunt,( 1949, page 26) said that he gained his information from a presbyter  by the name of John who said that Mark was -
Later a follower, as I said, of Peter, who ( i.e.Peter) used to adapt his teaching                                                                          to the needs (of his hearers), but not as if he were making a connected arrangement of the Lords words. So that Mark committed no error in thus
 writing down some things as he remembered them.

Justin Martyr in about 150 C.E. refers to Peters recollections. A few years later in 180 C.E. says that Mark committed to writing the things written by Peter (Bartlet, page 10). This seems to be the same Mark who is described by Peter in I Peter 5 v 13 as My son Mark, usually associated with the name John mark and mentioned by Luke in the Acts of the Apostles, first of all as the son of Mary of Jerusalem and in Acts 12 v 12, and he is also referred to in 2nd Timothy 4 v 11. In those instances he is however associated with Paul and in Colossians 4 v 10  he is described as the cousin of Pauls companion Barnabus. Cole suggests,( 2005, page 946)  without really solid evidence, that the Last Supper may have been held in his family home.

Blaiklock (1966, page 10) describes Mark as a failed missionary. It is certainly true that Luke describes in Acts 13 v 13 how he suddenly left Paul and his companions. No explanation is given, but the Greek word often rendered as left is quite a strong one implying rather desertion and abandonment as can be seen in the Amplified New Testament (1958) and the Living New Testament (1967)  version of events.

As far as dating is concerned Mark is generally accepted as having priority, although other arguments have been put forward. Metzer and Coogan (1993, page 926) says the main argument  for  Marcan priority  is the lack of content because if he had had access to the Sermon on the Mount  ( Mathew 5 ff) or parables such as that of the Prodigal son                 ( Luke15  verse 11-31) he could not fail to include them. There is also the vividness of the language used as in the story of the storm at sea (Mark 4 v 35-38), a storm still fresh in someones mind.

Among counterarguments that have been suggested one suggests  Matthew as having been written first, because, according to Metzer and Coogan,( page 726), his was apparently the best known of the gospels. Also there are instances where Mark seems to be writing an abbreviated form as in 1 v 12-13, Marks account of the temptations in the wilderness. Longer versions are to be found in both Matthew 4 and Luke 4. Whether or not Mark was condensing a longer document it is difficult to say whether this was Matthew, Luke or the mysterious Q.

The text of Mark, of which we now have modern translations, was certainly circulating well before the end of the first century according to Bartlett (undated, page 4) Cole (New Bible Commentary 2005, page 946) believes it to have probably been written between 60 and 70 C.E. i.e. about 30 years after the crucifixion and at about the same time as the deaths of Paul and Peter. This was before the Romans destroyed much of Jerusalem in C.E. 70. The evidence given for this is that Mark includes Jesuss predictions about the destruction, as in Mark 13 v 2, but that  he makes no mention of this  actually happening.

It is likely that Peter was executed in Rome in C.E. 64 and if so it is most probable that his companion Mark wrote his gospel while in that city. This central presence had its effect upon his style as will be discussed later.

Audience and Purpose
If Mark really is the author, and also if he has the priority generally accorded him, then it is he who invented the gospel genre, as Cole explains in his commentary ( page 946) His purpose was to make the good news accessible to the Gentiles. Rome, although  it had many  resident Jews, was of course primarily a Gentile city.  We tend to read the gospels in short sections in modern times, but this exciting and important story could easily have held its audience in one long sitting. The apostles had been the first witnesses to the resurrections in Acts 2 v 14 ff. In Acts 10 v 39 Peter says We are witnesses of everything he did . The other gospels were almost certainly written after the deaths of many the earliest church members according to most scholars. Mark includes less teaching because he still expected the good news to be spread by word of mouth from actual eye witnesses.
Metzer and Coogan (page 492), believe that the book was designed to be read aloud. It is short and sharp in its delivery. Blunt, (page 79) notes that the word straightway                         (immediately)  is used 41 times.  For this reason connections should be noted rather than trying to break the book up into sections. The Thompson Chain Bible (page 4263) says it is believed  Mark was writing for Gentile audience. The evidence for this is the general lack of Old Testament references, which is very obvious when this document is compared to that of Matthew. Gentiles would not have understood the Old Testament prophecies without a great deal of explanation, or even been particularly interested in them. Their belief in Jesus was more immediate, rather than based upon past experience and the interpretation of prophecy.  Also Jewish words and customs are explained in several instances, as in 3 v 17 where the word Boanages is translated and in chapter 7 v 3 where ceremonial washing is explained.  It was meant as a sort of sermon,  preaching  the facts that Christians relied upon, the basic facts of the gospel, that Christ was the Son of God ( Mark 1 v 11) performed wonders,( Mark 10 v 52)  was crucified according to  Gods eternal purposes ( Mark 10 v 45) , he rose from the dead ( Mark 16 v 6) and that whoever believes in him will be saved ( Mark 16 v 16)

A secondary purpose suggested by Cole (page 947) is that Mark was trying to encourage those suffering from persecution. Rome was the centre of a huge Gentile empire and therefore could be assumed to be where any persecution would begin and be at its strongest. In about C.E. 64 there was a great persecution of Christian at the orders of Nero. This followed the great fire which destroyed much of central Rome as described by Roman historian Tacticus in his Annuls. The gospel tells them that Christ who died a death he so obviously did not deserve, was ultimately  triumphant as set out in detail in chapter 16.

Synopsis and Major Themes
The main theme of Marks gospel is of Jesus, the Christ, servant of God. He is described as performing many good works, healing the sick and those possessed by evil spirits. There are 19 miracles recorded, eight of these  showing  power over illness and disease, five demonstrate  his power over the forces of nature , four reveal his authority over evil spirits ,and finally there are two ( 5 v 42 and16 v 9) which show how he has conquered the power of death.

A large amount of teaching is also included as in Mark 2 v 18-22, although there is less than is included in either Luke or Matthew. It is the shortest gospel and it in the first few sentences that the most important information is contained.. As John does Mark begins by declaring the divinity of Christ. Mark 1 v 1) describes the gospel as being about Jesus Christ the Son of God, but unlike John he does not expand on this theme. Instead he includes rare references to the Old Testament prophecies before immediately setting his scene by introducing John the Baptist.  There are many pointers to this being the account of an eye witness, as in12 v 37, where the crowd are described as having listened with delight. Although he has begun be emphasizing Christs divine powers, Mark soon moves on to a portrayal of his humanity his disappointment in 3 v 5, his tiredness in 4 v38 and his amazement in 6 v 6.

The book has both an introduction and a series of events leading up to the entry of Jesus on the scene( Chapter 1 v 1-13). There is the announcement of who Jesus is, the coming of the forerunner, the baptism, his empowering and the conflict with Satan in the wilderness.
Mark then goes on to report upon the early Galilean ministry ( 1 v 14  7 v 23). He omits the Judean ministry described by John in his chapters 2 -4. This is followed by a tour of Tyre and Sidon (7 v 24-30) and then a return to northern Galilee. After this there is ministry in Perea and the turn towards Jerusalem (10 v 1-52) and the Passion Week as recorded by Mark in chapter 11 through to 16 v 8
The gospel ends very abruptly. Whether the original narrative was disturbed  for  some reason , or whether a more complete copy once existed but hasnt come down to us, Cole ( page 948)  explains that the ending as we have it was not written by Mark, but would have been added by early Christians attempting to round out the story. Matthew Henry               ( page 342, 1974) describes this passage as an epilogue.

Cole divides the work into even more simple parts - preaching the kingdom, chapters 1  8 v 26 the cost of the kingdom, 8 v 27  10 v 52 and finally bringing in the kingdom, 11 v 1 -16 v 20.

Personal comments
I can understand why there are arguments about Mark and his primacy and even his authenticity and historical truth although in this comparatively short essay there isnt time to investigate all of these.  The scholars concerned want to verify that the truth is found. However, the truths contained in the gospel are what is important, rather than when they were written down and by who and where. Marks is an important book, not least because of its simple language. It can be read easily by someone with relatively basic English and is often the first book translated into a language by missionaries who are themselves learning a language, as its grammar is simple, usually the simple past Jesus went, walked, talked , asked. It is a book of its time, meant for a particular circumstance and audience, and although to some extent neglected in comparison with the other gospels, seen as being perhaps less spiritual than John and because it does not contain the birth narratives.  At the same time it still with much to teach about who Jesus was and why he came.  No grand oratory as in Matthew, no difficult mysteries  as in John, basic simple language instead of Lukes finer descriptive Greek, but the essence of the gospel story is made clear. In that Mark achieved his purpose.

Conclusion
St Marks gospel is one of the most important books in Christianity, not least because of its early acceptance by the church and its association with St Peter, one of the first eye witnesses to Christs earthly ministry. It is also important because, like other New Testament texts, it was written by an actual eye witness to some of  the events. Mark may be the young man described as being present in the garden in Mark 14 v 51,52 and his mothers house was used as a base by the very earliest church members as described in Acts 12 v 12 . If he didnt witness all  it is based upon the memories of one who did , someone who believed that Jesus actually was the longed for Messiah. Peters confession, You are the Christ  recorded in Mark 8 v 29, shows that even before the resurrection, this belief was held by at least some of  his earliest followers. Because it contains that one bold assertion, a recognition that God had sent his Son into the world as he had promised this book is worthy of its place as a witness to the beliefs of the church.

Absolutely yes, the three salient monotheistic religions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam worship the same God and that why they are referred to as Semitic or Abrahamic religions. They originated from the Hebrews who believed that God was everything, most powerful, special protector and present everywhere.

These Abrahamic religions have several similarities and differences in their traditions and how they worship God. First, they all consider that hell is a place for everlasting punishment. For instance, in Islamic tradition, hell is a lake of fire where infidels or non-Muslims live in anguish, torment or ordeal. Jewish believe that the bodies of evil doers are send to Gehinnon (hell) where they are eternally burnt in a blazing pit. Similarly, Christian followers subscribe to the concept and believe that unsaved people will perish in hells fire forever. Besides, the Muslims recognize a number of the Christian and Jewish prophets, including Moses, Abraham and Jesus (though he is never considered as a Gods son).

On the contrary, the three Semitic religions have several disparities. For example, they all have a different presumption on the eternal life. Muslims suppose that eternal life is full of endless pleasures, comprising of eating and happiness. Jewish deduce that eternal life is enjoying the liveliness of divine presence. On the other hand, Christians presume that eternal life contains fellowship, service, worship and Praise.

Thus, Christians, Jewish and Muslims worship and believe in the same God, but on theological and practical level they differs in various aspects. While the content of their religious values contain common traditions, it varies wildly on other essential dogmas.

The book of Acts 19 23-41 deals with a number of issues which are relevant both in the times of Apostle Paul and in our contemporary society. In this chapters apostle Paul had just finished his three year ministry in Ephesus when a conflict erupts. Normally, in his ministries Paul would endeavor to leave behind a strong church before he moved on to another place. In this case the church he had established threatened both the economy and culture of the Greeks (Price, 2005). From time in memorial a temple had been dedicated to the worship of Diana, a virgin goddess. The people of Ephesus depended on trading silver shrines to the goddess worshippers for their livelihood (Brosend and William, 1996).

There were many silversmiths employed in the trade. The decline in the worship of goddess Diana meant a sharp decrease in the sale of shrines. In order to safeguard their trade, silversmiths led by Demetrius decided to protest over the influence of Paul in the region. In his speech Demetrius accused Paul of undermining their god and at the same time leading the people against the worship of Diana (Ward, 1998). The mob was influenced by Demetrius and with much excitement ended up acting irrationally. In great confusion they started a quest for Paul, instead got hold of his two companions. Even as they were to be led to a public trial the message reached Paul. He hurried to the trial scene intending to stand in defense of those arrested and his ministry but was held back by friends. Again, inside the theater were local political leaders who did not want Paul to appear inside the theater. They too feared for his life.

There was a Jew by name Alexander who was intended to speak (BibleGateway.com, 2010). This Jew, apparently a non believer intended to show hostility to Paul. He was put forward just to confirm that not all Jews are sympathetic of Paul and his ministry. Nevertheless the crowd did not want to hear any of it. This hints to the fact tat the crowd was anti-Jewish.

Finally, the town clerk who was aware of the illegality of the meeting calmed down the crowd. He reminded the people of the greatness of their goddess and tolerance of other religious perspectives. He also pointed out the apparent consequences of the meeting to the higher authority. The clerk diffused the peoples anger after reminding them of the existence of a legal avenue to settle their grievance (BibleGateway.com, 2010). Since most of them were simply following the mob and were hysterical, they retreated. The Christians were thereafter left alone.

Meaning and Significance in Contemporary Society
There is much in this story that applies and continues to happen in the contemporary society. First and foremost the continued persecution of Christians is still a reality in our society. There are still regions in the world where Christianity is not tolerated. Christians continue to live in fear. In most of these regions the church does not depend on the state to be represented in the conflict. Most governments are separate from the church thus the church might not be well represented in some policy issues (Swanson, 1995). In the story for instance the town clerk states that Christians do not demean Diana. This is contrary to the teachings of Paul which affirm clearly the existence of one true God. Similarly, in our society politicians are more than willing to twist truth in order to see an end to a crisis (The Moorings, 2009). In most cases they reason out about legal terms that the population hardly understands. In political campaigns for instance there are many pledges being made by politicians. Since the crowds are emotional and desperate to solve their problems any kind of reasoning is enough to convince them. It is therefore common to solve the problem just for a while but sooner or later the truth downs on the people. Just like the town clerk who was trying to calm the crowd and at the same time manage his political influence it is true with politicians in contemporary society. Most of them turn to church and attempt to quote scripture in order to appear righteous among the people. In this attempt they end up misrepresenting the truth or use it for their own selfish purposes.

Truth does not need defense or justification. In the story the doctrine preached by Paul was the cause of all the mayhem in the city. Even though Paul was ready to offer clarification and defend his ministry against false accusations the problem is solved sooner than expected. Paul and his companions had to do practically nothing (Sherwin-White, 1963). In the same way there are many advocates of truth in the contemporary society. Most of these activists and supporters of particular courses often want to be noticed through protests and demonstration. It is important for them to realize that the truth needs no defense. Christians must endeavor to obey the law and live in harmony with each other. At one point or another people will come to understand and discern right from wrong.

In our society the citizens tend to be blinded and controlled by businessmen. There are few leaders if any who have managed to do away with partnership with business people. In most cases businessmen help political leaders in their campaigns expecting their interests to be protected once in power. Failure to do so would mean constant friction with businessmen. Since they got a lot of influence and machinery on their hands, businessmen appeal to emotions of the people. They use whatever power is on their hands to fight a particular legislation, ideology or new idea. The mobs on the other hand acting on hysteria goes on protests and unsuspectingly shows solidarity with the view of the businessmen. In doing this they are not aware of the selfish interests of those trying to win their support. This is similar to what Demetrius did with the Greeks. It is apparent that he cared much about his business interests than anything else (The Moorings, 2009).

It is common with those who are rejecting the gospel not to say anything against it but try to appeal to their self- interests and pride. Just as Demetrius many people are much interested in securing their place on earth as opposed to siding with the truth. In pursuit of money, status and influence a number of groups and societies continue to reject the truth. There are those that fail to go to church simply because they are working. In trying to justify their action it is common to attack the preachers. Most of them accuse preachers of stealing from the people in a pretext of receiving offerings, preaching outdated doctrines etc.

Strong emotions have led many people astray (The Moorings, 2009). In a group it is easy to get swayed and be made to compromise once beliefs and practices. This happens all the time when people have but little understanding about an issue. In Ephesus most of the town people were unaware of the reason behind the demonstration. They were simply following the multitude, shouting without knowing the reason. As much as expression of strong feelings is necessary people must understand the reason behind their feelings. In our society today it is common for the mob to show dissatisfaction with an idea or protest about an issue (Chaplin, 2000). Those in authority, who are truthful and sincere, need not be scared of the mob. It is interesting to learn that the mobs are not always aware of what they are protesting against. They are simply serving the interest of a few individuals. This is an encouragement to the Christians not to be scared of the mob.

Christians in the contemporary society face a lot of challenges. There are times when they are actually forced to hold demonstration in order to protest and show solidarity about certain courses. For instance in order to put an end to smoking of tobacco which is harmful to health, alcohol, drugs etc a number of protests have been held. However, it is important for Christians to learn that fighting these evils head on does little to end their spread and influence. Just by understanding the gospel and being truthful to the word of God is enough (Cadbury, 1979).  Once this objective is achieved there will be less need to fight against some of the injustices and evil practices.

Even in the early church we see anti-Jewish sentiments among the people.  Alexander who is portrayed as having been against Paul is denounced by the people when he is given a chance to speak to the multitude. Despite Paul being a Jew, still there are other Jews who were opposed to his message and mission. In a similar manner Christians all over the world should not always expect cooperation and support from those closest to them. There are brothers and sisters who will always be hostile to the gospel (Mueller, 1965). Persecution and opposition can come even from those close to Christians. Just like Paul was willing to join his companions in captivity, defend them and his ministry Christians should stick together as a group to overcome the temptations they encounter on a daily basis (Withering, 1997). A good number of Christians in the society need encouragement and support for the difficult stands and decisions they have taken.

Despite the opposition that Christians face in the community there is need to get involved in a number of social services. Some of this includes construction of schools, hospitals, philanthropy and giving sponsorships, entertainment etc. Whether or not this would lead people to be converted to Christianity does not really matter. However, it is debatable whether or not Christians need to be involved in politics. It is true that most politicians claim to be Christians but there interests and stand on some issues do not represent those of the church. Just as the town clerk in Ephesus misrepresented the true gospel preached by Paul, Christians should also be weary of politicians. Their statements only serve a particular purpose or situation but soon things return to normal.

There is no weapon formed against the church that can prosper. God is still in absolute control of the church. As much as the leaders might not be in position to stand up and defend their ministries, God will still defend his church (Aune, 1987). It is common for instance to find church leaders deeply involved in scandals, corruption and injustices. This should not be perceived as the fault of the entire Christian population. Sometimes people take personal stands on issues that are far much opposed to Christianity. At the end of it all church continues to proper and win many adherents.

Conclusion
There is much which Christians and the general public can learn from the conflict in Ephesus. One of the most notable is the fact that after facing a hard time in Ephesus, Paul was still willing to continue with his mission. He was more than determined to visit other towns in order to spread the gospel. In the same vein Christians are not to be discouraged by the opposition they face in society.  It comes a time when the authorities are very negative and everyone seems to oppose the progress made by the church. Christians should not be frightened by opposition coming from the public. Instead they need to be encouraged and continue to spread the good news for the common good of all.

Similarly, there are instances where Christians are persecuted such that they are tempted to fight back and defend their course. This move as exhibited in Ephesus by Paul and disciples is not always the best option.  Some battles are fought best in faith and doing what is right. Occasionally in order to appear to show concern and solidarity with Christians, authorities will misrepresent the truth. This happens in government circles and sometimes not always with good intentions. Politicians want to use the church as a stepping stone towards their political ambitions.  As much as Christians are required to trust and respect for those in authority, they must be careful that church doctrines are not twisted for selfish ends.

The gospel is good news, a word used to refer mostly to the four canonical gospels of Mark, Mathew, Luke and John (Neils, 1962). The four gospels in the bible bring out a complete picture of Jesus life and ministry. As much as the authors had different audience in mind still they do not give a contradicting picture of Christ. Every audience had its expectation of Jesus such that the author recognized this fact and emphasized on particular events in Jesus life (Gundry, 1981). For instance Mathew had the Jewish audience in mind. For this reason he emphasized the fact that Jesus came as king or messiah in order to fulfill the Old Testament prophesies. According to this gospel the expected messiah is Jesus Christ of Nazareth and both his resurrection and genealogy proof this point. On the other hand the gospel of Mark which is said to be the oldest gospel is addressed to Roman gentiles. In this gospel the humanity of Christ is emphasized. There is a repeated use of the phrase son of man. Again, the fact that Jesus came as a servant of God is emphasized. Similarly, in the gospel of Luke Jesus is presented as a man. Just like Mark, Luke had the Gentiles as his audience (Laymon, 1991).

Finally, the fourth gospel of John seems to depict a slight variation from the three synoptic gospels. It has the general population or the whole world as its audience. The divinity of Jesus is accentuated. His existence in the world is traced back from the beginning of the world. He is simply a divine word of God and there is no mentioning of the genealogy of Jesus (Abrams, 1996). In the synoptic gospels the ministry of Jesus is handled from the beginning till the end where Jesus resurrects to heaven. This great commission is the core message of the gospels. Despite the slight difference in the rendering of the story of Jesus, the gospel of John gives an accurate account of the life and ministry of Christ.

The Gospel According to Mathew
The gospel of Mathew just like the two other synoptic gospels deals with the ministry and life of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. The book gives a detailed account of the genealogy of Jesus, birth, great commission, and resurrection after death. The emphasis is on the fulfillment of prophesies. Jesus did not only fulfill the Jewish prophesies but also preserved and obeyed the biblical law. The main theme of this gospel is the kingdom of heaven and the specific address of Jesus coming for the Jewish audience. In the former theme Mathew as opposed to the other authors of the gospels uses the kingdom of heaven as opposed to kingdom of God. It is noted that many Jews at the time felt that the name of God was too holy to be written. This is reason enough to have made Matthew to change the phrase such that it varies slightly from the other gospels. Again, too much reference to the Old Testament supports the idea that the gospel had a Jewish audience in mind. Prophesies made in the past were fulfilled with the coming of Jesus Christ.

Another notable theme in the gospel of Matthew is the elements of Jewish customs, laws and way of expression. Matthew does not make an effort to translate or explain some of these customs a reason to believe that he wrote it to the Jews. According to Matthew Jesus is the promised messiah that had been long awaited by the Jews. He traces back his roots from the Old Testament in order to show the genealogy of Jesus. It becomes apparent that Jesus descended from the tribe of Judah and is the long awaited messiah as foreseen by the prophets. Matthew likens Jesus to Moses only that he is greater (Dale, 1993). The throne of King David and the title of a Jewish king rightfully belong to Jesus (The Gospel According to Matthew, 2002). Similarly, according to the gospel, Jesus did not come to do away with the Law of Moses but actually to uphold it. In many instances Jesus had to explain the reason behind some of his actions. This is because he got strong opposition from those who were advocates of the law. The author found it important to demonstrate Jesus understanding and close adherence to the laws of the land. As much as he was accused by the Pharisees to be breaking the law, Matthew emphasizes the fact that Jesus came to strengthen it.

The Gospel According to Mark
Unlike the gospel of Matthew, Mark addresses his gospel to gentiles in Rome. For this reason he goes an extra mile to explain some of the traditions of the Jews. This definitely served well his audience who were predominantly non-Jews (Cline, 2010). The life and ministry of Jesus Christ is addressed from baptism till the resurrection. There is particular attention given to the happenings in the end of Jesus life. The portrayal of Jesus is that of a man of action who is heroic in his deeds. In performing various miracles such as exorcising demons and healing the sick Jesus is referred as the messiah, son of God, Christ or simply son of man. The primary concern and address of the gospel of Mark is the messianic secret. No other gospel has tacked this issue in a profound manner compared to Mark. In this gospel Jesus commanded the disciples to shun from revealing the fact that he was the messiah.  In order to fulfill prophesy and better explain his message, Jesus uses parables. His method of teaching not only perplexes the audience but also his own disciples who are portrayed as obtuse. There is also failure on the part of the disciples to understand some of the miracles performed by Jesus.

The gospel of Mark is structured in a way such that the death of Jesus is given much coverage and consideration. The dramatic events that follow the death of Jesus are narrated in great detail. The suffering on the cross for instance and mockery that Jesus receives from those that tormented him is for special purpose. This suffering and death of Christ on the cross is the cornerstone of Marks gospel (Cline, 2010). The gospel further gives the portrayal of Jesus as the son of God. He goes through too much suffering in order to fulfill the divine mission. This special emphasis on the suffering of Christ is deliberate. It appears that the gospel of Mark was addressed to Christians who were suffering due to their religion (Cline, 2010). Christians are made to identify their suffering with that of Jesus. In this way they understand better the reason for their suffering.

The Gospel According to Luke
The audience presumed to have been the target of Lukes gospels are educated Greeks. Just like Mark, the gospel of Luke was addressed to gentiles. The message in the gospel is positive on the especially to the Roman authorities and the educated Greeks (Knight, 1998). For instance in the gospel we find the Jews being accused of the crucifixion of Jesus. This is despite the fact that Pontius Pilate absolved him of any wrong. The gospel gives in detail the account of Jesus birth throughout his life, ministry and ascension.

The author of the gospel had a primary concern of societal issues. In this gospel Jesus is seen to mingle with people of all manner of walks including outcasts like Zacchaeus, Pharisees and natives from other races. This emphasizes his universality and redeeming power to all people. There is specific address to the oppressed groups in society question of women, the poor and in general social ethics (Neils, 1962). Some of the most common stories that address these themes include parable of the Good Samaritan, prodigal son which are exclusively to be found in the gospel of Luke. There is also emphasis on joyfulness, Holy Spirit and prayer. However, the primary concern of the author of Lukes gospel is the societys black sheep (Knight, 1998). The gospel has a central purpose to record a historical account and at the same time discuss whatever significance this account has on theology. The portrayal of Christianity is that of an international religion, respectable, divine and law-abiding.
It is only in the gospel of Luke that there is a thorough description of the birth of Jesus. From the beginning the gospel concentrates on the birth of Jesus. It commences with the visit of angel Gabriel to both Mary and Elizabeth (Neils, 1962). The miracle of the virgin birth is given much emphasis. These details of the angels visitation, virgin birth of Jesus have been a fascination of many Christians all over the world. It is also in Lukes gospel that the boyhood of Jesus is revisited (Aherene, 1910). His circumcision and presence in the temple are only to be found in Lukes gospel.

The Gospel According to John
There is great difference between the gospel of John and the three synoptic gospels. As much as the three agree on a number of issues and occasionally have similar wording the gospel of John stands out as different. The major theme is emphasis on Jesus as lord and the universality of his audience. The author speaks of Jesus as having existed since the beginning or creation of the world (Abrams, 1996). The saving power and grace of Jesus Christ is also given much consideration. It is for this reason than when compared to the other three, the gospel of John is perceived to be more spiritual and less historical. It is only in this gospel that the identity of Jesus is addressed in detail. In this gospel much about the divine role of Jesus is revealed. John declares Jesus as God and he lets him talk more about himself.

The ministry of Jesus is more divine and features miracles meant to bring about faith. There is much description of the divine nature of Jesus such that the book is considered to posses a profound Christology. The relationship between the father and son is given much focus compared to the synoptic gospels. Again, it is basically from this gospel that Christians derive understanding of the holy trinity (Laymon, 1991). According to the gospel the divine logos is incarnated in Jesus Christ. He is the word and a companion of God in creation. Some of the miracles such as raising Lazarus, turning water into wine, still the storm, healing the paralytic, blind man and noblemans son portray Jesus as an object of adoration. Apart from miraculous feeding of 5000 people mentioned in the other gospels, other miracles in Johns gospel do not appear in the synoptic gospels. Similarly, there are elements which feature in the synoptic gospels that are not included in the gospel of John. It is apparent for instance Johns gospel does not mention exorcisms and parables of Jesus.

Conclusion
The bible is a library of books it is therefore expected of different author to give varying accounts of events. However, since the authors of the gospels were recording same events, it is expected that the gospels should have great similarity. This is true of synoptic gospels. The three gospels of Matthew, Luke and Mark bare much similarity. The fourth gospel of John on the other hand has some minor differences.  In general however, even the three synoptic gospels differ though slightly. This is basically because of the audience which the authors were addressing. It was important at the time for the message to reach out to certain people. For instance since most of the biblical events (gospel) were centered on the Jews, it was imperative for the authors to explain some of the Jewish traditions to gentiles. This is what happens in the three gospels save for the gospel of Matthew. The fact that he was addressing the Jews, the gospel of Matthew need not explain the traditions of the Jews. On the contrary the gospel of Matthew emphasizes on fulfillment of prophesy and coming of the messiah. Likewise the other gospels had specific concerns which varied with the audience. All these varying views on Jesus are important since it gives an entire picture of the work and life of Christ. Many people from assorted cultures are able to identify with Jesus because of the different ways he has been portrayed in the gospels.

The Methodist faith is a branch of Protestantism that branched out of Christianity. The religion most has similar traditions and beliefs to Christianity with regards to God and the Holy Trinity. The concepts and traditions are also similar even in the founding principles. However, the differences of Methodism rely of their unique way of viewing life together with religion. The Methodists have articles or  commandments  that guide them and these articles involved principles in governance, civil authority and other practicalities in daily life. This part of their religion is the one being challenged due to its unholy and very artificial nature. In terms of ceremonies like baptism and communion, the Methodists have affirmed to the ways of Christianity. Generally, there is no big difference between Methodism and the other sects of Protestantism or even Christianity, t the differences just lie on their enactments and literal understandings.

The Methodist Faith is a form of religion under Protestantism, which stemmed out of Christianity. It was formed in the year 1739 through Reverend John Wesley (Luccock, 1926). Similar to Christianity, Methodism has a lot of interrelated concepts and beliefs. The Methodists has three basic principles and these are reject evil, perform good deeds, and abide by the decrees of the Lord. These three principles are very common to Christianity and as a Christian, I firmly affirm to these concepts of Methodism. Similarly the Methodist Church also have their own doctrines which is related to Christianitys Ten Commandments (Luccock, 1926). These doctrines have very close similarities with the beliefs of Christians and some of these similarities are God is all-powerful and ever-living, Holy Trinity (Father, Son and Holy Spirit), Jesus Christ is the way truth and light, Jesus is God on Earth, and following the Word of God. These similarities in the Doctrine of Methodism are a good sign of faith because at least Roman Catholics have ways to connect to other Christian. Some of the commandments or principles of the Methodists can also be observed to have a touch of logic and practicality which the Christian world doesnt adhere to. Additionally, traditions in Methodist Church also involve baptism and communion (Harper, 1983). The Methodists believe that these traditions are required in order to renew the connection with God aside from being a sacramental activity. This sacramental ceremony and similar doctrines of the Methodists doesnt draw a lot of attention and doesnt get challenged by the prevailing Christians   the Roman Catholics.

On the other hand, the main differences of beliefs and traditions of Methodists which are challenged are the following the use of too much logic and reasoning, and differentiated types of graces from God. Furthermore, these types of Graces from God are believed by Methodist to come at different times from the Holy Spirit. Consequently, the types of grace are divided into three and these are prevenient, justifying and sanctifying. These traditions of upholding different graces at different times are the ones being challenged by most prevailing religions.  One of the main complication in the Methodists concept is the concept of homosexuality. The Methodists similar to the Christians oppose homosexuality and oppose same sex marriage, how ever the Methodists firmly believe the they must recognize the rights of individuals (Harper, 1983). Additionally, this means that while they oppose the same sex marriage, Methodists still allow or same sex marriage to happen in civil processes. This is one of the most challenged concepts in Methodism.

Similarly, other concepts of Methodists include doctrines that doesnt appear  Holy  or religions in nature as these doctrines suggest a practical aspect. An example of this doctrine is

Article XXIII Of the Rulers of the United States of America The President, the Congress, the general assemblies, the governors, and the councils of state, as the delegates of the people, are the rulers of the United States of America, according to the division of power made to them by the Constitution of the United States and by the constitutions of their respective states. And the said states are a sovereign and independent nation, and ought not to be subject to any foreign jurisdiction.

The doctrines of the Methodists contain similar provisions related to governance, civil laws and authority. I believe that these provision doesnt really look like God-made or God-sent. The practicality involved in the logic and reasoning of the Methodists are the main criticism of the religion. Lastly, Ministers of the Methodists religion are also allowed to marry according to their concept of God having no direct command on them (Luccock, 1926). Overall, most of the beliefs of the Methodists are connected to Christianity however some doctrines are being challenged because of its artificial and practical nature.

Religion is a double-edged sword. Its very powerful yet dangerous at the same time. It creates and destroys civilizations. It unites and divides people. Depending on how you let your religion influence your character, it can make you a compassionate human worthy of love or it can turn you into a narrow-minded mortal undeserving of amity. Understanding is extremely important to appreciate religion and not to be corrupted by your own misconceptions. I strongly believe that every religion is based on something that would ideally be beneficial to its believers and followers. The challenge is how to interpret religions teachings and viewpoints in a way that it will not hinder us from becoming a rational human being. As aforementioned, religion can make or destroy us as a human being. It has a very great impact on how we mold our principles and how we treat not just our brothers and sisters in faith but mankind in general.

The bilateral nature of religion makes it a crucial topic for any discussion  formal or informal. It is but necessary that the study of religion, theology, is premeditated on philosophy and logical reason because if not, it will just be a source of conflicts and misunderstanding as people have different sets of guiding principle and values. The study of religion as a discipline is as old as the pioneer educational institutions in the world. Hence, regardless if it is viewed as something subjective or objective, human beings have the calling to study and fully understand it. Theology is not just focused in one religion. It seeks to give scrutinize not just one specific religion instead it compares religions and creates an imaginary umbrella that caters the differences and similarities. Theology aims to give its learners and scholars a broad understanding on different religions so that there will be better connection amongst people despite the differences in religious preference.

I strongly assert that theology is an important part of the core curriculum. It must not be questioned that the primary purpose of theology classes is to promote a broader understanding about the different religions in the world. Through this, students will have a better appreciation of their own religion and also of others. Schools and universities are generally multicultural institutions. Hand in hand with this multicultural nature of educational institutions are the differences in race, sex and religion. Alongside with these differences is the potential of misapprehension. Misunderstandings and the possible quarrels that may arise because of the students and constituents differences are ticking time bombs that may explode anytime somebody triggers it. Consequently, it is necessary to have a common ground where students will be educated and enlightened as to why people have differences. The need for a subject like theology in the core curriculum is highly and extremely vital because it will be the common ground where students will have more knowledge about each others beliefs and principles.

As aforementioned, theology does not only focus in one religion. It compares and contrasts different religions and shows the commonalities and points of differences in a positive light. This is a very significant contribution from the discipline because it ensures that the students will not misinterpret religions aside from their own. Indeed, students or anybody for this matter can compare and contrast religions of the world by themselves without the help of professionals and experts. It is true that religion can be studied outside the four corners of the classroom. It is undeniable that religion can be taught by just anybody. However, all of these ways of learning religion are prone to misinterpretation which will eventually lead to conflicts and division. With a formal education in theology, students learn the concepts and practices of the different religions in the world in a formal and nearly objective manner.

Theology is often questioned whether it is subjective or not. My answer to this is, Theology is objective students are subjective. The course materials in theology are objective. Professors who teach theology are as objective as possible in delivering the lessons. The subjective part comes in when students interpret the lessons being taught inside the classroom. Just like in Philosophy and other liberal arts subjects, either you accept the idea or reject it to be true. Now, even if students are subjective in their understanding and perception of theology, the important thing is that the facts were presented objectively. The chances of misunderstanding and confusion is lesser compared to studying religion without the aid of professionals and experts.

Theology does not aim to dictate and demand understanding. It only educates and guides students. It erases students wrong and constricted thoughts about religion. The more students are educated about religion, the broader their understanding and judgment will be. The discipline and its experts may not be perfectly objective in their approach, yet the benefits that the knowledge they bring forth outweighs the negative. In our present time when humanity is on the verge of losing a sense of morality, the study of religion is very vital in the educational institutions formation and development of better members of the society and citizens of the world. For this reason, it must remain in the core curriculum of educational institutions.

Why has an infinitely powerful and good God permitted moral evil or sin in His universe  And why has an infinitely powerful and good God permitted pain and suffering in this universe

Among the Christians, this is a question frequently asked whenever one would face a crisis or encountering evil which tends to disrupt the order or perfect harmony of the world.  One of the most common answers to this question boils down to free will.  This is corroborated by Saint Augustine of Hippo who was one of the early fathers of the church and a renowned scholar of the Church whose works form the basis of Christian teachings.  According to him, evil has no independent existence (Abe, 143).  When God created the world, He made it so perfect that it did not include the creation of evil.  It was only when Adam and Eve disobeyed God that evil came into the world. It can be inferred here that evil is not the result of the devil as many would like to believe, it boils down to free will.

Furthermore, the main idea here is if Satan or Lucifer exists, he exists because God created him in the first place but he did not create them inherently evil.  When Lucifer chose to defy God, evil came about and that was the result of his exercise of free will and when he tempted Adam and Eve, the decision to follow the devil was also the result of free will.  What is ironic here is that God endowed mankind with free will.  He wanted to create human beings in His image yet He did not want to create automatons and to make this creation unique, He endowed them with free will.  He hopes that this creation would use that free will to act accordingly to His will.  Pain and suffering is the by product of evil and going back to Saint Augustine, this is because mankind deviated from Gods will and design.  As Christians, we are taught to obey God and submit to His will and when we do, everything would be fine.  The reason therefore why one encounters pain and suffering is the result of not following His will (Abe, 140).

As to why it has to happen to those who have led or are trying to lead righteous lives, evil, as well as pain and suffering, serve as trials to test if an individual will put his or her faith in God and follow His will or choose to rely on his or her own judgment and take chances.  However, this does not mean mankind is doomed in the sense that once sin is committed, we are destined to suffer eternal damnation forever.  This is the reason why God wants us to be saved, all the more reason He sent His son, Jesus to save us from sin by dying on the cross.  By doing so, we are thereby redeemed and it is only a matter of exercising our free will in acknowledging it in order to receive the graces we stand to receive.  It is through Christ that we are reunited with God, provided we choose to accept it.  Noted author and Christian scholar, C.S. Lewis put it this way

My argument against God was that the universe seemed so cruel and unjust. But how had I got this idea of just and unjust A man does not call a line crooked unless he has some idea of a straight line. What was I comparing this universe with when I called it unjust... Of course I could have given up my idea of justice by saying it was nothing but a private idea of my own. But if I did that, then my argument against God collapsed too--for the argument depended on saying the world was really unjust, not simply that it did not happen to please my fancies (45-46).

Buddhism is not a religion in the strictest sense but it is more of a (moral and ethical) philosophy since it is non-theistic and does not subscribe to any theodicy.  Unlike Christianity, it does not rely on anything external like grace and salvation but rather it is internal (self-reliance).  Buddhism is in a way similar to Christianity in the sense that evil is not an independent entity but rather exists within us and this is driven by our personal desires.  When we feed on our desires, we experience suffering and pain when we fail to satisfy our desires.

What Buddhism teaches us, no matter which school of thought one subscribes to, is to follow the path to enlightenment.  This entails arousing what is called Sunyata or emptiness.  What this essentially means is for us to be totally free of suffering and pain, we have to be willing to let go of our desires.  So as long as we are attached to it, we will continue to experience suffering and pain.  If one can accomplish this, we are considered one with the universe and the harmony and stability is restored (Abe, 148).

The bottom line of both Christianity and Buddhism is that all the imperfections of this world is not caused by an evil existing in this world.  It is the product of our free will when we deviate from the grand designs of a supreme being or the order of the universe.  Only by going back to the original course that our pain and suffering shall end.

Building the case for the Christian belief (apologetics) has at all times been component of the Churchs task. Yet Christians at times have had diverse approaches to shielding the belief, acting in response to the requirements of their respective eras in addition to framing their points of view to deal with the meticulous subjects of their day.

The modern day Christian has reasonably a lot to study from the apologetic masters of the ancient times. Unfortunately, works that cautiously catalogue the past of Christian apologetics are rather uncommon. This infrequency is possibly owing to the reality that the biographer of such a work should have considerable intellectual capability in a number of intellectual fields, incorporate history, traditions, mysticism, philosophy, and even science. Satisfying a genuine need within this area is the current reprint of Avery Dulless manuscript, a history of apologetics (Dulles 14 15) A History of Apologetics was initially published in 1971 although it was unluckily out of print for several years. Cardinal Avery Dulles, one of American Catholicisms principal theologians, is an intellectual who has been a principal American Catholic theologian for over the last half century, and was lately made cardinal, an unusual credit for a fundamentally intellectual scholar. The biographers background in addition to his shrewd consciousness of Catholic way of life, mysticism, and church history mixed with his acquaintance with Protestant thinking appropriately train him for such a job. (Dulles 65) A history of apologetics offers a masterful outline of Christian apologetics, commencing its start within the New Testament all the way through the middle epochs and on to the current renaissance of apologetics in the midst of Protestants and Catholics. Dulles demonstrates how Christian apologetics have sometimes both denounced and drawn from their scholarly environs to present the sensibleness of Christian faith. In addition, the manuscript looks at apologetics during the early 21st and 20th centuries comprising its decline amid Catholics subsequent to Vatican II and its latest revitalization, as well as the donations of modern Evangelical Protestant supporters. The biographer also reflects on the mounting Catholic-Protestant union in apologetics. (Dulles 91-93) A History of apologetics is an imposing piece of learning. The manuscript has several engaging characteristics to those concerned in Christian apologetics.

The following are five affirmative features of the manuscript. (Dulles 145-147) The biographer accomplishes a masterful work of concisely summarizing important writings, apologetic points of view and anxieties, in addition to the life of factually dozens of Christianitys inconsequential and chief apologists all the way through the centuries. In a just approach, Dulles assesses a variety of apologists in terms of their obvious flaws and strong points. This assessment over and over again takes account of an evaluation of the apologists truth-seeking and theological erudition, the reasonable consistency of points of view, exegetical ability, innovation, writing technique and tenor, and occasionally even Christian nature. He as well on different instances sums up the works and vital opinions of a number of Christianitys principal detractors throughout the centuries .For instance, Voltaire, Averroes, Celsius, Porphyry, Julian, and Kant. The utter number of intellectuals that Dulles cautiously reviews in his manuscript is imposing. The reader is exposed to nearly each and every one of Christianitys imperative apologists of ancient times. In actual fact, the biographer surveys the different historical epochs and in so doing recognizes fundamental apologetic subject matters. Dulles as well assesses apologetic growth, line of attack, in addition to accomplishment. He remarks how the apologetic venture developed in the course of the centuries depending upon the demanding cultural  academic zeitgeist (spirit of the epoch).

A history of apologetics would serve fine in Christian lessons in philosophy of religion or else on the history of thoughts For the most part, Dulles writes down in a rather comprehensible technique and over and over again breaths existence into a number of obscure figures of olden times. This is particularly accurate of his handling of the antique church members of the clergy. Despite the fact that he deals with an assortment of technological material, the biographer keeps a pretty excellent speed so the person who reads will not get weighed down or bogged down, although the initial three chapters are more comprehensible than the preceding three. Dulles manuscript is an affluent reserve in terms of outstanding remarks, bibliography, in addition to indexes. In terms of the manuscripts weaknesses, Dulles work has the following weak spots. (Dulles 209-302) The books main shortcoming is that it is to some extent dated. Dulless assessment of apologetics finishes immediately following World War II, in the middle of the 20th century. As a consequence the huge majorities of significant modern-day evangelical apologists are absent or are dealt with from the outside for instance, C.S. Lewis and Benjamin Warfield are dealt with from the outside. For all intents and purposes, it would be thought-provoking to hear Cardinal Dulless evaluation of the apologetic workings of more contemporary evangelical philosophers like John Warwick Montgomery An additional minor disadvantage is that despite the fact that the biographer more often than not works rather hard at being even-handed and objective by avoiding affirming his own views, his dedication to Catholicism does exhibit all through at times in his assessment of a variety of apologetic techniques as well as conclusions. Worse still for conventional evangelicals, though, is that his disparagement of a number of prehistoric apologists protection of Scripture is contaminated by his own acceptance of certain superior important assumptions with reference to the Bible. For instance, the biographers negative response of the montage authorship of the Pentateuch in addition to his undoubtedly delayed dating of an assortment of Old Testament manuscripts.. Essentially, A history of apologetics might be the only work obtainable in English that assesses apologetics (that is the protection of the Christian belief) commencing the New Testament to modern eras. The biographer treats both protestant in addition to Catholic philosophers, even though the highlighting is on Catholic ones.

For instance, Calvin and Luther get a joint sum of an approximated five pages, which is the similar to the unconventional Jesuit Pierre Teilhard de Chardin. In his manuscript, Dulles dedicates meticulous concentration to St. Augustine, John Henry Newman, Blaise Pascal and St Thomas Aquinas all of whom were great apologists. They all were philosophical thinkers, firm believers, responsive guides to the puzzled, as well as understandable and eloquent authors. He however does not dedicate much attention to 20th centurys most triumphant apologists like C.S Lewis and G.K Chesterton, who were not expert theologians but extremely popular and gifted biographers who had undergone individual changes, the one to Catholicism, and the additional to be extra universal figure of Christian orthodox. Despite the consequences of the weak points, this manuscript is an outstanding treatment of the past of Christian apologetics through a fair and insightful intellectual. Each serious scholar of Christian apologetics ought to study the substance this book content and find out how just to a large extent the apologetic masters of olden times have to instruct the apologists of these days. This is particularly correct of lots of modern-day evangelical Christians who appear nearly ignorant to the significant lessons and truths of Christian history. No learner of apologetics and modern theology is supposed to be without this masterful and outstanding work. This manuscript ought to be component of the course of learning for ministers. Given that Dulless manuscript is debatably the most significant manuscript of its sort and is at least accessible in English, the reprint is worthy of a fresh reviews for learners of apologetics who are foreign with its content. Work Cited Dulles, Avery. A History of Apologetics. 2nd edition. Ignatius Press, 2005.

Jesus relationship to Judaism was really complicated. Judaism perceived Jesus, a wandering teacher and prophet who was crucified by the Romans, as one of the false messiahs. Jews apparently believed in the prophecy from the Old Testament that God will send them a Saviour. They expected a political leader who will lead revolts against the Romans. They misinterpreted Gods promise. God promised a Saviour who through His death and sufferings will give them the opportunity to received eternal life. Jesus for them however can not be the Messiah. Jews holds that the coming of the Messiah will be associated with the occurrence of specific events or signs including  the return of Jews to their homeland, the rebuilding of the third temple after the destruction of the second temple and understanding during which the knowledge of God fills the earth  (Sanders 4). For the Jews, Jesus was a just a simple Jewish man who was executed by the Romans and later given the divine status by the Christian church. All throughout the years, Jews continually criticized Christians for following a false messiah and for corrupting the concept of One God.

Judaism apparently denied the meaning and deeper purpose of Jesus identity, birth, death and resurrection. If Christians believed that Jesus is the God incarnate, the only begotten son of God and the Saviour of the world, Jews believed that Jesus was just a simple Jew who falsely claimed himself to be the messiah. They denied that Jesus was born through the Virgin Mary but instead  claims that he was born in normal birth. They denied the resurrection and second coming of Jesus since they firmly believed that Jesus was a false prophet just like other false prophets all throughout history. They believed that Messiah will be born of human parents and thus possess human attributes like other people. He will not be a demi god that possesses supernatural powers. Jesus with his miracles then and resurrection were not accepted by the Jews because that were exactly not their idea of messiah. Apparently, even if Jesus was a Jew, he was not accepted in his own town. The messiah for the Jews has not come yet and so up to this time, they are still waiting for the Messiah.

Like all the other creations on Earth, even the son of God, Jesus Christ, has thrived on this world based on specific nature of existence (Graf n. p.). Such nature is characterized by a dual type of existence which is composed of the personality as God and the personality as human (Johnson n. p.). In order to expand the analysis of the two aforementioned nature of Jesus Christ, it would be necessary to dwell on some evidences and citations.

It was revealed in a number of times in the Bible that Jesus Christ is Lord (as cited by Johnson n. p.) and this based on the numerous biblical passages that attest to the fact that Jesus Christ was born out of the power of God. Jesus was conceived by a virgin lady, an event which frees him from the pre-existing sin that was carried on from subsequent human generations (Graf n. p.). Furthermore, the power of Jesus Christ that was manifested in his ability to cure the sick, gather an immense group of people, and cause spiritual renewal are some of the notable justification to his nature as a God. Lastly, his resurrection and ascension to heaven three days after dying at the cross are the final evidence of persona as God (Johnson n. p).

Jesus Christs human nature, on the other hand, is supported by his physical death which affirmed to the idea that his human nature made him vulnerable to pain and suffering (Graf n. p.). Prior to his death, the bible confirms that Jesus experienced physical hunger and exhaustion, events which signify the human aspects of Jesus (Graf n. p.). The significance of the human nature of Jesus is revealed in the idea that the great desire of God to save his people enabled Him to send His son to be one of them (Johnson n. p). Consequently, the dual nature of Jesus Christ, human and God, is a mystery that is beyond human understanding but is indicative of the love and care that the Creator has showered on the human population. Indeed, the existence of Jesus Christ on Earth has allowed the redemption of the humankind from sin.

Small or big, everyone is guilty of committing not just one or two sins in a lifetime. As creatures of God, we are all bound by morality. Our parents, friends, teachers have lectured us since our birth not to perform any wrongdoing so that we will not hurt anybody. But what if our act does not hurt anyone, will it still be a sin

In the book The Storm by Kate Chopin, Calixta, a wife to Bobinot and a mother to Bibi, took advantage of her isolation during a storm to commit an affair with a past love named Alcee. The writer has used the storm as a symbolic meaning which can be taken to mean as a strong desire. The storm reflects their arousing sexuality within their bodies. It was when rain was pouring that Calixta and Alcee let their longing for each other prevail more than their conscience. And that like any other storm, their intense passion ended and they went back to their normal lives without letting others know what happened.

If Bobinot will not know about it, can Calixta still be judged as a sinner Yes. It was stated in the book of Exodus, chapter 20, verse 3-17 of the Bible the Ten Commandments of God, which states that we should not commit adultery and we should not want our neighbors wife. These rules are set to be followed by us as we live. Calixta and Alcee sinned when they did not use their ability to reason out and forgot about morality. Bobinot may not know about it but the fact that we think and not even act of wanting our neighbors wife is already a sin. Sin, in this case, explains that we might not hurt another person when we do an act but it is our self and God whom we hurt with what we do. Calixta may not tell her husband but it does not change the fact that she committed and offense against moral and religious law.

Human beings are uniquely distinguished from the rest of the creatures in the animal kingdom for their ability to reason out. This ability is a God-given free will used to respond to everyday challenges. God could have created all of us perfectly but that would simply shake off our chances of growing. So does that mean God wants us to commit sin  No, He wants us to learn and use our ability to reason out of what is good and what is bad or to or not to do. He leaves it to us to make a decision in accordance with His teachings. God wants Calixta and Alcee to recognize their sins.

Jewish belief is closely related to their history. Jewish thought has originated mostly from reflections on the mixed personal and social experience of the Jewish people. Modern Jewish thought is the persisting reaction to the special problems caused by the liberation of the Jewish from passed segregated social situation. The historical background of the Jewish is the forms the modern Jewish thought. A Jew is anyone born of a Jewish mother or converted to Judaism in accordance to Jewish law. American Reform Judaism and British liberal Judaism recognize a child born to one Jewish parent as Jew if the child is brought up with Jewish identity. Sincere converts are currently welcomed, although conversation is not allowed traditionally. The process of conversion is assessed by an authority and the sincerity and knowledge of the person being converted is assessed. The converts are then given names as either the son or daughter of Abraham (Patterson, 2005).

Judaism asserts that a Jew remains a Jew regardless of how he became one. Therefore a Jew who is an atheist or has moved to another religion is still regarded as a Jew by traditional Judaism laws. According to the reform movement, a Jew who has moved to another religion is no longer considered as a Jew. The same position has also been assumed by Israel government in accordance with the Supreme Court laws and rulings.

Jewish thought is more than one thing and with the aid of Hebrew language, one is able to realize a detailed understanding of human soul. Just like written words and letters are meant to shape the soul, Jewish thought is considered to surpass all the philosophy of life that only talks about the holiness of life. Jewish thought is in Hebrew language which is regarded as a holy language which penetrates the depths of human soul as it comes from the hand of god. Jewish philosophy of life is an overall approach to life that reinforces the immeasurable worth of every human life. For the language that comes to the world via the Jewish reveals to all human beings the same way as glorious view of man.  It struggles to understand what there is to love and after realizing this, we come to know what is to be done like when holding a young child in our hands. It is about the matter of what must be done. Jewish thought fathoms meaning by doing so that after hearing and realizing the meaning and the mission open up (Patterson, 2005).

The core issue of modern Jewish thought is set by the condition of liberation. Being liberated led to the rising of a question on how to be modern and still Jewish. The great movements which have occurred in modern Jewish life give appropriate answers. Jewish can either modernize their religious life or renew nationhood. Modernity can be considered in its intellectual indications. It is about how Jewish lifestyle can be understood and explained in a persuasive fashion of ideas which concern people today. In America, most Jewish have attained higher education and their thinking has been shaped by the knowledge and the experience they have had. Discussion on Judaism does not give out the truth but only talks about its organizational efficiency. A statement of a Jewish belief will predictably have a sensible effect on the Jewishs self perception and lifestyle (Borowitz, 1995).

For a thinker to be considered modern, he must posses a system of ideas that have value in modern culture. Getting such a modern way of thinking and shaping the way together with Jewish tradition can best be put into agreement which will make up the primary task of the subject being examined. Since modern rational life in general has been unusually active and many changes have taken place, there have been same varied prototypes of thought development among Jewish thinkers. Five considerably different methods of elucidating Jewish religious belief have a rose in the past century and the sixth way emerges from the intellectual issues brought forward by the Zionist movement and the creation of the state of Israel. Zionism has rarely gone beyond the ideological level but the effects of its historical achievements and the queries hidden in them have impacted all serious Jewish thinkers. Among these six ways of thinking as is expected, there are some ideas which are repeated. A brief analysis of these themes may assist to set the selections of modern Jewish thinking into viewpoint (Patterson, 2008).

The liberation brought the Jews from the era of Talmudic and medieval Aristotelian assumptions into an era of rapidly developing on the science of Galileo and Newton. Emergence of science opposed classic Judaism on topics of fact such as the age of the earth, or on the way nature is explained such as evolution of mankind, and show of Gods power through miracles become myths. Science viewed the world in a simplified and more integrated way as compared to Judaism. Judaism was solely based on Gods immediate rule. The accuracy of science made it possible to control much of nature and revealed the potential of crafting better ways to live which had not been thought of (Patterson, 2008).
Modernity resulted in more confidence in humankind, and less reliance in Gods disclosures. The emancipated Jews placed more emphasis on the concept of development, more so that which can be realized through the application of human reason. Instead of depending on God to save them in this world or to balance in a new world, people gained confidence in themselves, believed that they could completely change things. The initial belief was either as a result or ignorance or thoughtlessness and was later eradicated by education and knowledge. All that appeared uncertain would likely soon be revealed through research and analysis (Patterson, 2008).

In a nutshell being modern meant taking positions in opposing truths from God which are found in traditional Judaism and the lifestyle that defines it. Modernity has been rejected by Hasidism and yashivah worlds. Modern Orthodox has assumed another stand. According to German Orthodox Samson Raphael Hirsch, rabbinic praise of Torah means that one can still be faithful to Torah even in the modern lifestyle (Rosenzweig  Glatzer, 1999).

Our traditions have resulted into many other traditions. For example, Hinduism has given birth to Buddhism, and Jainism, and Judaism is the mother tradition of Christianity and Islam. Because of these close relations, Judaism has similar thought with Christianity and Islam. All these religions are believed to have been revealed by some supreme being. As in Hinduism, it always existed, i.e. it was never started. God is the source of both Hindu and Jewish traditions. Both traditions remove their shoes while entering the holy temple, take ritual births before performing any special rights. Both Hindu and Jewish women do not go to the temple when their periods are on. This is a show of the outer purity which is needed to nurture the inner purity.

Both traditions believe in the holy book which was given to them by god. In Judaism, there is the Hebrew Tanakh, while in Christianity there is the bible. Hebrew tanakh in Judaism is similar to Old Testament in the bible (Borowitz, 1995).

Jewish thought is closely tied to their history. Most of their thought is derived from reflections of the mixed personal and social experience of the Jewish people. The thoughts are also influenced by the Hebrew Tankh which is their holy book. Jewish thought is complicated and includes a variety of concepts. The word is meant to transform and penetrate the soul of human being as it comes from the holy hand.

Jewish liberation brought a lot of changes to the way in which the Jewish thinkers think. Since they believed in revelations from God, the science era invested more confidence in man than it was before. People took positions which were contradicting the teaching of god. Miracles from god became regarded more as myths. All things which were not known initially become apparent dues to research and analysis.

Elsa Tamez in her small but devastatingly insightful book, Bible of the Oppressed attracts our attention, not only for wrestling with a major biblical theme but also for keeping us in continuous contact with the text of the Bible. In tandem to the authentic rhetoric and knack for originality, her writing stays in touch with the Bible, drawing heavily from The Old Testament and The New Testament. Thus she explores her themes in an intelligent and human way that is encouraging for a reader due to its insightful validation. She wittingly connects natural ideas and authenticated mysteries to explicitly pass her message. The intertwined themes connect to eventually bring out the overall concept intended which explores the state of freedom and liberty, juxtaposed against poverty and oppression.

The concept of the oppressed is well brought out in the book. Connected with the poor, Tamez links oppression to poverty and perhaps drives home her objective in a ground breaking manner by stating To sum up the poor in the Bible are the helpless, the indigent, the hungry, the oppressed, the needy and the humiliated. And it is not nature that has put them in this situation they have been unjustly impoverished and despoiled by the powerful. This is a perfectly executed strategy to stir cognition towards values of humanity and spirituality that all but draws the readers attention ever closer by purposeful elaboration of the mighty role that power comes with.

Elsa asserts that the basic cause of poverty is oppression. Linking it with a case study of the European and North American biblical theology, she points out at a discrepancy in the total exclusion of oppression, a field which she finds possible to tackle only within an existential situation. By tracing the theology of liberation, she notes that its existence in Latin America as the root of all theological work, by regarding its historical expression of oppression and liberation. This conceptual truth is perhaps a wake up call to the theology field to investigate where the line started beating them and probably pick themselves up for in this arena they are the only experts who should be looked upon for the total awareness and intuition in matters of the field.

The book sheds light on the basic points of reference for understanding oppression. Stating that it is historical in character, Elsa goes ahead to explain that investigation of two identifiable and opposed groups are pivotal in its identification and characterization. She explicates that the oppressors are rich influential people who can never be satisfied with what they have. Driven by the basic concern of wealth accumulation, they turn to oppression, an avenue they consider varied yet very rewarding with minimal or no effort. Their ultimate aim is to gain in one fashion or another.

Their spirituality is questionable. Whether they subscribe to the Christian values and the teachings of the Bible is debatable. The book notes that they are idolaters who follow false gods that can lend an aura of legitimacy to their actions- a kind of humane justification that keeps the soul content and satisfied. Truly, this is the opposite of Biblical teachings. Drawing from the Bible, she affirms that Yahweh, the God, demands justice be done because he himself is justice and love and should never be used to serve their purpose.  Probably these teachings are in the Bible but are they really in the oppressors minds and souls that one day we might expect them to comply

Looking curiously through the societal mirror, the root form of oppression can be collapsed into different concepts all addressed in the Bible. As the fundamental cause of poverty, oppression directly connects with class struggle, the story of the Exodus, liberation, democracy, revolution, land and property, the wrath of God and sanctification or salvation or hope in a new light. This data could explicitly explain or portray a link between the oppression of the Israelites, how countries are oppressed, the message of hope and Gods actions today, the place of the rich and the poor in recent times and the time to come.

The Bible has explicit teachings on the rich and the poor. Since time immemorial, the state has existed and the Bible does well to appreciate the trends with prophet by prophet in The Old Testament carrying a message of hope for the poor and a warning to the rich. Even Jesus himself had a soft place in His heart for the poor who translate into the oppressed in the infamous Beatitudes. These are issues that do little to escape the eyes of the author as she links them to the practical world of reality and self inspection. If a curious eye is attached to these details, then the far reaching implications would be glorious for the society at large and the enrichment of the spiritual lives that true Christians subscribe to.

Oppression occurs in different forms. Its experience involves the degradation of the human person, ruthless violence, deadly attacks, smashing and crushing of the poor, the effects of grinding imposed on the poor and the vexation of the poor all due to the tyranny of the oppressor. These actions will invoke an accusatory mood and the oppressed, encouraged by their plight and aware of their predicament will rise up and cry to their God. These people will be heard and set free. This evokes memories of similarity between the myriad teachings on the subject, as relayed across all lines of the Biblical teachings, a notion that Tamez is fully aware and able to articulate.

This perfect manuscript carries the same sentiments as Thomas Hanks book, For God So Loved the Third World, which agrees that oppression is the root cause of poverty as James noted.  By avoiding to place the blame on the poor themselves due to racial inferiority, laziness, vices or other reasons he confirms that the rich bear the basic guilt due to their oppressive and exploitation actions. Never does Tamez falter in her quest for a fruitful explanation, a field in which her compatriot comes to her aid and together they form a distinguished arena for the discussion of the state of the poor.

Power begets corruption and absolute power corrupts absolutely. The author seems to be wary of the effects the book should elicit and through measured doses tries to influence the society at large and the governing units by urging them to rise to the occasion. Man was born to keep his fellow mankind company but never did God intend for one party to exploit or oppress the other in the pretext of ruling. Never should one be swayed by earthly delicacies and strangle the values of humanity in pursuit of that which belongs to the Earth. We are just but in transition in the earth and our conscience should always reflect an unwavering awareness for the longing to be like Christ, to walk in his ways and outshine the set targets.

The book is a welcome addition to a growing body of evidence that the Bible is a book about social justice for the oppressed of the land and that this indeed is the good news. Its unrelenting tempo and masterful touch of exquisiteness creatively places it in a pivotal point in the Bible support arena. It can be claimed to have an in-depth analysis of a theme dominant in the Bible yet crucial for cohesion of mankind.

The book has earned itself accolades in the theology field. The envy it elicits can be found no further than in Walter Winks review in which he simply queries, Why havent we North American biblical scholars done such a systematic study of the words for oppression in the Bible If the answer is that we who possess the critical skills are not ourselves oppressed or identified with communities of the oppressed, then it becomes imperative that we listen all the more carefully to these voices from the South. His envy showed what an exquisite master class the book is.The book has tremendously contributed to the church in Latin America. A careful and creative interdisciplinary study in biblical theology, Old Testament, and social ethics its impact on the spiritual and above all social life is simply unbelievable. Though it will be simply insane to expect instant impact, the eventual awareness raised by the book through a first person point of view is absolutely marvelous. Writing from a perspective of those oppressed by poverty and sexism, Elsa Tamez has brought us an insider perspective. Although this book gets pretty technical with regards to biblical exegesis, it is an excellent example of early Latin American liberation theology and liberationist hermeneutics. Written by one of most well known Latin American women theologians, it is well worth reading. It is a very good religion course text. The book can be counted on for spurts of analytical wealth the biblical understanding of oppression.

USING GODS RESOURCES WISELY
Mans livelihood existence and sustenance is dependent on a well kept environment. For religious groups, the responsibility might not link up to their spiritual needs but Brueggemann can never have failed to elaborate the crucial and significant role bestowed upon Christians. His exploration unravels the mandatory role that Christians should play failure to which devastating effects can be expected as exemplified by the city of Jerusalem. Drawing from Isaiahs prophecies, he explores their relationship of the environment to the social issues especially in the urban setting.

The book is unraveled in an informal style of oral presentation as it was prepared for and presented at the General Assembly of The Presbyterian Church (USA) in June 2-10 1992. This original style and the local contextual reference of the Presbyterian Church helps the author who is not a Presbyterian himself narrate a vehement and well connected research that submerges critical matters putting them out of view but thematically retains attentiveness to the ferment current present in Isaiah studies forwarded by other writers in the theological arena. The book offers contribution to the difficult but notably urgent conversation in the church concerning human crisis all around us and the churchs large and faithful response in terms of stewardship.

As expected, the book is challenging as a presentation to its immediate audience as well as to readers of the published manuscript. The stimulating environment on which it is grounded is by no chance a minute platform for the integration of the environment crisis and its relation to the social relations is by no means a mean feat. From a lost sense of covenantal neighborliness, Brueggemann aesthetically intertwines artistic issues with theology producing a magnificent manuscript that explores the failure, demise and prospects of Jerusalem.

In and admirable way, the introduction states the problems of ecology, consumerism and resource depletion as essentially characteristic of the urban areas and their close association to power, anxiety, technology and more plausible greed. This gives an avenue for comparison between the urban and non-urban areas which are less prone to the problems stated above. The urban areas seem to be more exposed more than the non-urban areas but what is the urban folks ability to comprehend to the problems and amicably solve them This seems to be the central question behind his presentation, a question he manages to answer authentically and to its full and admirably with an effective link to the scriptures, the fountain of hope and inspiration to Christians.

The research he dedicated to his work is simply marvelous. The book does not seem to solely draw from the Bible but also the indulgence into further survey strongly cements the work. As noted, it is his identification of the urban ingredients and continuous awareness to these issues that prompts a valid and timely argument, and more remarkably a base whose foundation shall not wither with age, but shall prevail for generations. For each generation has its role and its role should be undertaken to the ultimatum, the environment and its preservation should and will remain central to mans livelihood, survival and existence. Above all, the divinity of this calling is far and above the human nature and is tied to the spiritual Christian life as underlined in the ups and downs of the tale of Jerusalem.

Important to note is his digression into earlier writing which enable him to point it out that the book of Isaiah is subdivided into three depending of the state Jerusalem is in. there is a Jerusalem under assault, a risky time for the city and this is the initial division of the book. It is followed by a displacement and a time of surveillance which can never be any harder for the people. The final Jerusalem is a restored city, a city full of joy and merry in the wake. Interestingly and viably though, Brueggemann calls on readers as well as his audience at the conference to look at it in the perspective of the city that is near them, citing examples like Milwaukee, Louisville, Atlanta, Cleveland, Geneva, Johannesburg, Rio and Belgrade. In his words, risk, surveillance and potential of joy in every city is dependent on the management of Gods resources.

The mood for his groundbreaking work is laid by the terrain of the book of Isaiah. Brueggemann astutely notes that the book begins in rawness. The citing of the unwise misuse of resources as the cause of the city living under deep threat is a well worked out strategy aimed at orienting the readership with the prophets own utterances. Brueggemann claims that they are aimed at establishing the reality of threat and serve as an explication of factors which greatly offer a threat and cause for concern to the city of Jerusalem. This serve as a perfect introduction and the maintenance of a good flow and linkage of the book with the scriptures as prophesied by Isaiah are hinged on the perfect introduction and corresponding responses there on.

The allusion to the long poem of Isaiah provides a strong spring board and Brueggemann perfectly exploits it. The house of Jacob, in his case a representative of the populace is addressed but in this case it does not stand for the religious elite but rather for the whole population. He follows it up with an insightful interpretation of the whole book which bears an awfully precise interpretation and assertion of the relevance of the teachings of Prophet Isaiah to the then generation and how that message has remained vile and applicable to the current generation and may hold for long even for generations to come.

In the forsaking of the city he cites four fills. This, he argues has is the root of disregard of the populace and exaltation of goods disposal. The fourfold fills he indentifies are the fullness of diviners- explained as people with management competence but are unable to hold the values and practices which characterize the community. They manipulate the society both economically and politically due to their lack of nativism which embodies the realms of restoration and flourishment pegged on the good use of resources.   The second fill is a city full of gold and silver. This signifies money accumulation and increased attention to surplus value. The people never get enough, those with excess still want to accumulate more and it definitely has to come from those with less. The third fill which signifies armory, instruments of self security and armed personnel match our increasing greed and anxiety. This is the fill of horses and an un-ending line of chariots. The last is the fill of idols. Created by our own hands, it is marked by technological inventiveness, signposts of power and monuments to self sufficiency.

Never can this critical analysis be refuted. The greedy economics, pre-occupation with techniques, distortion of religion and mismanagement of resources go hand in hand. The world is at limbo on the best course to follow. Spirituality has been sacrificed with greed taking over. Never has the divine teachings been so ignored. Yet, this lament is voiced from generation to generation. Is it that we lack answers The answer is no. Brueggemann provides these answers and many more relative information but you see, it is only for those who care to read his book. In the end though, it offers a beacon of hope, a glimmer that one can only pray that it does illuminate the footpaths of the generation.

Using Gods resources wisely is a manuscript of its own class. Once one opens the first page, the careful insights keep you glued to the text. Not only does it arouse the yearning for more, it does incite action for the dawning of the neglected responsibility is too hard to take in. the only reprieve one might ever live with is a personal blame if he fails to heed to the calling for it highlights the need for collective responsibility. Most notable is the ray of hope that is the eventual rejoicing of the city that we can only hope will soon be unveiled for how long shall we misuse God-given resources
The author deserves accolades for his works more so the perfect presentation propelled by his use of the informal presentation style. It enables us to not only read his ideas, but also listen to his voice in presentation. The numerous challenges facing the community and the impacts of the nagging desire for economic and political superiority have plagued our society. The attention has thus shifted in favor of the pursuits at the expense of the environment.

TO LOVE AS GOD LOVES
The book To Love as God Loves, focuses on how the Desert Fathers and Mothers of the ancient Biblical times saw Gods love. Filled with immense passages on Gods amazing love and prayer, the book carries the best and concise explanations on the two. Written in a well flowing manner, the book provokes the thinking abilities of the reader mostly through the sayings of the saints which are designed towards the sole intention of the book-thought provocation. Though it can be a source for means or criteria towards certain goals, it probably offers more of challenges on reflections about God and his world. Calling on all spheres of mankind to appreciate, give and warmly receive love, the author does not tire at a superficial level, way before he fully asserts his points in the argument he proposes. Indeed, he possesses the audacity and knack to explore the subject of love into the deepest imaginable spheres.

Embezzled in the title, To Love as God Loves, the book calls for an applied approach to Gods love and its manifestation in our lives. Bondi uses these selected passages derived from Christian literature to show us how his love should be striven for in His kingdom. He attributes a successful achievement of this goal to appreciation of our common existentialism as men and women in Gods world and awareness of our frailties which might interfere with our ability to love. The basic foundation is an understanding of Gods love and plan whish will enable us to use love as the foundational principal and keystone upon which to build our lives. The metaphorical representation of situational circumstances is an approach that Roberta C. Bondi uses to enlighten us in the understanding of love in our contemporary world. Visualizations can lead to practical inferences, the avenue through which love can be expressed.  

Bondi elucidates that love can assume different forms and at many times be conceptual. The relationship of love to man can be situational to many different applications in diverse contexts. Therefore, he bears the pains of having to draw examples from historic Christian authors, attach to them substance and in a precise manner offer the subject in its fullness to what love should be to us or what it can be. To love, as God would have us love is to be continually aware of our relationship to our fellow mankind and how that relationship plays to Gods intention of what he requires of loving subjects. Her tacit approach enables her to accomplish her writing goal.

Man is no island. She asserts this well thought out ideology through perfectly presented solid arguments that show how human nature is conflicted by our passions. Her acknowledgement of the essential function of prayer forces her to authoritative explore its crucial role in solution finding in the spiritual life of Christians in all spheres as well as all corners of the world. The fun of knowing how to pray coupled with the underlying pride in an act Christians and other religious factions subscribe to is a mode of communication to the supernatural being who controls what happens in earth and heaven.

Talking of supernatural, she further presents her ideas on her image of Gods love and the far reaching depths that it goes. She exclaims that God loves beyond your dreams, extravagantly, without limit (p.101). To love, as God wants us to love is to look within each of us and to examine our most basic of motivations in relationship with our fellow man. The early Christian mystics had insights into our humanity that exposed our human frailties as well as our ability to discern Gods intent in his kingdom. Through Bonds reflections on the early writings of the church, we see that Christian love is and has been what Gods kingdom is truly and simply all about.

In an easy to read manner, Bondi addresses a stodgy topic (the early monasticism) and succeeds in transforming it into an insightful, precise and a well laid out book that addresses the look at what it means to be a Christian who loves as God loves. The book invokes a sense of hope for Christians in the organized church. It unveils Christianities vital, intense and prophetic role to call people not just to know god but love as God Loves. This is irrespective of class, status, race or even any other barriers for God knows not of that which man has created for himself.

All Christians admire the conquests of Christ. The work elicits joy, tears, laughter, and timidity and the nigh drawing of the end. The linkage of traditional pressures and conflicts explored are not any different from the one her generation faces and the likelihood of their persistence across all generations is sky high. This realization gives birth to a gorgeous, historically deep, and formationally thoughtful work concerning the understandings, thoughts, and praxis of the Desert Fathers and early Church who indelibly offer a vital newness in thinking and prayer geared towards humility, love, Christian perfection, and living this life as toward and in emulation of Christ.
Contemporary Christians find themselves in a secular culture that demands their allegiance and conformity. As a people of faith, they find themselves capture in culture which eventually lead to the erosion and compromise of their beliefs. How does one deal with this struggle Is it possible to love as god loves by breaking away from those cultural mores that we find most dear Bondi addresses those questions and more as she leads us into a conversation with the early monastic proponents who had similar challenges. By providing Christians with answers, the author expects the Christians to make the right decisions for Christianity is a faith open to individual decisions and personal choices. It is never about being forced, the same way that love should flow from a Christians heart.

To truly love as God means incorporating a new definition of love and humility that goes beyond our present secular understanding. A dialogue with the Desert fathers and mothers enables us to weed out those stumbling blocks which hinder us from loving ourselves, our neighbors and our God. Probably, this is a calling for us to heed the necessity of Gods call and develop that ideal understanding and relationship that will enable the thriving and flourishment of love.  This text serves as a key guide to the fountains of understanding how God loves and how we can imitate that love.

Roberta Bondi brings the rich tradition of the early Church fathers and mothers into the 20th century, and invites us to learn anew what it means to love. Applauded as plaudits as easily understandable and very engaging, she further explores the concepts perfection and humility. This draws even closer, the desire of Christians to live it out and every day practice that which glues the Christian family together, thus, the book is a dose of Christianity from a practical angle, and who doesnt want to compare and associate to the teachings of the Bible.

When Jesus declared the greatest commandment as love the Lord your God with all your heart, with your entire mind and with all your soul and love your neighbor as you love yourself, he illustrated how a community bound by love can be easily achieved. The message that Bondi aims at drumming into our ears is the same only that he attaches to it a practical angle, making the book a must read for all. The interesting narration maintains the attention of the reader keeping him glued to the manuscript from the first page to the last page.

To conclude, the books explore human code of behavior, morals and ethics in relation to the teachings of the Bible, the valid human guideline. The reference of the Bible authenticates the books as a powerful manifestation and an essential guide book for Christians all over the universe. In a societal point of view, it is necessary to note that though a solo unit cannot change the inferences of the universe and its features, the appreciation of collective behavior and observance of societal values in accordance to Biblical teaching maligns the society to a spiritual inclination.