As the body of Christ (the Church) redefined itself again and again throughout history, believers were hard-pressed to embrace and work through the multiple denominations amongst them. Fast-forward centuries and thousands of denominations later, and we find the Church at odds against the idea (or the classification) of evangelicalism. In Kevin J. Vanhoozer and Daniel J. Treier’s Theology and the Mirrors of Scripture: A Mere Evangelical Account, they raise the awareness that the problem of evangelicalism lies in the fact that there are no set doctrines that form a whole theology accepted by those who call themselves evangelicals or even other believers, as one would expect from a popular form of Christian denomination (i.e.: Calvinism, Baptist, Presbyterianism, etc.). The authors then liken Scripture to a mirror in order to illustrate the reflection (connection) between the Triune God…
Religious literacy by Stephen Prothero is about the history and fall of religious literacy in America. The book starts out about America today and its current religious literacy. Many American believing that America has become secular but in fact is very religious, just not well versed. Stephen Prothero talks about the illiteracy in America and what Americans don’t know about their own religions.…
Confidence in God Psalm 23 I. The Lord watches over those who trust him (23:2-3) A. Watches over the physical needs of those who trust in him (v. 2) 1. Provides nourishment (v. 2a) 2. Provides refreshment (v. 2b) B. Watches over the spiritual needs of those who trust in him (v. 3) 1.…
Adele Berlin begins her article by seeking to define what exactly she means by parallelism. Berlin explores the idea that “parallelism is the most prominent rhetorical figure in ancient Near Eastern poetry” (1). She defines parallelism itself as “the repetition of the same or related semantic content and/or grammatical structure in consecutive lines or verses” (1). Parallelism manifest itself in many various ways throughout Scripture.…
Even though they are written by the same author the writing changes a little bit between books. For example the way “black and white” is written is in two parts the same story is told by two different people while “rooftop” does not do that it’s just one person telling their story. And in “black in white“ the author the author writes about everything seems a little more detailed. Just like on page 14 volponi writes “I was breathing harder than ever. Every part of my body was on fire.”…
For centuries, countless men and women have turned to the Bible to encounter the Lord God, and to understand better the reality of life on earth and in heaven. From the book of Genesis to the book of Revelation, people have searched for God's truth, counsel, and words of comfort and strength. Each of the biblical books contained in Sacred Scripture speak to us in various ways. In particular, the prophetic books in the Old Testament echo God's word in a uniquely powerful and vivid manner. Among them, the book of the prophet Isaiah holds a preeminent position in Sacred Scripture, and in the hearts of many biblical scholars and lovers of Scripture.…
Before deciding to attend CTS, my primary goal was to first learn the Bible, become a minister and teach the Bible to others. I marvel at clergy that quote scriptures from their mouths without looking first hand and anticipate the day when I can do the same. The Bible contains answers to everyday issues (the good, the bad and the ugly) and helps us to learn about theology and ourselves. For this reason, I stand more excited about taking this class as opposed to many of my other classes. By learning the Bible my life would be enhanced and guided in the direction initially intended by the Lord.…
Importance of Biblical Literacy There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end, it leads to death. (Proverbs 14:12) The biblically illiterate are easy prey for the apostates, heretics and false teachers that fill the church today. Without adequate knowledge of the Word of God, biblical illiterates can only base their decisions on what seems right.…
For many decades, psychology and Christianity have been viewed as two fields that are mutually exclusive. Through the perpetual changes that both have gone through from pre-modernity, modernity, and post-modern thinking, researchers and theologians are working to find an appropriate and functional synthesis to bring the two together. Integration can be very difficult because psychology and Christianity have different worldviews. The goal of psychology is to fully understand the human mind, whereas Scripture teaches that humans cannot fully understand themselves. Psychology as a science has been said to have a dehumanizing effect as it encourages people to be normal and well-adjusted.…
A counselor helps the client see the positive aspects in themselves that they cannot see. The Bible builds us up in a positive way that is why my Christian beliefs will benefit my clients. A university setting with Christian integration has shown that integrating the bible is so important. I am a Christian, God is important to me and I came to Colorado Christian University to integrate my beliefs into my counseling.…
In “Reading the Gospels Wisely”, Jonathan Pennington offers many ideas and thoughts on how to read the Gospels in a beneficial way. He outlines good habits as well as points out where problems can arise. Although, Pennington makes several important arguments; hindsight, open-mindedness, and vertical reading are three aspects that ought to guide Christians while reading the Gospels. Hindsight is a broad term that encompasses a major point Pennington was arguing. Pennington talks about the genre of the Gospels as a major player in how the Gospels are read.…
I was really hesitant when I signed up for this course because I did not know much about any religions outside of Christianity and Catholicism other than reading or hearing a few tidbits here and there. I felt that my lack of knowledge would hinder my ability to comprehend the material or discuss it properly which was one of my biggest fears. Prior to this course, I had this misconception that all religions could ultimately be one and the same because we all worship a Higher Power. I thoroughly enjoyed this Religious Quest because it has given me a better understanding of world religions. It has also made me more comfortable discussing other religions with people because I have the knowledge necessary to back up what I say.…
For my project I decided to interview my mother’s Pastor. I chose to interview my mother’s pastor because even though I have attended services, I didn’t feel that the Pastor (s) are from my original tradition from when I grew up in Florida. Even though they practice the same religion I felt they were Catholic than Christian’s. To fulfill this project, I contacted my mother to see if she would feel comfortable me contacting her Pastor. After my mother agreed, I phoned her Pastor and asked for her permission to be interviewed.…
The two works that I am going to compare are Mark’s gospel and John’s Gospel. First off, the gospels all sought to do the same thing, which was to detail and explain the life and death of Christ. The reason for writing four of them is simple. Each writer had his own distinct…
These Bible study recommendations for young adults are for Bible study on a personal, individual level, not for a group. I have two reasons for choosing this level, the personal, individual level. The first is that I noticed that there is so much literature already on Bible study on a group level, either in Sunday school or in catechism classes or in other formal and informal groups, but there is so little on the personal, individual level. My second reason is that in my opinion there are more benefits to be derived from a Bible study on an individual level than on a group level. Very many who attend a group Bible study do not really develop their Christian life.…