It is inherently human to crave happiness and act with one’s own best interest in mind. It would be illogical to seek out pain or grief, especially if we assume that this is our only life to experience pleasure. If there is no afterlife, then it would make sense for us to spend the time we do have maximizing our personal well-being. The “Ring of Gyges,” an excerpt from Plato’s Republic, addresses the question of whether an unjust man experiences more happiness, or goodness, than a just man. In…
James D G Dunn notes: “The epochal significance of Pentecost raises the whole course of salvation-history to a new plane ….In one sense, therefore, Pentecost can never be repeated - for the new age is here and cannot be ushered in again. But in another sense Pentecost, or rather the experience of Pentecost, can and must be repeated in the experience of all who would become Christians.” Dunn is effectively saying that in order to witness for Jesus Christ today, just as the disciples…
heaven, but to create a community that would carry out God’s kingdom.” Luke tells the story of Jesus and Acts tells how Jesus’ ministry comes to a close and begins the work of the Holy Spirit. Verse 2 With the ascension, Jesus no longer directs the Apostles, the meaning…
Laurie Halse Anderson’s Historical Fiction novel, Fever 1793, takes place in Philadelphia- a large city- during the fever epedemic. Mattie Cook lives in a coffeehouse with her Mother, Grandfather, and her cook Eliza. By the time the fever epedemic breaks out, Mattie has to be strong in order to survive. Anderson uses descriptive words and sentence varitey to show the theme of the story; bravery. The author creates this lesson to show that someones bravery can save an entire city. The theme…
After the commotion settled, Paul left his disciples and went towards Macedonia and finally ended up in Greece. He left for Macedonia again after learning that some Jews were plotting against him. He was accompanied by many people, and they sailed from Philippi after the Festival of Unleavened Bread, and 5 days later, went to Troas. On the first day of the week of bread baking, Paul told the people that he had to leave. He talked that entire night, and a man called Eutychus fell asleep and fell…
The Acts of the Apostles is a companion literary work to Luke’s Gospel. In the Gospel, the focus is on the journey towards Jerusalem (Johnson 194). In Acts, Luke’s focus on the journey from Jerusalem (Johnson 194). As Christianity spreads from Jerusalem outward, Peter remains…
Fancy Title In his 1963 essay, “Disobedience as a Psychological and Moral Problem,” philosopher Erich Fromm argues that disobedience to authority started human history and blind obedience may cause its destruction. Fromm’s view on obedience to authority is that when we obey authority, even when it goes against our own reasoning and morals, then that obedience is cowardly and destructive while any act affirming individual will and autonomy is an act of freedom. Humanity could easily destroy…
Different books can show you the importance of something that we’ve showed little attention too, or never thought of how different our lives could be without a certain thing or person. In two different books I’ve read it has showed me the importance of growing up with a father, and growing up without a father. Both books include a character that leads to success, one book also has a character that has a fallout and ends up with the opposite of success. The two books are Losing My Cool written by…
In Punished, Victor Rios examines the ways in which the discrimination of the criminal justice system and general society against poor black and Latino boys pushes them towards future criminal involvement. In Chapter 5 Rios describes the criminal actions of these young men as acts of survival or of resistance against the system which oppresses them. In a system which immediately criminalizes them, the young men are unable to get jobs or educations. Without the education and learned cultural…
Discuss Thomas Gnosticism. What did it mean to be a Thomas Christian? How was that different from Johannine or Pauline Christianity ? Include a broad description of the Gospel of Thomas, the Book of Thomas the Contender, and the Acts of Thomas , pointing to their similarity and differences Gospel of Thomas According to class lecture notes on November 17th 2016 , The Gospel of Thomas can be set during the early part…