Christian mysticism

The purpose of Dawn, the prologue to Searching for Sunday, by Rachel Held Evans, is to introduce key elements that will be proceeded throughout the book, as well as establish Evans opinion on the her view and the view shared by millennials regarding the institutionalized Church and how it must change to recapture the attention of herself and the rest of the millennial population. The audience of Evans work is primarily directed toward millennials who wish to strengthen their faith, but also can…

In the introduction and first chapter of their book, The Preacher and the Politician: Jeremiah Wright, Barack Obama, and Race in America, Clarence E. Walker and Gregory D. Smithers discuss the controversy surrounding Barack Obama’s ties to Reverend Jeremiah Wright. Snippets from one of Wright’s sermon were blasted in the media, leading to public outcry against the preacher, and against Obama for attending his church. While this outcry against Wright painted him as a radical extremist, Walker and…

The Parson is a pilgrim that Chaucer idealizes. He is a Holy person, he is actually extremely poor, however, he is “rich in holy thought and work.” He is an educated man, he enjoys teaching Christ's gospel to his parishioners. He always visits his members and never neglects his parish members. He does his own work, the Parson carries around a staff everywhere with him. He sets a good example for all of his church members to follow. He does not have an interest in making more money. The…

In the Farewell Discourse, Jesus provides various examples as to what love can be displayed to be. John 15 provides an explicit example in which Jesus provides a reference of love in relation with both vines and branches. Jesus explains to his disciples, “Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit” (John 15:2). By Jesus expressing this statement, he simply states that by having a relationship with God, one…

back. In the eyes of the Christians, this was not a good thing. But Natives considered giving and expecting back an honorific task. however, I would argue that was a vital component of Natives survival. If the Natives didn’t keep what they had to themselves but passed it around, they would benefit the community and themselves in the long haul. Throughout the book, it was said in plain words how important sharing was among the Natives, how do the concept of sharing of Christians differ from…

In Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, Jonathan Edwards went back to get sinners and also just people in general to get back into the church so that they could continue to be with God. The intended audience for this passage is people who are doubting God and are going against his wishes. Jonathan wants to persuade the sinners to go back and reconnect with God. He uses the fear that they have to convince them to go back to church. By doing this he wants the sinners to know that they are only…

This book review offers a critical analysis and evaluation of Sze-Kar Wan’s book, Power in Weakness: The Second Letter of Paul to the Corinthians. First published in 2000, Power in Weakness, examines 2 Corinthians with a focus on Paul’s rhetorical strategies and the various conflicts Paul has with the church. Before launching into the summary and critique of this book a brief synopsis reveals Wan’s interpretation of 2 Corinthians’ construction. After contextualizing the book, attention turns…

This essay will discuss Malachi 3:1-7 and the Indictment against Israel. I will further discuss how it’s the last book before four hundred years of silence and how no prophetic word was spoken to the prophets again until John the Baptist. I will further discuss how the prophets before him looked forward to God’s emergence. I will elaborate on how the transitional nature of Malachi makes the book interesting to any individual concerned with the relationship between Judaism and Christianity as…

C.S. Lewis, in Mere Christianity, discusses love throughout but particularly in chapters six, seven, and nine. Lewis talks about how Christians are to practice love through marriage, through forgiving, and through charity. By discussing how Christians are to practice love in these three sense, he also gives a picture of what love/Christ-like love is in his view. His view is different in many ways from other popular secular and religious depictions of love. His love is different than just being…

A Letter Concerning Toleration Analysis and its Relevance Today John Locke’s “A Letter Concerning Toleration” lays out an argument explaining the need for the separation of church and state with religious tolerance as the foundation of society. Locke defines religious toleration as the acknowledgement of an individual’s right to believe, and practice the faith of their own choosing. Toleration does not imply acceptance, but simply allowance; it is the ability to allow individuals around you to…