Contemporary worship

The Odyssey and The Epic of Gilgamesh are windows through which we are offered a glimpse of the ancient Greek and Sumerian views on life, its meaning, and how to live your own. Within each of these epic poems lie many lessons that transcend the ages, and most are still relevant to how we live out our lives today. One might expect the two to take completely different approaches to how they teach their lessons since they were written almost 2000 years apart. On the contrary, they display a…

11, phrase 5)”. Therefore, as the perceptions and interpretations towards the intangible nature vary on an individual basis, the idea of devotional worshiping also varies. As said by Flueckiger, “The primary mode of worshiping god and goddess in contemporary Hindu traditions is through the practice of bhakti, the up-warding devotional love. The worshiping of the divines with physical forms (murtis) identifies the image, presence of the deities to be embodied or manifested in a physical shape…

subject to much debate. On one hand, the novel is considered a social critique of European imperialism. On the other, it is deemed a product of racism and dehumanization of the African people. While both of these arguments are perfectly valid, a contemporary view that acknowledges Conrad’s limited view of Africa would recognize that the unsatisfactory depiction of the African people is a mere side effect of the novel’s true purpose. Heart of Darkness effectively functions not only as a critique…

Whilst often being regarded as the birthplace of contemporary theatre, Ancient Greece did not consciously create theatre or define it as such. Branded as agon, the theatre of the time encompassed the notion that religion and religious practice, as an intrinsic part of ancient Greek culture, is the fundamental motive and intention for performance. As a result of such, Greek theatre in the capital, Athens, was performed as a part of a celebration of the god Dionysus – a festival entitled the City…

Christians have been persecuted around the world for centuries. Under the protections provided us by our Constitution, we have enjoyed the relative freedom to believe and worship as we choose in the United States. The separation of church and state is part of the genius of our Constitution, but it is the First Amendment free exercise clause that is increasingly being infringed upon, constraining religious liberty, particularly Christianity. I believe we are entering into a war to retain this…

Can the Christian faith be seen as a contributor to more peaceful environment? With that question in mind, I’m articulating some of the important resources for creating and sustaining the culture of peace by eradicating violence. I am not, however, trying to argue that Christianity doesn’t endorse violence or at least historically, less associated with violence than any other religions in the world. This argument is neither necessary or relevant to my point. Arguments about religion, God and…

Allah’s.” Those who believe that Allah and God must be kept separate point to this Sura as evidence for their case at a basic level. Rich Richter, a pastor with his M.Div. from Concordia Seminary, argues that though both Islam and Christian faiths worship one God, their definitions of God are essentially different. He states that “the Koran denies the teaching of Jesus, who has revealed God as a loving Father. Allah in the Koran is loving to those who first are loving and obedient to him.…

between the real and the absurd made the paintings very intriguing (Detrick “Art History Notes”). I am not only willing, but excited to utilize what I learned about art in class to enrich my life. I would love to make a trip to the Urban Institute of Contemporary Art in Grand Rapids to look at the art they have on display. Additionally, I have always gone to ArtPrize but I am sure that I did not noticed many art components that I will now be aware of. As a Christian, I believe that God was the…

Dalit oppression, and the reverse mechanism of socio-political and religious upheavals against such tendencies have long been part of the Indian set up. Mass conversions to Buddhism, Sikhism, Islam, in the sub-continent, as documented in history, speaks volumes of the denial of basic human rights to the Dalits or the Untouchables by the caste Hindus. These conversions in no way guaranteed the allocation of rights to the Dalits, who continued to suffer under the yoke of overbearing Hindu…

daily endeavors he had to look after. Describing the daily procedure of the emperor McCormick says, “Despite his essential position in actually working the levers of power, the emperor tends chiefly to be visible as he revealed himself to his contemporaries in the carefully staged circumstances of imperial ceremonial, rather than actually running the government or leading his private life” (The Byzantines). This quotation shows that the physical appearance of the emperor was very important, and…