Idolatry

Clifford Ando, author of The Matter of the Gods: Religion and the Roman Empire, is a professor of Classics, History, and Law at the University of Chicago. He specializes in topics relating to Roman law and religion. The Matter of the Gods: Religion and the Roman Empire is a collection of essays that Ando wrote in many journals. The book is broken into two parts. He begins with questioning the knowledge the Romans possessed about their Gods. In the next part of the book, he is finding…

destruction due to their idolatry and alliances with other nations that God explicitly warned them against. His reference to thieves by night (v5) seems to give the reader the impression that Israel and Judah were the victims in this destruction. Obadiah spins the narrative that Edom was complicit because they did nothing to help, and/or avert their destruction. Edom was not the issue. The reason that Israel and Judah were destroyed and placed in exile was due to their idolatry. They refused to…

In Bailey’s article, he describes superstition according to early Christian and medieval writers as “a serious error” (Bailey, pg. 633). Through a theological lens, superstition was seen as religion that was “observed beyond proper measure” (Bailey, pg. 633). In other words, there was a great fear of actions that worshiped or had an association with demons. In addition, there was a belief that charms and spells, despite being corrupted means, would have the efficacy to end in real results. In…

more resistance. An example of protestant reformation’s impact on visual arts is the change it brought to Northern European art that religious imagery in art was no longer a major feature because it was believed to be distracting and could lead to idolatry. Assuming I work in the military where most people are corrupt including the top officials, I will consider staying and fight the corruption because I am a qualified employee who can investigate well about the issue and bring the corrupt…

BLACK STONE IN MECCA Introduction The Black Stone is known as ‘al-Hajar-al-Aswad’ in the Arabic language and is the most Holy object for the Muslims which is still present in its original and ancient form. It is located in one of the cornerstones of Ka’aba Sharif, which is the Holy stone building for the Muslims. The building is surrounded by the ‘Masjid-al-Haram’, which to the Muslims is known as the grand mosque. The Black Stone has been fixed in the wall of the Ka’aba Sharif at a distance…

Introduction to The Day of the Lord in the Old Testament Writings Prophets” is two sided in nature. It will produce both destruction and blessing to everyone on the Earth. The wicked, the ones who will face destruction, are the people who practice idolatry, meaningless rituals, slavery, and exploitation. God warns the wicked, through prophets, to turn from their dreadful ways or they will face Gods wrath. Isaiah 13:9 lays this out pretty well, “See, the day of the Lord is coming—a cruel day,…

Insert Creative Title Here Nature has long outlasted humanity; however, humanity holds the upper hand of power over the natural order. Emily Brontë’s native country of Great Britain, was nearing the end of its industrial reformation period in the year of 1846, the era saw many improvements such as urbanization and new technological developments as weaponry and productivity increased. Agriculture-for the first time in history-saw a decrease in its previous expansion as society began to rely…

still labeled by these writers as idolatrous—partly because of their origins in Greek and Roman pagan religious festivals, and partly because the Catholic Mass was itself so often defined as a piece of inherently idolatrous theater” (Jensen 285).The idolatry present in plays made it difficult for Catholics to support the plays, and therefore, plays sometimes reciprocated those feelings. While Queen Elizabeth made strict rules on plays, the Reformation church had a better relationship with plays…

For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as immorality and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king. I enjoyed this week’s devotional as it asked us to contemplate and respond after reading the context of 1 Samuel. This answer for me was both a turning point and a starting point as both of these have a point in our lives where it lets us begin to see a brighter picture as this lets us be more honest with ourselves…

How many times have you found yourself desiring the ability to read another person’s mind? It would certainly be a helpful ability to have. Imagine how much simpler communication would be with our spouses and with our children. The ability to communicate with mentally and physically disabled people would also be a boon to everyone’s lives. In the Star Wars series of movies, reading, and even manipulating, another person’s mind is possible. The first installment of that franchise sees Obi Wan…