History seems to flow in a loop, seemingly invincible civilizations rising and falling to dust in the blink of an eye, emphasizing how easy it can be to get caught in the unavoidable cycle of political turmoil and economic depression. With Rome, we saw how increasingly futile wars and conquests drained the resources of the empire, until angry mobs were stampeding the streets and the barbarians ransacked the city. In a more recent nation, the Soviet Union, the whole world watched in shock as it…
place of eternal damnation. This appears to be an origination of both the concept of karma and the Christian concept of hell. It was around the first century AD that both the Greek and Roman writers were surprised by the fact that the Druids, a priestly caste of the Celts (see Druidism), believed in reincarnation. The Greek writer Diordus Siculus (c. 60 BC - 30 AD) noted that the Druids believed "the souls of men are immortal, and that after a definite number of years they live a second life…
Visiting St. Paul’s Parish Princeton For this field observation project, I chose to attend the 5pm Sunday service at St. Paul’s Parish in Princeton. Growing up in the Pentecostal tradition, I have become at home in free worship and contemporary liturgy. Most of the church’s I’ve attended in the past had many informal elements in their liturgy, designed to make new-comers feel a little less awkward and part of the church family. As a new Methodist, I have found many Methodist churches…
polytheism was the common practice among religions. The idea of their only being one God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob was . Our view of God was inherited from Judaism. Judaism viewed God as eternal, who created the universe, transcendent, the source of moral code, the ruler of history, and who reveals the…
Prayer Early Christians were already in the habit of prayer. They were Jewish and already knew God. Jesus made Him even more personal though. With Him came Grace and atonement for our sins. The earliest reference to prayer in Christian Liturgy came in the Didache written in 120 AD which said that Christians were praying three times a day; morning, noon and night. They were praying as Jesus had taught, the Lord’s Prayer. And by the fourth century the Church prayed communally more than…
The purpose of this essay is for the Writer to apply the principles and practices to conflict management biblically and theologically reflection on the following areas: 1) The nature and causes of conflict, 2) Ministry Conflict Case; 3) Conflict Case Study and 4) Strategy of Mediation. Background The writer can attest that at the point of every problem there is a solution, but proposedly not resolved the continuation can be very damaging and hindering to moving forwarded. Ken Sande stated…
As taught by all of the Manifestations, the Creator is formless, birthless and deathless. Zoroastrians refrained from making images of any sort, and do not worship idols. “Ahura (God) is everywhere at once. He is all-knowing. He knows what we are thinking and doing at this very moment. When Ahura Mazda first created humanity, He gave the following order: “Be diligent to save you souls; I shall then provide for your bodily matters. For it is impossible to save your souls, without you. There is a…
Civilization, the coming of the Aryans further consolidated it. The Aryans had a particular social structure according to which administration was carried on. There was division of labour and each hierarchy had its own job to do. The merchants and the priestly class were considered very elite and were much respected and feared. There were certain symbols of worship like cows, bulls, the sacrificial fire, etc. The chanting of sacred hymns came into vogue with the Vedic age. Though agriculture was…
The idea of nature is of huge importance and the concept of harmony with nature and oneself is the defining characteristic of the ancient Chinese belief system. There is an emphasis placed on the welfare and well being of the individual in the present life as opposed to a future one. What separates Confucianism, Taoism and Chinese Buddhism is the meaning which is associated with nature. Confucianism places emphasis on the nature of the human. Taoism focuses on harmony with the universe and…