James and Charles were considerably different in their beliefs and attitudes. James was a confident and extravagant king and Charles was ill at ease and lacked confidence.…
In the summer before entering Cambridge, Merton traveled to Rome where frescoes in ancient cathedrals formed the impetus for his first step toward interest in religion. It was here where he had a sort-of conversion experience in which he sensed the presence of his father, who had been dead for more than a year. It was the first time in his life that he prayed in earnest and it was followed by his first visit to a church for the purpose of prayer. That prayerful visit to a church marked a sort-of surrender for Merton. It was an experience he remembers as important to his…
In A Grief Observed, by C.S. Lewis, I was profoundly affected by the spiral of emotion that Lewis was afflicted with after the loss of H. Not only is C.S. Lewis angry at god, but over the course of the book he comes to terms with his pain. That god has not forsaken him and is not a cruel being, but instead has knocked down his house of cards showing him who he really is. This eye-opening book really observes grief down to its darkest moment. Something that we rarely get the chance to peak into in our lives. Lewis starts the book with the statement, “Where is God?” in the first chapter; and ends the book with “I am at peace with God”. A transition that truly shows Lewis’ heart for the Lord, even in his time of peril.…
Thomas Paine (1937-1809) was 72 years of age when he passed, he was born in England and was an influential 18th-century author. He was an English writer not only of essays but pamphlets too, among them included, “Common Sense,” which was one of his most influential pieces, “Rights of Man,” a piece where he defended the French Revolution; and “The Age of Reason,” regarding his place of religion in society. Thomas Paine brought his ideas to a huge audience, confusing the public opinions and views of the people in Britain. His writings didn’t only influence the British, but also influenced the American Revolution and helped open way for the Declaration of Independence.…
In order to better analyze the relationship between the two, faith and reason must first be defined. The novel’s definition of faith is heavily demonstrated through the character of Old Tarwater, the self-proclaimed prophet. Though O’Connor claims to be “a novelist with Christian concerns,” this story’s “man of faith” is not portrayed in a favorable light.…
Anne Lamott’s “Overture: Lily Pads”, presents a chain of stumbled steps throughout her life by showing that each stagger has made her stronger and demonstrated that every misfortune and tribulation of her existence has allowed her to become one step closer to God. My objective is to obtain an enhanced understanding of the nature and function of Anne Lamott’s journey into her selected religion, which ends with her choosing Christianity by accepting Jesus’ everlasting love into her life. I will explain her journey as well as how I think she understands the concept of being “born again”. I wish to present how her definition, perspective and understanding resembles or possibly even differs from that of my own, enabling me to examine and understand from another’s point of view.…
In her writing titled “A Narrative of the Captivity and Restauration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson”, Mary lies out for the reader her experience of being held in captivity by Indians during the King Philip’s War. Perhaps one of the most significant aspects of this writing is the glimpse that the reader gets into Rowlandson’s faith and religion. Faith was a major aspect of life in the Colonial Period. It was of widespread belief that God was to be feared, and that he was the only way to redemption (Kizer). Mary Rowlandson was no different, but the extreme conditions of her captivity caused her faith to occasionally waiver. Most of the time throughout her journey in captivity, she depended on God, and the scripture to get her through the nightmare that she was trapped inside of, however; there were moments when she questioned even that.…
This is also evident in ‘The Island’ by Armin Geder through the use of the character, ‘The Fisherman’. The Fisherman represents Christian ideals such as caring and sharing for the outsider “We can’t ignore him now that he is among us, we must help him,”…
Another belief he used to have was that God should always be prayed and respected. He later told himself, "For the first time, I felt revolt rise up in me. Why should I bless His name? The Eternal, Lord of the Universe, the All-Powerful and Terrible, was silent. What had I to thank Him for" (Page 31)?” He felt like if God wasn’t doing anything to help these innocent human beings that practically praise him to save them all, when in reality, everyone is getting burned, abused, and getting shot.…
In the following paragraphs, I will analyze and critique the article “The Resurrection of Christ: Theological Implications” by Daniel B. Wallace. Wallace’s main purpose in writing this article is to stress importance of the Resurrection of Christ and its impact on the Christian faith. Wallace is theologically sound in supporting his views and held a bit of humor to his arguments.…
Through his novel Moby Dick, it is obvious that during his life Herman Melville experienced conflicts in his religious beliefs, an understandable outcome stemming from the intellectual background of the nineteenth century. There existed during Melville’s time, a contradiction between the Calvinist theory of predestination, with its idea of inborn immorality and original sin, and Ralph Waldo Emerson’s concept of Transcendentalism, which emphasized the idea of inherent goodness and self-reliance. Critics have long debated Melville’s shared beliefs with Emerson and Transcendentalism and his faithfulness to the Calvinist religion. Moby Dick reflects the conflict between Calvinism and Transcendentalism as, through the characters and the biblical…
Henry David Thoreau is a man of many facets; a man who refuses to conform to what the masses believe is acceptable. He calls for the rejection of complexity and for a change in mankind's view of life. Thoreau, in his many writings, demands change in a stagnant society. He emphasizes respect for nature, even to the point of blatant disrespect for humanity.…
The Christian worldview provides some essential elements that need to be understood, in order for this worldview to be accepted. These elements consist of God, humanity, Jesus, and being able to analyze what you understand about these elements. In this essay I will help you understand who God is and some of some of his characteristics. I will also let you know who Jesus is and why he died for the sins of the world. I will tell you why God created humanity, and the Christian worldview purpose is for humanity. God’s ultimate plan in the Christian worldview is restoration. I will explain why restoration is necessary in the Christian worldview, the solution to the human problem and what role grace and faith play in this worldview. Then I will analyze some benefits or strengths of Christian belief, what I find confusing about this worldview and how Christianity can influence a person’s thinking and behavior. I will also provide my opinion of the Christian worldview by letting you know my belief, and how I live my life according to my beliefs.…
[10] Brown, Raymond Edward. The critical meaning of the Bible. New York: Paulist Press, 1981.…
Human beings search for meaning in every stage of life in which each personal story is a story about “me” within society. Socially, Human development and meaning-seeking (according to McAdams) include six characteristics of adequacy such as coherence, openness, credibility, differentiation, reconciliation, and generative integration (Ruffing, 66). Spiritually, Ruffing points out, “The story of spiritual identity is always a story coauthored by self and God” (70). We want to affirm our spiritual identity by seeking and applying all spiritual methods/activities in order to reach the transformation of the self. Our stories are built day-by-day in “relation to human others, communities, and spiritual traditions (72). Thus, in these human-relatedness contexts, Mary Frohlich indicates also a relationship between psychology and bible although the two seem to have no connection together. However, when seeking for symbols’ meanings from the bible within the assembly of God, we are shaped by God, by the alive words in our daily liturgy, and by the Word who has fully responded to us in the person of Jesus Christ (Frohlich, 43).…