If I were to sum up what I have learned from this course it would be focused on Faith and a new understanding of the Bible. Faith is not just part of religion but every aspect of our everyday lives, and is fascinatingly carried through the Bible from the beginning to the end. It began with the Creation, and continued throughout the Fall, Redemption, and Consummation of Christ. It is the foundation of the Christian perspective and what leads God’s people to salvation and good works. Our modern world is so corrosive to faith that Jesus Christ asked, "When the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?" (Luke 18:8). He is there to give his people the gift of faith and to help them to grow in living faith that will last forever.…
Rodney Stark, professor of sociology and comparative religion at University of Washington, analyzes this puzzle. He "introduces historians and biblical scholars to real social science, including formal rational choice theory, theories of the firm, the role of social networks and interpersonal attachments in conversion, dynamic population models, social epidemiology, and models of religious economies". The result is stimulating, provocative, and revolutionary.…
American culture seems to be enraptured with immigration and the value of the immigrant in the life of society. Immigrants have, since the beginning of our nation, the power to transform the face of our society. In the same way, the church when it radically lives out the Gospel as embodied in the life of Jesus can not only transform American culture, but change the whole world. This potential impact of a faithful church in the world is why Stanley Hauerwas and William Willimon write Resident Aliens as a critique of modern culture and ministry while providing a call the church to live as an alternative community. Hauerwas and Willimon provide a vision for the restoration of the church as a vibrant community standing firmly in the faith through…
The first thing we must understand is the definition for Worldview, which the simple definition is the way you view the world. So the way that we see the world through our eyes and a heart is going to determine the view that we have of the world. That’s why as Christians we need to see the world as the way Christian would view it. Even though Romans is not a complete worldview or a Christian worldview it certainly directs us in the right way of how we should view the world.…
In John Wesley’s fourth sermon on the Sermon of the Mount, he makes the point that Christianity is a social religion. Christianity is not practiced in a vacuum. As Christians, he says, we gather as a community, holding one another accountable to the faith and being with one another as we grow in relationship with God. Beyond that, as a social religion, Christianity calls us to have an impact on our communities, to care about others, and to be involved in making social changes for the betterment of the world. The church should foster these Christian communities, providing space in which Christians and those exploring Christianity can live their faith with one another. Wesley’s two-part understanding of the social nature of Christianity and the church leads us to the stated mission of the United Methodist Church – “to make and mature disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.” This mission matters because our world needs transformation, and our call as the church is to work in concert with God to bring about the Kingdom of God – on earth, and within and through our lives.…
The widely accepted definition of a sect is a religious group with characteristics, which distinguishes it from either a Church or a denomination. Many groups which fit this definition now prefer the less contentious title of "new religious movements", because over the last fifty years, sects have become linked with brainwashing, mass suicide, and even a murder. One of the examples is the suicide of 900 members of the People's temple.…
Though the Book of Romans is not a systematic theology, when one reads through Paul’s letter to these believers there is no doubt that Paul has delivered his message of grace with direction. As Paul opens this letter in chapter one he clearly explains his call, his…
In his essay „The Christian Paradox”, Bill McKibben points out the hypocrisy of how Americans perceive religiousness and Christianity. The author achieves that through comparing the teachings of the Holy Bible with incontestable data, mostly statistics. He provides a fascinating inside into the state of devotion in the United States—people of America have wandered off the path dictated by Jesus, and even deformed it for their own purposes, while still claiming their devotion to God—which makes for a powerful point in a discourse on the state of Christianity in the country with such a long history of achieving success through hard work.…
I have a Christian worldview. A worldview is the structure by which an individual or group makes sense of the world. Philip Graham Ryken describes it as “our orientation to reality.” It seeks answers to questions like, “How did we get here?” and “In what is our ultimate hope?” Ryken believes all worldviews are inherently religious because they reveal our “fundamental convictions,” particularly what we believe about God. Further, he believes we all develop a worldview, whether consciously or subconsciously, with regard to the fundamental question of origin, problem, and hope. There are many factors which contribute to one’s worldview, including one’s background, experiences, education, socio-economic circumstances and nationality. Of course,…
In Sociology there are three different perspectives on the Environment. The Structural Functionalist perspective, Conflict Theory, and the Symbolic Interactionism, each theory being very different than each other. Each perspective representing different opinions of major sociologists. Structural Functionalism focuses on how changes on one aspect of the social system could affect the other aspects of society. Functionalist believe that by 2020, about 50 million people globally will become environmental refugees. People will be migrating because they can no longer secure an normal life as a result of all the environmental problems. The Functionalist perspective raises our personal awareness of latent dysfunctions. (CO 7-9) The negative consequences…
The controversies of this question have risen numerous of opinions and views over the decade. The nation’s fundamentals in which allowed the practice of any religion without any boundaries and strains between government can and can’t be viewed as a Christian nation. The religious conservators and American Christian population uphold the idea that this nation it’s a Christian nation. This nation been raised by Christian values and ideas, values that equalize the wrights of each citizen and ideas that maintain fairness and union between each other’s. While, other liberal side of the population identify this question as contrary. Since last decades, a numerous immerging of immigrates to the United Sates lead to recognition of many different religions and believes. In addition, to a more liberal society it became more of a secular religion in which numerous of people believe this nation it’s not a Christian nation.…
Christian Worldview I have a Christian worldview although it tends to be on the more liberal side of Christianity. It follows the foundational principals of Christianity and does not stray far enough into any other sects of religion that I could comfortably say that I am anything else nor would I be willing to drop my belief in Christ. God is the creator of the universe and all that is it. There is only one God. In Christianity, there is the Trinity, the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost, all three are God, yet all three are separate. God is forgiving and loving. He made promises and is faithful to keep them. He created all that is wonderful and amazing. Our very first lecture stated, In corporate terms, God has ordained creation to be a…
Having a Christian Worldview is very important in my career field. Substance Abuse Counseling requires that you uphold a high standard of moral integrity and demonstrate a true image of God at all times. There are certain situations in our lives that people who have never heard of God or the message of God may need us to be a Bible to them. As Christians it is our job to shine the image of our creator in everything we do. In the next few paragraphs I will discuss three different areas and how the way someone handles them may make a huge impact.…
Backus, W. D., & Chapian, M. (2000). Telling yourself the truth. Minneapolis, MN: Bethany House Publishers.…
Psychology and Christianity: two subjects that have seem to become almost impossible to talk about hand in hand. Psychology has become one completely different subject than Christianity (theology) and both have lost all contact with the other. Psychology is strictly a science and Christianity is solely based on faith and religion and the two can not be integrated together. The real question is why? Why can’t psychology and Christianity be integrated and used together as one? This paper will give some dictionary definitions of both subjects, will provide definitions based on the authors opinion, and will discuss the authors viewpoint on the integration of the two.…