Author: Rodney Stark Publisher: Princeton University Press ISBN: 9780691115009 Category : Religion Languages : en Pages : 338
Book Description
Western history would be unrecognizable had it not been for people who believed in One True God. There would have been wars, but no religious wars. There would have been moral codes, but no Commandments. Had the Jews been polytheists, they would today be only another barely remembered people, less important, but just as extinct as the Babylonians. Had Christians presented Jesus to the Greco-Roman world as ''another'' God, their faith would long since have gone the way of Mithraism. And surely Islam would never have made it out of the desert had Muhammad not removed Allah from the context of Arab paganism and proclaimed him as the only God. The three great monotheisms changed everything. With his customary clarity and vigor, Rodney Stark explains how and why monotheism has such immense power both to unite and to divide. Why and how did Jews, Christians, and Muslims missionize, and when and why did their efforts falter? Why did both Christianity and Islam suddenly become less tolerant of Jews late in the eleventh century, prompting outbursts of mass murder? Why were the Jewish massacres by Christians concentrated in the cities along the Rhine River, and why did the pogroms by Muslims take place mainly in Granada? How could the Jews persist so long as a minority faith, able to withstand intense pressures to convert? Why did they sometimes assimilate? In the final chapter, Stark also examines the American experience to show that it is possible for committed monotheists to sustain norms of civility toward one another. A sweeping social history of religion, One True God shows how the great monotheisms shaped the past and created the modern world.
Author: James F. McGrath Publisher: University of Illinois Press ISBN: 0252091892 Category : Religion Languages : en Pages : 171
Book Description
Monotheism is a powerful religious concept shaped by competing ideas and the problems they raised. Surveying New Testament writings and Jewish sources from before and after the rise of Christianity, James F. McGrath argues that even the most developed Christologies in the New Testament fit within the context of first century Jewish monotheism. McGrath pinpoints when the parting of ways took place over the issue of God's oneness, and explores philosophical ideas such as "creation out of nothing" which caused Jews and Christians to develop differing concepts and definitions about God.
Author: Matthias Neuman Publisher: Loyola Press ISBN: 082942945X Category : Religion Languages : en Pages : 128
Book Description
Christology: True God, True Man is a thorough presentation of the convictions at the heart of Roman Catholic Christology. Examining faith, reasoning and history as they bear on the question, "Who is this Jesus?" this booklet provides a resource for guiding catechists to a clearer knowledge of Jesus Christ. Catholic Basics: A Pastoral Ministry Series offers an in-depth yet accessible understanding of the fundamentals of the Catholic faith for adults, both those active in pastoral ministry and those preparing for ministry. The series helps readers explore the Catholic tradition and apply what they have learned to their lives and ministry situations. Includes study questions and suggestions for further reading. Because of the intense media-driven culture of American -society, many people have a hard time differentiating between these images of Jesus Christ. They wonder which one is true. Often, their own views wind up a mixture of disparate elements. This struggle may even be the case with people raised in one particular Christian tradition. Chances are they have seen several contrasting images on television and in movies even before beginning formal religious education. This dilemma causes no small challenge for pastoral ministers, who must not only accurately convey the Catholic Church's teaching but also deal deftly with the myriad other images of Jesus Christ--and clearly show the difference. --From the introduction Christology: True God, True Man addresses Standards #520.01-520.04, 520.07, 520.08, 520.17, 520.19, and 532.304.
Author: Dr. Steven Christ Publisher: Page Publishing Inc ISBN: 1645846881 Category : Religion Languages : en Pages : 381
Book Description
The purpose of this book is to bring truth as to who God The Father is and who we really are in Christ. Knowing who you are allows you to take back your power and authority over the God of this world—Yahweh. God The Father of Christ and all creation is not the God of this world (John 18:36). The Father gave man dominion over the earth (Genesis 1:26–28); through man's sin, power and authority was transferred to Satan/Lucifer. The Father cast Lucifer out of heaven down to the earth (Isaiah 14:12–14) vowed to be worshipped as God the Most High, the Father. Lucifer deceives the whole world (Revelation 12:9) into believing he is God The Father of Christ. The world is looking for this deception to occur in the future. In this book, I prove biblically this deception has already occurred twenty-five hundred years ago when Yahweh freed the Jews out of Egypt. Yahweh declares he is the God of the Jews ever since the land of Egypt and there is no other savior but him (Hosea 13:4). Before this, who was Yahweh? Our minds have been blinded by two thousand years of corrupt and false teachings that were set in place to maintain Yahweh's power and control over this world. Jesus Christ came into this world to tell the Jews the god they're worshipping—Yahweh is not God The Father. The Jews killed Jesus to save the Jewish nation (John 11:50–53) as His message would have completely destroyed the nation; this truth brought division within families. The Jews, with the help of Paul, gathered the children of Christ, grafting them into Yahweh's kingdom under the pretense that Yahweh is the Father of Christ, knowing he is the fallen angel Lucifer. The Father gave man markers to identify Lucifer and his fallen angels. One marker—they are chained in darkness. Yahweh always appears to men in thick darkness: Moses, Solomon, David, and the prophets. Yahweh/Jehovah is the god and ruler of this world, so the only way God The Father could help man was to be born into Yahweh's kingdom here on earth. Yahweh demanded shedding of blood—an innocent blood sacrifice for the forgiveness of sin. Jesus followed all of Yahweh's laws and statutes perfectly; He was sinless. Jesus gave himself to be man's blood sacrifice to appease Yahweh's wrath upon man. God the Father is perfect love; He is displeased with blood sacrifice of any kind. He told the Jews to stop but they continued making sacrifices to their God—Yahweh (Isaiah 66:3, Hosea 6:6–9). God the Father says killing of bulls and goats does not take away sin (Hebrews 10:4–6 ). I prove through scripture that Yahweh is not the loving God The Father of Christ. Yahweh does not have the Holy Spirit of the Father; therefore, he cannot create, he cannot raise the dead, and he cannot heal the sick. Yahweh needs the Father's Holy Spirit that is in all men to maintain his world construct; without it, this world would collapse. Yahweh keeps all men's souls in bondage and imprisoned here within the earth through sin and reincarnation; our spirit is recycled over and over till the day of judgment. Jesus came to teach us how to break free from Yahweh's matrix, being brought into God The Father's kingdom of light in the third heaven. Yahweh/Jehovah is the God of this world; his realm is the heavens directly above the earth and our planetary system. God the Father and Christ dwells in the third heaven aka the pleroma where there is no time, gravity, or matter. All things created emanate from the Father, Who is perfect love. He loves all His creation equally, so He has no favorites; no judgment or wrath towards His creation. This world is worshipping Yahweh; who comes from the Creator/God the Father. Yahweh is a jealous, angry, wrathful god that wants you to fear him. God the Father is the father of all things created; all things emanate from the Father so who can He be jealous of? Nothing. We are now living in the end times. Yahweh is doing everything in his power to corrupt God The Father's creation using all men of power having one agenda—to control the whole world through one world religion, one world government, and one world currency. In this book, I give you the tools needed to escape Yahweh's kingdom of condemnation, death, and destruction.
Author: Elizabeth Klein Publisher: What Every Catholic Should Kno ISBN: 9781950939015 Category : Religion Languages : en Pages : 0
Book Description
Part of the What Every Catholic Should Know series, God: What Every Catholic Should Know is born out of the recognition that God is central to the Faith, but we encounter misconceptions about God all the time. Foggy thinking about God can deeply affect our faith and our ability to communicate it to other people. In an effort to move us from foggy to clear thinking, God: What Every Catholic Should Know addresses three major concepts: the nature of God, the Trinity, and the Incarnation. Some of us might protest that we are not smart enough to do theology and that less is more when it comes to contemplating the divine. We might even think that too much theology detracts from simple faith. But if God is perfect, wonderful, all goodness, love itself-as the Bible tells us in 1 John 4:8-it would be strange indeed if we did not want to give our whole selves to God, including our mind. After all, the Lord himself tells us: "you shall love the Lord with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength" (Mark 12:30). Book jacket.
Author: U.S. Catholic Church Publisher: Image ISBN: 030795370X Category : Religion Languages : en Pages : 849
Book Description
Over 3 million copies sold! Essential reading for Catholics of all walks of life. Here it is - the first new Catechism of the Catholic Church in more than 400 years, a complete summary of what Catholics around the world commonly believe. The Catechism draws on the Bible, the Mass, the Sacraments, Church tradition and teaching, and the lives of saints. It comes with a complete index, footnotes and cross-references for a fuller understanding of every subject. The word catechism means "instruction" - this book will serve as the standard for all future catechisms. Using the tradition of explaining what the Church believes (the Creed), what she celebrates (the Sacraments), what she lives (the Commandments), and what she prays (the Lord's Prayer), the Catechism of the Catholic Church offers challenges for believers and answers for all those interested in learning about the mystery of the Catholic faith. The Catechism of the Catholic Church is a positive, coherent and contemporary map for our spiritual journey toward transformation.
Author: James E. Dolezal Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers ISBN: 1621891097 Category : Religion Languages : en Pages : 244
Book Description
The doctrine of divine simplicity has long played a crucial role in Western Christianity's understanding of God. It claimed that by denying that God is composed of parts Christians are able to account for his absolute self-sufficiency and his ultimate sufficiency as the absolute Creator of the world. If God were a composite being then something other than the Godhead itself would be required to explain or account for God. If this were the case then God would not be most absolute and would not be able to adequately know or account for himself without reference to something other than himself. This book develops these arguments by examining the implications of divine simplicity for God's existence, attributes, knowledge, and will. Along the way there is extensive interaction with older writers, such as Thomas Aquinas and the Reformed scholastics, as well as more recent philosophers and theologians. An attempt is made to answer some of the currently popular criticisms of divine simplicity and to reassert the vital importance of continuing to confess that God is without parts, even in the modern philosophical-theological milieu.
Author: Robert Royal Publisher: ISBN: 9781587311055 Category : Religion Languages : en Pages : 0
Book Description
The Catholic "thing" - the concrete historical reality of Catholicism as a presence in human history - is the richest cultural tradition in the world. It values both faith and reason, and therefore has a great deal to say about politics and economics, war and peace, manners and morals, children and families, careers and vocations, and many other perennial and contemporary questions. In addition, it has inspired some of the greatest art, music, and architecture, while offering unparalleled human solidarity to tens of millions through hospitals, soup kitchens, schools, universities, and relief services. This volume brings together some of the very best commentary on a wide range of recent events and controversies by some of the very best Catholic writers in the English language: Ralph McInerny, Michael Novak, Fr. James V. Schall, Hadley Arkes, Robert Royal, Anthony Esolen, Brad Miner, George Marlin, David Warren, Austin Ruse, Francis Beckwith, and many others. Their contributions cover large Catholic subjects such as philosophy and theology, liturgy and Church dogma, postmodern culture, the Church and modern politics, literature, and music. But they also look into specific contemporary problems such as religious liberty, the role of Catholic officials in public life, growing moral hazards in bio-medical advances, and such like. The Catholic Thing is a virtual encyclopedia of Catholic thought about modern life.
Author: Thomas Merton Publisher: Shambhala Publications ISBN: 1590300491 Category : Body, Mind & Spirit Languages : en Pages : 321
Book Description
A collection of thirty-nine short essays in which Thomas Merton examines what true contemplation is and how it can impact one's spirituality.
Author: Gerald L. Bray Publisher: InterVarsity Press ISBN: 0830825312 Category : Religion Languages : en Pages : 202
Book Description
This volume offers partristic commentary edited by Gerald L. Bray on the first article of the Nicene Creed. Readers will gain insight into the history and substance of what the early church believed about God the Father.
Author: Rodney Stark
Author: James F. McGrath
Author: Matthias Neuman
Author: Dr. Steven Christ
Author: Elizabeth Klein
Author: U.S. Catholic Church
Author: James E. Dolezal
Author: Robert Royal
Author: Thomas Merton
Author: Gerald L. Bray