Self-Defence and a Phronetic Use of Violence: A Christian Response to Muslim-mob Attacks in Northern Nigeria

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 496-512
Author(s):  
Isuwa Y. Atsen
Keyword(s):  
New Testament ◽  
Ethical Theory ◽  
Practical Wisdom ◽  
Divine Command ◽  
Northern Nigeria ◽  
Divine Command Theory ◽  
Full Account ◽  
Sermon On The Mount ◽  
The New Testament ◽  
Self Defence

Abstract The sermon on the mount has often been used to support a nonviolent response to any form of injustice and violent attacks against Christians. This article argues that the sermon, understood in its original Old and New Testament contexts, does not necessarily support a wholesale prohibition of the use of violence. It also argues that the implicit ethical theory of the sermon – and the New Testament in general – is a combination of a virtue ethics and a divine command theory. On this premise, one is able to show that a measured use of violence for self-defence is a theologically tenable Christian response to unauthorized attacks. This measured use of violence for self-defence is qualified by a Christian phronesis or practical wisdom, which takes into full account both the teaching of Jesus on love of the enemy and the contextual or existential realities of Christians facing violent attacks in northern Nigeria.

Innovation Asserted

2019 ◽  
pp. 117-158
Author(s):  
Jonathan Klawans
Keyword(s):  
New Testament ◽  
Sermon On The Mount ◽  
The New Testament ◽  
Good And Evil ◽  
Sayings Of Jesus

This chapter traces the trajectory of early Christianity’s eventual embrace of the new, as articulated in the New Testament. Early sections probe the Gospels, illustrating how difficult it is to trace the word “new” back to the sayings of Jesus himself. Clearer evidence emerges in Paul, though he balances assertions of innovation with appeals to a prior covenant of faith. Other gospel traditions—above all, the Sermon on the Mount—seek to establish the novelty of Jesus’s teaching, a claim that sometimes entails denying earlier precedents for Jesus’s instruction. Going one important step further, the Letter to the Hebrews provides the earliest evidence for supersessionism, when the valorization of innovation is undergirded by a condemnation of the old. But an alternate discourse is also in evidence in texts like the Didache, which speak not of an old/new contrast but a timeless duality between good and evil.

scholarly journals THE ORTHODOX IDEALS OF THE "SILVER AGE" OF RUSSIAN POETRY: A. BLOK'S "POEMS ABOUT RUSSIA", N. GUMILEV'S "QUIVER"

2022 ◽  
pp. 74-78
Author(s):  
Н. Я. Сипкина
Keyword(s):  
New Testament ◽  
Jesus Christ ◽  
Kingdom Of God ◽  
The Other ◽  
Silver Age ◽  
Sermon On The Mount ◽  
Universal Principles ◽  
Russian Poetry ◽  
The New Testament ◽  
The Law

В статье исследуются православные идеалы А. А. Блока и Н. С. Гумилёва, ярких представителей поэтического поколения конца 19 - начала 20 века, изучавших Закон Божий, в котором излагались общечеловеческие принципы мирного существования людей планеты Земля. Нагорная проповедь Иисуса Христа для поэтов - Новозаветный закон любви о путях и делах, через которые человек сможет войти в Царство Божие, то есть спасти свою душу. Для Блока и Гумилёва божественный «кодекс» совести не утратил своей актуальности: о неосуждении («Не судите, и не будете судимы; не осуждайте, и не будете осуждены»), о прощении («Прощайте, и прощены будете»), о любви к врагам («Любите врагов ваших, благословляйте проклинающих вас, благотворите ненавидящих вас и молитесь за обижающих вас и гонящих вас, да будете сынами Отца вашего Небесного»), об отношении к ближним («Во всём, как хотите, чтобы с вами поступали люди, так поступайте и вы с ними»), о силе молитвы («Просите, и дано будет вам; ищите и найдёте; стучите, и отворят вам») [Библия, 1990, с. 4 - 8] и другие заповеди. The article examines the Orthodox ideals of A. Blok and N. Gumilyov, prominent representatives of the poetic generation of the late 19 - early 20 centuries, who studied the Law of God, which set out the universal principles of the peaceful existence of people on our planet Earth. The sermon on the mount of Jesus Christ for poets is the new Testament law of love about the ways and works through which a person can enter the Kingdom of God, that is, save his soul. For Blok and Gumilyov, the Divine "code" of conscience has not lost its relevance: about non - condemnation ("do not judge, and do not be judged; condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned"), forgiveness ("Forgive, and ye shall be forgiven"), love for enemies ("Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that despitefully use you, and persecute you; that ye may be sons of your Father in Heaven"), the attitude towards the others ("In everything as want that with you people acted, so do you also to them"), about the power of prayer ("Ask, and it shall be given you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you") and the other commandments [1, p. 4 - 8].

scholarly journals A Hermeneutics of Blessing as a Meta-Requisite for Reconciliation: John E. Toews’ Romans Paradigm as a Case Study

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vern Redekop
Keyword(s):  
New Testament ◽  
Practical Wisdom ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Human Sciences ◽  
Religious Traditions ◽  
The New Testament ◽  
Identity Based ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Biblical Scholar

Within an overall framework of reconciliation as a transformation of mimetic structures of violence to mimetic structures of blessing, teachings of blessing are needed throughout the process. “Teachings” are considered as paradigmatic stories, principles, insights, and practical wisdom that are derived both from religious traditions and the human sciences. “Blessing” refers to that which contributes to sustained human well-being at the individual, collective and relational levels. A hermeneutics of blessing is a deliberate interpretive endeavour directed toward the generation of teachings of blessing. It can be used with any particular source and the insights can be both direct and inverse, identifying what is helpful and not helpful for reconciliation processes. John E. Toews, biblical scholar specializing on the book of Romans in the New Testament, is examined as someone practicing a hermeneutics of blessing. His paradigm of Romans shows how it can be viewed as a letter addressing an identity-based conflict involving Jews and Gentiles. A set of practical teachings of blessing is synthesized from Romans 12 to 15, using the Toews hermeneutical paradigm.

Experience of Reconstruction of Isosyllabic Poetry of the New Testament. Part 1

2020 ◽  
pp. 15-31
Author(s):  
Максим Глебович Калинин ◽  
Леонид Грилихес
Keyword(s):  
New Testament ◽  
Jesus Christ ◽  
New Approach ◽  
Sermon On The Mount ◽  
Original Language ◽  
Last Judgment ◽  
The New Testament ◽  
The Law ◽  
Law Of Moses ◽  
Poetic Texts

Предлагаемая публикация продолжает ряд работ прот. Леонида Грилихеса по семитской реконструкции новозаветных текстов. Вместе с тем, она познакомит читателя с принципиально новым подходом к реконструкции, который в ранних работах автора был лишь намечен. Прот. Леонид исходит из того, что притчи Иисуса Христа, а также значительно число Его других речей, представляли собой изосиллабические поэтические тексты. Другими словами, они включали в себя равное количество слогов в каждой строке. Устойчивые модели, стоящие за реконструируемыми текстами, позволяют прот. Леониду описать несколько языковых закономерностей, характерных для оригинального языка притч. Настоящая публикация позволит компетентному читателю ознакомиться с реконструкциями двух текстов: речи Иисуса о Законе Моисеевом из Нагорной проповеди и притчи о Страшном Суде. The present publication continues a series of works by archpriest Leonid Grilikhes on the «Semitic reconstruction» of the New Testament texts. At the same time, it represents a fundamentally new approach to the reconstruction, which was only outlined in archpriest Leonid’s early works. The author presumes that the parables of Jesus Christ, as well as a significant number of His other speeches, were isosyllabic poetic texts. In other words, they included an equal number of syllables in each line. The patterns represented by the reconstructed texts allow the author to describe several «rules» characteristic for the original language of the parables. The present publication familiarizes the competent reader with the reconstructions of two texts, namely, the speech of Jesus on the Law of Moses from the Sermon on the Mount, and the parable of the Last Judgment.

scholarly journals Theories and Principles of Theology in the Sermon on the Mount Teaching of Jesus

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (S-2) ◽  
pp. 130-134
Author(s):  
Arokiyathas T
Keyword(s):  
New Testament ◽  
Jesus Christ ◽  
Gospel Of Matthew ◽  
Good Teaching ◽  
Sermon On The Mount ◽  
The Bible ◽  
The New Testament

The Bible is a good teaching and ethics. The first book of the New Testament is the Gospel of Matthew. The most famous of the teachings of Jesus Christ is the Sermon on the Mount teaching. The purpose of this article is to highlight the theological principles found in the Sermon on the Mount and explain with evidence that the theological elements are found in the Gospel of Matthew for the development of society.

scholarly journals ‘Teach Us the Secret Runes’. The Lord’s Prayer in Heliand

Perichoresis ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 39-51 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frank G. Bosman
Keyword(s):  
New Testament ◽  
Jesus Christ ◽  
Ninth Century ◽  
Old Saxon ◽  
Lord's Prayer ◽  
Biblical Story ◽  
Sermon On The Mount ◽  
The New Testament

Abstract The ninth century Heliand is a poetic retelling of the New Testament in Old Saxon, written by an anonymous monk for the purpose of confirming the conversion his fellow Saxons to the new faith. This conversion had been forced upon them by the Frankish invaders. The author adepts the story of Jesus Christ to fit within the feudal Saxon society and precursory Nordic mythology. This contribution focuses on the Saxon rendering of the Lord’s Prayer as it is situated in the context of the Sermon on the Mount. Several key differences between the Saxon version and its biblical original are pointed out. These mirror and illustrate the attempt of the anonymous author to inculturate Jesus’ message. Finally, it is shown how, by some subtle phrases in the text of the Heliand, the poet of the Heliand is including his Saxon audience to fit themselves spiritually into the biblical story. Through the Heliand, Jesus seems to speak directly to its readers, thus stimulating a transformation of the reader-or hearer-himself.

The Sermon on the Mount and Christian Ethics in the Nazi Bible

2021 ◽  
pp. 095394682110511
Author(s):  
Ryan Buesnel
Keyword(s):  
New Testament ◽  
Religious Experience ◽  
National Socialism ◽  
Christian Ethics ◽  
Christian Theology ◽  
Ethical Principles ◽  
Sermon On The Mount ◽  
Nazi Ideology ◽  
Church Life ◽  
The New Testament

In 1939, scholars associated with the pro-Nazi Thüringian German Christian movement founded a research institute dedicated to the task of removing the legacy of Judaism from Christianity. The mission of the Institute for the Study and Elimination of Jewish Influence on German Church Life was to render Christianity acceptable within the antisemitic and militarized climate of National Socialism. This task required purging Christian theology of Jewish influence, a feature evident in the Institute's version of the New Testament titled The Message of God. This publication aimed to transform the religious experience of ordinary German believers and would eventually sell over 200,000 copies. This article examines material in this text as it relates to the Sermon on the Mount and concludes that, despite the apparent incongruity between Nazi ideology and New Testament ethics, the editors of the so-called ‘Nazi Bible’ believed their task to be guided by Christian ethical principles.

scholarly journals The Kingdom of God in the Gospel of Matthew

2000 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
A.B. Du Toit
Keyword(s):  
New Testament ◽  
Gospel Of Matthew ◽  
Kingdom Of God ◽  
Christian Community ◽  
Sermon On The Mount ◽  
Ethical Concept ◽  
The New Testament ◽  
Entry Requirements

It would be entirely wrong to regard "kingdom of God" as the central motif of the New Testament. Matthew's kingdom depiction should be read against the backdrop of a (mainly) Jewish Christian community in the process of re-defining its own identity over against Jewish opposition, which was consolidating itself under Pharisaic-scribal leadership. The genitive "of God/of heaven" signifies the kingdom as God-determined, but God's transcendence is mitigated by Matthew's portrayal of him as the Father of believers. Kingdom of Godlheaven is a dynamic concept indicating God's active reign. The rule of God and righteousness, as its human correlate, are the key motifs in the Sermon on the Mount. Although the kingdom in Matthew involves a critical decision and the acceptance of strict entry requirements, it is not an entirely ethical concept, as is shown by the first beatitude. A growing correspondence between the kingdom motif and messiah christo logy can be traced. Modern churches in the process of losing their identity can benefit from a responsive reading of Matthew's kingdom message.

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