scholarly journals Saint Nicholai Velimirovich: Understanding of War and Peace

2021 ◽  
Vol I (2) ◽  
pp. 435-474
Author(s):  
Ilija Kajtez
Keyword(s):  
Focal Point ◽  
War And Peace ◽  
Dark Line ◽  
God's Will ◽  
Sanctity Of Life ◽  
Left Behind ◽  
The Bible ◽  
Biblical Study ◽  
National Leaders ◽  
God's Grace

Abstract: The author addresses two important issues in this paper. First, what is a man, and what makes a man great and globally-historically important? In the light of this issue, he writes about Saint Nicholai. The author asserts that the attributes of a great man are intellectual depth, the width of knowledge, the ability to reach God and ontological depths of the world, vails of time and historical human destiny through his action, creation, and writing. All men who are great deal with the issue of man, meaning of life, and inevitability of death. Great men dreamt of immortality in their own glorious ways. What is left behind these giants are permanent unsurpassed deeds and the power of ideas accepted in all ages. The author aims to highlight what makes a man great for his people and for humanity in total, and to what extent does St. Nicholai meet these strict and demanding conditions and criteria to be viewed as a great man; is he great for his people or even outside of these limits. In the second, main issue and part of the paper, the author examines the understanding of war and peace in Bishop Nicholai’s work War and the Bible. The focal point of the examination is the phenomenon of war and peace, and especially the perception of the Bishop’s biblical study of war and peace which differentiates his approach from many other approaches to the phenomenon of war. The theological perspective of the phenomenon of war and peace always implies that good and evil clash in war and peace, and that this conflict is planetary and omnipresent; some individuals are on the side of justness, providence, light, and sanctity of life, while others side with the dark line of life which signifies the rule of evil in our world. According to the author, war is God’s will, just as peace among men. Conflict and peace between nations, as well as spiritual harmony and dissonance in human souls, depend primarily on faith in the Lord. If one is in God’s grace victory is secure. We ought to be reminded of the Christian understanding that the support of all people to one man is futile if he stands against God — on the other hand, he fears nothing if the will of God is on his side, even if all people are against him. In his book, War and the Bible, Bishop Nicholai claims that even in modern times the Lord of Armies decides the victor of every war, just as it was in ancient times. He claims that in modern war, just like in old times, the sinfulness of nations and national leaders and deviation from God’s Laws inevitably brings defeat; in today’s wars, just like in ancient conflicts, justfulness of nations and their leaders brings victory. Bishop Nicholai’s key conclusion is that all wars, both ancient and modern, can only be understood and explained in a biblical light. He devoted his entire very valuable and useful work to this idea, over a hundred years ago.

Autobiographies of Three Surviving Branch Davidians

2005 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 165-197
Author(s):  
Catherine Wessinger
Keyword(s):  
Law Enforcement ◽  
Human Dimensions ◽  
Oral Histories ◽  
Initial Report ◽  
God's Will ◽  
Branch Davidians ◽  
The Bible ◽  
American Law ◽  
The Media ◽  
Federal Agents

This article provides an initial report on oral histories being collected from three surviving Branch Davidians: Bonnie Haldeman, the mother of David Koresh, Clive Doyle, and Sheila Martin. Their accounts are being made into autobiographies. Interviews with a fourth survivor, Catherine Matteson, are being prepared for deposit in an archive and inform the material gathered from Bonnie Haldeman, Clive Doyle, and Sheila Martin. Oral histories provided by these survivors humanize the Branch Davidians, who were dehumanized and erased in 1993 by the application of the pejorative ‘cult’ stereotype by the media and American law enforcement agents. These Branch Davidian accounts provide alternate narratives of what happened in 1993 at Mount Carmel Center outside Waco, Texas, to those provided by American federal agents, and flesh out the human dimensions of the community and the tragedy. Branch Davidians are differentiated from many other people primarily by their strong commitment to doing God's will as they understand it from the Bible. Otherwise they are ordinary, intelligent people with the same emotions, loves, and foibles as others.

Reformation: a Two-edged Sword in the Cause of the Ministry of Women

2017 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-33
Author(s):  
Fleur Houston
Keyword(s):  
Social Life ◽  
Social Systems ◽  
Logical Consequence ◽  
Social Model ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Women's Ministry ◽  
The Bible ◽  
Social Challenge ◽  
Normative Expectations ◽  
God's Grace

When Martin Luther mounted an attack on the industry of Indulgences, he affirmed key Reformation principles: human beings are saved by God’s grace alone and the priesthood of all the baptised gives all followers of Christ equal status. This was in conformity with an earlier generation of reformers who saw the Bible as ultimate authority and witnessed to biblical truth against corruption. The logical consequence of this should have been the enabling of women who were so disposed to exercise a theological vocation. In practice, the resulting rupture in religious and social life often affected women for the worse. Educational formation and leadership opportunities were restricted by the closure of convents. While the trade guilds, with their tightly regulated social systems, did not allow scope for women who transgressed normative expectations, their suppression was not necessarily liberating for women. The new social model of the home replaced that of convent and guild and marriage was exalted in place of celibacy. Changes in devotional practice involved loss and gain. Women who did not conform to the domestic norm were treated at best with misogyny and female prophets of the radical Reformation paid for their convictions with their lives. In education, leadership, piety and radical social challenge, women’s options were restricted. However, the key Reformation principles ultimately enabled the development of women’s ministry which was marked by the ordination of Constance Todd 400 years later.

scholarly journals Potestas nocendi w świetle komentarzy św. Augustyna do Księgi Hioba 1-2

Vox Patrum ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 65 ◽  
pp. 653-681
Author(s):  
Mariusz Terka
Keyword(s):  
Human Heart ◽  
God's Will ◽  
Relationship Analysis ◽  
The Bible ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Power Of God

St. Augustine interprets the tragedy of Job presented in the Bible by two co­incidental and connected with each other scenes: the first describes the history of man depressed with suffering, who lost his property, family and health, where the second one shows the dialog on the spiritual level between God and Satan, in con­sequence of which Satan receives the power of doing damage (potestas nocendi) to Job. The matter of this power, its range and goal are examined by The Bishop of Hippo by means of the relationship analysis between God, deviland Job. The power of harming comes from God and He is definitely responsible for Job’s suffering. He gives this power for devil but only for making man more pre­fect and revealing His justice. Where the action of devil is the charge of insincere devotion, jealousy, suspecting of hidden sin and temptation of Job in order to make him turn around from God. But for Job the experience of suffering is the trial which is given from God and by it God demands from Job taking a decision. His reply to God is described by St. Augustine as trust and agreement his will with God’s will. The power of harming is limited first by God’s will and permission given by Him, next by devil’s nature as a creature which has to ask for harm­ing permission and hasn’t got any access to human heart, and later by Job’s will and a choice made by him. So potestas nocendi is not license of devil, but first of all the power of God and devil’s desire of harming.

scholarly journals Bible Study of Mission and Discipleship in the Great Commission and Its Implications for Today's Christian Life

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 25-42
Author(s):  
Yonatan Alex Arifianto ◽  
Reni Triposa ◽  
Paulus Karaeng Lembongan
Keyword(s):  
Research Question ◽  
Research Work ◽  
Bible Study ◽  
Great Commission ◽  
Christian Life ◽  
The Bible ◽  
Library Research ◽  
Biblical Study ◽  
Contemporary Christian ◽  
Quantitative Descriptive

Abstract Christianity in the spiritual growth and quantity of the church cannot be separated from believers who carry out the mandate of the Great Commission. But in the accompanying journey of God there is not much that can be done by believers in mission and discipleship. So with that focus and purpose of this research is to answer the research question of how the Bible study of mission and discipleship in the Great Commission and its implications for Christian life today. While the problem that occurs in this research work is how Discipleship and mission are not properly understood in the current era so that many prioritize mission but override discipleship or vice versa. But the benefits of this research are: first, the importance of mission in the Great Commission, then the importance of discipleship for believers and continuity and the last implies mission and discipleship as life priorities. To describe the biblical study of mission and discipleship in the Great Commission and its implications for contemporary Christian life, researchers used library research methods with quantitative descriptive approaches.

scholarly journals The First Catholic Bible in Chinese: Gabriele Allegra and His Translation

2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-23
Author(s):  
Raissa De Gruttola
Keyword(s):  
Textual Analysis ◽  
The Other ◽  
Historical Background ◽  
Greek Text ◽  
Bible Translation ◽  
The Bible ◽  
Biblical Study ◽  
Study Centre ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract Christian missionaries play an important role in the history of the relationship between China and Europe. Their presence in China has been widely explored, but little attention has been paid to the role played by the Bible in their preaching. From 13th to 19th century, although they did not translate the Bible, Catholic missionaries preached the Gospel orally or with catechisms. On the other hand, the Protestant missionaries had published many version of the Chinese Bible throughout the 19th century. It was only in the 20th century that the Franciscan friar Gabriele Allegra decided to go to China as a missionary to translate the Holy Scriptures into Chinese. He arrived in China in 1931 and translated from 1935 to 1961. He also founded a biblical study centre to prepare expert scholars to collaborate in the Bible translation. Allegra and his colleagues completed the translation in 1961, and the first complete single-volume Catholic Bible in Chinese was published in 1968. After presenting the historical background of Allegra’s activity, a textual analysis of some passages of his translation will be presented, emphasizing the meanings of the Chinese words he chose to use to translate particular elements of Christian terminology. This study will verify the closeness of the work by Allegra to the original Greek text and the validity of some particular translation choices.

scholarly journals Is ‘divine healing’ in the ‘Faith Movement’ founded on the principles of healing in the Bible or based on the power of the mind?

2009 ◽  
Vol 65 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephan P. Pretorius
Keyword(s):  
Medical Treatment ◽  
Positive Thinking ◽  
Healing Ministry ◽  
Divine Healing ◽  
God's Will ◽  
The Bible ◽  
The Will ◽  
The Mind ◽  
Faith Movement ◽  
The Devil

Many people plagued with incurable diseases or diseases that seem to be resistant to medical treatment, in desperation turn to preachers who claim to administer divine healing. These divine healers make certain claims, based on their interpretation of the Scriptures and a so-called revelation of God’s will. They furthermore preach that healing and health are included in atonement and that nobody should be sick. Illness is an indication of a lack of faith on the part of the believer. It could also be attributed to an attack from the devil. In order to obtain healing, a process of ignoring the symptoms, followed by an unyielding and repeated confession of the healing needed, based on selected verses from the Scriptures, is proposed.This article is based on the contention that the healing practised by these divine healers is nothing more than a ‘mind-over-matter’ approach, leading people into confessing over and over that they have been healed. These practices are reminiscent of the utilisation of affirmations that lead to positive thinking, which will evidently result in a change of behaviour on the part of the confessor. No indication of Godly intervention seems to be evident in this healing ministry, and neither is any submission to the will and purpose of God.

Toward a Pastoral Reading of the Bible Not Confined to the Church

2003 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 579-587
Author(s):  
Jorge Pixley
Keyword(s):  
Latin America ◽  
Study Groups ◽  
The Political ◽  
Political Dynamics ◽  
The Bible ◽  
Biblical Study ◽  
History Of ◽  
History Of Composition ◽  
The Church

AbstractUsing the experience of the network of popular biblical study groups in Latin America and the biblical scholars who accompany them, this article outlines the basic requirements for a pastoral reading of the Bible. Special emphasis is given to the need for using the history of composition, necessarily hypothetical, in order to recover the political dynamics of the texts. The resulting pastoral reading will serve a public as well as a church function.

Yesus Satu-Satunya Pemberi Kemerdekaan Bagi Orang Berdosa

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 20-31
Author(s):  
Fenius Gulo
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Research ◽  
Jesus Christ ◽  
Research Method ◽  
Qualitative Research Method ◽  
Son Of God ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
The Bible ◽  
Biblical Study ◽  
Careful Investigation

This study is aimed to analyze John 8:36 regarding the meaning of the phrase "So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed," with a qualitative research method and biblical study approach. The main source of this research is the Bible and some other literatures as support sources and used as a comparison material. After conducting a very careful investigation, it is confirmed that the only person who is worthy of giving freedom to sinners is Jesus Christ the Son of God. Belief in Jesus is the key to freedom and the freedom from the bondage of sin. Abstrak indonesia  Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menganalisis Yohanes 8:36 mengenai makna frasa “apa bila Anak itu memerdekakan kamu, kamupun benar-benar merdeka,” dengan metode penelitian kualitatif dengan pendekatan study biblika. Sumber utama pada penelitian ini adalah Alkitab dan literarur lainnya sebagai pendukung dan dijadikan sebagai bahan perbandingan. Setelah melakukan penyelidikan yang sangat hati-hati, menyungguhkan bahwa satu-satunya pribadi yang layak member kemerdekakaan bagi orang berdosa adalah hanya sang Anak yaitu Yesus Kristus. Kepercayaan kepada Yesus merupakan kunci kemerdekaan dan terbebaskan dari belenggu dosa.

Silent Springs: Groundwater Resources Under Threat

2004 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. M. Edmunds
Keyword(s):  
Middle Ages ◽  
Hydrological Cycle ◽  
Focal Point ◽  
Tap Water ◽  
Groundwater Resources ◽  
Pure Water ◽  
Modern Society ◽  
Creation Myths ◽  
The Bible ◽  
Spring Flow

Springs are symbolic of the sustainability of life on earth. Since the earliest times flowing springs have been held as sacred and as a subject of awe and fascination. Subterranean water is identified in the creation myths on Babylonian tablets, where waters above the earth are separated from the ‘water of the deep’. The persistence of these creation myths is still reflected in the Arabic word ain or ayun, which has the double meaning of spring and eye (Issar 1991). Springs were the eyes of the gods. Springs (or fountains) were the focal point of many events in the Bible and other religious texts, and were the subject of veneration, as in Psalm 104: 10, ‘He sendeth the springs into the valleys, which run among the hills Modern scientific understanding of the origins of spring flow dates from the seventeenth century. The earliest explanations of the hydrological cycle, often termed the reversed hydrological cycle, probably stem from biblical sources (Ecclesiastes 1: 7). The unexplained constancy of the ocean volume was accounted for by the return of seawater through the rocks, which then purified them and returned the water to the surface as freshwater rivers and springs. This interpretation of the hydrological cycle persisted through the writings of ancient Greece and Rome as in Seneca’s Quaestiones Naturales and into the Middle Ages (Tuan 1968) until correctly explained by Edmond Halley(Halley 1691). In modern society spring waters are valued highly because they still embody an element of mystery and bring us face to face with the subsurface expression of the hydrological cycle or ‘groundwater’. There is also traditional belief that spring waters represent a source of perennial pure water. The properties of pure spring water command a high market value and in a world where tap water is (often wrongly) perceived as something less pure, the bottled water image-makers seek after evidence of the purity, longevity, and healing properties of the spring, with a zeal that echoes the reverence accorded to spring waters by early philosophers. The objective of this chapter is to explore the reasons for the decline of natural springs and the fragility of groundwater resources in general.

Exodus

2019 ◽  
pp. 40-49
Author(s):  
Ellen F. Davis
Keyword(s):  
Theological Reflection ◽  
Slave Labor ◽  
Master Narratives ◽  
Divine Sovereignty ◽  
God's Will ◽  
The Bible ◽  
Initial Resistance ◽  
Food Economy

Together the two parts of Exodus—Israel in Egypt and in Sinai—form one of the master narratives of the Bible. The first part pits against each other two opposite responses to YHWH’s self-revelation: while Moses yields to God’s will, Pharaoh consistently resists manifestations of God’s presence and power. The second part introduces three elements of Israel’s formation as a people. The gift of manna establishes a godly food economy. The treatment of covenant provides theological reflection on divine sovereignty, divine dangerousness, the goodness of creation, and the problem of slavery. Finally, the instructions for the building of the tabernacle and its completion show Israel’s initial resistance to God’s commands and their eventual obedience; it also provides a humanizing counterpoint to Israel’s slave labor in Egypt.

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