1. Meeting Mary

‘Meeting Mary’ introduces Mary, the mother of Jesus who has a place in the religious consciousness of the 3.8 billion Christians and Muslims. Muslims and Christians agree that by the power of God a Jewish virgin named Mary miraculously became pregnant and gave birth to Jesus the prophet, miracle-worker, and Messiah. The Virgin Mary is one of the most famous women in history but she has also been subject to misunderstandings, unquestioned presuppositions, and misinformation. The Virgin Mary continues to be a religiously divisive figure. The Marian traditions spans through the sculptures Mary of the Miraculous Medal from 1830 France and Virgin Mother by the contemporary artist Damien Hirst.

Böhl on Justification and Regeneration: Some Implications for Preaching and Pastoring

By the preaching of God’s law, the human being is confronted with his fallenness and existence in flesh, sin, and death. Eduard Böhl, with his emphasis on the synchronicity of God’s act of justification and regener- ation, seeks to maintain the boundary between Creator and creature in creation and history, and between sinner and Christ, flesh and the Spirit. From the viewpoint of the power of God’s word in preaching, the possibility of a redeeming dialogue is reestablished, and the reality of participation by faith in God is restored. By the gospel as the power of God in which his righteousness is revealed, the believer in the word is powerfully brought to newness of life and sustained in sanctification. KEYWORDS: Justification, regeneration, preaching, law of God, Holy Spirit, Christ

A pause with the Verses of Bahrain in The Holy Quran: وقفة مع آيات البحرين في القرآن الكريم

The essence of this topic is the conversation about (The Verses of Bahrain) mentioned in the Book of God Almighty, as these verses are mentioned five times in the Qur’an. The honorable one, and that is why this research was the subject of five investigations. The researcher spoke in those investigations about the verses in which the word (Bahrain) came in Deuteronomy, The researcher dealt with the many benefits and blessings of these seas, as their fresh and salty waters have many benefits, and countless and countless goodies, and there is the great divine wisdom in the isthmus and the interdicted stone, which was mentioned in those verses, and the differences of scholars in the past and present in that barrier, and how modern science has interpreted that. In the course of the research, the researcher mentioned the living creatures that live inside these seas, as well as extracting pearls and coral from the depths of these vast oceans, and seeing the large ships that pierce the water in an enormous way back and forth, all with the power of God Almighty. As for the method and nature of the study, it is represented in the inductive analytical method, by collecting the verses in question, explaining and interpreting them according to the pleasure of the Almighty God from ancient and modern sources, and this method is what researchers follow in such research. The most important results of this research can be summarized as follows: The seas have a great variety of importance and that is why they took a good space from the Holy Book. And that the Signs of the Sea include a scientific miracle that modern science recently discovered. That the Prophet, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him, did not explain such verses, because the time has not yet come for them. That such verses clearly indicate the greatness and enormous power of God.

Islamic Education Thought of Sheikh Nawawi Al-Bantani: The Disaster in The Qur’an

Nawawi is a true teacher in Islamic science and very prolific in writing Islamic science. The purposes of this study are (1) to find out the characteristics of the plague in Nawawi’s thinking; (2) to propose the solution to the Covid-19 outbreak from the perspective of Islamic education; (3) to figure out the Islamic education from this pandemic. This study employed qualitative research from an Islamic education philosophy perspective. The data collection was documentation. It also used content analysis, thematic, and inductive-deductive approaches. There are some findings in this research. First, the words calamity, Bala, and slander, the pandemic, is a test. It happened as a result of the power of God and the work of man. The purpose is for man to be closer to God, more meaningful to God’s presence, erode pride, etc. Second, it is not permissible to approach the place of plague. If it is at the epidemic site, then do not come out of it; the sick do not mix with the healthy, avoid harming themselves and others, and put the damage off rather than benefit. Third, the values of Islamic education are spiritual, intellectual, social, and skill. Abstrak: Nawawi adalah mahaguru sejati dalam keilmuan Islam dan sangat produktif menulis bidang keilmuan Islam. Tulisan ini menjawab (1) karakteristik wabah dalam pemikiran Nawawi; (2) solusi dari wabah Covid-19 dalam perspektif pendidikan Islam; (3) nilai-nilai pendidikan Islam yang diperoleh dari pandemi ini. Penelitian ini menggunakan metode penelitian kualitatif dengan pendekatan filsafat pendidikan Islam. Pengumpulan data dalam penelitian ini menggunakan dokumentasi. Penelitian ini menggunakan analisis isi, tematik, dan pola pikir induktif-deduktif. Hasil temuan dalam penelitian ini adalah pertama, merujuk kepada kata musibah, bala, dan fitnah, pandemi merupakan ujian. Hal itu terjadi sebagai akibat kuasa Allah dan ulah manusia. Tujuannya agar manusia lebih dekat kepada Allah, lebih bermakna kehadiran Tuhan, mengikis kesombongan, dan lain-lain. Kedua, tidak boleh mendekati tempat wabah dan jika berada di lokasi wabah, maka jangan keluar darinya, yang sakit jangan bercampur dengan yang sehat, menghindari mudarat terhadap diri sendiri dan orang lain, dan mendahulukan menutup kemudaratan daripada mengambil manfaat. Ketiga, nilai-nilai pendidikan Islam ialah nilai spiritual, intelektual, sosial, dan keterampilan.

A Transcript of Submission: Jesus as Fated Victim of Divine Violence in the Old Saxon Heliand

The Heliand, written shortly after the conquest and conversion of the Saxons at the hands of Charlemagne, maintains a vexed place in the study of medieval European Christianity(ies). Some argue that the Heliand’s overarching intent was pastoral, meant to ease the fears and calm the rage of the defeated Saxons, while others posit that the Heliand reflects a “dissident gospel,” aimed at subverting the official theological outlook of the Carolingian empire. This study argues that while both theories capture something of the Heliand’s ingenious contextual impact, they underestimate one of its key themes: the role of wurd (fate) and its co-identification with the “power of God,” which drives Jesus to the cross and scaffolds his submission to the violence of the divine will. Thus, the Heliand presents compliant victimization as the proper “fate” of those who submit to God’s purposes, promising a heavenly reward and countermanding the Saxon ethos of resistance.

MIRACLE AS AN ESSENTIAL NEED. CONCEPTS OF MIRACLE AND ITS PRACTICES IN PENTECOSTALISM

Pentecostalism is a Protestant denomination in whose worldview special attention is paid to the supernatural and miraculous action of God in the world. That category includes healings exorcism, and exalted spiritual practices. Miracle in the understanding of Pentecostals is a sign of heavenly life, an indicator of connection with God, a manifestation of the power of God, a confirmation of the truth of faith and the status of believers. The miracle for Pentecostals is what seems strange and unusual to worldly people but it is an everyday reality for believers who are in constant contact with God and who are awaiting His constant intervention.

Að breyta Guði. Endursköpun guðsmyndar í ljósi reynslu kvenna af ofbeldi og kúgun

Í þessari grein er rýnt í texta eftir fjóra kvennaguðfræðinga sem allar hafa lagt fyrir sig nýsmíði guðsmynda í ljósi gagnrýni á vald Guðs. Fyrsti textinn um það efni kemur frá Mary Daly en hún er ein af mikilvægustu formæðrum kvennaguðfræðinnar og hóf guðsmynda-gagnrýni sína skömmu fyrir 1970. Daly sem aðhylltist róttækan femínisma beindi skrifum sínum að kaþólsku kirkjunni og kenningum hennar. Hún komst fljótlega að þeirri niður-stöðu að henni væri ekki vært innan kirkjunnar, kirkjan væri handan endurskoðunar og endurnýjunar. Þrátt fyrir það eru áhrif hennar á síðari tíma kvennaguðfræðinga óumdeild. Það sýna textar eftir Sallie McFague, Ivone Gebara og Wendy Farley, sem allar hafa ástundað guðsmyndargagnrýni og guðsmyndarnýsköpun og lagt sérstaka áherslu á vald Guðs í þeim efnum. McFague leggur áherslu á að allt tal um Guð sé líkingamál og réttir fram guðslíkingar eins og t.d. Guð sem vinkonuna, elskandann og móðurina en þannig vildi hún leggja áherslu á vægi hins líkamlega og nálæga Guðs. Svipað má segja um texta Ivone Gebara en reynsla og líf hinna fátæku er forsenda guðslíkinga hennar. Aðalatriði hjá henni er að allt líf sé samtengt og hvað öðru háð. Guð finnum við í tengslum og skyldleika alls sem lifir. Framlag Wendy Farley til endursköpunar guðsmynda felst í endurtúlkun á hugtakinu vald. Hún vill halda áfram að tala um vald Guðs en endurtúlkar hugtakið. Valdi Guðs verður, að hennar mati, best lýst sem líknsemi en það er eiginleiki sem aðeins Guð býr yfir. Líknsemi Guðs megnar að leysa manneskjunnar úr greipum ofbeldis og illsku. Vald Guðs umbreytir og frelsar á hátt sem enginn mannlegur máttur getur gert. Changing God. Reconstructing the image of God in the light of women’s experiences of violence and oppression This article examines texts by four women theologians who have all set out to reconstruct images of God in the face of criticism of God’s power. The first text comes from Mary Daly, one of the most important forerunners of women’s theology. She began her criticism of theology shortly before 1970. Daly, who embraced radical feminism, first focused her critique on the Catholic Church and its doctrines. However, she soon concluded that she was not valued within the Church, and indeed, that the Church was beyond re-evaluation and restoration. Nevertheless, her influence on later women theologians is undisputed. This is evidenced in texts by Sallie McFague, Ivone Gebara, and Wendy Farley, who have all engaged in critical and groundbreaking work regarding images of God, with particular emphasis on the meaning of the power of God. McFague highlights that all talk about God is metaphorical, presenting parables that depict God as friend, lover, and mother, which is how she emphasizes the importance of the physicality and immanence of God. Similar themes can be found within Ivone Gebara’s text, but the experiences of the poor are a prerequisite for her writings of God images. She writes that all life is interconnected and interdependent. According to her, we find God in the relatedness and kinship of all living creatures. Wendy Farley’s contribution to the critical discussion on the images of God is a reinterpretation of the concept of power. She wishes to keep talking about God’s power but reinterprets the concept. In her view, the power of God is best described as compassion, a quality, however, that only God can have. God’s compassion liberates human beings from violence and evil. God’s power transforms and liberates in a way that no human power ever can.

Konsistensi Konsep Keselamatan adalah Anugerah dalam Masa Intertestamental

The period between the Old Testament and the New Testament is often referred to as the intertestamental period which is approximately 400 years apart, during which time no prophet appears to be the successor of God's voice. Ended by the prophet Malachi and the book of Chronicles the Bible does not give any record. This certainly raises so many questions as to what happened in that dark age, whether God really did not do anything among God's people, especially the Israelites, while at that time the Israelites had repeatedly experienced good colonization from Persian, Greek or Roman. By using descriptive methods and historical analysis, this discussion will provide an insight into God's faithfulness to His covenant to the people, and how the concept of salvation has not changed even though in the 400 years that God did not speak to His people. Understanding the consistency of the concept of salvation is a gift in intertestamental times will open a new understanding of the power of God in keeping the covenants and His Word.AbstractMasa antara Perjanjian Lama dengan Perjanjian Baru seringkali disebut dengan masa intertesta-men yang berjarak lebih kurang 400 tahun, di mana sepanjang masa tersebut tidak ada nabi yang muncul menjadi penerus suara dari Tuhan. Diakhiri oleh Nabi Maleakhi dan kitab Tawarikh maka Alkitab tidak memberikan catatan apa pun. Hal tersebut tentu memunculkan begitu banyak pertanyaan dengan apa yang terjadi dalam masa kegelapan tersebut, apakah memang Allah betul-betul tidak berbuat sesuatu apapun di tengah-tengah umat Tuhan, khususnya bangsa Israel, sementara pada masa tersebut bangsa Israel berkali-kali mengalami penjajahan baik dari Persia, Yunani ataupun Romawi. Dengan menggunakan metode deskriptif dan analisis historis, pemba-hasan ini akan memberikan pandangan tentang kesetiaan Allah dengan perjanjianNya kepada umat, serta bagaimana konsep keselamatan itu tidak mengalami pergeseran sekalipun dalam keadaan 400 tahun Tuhan tidak berbicara kepada umatNya. Memahami konsistensi konsep keselamatan adalah anugerah dalam masa intertestamental akan membukakan pemahaman baru tentang kekuatan Allah dalam memelihara perjanjian dan FirmanNya.

A Wojtyłian Reading of Performativity and the Self in Judith Butler

Drawing on Hegel, Judith Butler argues that the subject is the product of its desire for subject-ion. The subject, its gender, and even the sexed body itself come into being through reiterating or parodying preexisting norms and discourses of power (“performativity”). Butler rejects the realities of substance and a fixed human nature that would limit the possibilities of performativity. I summarize and assess Butler’s proposals, highlighting both the value and the drawbacks of her theory. I then show how John Paul II’s understanding of meaning and of the body as tasks takes up what is positive in Butler. He escapes the pitfalls of her thought, however, by retaining both metaphysics and revelation. He argues that the subject exists as substance or suppositum, which defends it against the encroachment of power. He also insists on the importance of human nature, which makes the human person to be the kind of substance who can form herself through the God-given task of creative action directed toward meaningful self-gift. Lastly, John Paul II emphasizes that the divine power of God enables the person to transcend the power dynamics of the culture of death.