The The Understanding of the Image of God in the Early and Medieval Church History

It is only in the Bible whereby precise details in regards to humanity's origin from the conservative Christian point of view, are recorded. The Bible clearly states that in God's image, man was made (Gen 1:27). This statement reflects the belief that the essence of human beings was created in the likeness of God, and demonstrated that man did not merely turn out to be in God's image but was carefully crafted to be so. However, despite the exalted position of man among creatures, theologians still have questions and debates about the image of God is, and what does it consists of. Many scholars have wrestled with the precise sense of the image of God from the time of the Early Church until the Medieval Era. This research uses qualitative method, whereby the early works of the fathers of the medieval church are analyzed. The research is carried out on a descriptive basis. It is the aim of this research to offer a structural and systematic understanding of the image of God, based on the perception of the early church and medieval church fathers. As a result, a conclusion is formed.

Eastern Church Fathers on Being Human—Dichotomy in Essence and Wholeness in Deification

The article traces the formation of Eastern Christian anthropology as a new religious and philosophical tradition within the Early Byzantine culture. The notion “Patristics” is reasoned as a corpus of ideas of the Church Fathers, both Eastern and Western. The term “Eastern Patristics” means the works by Greek-Byzantine Church Fathers, who in the theological disputes with the Western Church Fathers elaborated the Christian creed. Based on an analysis of the texts of Greek-Byzantine Church Fathers, the most important provisions of Eastern Patristics are deduced and discussed, which determined the specificity of Christian anthropology. In this context, different approaches of the Eastern Fathers to the explanation of the Old Testament thesis on the creation of man in God’s image and likeness and the justification of the duality of human essence are shown. Particular attention is paid to considering the idea of deification as overcoming the human dualism and the entire created universe, the doctrine of the Divine Logoi as God’s energies, and the potential elimination of the antinomianism of the earthly and Divine worlds. The article reflects the anthropological ideas of the pre-Nicene Church Father Irenaeus, the non-canonical early Christian work The Shepherd of Hermas, and the teachings on the man of the classical Eastern Patristics period by Athanasius of Alexandria, Gregory of Nyssa, and Maximus the Confessor.

Towards an Integrated Theology of Youth

This article summarises eight theological perspectives on youth and young people. Young people are variously seen as (1) sinful creatures in need of redemption; (2) gifts of God and sources of joy; (3) developing beings in need of guidance and instruction; (4) open to conversion; (5) vulnerable to exploitation; (6) fully human, made in God’s image; (7) a prophetic presence; and (8) a prophetic voice. Rather than simply affirm all 8 perspectives as important, an integrated theological perspective on youth views young people within the distinctive features of their created reality, with particular strengths and assets along with distinct needs and deficits, to be fully capable as bearers of the divine image, and with emerging capability as social agents.

Dooyeweerd’s Problematic Idea of Cosmic Time

Herman Dooyeweerd (1953, 28) writes that “the idea of cosmic time constitutes the basis of the philosophical theory of reality in [A New Critique to Theoretical Thought].” My aim is to present and defend the hypothesis that Dooyeweerd’s idea of time is, in part, mistaken at its foundation. His idea of a cosmic temporal coherence of diverse modal aspects arose from the absolutization of a concept of temporal universality that he adopted uncritically as the transcendental basic Idea of cosmic time. My immanent-critical assessment leads to the hypothesis that temporality should be recognized as the first modal aspect, which, for Dooyeweerd, has been lost to view. Recovering both the sphere sovereignty of the temporal aspect and the equal universality of all aspects opens the way to a resolution of Dooyeweerd’s temporal/supratemporal dialectic and to a new perspective on naive experience and the meaning of humans as God’s image.

Újragondolt istenkép

"God’s Image Revisited. God said to Moses, “I am who I am” (Exodus 3,14). Although Christian churches seek to present the New Testaments’ image of God, the loving, caring, and merciful God, yet the idea of a punitive, strict, and fearsome God lives stronger in many. Our image of God not only determines the nature of our relationship with God, but it also influences our personality, actions, self-concept, mindset, and social relations. It acts within and through us. Although everyone has an image of God – regardless of whether one is a believer or not –, how we experience God’s relation to us is manifold. But why do we experience God’s relationship with us in so many ways? What circumstances shape and influence our image of God? It is not unusual that even believers of the same congregation give accounts of diverse images of God. Why? These questions are answered by calling upon psychological insights. Keywords: image of God, images of mother and father, attachment, mental health "

Reformatorische ambtstheologie en de eigenheid van mannen en vrouwen

This article responds to dr. Harmen Jansen’s critique of the classic Reformed position on women in office, as maintained by the Gereformeerde Bond in the Protestant Church of the Netherlands. While men and women are created equal in God’s image, and thus share equally in Christ’s salvation, this does not exclude a functional difference in task and responsibility. An appeal to cultural and social patterns should not relativize Scripture’s authoritative teaching. The church welcomes the participation of women and their Spirit-given talents in various ministries, even if the offices of pastor and elder remain closed to them. The dynamics of mutual dedication and love that mirrors the relationship of Christ and his church can only function if the distinct identities of men and women are preserved.

Antara Selfie Dan Selfless: Sebuah Tinjauan Teologis Terhadap Tren Instagram

The emergence of Instagram has indisputably made the world full of pictures. Messages that are generally dominated by words have turned into a collection of colorful pictures on Instagram. Pictures have brought a world that is beyond words. On the other hand, many experts observe the destructive sides of Instagram. The pictures that are initially meant to reveal beauty have transformed into a means of self-fulfillment. Pictures have turned into a context where the self has become the center of the message and the world. In the Christian faith, this is fatal! A self-centered life is contradictory to the Christian nature as God’s image, which basically must center life on God. The question begs to answer: how should Christian respond to Instagram? This is the focus of the research. To answer the question above, using the methodology of phenomenology approach and literary research, I will explain the history and impacts of Instagram. After that, I will analyze it from the perspective of the Christian faith, especially those that are related to the philosophy undergirding Instagram. Finally, I believe Instagram is not evil per se. However, appropriate responses are needed to bring forth a clearer God’s image in the world that is full of pictures.