Augustine derived from Plato, a perspective that the human self exists as a thinking immaterial soul. Plato stood firm in believing that after dying, the souls with the greatest love for the forms would rise and ponder over eternal truths. This to Plato was a kind of heaven, existing beyond time and space. Augustine interpreted such forms as concepts within the mind of a perfect and eternal God. Augustine said the main requirement was that humans love the eternal, perfect God. Thus, Augustine emphasized the significance of will as well as the ability to choose between evil and good. Loving and serving God was to Augustine, a fundamental religion responsibility. Sticking to this duty, one can succeed in avoiding evil and choosing good.
Part I
Chapter IX of Book Three has Augustine discussing the crimes and vices that plague humanity, even with men who are in the process of working towards the good. This here could very well go against the notion that sticking to the main responsibility of loving and serving God could help people avoid evil and elect good. If someone is already in the process of doing God's work and can succumb to evil, that notion Augustine developed becomes plainly flawed. Augustine mentions that the law of man could create circumstances that could lead men astray. " ... when acts are punished by constituted authority for the sake of correction,...
King David as Described in 2 Samuel 11 Samuel 11 describes the events surrounding the sin of King David with regard to Uriah, whom he essentially had executed so that David's adultery with Uriah's wife would not be made known to him. This shameful action on the part of David displeased the Lord immensely, which is described in the following chapters. This chapter, however, reveals a side of David's character
Bernini's David The Baroque was a dramatic period in Europe: the religious unity the continent had enjoyed for centuries had come to a crashing halt with the Protestant Reformation. King was turned against King, prince against pontiff. Persecution and war were dominant themes, especially following the excommunication of Henry VIII from the Church. Bernini's David, sculpted between 1623 and 1624, represents the swirling, dramatic, grim activity of the times (Avery). It
As for supernatural acts, the primary sources of these are God and Satan. Satan or the Devil constantly urges the individual to adopt sinful ways, to behave contrary to God's directives. To combat Satan's influence, God is always available as a guide and supporter for people in moments of indecision, of spiritual weakness, and of temptation. God's guidance and strength may be sought directly through prayer and through reading
The characters of God, Stan, and Jesus are also significant in this epic and because they are considered valuable in their roles in the poem, we can assume that Milton found similar value with these characters in life itself. Through these characters, Milton is presenting not only a hierarchy but also a way in which things should operate. God's supremacy is unquestionable in this realm and demonstrated early in
John Wesley understand the human condition and human need for grace? The Wesleyan understanding of grace is that grace is a gift given by God, not something that human beings can win by performing particular actions (cited by Outler, 1980, p. 126). Good works are manifested as a symptom or a result of grace but they do not, in and of themselves, secure grace. Wesley quotes Paul's letter to the
Similarly the Ayurvedic tradition of India emphasized rest and relaxation and nutritional well-being, along with various mentally stimulating exercises. Ayurvedic resorts are still popular in the East. Buddhism is also viewed as an avenue out of depression -- a mode to enlightenment. Nonetheless, as James C.-Y. Chou (2005) states, "The concept of psychological depression in Eastern cultures is not as well accepted as it is in Western cultures. In fact,
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