¶ … orthodoxy was challenged by several alternate theologies including multiple views of the Trinity and the nature of Christ. Different Christian religious orientations came to other conclusions about those elements, which have, in turn, become central parts of their Christian religious experience. These differences began in the 5th century, when the Orthodox Church parted ways with the Catholic Church. The initial differences were linked to cultural differences more than differences in ideology. Western Europe was plunged into the Dark Ages and was plagued by political, cultural, and spiritual upheaval as Constantinople threatened Rome's power in Europe. In Eastern Europe, Rome's power was unchallenged, so that there was greater stability in the area. "The Great Schism, which arose from a great variety of reasons -- some theological, but many cultural, linguistic, and political -- really happened because the two churches grew apart" (Davies-Stofka, p.1). As a result, Christianity as practiced by a modern Protestant or Catholic may differ substantially from Christianity as practiced by a modern Orthodox Christian. In order to understand those differences, it is important to first explore the elements of Orthodox thought. While it is impossible to condense an entire religion down to a set of elements, because Orthodoxy is often considered in contrast to Catholicism and Protestantism, it can be described in terms of how it approaches some of the major underpinnings of modern Christianity. First, the Orthodox...
This does not mean that Orthodox practices cannot be changed; cultural differences can be incorporated into the manner of worship, but not the subject of worship. Furthermore, there is no hierarchy of worship; This helps explain the second element of Orthodoxy, which is that Orthodoxy uses science to support the Bible, but does not allow for change in the Bible when it appears to be in conflict with science. In addition, Orthodoxy rejects attempts to bolster faith through philosophy and reason. Orthodoxy teaches that the knowledge of God is inherent in human beings and not the product of philosophy or human reason. Only through God's speech can humans begin to understand more about God. Furthermore, Jesus is the means by which God has chosen to speak to man. Orthodoxy believes in the Trinity, which suggests that God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are all the same being, but also distinct. Christ voluntarily gave his life to save others, not to satisfy the debt that was originally incurred with Adam's sin. The Orthodox Church believes that all of its bishops are the living icon of Christ and does not have a hierarchy among them. The Church believes that it is formed through the sacrament of the Eucharist. The Orthodox Church believes that Canons are guidelines for producing holiness, and though they do not have the power…
Theology Definition In How to Think Theologically, Howard Stone and James Duke argue that theology works with a distinct template and epistemology or theory of knowledge, as do history, sociology and physics. Each theologian will have a distinctive template, but they all rely on Scripture, tradition, reason and experience to a greater of lesser extent (Stone and Duke 43). Martin Luther stated that his theology was based on Scripture and faith
Theology Sacraments are traditional rites that are recognized as having a particular significance or importance. There are seven sacraments and baptism is on of them, it is the first of the three sacraments of initiation. Baptism involves the use of water symbolically and leads to the admission of a person into a community of believers. Baptism is based on John the Baptist practice where he baptized people including Christ. Baptism now
26). Adherents of apophatic theology subscribe to the belief that instead of intellect, it is far more productive to acquire mystical knowledge as this reflects an awareness of God's innumerable ways of manifesting himself. Describing the central differences between apophatic theology and Western religious philosophy, Lossky states that it involves replacing the Holy Trinity -- the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit -- with the more universal (non-Western) virtues
Then, and now, Americans are risking losing their moral character by "greeting only their own people." America needs a theology of immigration that begins with the Bible and ends with public policy. In their policy proposals, Sider and Snippers suggest as one of the top goals to "extend the same rights and protections to vulnerable immigrants and refugees as citizens," (242). This would appear to be the more authentic evangelical
In this way, Segundo's greatest strength in this text is also its weakest, when examined with full analytical scrutiny. In his own definition and defense of liberation theology, he focuses only on one specific text and set of arguments against the ideology; by discounting Ratzinger's "Instruction" as a fundamental misinterpretation of the theology and its origins and relationship to Catholic doctrine and dogma, Segundo precludes the notion of engaging in
Theology Carlo, I.A. "Toward An Evangelical Global Theology Amidst World Christianity." Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Bakke Graduate University, Seattle, WA, 2009. Once the reader moves beyond the messy, shallow writing in Carlo's "Toward An Evangelical Global Theology Amidst World Christianity," a few gems of research emerge. The problem is how hard it is to find those specks of value in this terribly written doctoral dissertation. The muddled and oblique writing aside, there is
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