Sanctification
The process of sanctification can also be termed loosely of becoming like God, as we were all created to be like him and in sanctification we are restored to the full human potential designed by god. This has three parts or levels and includes the work done by the Holy Spirit, done by ourselves and through society. All three are required to achieve sanctification and that is the full development of the god-designed human being. The Holy Spirit makes the believer holy and sanctification is a part of it. The change does not take place immediately, and the process takes three stages. The names given to these three stages are positional sanctification, progressive sanctification and perfect or complete sanctification. (Sanctification- First Baptist Church) As we run the race to the end of our lives, Sanctification is an incessant procedure of growth. In the life of a Christian, the work of…...

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References

Agent of Sanctification" Retrieved at Accessed on 02/27/2004http://www.abideinchrist.com/devotion/jul15.html.

Aoto, Stacey; Bellefeuille, Sheri; Gattis, Jay and Sullivan, Paul. "The Doctrine of Santification." Retrieved at Accessed on 02/27/2004http://www-students.biola.edu/~jay/theo-sanctification.html.

Berkhof, L. "Sanctification." A Reformed Theology Resource.

Retrieved at Accessed on 02/27/2004http://www.mbrem.com/life/sanctberk.htm.

" (Romans 12:1).
Assisted Suicide

Assisted suicide is when one person aids another person in ending their life, ecause the person ending their life chooses to do so. This act is alternatively termed voluntary euthanasia, though the semantic difference etween the two terms lays in the intent of self-destruction (suicide) versus death with moral forethought and dignity (Downie 2004). It is a fine line, fraught with great moral dilemma.

Christian teachings are the foundation of deciding how Christians should conduct themselves, from minor prolems to great controversies. The Holy Scripture imparts to elievers that man is the creation of God, and in so eing, earing the Divine mark of grace. Indeed, the Sixth Commandment tells us "thou shalt not kill," and this proscriptive statement follows even into the medical field with the Hippocratic Oath "first do no harm" the Christian underpinnings of medical ethics calls into question those procedures that involve a health…...

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bibliography. Westport, CT.: Praeger Publishers, 2003.

Jong, Paul. Exegesis on the Book of Romans. Santos, 2006.

Jordan, Anne. Truth, Spirituality, and Contemporary Issues. Cheltenham, UK: Nelson Thomas Ltd., 2003.

Mitchell, Nathan. Cult and Controversy: The Worship of the Eucharist Outside Mass (Studies in the Reformed Rites of the Catholic Church, Vol 4). Collegeville: Pueblo Publishing, 1990 4th ed.

Palmer, E. Salvation by Surprise: A Commentary on the Book of Romans. Vancouver: Word, Incorporated, 1975.

Calvin graphically expresses this in the following excerpt:
Why, then, are we justified by faith? ecause by faith we grasp Christ's righteousness, by which alone we are reconciled to God. Yet you could not grasp this without at the same time grasping sanctification also. For he "is given unto us for righteousness, wisdom, sanctification, and redemption" [1 Cor. 1:30]. Therefore, Christ justifies no one whom he does not at the same time sanctify [Nullum ergo Christus iustificat quem non-simul sanctificet]. These benefits are joined together by a perpetual and inseparable bond [Sunt enim perpetuo et individuo nexu coniuncta], so that those whom he illumines by his wisdom, he redeems; those whom he redeems, he justifies; those whom he justifies, he sanctifies…Thus, it is clear how true it is that we are justified not without works yet not through works [sit nos non-sine operibus, neque tamen per opera iustificari], since in…...

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Bibliography Rowman & Littlefield, 2007.

 http://books.google.com/books?id=B8cPpw3dXv4C&pg=PA67&lpg=PA67&dq=Santifi 

ationDonald+Bloesch+and+John+Calvin&source=bl&ots=Hqar1ordfa&sig=8B9M1ZfJr

J1P92fpeQKp4hziGA&hl=en&ei=50nvSaScE8

EtweqlvDIDw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4 (accessed April24, 2009).

..if you really want the Christ and truly love him, there is nothing that will prevent his coming and taking up his abode with you provided your love for him manifests..." through loving inner spirit of Christ instead only the outside. One may appear to be a Christian yet the Lordship of Christ in the life of the Christian means that present is love, compassion and forgiveness for others. The Christian loves the 'inner spirit of Christ because to desire only the outside of Christ will not allow Christ true Lordship in our lives. Loving the inner spirit of Christ requires loving the spirit of love...faith...compassion... The spirit of forgiveness." (Lindsey-Weinman, 19?
-2000)

Humanity tends to only: "...desire the outside of Christ..." (Lindsey-Weinman, 19?

-2000) the Christian loves more than simply an image of Christ as 'Lordship of Christ' does not mean loving the image of Christ in his white robe and sandals…...

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Bibliography

Article I - God (2007) UMC Online available at  http://archives.umc.org/interior.asp?ptid=1&mid=1654 

Article V - of the Sufficiency of the Holy Scriptures for Salvation. (2007) Online the United Methodist Church available at  http://archives.umc.org/interior.asp?ptid=1&mid=1649 

Free Grace: The Sermons of John Wesley (1703-1791) Global Ministries: The United Methodist Church. 2007.

Jones, Rev. Dr. Gregory (nd) the Practice of Ministry and Your Understanding of God, Divine Grace, Humanity, the Lordship of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit dean of Duke Divinity School" FIX

Spiritual Transformation Through Community
Importance of Community for Spiritual Transformation

Accountability

Process of Growth

iblical and Theological Foundations

Jesus Christ

Love

Holy Spirit

Community Transformation

The broad theme that this research project will endeavor upon is to what extent is there a necessity of community within spiritual transformation. Transformation can be thought of on many different levels that include on a personal as well as a corporate level transformation. It is reasonable to assume that every individual in the ody of Christ must align themselves fully on an individual basis so they are in a position to make their optimal contribution to the community and the church can move in its fullness of power and purpose. However, it is also reasonable to believe that the power of the collective Christian community is far greater than just the sum of its parts; that ultimately, there should be a Christian community transformation as being a light to our local and earthly…...

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Bibliography

American Experience. (N.d.). People & Ideas: Walter Rauschenbusch. Retrieved from God in America:  http://www.pbs.org/godinamerica/people/walter-rauschenbusch.html 

Armstrong, C. (2008). How John Wesley Changed America. Retrieved from Christianity Today:  http://www.christianitytoday.com/history/2008/august/how-john-wesley-changed-america.html 

Barton, R. (2011, January 6). What We Believe About Spiritual Transformation. Retrieved from Transforming Center:  https://www.transformingcenter.org/2011/01/what-we-believe-about-spiritual-transformation/ 

Bonheoffer, D. (1959). The cost of discipleship. New York: Simon & Schuster.

Pneumatologists and theologians have long sought to define the role of the Holy Spirit within the Christian faith. These scholars' understanding of the Spirit differs greatly, not only in terms of the role of the Holy Spirit, but also in terms of whether those roles are central to the Christian church (yrie, 1997). Even the base concept of the perception of the Spirit differs among scholars and religious leaders.
This paper discusses the various notions of the role of the Holy Spirit in the Christian Church, as expressed by modern theologians and pneumatologists. Additionally, this paper will discuss the differing views of whether those roles are central to the Church, or if they are to be applied on a more diverse level. Finally, this paper will discuss ways in which the Spirit is celebrated and displayed in the lives of those who believe.

To understand the role of the Holy Spirit in…...

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References

Barres, C. 2004, 'Wonder working power', Heartlight magazine, [Online]. Available at  http://www.heartlight.org/articles/200402/20040210_wonderpower.html .

Bednar, D. 2003, Mother's weekend welcome (transcript of March 21, 2003 Brigham Young University presentation for Women's Week). Brigham Young University, Rexburg, Idaho. Available at  http://www.byui.edu/Presentations/Transcripts/WomensWeek/2003_03_21_Bednar.htm .

D'Ambrosio, M. 2003, 'The charisms of The Holy Spirit for service', Charisms of the Holy Spirit and the sacrament of confirmation, Crossroads Productions, Flower Mound, Texas.

Fanning, W. 1990, 'Baptism', in R. Broderick (ed.), The Catholic encyclopedia, revised and updated, Nelson Reference, New York.

John Wesley's understanding of the via salutis, identifying each component. Does John Wesley successfully maintain his emphasis both on God's goodness and on humanity's responsibility throughout this entire process?
The term "via salutis" translates into the "path of salvation." In the view of John Wesley, the path of salvation consisted of two distinct components, that of justification and sanctification (Wesley, 1980, p.271). Justification was an act of God's forgiveness and the human being accepting God into his or her heart. Although this fundamentally changed the believer from his or her previously sinful state, it still required active responsibility on the part of the believer to accept God's forgiveness and goodness. Thus, in this first stage of the path of salvation, there was a simultaneous action on God's part in God's willingness to forgive but also a conscious change on the part of the believer to recognize and accept that goodness.…...

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Reference

Outler, A. C. (1980). "Introduction." In John Wesley (Library of Protestant Thought). A. C.

Outler (Ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Wesley, J. (1980). John Wesley (Library of Protestant Thought). A. C. Outler (Ed.). Oxford:

To combat subjectivity, he called for interpretation to be subject to church authority, which was the voice of reason. Reardon (1981) echoes this interpretation: "Hooker sets out to refute the puritan contention that in religion holy scripture affords the sole and absolute authority and rule" (p. 280). Hooker shows that the narrow principle of sola scriptura "disregards the larger context of the divine law in creation within which even the scriptural revelation must be placed if we are to understand its proper scope and purpose" (Reardon, 1981, p. 280). Not far from the Reformers, they upheld the idea that the directly inspired written word contains supernatural revelation. There is perhaps less emphasis on preaching and proclamation in the Anglicans than in the Reformers.
hat is the status of the creeds and traditions? In Anglicanism, the Nicene, the Athanasius, and the Apostle's creeds are stressed as true because they are taken…...

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Works Cited

Aland, K. (Ed.). (2004). Martin Luther's 95 theses. Saint Louis: Concordia Publishing House.

Avis, P. (2007). The identity of Anglicanism: essentials of Anglican ecclesiology. London and New York: T & T. Clark.

Bayer, Oswald. (2008). Martin Luther's theology: a contemporary interpretation (Trans T.H. Trapp). Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans.

Beckwith, R.T. (1988). "Anglicanism." In New dictionary of theology (S. B. Ferguson & D.F. Wright, Eds.), pp. 21-23. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

Persona Christi
An Analysis of the Priesthood "in persona Christi" and "in nominee ecclesiae"

The questions that surround the functions of the priesthood and the diaconate today appear to be part and parcel of the greater uncertainty that surrounds ancient Church customs. This paper will attempt to analyze the meanings of the phrases "in persona Christi" and "in nomine ecclesiae" as they have reflected the functions of the ministers of the Church both in the past and in today. The conclusion of this research is that while the traditional Church maintained a clear definition (and reverent propriety regarding the mystery of the priestly aspect), today's Church is less sure of the role and function of the minister in relation to Church hierarchy and Church laity.

In Persona Christi

Historical Background: the Vestments

Pius XII's (1947) encyclical Mediator Dei describes for us the aspect of the priest in relation to Jesus Christ, the Head of…...

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Staley, V. (1894). The Catholic Religion. London, UK: Mowbray.

Tanner, N.P., ed. (1990). Decrees of the Ecumenical Councils. London: Sheed

and Ward.

Women's choice lead a celebate life, remain a virgin, a rejection societal expectations? A conclusion drawn thesis question. I attaching suggested books citation. Essay 12 pages length counting citations bibliography.
Was a Women's choice to lead a celibate life or remain a virgin a rejection of societal expectations?

The role of women in the society has been widely debated throughout the history of both philosophical thought and social sciences. Women have a particular place in society since ancient times and there are clear indications, in the religious literature, that women have had specific views and opinions regarding their own place in the society. In this context, the current research discusses the choice of women to lead a celibate life or keep herself a virgin and whether this choice was a reaction to societal expectations and social pressures. The perspective of the research analysis is focused on Christian traditions from the Apostles…...

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Kung, 2001, p22-3

Karant-Nun, 2003, p10

idem, p11

Therefore what God has joined together, man must not separate." 7 Why then," they asked Him, "did Moses command [us] to give divorce papers (I) and to send her away?" 8 He told them, "Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because of the hardness of your hearts. But it was not like that from the beginning. 9 and I tell you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery."
Divorce was taught to be a last resort, not the 'I am tired of you' choice. Children are hurt and devastated by the divorce and more psychological trauma is being placed on the child. Children are losing context on the meaning of love and what to expect from it.

The Bible also states the expectation on men and women in regards to the family. In Genesis 1:28, it is written, "God blessed them, and God said…...

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References

Bertolet, Timothy J. 2002. "Truth or Consequences: The Promise and Peril of Postmodernism." Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society. Evangelical Theological Society. Retrieved May 06, 2010 from HighBeam Research:  http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P3-275630471.html 

Dawson, Lorne L.. 1998. "Anti-modernism, modernism, and postmodernism: struggling with the cultural significance of new religious movements." Sociology of Religion. Association for the Sociology of Religion. Retrieved May 06, 2010 from HighBeam Research:  http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-20913875.html 

Erickson, M.J. (1995). Evangelical Christology and Soteriology Today. Interpretation, 49(3), 255+. Retrieved May 6, 2010, from Questia database:  http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=5037673963 

Holy Bible (King James Version). 1972. Thomas Nelson Inc., Camden, New Jersey.

In explaining his theories and conceptions regarding the divine nature, the writer helps us understand what the Thomistic school of thought is. It must be underlined that the Thomistic conceptions reach a very profound philosophical level. Regardless of this the author of the book under review manages to introduce them to the general audience through a language and a manner which make them accessible to everyone. Religious issues such as the revelation, the creation of the world in general and of things in particular are briefly explained in a manner which allows the reader to grasp their fundamental meaning. In addition, the writer makes some notes about the Thomistic virtues, explaining Aquinas' contribution to the development of the religious thought.
It is interesting to notice that McDermott's selection includes figures who come from various backgrounds and environments. From Aquinas we pass to Martin Luther, who, in his opinion is the…...

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Bibliography:

McDermott, G. (2001)The great theologians, A brief guide. Intervarsity Press

Instead, holiness is attained through right-mindedness and a right heart. You say that the body affects the mind -- and indeed it does. But no longer is an obsession with bodily attributes, such as food, drink, and adherence to the laws of Leviticus (including circumcision) that connects us to God.
"Again Jesus called the crowd to him and said, 'Listen to me, everyone, and understand this. Nothing outside a man can make him 'unclean' by going into him. Rather, it is what comes out of a man that makes him 'unclean.'" (Mark 7:14-15). I do indeed agree that religiosity cannot be found in rote prayers, learned in childhood, or be encompassed by a vague sense of spirituality that does not take into consideration Christ's sacrifice. On the subject of prayer, I can only say that I pray daily -- both in the conventional manner in which you seem to think…...

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Work Cited

BibleGateway.com. October 26, 2010.  http://www.biblegateway.com/

S. were not "hostile" to evangelicalism (Bebbington, p. 367). After II, the Church of Scotland and British Methodism launched "sustained evangelistic thrusts" and in Britain the "National Young Life Campaign" got involved in evangelical activities, Bebbington continued.
The American Presbyterian denominations announced in 1946 that they were to become "a crusading organ for evangelical religion" (Bebbington, p. 367). And when Billy Graham began preaching and healing in the post-II era he did "almost as much" to bring the evangelical movement strength in Britain as he did in the United States, Bebbington asserts. Even in the staid, conservative Church of England there was a "new evangelical revival" by 1959; further promoting the movement was the fact that the British and American evangelical movements linked their talents and strengths across the Atlantic Ocean.

Bebbington notes that the charismatic movement in Britain during the 1960s was in part inspired by the writings of David ilkerson,…...

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Works Cited

Bebbington, David. 1994. Evangelism in Its Settings: The British and American Movements

Since 1940. Eds. Mark a. Noll, David W. Bebbington and George a. Rawlyk, in Evangelicalism: Comparative Studies of Popular Protestantism in North America, the British Isles, and Beyond, 1700-1990. New York: Oxford University Press.

Bebbington, David W., and Bebbington, Davi. 1989. Evangelicalism in Modern Britain: A

History from the 1730s to the 1980s. New York: Routledge.

A favorite target for conspiracists today as well as in the past, a group of European intellectuals created the Order of the Illuminati in May 1776, in Bavaria, Germany, under the leadership of Adam Weishaupt (Atkins, 2002). In this regard, Stewart (2002) reports that, "The 'great' conspiracy organized in the last half of the eighteenth century through the efforts of a number of secret societies that were striving for a 'new order' of civilization to be governed by a small group of 'all-powerful rulers.' The most important of these societies, and the one to which all subsequent conspiracies could be traced, is the Illuminati founded in Bavaria on May 1, 1776 by Adam Weishaupt" (p. 424). According to Atkins, it was Weishaupt's fundamental and overriding goal to form a secret organization of elite members of Europe's leading citizens who could then strive to achieve the Enlightenment version of revolutionary…...

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References

American Psychological Association. (2002). Publication manual of the American Psychological

Association (5th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.

Anderson, J. (1981, 1723). The charges of a Free-Mason extracted from the ancient records of lodges beyond the sea, and of those in England, Scotland, and Ireland, for the use of the lodges in London: To be read at the making of new brethren, or when the master shall order it. Reprinted in The Radical Enlightenment: Pantheists, Freemasons, and Republicans, by M.C. Jacob, 279-285. London and Boston: Allen & Unwin in Harland-

Jacobs at p. 237.

The Puritan Dilemma

The Puritan dilemma, a core tension within Puritan theology and practice, emerged from the inherent conflict between the pursuit of personal salvation and the demands of communal life. As a religious movement that emphasized strict adherence to biblical principles, Puritanism placed a strong emphasis on individual accountability and the need for constant self-examination. However, the Puritan commitment to community and the belief in the importance of collective worship also presented challenges to the primacy of individual conscience.

The Call for Personal Salvation

Puritanism was founded on the central tenet of predestination, the belief that God had elected a chosen few....