scholarly journals Speaking of Mysteries: Atonement in Teenage Fantasy Books

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Anne van Gend
Keyword(s):  
Harry Potter ◽  
Religious Language ◽  
Fantasy Literature ◽  
Religious Expression ◽  
Old Kingdom ◽  
Fantasy Fiction ◽  
Young Readers ◽  
The Bible ◽  
The World ◽  
The Church

<p>The question of how we can speak of a transcendent God and God’s relationship with creation has been pondered for millennia. Today particular difficulties arise when communicating Christian atonement theories to a generation for whom the world of the Bible is increasingly foreign, and in a time when theologians and philosophers are questioning both the violence of some atonement theories and the existence of “superior transcendence.” This study explores the presence of biblical motifs in the stories of atonement in young adult fantasy works. It suggests that the use of these motifs to make sense of atonement within fantasy worlds may assist readers to make sense of the same motifs when they are used to portray the Christian story of atonement.  The investigation begins by discussing the place of imagination, reason and transcendence in religious language and argues for the centrality of metaphor and myth in religious expression. It suggests that young people today still seek intermediaries—“priests and prophets”—between themselves and the unknown, but they now find them in the fantasy authors who continue to use imaginative language to communicate transcendence.  A central trope in contemporary fantasy fiction is that of a death that saves the world. Contrary to the expectations raised by René Girard’s work, these are not the violent deaths of a helpless scapegoat. The biblical mythologems incorporated in these works allow the authors to explore instead ideas of divine and human self-giving. This is demonstrated by tracing how mythological understandings of blood, victory and covenant in the Bible are incorporated into the atonement process of three fantasy series: the Old Kingdom Chronicles by Garth Nix (1995-2003), the Mortal Instruments trilogy by Cassandra Clare (2007-2009), and the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling (1997-2007).  The thesis proposes that the presence of biblical mythologems in contemporary fantasy stories of atonement means that a better understanding of their use in each domain can both enrich our appreciation of this kind of literature and provide teenagers with an imaginative language with which to consider aspects of Christian atonement. The prevalence of atonement ideas within recent fantasy books suggests that, by attending to the mythologems of atonement drawn from the Bible, the church might both rediscover the imaginative power of her own story and convey it meaningfully to young readers of fantasy literature today.</p>

scholarly journals Speaking of Mysteries: Atonement in Teenage Fantasy Books

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Anne van Gend
Keyword(s):  
Harry Potter ◽  
Religious Language ◽  
Fantasy Literature ◽  
Religious Expression ◽  
Old Kingdom ◽  
Fantasy Fiction ◽  
Young Readers ◽  
The Bible ◽  
The World ◽  
The Church

<p>The question of how we can speak of a transcendent God and God’s relationship with creation has been pondered for millennia. Today particular difficulties arise when communicating Christian atonement theories to a generation for whom the world of the Bible is increasingly foreign, and in a time when theologians and philosophers are questioning both the violence of some atonement theories and the existence of “superior transcendence.” This study explores the presence of biblical motifs in the stories of atonement in young adult fantasy works. It suggests that the use of these motifs to make sense of atonement within fantasy worlds may assist readers to make sense of the same motifs when they are used to portray the Christian story of atonement.  The investigation begins by discussing the place of imagination, reason and transcendence in religious language and argues for the centrality of metaphor and myth in religious expression. It suggests that young people today still seek intermediaries—“priests and prophets”—between themselves and the unknown, but they now find them in the fantasy authors who continue to use imaginative language to communicate transcendence.  A central trope in contemporary fantasy fiction is that of a death that saves the world. Contrary to the expectations raised by René Girard’s work, these are not the violent deaths of a helpless scapegoat. The biblical mythologems incorporated in these works allow the authors to explore instead ideas of divine and human self-giving. This is demonstrated by tracing how mythological understandings of blood, victory and covenant in the Bible are incorporated into the atonement process of three fantasy series: the Old Kingdom Chronicles by Garth Nix (1995-2003), the Mortal Instruments trilogy by Cassandra Clare (2007-2009), and the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling (1997-2007).  The thesis proposes that the presence of biblical mythologems in contemporary fantasy stories of atonement means that a better understanding of their use in each domain can both enrich our appreciation of this kind of literature and provide teenagers with an imaginative language with which to consider aspects of Christian atonement. The prevalence of atonement ideas within recent fantasy books suggests that, by attending to the mythologems of atonement drawn from the Bible, the church might both rediscover the imaginative power of her own story and convey it meaningfully to young readers of fantasy literature today.</p>

scholarly journals Sejarah Penafsiran Ajaran Paulus Mengenai Pembenaran Oleh Iman

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 135-175
Author(s):  
Warseto Freddy Sihombing
Keyword(s):  
Jesus Christ ◽  
Human Being ◽  
Son Of God ◽  
The Bible ◽  
The World ◽  
Justification By Faith ◽  
History Of ◽  
To Come ◽  
Wrath Of God ◽  
The Church

AbstractNo one can be justified before God for doing good deeds. No matter how good a man is, if he does not believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, he will not be saved from the wrath of God to come. There is no human being who is right before God, and no sinful man can save himself in any way. The only way out is in the way that God has given to the problem of all sinners, by sending Jesus Christ to the world to die for sinners. "And for this he came, so that every man believed in him, who was sent by God" (John 6:29). The Bible teaches that salvation is only obtained because of faith in Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the object of that faith. This salvation is known as the statement "Justified by faith. Paul explained this teaching in each of his writings. This teaching of justification by faith has been repeatedly denied by some people who disagree with Paul's opinion. The history of the church from the early centuries to the present has proven the variety of understandings that have emerged from this teaching, but one important thing is that sinful humans are justified by their faith in Jesus Christ before God.Keywords: Paul;history; justified by faith.AbstrakTidak ada seorang pun yang dapat dibenarkan di hadapan Allah karena telah melakukan perbuatan baik. Sebaik apa pun manusia, jika dia tidak percaya kepada Yesus Kristus, Anak Allah maka ia tidak akan selamat dari murka Allah yang akan datang. Tidak ada seorang pun manusia yang benar di hadapan Allah, dan tidak ada seorang manusia berdosa yang dapat menyelematkan dirinya sendiri dengan cara apa pun. Satu-satunya jalan keluar adalah dengan cara yang Allah telah berikan untuk masalah semua orang berdosa, yaitu dengan mengutus Yesus Kristus ke dunia untuk mati bagi orang berdosa. “Dan untuk itulah Dia datang, yaitu supaya setiap orang percaya kepada Dia, yang telah diutus oleh Allah” (Yohanes 6:29). Alkitab mengajarkan bahwa keselamatan hanya diperoleh karena iman kepada Yesus Kristus. Yesus Kristus adalah obyek iman tersebut. Keselamatan ini dikenal dengan pernyataan “Dibenarkan karena iman. Paulus menjelaskan ajaran ini dalam setiap tulisannya. Ajaran pembenaran oleh iman ini telah berulang kali disangkal oleh beberap orang yang tidak setuju dengan pendapat Paulus. Sejarah gereja mulai dari abad permulaan sampai pada masa sekarang ini telah membuktikan beragamnya pemahaman yang muncul terhadap ajaran ini, namun satu hal yang terpenting adalah bahwa manusia berdosa dibenarkan oleh iman mereka kepada Yesus Kristus di hadapan Allah.Kata Kunci: Paulus; sejarah; iman; dibenarkan oleh iman.

scholarly journals Exploring the Relevance of Feminist Leadership in Theological Education of Nigeria

2013 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 26-40
Author(s):  
Adesanya Ibiyinka Olusola
Keyword(s):  
Theological Education ◽  
Gender Justice ◽  
Women And Gender ◽  
Theological Schools ◽  
The Bible ◽  
Feminist Leadership ◽  
The World ◽  
Church And Society ◽  
And Gender ◽  
The Church

Feminist leadership is very important in theological education as it would seek to deconstruct stereotypical assumptions about women and gender in Christian theological traditions. Unfortunately, most of the theological schools in Nigeria do not have feminist as leaders. Five reasons why feminist leadership are needed in theological schools have been identified as, the bible teaching that women brought sin and death to the world, servant hood notion of women, scandal of particularity, male domination of ministries and theological methods and process that are full of stereotypes. All this does not provide women a unique opportunity to discover and develop their potential in the church and society. Also, women’s relevance and contributions can be hampered if not allowed to put in their optimum. To avoid this, the researcher suggests that theological education should not discriminate against any gender, but should work to bring about gender justice by involving the feminist leaders in theological education in Nigeria. It is hoped that by pursuing these steps, theological education in Nigeria would be preparing the way to sustainable development of the mission of Christ on earth.

scholarly journals Rethinking the message of the church in the 21st century: An amalgamation between science and religion

2019 ◽  
Vol 75 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dirk G. Van der Merwe
Keyword(s):  
20Th Century ◽  
21St Century ◽  
Science And Religion ◽  
Western World ◽  
The Past ◽  
The Bible ◽  
The World ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
The Church ◽  
Theological Training

Throughout its history, Christianity has stood in a dichotomous relation to the various philosophical movements or eras (pre-modernism, modernism, postmodernism and post-postmodernism) that took on different faces throughout history. In each period, it was the sciences that influenced, to a great extent, the interpretation and understanding of the Bible. Christianity, however, was not immune to influences, specifically those of the Western world. This essay reflects briefly on this dichotomy and the influence of Bultmann’s demythologising of the kerygma during the 20th century. Also, the remythologising (Vanhoozer) of the church’s message as proposed for the 21st century no more satisfies the critical Christian thinkers. The relationship between science and religion is revisited, albeit from a different perspective as established over the past two decades as to how the sciences have been pointed out more and more to complement theology. This article endeavours to evoke the church to consider the fundamental contributions of the sciences and how it is going to incorporate the sciences into its theological training and message to the world.

scholarly journals Teologi Keluarga: Kajian Terhadap Kejadian 1-3 Sebagai Dasar Pemahaman Esensi Keluarga Kristen

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 83-103
Author(s):  
Bakhoh Jatmiko
Keyword(s):  
The Bible ◽  
The Family ◽  
The World ◽  
Genesis 1 ◽  
The Church

Family is an intersting entity to study. Theologically, a family is a God established intitution in the marrital bound between a man and a woman. The family that designed by God himself has been through many threads and challenges from the world that promoting new values for the family that makes the family origin values put by God are being faded out. Many distortions in the family have become challenges for the church and the believers to set the focus to a family as mentioned in the Bible especially Genesis 1-3 as a resources where Christians capture the picture of the first family that have ever existed.

scholarly journals Upaya Meningkatkan Etos Kerja Jemaat melalui Pengajaran Hakikat Kerja Menurut Kolose 3:22-24

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 60-75
Author(s):  
Innawati Teddywono
Keyword(s):  
Work Ethic ◽  
Quantitative Approach ◽  
Survey Method ◽  
Research Model ◽  
The Bible ◽  
The World ◽  
Level Of Understanding ◽  
The Church

The Bible teaches about the nature of work as an activity that is meaningful for humans and others. That is why Christian workers must have a biblical work ethic in the world of work. This research uses a quantitative approach with a survey method. The research objective was to determine the level of understanding of the GPdI Wlingi congregation in Blitar regarding the nature of work according to Colossians 3:22-24 and the work ethic. This study found the magnitude of the influence of teaching about the nature of work according to Colossians 3: 22-24 on work variables among the GPdI Wlingi congregation, Blitar was 18.5%, while other causes explained the remaining 81.5% outside of this research model. It means that teaching about the nature of work, according to Colossians 3:22-24, must be taught and implemented by the church to improve its congregation's work ethic.AbstrakAlkitab memberikan pengajaran tentang hakikat kerja sebagai suatu aktivitas yang sangat bermakna bagi manusia dan sesamanya. Itulah sebabnya, pekerja Kristen harus memiliki etos kerja yang alkitabiah di tengah dunia kerja. Penelitian ini menggunakan pendekatan kuantitatif dengan metode survei. Tujuan penelitian hendak mengetahui seberapa besar tingkat pemahaman jemaat GPdI Wlingi, Blitar, mengenai hakikat kerja menurut Kolose 3:22-24, dan terhadap etos kerja. Penelitian ini menemukan besarnya pengaruh ajaran tentang hakikat kerja menurut Kolose 3:22-24 terhadap variabel kerja di kalangan jemaat GPdI Wlingi, Blitar adalah 18,5%, sedangkan sisanya sebesar 81,5% dijelaskan oleh sebab-sebab lain di luar model penelitian ini. Ini berarti pengajaran tentang hakikat kerja menurut Kolose 3:22-24 harus diajarkan dan diimplementasikan oleh gereja untuk meningkatkan etos kerja jemaatnya. 

scholarly journals PERSEKUSI TERHADAP GEREJA

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adi Putra
Keyword(s):  
New Testament ◽  
General Public ◽  
The Bible ◽  
Historical Literature ◽  
The World ◽  
The New Testament ◽  
The Will ◽  
The Church

This article explains that persecution is not only happening or experienced by the general public, but it is also experienced by the Lord's Church. This opinion is evidenced by evidence of information obtained from the Bible, especially the New Testament and also in the Church's historical literature. Then discussed further with the church because the church fellowship is different from the world or does not come from the world. Because the Church has been chosen and set apart by God to live differently from the world or live like Christ. And because Christ had already experienced it, then the later Church which is a follower of Christ also experiences similar things. And this writing is endowed with perspectives that have many benefits for the Church. As described above, there are at least five benefits. Such as: the empowerment of the Church may imitate the suffering that Christ has undergone or rather the Church has done the will of Jesus; persuasion helps spread the gospel in the world, persecution of the church can be a means of God to filter and filter out which true believers and non-believers, the quality of the church's faith will be further enhanced through persecution, and persecution of the church can help the church to bear fruit.

scholarly journals A Comparative Study of to Alfa Kai to Omega in the Greek New Testament (Revelation 1:8) and Asante-Twi Bible

2020 ◽  
pp. 70-77 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emmanuel Foster Asamoah
Keyword(s):  
New Testament ◽  
Mother Tongue ◽  
Biblical Hermeneutics ◽  
Bible Translation ◽  
The Bible ◽  
The World ◽  
Greek New Testament ◽  
Future Revision ◽  
The Church

Bible Translation has been a means the Church uses to bring the Gospel into the language of the recipients to help improve the quality of life of the indigenes. Nonetheless, it must be noted that all over the world most Bible translation materials have experienced numerous revision exercises. An example of this is the Asante-Twi versions of the Bible which has witnessed two revision works; one on the whole Bible in 2012 since its publication in 1964, and a revised New Testament version published in 2013. Even with the recent revised ones, there still exist translation problems, for some words are strange or foreign to the Asante-Twi speaking people; clear example is Revelation 1:8 which is the focus for this study. Using Mother-tongue Biblical Hermeneutics methodology, this thesis delves into the meaning of the Alfa ne Omega no in the Asante-Twi context and its usage in Revelation 1:8; vis-à-vis an exegesis of the Greek word to alfa kai to omega to find its equivalence in the Asante-Twi. It was found from the study that Ahyεaseε ne Awieeε no is the best rendition of to alfa kai to omega . This work has thus added an Akan translation and interpretation of Revelation 1:8 to the knowledge of the field of mother-tongue hermeneutics; and it is being recommended that in the future revision of the Asante-Twi Bible, the Bible Society of Ghana should consider using Ahyεaseε ne Awieeε no to translate to alfa kai to omega (to alpha kai to omega) in Revelation 1:8.

The Mountain and the Flower: The Power and Potential of Nature in the World of Victorian Evangelicalism

2010 ◽  
Vol 46 ◽  
pp. 307-318 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Smith
Keyword(s):  
Nineteenth Century ◽  
Church Of England ◽  
Oxford Movement ◽  
The Bible ◽  
The World ◽  
High Church ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Church ◽  
Church Tradition

In the middle decades of the nineteenth century a new wind could be felt rustling in the branches of the Church of England. The transforming effect of the Oxford Movement on the High Church tradition is the most prominent example of this phenomenon but also well established in the literature are the transformations in contemporary Anglican Evangelicalism. David Bebbington in particular has stressed the impact of Romanticism as a cultural mood within the movement, tracing its effects in a heightened supernaturalism, a preoccupation with the Second Advent and with holiness which converged at Keswick, and also an emphasis on the discernment of spiritual significance in nature. But how did this emphasis play out in the lives of Evangelicals in the second half of the century and how might it have served their mission to society? This paper seeks to address the evangelical understanding of both the power and potential of nature through the example of one prominent Anglican clergyman, William Pennefather, and one little-known evangelical initiative, the Bible Flower Mission.

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