Promoting Dealmaking? Utilitarian Religiosity and Faith Among African Neo-Pentecostal Prophets

Service and Advocacy: Matters of Faith?

Aim: To discuss the relationship between God as understood in philosophy and God as understood by the Christian faith in the light of the conversion of the scientist Blaise Pascal.Methods: We offered an explanation of the philosophemeattributable to Blaise Pascal, and then examined the mean-ing of the phrase God of the philosophers, with special at-tention to Plato’s and Aristotle’s theology, and then assessed the prominent features of the Christian God. The Hellenistic environment in which early Christianity spread and its influence on early Christian theology were analysed, with special emphasis on the term logos.Results: Blaise Pascal’s Christian faith was not in accordance with Catholic Church, although Pascal considered himself a Catholic. We demonstrated that term God of philosophers is ambiguous term, i.e. what that God is. It appears that most probably God of philosophers is god of Aristotle or Plato because these two philosophers had the biggest impact on the evolution of natural theology. The God of philosophersis more like an impersonal concept than a person like God of faith. We presented the essential features of the Christian God: the doctrine of the Trinity, God’s creation, God’s per-sonality and God’s incarnation, and discussed on the differ-ent understandings of the term logos, and its importance. For us, the term logos served as a point of contact between the philosophical and the Christian understanding of God. Conclusion: Christianity is a faith based on reason, i.e. in Christian God can be known through reason and not just by faith. We tried to go beyond Pascal’s radical distinction between the God of faith and the God of the philosophers, namely through the lens of the philosophical term logos and show the there is no radical difference between the God of faith and God of philosophers

The reception of the Barmen Declaration in South Africa

In my contribution to the symposium on Teresa Morgan's Roman Faith and Christian Faith, I set the stage for three questions. First, in the Graeco-Roman view, when you put/maintain faith in someone, is the cognitive aspect of your faith compatible with scepticism about the relevant propositions? Second, did some of the New Testament authors think that one could put/maintain faith in God while being sceptical about the relevant propositions? Third, in her private writings, Saint Teresa of Calcutta described herself as living by faith and yet not believing; even so, by all appearances, she was an exemplar of faith in God. Would people during the period of your study tend to see her as an exemplar of faith in God?

We assess John Bishop's theory of the nature of Christian faith in God, as most recently expressed in ‘Reasonable Faith and Reasonable Fideism’, although we dip into other writings as well. We explain several concerns we have about it. However, in the end, our reflections lead us to propose a modified theory, one that avoids our concerns while remaining consonant with some of his guiding thoughts about the nature of Christian faith in God. We also briefly examine three normative issues Bishop's views present.

In Tertullian's Apologeticum, the Jews play a major role within the chapters 16-21, and especially in chapter 21. A closer look at those chapters shows that Tertullian is referring to the Jews in a very functional way. They enable him to stand up for his Christian faith in God – in front of his pagan addressees. He proceeds in two steps. In apol. 16-20, he makes use of the Jews to support the faith in the one God, the creator of the universe. The source of this faith are the Jews' scriptures. Their age and dignity testify the truth of this faith shared by the Christians and the Jews. The Jewish religion as „insignissima religio, certe licita“ (apol. 21,1) functions as a witness in front of the pagan addresses, and that's why Tertullian is very friendly with the Jews in this context. In apol. 21, the climate changes. Tertullian exposes the Christian faith in Christ as God that separates the Christians from the Jews. At this point, the conflict is unavoidable. But still, by attacking the Jews, Tertullian addresses hin non-Christian audience, this time in a critical way. It's the roman vulgus that is as blind as the Jews in apol. 21 refer to the pagan addresses who shall be freed from their blindness. Thus, it can be seen that Tertullian is delibaretely talking of the Jews in two different ways, each time with one intention: to convince his pagan audience of the truth of the Christian faith.

This study aims to explain the concept of Du'a Ngga'e as the ultimate reality of the Ende-Lio tribe, Flores about the Christian faith. The Ende-Lio people believe that before the Catholic Church proclaims their faith in God, they have known and worshiped “Allah” as the ultimate reality with the name Du'a Ngga'e. The people of the Ende-Lio tribe believe in Du'a Ngga'e as the origin of all things and the source of human life so that they must be respected and worshiped in the hanga (sacred space). Therefore, the Catholic Church must continue to pay attention to the noble values of local culture by building an equal horizontal dialogue without discrediting one another. The methodology used in this study is a qualitative method by conducting in-depth interviews and literature studies on the two variables. This study found two important things, namely: (1) In the concept of Du'a Ngga'e, the Ende-Lio tribal community already contains the truths of Christian faith in God Almighty. (2) The consequence is that the Church must respect the local culture as an entry point in proclaiming the Christian faith.

Thriving with Stone Age Minds: Evolutionary Psychology, Christian Faith, and the Quest for Human Flourishing

This study examined the roles of religion and spirituality in relation to coping with breast cancer in Chilean women. Specifically, the purpose of the study was to examine how these patients used religion and spirituality to cope with their illness; how their illness changed the roles of religion and spirituality in their lives; and their views regarding whether, and if so how, spiritual faith can help patients recuperate from breast cancer. Twenty-seven women with breast cancer who were patients at a clinic in Santiago, Chile were recruited to participate in one-on-one interviews. The transcribed interviews were analyzed using the "constant comparative method" to seek patterns and organize the content into specific themes. Women viewed religion and spirituality as primary resources for themselves and others to use in coping with breast cancer. Women's use of religion and spirituality was manifested in praying, in their perceived dependence on God to intercede and guide them through their illness, and in obtaining social support from other persons in their faith community. Half (13/26) of the women reported that their cancer prompted an increased emphasis on religion and spirituality in their lives by deepening their faith in God. Almost all (26/27) participants endorsed the belief that spiritual faith can help cancer patients to recuperate. These findings suggest that health care providers working should be aware of the culturally dependent roles that religion and spirituality play in women's coping with breast cancer.

Friedrich Schleiermacher reformulated the doctrines he inherited from the Reformed and Lutheran dogmatic traditions, in order to demonstrate that the certainty of faith in God, as well as faith in the redeeming power of Christ, could be maintained in an age of scientific and historical criticism of the Christian faith. He located faith in God in the immediate consciousness of being absolutely dependent, which he claimed emerged in the development of every human consciousness. And he located faith in Christ in the way the influence of the sinless perfection of Christ, mediated through the testimony of the Christian community and supported by the picture of Christ, strengthened the consciousness of God so that the inhibition of the God-consciousness by sin could be overcome. His hope was that such a reformulation of doctrine would not only clarify the meaning of faith in the modern world, but would also reunify the Christian traditions that had been divided since the Reformation.

The Book of Ruth is one of the shortest books of the Old Testament, but it gives the believer one of the most important truths of the Christian faith, that is, faith in Divine Providence. Through the history of simple women, Ruth and Naomi, the inspired author shows that God works in the daily routine of man in his intricate fate, which sometimes seems to contradict God’s goodness. The trust of Ruth and Naomi makes their common destiny illuminated by God, who acts not only in great and spectacular salvific events. The Lord reveals His presence in the world by the people who are sent to those who appear to be rejected by him. Women become figures of faith and trust in God. The article, based on the analysis of the Book of Ruth , shows a woman as an example of trust in Divine Providence. Woman’s trust turns out to be the basis of a close relationship with God, which a man can learn from his life partner. This kind of total devotion to God by a woman can also be a sign of God’s fidelity to every human being. So, based on the Book of Ruth , we can create a theory of some kind of biblical feminism that is perfectly morally healthy, because it is based on faith in God, His providence and love, and not on false faith in human capacities and abilities.

In the fifth verse of the twenty-third chapter of Matthew, one of the strongest of the anti-pharisaic passages in the Bible, we find: But all their works they do to be seen of men; they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments. The common acceptance of the alleged hypocrisy of the Pharisees owes much to this statement; there is probably not a book written on the religious attitude of the Pharisees which does not quote it. An examination of the use of the word phylakte'ria and of the place of the tephillin in the Jewish religious consciousness is highly interesting. The word phylacteries comes to us, of course, from the Greek. In the first century the meaning of the word was or charm, something that possessed the magical power of protecting the wearer or holder against evil spirits or other malign influences. There were many different kinds of amulets, among them slips of parchment upon which were written words of magic that were placed in cases and hung around the neck, called paridpton and peridmma, words synonymous with phylaktiria. While it was true that a pious Jew who wore his tephillin might have felt himself safe from demons, evil spirits, and harm, it was not because he had on his person what he would have considered a heathen amulet or charm.' The tephillin were inscribed with passages from the Torah, that same Holy Writ which contained promises from God that he would protect Israel and those of his children who trusted in him and observed his commandments. Such promises of protection were: shall observe to do therefore as the your God hath commanded you; ye shall not turn aside to the right hand or the left. Ye shall walk in all the ways which the thy God hath commanded you, that ye may live, and that it may be well with you, and that ye may prolong your days in the land which ye shall possess (Deut. 5:29-30), and Hear therefore 0 Israel, and observe to do it [God's statutes and commandments] that it may be well with thee, and that ye may increase mightily (Deut. 6:3). There was no mystery or magic about this; again and again was the promise reiterated that if Israel observed the statutes which his God had given him, and for the exemplification and the preservation of which he had been chosen, he be blessed in his own land, where he will eat without scarceness, he lack nothing . . .. , he eat and be satisfied and bless the Lord (Deut. 8:9-10). The feeling of security that a pious person has because of faith in God and in his promises, whether the individual lived

The postmodern era poses significant challenges to Christian faith in God. For many, a subterranean question lies just beneath their tenuous faith: "Is there an objective reality upon which faith in God is based?" This essay argues that, in addition to other important factors, a dominant worldview or epistemology within postmodern culture conceals the multidimensional nature of reality and discredits religious faith. Critical realism is introduced as an epistemological framework of both science and theology in which Christian faith makes sense. Significant implications are drawn for teaching and learning and pastoral ministry in Christian congregations.

Religious thinking in civilized human societies has always entailed a situation in which incompatible views may conflict and blend; any one religious belief conflicts with others, but different views also mutually influence others. The Christian faith in God has two distinctive features as compared to other faiths in God: first, that we know who God is through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and, second, that Jesus Christ is the incarnation of God. In the context of religious history, the Christian Trinitarian faith has always met with severe controversies. The Trinitarian teaching of the Christian faith formed an exposition of the confession of the God of Christ, set forth by the confessing congregation at a time when it had not yet attained a powerful presence in the cultural and political social life of the time.

In this paper I respond to Gunter Zimmermann's article on doubt and faith in God that was published in this journal last year, by offering some criticisms of his views and elaborating on certain issues that Zimmermann leaves nearly or entirely untouched. First, I argue that Zimmermann's analysis of doxastic doubt is incomplete. Next, I defend the thesis that whether some specific doxastic doubt is compatible with someone's faith depends in at least four regards on the person who has that doubt. Subsequently, I champion the view that some so-called fiducial doubts are compatible with faith in God, whereas certain others are not. Also, I explain why by its very nature having some fiducial doubt entails having some doxastic doubt. Finally, I deal with some biblical passages in order to show why they do not preclude the possibility of someone's having faith and at the same time having certain fiducial doubts. Zusammenfassung In diesem Aufsatz antworte ich auf Gunter Zimmermanns Artikel, der in dieser Zeitschrift zum Thema Zweifel und Glaube an Gott erschien, indem ich einige Kritikpunkte vortrage und zudem auch auf solche Aspekte des Themas eingehe, die Zimmermann fast oder vollständig unbeachtet ließ. Zunächst stelle ich dar, dass Zimmermanns Analyse des Glaubenszweifels (doxastischer Zweifel) nicht vollständig ist. Dann stelle ich die These auf, dass es in mindestens vier Gesichtspunkten von der zweifelnden Person selbst abhängt, ob ein spezifischer doxastischer Zweifel mit dem Glauben der Person zu vereinbaren ist. Sodann vertrete ich die Ansicht, dass einige Formen des so genannten fiduziellen Zweifels mit dem Glauben an Gott vereinbar sind, andere hingegen nicht. Ein nächster Schritt erklärt, warum fiduzieller Zweifel notwendiger Weise doxastischen Zweifel mit einschließt. Zum Schluss zeige ich an einigen biblischen Texten, dass sie die Möglichkeit zu glauben und gleichzeitig in bestimmter Weise fiduziell zu zweifeln nicht notwendig ausschließen.