Authentic Faith Research Articles

Ecological crisis from a Lutheran perspective: Engaging with Pope Francis’ Laudato Si'

AbstractPope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si’ encompasses concerns about oppressed groups, the relationship between human beings and nature, and the welfare of the poor, and more importantly, how these issues are viewed in the context of the ecological crisis. This paper offers a Lutheran perspective on the encyclical, examining the intricate interplay between humanity and the natural world, the impoverished, anthropocentrism, and the crucial role of advancing intercultural dialogue. Pope Francis has emphasized the use of science and technology to establish an “integral ecology.” However, this paper argues that authentic faith generates personal awareness of the sinful aspects of the environmental crisis and inspires virtuous behavior. God created nature, therefore we need to care for it. This analysis makes an important contribution to the scholarly exploration of the connections between Christian theology and ecological issues. In addition, it provides a critical assessment of anthropocentrism, which should be more concerned with the value of other created beings.

FE CRISTIANA Y RELIGIÓN SIN CONFUSIÓN NI SEPARACIÓN

In the current confusing Brazilian context, marked by polarization and intolerances of all sorts, including the use of God's name, a theological discernment of religious experience is important. This article proposes a preliminary and fundamental reflection on the distinction and close relation between faith and religion, in view of any future discernment. In this tread, the author proposes to rethink this fundamental relationship starting from Paul Tillich, in his debate with Karl Barth. The two theologians have in common the need to overcome a concept of religion, while drawing different consequences for faith. They thus reveal divergences in anthropological assumptions and in the modes of doing theology. At the limit of this controversy, this article focuses on the need to discern authentic faith within religious experiences, for most ambiguous they may seem.

Patriotic and religious activity of the Gymnastic Society “Sokol” in the Polish lands (until 1939) – an outline

The Gymnastic Society “Sokol” (“Falcon”) (hereinafter: GS “Sokol”) was the first and for several years the only Polish organisation to obtain a permission from the authorities of the partitioning states to carry out its activities during the period of partitions. The first falcon nest was established in Lviv in 1867, with further nests being set up in the cities of the Austrian, Prussian and later Russian partitions. Although – as the name suggested – the GS “Sokoł” was a gymnastic association, other forms of activity also played a significant role in its programme of activity. Singing, reading and caring circles were formed in the nests and members of the GS “Sokoł” participated in religious and patriotic ceremonies, thus cultivating Polish national traditions. Evenings and rallies were organised, commemorating religious holidays and important events in the history of the Polish nation, which reminded us of common goals and ideals during the period of national captivity. “Sokol” took on the duty of teaching native speech and native history. The scope and nature of the patriotic and religious activity of the GS “Sokol” was best evidenced by the National Commandments and the National Sins which were contrasted with them. Their very name and number indicated deep religiousness of the falcons. It derived not only from the authentic faith of the members of the GS “Sokol” but from the ideology of the movement. In the tragic historical moments of national captivity they placed their hope in God and found solace in prayer. All Sokol celebrations as well as everyday activities of the GS “Sokol” were of a patriotic-religious nature.

‘A Religion whose Author was Meek and Lowly’

Abstract The journals and letters of Abdul Masih (1776–1827) provide a lively and fascinating entry into consideration of the themes of faith and humility in South Asian Christianity. These themes were strong in the training Abdul received from evangelical chaplains of the East India Company prior to British permission for Christian mission in India. However, it is in Abdul’s reports of personal encounters with a wide variety of Muslim, Hindu, and Catholic interlocutors that the quality of meekness especially comes alive. Abdul perceived that the quality came from the teaching and example of Jesus. How was this quality to be shown in authentic faith conversation that revealed a clash of truth claims and even public calls for punishment of an ‘apostate’? When ambushed with polemic in excitable public settings? As Abdul conceived it, the ‘meekness and gentleness of Christ’ (2 Cor 10:1) dovetails nicely with a ‘boldness’ in gospel witness and a clear proclamation of the only faith that brings salvation. Remarkable, though wholly in line with his approach, was the way in which Muslim interlocutors who frequently came to dispute or reproach expressed satisfaction with Abdul by the end of the conversation. Meanwhile, Abdul humbly and faithfully ministered among Indian Christians in Agra and elsewhere as a catechist for the Church Missionary Society over a period of fourteen years.

Keperdanaan Allah Bapa Dalam Wacana Teologi Kontemporer

This article is aimed to discuss the rejection of the primacy of the Father in the doctrinal structure of the Trinity emerging in contemporary theology and tries to defend the necessity of a balanced reflection regarding the unity and the plurality of the above doctrine. The teaching of the Fathers of the Church, particularly formulated in the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed and held in the Latin Tradition regarding the primacy of the Father as well as the origin of the Son (“begotten, not made; consubstantial with the Father”) and of the Holy Spirit (“who proceeds from the Father and the Son”), as depositum fidei needs to be well conserved. Precisely expressing more maturely and more completely, the mystery of God revealed through the message of Jesus Christ and reflected by the Church following the teaching of the Apostles, this profession of faith is still an expression of authentic faith in God of Jesus Christ.

Early Childhood in Today’s Family. The Christian Landmarks in the Lives of Our Children

"Early childhood represents the most important developmental period. Parents are nowadays confronted with serious challenges in their educational strivings. Many young spouses choose to learn about child psychology to overcome the difficulties raised by a baby’s presence. Christian parents delineate their educational efforts by taking into consideration God’s commandments. Prayer and patience are combined so that a loving dialogue conducts all the family interactions. Pre-schoolers are extremely attentive to what their parents do every day. Their kind gestures and words form the child’s personality. Participation in the liturgical program of a church proves the authentic faith of the parents. Accustomed to the intense atmosphere of a dynamic ecclesial community, the Christian children are taught how to use theological teaching in their daily life. They learn important rules and limits about emotional reactions, expressing compassion, and loving their family, friends, and even strangers. The model provided by mum and dad always had a formative effect. Christian parents instil in their children the willingness to follow love, faith, and trust as the main virtues that a human being can hope for. Keywords: loving parents, self-control, emotional balance, prayer, compassionate hearts. "

Relationship between Perception of Father Parenting Style and Religiosity of the Adolescent Pastor’s Children

Ideally, a pastor’s child is a role model in religious life. However, a pastor’s child has some religious problems rooted in parental influence. This research aimed to determine whether each parenting style correlated with the religiosity of a pastor’s child. This research hypothesizes that there was a significant correlation between the perceptions of authoritarian parenting, authoritative parenting, permissive parenting, and uninvolved parenting with the religiosity of adolescent pastors’ children. The sampling technique used was purposive sampling. As many as 172 Indonesian pastors’ children aged 13 to 17 years old participated in this study. The measuring instrument used were the Parenting Style measure and the Centrality of Religiosity (CRS). The research method is quantitative correlational research. The research results indicate no correlation between each type of parenting style and religiosity. As much as 76.7% of the pastors’ children were at the religious level, followed by 14% who were not religious and 9.3% were very religious. The research implied that the influence of religiosity in the life of the pastors’ children is not due to their fathers’ parenting styles. Research Highlights This research aims to observe a substantial correlation between adolescent pastors’ children’s religiosity and their perceptions of their fathers’ parenting styles. According to the research findings, the religiosity of pastors’ children is not attributable to their fathers’ parenting styles. This study provides several practical implications. The pastor’s family (especially the father) can still apply authoritative parenting because it has positively impacted a child’s development and personality. The church needs to build an authentic faith community to support the development of healthy spirituality and religiosity for adolescent pastors' children.

Rereading of the Quran in Light of Nursi’s Risale-i Nur Collection: Shuhudi Exegesis

The concept of tafsiri şuhudi (transempirical exegesis) was coined for the first time by Said Nursi (d. 1960) and was reflected throughout his works. In his tafsiri şuhudi (pronounced shuhudi) methodology, Nursi views the Qur’an as an interpretation of the universe, that is Kitab al-Kabir (a big book). According to Nursi, such an exegesis is needed to reach the degree of iman tahkiki (investigative belief), also known as authentic faith. As part of his methodology, Nursi uses spiritual experience (kashf) and secular sciences as evidence for gaining true faith. Tafsiri şuhudi is an offshoot of ishari (inner meaning) tafsir but one that is injected with rationalism. This tafsir type also injects witnessing (şuhudi) into the dry body of scientific and modern tafsir that emerged in the Muslim world after European enlightenment. This article first examines the original hermeneutical concept of tafsir şuhudi in Nursi’s works and then analyses the sound heart, an essential part of iman tahkiki, in light of Nursi’s transempirical experience. The article argues that Nursi injects rationalism into the ishari tafsir methodology and infuses şuhudi experience by making it not only an epistemic but also an existential understanding of modern tafsir methodology.

Understanding Folk Religiosity in the Philippines

This paper argues for the appreciation of Filipino folk religiosity as part of cultivating authentic faith expressions among Filipinos. It presents historical, anthropological, sociocultural, and theological views on significant folk religious groups, traditions, and practices in the Philippines, including but not limited to the millenarian movements and popular Catholic feasts. Despite the varied influences and variegated Philippine culture, folk religiosity among Filipinos can be generalized as a syncretic blending of pre-colonial beliefs with the Catholic faith. As an academic and practicing Catholic, the researcher explores the folk religious elements present in the development of the millenarian movements, the unique faith expressions and influences behind folk Catholic feasts and celebrations, and probes deeper into the meaning of ordinary faith expressions. Coming from his own experiences and insights, he refers to previous scholarly works in discussing how spirituality or reverence to the sacred is inherently embedded in the folk religious ways, how the cultural Filipino traits manifest in the religious practices and vice versa, and how folk spirituality enables the expression of deep cultural and personal Christian faith experience. In conclusion, he maintains that millenarian movements are valid faith expressions that also celebrate independence and Filipino identity; traditional festivals and religious rites are the locals’ unique way of authentically expressing their faith, and; preserving folk religions and folk religiosity among Catholics is beneficial for engendering the growth of the faithful and the development of religion. A clear sense of folk religiosity is elemental in reappropriating religious dogmas and doctrines as the church and the faithful continuously study, dialogue, and fully experience life in the pursuit of approaching authenticity in faith, beliefs, and religions.

Faith as a Proper Answer in Crisis

This article addresses the problem of preserving the faith in God while discouraging circumstances, based on the first part of Habakkuk’s prophecy. The message of the book teaches us how to benefit from our faith by presenting the process through which the prophet overcomes the confusion around him, even in God’s acting for his people. In the introduction, it is argued that faith is a basic principle of life, which can be questioned because of difficult circumstances. The first part of the article discusses why Habakkuk’s prophecy can be understood as a “burden,” and the second part presents the historical context of the book of Habakkuk. The third section discusses the internal and external crisis in Judah and the fourth section analyses the prophet’s reaction against the Babylonian crisis. The fifth section described the faith as a proper response to the crisis (2:1-4) while the final section discusses implications of Habakkuk 2:4 for the teaching of the New Testament. In general, we can see that in the first part of Habakkuk (1:1-2:4) the prophet questions the validity of his faith in God, because of the apparent long divine silence about injustice in Judah (1:2-4). Then, he was unhappy with God’s answer, who decided to send a new crisis to solve the first crisis (1:5-6). After the prophet’s complaint (1:7-2:1), God advises him and his people to trust His solution in overcoming the crisis (2:2-4). The insights from the message of Habakkuk analyzed in this article, may help the reader to preserve authentic faith in a time of crisis. Also, that pattern of living by faith from this Old Testament book is taken over by the New Testament authors so that Habakkuk’s expression “the righteous live by their faith” (2:4), is quoted as a key statement for the Gospel message of salvation (Rom. 1:17; Gal. 3:11; Heb. 10:38). But not only that, this statement defines the proper behavior of people in expecting the divine solution of salvation in the time of crisis.

Vjera kao najbolji mogući odgovor u kriznim vremenima

This article addresses the problem of preserving the faith in God while discouraging circumstances, based on the first part of Habakkuk’s prophecy. The message of the book teaches us how to benefit from our faith by presenting the process through which the prophet overcomes the confusion around him, even in God’s acting for his people. In the introduction, it is argued that faith is a basic principle of life, which can be questioned because of difficult circumstances. The first part of the article discusses why Habakkuk’s prophecy can be understood as a “burden,” and the second part presents the historical context of the book of Habakkuk. The third section discusses the internal and external crisis in Judah and the fourth section analyses the prophet’s reaction against the Babylonian crisis. The fifth section described the faith as a proper response to the crisis (2:1-4) while the final section discusses implications of Habakkuk 2:4 for the teaching of the New Testament. In general, we can see that in the first part of Habakkuk (1:1-2:4) the prophet questions the validity of his faith in God, because of the apparent long divine silence about injustice in Judah (1:2-4). Then, he was unhappy with God’s answer, who decided to send a new crisis to solve the first crisis (1:5-6). After the prophet’s complaint (1:7-2:1), God advises him and his people to trust His solution in overcoming the crisis (2:2-4). The insights from the message of Habakkuk analyzed in this article, may help the reader to preserve authentic faith in a time of crisis. Also, that pattern of living by faith from this Old Testament book is taken over by the New Testament authors so that Habakkuk’s expression “the righteous live by their faith” (2:4), is quoted as a key statement for the Gospel message of salvation (Rom. 1:17; Gal. 3:11; Heb. 10:38). But not only that, this statement defines the proper behavior of people in expecting the divine solution of salvation in the time of crisis.

Мораль, традиция и благодать: переосмысление возможности христианской биоэтики

Birth, suffering, disability, disease and death were by medicine’s successes placed within a context of seemingly novel challenges that cried out for new responses. Secular bioethics rose in response to the demands of these new biomedical technologies in the context of a culture fragmented in moral pluralism. While secular bioethics promised to unite persons separated by diverse religious and moral assumption, this is a promise that could not be fulfilled. Reason alone cannot provide canonical, content-full moral guidance or justify a moral community capable of binding all persons. Christian bioethics, as part of a way of life embedded in authentic worship, offers content, meaning and understanding where secular bioethics has failed. For Christians, resolution of bioethical controversies will not be found through appeals to foundational rational arguments or isolated scriptural quotations, but only in a Christian community united in authentic faith.

Book Review: Medieval Wisdom for Modern Christians: Finding Authentic Faith in a Forgotten Age with C. S. Lewis

Book Review: Medieval Wisdom for Modern Christians: Finding Authentic Faith in a Forgotten Age with C. S. Lewis

Le Réveil des coeurs: Journal de voyage du frère morave Fries. Languedoc, Béarn, Guyenne, Saintonge, Angoumois, Poitou 1761–1762

Le Réveil des coeurs: Journal de voyage du frère morave Fries. Languedoc, Béarn, Guyenne, Saintonge, Angoumois, Poitou 1761–1762

The notion of faith (πιστισ) in the first epistle to the Corinthians of St Clement of Rome

The First Epistle to the Corinthians of St Clement of Rome is one of the most ancient patristic documents from the body of texts of Christian literature. It reflects diversified theological and cultural issues from the turbulent transitional period, from the apostolic to the post-apostolic era of the primitive Christianity. What triggered the writing of the epistle was the unrest and upheaval in the Corinthian community of Christians caused by the illegitimate deposal of some of the local presbyters. In the epistle, the subject of respect for the ecclesial structures and the hierarchical order is directly connected to the notion of the authentic faith. In this context, the present paper offers a presentation of an early Christian attitude of connecting the faith (??????) with a distinct ethos which the author of the Epistle illustrates by means of exegesis of paradigmatic Old and New Testament texts. The resolution of conflict, which is Clement?s primary goal, is reconstructed by means of examining his mode of combining the faith with works or with practical manifestation which implies sociological and not merely individual and intro?spective connotations. A faith put in practice should unequivocally be manifested by the strive for concord and peace, by a practice of humility, gentleness, hospitality, obedience, and other virtues which build cohesion, instead of destruction, in the community of Christians. A contribution of the present paper is to be found mainly in the analysis of Clements?s theological interpretation of tension between faith and works which was prominent in the earliest New Testament and Patristic writings, but also in the contemporary theological thought as well.

A Radical Faith: The Assassination of Sister Maura by Eileen Markey

Reviewed by: A Radical Faith: The Assassination of Sister Maura by Eileen Markey Michael E. Lee A Radical Faith: The Assassination of Sister Maura. By Eileen Markey. New York: Nation Books, 2016. 336pp. $26.99. Recalling El Salvador of the 1970s and 1980s, the legacy of martyrs carries important symbolic weight. In the United States, the “four American churchwomen,” who were raped and murdered by Salvadoran soldiers on December 4, 1980, possess that symbolic power. Yet, decades later, there is a danger in how symbols (and collective labels like “churchwomen”) can gloss over real lives. Jean Donovan, Ita Ford, Dorothy Kazel, and Maura Clarke have an important legacy. [End Page 82] Thankfully, Eileen Markey provides not just Maura Clarke’s remarkable story in these pages, but also a thought-provoking study on the kind of faith that would inspire her courageous life’s journey. This book demonstrates that Maura Clarke’s faith was “radical” in the fullest sense of the word. While she dedicated her life to participation in progressive and even revolutionary social change, Clarke did so deeply rooted in family and a desire to respond to God’s calling. The text is a conventional biography that begins with Clarke’s childhood in New York, through her formation in pre-Vatican II religious life, and into her pastoral work in the United States, Nicaragua, and finally El Salvador. Each location provides Clarke an opportunity to connect her rich personal faith to a commitment to serve others and better the world she lived in. These locations also provide the author a way to pose a central question to Christianity today, “What if following God means not so much attempting to order one’s life into fidelity to rules, but working to change the circumstances of a world that insults the sacredness of most men and women?” (10) Of course, that question has been the source of much debate, and one of the great contributions of this book is to demonstrate how radical political commitment can blossom from an authentic faith. The book begins with an account of Clarke’s childhood that offers readers a lively portrait of Irish immigrant Catholicism. It functions as a social history of a period that will surprise those who think Catholic engagement with the world begins only after Vatican II. Though bordering on heavy-handed, the numerous references to the Irish revolutionary struggle foreshadow the circumstances that Clarke would deal with in Central America. More importantly, they interrogate the blurry line between one person’s freedom fighters and another’s godless communists. Despite these impulses to transform the world that were present, the description of pre-conciliar religious life makes clear the rigidity and lingering influence of the fuga mundi (flight from the world) ideal. As the book moves from Clarke’s work in an urban U.S. parish to [End Page 83] forming base communities in Nicaragua, the reader gets a vivid sense of her widening horizons and deepening commitments. Several times, the phrase “changing sides” is used to describe her work. The stories of Clarke’s involvement in Nicaragua bring rich characters to life, and more significantly, demonstrates how committed Christians could find themselves participating in a revolutionary struggle without leaving their faith behind. These are committed people of faith inspired by rich prayer lives who understood their faith demanding their participation in social change. In contrast, the account of El Salvador feels a bit anticlimactic, but this is no surprise since Maura lived there only months before her murder. One only perceives the sense of lost potential for what her commitment there would have meant long-term. The book is more a journalistic piece than a scholarly one, which presents strengths and weaknesses. The prose is crisp, and the book never gets bogged down in theoretical flights of fancy. It is engaging, readable, and well-suited for the undergraduate classroom. The numerous footnotes demonstrate that Markey has done her homework. Yet those notes also reveal why it is not an academic book. It never engages the scholarship—historical, social-scientific, or theological—about El Salvador’s civil war and the role of the Catholic Church. Rather than present a new way of...

The process of (non) ageing in the perception of Polish centenarians

ABSTRACTCurrently, there are over 120,000 people aged 100 years or more in Europe. In Poland, there are 4,000 centenarians. And although demographic forecasts say that the number of people above 100 years of age will be on the rise in the decades to come, each centenarian is a unique case that should be the focus of interest for medical and social researchers. In this article, we are going to present the results of qualitative research carried out among people aged 100 or older and show their perception of their own old age in the context of their individual life stories. The results prove that despite individual differences, experience, and functional limitations, the respondents are very open to other people and take the passage of time and their developing age with a pinch of salt. The most important aspects of life for the respondents are positive social relations in their closest environment, deep and authentic faith, and an optimistic attitude. All of the centenarians tried to be physically active, and those who were bedridden remained intellectually active (reading, prayers, conversations). They were at peace with the ailments and difficulties associated with old age and treated them as something natural.

Guaranteed Pure: The Moody Bible Institute, Business, and the Making of Modern EvangelismTimothy E. W.Gloege. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2015.

Guaranteed Pure: Moody Bible Institute, Business, and Making of Modern Evangelism Timothy E. W. Gloege. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2015.Guaranteed Pure: Moody Bible Institute, Business, and Making of Modern Evangelicalism tells story of founding and evolution of Moody Bible Institute through its history of practical management. front cover hosts a photograph of A. F. Gaylord, manager of Moody Bible Institute (MBI, named after Moody's death in 1900). inside cover describes emergence of a consumer-oriented ?orthodoxy'... [guaranteed of both liberal theology and Populist excesses, calling it old-time religion dependent on consumer capitalism. Reviewers praise book for advancing readers' knowledge of Protestant fundamentalism. author Timothy E. W. Gloege writes, This book attempts to explain continuing vibrancy of conservative and its ideological and political allegiances to consumer capitalism (13). Noting fundamentalism embraces an impossibly diverse coalition of people, Gloege limits his inclusion to those claiming label in 1910s and 1920s; he also bounds modern consumer capitalism, warning it cannot explain all aspects of conservative evangelicalism (14). book does, however, claim that core leadership of early fundamentalist movement-those who controlled key institutions, funded its endeavors, and helped define what ?fundamentals' were-was profoundly influenced by business (14).Gloege organizes the story of corporate in two parts: rise of post-Civil war and ensuing crisis; and, after 1900, its evolution into conservative evangelicalism. first chapter traces Dwight L. Moody's early life, rise of evangelical realism, and Moody's ideas of Christian work; Chapter 2 treats rising labor unrest and development of Moody Bible Institute (MBI); and Chapter 3 introduces early life of American evangelist Rueben A. Torrey (1889-1908), head of Bible Institute of Chicago Evangelization Society, later to become Moody Bible Institute, and his ideas about power for service. Chapter 4 examines 1890's crisis at Moody, involving radical evangelicals and faith healer John Alexander Dowie. Belonging to Part Two, Chapter 5 devotes itself to a Business Basis spearheaded by Henry Parsons Crowell, a leader in oatmeal in 1882 and Quaker Oats in 1891. Following a leave of absence by Reuben A. Torrey, Crowell reorganized MBI, giving it a sound plan and a vision for future. Gloege describes Crowell as early pioneer in the trifecta of trademark, package, and promotion proved to be applicable to any consumer good, including story of MBI (117). Chapter 6 charts pivot at MBI from identity rooted in Christian work to one of pure religion rooted in consumer identity, and Chapter 7 focuses on The Fundamentals, a project resulting in creation of an ad hoc ?orthodoxy' (11). Finally, Chapter 8 describes a conflict between fundamentalists and modernists arising in 1910s and rise in 1920s of a fundamentalist coalition. Epilogue returns to role of MBI in development of conservative evangelicalism.Succinctly, Gloege lays out a framework for understanding American Protestantism. He first describes a ?churchly' orientation influenced North American settlement and emphasized authentic faith as requiring church membership in a particular church, religious authority rooted in Bible but exercised by church, and a biblical interpretation guided by theological tradition and ordained clergy (5). After rise of intellectual Enlightenment, responsibility for thinking became privilege of individual, who used reason and empirical observation to question long-standing assumptions (6). …

Book Review: John Wesley in America: Restoring Primitive Christianity

John Wesley in America: Restoring Primitive Christianity. By Geordan Hammond. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2014. xvii + 237 pp. $85.00 (cloth).John Wesleys 1730s sojourn in Georgia ended badly: he fled the colony less than two years after arriving, his heart broken and a clutch of colonial magistrates pondering various charges against him. This story is typically narrated as Wesleys spiritual nadir, best known for prodding the young cleric into his Aldersgate experience of the assurance of his salvation, which in turn helped to enflame the successful evangelical mission that Wesley and his fellow Methodists would undertake in the decades to come. However, Geordan Hammond, Director of the Manchester Wesley Research Centre and Senior Lecturer in Wesley Studies at Nazarene Theological College, Manchester, England, believes there is more to be gleaned from this chapter in Wesleys life. John Wesley in America, based on Hammonds doctoral dissertation, argues that Wesley used his mission in Georgia to test his views of primitive Christianity. The colony, says Hammond, became Wesley's laboratory for introducing to a parish community what he believed to be the practices of the earliest Christians. While Wesleys attraction to Christian antiquity has been previously probed by scholars, and his Georgia mission is famous (or infamous), Hammonds approach is unique in interrogating the Georgia experience in light of Wesleys consuming passion for Christian primitivism. The result is an engaging work that offers a new lens for interpreting this difficult period in John Wesleys long and colorful life.The first chapter sets Wesleys devotion to primitive Christianity in the context of the priority assigned to apostolic Christianity by some eighteenthcentury Anglicans, particularly High Church Non-Jurors (clergy who had refused to swear an oath to William and Mary, having sworn allegiance to the deposed James II). Wesleys parents instilled a deep reverence for the early church in their children. John was determined to practice an authentic faith and, influenced by a radical wing of Non-Jurors, became an eager student of primitive Christianity. He studied the ante-Nicene theologians and pored over early ecclesiastical handbooks, especially the Apostolic Constitutions, which he took to be of apostolic origin (they have since been dated to the late fourth century). He began to pray the hours, to fast two days per week, and to include a prayer of oblation in his eucharistie celebrations.The next three chapters take us along on Wesleys Georgia mission, beginning with his four-month journey across the Atlantic with three fellow Oxford Holy Club members, and tracing his relations with Moravians and Lutheran pietists in Georgia. …

Al Wasaṭiyyah in the Eye of Prophetic Tradition

The concept of al wasaṭiyyah is often referred as the appropriate method to be adopted in the application of all aspects of human life. This is due to the simplicity and balance is the best approach in rejecting extremism in all matters. However the concept which upholds the Islamic principles is still misunderstood by some people. Even some parties put al wasaṭiyyah as a platform to justify any means to achieve their personal ambitions. Accordingly, in order to provide a thorough understanding of this concept, the study explored its meanings according to Prophet’s tradition perspective. Nevertheless, to get the results were more efficient, it will be limited to two main topics, namely al wasaṭiyyah in faith and worship. In this vein, method of literature and document analysis was applied by discussing both matters in more detail. Thus, to achieve the study objectives, all the prophetic traditions which relevant in this study will assessed in advance in terms of its authenticity before detailing its meaning. The study found that the meaning al wasaṭiyyah according to prophetic tradition mean just, best, selective, simple and balanced. And from the point of faith this concept can assure the Muslims to be released from the extreme fanatical ideology (ifrāt) and too deficient (tafrīt) and to ensure the authentic faith. While in terms of worship, al wasaṭiyyah can ensure a human deeds to following the Islamic requirement as practiced by the Prophet. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2015.v6n2s1p448