Christian Belief Research Articles

Basic religious certainty and the new testament

AbstractAre there basic religious certainties? That is, are there any beliefs which religious people legitimately hold without the need for rational justification? The question has been tackled, in different ways, by both Hinge Epistemologists and by Reformed Epistemologists. For the former, discussion has revolved around very general religious beliefs such as ‘God exists’ (e.g. Pritchard, 2000; Helm, 2001; Hoyt, 2007; Ariso, 2020). Reformed Epistemologists, like Alvin Plantinga, argue that Christian theism and particular Christian beliefs are ‘properly basic’ in that ‘I don’t believe them on the basis of any other propositions’ (Plantinga, 1981, p. 42). In this paper I want to do two things. First, I give an account of what basic religious certainty is from a Wittgensteinian, Hinge Epistemology point of view. On this account I will argue that the clearest examples of basic religious certainties are found in local, historical and more narrow expressions of religious belief, as opposed to the very general acontextual religious beliefs usually discussed. Secondly, I challenge the Reformed Epistemological notion that Christian doctrine can be ‘properly basic’, mainly by showing that the New Testament writers did not treat very general religious beliefs, such as ‘God exists’ or God is good’, as properly basic in either the Hinge or Reformed Epistemological ways. I will conclude by drawing out some implications for contemporary Christian epistemology.

THEOLOGICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL STUDIES: THE FINAL DESTINATION OF DEAD BABIES AND THE IMPLICATIONS FOR THE NIAS ISLANDS LUTHERAN CONGREGATION

The death of babies on the Nias Islands, where most of the population adheres to Lutheran Christian beliefs, has become a serious problem from a theological and psychological perspective. Theologically, congregations are confused about the certainty of their baby's destination or safety when they die. The state of grief and confusing doctrines about soteriology related to dead babies have intimidated the psychology of parents whose children died as babies. To overcome this problem, researchers conducted a study using qualitative research methods. Based on theological investigation, the destination of a baby's death depends on the will of God, who is abundant in grace. He was able to choose someone to save from the womb. Meanwhile, from a psychological perspective, it is denied that parents whose babies die experience psychological disorders. Theological and psychological studies regarding the final destination of dead babies for the Nias Islands Lutheran congregation are the novelty of this research.

This Is the Sacrifice: Language, Ideology and Religious Identity Performance in Erei Personal Names

This paper examines personal names derived from traditional religious beliefs and practices among the Erei people in Biase Local Government Area of Cross River State in South-South, Nigeria while utilising insights from the multidisciplinary inferences of socio-onomastic theory to account for the cultural, social and situational contexts that create the religious content of the names. Data were obtained by means of participant observation and semi-structured interviews during six months of fieldwork involving 40 participants who were the name-givers, name-bearers and name-users. Our findings highlight the socio-onomastic tradition of Erei people in which personal names are bestowed through a conscious application of symbolic linguistic resources to express and perform ideologies and identities that are rooted in the traditional religion’s foundations and sociocultural practices that represent Erei people’s indigenous beliefs system and spiritual worldview. Focused on the ideals of African traditional religion, religious identities are constructed through the use of personal names related to idol worship, the mysteries of death, reincarnation and commemoration, cultural festivals and performances, symbolic objects, familial rankings and other aspects derived from their environment that also bear traditional religious significance. And because this set of personal names is now predominant among the ageing population and is losing contemporaneity due to an increasing subpopulation with a new (Christian) beliefs system, this study serves to preserve a transiting and endangered Erei socio-onomastic practice that represents the people’s traditional cosmology.

Artificial intelligence and Afrocentric Biblical Hermeneutics crossroads in Zimbabwe (Col 2:8)

Artificial Intelligence (AI) isset to revolutionise global knowledge domains and biblical hermeneutics is no exception. At face value, in Zimbabwe, AI has been stigmatised as a humanistic and profane technological system with an immense propensity to cause general religious backsliding, degeneracy, vain philosophising and secularisation of the Gospel of Christ. This article isolated Colossians 2:8 as a lens to investigate the congruency of Artificial Intelligence to the pericope’s scope of ‘philosophy, vain deceit, tradition of men and rudiments of the world’. The Zimbabwean setting was used to examine whether the Colossian Christian Church’s philosophical aspersions bear any semblances to how AI is viewed among the clergy, theologians, Christian believers and academics of religious studies. The qualitative methodological paradigms of African Biblical Hermeneutics and Exegetical Method were employed in the study. The study mainly established that AI, like a tool in the hands of a workman, can either build or destroy, enhance or adulterate biblical hermeneutics depending on how it is viewed and used.Contribution: The article reflects on how the world’s most nascent technological development, Artificial Intelligence, impacts on biblical interpretation generally, but, more particularly, in the Zimbabwean context.

Kebangkitan sebagai Manifestasi Kuasa Allah: Pendekatan Historis-Kritis terhadap Matius 22:23-33 dalam Kontras Keyakinan Yudaisme Reformasi dan Kristen

This study aims to analyze the concept of resurrection in Christian and Reform Judaism beliefs, emphasizing that resurrection is a manifestation of God's power over life and death. The study contrasts the Christian belief, which regards resurrection as an integral part of faith, with the Reform Judaism view, which generally rejects resurrection as a literal fact. Using the Historical-Critical interpretation method and a qualitative approach, this research analyzes Matthew 22:23-33 through inner-text and inter-text approaches to reveal its theological meaning and context. The findings show that resurrection is not merely a theological doctrine in the Christian faith, but also serves as evidence of God's power over life and death, aligning with the belief that those who die in faith in God will be resurrected. In conclusion, this research makes a significant contribution to the theological understanding of resurrection, highlights its distinction from Reform Judaism beliefs, and reinforces the role of resurrection as a key element in Christian faith.

Biblical Study: The Proper Name of יהוה(Yahweh) that his People Forgot Based on Jeremia 23:23–24

This research aims to open the insight of Christian believers and leaders in Indonesia regarding (YAHWEH), the name of the Biblical God or Elohim, whom Christianity has forgotten in Indonesia. Whereas הוהי(YAHWEH) is the Omnipresent God of the Covenant. He is present not only in the New Testament but also in the Old Testament. The fact of His omnipresence is written in the Old Testament Scriptures through several of His self-revelations, which are the same or similar to the self-revelation uttered by YESHUA HaMashiakh. This study was conducted based on Jeremiah 23:23–24, which contains an incident where YAHWEH as the proper name of the God of Israel/Judah, was forgotten by the people of Israel/Judah because of the actions of their prophets at that time who planned to make YAHWEH’s people forget the name of YAHWEH through their leadership. Their dreams lie, just as their ancestors forgot the Name of YAHWEH because of Baal. The text of Jeremiah 23:23–32 was deliberately chosen and used as primary data by researchers because the cases contained in it are similar to what is a reality in the life of faith of Indonesian Christians today. It is hoped that the selection of the text of Jeremiah 23:23–24 is truly relevant to obtain findings that will be very useful for transforming the worship of a truly Biblical God. In this qualitative literature study, the methods used by researchers are exegesis, interpretation, and comparison both with primary data from Jeremiah 23:23–32 and with several secondary data in the form of literature and texts considered parallel. It is hoped that the research results and their implications can be implemented in the faith life of Christians in Indonesia who still use the Name of Allah so that in the future it is hoped that the Bible will truly contain the name YAHWEH. YAHWEH is no longer replaced by the title LORD or the name ALLAH. Also, the terms Elohim (~yhla) in the Old Testament and Theos (Qeoj) in the original New Testament are no longer translated as the Name of God.

Heutagogy as a framework for Christian discipleship: the triadic role of biblical wisdom literature, the teachings of Jesus Christ, and the work of the Holy Spirit

AbstractHeutagogy—also known as self-determined learning—empowers individuals to take charge of their personal growth by fostering proactive approaches to self-development. In a Christian context, self-enacted spiritual growth can operate within a range of personal, denominational, and/or hermeneutical understandings of discipleship. Moreover, self-determined learning transcends diverse Christian traditions, mirroring different expressions of the role and work of the Holy Spirit in capacitating Christian discipleship. This conceptual paper contributes to the literature by expounding and advocating heutagogy as an under-appreciated framework for facilitating spiritual growth. To construct its argument, the paper draws on three sources: biblical wisdom literature, the teachings of Jesus Christ, and selected expressions of the continuing work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of Christian believers.

Секта христововеров в Украинской ССР

The article is devoted to the history of the oldest Russian sect of Hristovovery or Khlysty on the territory of Ukraine during Soviet times. The purpose of the work is to explore the existence of the Khlysty sect in the Ukrainian SSR, to consider some of the features of the spread of the sect and the details of its rituals. The source base of the research was unpublished operational documents of Ukrainian archives. Special studies devoted to the sect of Christ-believers in Ukraine during the Soviet period were not found. The article applies a materialistic understanding of history, which requires consideration of historical phenomena in development, in the unity of the logical and historical, i.e. in the unity of material and spiritual factors. In the course of the work, it was established that the Khlysty sect was recorded on the territory of the future Ukraine from the first half of the 18th century and spreads across those regions where the Great Russian population lived compactly: in Old Believer settlements in Starodubye (the future Chernigov region), in the Azov region. West of the Dnieper, the sect of Christian believers is not fixed. In Soviet times, state security agencies regularly reported the existence of Christian believers in the same areas where they existed in the pre-revolutionary period. A feature of the Christian faith in Soviet times was the merger of the sect with Orthodox movements that were in opposition to both the Soviet regime and the official Russian Orthodox Church.

Tertullian, Apostolicity, and the Apostles

How did Tertullian regard the apostles? This article investigates the references to them scattered through his writings both as individuals and as a collective. It reveals that individually the apostles were remote figures who appear in the pages of the New Testament simply as interlocutors of Jesus. Even Peter, significant as he was, was someone whose role was personal to himself and not a pattern for future leadership. Yet collectively the apostles performed an important function in Tertullian’s ecclesiology; they were the first receivers and transmitters of the regula fidei, and their fidelity to that responsibility distinguished authentic Christian communities from heretical associations. The regula fidei was important to Tertullian. As a synthesis of the essentials of faith as preached and lived by Jesus, it provided the measure against which passages of Scripture and Christian belief and practice were to be interpreted. The regula relied upon the accurate and complete transmission of the message of Jesus via the apostles to the church and its leaders. The apostolicity of the church is at the heart of why Tradition is central to Christian theology.

Keutamaan Santo Yusuf sebagai Teladan Hidup Katekis dalam Karya Pastoral

This thesis departs from the author's awareness and interest in getting to know the lives of Christian believers who are struggling to practice their faith in this world. This thesis describes that Saint Joseph was a saint whose name was familiar to the ears of the faithful. Saint Joseph was god's choice to be entrusted to be the father of the Son of God, Jesus Christ. Saint Joseph performed these duties and responsibilities humbly and faithfully to the Lord's commands. The Church then reflected on the life of this Saint Joseph and made him the Protector of the Universal Church, the Protector of the Holy Family of Nazareth, and the Protector of the Workers' Fig. Just as Saint Joseph made his life a servant of God's plan, so too did the faithful realize his calling as a herald of love. The faithful are invited to always see what God wants in a crisis-stricken life, while still trying to find creative ways and efforts to solve all of life's problems. Thus, this example of the primacy of Saint Joseph can lead the faithful to remain faithful to God until they are finally able to achieve eternal unity with God in heavenly happiness.

Tense-Logic and the Revival of Philosophical Theology

The article discusses Nicholas Wolterstorff’s explanations for the flourishing of philosophical theology in analytic philosophy by taking Arthur Norman Prior’s (1914–1969) development of tense-logic into account. Prior’s work challenged the prevailing anti-metaphysical norms in analytic philosophy and introduced an alternative understanding of the relationship between logic and metaphysics. Prior’s application of tense-logic to an analysis of the concept of existence in quantified tense-logic and his exploration of future contingency in branching time semantics provide a strong reason for why analytic philosophy naturally incorporates philosophical theology. These considerations lead us to modify Wolterstorff’s emphasis on the importance of meta-epistemology for the resurgence of philosophical theology. A development in logic was necessary. Furthermore, Prior’s importance questions the assumption that philosophical theology was a consequence of theistic philosophers seeking ways to defend theistic beliefs in analytic philosophy. This is not true for Prior. His invention of tense-logic and discussion of omniscience was driven by an existential interest in finding answers to philosophical problems concerning divine foreknowledge and human freedom which ultimately led him to reject his Christian beliefs.

Cowper’s Pauses

Abstract This essay is about the status and significance of pauses in the poetry of William Cowper. The pause, it argues, is not only a formal feature of that poetry, manifest in caesurae and line-endings, but a human experience with which Cowper displays a richly vexed fascination. Consideration of Cowper’s prose writings reveals his sense that the proper management of pauses is a crucial and distinguishing characteristic of blank verse as against rhyming couplets. Attending to Cowper’s pauses, it is argued, can help us better to understand the distinctive mode of attention that his verse demands of its readers, especially in the long poem The Task (1785). Cowper’s complicated and ambivalent sense of the value of pausing is related, on the one hand, to a Protestant tradition of temporal improvement, and, on the other, to eighteenth-century debates about the nature of blank verse. Cowper’s sense of religious experience, the essay suggests, cannot properly be separated from the way in which he chose to write poetry. At their ambiguous best, Cowper’s pauses place the reader in a position akin to that in which the poet found himself as a Christian believer, doubtfully poised between election and reprobation, between salvation and damnation, and uncertain of what the future holds.

Motivation, Cues to Action, and Barriers to COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake: A Qualitative Application of the Health Belief Model among Women in Rural Zambia.

Vaccine hesitancy has played a major role in slowing the global COVID-19 response. Using cross-sectional, primarily qualitative data collected in four rural districts in Zambia, we aimed to explore community perceptions of COVID-19 disease and vaccines, including perceived motivators, cues to action, benefits, and barriers to vaccine uptake as guided by the Health Belief Model. In-depth interviews (IDIs) were conducted in late 2021 with women of reproductive age who were enrolled in an early childhood development study. Although two-thirds of the 106 respondents reported low perceived risk of catching COVID-19, they expressed concern that the COVID-19 pandemic had impacted their daily lives and feared effects of the disease. They had generally positive beliefs that the vaccine would be accepted among their communities when it became more widely available. Reported motivators to vaccine uptake included desire for protection against COVID-19 and understanding vaccine purpose, due to ongoing education from health personnel, neighbors, friends, radio, and church leaders. Misinformation or reported bad experiences served as cues away from vaccine uptake. Examples of misinformation included the vaccine causing COVID-19 or another disease and death and vaccines being associated with the devil and against Christian beliefs. Accounts of pain after receiving the vaccine also discouraged uptake. Perceived benefits included a desire to be protected from the disease, belief in the effectiveness of the vaccine, fear of catching COVID-19, and belief the vaccine would limit negative effects. Health system implementers and policy makers should consider recipient motivators and cues to action to further increase vaccination rates.

Navigating Hindu Family and Christian Belief

Abstract The paper is an ethnographic study of an urban Bengali Christian neighbourhood in Kolkata where Hindu women from nearby places attend the two Christian prayer meetings – Catholic and Pentecostal – run by the local preachers of the neighbourhood. Borrowing the theoretical understanding of belief, the paper interrogates the question, posed by Cannell (2006) ‘what difference does Christianity make, in the lives of these Hindu women? The paper looks into the experiences of these women in the intimate spaces of kinship, marriage and family as they undergo a form of separation from their Hindu beliefs yet remain largely embedded within Hindu familial ties and obligations without engaging in the practice of baptismal conversion. The study allows us to critically examine the sharp binaries of religious divisions and argues that a focus on baptismal conversion only renders invisible the complex possibilities of what difference Christianity makes on the ground.

The Nature off Traditional Minahasan Marriage in the Perspective of Protestant Christianity

This study examines the nature of Minahasa traditional marriage in the perspective of Protestant Christian beliefs, describing the acculturation process between local traditions and religious teachings. The study shows that Minahasa traditional marriage has undergone significant transformation with the inclusion of Protestant Christian influences, creating a unique synthesis between traditional and spiritual values. The role of family and community in marriage remains significant but has undergone reinterpretation, encompassing aspects of spiritual and material support. Traditional concepts such as 'mapalus' (gotong royong) took on a new dimension in the church context. The responsibilities of husband and wife have also shifted towards a more egalitarian direction, although some traditional aspects remain.In conclusion, Minahasa traditional marriage in a Protestant Christian perspective reflects the harmonization between cultural heritage and religious beliefs, showing how tradition and modernity can go hand in hand. This study provides valuable insights into the dynamics of culture and religion in Indonesia, and highlights the importance of an ongoing dialogue between customary traditions and religious teachings in the context of social change.

Perkawinan Kristen Tanpa Eksistensi Adat Batak Toba di Gereja HKBP Kota Denpasar

This research aims to explain and describe the Batak Community's views on Christian marriage without the existence of Toba Batak traditional ceremonies at the HKBP Church, Denpasar City. The method required for this research is a descriptive qualitative approach. The theory that is used as a tool to obtain information in this research is the structural functionalism theory by Talcott Parsons using the action subsystem of the AGIL scheme, including adaptation, goal-attatment, interpretation and latency. The subjects of this research were married Toba Batak people, young people who were about to get married, pastors and elders of the HKBP Church in Denpasar City. The results of this research are that couples who carry out a Christian wedding ceremony but do not carry out the Toba Batak traditional wedding ceremony can be caused by economic factors, education, not getting the blessing or approval of both parents of the couple's family, differences in beliefs and cultural values. as well as ethics. Several couples from the Toba Batak community of the HKBP Church in Denpasar City were mostly due to spending a lot on Toba Batak traditional peak party activities, specifically dowry money. Apart from that, there are thoughts of today's young people who are of the opinion that marriage according to Christian beliefs is already valid or official through a marriage blessing in the Church, but according to tradition, the couple still has debts that must be paid off immediately in order to be recognized and prayed for as having entered into a legal marriage. This occurs because of the transition to modernization which results in a shift in a socio-cultural structure such as kinship, traditional philosophy, roles or functions and etc.

Spiritualitas Petugas Pastoral dalam Karya Pelayanan Pastoral Awam

Spirituality is fundamental in the life of pastoral workers. Because spirituality is the main driving force that gives enthusiasm to a pastoral officer, especially in ministry. The service of a pastoral officer is very meaningful if it is accompanied by a person who is brave, enthusiastic and humble, because the duty and war of a pastoral officer is to proclaim the Word of God. Basically, pastoral officers are called and sent by Christ to proclaim the Word of God to all believers with the aim of saving them. Lay Pastoral Officers are Christian believers who have received baptism and been anointed with the Holy Spirit. Through the baptism they have received, lay pastoral officers become members of the Body of Christ, gathered into the People of God, by carrying out the Tri-task of Christ according to their ability to carry out their mission for all Christians in the Church and the world. Lay pastoral officers live in the world, meaning carrying out worldly duties and work, and being in the midst of the realities of family and social life. They are called by God to carry out their own duties by imbuing the spirit of the Gospel, in that way they radiate faith, hope and love, especially the testimony of life. Lay pastoral officers who carry out the Tri-tasks of Christ, one of which is as preachers of the Word of God, strive to develop the faith of Catholics according to the values ​​of the Kingdom of God.

Syriac Exegesis of the Qurʾān

Abstract Christian authors writing in Syriac after the Islamic conquests frequently invoked the Qurʾān to validate the truth of Christian beliefs – such as the Trinity and the Incarnation – and to read the Qurʾān in a manner that removes any criticism of Christians and Christianity. The most comprehensive work of this genre is Against the Arabs of the prolific 12th-century Syrian Orthodox writer, the monophysite bishop of Amida, Dionysius bar Ṣalībī. Hitherto, scholarly attention has been given to exploring Bar Ṣalībī’s Qurʾān quotations vis-à-vis the canonical Qurʾānic text and to identifying the sources from which Bar Ṣalībī quoted the Qurʾān. Building on the current state of research, the aim of the present article is to attempt to provide an analysis of Against the Arabs’ approach to some relatively problematic passages, cruces interpretum, in the Qurʾān. Through studying a number of Qurʾānic verses in Syriac translation, and as commented upon in Against the Arabs, the article highlights the textual problems detected in Against the Arabs and shows that they are genuine problems which are also discussed in the tafsīr (Qurʾān commentary) literature. Put differently, the article demonstrates that – although motivated by different causes – Against the Arabs and the Muslim exegetical literature were both intrigued by the same problems in the Qurʾān but, naturally, reacted to them in different ways. More generally, it is hoped that through showcasing aspects of Against the Arabs’ hermeneutical engagement with the Qurʾān the article will allow us to “hear” the Qurʾān as it was received and interpreted by Syriac Christianity in the High Middle Ages.

A Marxist Approach to Bostonian Missionaries in Hawaii

For centuries, the United States has euphemized their imperial endeavours across the North American continent as they have continued to rely on providential rhetoric to justify their means of colonial expansion. This research critiques beliefs of American exceptionalism in an attempt to expose the hidden ills of America’s colonial efforts. It looks at the activities of Boston’s missionaries in Honolulu, Hawaii, in the nineteenth century and examines the way American identity and understandings of their own exceptionalism manifested on the ground via imperial pursuits. Sponsored by the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions (ABCFM), Boston’s missionaries entered Hawaii in 1819 with the intent to civilize what they perceived as an uncivilized nation. In colonial Hawaii, we will see the extensive blurring of lines between informal and formal empire, which this paper positions as a deliberate transition pivotal for the archipelago’s 1898 annexation. These actions will be observed through a Marxists-based approach to examine how the gradual subjugation of Hawaii’s Indigenous population occurred through religious and educational institutions. Religion and education will therefore be observed as tools used for grander imperial pursuits in colonial Hawaii. As this paper attempts to deconstruct beliefs associated with American exceptionalism, it will look at its origins—that is, Christian belief structures that informed ideas of America’s superiority—and its practical workings on behalf of Bostonian missionaries.

Globalization Authority: Fragmentation of Self and Disturbance of Religious Identity from Distortion to Extremism in Amin Ben Batta’s “Overdrive”

Globalization stands as a pivotal reality deeply ingrained within diverse ideologies, exerting significant influence across political, social, and cultural dimensions. Central to its impact is the concept of religion, pivotal for its role in reshaping societal identity structures. This study seeks to investigate the implications and consequences of globalization on the religious landscape, employing a descriptive-analytical approach to the novel Overdrive by Amin Ben Battha. The research critically examines the narratives of Jewish and Christian believers before and after the alteration of sacred texts, explores the proliferation of discourses centered on violence, extremism, and the rejection of moderation within Muslim communities, and ultimately considers globalization’s objective of eroding religious distinctiveness in favor of a unified global identity ideology. Furthermore, the study critiques the condemnation of unfettered public freedoms by transforming monotheism into a mere ideological belief.Haut du formulaire