Concept Of God Research Articles

Analysis of Patristic Interpretation of the “Shema” in Deuteronomy 6:4-5

The Patristic period stands as a pivotal era in the development of Christian doctrine, marked by profound theological and philosophical debates. Amidst these discussions, the Shema in Deuteronomy 6:4-5 retains its central importance for both Jewish and Christian faith traditions, offering insights into the nature of God. This paper explored the Patristic interpretation of the Shema, highlighting the perspectives of the Alexandrian and Antiochene Schools of thought. Key theological issues addressed include the monotheistic concept of God, the symbolic significance of Israel, the unity of God, and the Trinitarian debate. A historical approach was used where the views of selected theologians were explored within their socio-cultural and political settings. Drawing from African perspectives, the study reflected on the enduring relevance of these theological inquiries for contemporary society. Ultimately, the theological insights garnered from Patristic interpretations continue to inform and enrich modern theological discourse, bridging the gap between ancient wisdom and contemporary understanding. Keywords: God, Patristic Era, Shema, Trinity

God, Evil, and Anthropomorphism

Abstract In the first part of this paper I draw on some reflections offered by Descartes and Malebranche on the dangers of anthropomorphic conceptions of God, in order to suggest that there is something misguided about the way in which the so-called problem of evil is commonly framed. In the second part, I ask whether the problem of evil becomes easier to deal with if we adopt a non-personalist account of God, of the kind found in Aquinas. I consider the sense in which God is termed ‘good’ on this latter conception, and while not proposing that it can justify or explain the evil and suffering in the world, I suggest that the world’s manifest imperfections are compatible with the existence of a loving creator who is the source of the existence of the world and of the goodness found in created things.

The theodicies of Hans Jonas and Jürgen Moltmann: Proposing an alternative reformed angle

Auschwitz had a profound impact on the theological landscape. It led to God’s lordship, goodness and power being put on trial. If God exists and if he is a good and powerful God, why did he not intervene to stop the atrocities committed during the Holocaust? The theologies of the Jewish philosopher Hans Jonas and the Christian theologian Jürgen Moltmann were decisively structured by these questions.Contribution: This article compares the theodicies of these two influential thinkers within the Jewish and Christian traditions by analysing their concepts of God, the nature of the cosmos and human history as well as their respective views on God’s response to suffering. Despite showing appreciation for profound insights, this article points out impasses in their arguments. Drawing on a reformed approach to the question, the article concludes that the anthropodicy question is the real elephant in the room, not the theodicy question. Instead of asking questions about God’s goodness, Reformed theology posits the incomprehensibility of human beings turning against God. We must ask: How does it happen that a self-conscious being possessing innate moral capacities, such as moral emotions and vicarious intersubjective capabilities, rebels against God and engage in atrocious acts? Seen from this perspective, the theodicy question seems to be undergirded by the human propensity to moral disengagement and blame-shifting. Perhaps, instead of putting God on trial, humans must resort to introspection.

Neo-Hasidism: The Questions are Theological

Abstract The article opens with a brief definitional and historical summary of the phenomenon called Neo-Hasidism, referring to the adoption of Hasidic modes of thought, devotion, and praxis by Jews outside the traditional Hasidic communities. This is to be distinguished from Neo-Hasidism as a literary-artistic movement of the early twentieth century. The article then turns to what the author considers to be Hasidism’s most basic religious innovation, the popularization of a panentheistic notion of a God-infused universe and its implications for Hasidic Judaism. From here, he turns to some key theological issues as presented in early Hasidic sources, extensively quoted and referenced. These include concepts of God, revelation, mitzvot, and claims of religious exclusivism. In each case, he asks how this Hasidic view might be adapted for use in a contemporary neo-Hasidic context.

Economical rights versus God’s rights: criticising of the implementation Shariah economic in Indonesia

PurposeThis study aims to evaluate the impact of Law No. 11 of 2018 on Islamic Financial Institutions in Aceh, Indonesia. It also aims to understand the balance between the economic rights of individuals under Shariah law and the broader concept of God’s rights, as interpreted by this legislation. In addition, the research argues that the implementation of Law No. 11 of 2018 is untimely, with a focus on examining its influence on the cumulative abnormal return (CAR) of Shariah banks and its slight contribution to the direct economic impact.Design/methodology/approachThis study adopts a mixed-methods approach that integrates qualitative and quantitative analyses. The qualitative aspect uses a black-letter law approach for legislative scrutiny, whereas the quantitative aspect assesses economic indicators and firm performance using an event study analysis. The study also includes a two-tailed assessment to test hypotheses related to the law’s direct impact on institutional performance.FindingsThe study reveals that Law No. 11 of 2018 had minimal impact on national-scale corporate performance and a notable increase in poverty indices in Aceh, indicating a potential misalignment between the law’s intention and its economic consequences. The results also show the law’s ineffectiveness in significantly influencing the CAR of Islamic banks, highlighting a clash of norms and a lack of substantial economic substance in the implementation of Shariah compliance.Research limitations/implicationsThis research is geographically and legally focused on Aceh, Indonesia, with a short-term analysis that may not fully capture the long-term impacts. It primarily considers the stock price performance of specific institutions for quantitative analysis and identifies potential clashes and disharmony-in-law implementation from a qualitative perspective.Practical implicationsThe findings suggest the need for legal frameworks that better comply Shariah principles with economic realities. Regional governments should consider modifying policies to balance religious values and economic objectives.Social implicationsThis research highlights the importance of balancing religious obligations with economic rights, indicating that strict interpretations of religious law can lead to adverse socioeconomic effects.Originality/valueThis study is unique in its comprehensive analysis of the convergence between religious law and economic rights, offering insights into the challenges faced in implementing Shariah-based economic policies in diverse economies, such as Indonesia.

Concepts of God and the Divine in Indian Traditions

Concepts of God and the Divine in Indian Traditions

Personal Reflection on Rohr’s Influence on my Thought

This paper describes Rohr’s shift from the traditional Trinitarian theology to a new concept of God. Rohr sees Christ as the mysterious essence of all things. The Trinity is an expression of the flowing nature of the Divine. Jesus, through his cross, allowed suffering to change him and the world, so that people could break out of the endless cycle of projecting pain elsewhere and be loved by the reality that surrounds them. The implications of this shift for spirituality are considered. People can live with constant prayer, meditation and practice of his words in his presence.

The Divergent Pathways to the Divine, God: A Comprehensible Research Article on the Convergences and Divergences of the Divine Pathways in the Three Major Religions within the Framework of Religious Diversity

The current research article seeks to explore the convergences and divergences in the approaches to reaching God across the three major world religions within the context of religious diversity. The current article implements a review of the existing literature as a research method in order to gather conclusive and evidence-based data with the aim of systematically evaluating these approaches in order to address the research objectives effectively. Throughout history, religions have focused on the concept of God or a divine being, yet the approaches to understanding or reaching this concept have varied dramatically among these three different religions. By comparing the understandings of God or divine reality in Islam, Christianity, and Judaism along with the methods of reaching this understanding, the study reveals the fact that the theological and ritual structures of each religion are uniquely established. Furthermore, the common themes and fundamental differences among the approaches to reaching God in these religions are scrutinized. The findings of the study reveal both similar and different aspects of the roadmaps among the three major religions, and in this context, it is concluded that the cultural, historical and theological backgrounds of each religion shape their respective approaches to the Divine, that is, the ultimate absolute being, God.

Conceptions of Divinity: Statue Making in Contemporary Taiwan and the Ritual of Embedding the Spirit (Rushen)

This article examines a ritual called the rushen (“Embedding the Spirit”) as it takes place in Taiwan. The second in a traditional series of three consecration rituals, the rushen involves the transformation of varied materials and their subsequent assemblage inside of a nascent deity statue. How do statue carvers, ritual specialists, and patrons express what the ritual achieves? This article argues that the rushen aims to purify, potentiate, and protect the interior space of a young statue. To this end, the ritual achieves the conception of a spirit embryo (shentai) inside the statue’s body. The concurrent assemblage of consecrated materials thereupon works to nourish and protect this incubating divine presence as it continues to grow in subsequent weeks. From the moment of the rushen, the spirit embryo, like a newly planted seed, gestates under the statue’s surface, protecting the image from malevolent spirits and engendering it with divine capabilities. Hidden beneath the surface, the spirit embryo awaits the kaiguang, the final ritual of animation, the moment when the statue will come to life as a spirit image, like a seedling sprouting up through the soil, like an infant emerging from the womb.

Covenant and Wisdom: Arguing with a Premiss from Absence

Abstract The absence of covenant ideas from wisdom literature is a well-founded scholarly conclusion, but the time is ripe to question it. This article re-examines the evidence and looks at both sides of the debate. There are found to be connections of covenant with wisdom, especially when defined in terms of relationship, with Wisdom personified, and with Solomon. Crucially, it links up with the concept of God as creator, recalling the Noachic covenant. The discussion includes four key passages that mention the word ברית (Prov. 2:17; Job 5:22–3; Job 31:1, and Job 41:4).

God, love, and death of Trunyan Village

Backgrund: Trunyan Village is a traditional village on the shores of Lake Batur in Bali, Indonesia. The village has unique funeral traditions and religious beliefs. The "Death Penalty Society'' is a specialized burial system where bodies are placed on the ground and surrounded by bamboo. The adore and fondness we appear to others can moreover bring meaning and bliss to our lives, indeed as we persevere melancholy and loss. It is critical to keep in mind that seeing God, adoration and passing are intensely impacted by one's culture, religion, traditions and individual views. Method: The method used is qualitative content analysis, interpreted using Goffman's Framing theory. This approach examines how structured narratives in documents and previous research about Trunyan Village influence perceptions of god, love, and death. Findings: In the context of Trunyan Village, the concepts of God, love and death can have unique meanings and are influenced by local traditions and beliefs..God and love from Trunyan village can be seen in their family relationships with the living and the dead, as they still believe in their ancestors..The love and death of the Terunyan people can be seen from their very unique funeral practices, where they say that the corpse or human body that has died will not emit odour and by doing 'mepasah' is the only way for humans to get a good place in the afterlife..Why there is no ngaben tradition in Trunyan, only ‘mapasah and mendem sawa’, is because their culture and traditions have been passed down from generation to generation, and their understanding of the funeral process is better than the ngaben tradition. Conclusion: Back to the traditions and culture that influence why Trunyan village prefers to carry out 'mepasah' and 'mendem sawa' funerals. It can be concluded that the funeral tradition of mepasah or mendem sawa carried out in Trunyan village is a tradition carried out from generation to generation from their ancestors, which is a funeral activity that thinks about the concept of humanity where they have an understanding that if the human body has died it will not smell and with the taru menyan tree that grows in the setra or grave that protects the corpse from pungent odours and by covering the corpse with bamboo to protect it from wild animals. Novelty/Originality in this Study: Through qualitative content analysis and Goffman's Framing theory, this study explores the meaning of God, love, and death in the context of local traditions. The proposed model includes a digital interactive platform and mobile application to preserve and disseminate knowledge about these cultural practices.

Prinsip Teologi Kelahiran Sebagai Model Konseling Kristen Kepada Pasangan Suami Istri Yang Belum Memiliki Anak

The increasing number of problems experienced by married couples who do not have children among Christians such as loss of harmony, family violence, infidelity and divorce are important concerns for pastors in the Church. This study uses reference books and articles found through the internet with literature review and bibliological descriptive methods, namely making the Bible as a solution to solve problems that occur. So the conclusion is that household problems must be solved by applying a Christian counseling model based on the principles of Birth Theology. The model is a model of believing with a firm faith, a model of surrendering and repenting to God, a model of making a vow to ask God. The research results showed that through understanding the Theology of Birth which refers to understanding the concept of God as the initiator of birth, God helps the birth process and the birth of a child is a gift from God, and God is also the one who has power over married couples who do not or do not have children. However, Allah is willing to take into account efforts to have children. Thus, through Birth Theology with an approach to the model of faith, surrender, or repentance, even making a vow to God in the hope of obtaining it.

Freedom, Creativity, the Self, and God: Between Rabbi Kook and Bergson’s Lebensphilosophie

AbstractIn this essay, I examine the intersection between the concepts of freedom, the self, God, and creativity in the works of one of the most prominent twentieth-century Jewish thinkers, Rabbi Abraham Isaac HaCohen Kook (1865–1935), exploring his use of these concepts through the lens of the Lebensphilosophie of the French philosopher Henri Bergson (1859–1941). I first draw a historical and thematic parallel between Bergson’s and Kook’s philosophies that to date has not been considered extensively. I then argue that five different interpretative puzzles related to the topic of freedom in Kook’s teachings can be explained against the background of Bergson’s thought. This Bergsonian interpretation enables the reader to appreciate in what way different aspects of Kook’s thought—the metaphysical, ethical, epistemological, and theological—are interconnected and can be understood as an organic whole. I thereby show that the Bergsonian philosophical and systematic models are an important, and yet unexplored, interpretative tool for the study of Kook’s theological and philosophical thought.

Religion in the Postmodern Thought

As understood, postmodernism is a worldview that borrows its nomenclature from the era after modernism. It became a progressive thought with ideas notable for denouncing absolute truth. This article aims to explain what postmodernism is and how religion is understood by its people, mainly by referring to the thoughts of postmodern philosophers who played an important role in undermining religious traditions through the devaluation of religious values, namely Nietzsche (1884-1900), Wittgenstein (1889-1951) and Heidegger (1889-1976). In the discussion, it is found that postmodernism has a distinctive conception of God and religion. It dissolves the highest values, which is God, to which all other value may refer to as their foundations. Since human reason cannot conceive the nature of God, postmodern intellect disestablishes the metaphysical way of thinking. Thus, the postmodernists get it religion in so diverse way that conflicting to the predominant conviction of theologians.

Historis Konsep Prapengetahuan Allah dan Hubungannya dengan Predestinasi (Dari Abad Ke 11-15)

The concept of God's foreknowledge and its relationship with predestination is one of the teachings in the Bible that is difficult to understand. Discussing the foreknowledge and predestination of God entails delving into the divine plan for humanity throughout eternity. Consequently, it has been subject to much speculation. The difficulty lies in affirming that it can only be comprehended to the extent that God reveals it in the Bible. Even biblical statements about it have been interpreted diversely. This is evidenced by the various views held by theologians from the 11th to the 15th century. Based on a literature review of these theologians, it is apparent that the foreknowledge of God has been understood in several senses: as God's foreknowledge of all things and causing predestination; as God's approval of the chosen ones and causing predestination; as predestination itself for the saved; and as God's foreknowledge of what He will do for believers, occurring simultaneously with predestination, both being caused by the will of God.

God, Philosophers and Theologians in Africa

There is renewed interest in philosophical and theological investigations about God, religions and the implications of religious beliefs among philosophers and theologians in Africa. This development is itself profitable because the question or the problem of God is a relevant discourse in Africa where the majority of people are theists. However, unlike the exploration of the first-generation African scholars—philosophers and theologians—whose primary objective was to show the symmetry between Christianity and African Traditional Religions (ATR), contemporary discourses arise within the clamour for decoloniality. The investigations, with varied emphasis, advocate the decolonisation of the concept of God, epistemic decolonisation, decolonisation of Christianity and African Christian theology, etc. In this essay, I critically examine the contemporary decolonial discourse about God, divine attributes, religious belief, and the relationship between African Christian theology and ATR. I argue that most of the contemporary literature is entangled in conceptual convolution and as such, there is a lack of clarity about what needs to be decolonised. Put differently, most works do not clearly distinguish between reality (the person or phenomenon “God”), thought (the concept “God”), and conceptions of God (language, that is, the terms and images used in making assertions about God). Further, I argue that when conceptual clarifications are adequately attended to, there is no need for decolonisation of discourses about God, divine nature, divine attributes, and the relationship between Christianity and ATR.

God in Awe and Intimacy: Jewish and Muslim Perspectives on Understanding and Pronouncing the Name(s) of God and its Relation to the Humanitarian Crisis

The concept of God is essential for both Jews and Muslims. Instead of using the terms Judaism and Islam, this study considers the terms Jews/Jewish and Muslims as more proper to focus on human beings as the subject of religion who are open to dialogue and change. Loving God’s creations is a process of loving the Creator. Thus, this study tries to connect Jewish and Muslim understanding and belief in God’s Names and its implications for their actions concerning the humanitarian crisis, especially today’s Israel-Palestine relationship. This study applies the content and comparative analysis of the texts (documents, videos, and pictures) related to the issue, along with the teachings of Isaac Luria and Mulla Sadra. In addition, a phenomenological approach is also used as it leads to an effort to understand religious thought and behavior from the point of view of the religious person. This study revealed that how humans understand Divine Names is manifested in how they treat each other. As human beings are the best manifestation of God, how we see, treat, and interact with others reflects our understanding of God’s names and vice versa. God’s names are all beautiful. Therefore, those who believe in God will do good to themselves, others, and the universe.Contribution: This study provides insight into a correlation between one’s beliefs and actions among Jews and Muslims. One’s actions reflect one’s understanding of God and vice versa. Also, how we can try to stay physically, mentally and spiritually strong amidst the happening conflicts and chaos through the reflection on the topic.

Five Issues on Confucian-Christian Dialogue

Based on professor Tian Wei’s masterpiece, Christianity and Confucianism: Two Models of Religious Existential Ethics, five issues on Confucian-Dialogue are especially discussed in this article: “Christian concept of God and Confucian concept of Heaven's Mandate" involves discussions on theology and anthropology, “Christian doctrine of original sin and Confucian doctrine of innate goodness, “Christian doctrine of salvation through God’s grace and Confucian doctrine of self-cultivation through human effort" involves discussions on soteriology and ethics, “Christian concept of divine love and Confucian concept of benevolence" still fundamentally involves soteriology and ethics, and “Christian hope of eternal life and Confucian pursuit of immortality" fundamentally involves eschatology.

The Relationship between Morality and Religion in Kant's Philosophy

Kant delves into the relationship between morality and religion, particularly how traditional morality is integrated into practical reason and how the moral law is seen as a self-imposed rule of free practical reason. Kant distinguishes between two forms of religion: religion within the boundaries of pure reason and revealed religion. The former is based on the rational conception that the establishment of a supreme being ensures the supreme good; the latter emphasizes the independence and authority of reason in matters of faith. In his moral philosophy, both beliefs are crucial, not only in helping to sustain the moral life, but also in the way that both reason's conception of God and belief in revealed religion can positively affect the moral life.

Plato’s Shadow: The Encroaching Doctrine of the Soul’s Immortality in the Early Church

The influence of Plato’s concept of the soul as innately immortal and indestructible had a profoundly unbiblical influence upon many of the early church fathers’ views regarding human nature, the final judgment of the wicked, and God’s gift of immortality to believers. I will argue my thesis by initially defining the nature of the soul according to the Hebrew Bible and the Christian New Testament, with an emphasis on its mortality. I will primarily utilize Scripture itself, although secondary sources—such as commentaries on the Hebrew and Greek versions—are essential due to interpretational differences. This will help to demonstrate how the Biblical view differs significantly from the Platonic view. Likewise, I will explore the Platonic view of the nature of the soul through the use of various primary and secondary sources. Additionally, I will use the writings of many early church fathers to highlight various instances in which the early church adopted the Platonic view of the soul and applied it to areas of their theology. Lastly, I will use both primary and secondary sources to make the case that the adoption of Platonic doctrine on the immortal soul has had an ‘unbiblical’ influence on how many Christians have viewed human nature, which alters the views of the final judgment of the wicked as well as the concept of God’s gift of immortality to believers in Christ. Ultimately, I will argue that this issue is important because it affects how we see the character of God and is, therefore, related to how we worship him.