Justice Of God Research Articles

The Theological Message of the Opening Vision of Isaiah 6

The main objective of our present study is to underline the theological feature of Isaiah's first vision (Is 6). In the first part, the author presents some isagogic directions concerning The Book of Isaiah and its early vision. In the second part of our study, the vision from Is 6 is analysed more theologically, covering topics such as angelology, eschatology, divine glory and the prophet's ministry. The author suggests that the earthly world and the heavenly one should be viewed in a more connected way, even as a unity (this being possible only from a liturgical perspective). Is 6:9-13 contains not only the announcement of God's justice but also the promise of recompense; in Is 6, the glory of God is closely connected to the Temple from Jerusalem and the Temple emptied by the glory of God, the punishment of Israel is envisaged. Even thou God's punishment was imminent, and the prophet Isaiah was sent to “make the heart of this people dull” (Is 6:10) he never ceases to urge the people of Israel to repentance. The study concludes by highlighting the perennial character of Isaiah's revealed words. All four gospels of the New Testament connect Jesus's saying by referring at least once to Is 6:9 (Mt 13:14; Mk 4:12; Lk 8:10; Jn 12:40). This verse is also used by Paul the Apostle regarding the Jews from Rome (Acts 28:25-26). Having studied both Romanian and Western literature, the author's interpretation is characterised by historical, literary and symbolic perspectives; the goal being spiritual enrichment from the presented text.

ALIRAN JABARIAH DAN QODARIAH BESERTA PEMIKIRAN PARA TOKOHNYA

Aqidah is the main aspect of Islamic teachings preached by the Prophet Muhammad. This is clearly visible in the Prophet's main mission to spread Islam in Mecca. The Aqidah aspect is an issue that is quite important than the Sharia and is clearly visible in the Qur'an which explains a lot about faith. After the death of the Prophet Muhammad, the Islamic community experienced a split in several sects, namely after the death of Caliph Usman bin Affan and after the murder of Ali Bin Abi Talib. The sects in Islam emerged because of the many different thoughts of figures, for example thoughts about the power of Allah and human will, the position of revelation. and reason, God's justice. And in the end various sects emerged such as Jabariah, Qodariah, Shi'ah, Kkhuarij, Murjiah and others. This was said by the Prophet that the Islamic community would split into several groups. Qadariah is a sect founded by Ma'bad Al-Juhani, Gaila al-Dimasyqi, and the followers of Wasil ibn' Atha, Umar bin Ubaud, they believe that humans have freedom in their actions, where there are no demands or wills of God in their affairs. Some of these groups believe that human deeds or actions are not God's will And the background to the birth of genre Jabariah is still unclear. And the opinion of Abu Zahra says that this sect emerged from the time of the Companions and the time of the Bani Umayyh. At that time the ulama were discussing the issues of Qada, Qadar, and human power. This sect was founded by Jahm bin Afwan and Ja'ad bin Dirham. This research discusses sects or schools of Islam with conflicting thoughts, namely the idea of God's power over humans and the thought of Qada and Qodar. Because studying the meaning of these two schools is very important for us to be careful and be able to lead someone to strong-founded beliefs. The aim of this research is to address the wisdom of differences in thinking regarding Qoda and Qodar beliefs. The method used is the Leatherface Method by collecting sources from literature. The results of this research show that Muslims are no longer confused or lost with the teachings of deviant sects.

Pemahaman Tentang Kebenaran dan Keadilan Dalam Filsafat Kristen

This article discusses the concept of God's truth and justice manifested in justice, truth and honesty. In this case, understanding the truth and justice of God is real and concrete in human life. The results of this study show that God's righteousness is reflected in acts of justice and honesty which have implications for human attitudes and actions horizontally, especially for believers who believe in Christ.

God of Justice and Reconciliation?

Justice and reconciliation are central concepts in the NT, in explicit and implicit ways, and the terms and their usage often betray their Jewish origins and setting. As the ultimate author of justice and reconciliation, God also expects as much from God’s followers, and ultimately from and towards the cosmos. Mindful that their encompassing reach may lead to semantic inflation, justice, and reconciliation in themselves – but particularly as divine attributes – need to be plotted over a broader spectrum that may have been the case in the past, and with much more attention to these notions in their particular first century context.

Cursed Be the Name

Abstract From the structure of the book to its enigmatic law codes, Leviticus poses a number of interpretive questions for readers. This article aims to tackle a variety of these questions raised by the blasphemer narrative. I will consider especially the relationship between the nature of the crime committed and the legal decision that follows. I further intend to show how the internal concerns of this pericope cohere with the concerns of the H redactor and the passage’s immediate context between chapters 23 and 25. While no doubt a difficult task, coming to an understanding of the blasphemer narrative is vital for grasping the structure and argument of Leviticus. Furthermore, this narrative raises obvious questions concerning the justice of God. Does the punishment of the blasphemer fit the crime? Does this sentencing fit with general notions of justice in the ancient world, or even with the God of Israel’s own legal standards?

Predestion and Free-Will: Between God-Man Determination

Free-will demands by man as an option to absent from any compulsions at every degree which to compel by intellectual means, set the right determination of discretions. However, clashes between God-man relationships create discussions and conflicts because of man incompatibility. Also, man encounters the justice of God between determination of predestination and free-will. Some believers believe predestination is adorn by God, and others believe it is held by man himself. Hence, the objective of the study is to explore the concept of free-will according to selected religious teachings like Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam, proceeds to discuss the similarities and dissimilarities of Karma respectively. Last, to analyse the understanding of Karma and, Qada’ and Qadar in order to vindicate understandings of predestination and free-will. The study applies qualitative analysis of primary and secondary sources and library databases from selected journals. The results convey as to Hinduism and Buddhism, Karma is absolute and independently determined by man as to liberate oneself from misery and desire. To Hindusim, Karma is the result of past actions while to Budhhism Karma does not implement physical acts yet to mental. Islam through Qada’ and Qadar, believes God has reserved the predestination of human beings for a purpose, in fact the reason (‘aql) as a privilege from God, to man to choose the best options of his life. The study is notable in order to clarify misunderstandings of Karma and, Qada’ and Qadar among the believers and non-believers as the symbol of respect and religious harmonization.

The Concept of Justice in Islam: A Socio-pragmatic Analysis

This study attempts to extend politeness theory beyond informal situations to a more serious type of discourse, using data collected from the Holy Quran and the Prophet’s sayings. Specifically, different aspects of social justice have been investigated in this study from an Islamic point of view. The data comprises 191 Quranic verses and 100 sayings of the Prophet Mohammed. The study uses qualitative methods focusing on the concept of social justice, and in particular, the way Islam emphasizes numerous principles that organize relationships among members of the society. The theoretical framework of this study is based on the politeness theory as developed by Brown and Levinson (1978, 1987) and Leech’s (1983) model of politeness. The relevance of the politeness strategy is evaluated in terms of two factors: the medium of communication and the seriousness of the topic being discussed. The findings showed that the highest percentage of use is the bald-on-record strategy with (61%), followed by the positive politeness strategy (26%), and (8%) belongs to the negative politeness strategy. The least politeness strategy employed is the Off record with only (5%). Judging from the findings, one might argue that religion has an important role to play in legitimizing social justice and that discrimination is a man-made phenomenon, privileging certain groups of people over others. The findings presented here bear on orientations toward the importance of applying a social system based on divine justice and that in order to bring human justice in line with divine laws, people should exemplify God's justice and mercy in how they think and live.

The Views of Saadia Gaon and al-Qāḍī Abd al-Jabbār on God's Justice and Their Relevance to Dialogue among Civilizations

The surge in scholarly fervor across the Arab world following the Hellenistic resurgence instigated shifts in religious thought concerning theodicy. Saadia Gaon and al-Qāḍī Abd al-Jabbār, representing Jewish and Islamic scholars respectively, exemplify this evolving trend. This study endeavors to delve into Gaon and al-Qāḍī Abd al-Jabbār's perspectives on divine justice and its implications for human agency. Employing a qualitative approach with content analysis as the analytical tool, this research reveals a convergence of ideas between Gaon and al-Qāḍī regarding the manifestation of divine justice through human autonomy. This autonomy operates within the framework of revealed restrictions transmitted to the messenger of God. These limitations establish a moral framework delineating choices of good and evil, ultimately entrusted to human discretion guided by reason. The primacy of reason underscores moral rationality, guiding individuals towards virtuous conduct. Within the realm of human freedom, diverse actions unfold, contributing to cultural evolution and the advancement of civilization. Moral rationality emerges as a pivotal tool in religious comprehension, fostering dialogue between Abrahamic faiths and facilitating the pursuit of a more cohesive global society.

Lore, Legends and Landscape of Uttarakhand: Exploring the Socio- Religious Significance of Golu Devta- God of Justice

The present paper primarily points out the shifts in mythical stories by highlighting an old religious tale of one of the supreme regional deities of Uttarakhand especially the Kumaon and Garhwal region called Golu Devta, considered as the God of justice. Although the state has a fair amount of cities that are plush with all state-of-the-art amenities and crowds from other parts of the country, this could not take the people of Uttarakhand away from their roots and traditional values. There are different myths, legends and beliefs associated with Golu Devta regarding his birth, incarnation, ruling period and even of his death. The story has adapted unique forms as it went through places, beliefs, cultures and generations. This paper studies the variation of folk narratives of Golu Devta prevailing in Uttarakhand and looks forward to bringing into light the needs and reasons behind the shifts and adaptations across cultures and communities.

God, vertroue en twyfel: Die vroue in die konsentrasiekampe tydens die Anglo-Boereoorlog

God, trust and doubt: The women in the concentration camps of the Anglo-Boer or South African War.Many books and articles have been written on the religious concept of the Afrikaner women who suffered in and survived the concentration camps during the Second Anglo-Boer War (1899–1902) in South Africa. It seems as if nothing has been written, though, on their image and understanding of God. This article is an attempt to close the gap in the research. These women’s understanding of God was mainly shaped by the Old Testament. They saw the two Boer republics as the new people of God, elected to exist in freedom, as independent states. To them, God was the God of justice and righteousness, who will defend his chosen people from oppression. The defeat on the battlefield caused a crisis of faith among many women. The war diary of Johanna Brandt (née Van Warmelo) offers useful information about the women’s faith and the shattering of their faith. In the second part of this article, Lutheran perspectives on the God of the Bible and man-made idols are provided as a Christian alternative to the faith of our forefathers. The Psalms and the prophets are also revisited to point out the presence of God, as well as the ethical consequences of the Jewish-Christian religion.Contribution: This is probably one of the first articles written on women’s understanding of God, women who were confined to the concentration camps during the Anglo-Boer War of 1899–1902. The main emphasis falls on Johanna Brandt (née Van Warmelo), who was an assistant nurse in the Irene camp, on the outskirts of Pretoria. She formulated her and the other women’s belief in the God of justice. Their understanding of God motivated them to endure the hardships and thousands of deaths in the camps.

Aspek-Aspek Ketuhanan dalam Teologi Islam: Analisis Tiga Mazhab: Mu’tazilah, Asyariyah, Al-Maturidiyah

This article discusses the debate over divinity aspects in Islamic theology, using the literature study method. The purpose of this paper is to find out the meaning of monotheism in Islamic theology and debates related to divine aspects in Islamic theology. The results of this writing show that religion is a belief that has long existed throughout human civilization. As for the debate on the divine aspect in Islamic theology related to the nature of God, the Mu`tazilah argue that Allah is All-Knowing with His essence, not with knowledge, power and life, because all of these are attributes while attributes are something outside of matter. While the Asy`ariyah, argue that God has properties. God's justice, according to Asy'ariyah, God does as He wills, so God does not put all people into heaven unjust and if God puts all people into hell God is not unjust. Meanwhile, the understanding of justice for the Mu`tazilah implies obligations that must be respected by God. Regarding the power and will of God's Mutlat, Mu'tazilah argues that God's absolute power has been limited by the freedom that has been given to humans in determining wills and actions. whereas Asy`ari said that God is absolute in His will and power

The divine in the secular

This essay explores how individuals and communities ‘bring forth’ new spaces for distinguishing and realizing justice. It is about the idea, or more precisely, the ideas of justice and their meanings not conceived as a priori ideals or unyielding normative models, but as a malleable conversation that emerges continuously through practices and discourses human beings create in their everyday lives and situations. Specifically, it attempts to understand the idea of justice from the perspective of the ‘everyday’ by exploring the the aspirations represented by innumerable written petitions (manauti) that devotees hang around the temple walls of Goludev, the ‘God of Justice’ in the Central Himalayan province of Kumaon. Several questions present themselves: What does justice mean in this context? Why do devotees seek out Goludev for the resolution of matters of justice instead of using the secular courts in the region? How does Goludev provide justice and what kind of justice is it that he makes available? What are the sociological and political consequences of situating divine justice, whose instrumentation is achieved not only through written petitions handed to the deity but also through practices of ritual embodiment or spirit possession, within a secular democratic context?

Ketuhanan dalam Diskursus Teologi Mazhab Klasik

The main mission of the Prophet Muhammad. sent by Allah to this earth, is to strengthen the Oneness of God and uphold the sentence of monotheism (la ilaha illah) and purify the aqidah of the Arabs contaminated with the culture of ignorance, and obey their ancestors. However, after the death of the Prophet Muhammad, the discourse around kalam or theology in Islam became hotly discussed. At the time Ali bin Abi Talib became caliph, the political context in Islam began to develop, related to theological discussions. Then the discourse developed into a flow of Islamic theology. Some of the debates around divinity, according to the Mu'tazilah, Ash'ariah, and Maturudiyah schools, namely about the nature of God, faith and disbelief, God's actions and human actions, absolute will and God's justice, revelation and reason, and perpetrators of major sins. The conception of God is at the core of every human belief. God is always at the top of the pyramid of human needs related to matters of faith. Here we can understand together that worshiping God is the human way to infinity. The infinite shutter of God is then discussed in the "limited" realm. This means that God exists in the human conception, so that the conception that is built then makes God into a certain group. This is what later became the discussion of madhhab in Islam.

Paul and the Apocalypse of the Gospel

Apocalyptic thinking permeates Paul’s ideas about the gospel, God, the present age, and what is to come. Paul in his letters not only writes about the revelations that he himself has received (Gal 1:11–12, 2:2), but also how the gospel reveals God’s ultimate justice (Rom 1:17). Apocalypticism as an ideology is fundamentally concerned with justice and the expectation of a future intervention that will conclusively reconcile the injustices of the world with the justice of God. Though of course Paul never sat down and wrote an “Apocalypse” or even an apocalyptic letter, his letters reveal glimpses of the apocalyptic ways Paul thought about the world and humanity’s place in it. This article reviews the history and main tenets of apocalypticism and then examines three fundamental areas of apocalyptic thinking as expressed in Paul’s letters: the idea of apocalypse as full disclosure, the apocalyptic promise of full justice, and Paul’s use of apocalyptic ideas to reorient his readers to thinking about true-but-hidden identity, both of the “present evil age” (Gal 1:4) and of one’s current place in it. Paul draws upon and employs apocalyptic imagery to solve practical problems in his communities, equipping them to face the world with a full cosmic perspective.

THE INFLUENCE OF AL-USUL AL-KHAMSAH ON THE MU’TAZILA’S LAW THOUGHT

Mu’tazilah is a theological school with a passion for straightening out an understanding of the oneness and justice of God that has been polluted and corrupted. This stream gives a reasonably large portion of the discussion of speculative metaphysics. With a rationalist method, the Mu’tazilah proposed theological teachings known as al-Usul al-Khamsah. This study aims to reveal the influence of these theological concepts Mu’tazila’s law thought. As this is library research, the discussion will employ interpretive, descriptive, and reflective analytical techniques, which will result in theconclusion that al-Usul al-Khamsah had a significant influence on the ideas of the Mu’tazila school of jurisprudence, including that people who are forced (mukrah) are not subject to legal burdens, the omission of texts in worship, it is required for an order for the existence of the object to be governed, ordinary people are not allowed to obey the mujtahid in branches In sharia, it is forbidden to take the most accessible opinion of two comparable mujtahid opinions.

A brief exposition on the notions of Human Suffering, Theodicy and Theocracy in the Book of Job

It is suggested that in the face of malevolence, such as that faced by Job, God’s omnipotence and also His benevolence can be upheld. This article thus explores the notions of human suffering, theodicy and theocracy and how they are understood in the book of Job from an Old Testament perspective. The exegesis of the Book of Job has vexed people for epochs and it grasps the depths of human despair, the anger of moral outrage, and the anguish of a felt desertion by God on the part of the protagonist. From one man’s agony it reaches out to the mystery of God, beyond all words and explanations. The Scriptures including the book of Job has several distinct ways of reconciling human suffering with the justice of God. In the end, it is only God as King and Ruler, Himself who brings justice, victory and joy to the life of the suffering man. And when all is said and done, the mystery remains that God stands as King and Ruler revealed in His hiddenness, an object of terror, adoration and love. Job’s story shows us the eternal rebels that human beings are, who become bewildered by apparent injustice in things in life and who claim they can be better ordered. We cannot have a prejudiced view of life and be concerned only with what befalls us and then question God based on our intrinsic limited understanding. God is paradoxical in His ways and this is indeed a part of the mystery of human existence. We win when we gain true knowledge of God and understand our place in the scheme of His creation. All pain and suffering are a mystery of divine wisdom and a truly wise person would comprehend that “the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil, that is understanding” (Job 28:28). We should not expect to understand all the whys and wherefores behind what an omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent God does or allows. The definitive answer to the problem of human suffering is that we simply need to trust that God has His motives.

The Theology of Liberalism: Political Philosophy and the Justice of God, de Eric Nelson

Reseña del libro The Theology of Liberalism: Political Philosophy and the Justice of God, de Eric Nelson

The Daughter of Isis at Duke University

The Daughter of Isis at Duke University

Merit, Demons, and Karma: Catholic Victim Souls and the Tibetan Practice of gCod

The purpose of this article is to map the points of contact, as well as the irreducible differences, between the Catholic tradition of victim soul spirituality and the Tibetan practice of gcod (chod). Victim soul spirituality develops in the framework of an Anselmian theology of the atonement, where the individual practitioner offers herself as an expiatory victim to God's wrath so to appease God's justice that requires reparation for the sins of humanity. A practice that knew its heyday in the Counter-Reformation period and enjoyed its highest degree of popularity in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, victim soul spirituality, has virtually disappeared from contemporary Catholicism in the wake of the Second Vatican Council. At the same time, many Western practitioners of Buddhism have grown more interested in the practice of gcod (chod), which consists of a symbolic offer of one's body to demons and other malevolent beings that seek to thwart one's progress toward nirvāna. Developed originally by the female mystic Machig Labdron (1055–1149), gcod is analogous to victim soul spirituality as it reflects a sacrificial dialectic where individual practitioners can appease supernatural entities that can sustain or thwart our spiritual progress. At the same time, a close analysis of the two practices will reveal significant points of divergence, as the two traditions rest on radically distinct claims concerning individual subjectivity, soteriology, and the nature of ultimate reality.

LITERARY AND THEOLOGICAL BACKGROUND OF THE SERMON ON LAW AND GRACE

This article studies the literary and theological background of the Sermon on Law and Grace, a famous oration by Ilarion, the (future) Metropolitan of Kyiv, from the mid-eleventh century. The author of this article focuses also on potential patristic models for Ilarion’s theological and patriotic reflection on the recent East Slavic history in the light of the official adoption of Christianity under Volodymyr Sviatoslavich, Prince of Kyiv. The main feature of the mentioned (self-)reflection, relying on the notion of history as the history of salvation, is disregarding the Byzantine political and cultural superiority and, simultaneously, emphasizing the justice of God, who brings his grace equally to all peoples, thus positioning them on the same spiritual level. This kind of reasoning was not a peculiarity of the Rus’ culture but formed a wider phenomenon defined by apologetic attitu­de and was characteristic of the entire religious-literary tradition of the East Orthodox Slavs between the tenth and sixteenth centuries. While trying to construct a theological justification of the historical value of Kyivan Rus’, Ilarion adapted patristic patterns coming from Byzantium, for example, the explanation of (dis)continuity between the Law of Moses and Christ’s mercy, particularly following Gregory Nazianzen and Patriarch Nicephorus I, or perception of a polity led by a Christian ruler, particularly following Eusebius of Caesarea. 
 Keywords: Sermon on Law and Grace, Ilarion, Rus’ literature, history of salvation, patristic models