Invocation Of God Research Articles

Jesus, Human Being and the Praxis of Intercession: Towards a Biblical Perspective

The problems surrounding intercessory prayer are manifold and well rehearsed; and few areas of religious observance undergo more of a metamorphosis during the life of a believer. Invocation of God to intervene so that the ‘divine will’ might be done more often than not gives way to a benign acceptance of the status quo and to the hallowing of time in which God is sought in all circumstances. And in this process many unhelpful notions of prayer are laid to rest. Images of God as cosmic messenger, interrupter of the natural order and manipulator of so-called human freedom prove incompatible with the canon of experience, to say nothing of a host of philosophical and theological objections. The resulting interpretations of intercession, however, are often far from convincing, especially when viewed in the light of scripture, which seems to bear witness to a God who, whilst independent from creation, remains intimately involved in its business and, especially, in that of humanity. For instance, there is the impression – stemming, perhaps, from the relative silence of many spiritual writers – that intercession is a ‘lesser’ form of prayer and one which must necessarily be jettisoned in the journey towards God as the soul is dispossessed of all insularity and self-centredness. Then there are the attempts to re-appropriate the language of intercession within a spirituality which is compatible with a modern world view.

Transatlantic Perspectives: Founding Fictions in British-American Literature

can literature ran dependably on schedule. Anthologies were small and branch lines few. This railroading was based on two assumptions, convenient fictions that have recently grown less so. The first was that America was unique, exceptional, different from and better than other countries, separated by oceans, history, distinctions, and oppositions. The second resembled the first. It was that literature was unique, exceptional, different from and better than other human activities, even other modes of discourse, and that it was, therefore, viewed most clearly, was most totally its apparent self, when seen as separate from other, unliterary activities and writings. Writings that fit these suppositions-autotelic invocations of God, love, and death, songs and soliloquies overheard by readers rather than directed at them in conversation-were legible and frequently read. Other writings, inspired less by the lyric Muse than by Roman and English politics, tobacco, commerce, and the salary of the governor of Massachusetts, were left standing trackside while the Edwards-to-Emerson express roared by.

Reflections on the Jewry Oath in the Middle Ages

The Jewry Oath (juramentum Judaeorum, Judeneid) was the judicial oath demanded from Jews involved in legal litigation when summoned to appear in a Christian court both as plaintiffs and defendants. The special formulae which were created for the Jews, who could not use the Christian formulae, usually included two parts: a ceremony and a verbal part. The ceremony could be long and elaborate, but was usually short and simple. The swearing Jew was asked to lay his right hand on a scroll of the Torah, the Pentateuch, or from the later thirteenth century, though more rarely, even on the Talmud. Sometimes more specific instructions were given, and the hand had to be laid on the page of the Ten Commandments, or even specifically on the commandment prohibiting the taking of the name of the Lord in vain (Exodus 20. 7). The verbal part included an invocation of God, a judicial declaration regarding the nature of the obligation corroborated by the oath, and a list of maledictions which would be inflicted in the case of perjury. The oath itself could be taken in a synagogue or at its gate, but usually it was conducted in the court itself on a Jewish holy book kept there specially for that purpose.

Experiencing the Divine Word: A Women’s Spiritual Gathering in Beirut

Fifteen-to-thirty women come together on a weekly basis in a Sunni neighbourhood in Beirut to practice the dhikr.Dhikr, the remembrance of God, is a central rite of mystical Islam. Trimingham (1998) describes the practitioner of mystical Islam as: “... anyone who believes that it is possible to have direct experience of God and who is prepared to go out of his way to put himself in a state whereby he may be enabled to do this” (p. 1). Most mystics trace dhikr back to the qur’anic injunction “… remember God frequently and glorify Him morning and evening” (33: 41). The performance of dhikr varies according to the rules of the different mystical orders and local practices. It mostly includes the invocation of God by the repetition of his names, control of breath, bodily movements, often also chanting and the employment of musical instruments.