Love Of God Research Articles

A Pentecostal theological perspective on ecofeminism

ABSTRACT The primary concern of ecofeminism is cultural schismatic dichotomies that position nature and women as subordinate, to the advantage and entrenchment of dominant powers. This article draws on the work of Pentecostal theologian Frank Macchia to propose the underlying issue is improper relations between created and divine, manifested as improper relations within creation. The Spirit of Christ – the overflowing love of God – brings creation into right relation with God and so with each other and non-human creation. Jesus Christ, by the Spirit, is the inauguration of these right relations, dissolving the core dichotomy of creation and Creator. Christ poured out His Spirit, for all of creation to participate in this relation through the self-giving vocation of humanity. Pentecostal churches – communities of graced relations – can expand their missional imagination and be primary witnesses to this vocation through the Spirit-empowered communal practices of contrition and repentance, the Lord's Supper, and prayer.

Love for God and Self-Annihilation

Love for God and Self-Annihilation

Can Unions, Accountability, and Synodality Coexist? An Ecclesiological Analysis of the 2015 San Francisco Archdiocesan Teachers’ Union Dispute

What place does organizing have in the Church’s synodal journey? In his address for the opening of the Synod on Synodality in 2021, Pope Francis described synodality as “unity, communion, the fraternity born of the realization that all of us are embraced by the one love of God.” Yet the process of collective bargaining is often fraught with division, contention, and adverse interactions based on competing interests. The author argues that, in addition to following Catholic social teaching, organizing serves a crucial pragmatic and theological role in the synodal journey. First, the author explores contemporary theology on synodality and, second, applies it to the 2015 San Francisco archdiocesan teachers’ union dispute, in which the teachers entered the collective-bargaining process to try to repel the archbishop’s effort to strip them of their nondiscrimination rights and force employees to abide by strict sexual-morality codes. Finally, he reflects on organizing’s broader ecclesiological impact.

A Comparative Study of Pentecostal and Non – Pentecostal Theological Education in South Africa: Spirituality and Academic Theology

South Africa’s theological education is diverse, with both Pentecostal and Non-Pentecostal institutions providing different approaches to spiritual formation and academic theology. Although the majority of people, Christian and non-Christian alike, have a strong understanding of spirituality, Pentecostals are relatively new to the term “spiritual formation.” It is about living a practical Christian life, which consists of intimate existential knowledge of God motivated by a genuine love for God. As a result, commitment to the Lord includes involvement and living in the world around one for the glory of God. Theological education on the other hand, is the training that aims to prepare individuals for professional church ministry. According to Scripture, before regeneration, we were all “dead in trespasses” and sins (Ephesians 2:1). If spirituality and academic theology are necessary components of theological education, then understanding how they are integrated in Pentecostal and Non-Pentecostal institutions is crucial for effective theological education. As a result, the purpose of this study is to examine the role of spiritual practices in shaping students’ theological understanding and to contribute to our understanding of the complex relationship between spirituality, academic theology, and leadership development in South African theological education, in order to establish a more thorough and successful way to forming spiritual/ pastoral leaders in the Pentecostal context.

Dialogue Between Christian Love and Pancasila Values According to Driyarkara

This article discusses Christian love and the essence of Pancasila values according to Driyarkara. This secondary research (desk research) uses a qualitative approach with Paul Ricoeur's hermeneutic analysis method. This research critically examines Driyarkara's writings regarding the Pancasila and the Christian Religion. Driyarkara reflected deeply on the essence of the Pancasila as being love for God. Driyarkara's findings regarding love as the essence of the Pancasila will be used as a starting point to explain the relationship between the Pancasila and Christian love. The synthesis of the dialogue between the two becomes the basis for explaining how to become a Pancasila Christian. This article finds several things. First, the point of convergence between Pancasila and Christian love lies in love itself. In the light of the church's faith, Christian love which comes from Christ is the soul, while love as the essence of the Pancasila is its embodiment in the life of the nation and state. Second, the implementation of the Pancasila by Christians is a manifestation of their duty to take part in Christ's mission in the world, namely to proclaim the Kingdom of God which is nothing other than the complete welfare of humans. The research concludes that for a Christian there is no other way to become a Pancasilaist than by truly being a Christian who fundamentally implements Christ's love for others.

The Law of Reason and Beyond

Lady Damaris Cudworth Masham, an English philosopher and theologian, holds a distinctive place in the intellectual discourse of late seventeenth century England. As the daughter of Ralph Cudworth, a prominent Cambridge Platonist, and a close friend and student of John Locke, Damaris Masham participated in a number of discussions at once, related in one way or another to the basic tenets of Christian theology and moral philosophy. The first of these is a dispute with the English Malebranchians, primarily John Norris and his intellectual companion Mary Astell, regarding the concept of the love of God. The second important debate concerned the defence of John Locke's rational Christianity against attacks from deists and enthusiasts. In addition to the defence of moderate conformist theology against radical non-conformism, Masham's writings also offer a special vision of Christian moral life, in which there is room for pleasures, the precepts of natural law and the commandments of Christian Revelation. Natural law occupies an important, but underexplored place in Masham's moral philosophy and theology. This paper is intended to fill said gap and is devoted to the reconstruction of Masham's approach to natural law and its connection with other crucial concepts of her moral theology: pleasures, sociability, reason, Revelation. In order to accomplish this goal, we interpret Masham's writings in light of relevant contexts and consider them as polemical arguments in which natural law plays an important, but limited role.

Father Porée Aporia. A Jesuit Mentor in the Struggle with the Spirit of the Nation

Father Charles Porée, Voltaire's teacher and lecturer in rhetoric at the Lycée Louis-le-Grand, the most prestigious secondary school in France, tried for many years to put his ethical programme into practice. He could act by personal example, by actual teaching, by directly preaching his ideas in numerous speeches and by plays for the school theatre. Putting love for God above all, love for King and fatherland in second place, and kinship love (paternal, filial, fraternal, conjugal) below, he found no place in his hierarchy for love between a man and a woman, considering it a negative value. He proposed a broad literary programme to support his views and used school theatre for the same purpose.

“Hagiological Patronage” – a Theological Reflection on the Traces of Memory of Blessed Dorothy of Mątowy (in Poland)

The article presents the issue of holiness shown in the patronage of a medieval mystic and recluse living in Prussia (today's northern Poland). The study is included in the current reflection on the teaching of Francis on the universal call to holiness. The aim of the undertaken research is to define the relevance of the model of holiness presented by Blessed Dorota of Mątowy (1347-1394). The arguments are based on two sets of information: a map of Dorota's Polish places of worship and a work describing her life by Jan of Kwidzyn. Most signs of the cult of the recluse can be found in the following towns: Mątowy Wielkie, Kwidzyn, Elbląg, Gdańsk, Dorotowo, Koszalin. There are churches dedicated to Bl. Dorothy, and her images. In the liturgical calendar, the mystic is mentioned in the Archdiocese of Warmia and Gdańsk as well as in the Diocese of Elbląg and Koszalin-Kołobrzeg. The fame of her holiness developed immediately after her death. The beatification process was initiated several times and the cult was approved in 1976. The charism of Dorota is characterized by the love of God, penance, pilgrimage and steadfastness in faith. Spirituality developed according to this model and is close to the needs of Catholics living in dioceses where she is remembered. It is legitimate for these local churches to promote the Dorothean model of piety as appropriate to correlate the spiritual needs of contemporary Christians with the universal call to holiness.

Philanthropia as Skopos of the Incarnation: The Deifying Vocation of Humanity in Maximus the Confessor

AbstractAbstract: Maximus the Confessor's belief that the Incarnation would have happened without a Fall is a key facet of his thought, yet contradicts portions of his corpus which state that God became human due to sin. I assert that Maximus affirms a prelapsarian motive of the Incarnation for two reasons: his conception of deification as participation and understanding of humanity's original vocation. Deification and vocation are presented by Maximus in such a way that they could have only been fulfilled through Christ's Incarnation; the joining of human and divine natures is not a soteriological necessity. Analysing accounts of the Fall of Adam in both the Questiones ad Thalassium and the Ambiguum demonstrate that the Confessor reconciles the historic need for salvation with the will of God from all eternity. I argue that a reading of Ambigua 41 in the context of the Maximian corpus reveals an all‐encompassing reason for the Incarnation. Philanthropy (φιλανθρωπία), God's love for humanity, is the motive (σκοπός) for the Incarnation that embraces the divine preexistent intention without contradicting soteriology.

Elements of Apophatic Theology in the Writings of Elizabeth of the Trinity

The article is a theological and spiritual reflection on the spiritual doctrine of the French mystic St. Elizabeth of the Trinity OCD (Élisabeth Catez), who lived from 1880 to 1906. The present study seeks to explain the reason why apart from cataphatic (positive) expressions, characteristic of nuptial Carmelite mysticism, which Elizabeth represents, her writings sometimes contain apophatic (negative) expressions, emphasizing the unknowability of God. The historical and literary, hermeneutical, philological and comparative analyses of her work lead to the following conclusions; as a Carmelite she consciously referred to the teaching of the Areopagite (Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite) and to the later continuator of his thought, Bl. John Ruusbroec (Ruysbroeck); however, to apophatic expressions – e.g. infinite, unchanging, inaccessible, indescribable, immovable, inexhaustible, unknown, invisible, incomprehensible, incomparable, elusive – she gave a nuptial tone, for the sake of emphasizing the beauty and poetic nature of the bridal love of God and man. For this reason, Elizabeth does not represent the apophatic trend, but uses its language to emphasize the beauty of God and the poetic character of his relationship with man

Service-learning as anti-oppressive practice: Promoting partnerships to advance the Christian mission to serve the least of these

Service-learning, especially from a critical perspective, is a method of education that aims to bring students into relationships with community members to foster mutual understanding and give opportunity for shared learning and service. Universities that are compelled by their faith to seek justice may be the most effective at implementing service-learning programs when they are grounded in the justice and love of God. Herein, I report on a service-learning program that aims to advance the Christian mission by serving the least of these. I discuss lessons learned along the way and give examples from our partners.

“Medivangelism”: History and Antecedents in Ghana

This article explored the link between medicine and sharing the message of Jesus in Ghana. It looked at how medical missions and medical evangelism have played a vital role in bringing both physical healing and spiritual hope to people in need. It also analyzed developments and progress associated with modern medicine and its usage by the church to foster the well-being of Ghanaians. By creating hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare services, churches in Ghana have made a big difference in the lives of those who are often forgotten or lacking medical care. The article focused on three main churches—the Catholic Church, the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, and the Methodist Church, Ghana—and their contributions to holistic ministry over time. The research adopted the qualitative historical approach within the framework of practical theology as the methodology for the study. Primary data was gathered through historical documentation, personal interviews and the researcher’s participation in the missions field as a volunteer. Secondary data were sourced from peer-reviewed articles and books. The research revealed how these churches have combined their faith with their desire to help others, bringing medical assistance and spreading the love of God in the process. By understanding the important role of medical missions, their connection to sharing the Gospel, and the reason why the pioneering missionaries added it to their missions, readers will gain a deeper appreciation for the efforts of churches in Ghana and the impact they have on the lives of people in their communities. Keywords: Medical Missions, Medical Evangelism, Medivangelism, Social Action, Evangelism

Trembling in translation: teachings from Kierkegaard and Derrida about ethics in translation

ABSTRACT Trembling is a word of relevance in the philosophy of Kierkegaard that was later adopted by Derrida in his development of deconstruction. Kierkegaard used the concept of trembling to describe the experience of Abraham when confronted by the paradox of choosing between his love for God and his love for his son Isaac. Derrida developed this idea when distinguishing between responsibility in general and absolute responsibility, giving rise to many interpretations centred around the need to suspend the ethical. Making use of some readings of Kierkegaard (mostly by Davenport and Simmons) which do not conclude with the aforementioned suspension of the ethical, this article offers a re-interpretation of Derridean thinking in which trembling is put forward as a key concept for a redefinition of translation ethics in a more hopeful sense, as an unavoidable tension between the generality of the norm and the singularity of the event that is translation.

Peerless Dulcinea, Love of God, and Shoah

Abstract Building upon the extended notion of conceptual history as a diachronic study of conceptual interactions, the article begins with deconstructing the paradoxical semantic core of incomparability statements that, it is claimed, endows them with a capacity of stabilizing social semantics. By declaring certain foundational values—positive (Shoah) or negative (God)—“incomparable” and thus immune to the challenges of cross-evaluation, the users of discourse uphold the boundaries of civilized society. On a smaller scale, this exclusion of competitive valuation is undergirded by the ascription of “incomparability” to the small pool of political and cultural figures, literary artifacts, social events, and representative allegories. The conclusion outlines the social contingency of conventions regulating the ascriptions of “incomparability” against the backdrop of their discursive stability across genres, epochs, and languages.

The ‘righteousness of the children of God’ according to the First Epistle of John

The author of the First Epistle of John predominantly addresses the ‘theological concept of righteousness’ in two pericopes: pericope 1 (1:5–2:2) concerns the ‘Righteousness of God’, and pericope 2 (2:28–3:12) explores the ‘Righteousness of God’s children’ from various perspectives. The adjective, δίκαιος, occurs twice (1:9 and 2:1) and the noun, ἀδικίας, appears once (1:9) in the first pericope. In the second pericope, the adjective, δίκαιος, occurs three times, the adjective δίκαια once and the noun, δικαιοσύνη, also three times. This research starts with a discourse analysis to determine semantic networks to be used for the structuring of the reasoning and rhetoric in this research. Network A: The environment and foundation of righteousness: The glorious and measureless love of God in the familia Dei. Network B: The revelation of the righteousness of God in Jesus. Network C: A rhetorical strategy to alert God’s children to live righteously: Contrasting statements. Network D: A rhetorical strategy to encourage God’s children to live righteously: Parousia. Network E: Those who do what is right are righteous – they cannot sin anymore.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: The theological concept of righteousness is explored from various perspectives, integrating semantic networks from biblical theologies, systematic discourses and Christian spiritualities to unfold the significance of the environment and foundation of righteousness, the love of God in the familia Dei, and the encouragement to live righteously.

Da'wah and Religious Harmony, Harmony in the Nation and State

Da'wah normatively has a positive impact on the people, because the da'wah conveyed is a manifestation of God's love and affection for mankind. In its implementation, the preaching delivered by religious figures often raises problems regarding harmony between religious communities and between religions. So it is hoped that da'wah can become a tool for developing the values of tolerance between religious communities and between religions, so that tolerance creates harmony in social life, and upholds the rights of each citizen. The approach used in this research is a qualitative method. This research shows that da'wah delivered properly and correctly in accordance with the demands of Islamic teachings can have a positive impact on life both personally, in the community, in society and in the state. This harmony is created if the values of tolerance and moderation can be developed by involving several elements including, elements of the government, elements of religious figures, systems or regulations that have been established as well as, public trust in the values of truth that are adhered to and the methods of preaching that are used. In creating harmony between religious communities and between religions, we return to the da'wah methods stated in the Al-Quran and the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad.

A Brief Introduction to Violence and Symbolism in A Good Man Is Hard to Find

A Good Man is Hard to Find is one of the most important representative works of Flannery O'Connor, a famous American female Southern writer. As the prophet of the south world, with her crafty plot imagination talents, Flannery O’Connor composed lot of attractive stories and tried to induce the degenerated individuals in the south to know the truth of their faith and persuade the perplexed sheep to seek salvation from the almighty love of God. In this story, the characteristics reflected in the novel, the decline of belief and morality, and the loss of faith can be found everywhere, and that has attracted more and more attention of literary critics. What is more, O'Connor 's rich and profound symbolism, not only predicts the end of the story and the fate of the characters step by step but also conveys the author's general understanding and experience of religion, reality and humanity. This thesis will analyze the text of A Good Man is Hard to Find, exploring the underlying causes of malformation and violence, the symbolism usage, the crisis of the loss of religion in the south, and the way to achieve salvation through Jesus. In conclusion, there are some suggestions on how to eliminate crimes and enhance the social harmony.

Epistemic Paradox as a Solution to Divine Hiddenness

Abstract I offer a new, limited solution to divine hiddenness based on a particular epistemic paradox: sometimes, agents knowing about a desired outcome or relevant features of that desired outcome would prevent the outcome in question from occurring. I call these cases epistemically self-defeating situations. This solution, in essence, says that divine hiddenness or silence is a necessary feature of at least some morally excellent or desirable states of affairs. Given the nature of the paradox, an omniscient being cannot completely eliminate hiddenness, just as an omnipotent being cannot create a rock so heavy that they cannot lift it. Epistemically self-defeating situations provide an undercutting defeater for the assumption that any nonresistant nonbeliever could always, at any time, be in conscious relationship with a perfectly loving God. Thankfully, silence is a temporary feature of epistemically self-defeating situations: once the outcome is achieved, agents can know in full.

The Ethics of Perfection: Exploring the Ethical Implications of Wesley's Doctrine of Perfection

If one were to prioritise the most important contributions of John Wesley, within that list would be the contribution of his Doctrine of Christian Perfection. The development of this doctrine was a life-long project for Wesley, who always held the core belief that the telos of perfection was love for God and one's neighbour. Wesley's Doctrine of Christian Perfection found its most comprehensive outline in his 1743 manuscript, A Plain Account of Christian Perfection. This article will argue that Wesley's ethics, as found in his teaching and the work of the Methodist movement, are built on the view that the life of the Christian should be a journey of an ever-growing love for God and love for neighbour. This article will explore Thoughts upon Slavery as a critical text in the Wesley corpus to see how the Doctrine of Christian Perfection influenced Wesley's thoughts on slavery. Finally, this article offers a way of doing Wesleyan ethics today. Wesleyan ethics are communally understood in that all holiness is social holiness, and Wesleyan ethics have as their primary concern Wesley's charge to do no harm, do good, and stay in love with God.

Zühd Döneminde Teşekkül Eden Korku ve Sevgi Ekollerinin Kurucusu İki Sûfî ve Zühd Anlayışlarının Mukayesesi

Zühd Döneminde Teşekkül Eden Korku ve Sevgi Ekollerinin Kurucusu İki Sûfî ve Zühd Anlayışlarının Mukayesesi