Special Revelation Research Articles

A COMPARATIVE STUDY ON THE VIEWS OF KARL BARTH AND EMIL BRUNNER ON NATURAL THEOLOGY AND ITS RELEVANCE TODAY

The purpose of this research is, by investigation into the views of Barth and Brunner on natural theology, to restate and emphasize its relevance for us today—in the first quarter of the twenty-first century. This is achieved via a comparative analysis—by which this research adopts the purely objective method as well as the critical theological analysis and biblical assessment. It is by design naturalistic, which means it is non- manipulative. The research-maintained neutrality and attentiveness to dynamics. The analysis is inductive; given each case its unique orientation, holistic perspective, and context sensitivity. Barth denied that God can be known outside of Christ. This is to say, he is against general revelation but only accepts special revelation. Brunner insists that there is a knowledge of God obtainable in nature — though dimmed as it may be serves as a point of contact between God and man. He accepts general revelation, but it is subservient to special revelation. The position reached in this research agrees more with Brunner, that: natural theology is relevant in that, we can make the most positive use of it for doing theology and witnessing Christ—in our time. While most works on natural theology rests merely on its importance in apologetics, this work have taken it farther, at least, for evangelistic purposes.

Perbuatan sebagai Masalah Filsafat dan Implikasinya bagi Kemungkinan Wahyu Adikodrati: Perspektif Filsafat Agama Maurice Blondel

For the first time “action” was raised by Maurice Blondel, a contemporary French philosopher, as a philosophical problem. With actions carried out with “knowing” and “wanting” (actus humanus), so desired actions, the human will can move from limited reality to the Divine as unlimited reality. For Blondel, two types of will are used, volonte voulante (the willing will) and volonte voulue (the willed will). Volonte voulue is a type of human action whose object is empirical goods, because it is always possible to achieve them. Meanwhile volonte volulante is a type of action whose object concerns metaempirical reality and is therefore difficult and even impossible to achieve by the effort of the human will. This object can only be achieved by humans thanks to the actions of the Divine Himself, namely through God's own Revelation which comes to humans. Blondel's contribution to contemporary religious philosophy lies here, namely that he can rationally account for the faith of religious people that believers are made possible by the natural capacity in humans, namely the dynamism of the will to lead him to the possibility of supernatural revelation. However, philosophy here only provides a “possibility” not “certainty”. Meanwhile, “certainty” regarding the existence of special revelation (divine revelation based on the Holy Scriptures) remains a matter of theology as a matter of certainty of faith.

Fractals: The Secret Code of Creation

Fractals: The Secret Code of Creation

Lecturers’ understanding on Bible doctrine: An Indonesian Pentecostal Perspective

The Christian context is found to be one where there are differences in understanding and attitudes based on how the Bible is interpreted. Plurality in Christianity causes groups that say that the Bible is a history book, or contains moral teachings, or contains the Word of God. On the other hand, defending the Bible is the Word of God. This research aims to determine some lecturers’ understanding of Pentecostal doctrine. The research method adopted in this study was quantitative in orientation, while the type of research done was by means of correlation research. The findings from such research can be used to ascertain the prevalence and relationships among variables and allow researchers’ to forecast events from current data and knowledge. The population in this study comprised of 50 lecturers at ITKI Jakarta, STT Bethel The Way and STTRE Jakarta. The results showed that 1) The Understanding Trend of ITKI Jakarta Lecturers, The Way Jakarta STTB, and Jakarta STTRE (Y) was in the good category. 2) The dominant aspect that shapes lecturers' understanding is God's Special Revelation Bible (X2). So, the second hypothesis is proven. 3) The background of lecturer education strata predominantly shapes the Understanding of ITKI Lecturers in Jakarta, The Way Jakarta STTB, and STTRE Jakarta. The understanding of the theology of STT (theologiacal seminary) lecturers needs to be improved, both through advanced theological education at a higher level, namely strata two or strata three, or by participating in various scientific activities in theology where one can gain superior knowledge on Biblical doctrine.

“How to Make Athens Closer to Jerusalem”

Abstract Theology and philosophy are strange bedfellows: although they share many similar interests and constantly influence each other, their relationship is fraught with suspicion or even enmity. This problem is especially acute for those who want to harmonize their commitment to sola Scriptura with the use of philosophy in their theology. Drawing insights from Herman Bavinck’s Neo-Calvinist worldview, I argue that this apparent competition is mainly caused by the failure to recognize the organic unity between both disciplines. Without theology, all disciplines would be meaningless, but without philosophy, all disciplines would be unintelligible. Portraying the harmony between theology and philosophy depends on the success of locating the difference and relationship between the universality of theology and that of philosophy. Further, the organicity that suffuses all things and affirms the primacy of special revelation reflects the Neo-Calvinist belief in both sola Scriptura and the sacredness of all vocations.

Mr. Turbulent: A Critical Edition

Mr. Turbulent: A Critical Edition

Emerging Neo-Calvinistic Barth Interpretation in Sinophone Scholarship: Its Significance for Sino-Christian Theology

Abstract Theology and philosophy are strange bedfellows: although they share many similar interests and constantly influence each other, their relationship is fraught with suspicion or even enmity. This problem is especially acute for those who want to harmonize their commitment to sola Scriptura with the use of philosophy in their theology. Drawing insights from Herman Bavinck’s Neo-Calvinist worldview, I argue that this apparent competition is mainly caused by the failure to recognize the organic unity between both disciplines. Without theology, all disciplines would be meaningless, but without philosophy, all disciplines would be unintelligible. Portraying the harmony between theology and philosophy depends on the success of locating the difference and relationship between the universality of theology and that of philosophy. Further, the organicity that suffuses all things and affirms the primacy of special revelation reflects the Neo-Calvinist belief in both sola scriptura and the sacredness of all vocations.

Vahyin Bilimsel Temellendirme İmkânı

Müslüman düşüncesinde nübüvvet ve dinin diğer alanları ile ilgili klasik söylemler 19. ve 20. yüzyıllarda Batı kaynaklı felsefi düşüncelerin baskısı sebebiyle yeni bir söylemle dillendirilmeye başlanmıştır. Batı’nın pozitif bakış açısıyla İslam’a ve özelde nübüvvetle ilgili konulara yönelttiği eleştiri ve saldırıları karşısında yakın dönemdeki alimler nübüvvetin gerekliliğini ve nübüvvete duyulan ihtiyacı akli yönden ispatlamaya çalışmışlardır. Müslüman kültürde Allah’ın varlığı, evrenin ve varlıkların O’nun tarafından yaratıldığı olgusu akli delillerin yanında birçok bilimsel delille kanıtlanmaya çalışılmış olmasına karşın, nübüvvetin ve vayhin bilimsel delillerle ispatlama girişimleri ender görülen durumlardandır. Özellikle inanç konularına yönelik bilimsel temellendirme çalışması doğu kültürünün gündeminde yer almayan önemli ve cesur bir girişim olarak da görülmüştür. 19. yüzyıl Batı bilim insanlarının ve filozoflarının ruh ve benzeri konularda yaptıkları deneysel çalışmalar, hipnoz, manyetizma, dahilik, canlılar arasındaki iletişim ve içgüdü gibi konulardaki bilimsel açıklamalar, Müslüman düşünürlerin elini güçlendirmiş, vahyin bilimsel açıdan ispatlanabileceği girişimlerine sevk etmiştir. Bu çalışmada vahyin bilimsel temellendirme imkanı incelenmiştir. Batının pozitivist ve materyalist düşüncesinin maneviyata yönelik tehditkâr faaliyetlerinin özellikle İslam’a yönelik şüphe ve ithamları karşısında bir savunma refleksi olarak Yeni İlmi Kelam döneminde birçok ilmi faaliyetin üretildiği görülmektedir. Müslüman düşünürlerin Batı kültür ve bilimine karşı dönemin inanç sorunlarını çözme kapsamında vahyi faklı yorumlamaları İslâm düşüncesine yapılmış özgün katkı olarak değerlendirilebilir. Bu açıdan çalışmanın kapsamı Yeni İlmi Kelam dönemi ile sınırlandırılmıştır. Araştırmada Ferid Vecdî (öl. 1954) ve onun çağdaşı bazı düşünürler çerçevesinde vahye ilişkin farklı yaklaşımları, vahyin bilimsel olarak kanıtlama iddiaları ele alınmış ve değerlendirilmiştir. Bu dönemde düşünürler vahiy olgusuna farklı yorumlar getirmişlerdir. Bu çalışmada Batı eksenli tazyiklerin Müslüman düşünürlerde oluşturduğu etkinin değerlendirilmesi yapılmıştır. Dolayısıyla bu çalışmanın ilgili dönemde vahyin sadece bu çerçevede ele alındığına dair bir iddiasının olmadığını belirtmek isteriz. Ayrıca çalışmada Kelam tarihinde duraklama ve gerileme döneminin akabinde yeni bir canlılığın gözlemlendiği Yeni İlmi Kelam döneminin fikri yapısının çeşitliliğinin ve söz konusu farklı girişimin bağlamının sergilenmesi de hedeflenmiştir. Araştırmanın sonucunda materyalist düşünürler tarafından ileri sürülen iddialara verilen cevaplarda Batılı düşünürlerin metodunun kullandığı görülmektedir. Nübüvvet, vahiy gibi birçok konuda ileri sürülen tezler, yine o tezlerin delilleriyle çürütülmeye çalışılmıştır. Bu dönemde peygamberlere gönderilen özel vahiyden ziyade, vahyin bir olgu olarak ele alındığını ve bilimsel temellendirme gayreti içerisinde olunduğu anlaşılmaktadır. Vecdî gibi düşünürlerin vahiy türü konuların bilimsel temellendirilmesi adına genel kabul görmeyen ve hâlihazırda savunulan teoriden öteye geçmeyen görüşlere sarıldıkları ve Batı kaynaklı bilgiyi bilim olarak algılayıp zaman zaman aşırı yorumlarda bulundukları görülmüştür. Nübüvvet ve vahyin bilimsel açıdan ele alınması, nübüvvet-medeniyet ilişkisine sosyolojik yaklaşım sergilenmesi, gelişen Batı kültür ve bilimine karşı İslâmi öğretilerin yeniden yorumlanması ve günün sorunlarına çözüm üretilmesi açısından bu tür girişimlerin İslâm düşüncesine yapılan özgün katkılar olarak değerlendirilebilir.

What Makes Genesis Different?

In contrast to those who read Genesis 1 through 11 as myth, the story of Genesis is historical narrative with a theological purpose (theo-history). The Hebrew theo-history of creation was undergirded by a worldview that did not converge with her neighbors but significantly diverged from the surrounding nations. While the literary style of Genesis has elements common to other ancient mythologies, the content itself is quite distinct. Unlike other ancient cosmologies, the Hebrew worldview perceived the people, places, and events of Genesis as historical and not merely religious symbols. The divergence of the Hebrew worldview from all ancient Near East (ANE) cultures is illustrated in three observations: (1) Genesis is monotheism not polytheism/panentheism, (2) Genesis is special revelation not cultic theology, and (3) Genesis is theo-history not myth or mytho-history. These three distinctives of Hebrew cosmology reflect a unique worldview shaped by divine revelation, and because Genesis was written in the genre of theo-history, Hebrew cosmology offers us a dependable foundation for knowing something true about our material origins, shaping ethical priorities, safeguarding the sacredness of human life, directing moral decision making, recognizing the significance of historical progress, and guiding scientific inquiry into the book of nature.

Review Article

Review Article

Writing in a Pre-Christian Mode: Boethius, Beowulf, Lord of the Rings, and Till We Have Faces

Abstract In this essay, I compare and contrast how Boethius (in Consolation of Philosophy), the author of Beowulf, J. R. R. Tolkien (in The Lord of the Rings), and C. S. Lewis (in Till We Have Faces) found ways to integrate their Christian theological and philosophical beliefs into a work that is set in a time and place that possesses the general revelation of creation, conscience, reason, and desire, but lacks the special revelation of Christ and the Bible. I begin by using Lewis’s own analysis of the Consolation in his Discarded Image to discuss what it means for a Christian author to write in a pre-Christian mode. I find a model for such writing in Ecclesiastes, and discuss how Boethius, while confining himself to the pagan wisdom of Greece and Rome, points the way from philosophical consolation to theological transformation. I then use Tolkien’s ‘Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics’ to unpack the distinction between the author’s Christian faith and the purely pagan consolation he offers to his characters, and locate that dynamic in the epic itself. Next, I explore how Tolkien, in imitation of Beowulf, balances a deep sense of loss and fatalism with an intimation of a higher providence guiding all. Finally, I show how Lewis, in imitation of Boethius, finds in the pagan world of his novel seeds of a greater revelation to come.

Herman and Johan Herman Bavinck on the Uniqueness of Christian Theism

Abstract This article presents Herman Bavinck and Johan Herman Bavinck’s explications of the uniqueness of Christian theism in terms of the absolute personalism of the Christian Scriptures. Both argue that, outside of Christian special revelation, absoluteness and personality appear in irresolvable dialectic. The dogmatician Herman Bavinck detects this tension in the history of Western philosophy, and the missiologist Johan Herman in the religions of Java. They argue that the Christian Scriptures present the absolute personality of the triune God as the subversive fulfillment of the contradictory theisms of philosophical speculation and of non-Christian religions respectively. This article thus attempts a retrieval of a promising neo-Calvinist theme for the sake of a Reformed theology of religions and missiological encounter.

Natural Theology and its Relevance to Religious Pluralism in Indonesia

Natural theology is an underdeveloped theological theme in the recent Indonesian theological scholarship. That fact is unfortunate considering the significance of the topic to the context of religious pluralism in Indonesia. Natural theology is interdisciplinary and interreligious in nature; thus, it might open scholarly discussion for scholars from many disciplines with diverse religious backgrounds. Using a systematic theology approach, this articleargues that developing natural theology could keep balance for Christian emphasis on general and special revelation that might lead toward the enrichment of the Christian faith.

Kajian Manfaat Alkitab Menurut 2 Timotius 3:16 Dan Implikasinya Bagi Orang Percaya Masa Kini

The only special revelation is the Bible which God has breathed as the main source for human learning, so that it can organize his life responsibly in service and life every day. Today some people think that the Bible is outdated and of no longer useful to mankind because this is the age of science, technology, and art. However, some people still believe that the Bible is very useful for mankind, therefore the Bible must be studied carefully so that the contents of the Bible are understood as a whole. This paper aims to encourage and inspire new enthusiasm for believers to be active in studying God's word that has been breathed by God because reading God's words can show that God is speaking to his readers. This paper uses a qualitative research method with a deep exegetical study approach. Therefore, this article provides a viewpoint for believers to be loyal in reading the Bible because the Bible is very useful for believers to imply in today's life.

History and Eschatology: Jesus and the Promise of Natural Theology

History and Eschatology: Jesus and the Promise of Natural Theology

On conditional theology: John Webster and theological reason

ABSTRACT I illustrate the subject of conditional theology through discussing John Webster’s theology. This is a form of philosophical theology, with interesting links to natural theology, but not subject to Barthian strictures about natural theology. Webster started out with a Barthian emphasis, but later increasingly drew on Aquinas, emphasising God’s aseity. Webster, though, continued to emphasise the priority of the revelation of God as triune, and to resist what he saw as abstract notions of God deriving from natural theology and philosophy of religion. I argue, however, that his work illustrates an underlying reliance on philosophical theology, related to conditional theology, and that dogmatic theology cannot be formed without such reliance. I comment on divine self-naming and conclude my reflections on Webster by discussing dogmatic science and grace, drawing links between conditional theology, special revelation and natural theology.

Christological Evaluation Of Inculcivism Theology

Inclusivism is defined as a mindset that recognizes that Jesus' liberation mission is addressed to every human being without exception. As a result, each and every person has the right to salvation and release. This theology does not want to be viewed as cruel by exclusivism, but neither does it want to be regarded as rejecting Christ's uniqueness by pluralism, thus it chooses the middle ground, namely inclusivism. This study employs qualitative special literature on verses like as John 3:8, 1 Timothy 2:4, 1 John 4:7-8, and Acts 10:22, which are utilized by Inclusivism as the foundation for their Christological beliefs. The Inclusivist Trinitarian Christology undermines the idea of Christ as a Special Revelation because it obscures the privilege of Christ as Revelation (John 1:1) and the Bible as a Special Revelation by the Holy Spirit's inspiration by 'perpetuating the News of Christ' in order to remain available to everyone throughout all centuries.

Molecular simulation of different structure dopamine-modified graphene oxide and its effects on thermal and mechanical properties of the epoxy resin system

Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were carried out to explore the ideal structure design of graphene oxide (GO) modified by poly (dopamine) (PDA) which is more conducive to performances improvement of epoxy resin composites. The epoxy resin matrix was compounded with PDA-modified GO (PDA-GO) particles with different structures including the surface modification and the interlayer inserted modification. The interaction energy (Einter), molecular mobility (MSD), packing density (RDF), thermal and mechanical properties of different structure of PDA-GO/epoxy composites were calculated. Interestingly, it was found that the increased layer number of GO weakened the interfacial binding between GO particles and the epoxy matrix, and prevented the compact stacking of epoxy molecular chains, but the PDA-GO with inserted-modification structure displayed a desirable interfacial binding with epoxy resin and dramatically improved thermal and mechanical performances of the resulting composites. In addition, the surface-modification of single layer GO using PDA had negative effects on micro and macro performances of epoxy matrix composites. This work provided special revelation for rationally designing the structure of GO nanofillers and better exerting its excellent properties in epoxy matrix composites.

Encountering the Religious Radicalism Movement Through Reconstructing the Multicultural Theology and Its Implication For Christian Leaders in Indonesia

This research aims to create a harmonious relationship among different religions in Indonesia. This aim is reached through reconstructing a multicultural theology based on biblical understanding. The multicultural theology is a biblical principle that be constructed in balancing between Old Testament and New Testament, between general revelation and special revelation. By exposing the general revelation based on theocentric dimension, we found general principles about how to make a good relationship among people in their differences, according to God’s perspective. At the same time, multicultural theology also exposes particular revelation principles centered upon the Christocentric dimension. This research is a qualitative study with a library approach. Data is analyzed by interpretation, critical thinking, and truth and healthy consideration based on the primary source. We found a Christian value to be a foundation to make the relationship in harmony with other people. For this purpose we are proposing a theological framework designed from Biblical principles, covering the following: (1) Cultural Mandate, (2) Human Nature, (3) Theological principles: God’s Sovereignty, God’s Providence and God’s Justice, (4) Incarnation, (5) Universal Soteriology (6) Present Theocracy, (7) Church Nature and (8) Eschatological Multiculture. Christian leaders are central people that must create a relationship with other people in harmony. Through this way, the Christian leaders can engage the religious radicalism by doing good things and togetherness in social work.

An Evaluation of Karl Barth’s Encounter Revelation and the View of God

This paper aimed at evaluating Karl Barth’s theology of encounter revelation and the view of God in relation to the Christian theology of the knowledge of God. It employed literary approach of research that involves bibliographic data in four sections. The first section discussed a brief history of Karl Barth. The second section is an overview of the doctrine of revelation, both general and special revelation. Section three discussed Karl Birth’s view of God in the context of encounter revelation. The fourth section evaluated Karl Barth’s view of encounter revelation in relation to the knowledge of God. This study concluded that the encounter revelation is not the only way of knowing God. Though God reveals Himself fully through the person of Jesus Christ, He also reveals Himself in through general (Universal) and special (particular) revelation.