Theological Arguments Research Articles

Why did Southern Christians maintain their pro-slavery stance before and during the Civil War

The paper explores the reasons behind Southern Christians’ staunch pro-slavery stance before and during the American Civil War, focusing on the religious perspective rather than the more commonly studied economic aspects. The paper examines how Southern Baptists, in particular, justified slavery as a part of their religious beliefs and identity, viewing it as a divinely sanctioned institution integral to their way of life. The paper highlights the role of the Southern Baptist Church (SBC) and its significant influence on the pro-slavery ideology, emphasizing the theological arguments made by Southern pastors and theologians. These religious leaders believed that slavery was morally and religiously justified and that the North’s attempts to abolish it were an infringement on their religious freedom. The study utilizes both primary and secondary sources, including speeches and letters from Southern Baptist leaders, to illustrate how deeply entrenched these beliefs were in Southern Christian thought, ultimately arguing that this religious justification was a central factor in the South’s resistance to abolition.

The Message Of Da'wah In Films And Criticism Of The Concept Of Reincarnation

The concept of reincarnation is often a controversial topic because it raises deep theological debates. Film, as a mass communication medium, has the potential to spread thoughts or beliefs, including reincarnation. One of the films that raises this theme is Along With Gods 2: The Last 49 Days, a production work from South Korea. Seeing the potential negative impact of the concept of reincarnation on Muslims, this study aims to analyse and criticise the concept based on the teachings of Islamic law—qualitative method with Charles Sander Peirce's semiological approach. The data obtained from the film were analysed using Peirce's semiotic theory through the analysis of the concept of trichotomy. The results of the study showed that there were 25 scenes related to reincarnation in the film, of which eight messages of faith and three moral messages were found that contained da'wah values. Criticism of the concept of reincarnation is based on its irrationality and contradiction with Islamic teachings. In Islam, resurrection is believed to occur on Yaumul Ba'ats, the day of resurrection to account for charity, and not in the form of rebirth in the world as depicted in the concept of reincarnation.

The origins of political theology and the theological argumentation of Peter Skarga

The origins of political theology and the theological argumentation of Peter Skarga

The Armenian Collection Tōnapatchaṛ: Kamrjadzor and Haghpat School Recension Brunches

Abstract The Tōnapatchaṛ (Տօնապատճառ, literally “the causes of feast days,” or “commentaries on feast days”) is a collection that has no equivalent in other ecclesiastical traditions. It survived in many copies that might be grouped into the Kamrjadzor and the Haghpat school recension brunches. The Tōnapatchaṛ has long been considered a mere commentary on the Lectionary of the Armenian Church – an exegetical work for didactic purposes only. By indexing the historical development of these recensions and their enrichment between the seventh and fourteenth centuries, the present article argues that despite its exegetical character, the Tōnapatchaṛ served polemical purposes, focusing on the calendar differences between the non-Chalcedonian Armenian and Chalcedonian Byzantine Churches. The article further discusses the intensification of the polemical function of the Haghpat school recensions in the twelfth-thirteenth centuries due to the unity attempts between the Byzantine and Armenian Churches initiated by the Byzantine Emperor Manuel I Komnenos (1143–1180) and the Armenian Catholicos Nersēs Shnorhali (the Gracious, 1166–1173), which generated theological debates concerning the Dominical feasts and their exact days of celebration.

John Wesley’s Thoughts upon Slavery and Wesleyan Pro-LGBTQ Social Ethics

Abstract This article explores how John Wesley’s theological arguments in Thoughts upon Slavery can be used as a pattern for developing a Wesleyan pro-LGBTQ social ethic. After exploring Wesley’s experiential and practical approach to social ethics in general and Wesley’s theological approach to slavery in particular, the article provides a detailed analysis of Wesley’s theological arguments in Thoughts upon Slavery. The article then demonstrates how similar theological approaches and arguments can be used as the basis of a pro-LBGTQ social ethic, focusing on pro-LGBTQ apologetics, Wesleyan queer theology, and pro-LGBTQ arguments in The United Methodist Church.

What Hath New Haven to Do with Chicago? A Reappraisal

One of the most significant theological debates of the late twentieth century was between the postliberal theology associated with Yale Divinity School and the revisionist theology associated with the University of Chicago Divinity School, led by Lutheran historical theologian and ecumenist George Lindbeck, and theologian Hans Frei at Yale and Roman Catholic theologian David Tracy at Chicago. Given that the fortieth anniversary of The Nature of Doctrine is in 2024, it is time to reappraise the terms of the debate, as well as note the commonalities of these two theological schools, by focusing upon the possible role of correlation in theology, the public nature of theology, and the plain sense of Scripture.

"Über den Ausgang des Heiligen Geistes": Eine Schrift eines anonymen Russen als Beilage im Brief von Simon Budny an Heinrich Bullinger vom 18. April 1563

Simon Budny (ca. 1530–1591) was a Reformed pastor who became a wellknown leader of the Anti-Trinitarian movement in Lithuania. In 1563, Budny wrote a letter to Heinrich Bullinger asking for his opinion on the filioque, which was the object of intense discussion in Lithuania. Budny enclosed a small work written by an anonymous Russian Orthodox author titled De processione Spiritus sancti that contains the main exegetical and theological arguments against the filioque (Zurich Staatsarchiv, E II 367, 231–242). This contribution includes an historical introduction, an edition, a German translation, and a text analysis. I propose that the anonymous author of this text may be the famous Russian theologian Maksim Grek (1470–1556) or one of his students, because the language, the content, the argumentation, the Biblical and Patristic proofs are similar to his Anti-Roman-Catholic works written between 1518 and 1525.

The House of One

This paper explores the potential of the client-architect relationship to be part of a design methodology conducive to conceiving sacred space as collaborative, dialogical practice. The case study for this investigation is the multi-confessional project ‘House of One’ by Kuehn Malvezzi, currently on site in Berlin, Germany. The client for this project is not one cleric or religious community but a foundation initiated by a local Protestant, Jewish and Muslim congregation. The fact that the client is not one homogenous entity has shaped the conception of the project and consequently the building’s final appearance: all design decisions have been taken conjointly by the three clerics. In this project, the correlation between theological considerations and material realisation has been recognised as a reciprocal two-way process: theological doctrines are materialised through constructed space – equally, architectural questions can act as a catalyst for theological debate between the three clerics and their respective communities.

Marrying Body and Theology: A Response to Thomas Finegan

In a recent article in this journal, Thomas Finegan replies to our earlier article in this journal, which proposes a theological and ethical argument for the Catholic church to recognize same-sex civil unions as a lower-case sacrament. His critique focuses on the theological significance of embodiment as a one flesh union taught by Jesus, defended throughout Catholic tradition, and justified philosophically. We respond that Finegan’s critique misrepresents our argument and is mistaken biblically, anthropologically, and sacramentally, and suffers from scotosis.

Debates about belief in the western Muslim area, the exemple of Al Baji's exchange with the christian monk

Praise is due to Allah, The Unique, The One who is not in need of anything or any creature, Whom no one is God except Him, Whom is exalted and beyond having a son. Everything bears witness that He is Unique. May God raise the rank of Prophet Muhammad, whose coming was foretold in the Torah and the Evangel. May Allah elevate the status of our beloved Prophet's kin and noble companions. There has been controversies and debates between Western Islamic scholars and others throughout the ages. The ways of their debates and their writings varied. Their fatwas are based on the multiplicity of people of desires, sects, and beliefs. Some of them responded to the Christians, some of them to the Jews, and some of them provided arguments against the people of the whims such as the anthropomorphic, the Shiite, the Zahiri, the Mu’tazila, the Bakriyah, the philosophers, and others who disagreed with the Sunnah and others who deviated from the sunni tradition and consensus. Abu al-Walid al-Baji is considered one of the most prominent theologians of the Almoravid era. During my exploration of his work titled "Theological Discourse in the Almoravid Period: Characteristics and Manifestations, with a Realization of Some Examples," I was struck by his theological debates with his adversaries and his strong responses to them, including his rebuttal of the French monk and others.

Questions of conscience in a confessional state: From ‘Freedom of conscience’ to ‘Objections of conscience’ in Malta

ABSTRACT While there is an ample body of literature in the anthropology of moralities there is a surprising dearth of research on conscience per se. In Malta over the last ten years there has been a proliferation of a public discourse of ‘conscience’ – its affordances, freedoms and its legal safeguards. This has been the result of debates over reforms leading to the liberalization of sexual and family life, including most recently debates over the legalization of abortion. While the language of conscience in various human rights instruments claims a universal character its meanings, inflections and significance can vary in important ways. There is a blurred boundary between conscience and religion. This paper examines the ways in which conscience is deployed and the significance of the appeals to a national conscience in a European confessional state. It looks at the specific meanings of conscience in Malta and a brief lexical and political history It then moves on to look at the ways objections of conscience are framed in contemporary Malta in light of theological debates and their ramifications in Catholic Malta.

«Слово о законе и благодати»: анализ христологии литературного памятника

This article is a theological analysis of the work "Word on Law and Grace" through the prism of the Christology of the OrthodoX Church. The Old Russian monument was created in the context of St. Hilarion of Kiev’s activity in catechizing believers and conveying the fundamentals of Christian doctrine through poetic and rhetorical forms. The author attaches importance to Christology as a central element in understanding the historical process. St. Hilarion also enters into a polemic with heterodoX views. He emphasizes the divine-human nature of the Savior and the role of oikonomia in the process of human history, which are the key themes in his theological reflections and arguments. In addition, the author builds a coherent argumentation around New Testament subjects, establishing a connection with the prophecies of the Old Testament and the historical event of the Baptism of Rus’. On the one hand, the saint succeeded in creating an original concept of the divine election of the Russian people with an appeal to the text of Holy Scripture, and on the other hand, he succeeded in conveying the foundations of OrthodoX Christology to the believers of the Russian Church.

Nature of God: Theological Debate and Implications of the Tauhid’s Sentences

Nature of God: Theological Debate and Implications of the Tauhid’s Sentences

Pathfinders. István Török (1903–1996) in the Church – Against the Church – For the Church

The life and theological work of István Török (1903–1996) clearly illustrate the alternations of Protestantism in the 20th century and at the same time reflect the changes in the circumstances of the Hungarian Reformed Church. From the beginning of his career, first as a teacher at the Papal Reformed Theological Academy and then as a professor at Tisza István University of Debrecen, he participated in the theological debates. These reflections helped the orientations of the Church. During the years of communism, his publishing activities were limited, and after 1956 he was suspended from his teaching position. Nevertheless, he delivered many lectures to his former students at the so-called “black conferences”. In the period around the regime change (1989–1991), he rejoined the public life of the Church with several writings. Significant theological turns require freedom, when the Church paves the way for the eternal, even at the cost of conflict or self-restraint. Keywords: Protestantism in the 20th century, dialectical theology, ethical dimensions of Christian life, freedom of the church

“Palamism” and “Barlaamism” in the Russian Name-Glorifiers Controversy of the 1910s: The Philosophical Background

AbstractI find two lines of interpretation of the philosophical status of “Palamism” and “Barlaamism” in the Russian thought of the late 19th to early twentieth centuries. One of these lines links Palamism with Aristotelianism and nominalism, and Barlaamism with Platonism and realism. The other line, conversely, connects Palamism with Platonism and Barlaamism with nominalism. I trace in detail the development and transformation of these lines in the course of the Name-Glorifiers controversy of the 1910s. I show the impact of the academic Byzantine studies of that time on the course of the theological debate.

Dialogues on the Theory of Reward for the Good and Retribution for the Evil during Late Ming and Early Qing Dynasties

Abstract The theory of reward for the good and retribution for the evil (善恶报应) was one of the key issues in the dialogue between Catholicism and indigenous religions in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. Under the monotheistic framework, Catholicism advocates a supernatural God for rewarding good and punishing evil. It thus had a more logical and rigorous theological argumentation at its disposal in its exchanges and dialogues with Chinese native religions on the standards of good and evil, the question of who has the right to reward and punish, the consequences of reward and retribution, and so on. This article begins by analyzing the Confucian theory of stimulus-response between the heaven and human beings (天人感应). Secondly, it sketches the views expressed by the theories of reward for the good and retribution for the evil in Buddhism and Taoism. Then, it discusses the Catholic views on rewarding good and punishing evil during late Ming and early Qing, and also examines the responses of the native religions of China to the Catholic views on rewarding good and punishing evil. Finally, it summarizes the similarities and differences of the theories of reward for the good and retribution for the evil between Catholicism and Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism. As for the intention to do good, there were some commonalities between Catholicism and Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism in the movement to promote good deeds during late Ming and early Qing. However, they were distinct in the perspective of the standards of good and evil, the subjects of retribution, and the roles of individuals in retribution, which caused the conflicts between Catholicism and its opponents in China. The introduction of the Catholic theory of reward for the good and retribution for the evil has undoubtedly further enriched Chinese religious thoughts since the late Ming dynasty.

“Drink, be drunk and vomit, fall and rise no more”: Understanding the image of the cup of God’s wrath in Jeremiah 25 in light of the Mesopotamian anti-witchcraft tradition

The apocalyptic vision of God commanding his prophet to serve the leaders of Judah the cup of his divine wrath in Jeremiah 25.15–17 and 27–28 has sparked heated theological debate. Multiple interpretations have been proposed based on intra-biblical analyses. This imagery, however, has never been compared to extra-biblical material. For example, a 7th-century BCE Assyrian incantation prayer for the patient’s social reintegration attributes his vomiting and staggering to a poisoned drink and diagnoses his curse as the result of his gods’ wrath. The depiction of the cup of God’s wrath in Jeremiah 25 may have drawn upon the Mesopotamian anti-witchcraft tradition to portray Yahweh as an exorcist who counter-curses his people. By compelling the leaders and the people of Judah to consume the same poisonous elixir, presented symbolically as the poisonous speech they had recklessly spread throughout the land, Yahweh causes his people to disgorge their internal toxicity.

Inescapable "absurdity": Rethinking Luther and Calvin’s view of “presence of the body of Christ” in the Lord’s Supper

Given the general lack of understanding among Chinese Protestant churches regarding the " Eucharistic theology" in the tradition of the Reformation, as well as the challenges posed by the global COVID-19 pandemic to administration of the sacrament, this article comparatively analyzes Martin Luther and John Calvin's understanding of the "presence of the body of Christ" in the Lord's Supper. This not only involves differences in their respective views on the sacrament but also the underlying theological debates regarding "Christology" and hermeneutics, particularly concerning the relationship between "faith" and "reason." The article emphasizes the necessity of re-focusing the "presence of the body of Christ," which not only clarifies orthodox Christological thoughts, but also concerns the realistic practice of "communion and unity in Christ." Through examining the theological expositions of Luther and Calvin, this article offers new insights into the understanding of the "presence of the body of Christ" in the Lord's Supper and provides a theological foundation for the contemporary church to administrate the sacrament during extraordinary times. This will help Chinese Protestant churches better understand the core significance of the Lord's Supper and promote the ecumenical movement of the universal Church.

Dialogues on the Theory of Reward for the Good and Retribution for the Evil during Late Ming and Early Qing Dynasties

The theory of reward for the good and retribution for the evil (善恶报应) was one of the key issues in the dialogue between Catholicism and indigenous religions in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. Under the monotheistic framework, Catholicism advocates supernatural God for rewarding good and punishing evil, thus it had a more logical and rigorous theological arguments. It had exchanges and dialogues with Chinese native religions on the standards of good and evil, who has the rights to reward and punish, and the results of reward and retribution and so on. This article firstly analyzes the Confucian theory of stimulus-response between the heaven and human beings (天人感应). It secondly illustrates the view of the theories of reward for the good and retribution for the evil in Buddhism and Taoism. Then it discusses the Catholic views on rewarding good and punishing evil during late Ming and early Qing, and it also reviews the responses of the native religions in China to Catholic view of rewarding good and punishing evil. Finally, it summarizes the sameness and differences of the theories of reward for the good and retribution for the evil between Catholicism and Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism. As to the intentional to do goods, there were some commonalities between Catholicism and Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism in the movement of promoting good deeds during late Ming and early Qing. However, there were distinct in the perspective of the standards of good and evil, the subjects of retribution and the roles of individuals in retribution, which caused the conflicts between Catholicism and its opponents in China. The introduction of Catholic theory of reward for the good and retribution for the evil undoubtedly further enriched Chinese religious thoughts since the late Ming dynasty.

How Northern European Pagans Became Christians

The article analyzes the course and methods of the spread of Christianity in medieval and early modern Europe, particularly the politically and ethnically fragmented areas of the northern half of the continent. Based on a study of contemporary literary sources, it presents a typology of the ways in which conversion to Christianity was achieved, or the reasons why the natives were willing to accept a change of religion. My analysis shows that missionary strategies based on theological argumentation and criticism of local polytheism usually had only a minimal effect on the Pagan natives. On the contrary, successful missionary methods on most of the European continent were based on offensive political pressure, variously combined with power and economic incentives, the attractiveness of the material culture of Christian countries, or also the religious interpretation of “signs” in favor of Christianization by the natives themselves. I suggest that any positive response to Christianity by northern European Pagans was based on associations between cult and practical prosperity that were characteristic of Pagan religious thought.