Voice Of God Research Articles

Russian Orthodox Churches “Under the Bells”: Semantic Features and Origin of the Worldview

The religious foundations underlying the construction of Russian Orthodox churches “under the bells”, and the meaning and role of this notion, are analyzed with reference to the traditional worldview. Architectural features of such churches are described. They belong to a rare type, and have been constructed in Russia from the 14th century to the present time. Their multiple meanings, influenced by Byzantine and European traditions, related to the key Orthodox notions, are analyzed. The most basic of these was the idea of the ladder, symbolizing spiritual growth, as evidenced by dedication of churches “under the bells” to the Stylites, to preachers developing key Orthodox notions, and to converts engaged in spiritual maturation, as well as to miracles believed to influence human life in a profound way. Dedications to miracles and miraculous icons, associated with military glory, and to canonized warriors, patrons of the military, are based on the idea of the victorious and life-giving cross. The image of the bell as a divine messenger is embodied in the tradition of placing bells right above the liturgical space, making perception of the “voice of God” by the flock more direct. A conclusion is reached that the pillar-like edifices of churches “under the bells” represent the most meaningful elements of the Russian worldview, marking the Orthodox cultural landscape, whose central idea is that of spiritual maturation and triumphant Christian faith.

Mourning Women, the Voice of God, and the Limits of Lament: Women’s Songs of Lament in Jeremiah

Abstract The book of Jeremiah contains metaphors depicting Israel and Zion as a woman. These include the city as a mourning woman (4:19–21; 10:20). Real mourning women are addressed in Jer 9:17–22, following laments variously attributed to Jeremiah and/or Yahweh (8:18–9:2, 10). Working with the (MT) canonical form and engaging the insights of trauma studies, this article traces linguistic and thematic connections between the two passages before tracing similar connections to Rachel’s lament (Jer 31). The mourning women in Jer 9 serve a societal role by giving voice to lament; this effective power is affirmed by trauma studies. When read alongside the lament by Jeremiah and/or Yahweh, this article notes the women also take up a prophetic role as with Jeremiah they embody and express Yahweh’s own pathos. In ch. 31, the mourning women are metaphorically instantiated in the eponymous mother who also voices Yahweh’s pathos yet remains uncomforted. This study points to the hope that arises from Yahweh’s identification with his people in the pathos expressed by prophet, mourning women, and Rachel. Ultimately, Yahweh’s identification with his people, and his words of hope offer comfort to unrequited lament.

Power and accountability – Using Biblical lenses to explore contemporary challenges in Africa

The Bible is one of the most influential documents in human history that has not only changed believers’ lives but has also greatly influenced our society whether one is a Christian or not. While the Western world has somehow managed to remove the Bible from the public sphere and religion relegated as the opium of the oppressed masses in the Communist bloc, to Africans, the Bible has remained a moral compass without which human life becomes ungovernable. As the Bible has come to occupy such a high place of authority in African life, the aim of this article is to examine the contemporary challenges that Africa is facing concerning issues of power and accountability in light of selected biblical texts. Using largely the canonical approach and socio-cultural anthropology, this article takes the Bible as a mirror that leaders should use to self-introspect in regard to their exercise of power and accountability to their subjects. It is our observation that there is now a tendency among African leadership especially during elections to rush to claim vox populi, vox Dei meaning ‘the voice of people is the voice of God’, yet rigging and failure to live up to God’s dictates may be manifestly characterising one’s leadership. A fish begins rotting in its head hence it is our conclusion that it is only by having a leadership that cultivates a fear of God at its heart that Africa can be healed of its problems.Contribution: In Africa, it is a paradox that while some political leaders purport to have been schooled in the Bible in mission schools, they lead a life divorced from it. This article adds a voice to the on-going religion and politics dialogue in Zimbabwe by soliciting an honest adherence to its principles.

The address of reality as the voice of God in theological interpretation

The address of reality as the voice of God in theological interpretation

KEKERASAN SEKSUAL TERHADAP ANAK DAN KESESATAN HATI NURANI

The focus of this paper is to examine the deepest motives for acts of sexual violence against children, which have become a new kind of culture in Indonesia. Facts show that solving the problem of sexual violence against children is never finished. The chain of crimes continues and takes many victims, even though various methods have been used. This phenomenon finally motivated the writer to seek and find internal motives beyond the external explanations of existing acts of violence. The methodology used in this paper is a literature review by reading various books, journals, news items, and various information related to the theme being worked on. This study found that besides external motives causing sexual violence against children, there are also internal motives, namely the existence of a deviation of conscience of the perpetrator. Perpetrators of sexual violence against children do not want to listen. Their conscience supports them as a 'witness' and, simultaneously, a 'judge' who makes judgments of good-bad and right-wrong in their decisions or actions. Conscience, as the voice of God, is ignored and not obeyed by the person concerned. On that basis, the author offers an effort that is quite effective in finding a solution for the culture of sexual violence against children, namely the importance of conscience education, which includes cognitive, affective, and cognitive dimensions as well as the customary good. Conscience education is essential so that a person can harmonize his decisions and actions according to God's will as He has implanted it in the inner depths of each person.

Joseph Smith: History, Methods, and MemoryProphetic Authority: Democratic Hierarchy and the Mormon Priesthood

Joseph Smith: History, Methods, and MemoryProphetic Authority: Democratic Hierarchy and the Mormon Priesthood

Evocative Translation and Theology of the Hebrew לְרוּחַ הַיּוֹםin Genesis 3:8

This study has examined the Hebrew expression לְרוּחַ הַיּוֹם, "in the cool of the day" (NASB), to determine the correct translation, motif, and theology on the ground of the context. By the exegetical framework, the literary context and structure portray the discourse of the imminent judgment of God and the repercussion. The proposed translation because of the Spirit of the day adduces the motif of divine judgment with God appearing in theophany, the glory-Spirit presence. The particle לְ supports the causative motif (because) instead of the preposition in. The theophany, the voice of God, judicially provokes the first humans to appear sinful before God and receive divine remedy for their sin. In conclusion, the text foreshadows the eschatological hope of the coming Lord as Judge in the great day of judgment and hope for salvation.

Pergeseran Pemikiran Nurcholish Madjid Tentang Partai Politik Islam Di Indonesia

Abstract
 In this study, researchers conducted a study on nurcholish madjid thought known as Nurcholisisme which is said to be very critical of Islamic political parties in Indonesia. That in Nurcholish Madjid's thoughts about Islamic political parties according to him Islam is not an ideology that must exist in the form of a formal institution that is an Islamic party. Islam should be the basis or basis in determining ethical values in running a political party without having to make it in the form of a formal institution. It is an obligation and truth and regards modernization as an effort or process to achieve the truth that is put forward to encourage Muslims to direct their commitment to Islamic values, not to institutions that use the name Islam. In this researched work the author uses legal research normatively towards policy with conceptual approaches and rules. This research was conducted by looking at literature studies to see Nurcholish's thinking aimed at forming a good Islamic party for society. The Islamic party of his time said that they were the representation of the voice of God as the ticket to good.
 
 Keywords: Islamic Party, Nurcholish Madjid, Ideology, Politics.

The Bible as Relic, Fetish or Talisman in Nollywood Films: A Semiotic Perspective

Many Nollywood Christian films tap into a plurality of myths and idiosyncrasies prevailing in Nigeria in particular and the Christendom in general. Some of these myths and idiosyncrasies revolve around the perceived magical powers of the Bible, particularly the Holy Book’s ability to neutralize or prevent the designs of paranormal and satanic entities. In line with such Christian myths, many Nollywood Christianity-based films deploy various typologies of artifacts, signs and special effects to represent the Bible as an object which is more than a mere carrier of holy scriptures and the voice of God. In this paper, attention is given to the different indexical and symbolic signs used in Nollywood filmic productions to represent the Bible as a fetish or a relic. Using a critical review of secondary sources and relevant films, as well as semiotics, the paper identifies the use of visual and sound effects as one of the procedures deployed by Nollywood film directors to naturalize and popularize fetishist beliefs about the Bible. The effects popularly used by these film directors include radiating bibles, open pages of the Bible that generate dazzling light, ardent fire or meteoric energy with which pastors counter the attacks to satanic forces or deliver people in distress.

A New Way to See Mathematical Pattern

Pattern is voice of Math -Math is the voice of science-Science is the voice of God. Pattern is the beauty in Mathematics. Even a newborn-baby can also detect patterns in nature. But not all pattern can easily be detected by our brain. We need to generalize this into a new frame of mathematics. So I I have invented a new method called EULER STOCHASTIC PROCESS. To prove these lemma we will use basic euler-identity method. I am grateful to Sowrav Mozumder to give me this wonderful problem. I am going to prove this by the help of my computer program.

Producing Ancient Scripture: Joseph Smith's Translation Projects in the Development of Mormon Christianity

Producing Ancient Scripture: Joseph Smith's Translation Projects in the Development of Mormon Christianity

위기에 처한 이를 위한 대화의 길 모색하기 ― 욥기의 대화구조와 바흐친의 대화주의의 비교 연구

This study deals with the dialogue in the book of Job from the perspective of Bakhtin’s dialogism. Although Job was a righteous man recognized by God, he appears as a person who suffers in spite of his righteousness. He appears as a person who is experiencing an existential crisis in the face of incomprehensible suffering. The crises in life that Job experienced were severe of the kind that could make him cut off from God. From a dialogical point of view, there are six voices in the book of Job. These are the voice of Job, the voice of God, the voice of Job’s three friends, the voice of Elihu, the author’s voice and the narrator’s voice. Among them, This study focused on the voices and dialogues of Job, God, and Job’s friends. And Researcher also focused on the author’s voice – as double voice – expressed in Job’s remarks. This study tried to examine how Job’s understanding of the situation of the person in crisis and understanding of himself, the world, and even God is being converted in the dialogue of the book of Job. Bakhtin’s thought of dialogism was used as a methodology to understand these dialogues more closely. The first factor that enabled Job to meet God and transition into a new subject in the midst of suffering is that God is the author og dialogism. God respects and communicates with creatures as unique value.BR However, from Job’s point of view, Job’s change is related to his voice as a responsible subject, his ‘sense of faith’ toward God, and his linguistic community. Those were factors that made it possible to create dialogical event with God, the dialogical author. On the other hand, Job’s three friends did not sympathize with Job’s suffering, and they thought that the suffering was caused by the sin of Job. They were the authors of monologism, and they were the pretender of religious people who lost their relationship with the living God. Through Bakhtin’s dialogism, the book of Job makes us contemplate the embodiment of God’s dialogue authorship through the dialogue between God and Job, and allows us to reflect on the monologic authorship within us. The researcher concluded that the dialogue in the Book of Job allows Christians and the church to find a way of creative dialogue to reach out to those who are suffering.

Mocking the just God? A theological critique of President Mnangagwa’s use of the name of God to justify his rule in Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa justified his unconstitutional ascendency to power after a military coup that dethroned former President Robert Mugabe in 2017 by claiming that ‘the voice of the people is the voice of God’. He repeated the claim in 2018 when Nelson Chamisa refused to recognise him as the legitimately elected president of the country after accusing him of rigging the 2018 elections. Mnangagwa’s use of God’s name to authenticate his rule raises the question: as one of the foundational attributes of God is justice, what does it mean for political leaders openly claiming to be ordained into office by him? This leads to a further question: Has Mnangagwa’s rule satisfied the demands that come with claiming to be ordained by God to rule, and what should be the church’s response towards Mnangagwa’s rule in view of God’s justice? This article uses God’s attribute of justice to critically evaluate Mnangagwa’s claim that ‘the voice of the people is the voice of God’. The claim is described and placed within Mnangagwa’s claims and insinuations to be a Christian. His current rule, which is characterised by violent repression and corruption is examined and evaluated. God’s attribute of justice is presented and highlighted in how it challenges Mnangagwa to reform his rule to align it with God’s nature of justice.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: The article combines insights from religion and politics, the mission of the church in a context of political oppression and systematic theology to highlight the need for the Zimbabwean churches to judge all political systems according to the adherence to God’s justice. It also provides some theological tools by which churches can protect themselves from being co-opted by unjust and oppressive regimes that violate God’s justice.

Tribesourcing Southwest Films

As a work in progress, the Tribesourcing Southwest Film Project seeks to decolonize midcentury US educational films about the Native peoples of the Southwestern United States by recording counter-narrations from cultural insiders. These films originate from the American Indian Film Gallery, a collection awarded to the University of Arizona (UA) in 2011. Made in the mid-twentieth century for the US K–12 educational and television markets, these 16 mm Kodachrome films reflect mainstream cultural attitudes of the day. The fully saturated-color visual narratives are for the most part quite remarkable, although the male "voice of God" narration often pronounces meaning that is inaccurate or disrespectful. At this historical distance, many of these films have come to be understood by both Native community insiders and outside scholars as documentation of cultural practices and lifeways—and, indeed, languages—that are receding as practitioners and speakers pass on. The Tribesourcingfilm.com project seeks to rebalance the historical record through collaborative digital intervention, intentionally shifting emphasis from external perceptions of Native peoples to the voices, knowledges, and languages of the peoples represented in the films by participatory recording of new narrations for the films. Native narrators record new narrations for the films, actively decolonizing this collection and performing information redress through the merger of vintage visuals and new audio.

Freedom of Conscience as a Subject of Contemporary Controversies

One of the important reasons why the issue of freedom of conscience is one of the most controversial problems of modern times is the ongoing dispute over its definition. In the context of the contemporary emphasis on the moral autonomy of the person, the recent definitions of conscience as the “voice of God” sound at least ambiguous. It is therefore important to point out the various dimensions of conscience. The first and basic one is the individual dimension: conscience is defined as moral self-consciousness in its deepest, personal dimension. It can therefore, following E. Fromm, be described as the “guardian of moral integrity.” However, in addition to this, conscience also points out to “what is common” (J. Ratzinger), to the fundamental values that make social life possible. It is therefore also a carrier of moral truth. Finally, conscience touches upon the relationship with God and this is where its important religious dimension is expressed. It is only when each of these three dimensions of conscience is taken into account that the question of its freedom can be adequately considered. It concerns, above all, the relationship of an individual conscience to an external authority, both in social and ecclesiastical context.

Perjumpaan dengan Kristus melalui Hati Nurani bersama dengan Magisterium

Encountering with Christ as Christians brings Christian acts as Christ’s acts because Christians’ acts are always act of faith. This cannot be separated from the role of conscience in human heart which relates to Magisterium. However, some Christians and theologians thought that Christians, in some of their human acts, do not need Magisterium because of the conscience in human heart that God has given show them to do good and avoid evil directly. Indeed, this opinion is not true. Christians always need Magisterium to act properly as the followers of Christ. Conscience is not individual truth but conscience is the voice of God which exists in human heart with Christian faith. Thus, Christians when they act something with their faith, they need Magisterium because knowing Christ is never knowing an idea of Christ but a personal faith experience to encounter with Christ. That’s why Christians have a relationship with Magisterium though conscience carries them to Jesus.

Vibrasi Pikiran, Kerusakan Ozon dan Bencana Alam Satu Kesatuan Sistem Kesadaran Kosmos Perspektif Teo-Kosmologis Post Metafisika

<p><em>The Vedas have various concepts and theories about the creation of the universe. Vedic concepts are accepted by revelation, while Vedanta theories are created through contemplative research on macrocosms and microcosms. Creation theories in Vedanta, are: Manah theory or the theory of Virat, this theory states that the universe created from the mind of God. The second is the theory of Sabda, this theory states that the universe is created from the Voice of God, this theory is similar to the Big Bang theory. Other theory is the theory of Apah, this theory states that the universe came from water, and there are also many other theories. These theories seem to be compatible with modern scientific theories. This shows that the Vedic teachings have been an inspiration for scientists.</em><em></em></p><em>The Manah theory, sabda theory, Apah theory, and other theories are embedded by Hiranyagarbha theory. This theory states that the human mind, the mind of the cosmos, and the human mind, historically-theo-cosmologically, have a very close relationship. Hiranyagarbha theory that became the foundation of Hindu Cosmology describes that before the universe was created, there was an element of astaprakriti, the eight subtle elements without size (tan matra). The eight supernatural elements are buddhi (intellect), manas (mind), ahamkara (ego), akhasa (ether), vayu (air), teja (fire), apah (water), and pritivi (land), all within the warehouse. The universe is called Hiranyagarbha. Based on the Hiranyagarbha theory, the creation of the macrocosm begins with the consciousness of God, then moves the mind of God (Manas) connected to the manas that is on Hiranyagarbha. After the macrocosm, humans were created, then the mind of God, the mind of the cosmos, and the human mind have connectivity with each other. Therefore, do not ever think negative about anything.</em>

“this little people of searchers”

Abstract This essay revisits Samuel Beckett’s prose text The Lost Ones by situating it within the broader contexts of anthropology and documentary cinema. The period of its composition (1965–1970) coincides with Beckett’s concentrated work for, and direct involvement in, film and television, an experience that was also reflected in his drama and prose fiction. Reading the text’s narrative voice as adopting the technique of extradiegetic voice-over—the ‘voice of God,’ a common feature of classical documentaries—the essay explores Beckett’s critique of such a representational strategy.

PERFORMING PSALMS OF LAMENT: DOES GOD (OFF-STAGE) RESPOND TO THE COMPLAINANT’S CRY?

The underlying complaint in the psalms of lament is God’s apparent silence or lack of intervention in a difficult situation. However, performing a psalm of lament suggests that this might not be the case. Performing any psalm requires one to identify the various speakers and addressees at different points. In the case of psalms of lament, the possibility arises of a representative of God’s voice entering the dialogue. There are several clues within the text that suggest this interpretation, the main one being the dramatic change in mood evident in many lament psalms. Another one is comparison with lament psalms where the voice of God is cited. Also, the nature of poetry allows hearers to draw on their own experience to make sense of “gaps” in the text, and for different voices in literary text to speak without the use of speech introducers. Further clues emerge from a study of speech-act theory and the way that conversation-partners use language in relating to one another.If one discerns that the voice of God is represented in some form in lament psalms, this has important theological, hermeneutical, liturgical, and pastoral implications. A performance or liturgical reading of a lament psalm (sensitive to the different voices and indicating the possibility of a conversation taking place) can help hearers discern that a voice representing God does respond to the complainant’s cry. This encourages contemporary sufferers as they identify with the lamenter and hear some response to help them in their situations.

General Synod of the Scottish Episcopal Church

The General Synod met at St Paul's and St George's church in Edinburgh from 6 to 8 June. In his opening charge to Synod, the Primus, the Most Revd Mark Strange, encouraged Synod members to listen to the voice of God and respond to the command ‘this is the way, walk in it’. The Scottish Episcopal Church needed to be able to respond to a society crying out for reconciliation, fairness and hope but could only do so if, inside the Church, such values marked the way in which members treated one another.