Author: Anne Moore
Publisher: Peter Lang
ISBN: 9780820486611
Category : Bibles
Languages : en
Pages : 358
Book Description
For hundreds of years, scholars have debated the meaning of Jesus' central theological term, the 'kingdom of God'. Most of the argument has focused on its assumed eschatological connotations and Jesus' adherence or deviation from these ideas. Within the North American context, the debate is dominated by the work of Norman Perrin, whose classification of the kingdom of God as a myth-evoking symbol remains one of the fundamental assumptions of scholarship. According to Perrin, Jesus' understanding of the kingdom of God is founded upon the myth of God acting as king on behalf of Israel as described in the Hebrew Bible. Moving Beyond Symbol and Myth challenges Perrin's classification, and advocates the reclassification of the kingdom of God as metaphor. Drawing upon insights from the cognitive theory of metaphor, this study examines all the occurrences of the 'God is king' metaphor within the literary context of the Hebrew Bible. Based on this review, it is proposed that the 'God is king' metaphor functions as a true metaphor with a range of expressions and meanings. It is employed within a variety of texts and conveys images of God as the covenantal sovereign of Israel; God as the eternal suzerain of the world, and God as the king of the disadvantaged. The interaction of the semantic fields of divinity and human kingship evoke a range of metaphoric expressions that are utilized throughout the history of the Hebrew Bible in response to differing socio-historical contexts and within a range of rhetorical strategies. It is this diversity inherent in the 'God is king' metaphor that is the foundation for the diversified expressions of the kingdom of God associated with the historical Jesus and early Christianity.
Moving Beyond Symbol and Myth
Author: Anne Moore
Publisher: Peter Lang
ISBN: 9780820486611
Category : Bibles
Languages : en
Pages : 358
Book Description
For hundreds of years, scholars have debated the meaning of Jesus' central theological term, the 'kingdom of God'. Most of the argument has focused on its assumed eschatological connotations and Jesus' adherence or deviation from these ideas. Within the North American context, the debate is dominated by the work of Norman Perrin, whose classification of the kingdom of God as a myth-evoking symbol remains one of the fundamental assumptions of scholarship. According to Perrin, Jesus' understanding of the kingdom of God is founded upon the myth of God acting as king on behalf of Israel as described in the Hebrew Bible. Moving Beyond Symbol and Myth challenges Perrin's classification, and advocates the reclassification of the kingdom of God as metaphor. Drawing upon insights from the cognitive theory of metaphor, this study examines all the occurrences of the 'God is king' metaphor within the literary context of the Hebrew Bible. Based on this review, it is proposed that the 'God is king' metaphor functions as a true metaphor with a range of expressions and meanings. It is employed within a variety of texts and conveys images of God as the covenantal sovereign of Israel; God as the eternal suzerain of the world, and God as the king of the disadvantaged. The interaction of the semantic fields of divinity and human kingship evoke a range of metaphoric expressions that are utilized throughout the history of the Hebrew Bible in response to differing socio-historical contexts and within a range of rhetorical strategies. It is this diversity inherent in the 'God is king' metaphor that is the foundation for the diversified expressions of the kingdom of God associated with the historical Jesus and early Christianity.
Publisher: Peter Lang
ISBN: 9780820486611
Category : Bibles
Languages : en
Pages : 358
Book Description
For hundreds of years, scholars have debated the meaning of Jesus' central theological term, the 'kingdom of God'. Most of the argument has focused on its assumed eschatological connotations and Jesus' adherence or deviation from these ideas. Within the North American context, the debate is dominated by the work of Norman Perrin, whose classification of the kingdom of God as a myth-evoking symbol remains one of the fundamental assumptions of scholarship. According to Perrin, Jesus' understanding of the kingdom of God is founded upon the myth of God acting as king on behalf of Israel as described in the Hebrew Bible. Moving Beyond Symbol and Myth challenges Perrin's classification, and advocates the reclassification of the kingdom of God as metaphor. Drawing upon insights from the cognitive theory of metaphor, this study examines all the occurrences of the 'God is king' metaphor within the literary context of the Hebrew Bible. Based on this review, it is proposed that the 'God is king' metaphor functions as a true metaphor with a range of expressions and meanings. It is employed within a variety of texts and conveys images of God as the covenantal sovereign of Israel; God as the eternal suzerain of the world, and God as the king of the disadvantaged. The interaction of the semantic fields of divinity and human kingship evoke a range of metaphoric expressions that are utilized throughout the history of the Hebrew Bible in response to differing socio-historical contexts and within a range of rhetorical strategies. It is this diversity inherent in the 'God is king' metaphor that is the foundation for the diversified expressions of the kingdom of God associated with the historical Jesus and early Christianity.
Moving beyond Theoria toward Theosis
Author: Justin A. Davis
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 1666949566
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 293
Book Description
Moving Beyond Theoria Towards Theosis focuses on the telos of man as understood in Plato’s theoria, envisioned in the allegory of the cave, and early Christian reinterpretation of theoria as theosis. In his famed allegory of the cave, Plato maintains that real life exists beyond our base perceptions of reality and is found in the realm of ideas. Theoria is eternal rest in this realm and is understood as the telos of mankind. Plato’s theoria underwent change as it was reinterpreted under middle-Platonic and neo-Platonic thought. These systems incorporated a more mature idea of the divine than Plato, but still minimized the material world. This book explores how early Christianity inherited Plato’s cosmology and terminology. Theoria was also reinterpreted within the Christian context. Eventually the term was abandoned for theosis. Theosis is beyond theoria, as it includes contemplation of the forms as well as union with the source of the forms and the affirmation of the material realm. In this volume, Justin A. Davis shows how the Orthodox use of icons can be key to understanding theosis. The icon is a material object that connects to a higher reality, and ultimately toward union with the divine. Plato’s cosmology is collapsed and transfigured in union with the uncreated energy of God. Icons are the depiction of spiritual ascesis and the new telos of man, theosis.
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 1666949566
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 293
Book Description
Moving Beyond Theoria Towards Theosis focuses on the telos of man as understood in Plato’s theoria, envisioned in the allegory of the cave, and early Christian reinterpretation of theoria as theosis. In his famed allegory of the cave, Plato maintains that real life exists beyond our base perceptions of reality and is found in the realm of ideas. Theoria is eternal rest in this realm and is understood as the telos of mankind. Plato’s theoria underwent change as it was reinterpreted under middle-Platonic and neo-Platonic thought. These systems incorporated a more mature idea of the divine than Plato, but still minimized the material world. This book explores how early Christianity inherited Plato’s cosmology and terminology. Theoria was also reinterpreted within the Christian context. Eventually the term was abandoned for theosis. Theosis is beyond theoria, as it includes contemplation of the forms as well as union with the source of the forms and the affirmation of the material realm. In this volume, Justin A. Davis shows how the Orthodox use of icons can be key to understanding theosis. The icon is a material object that connects to a higher reality, and ultimately toward union with the divine. Plato’s cosmology is collapsed and transfigured in union with the uncreated energy of God. Icons are the depiction of spiritual ascesis and the new telos of man, theosis.
Moving Beyond the Christian Myth
Author: John W. Sloat
Publisher: CCB Publishing
ISBN: 1927360102
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
Languages : en
Pages : 148
Book Description
Moving Beyond The Christian Myth takes the next step beyond Sloat's first book on spirituality, A Handbook For Heretics. He explores the roots of the Christian faith, tracing them back to their pagan origins in ancient religions. Then, one by one, he analyzes the essential beliefs of Christianity, showing how they cannot literally be true. The various chapters contend that: Christianity is a religious myth We don't need a savior The Bible is not the Word of God Jesus is not God The church is more political than spiritual The remainder of the book is filled with stories of mystical experiences which demonstrate how the spirit world is an integral part of our daily lives. These topics include: Out-of-Body Experiences, Visions, Past Life Recalls, After Death Communication, Angel Communication, Pre-Birth Experiences and Coincidence. Sloat argues that these stories reveal spiritual truths which are not part of the traditional teachings of religion. He asks the church to admit that its story is based on myth rather than literal truth, he urges the church to incorporate these experiences into its belief system, and he concludes by presenting a vision of a future in which people can worship God as the creator, not of a religion based on the fear of hell, but of a spiritual kingdom founded on love, light and hope. This book will be an inspiration to all those who are seeking something beyond the mythological teaching of the past. About the Author John W. Sloat, a former Presbyterian minister, served churches in Pennsylvania and Ohio for over 40 years. He holds a B.A. from Denison University, 1954; an M.Div. from Princeton Seminary, 1957; and a Th.M. from Pittsburgh Seminary, 1977. Previous books include Lord, Make Us One (non-fiction, 1986); The Other Half (fiction, 2001); Memories of My Misadventures (fiction, 2008); and A Handbook For Heretics (non-fiction, second edition, 2009). Several of his sermons have been included in Pulpit Digest, a national preaching journal. He has been married to Helen Burdick Sloat, a psychiatric nurse, for 56 years, and they have three children, eight grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren. A pianist and organist, Sloat also plays the French horn, is a scratch model builder, and leads spirituality groups.
Publisher: CCB Publishing
ISBN: 1927360102
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
Languages : en
Pages : 148
Book Description
Moving Beyond The Christian Myth takes the next step beyond Sloat's first book on spirituality, A Handbook For Heretics. He explores the roots of the Christian faith, tracing them back to their pagan origins in ancient religions. Then, one by one, he analyzes the essential beliefs of Christianity, showing how they cannot literally be true. The various chapters contend that: Christianity is a religious myth We don't need a savior The Bible is not the Word of God Jesus is not God The church is more political than spiritual The remainder of the book is filled with stories of mystical experiences which demonstrate how the spirit world is an integral part of our daily lives. These topics include: Out-of-Body Experiences, Visions, Past Life Recalls, After Death Communication, Angel Communication, Pre-Birth Experiences and Coincidence. Sloat argues that these stories reveal spiritual truths which are not part of the traditional teachings of religion. He asks the church to admit that its story is based on myth rather than literal truth, he urges the church to incorporate these experiences into its belief system, and he concludes by presenting a vision of a future in which people can worship God as the creator, not of a religion based on the fear of hell, but of a spiritual kingdom founded on love, light and hope. This book will be an inspiration to all those who are seeking something beyond the mythological teaching of the past. About the Author John W. Sloat, a former Presbyterian minister, served churches in Pennsylvania and Ohio for over 40 years. He holds a B.A. from Denison University, 1954; an M.Div. from Princeton Seminary, 1957; and a Th.M. from Pittsburgh Seminary, 1977. Previous books include Lord, Make Us One (non-fiction, 1986); The Other Half (fiction, 2001); Memories of My Misadventures (fiction, 2008); and A Handbook For Heretics (non-fiction, second edition, 2009). Several of his sermons have been included in Pulpit Digest, a national preaching journal. He has been married to Helen Burdick Sloat, a psychiatric nurse, for 56 years, and they have three children, eight grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren. A pianist and organist, Sloat also plays the French horn, is a scratch model builder, and leads spirituality groups.
Mythohistorical Interventions
Author: Lee Bebout
Publisher: U of Minnesota Press
ISBN: 0816670862
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 259
Book Description
The importance of myth, symbol, and image in the Chicano movement and beyond.
Publisher: U of Minnesota Press
ISBN: 0816670862
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 259
Book Description
The importance of myth, symbol, and image in the Chicano movement and beyond.
Martin Buber on Myth (RLE Myth)
Author: S. Daniel Breslauer
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1317555988
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 209
Book Description
This book, first published in 1990, summarizes and evaluates the contribution of Martin Buber as a theorist of myth. Buber provides explicit guidelines for understanding and evaluating myths. He describes reality as twofold: people live either in a world of things, to which they relate as a subject controlling its objects, or in a world of self-conscious others, with whom one relates as fellow subjects. Human beings require both types of reality, but also a means of moving from one to the other. Buber understands myths as one such means by which people pass from I-It reality to I-You meeting. In studying myths, he focuses on the myths in the traditions he knows best, but offers his advice and interpretation of mythology and scholarship about mythology generally.
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1317555988
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 209
Book Description
This book, first published in 1990, summarizes and evaluates the contribution of Martin Buber as a theorist of myth. Buber provides explicit guidelines for understanding and evaluating myths. He describes reality as twofold: people live either in a world of things, to which they relate as a subject controlling its objects, or in a world of self-conscious others, with whom one relates as fellow subjects. Human beings require both types of reality, but also a means of moving from one to the other. Buber understands myths as one such means by which people pass from I-It reality to I-You meeting. In studying myths, he focuses on the myths in the traditions he knows best, but offers his advice and interpretation of mythology and scholarship about mythology generally.
Pauline Theology and Mission Practice
Author: Dean S. Gilliland
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
ISBN: 1579100058
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 311
Book Description
Not since Roland Allen's book in 1912 has there appeared such a thorough study of the Apostle Paul's mission theology and methodology. "The value of this comprehensive survey," writes Harry R. Boer in the foreword, lies in part in its grounding in "careful expository studies of Paul's ministry as revealed in Acts and in the corpus of the Pauline epistles." Again and again the author illustrates the abiding relevance of Paul's first-century insights for missionary thought and practice in the twentieth century. He draws not only on Scripture, but also on personal insights and illustrations arising from two decades of missionary service. And he enters into significant dialogue with representative missionary literature of the modern period. The book's five parts cover theology (the sources and nature of Paul's theology and his theological assumptions for mission), conversion (Paul's conversion in Acts; conversion as reality, experience, and process; and conversion and the real world), the convert's new life (what its spiritual basis is and how to live it) the church (its oneness, diversity, and contextuality; its leadership, worship, discipline, and finance), and the missionary (his or her credentials and ministry). "Paul's theology was irresistible because it was energized by a fresh, life-changing experience and supported by a new love for all people," writes the author in the introduction. He then elaborates on four characteristics of that theology: it is dynamic, evangelical, pastoral, and holistic. "The absolute commitment of mind and body, soul and spirit, that was Paul's, his love for the Lord Jesus and lost people everywhere," concludes the author in the epilogue, "must be the very heart of the church."
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
ISBN: 1579100058
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 311
Book Description
Not since Roland Allen's book in 1912 has there appeared such a thorough study of the Apostle Paul's mission theology and methodology. "The value of this comprehensive survey," writes Harry R. Boer in the foreword, lies in part in its grounding in "careful expository studies of Paul's ministry as revealed in Acts and in the corpus of the Pauline epistles." Again and again the author illustrates the abiding relevance of Paul's first-century insights for missionary thought and practice in the twentieth century. He draws not only on Scripture, but also on personal insights and illustrations arising from two decades of missionary service. And he enters into significant dialogue with representative missionary literature of the modern period. The book's five parts cover theology (the sources and nature of Paul's theology and his theological assumptions for mission), conversion (Paul's conversion in Acts; conversion as reality, experience, and process; and conversion and the real world), the convert's new life (what its spiritual basis is and how to live it) the church (its oneness, diversity, and contextuality; its leadership, worship, discipline, and finance), and the missionary (his or her credentials and ministry). "Paul's theology was irresistible because it was energized by a fresh, life-changing experience and supported by a new love for all people," writes the author in the introduction. He then elaborates on four characteristics of that theology: it is dynamic, evangelical, pastoral, and holistic. "The absolute commitment of mind and body, soul and spirit, that was Paul's, his love for the Lord Jesus and lost people everywhere," concludes the author in the epilogue, "must be the very heart of the church."
Mapping Metaphorical Discourse in the Fourth Gospel
Author: Beth M. Stovell
Publisher: BRILL
ISBN: 9004230467
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 397
Book Description
In Mapping Metaphorical Discourse in the Fourth Gospel, Beth M. Stovell examines the metaphor of Jesus as king throughout the Fourth Gospel using an interdisciplinary metaphor theory incorporating cognitive and systemic functional linguistic approaches with literary approaches.
Publisher: BRILL
ISBN: 9004230467
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 397
Book Description
In Mapping Metaphorical Discourse in the Fourth Gospel, Beth M. Stovell examines the metaphor of Jesus as king throughout the Fourth Gospel using an interdisciplinary metaphor theory incorporating cognitive and systemic functional linguistic approaches with literary approaches.
Routledge Library Editions: Myth
Author: Various Authors
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
ISBN: 1317548612
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 1142
Book Description
Routledge Library Editions: Myth reissues four out-of-print classics that touch on various aspects of mythology. One book looks at the work of Martin Buber on myth, and another on the school of Gernet classicists. Another book studies comparative mythology and the work of Joseph Campbell, and the last book in the set looks at the role of the gods and their stories in Indo-European mythology. 1. Martin Buber on Myth S. Daniel Breslauer (1990) 2. The Methods of the Gernet Classicists: The Structuralists on Myth Roland A. Champagne (1992) 3. The Uses of Comparative Mythology Kenneth L. Golden (1992) 4. The War of the Gods Jarich G. Oosten (1985)
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
ISBN: 1317548612
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 1142
Book Description
Routledge Library Editions: Myth reissues four out-of-print classics that touch on various aspects of mythology. One book looks at the work of Martin Buber on myth, and another on the school of Gernet classicists. Another book studies comparative mythology and the work of Joseph Campbell, and the last book in the set looks at the role of the gods and their stories in Indo-European mythology. 1. Martin Buber on Myth S. Daniel Breslauer (1990) 2. The Methods of the Gernet Classicists: The Structuralists on Myth Roland A. Champagne (1992) 3. The Uses of Comparative Mythology Kenneth L. Golden (1992) 4. The War of the Gods Jarich G. Oosten (1985)
Liberating Christianity
Author: Thomas C. Sorenson
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
ISBN: 1498275559
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 227
Book Description
Christianity is in crisis in our North American context, especially among the cultural elite and people with progressive views. The reasons for the faith's loss of credibility have to do, in large part, with the dominant philosophical materialism of our culture and with the understanding of the faith almost universally held by Americans both inside the churches and outside them. In this book, Thomas C. Sorenson calls this understanding "Biblicism," by which he means the belief that the Bible is to be understood only literally and that, in one way or another, its authority comes from its claimed origin with God. Many enlightened people also reject Christianity because the only Christianity they know is the judgmental, socially conservative faith that the most vocal and visible advocates of the faith among us so loudly espouse. This book offers a different understanding of the faith. It begins with a discussion of the universal human experience of the spiritual dimension of reality. It then discusses symbol and myth as the necessary language for communicating that experience. The book shows that all human experience is necessarily subjective and that religious truth is thus also necessarily subjective. Therefore, religious truth is relative, not universal and absolute. The work argues that the Bible is a human work expressing its authors' experience of the divine. The book then discusses other obstacles to faith and offers a different understanding of the issues they raise. The book replaces the classical theory of atonement with a theology of the cross, based mainly on the work of Douglas John Hall. It redefines salvation as having to do with this life, not with the afterlife. It closes with a section that replaces the dominant social conservatism of popular Christianity with Jesus's teachings of nonviolence, economic justice, and radical inclusivity.
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
ISBN: 1498275559
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 227
Book Description
Christianity is in crisis in our North American context, especially among the cultural elite and people with progressive views. The reasons for the faith's loss of credibility have to do, in large part, with the dominant philosophical materialism of our culture and with the understanding of the faith almost universally held by Americans both inside the churches and outside them. In this book, Thomas C. Sorenson calls this understanding "Biblicism," by which he means the belief that the Bible is to be understood only literally and that, in one way or another, its authority comes from its claimed origin with God. Many enlightened people also reject Christianity because the only Christianity they know is the judgmental, socially conservative faith that the most vocal and visible advocates of the faith among us so loudly espouse. This book offers a different understanding of the faith. It begins with a discussion of the universal human experience of the spiritual dimension of reality. It then discusses symbol and myth as the necessary language for communicating that experience. The book shows that all human experience is necessarily subjective and that religious truth is thus also necessarily subjective. Therefore, religious truth is relative, not universal and absolute. The work argues that the Bible is a human work expressing its authors' experience of the divine. The book then discusses other obstacles to faith and offers a different understanding of the issues they raise. The book replaces the classical theory of atonement with a theology of the cross, based mainly on the work of Douglas John Hall. It redefines salvation as having to do with this life, not with the afterlife. It closes with a section that replaces the dominant social conservatism of popular Christianity with Jesus's teachings of nonviolence, economic justice, and radical inclusivity.
For the Nation
Author: Nicholas R. Brown
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
ISBN: 1498279031
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 237
Book Description
The nature of the kingdom Jesus proclaims in the Gospels has long been a subject of intense theological debate. More recently the lines of this debate have dramatically shifted as several leading historical Jesus scholars and Christian social ethicists have argued that Jesus' kingdom proclamation most likely expresses a first century Jewish hope for Israel's restoration. Yet while several are now sanguine that Jesus' kingdom vision constitutes nothing less than a full-throated restoration of Israel's nationality, they are just as certain it rejects a restoration of Israel's land. As such it has become increasingly fashionable to say that an authentic practice of the "kingdom" ethic that Jesus enunciates must necessarily be a-territorial. The purpose of this work is to respond to these arguments and show why this can and indeed should not be the case. Through a careful and detailed process of historical investigation, biblical exegesis, theological exploration, and ethical analysis we will come to see that not only is the kingdom that Jesus proclaims inextricably landed, but also why such a kingdom is integral to articulating a Christian ethic of territorial governance.
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
ISBN: 1498279031
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 237
Book Description
The nature of the kingdom Jesus proclaims in the Gospels has long been a subject of intense theological debate. More recently the lines of this debate have dramatically shifted as several leading historical Jesus scholars and Christian social ethicists have argued that Jesus' kingdom proclamation most likely expresses a first century Jewish hope for Israel's restoration. Yet while several are now sanguine that Jesus' kingdom vision constitutes nothing less than a full-throated restoration of Israel's nationality, they are just as certain it rejects a restoration of Israel's land. As such it has become increasingly fashionable to say that an authentic practice of the "kingdom" ethic that Jesus enunciates must necessarily be a-territorial. The purpose of this work is to respond to these arguments and show why this can and indeed should not be the case. Through a careful and detailed process of historical investigation, biblical exegesis, theological exploration, and ethical analysis we will come to see that not only is the kingdom that Jesus proclaims inextricably landed, but also why such a kingdom is integral to articulating a Christian ethic of territorial governance.