Gnostic writings of Jesus portray him as a heavenly redeemer made less of flesh than of spirit. The emphasis of Jesus' importance is not on his physical humanness but rather, on his ability to show people the way to the kingdom. Jesus put on flesh in order to give people gnosis and reveal to the...

I am attempting to write one coherent essay discussing questions three and two. I propose to first characterize the opposing views of the savior in Gnosticism and in Orthodoxy. Secondly, I will compare the Valentinian and classic Gnostics in how they differ and how the Gospel of Truth exemplifi...

Martin Luther. Martin Luther was born in Eisleben, Germany, the son of Hans Luther, who worked in the copper mines, and his wife Margarethe. He went to school at Magdeburg and Eisenach, and entered the University of Erfurt in 1501, graduating with a BA in 1502 and an MA in 1505. His father wish...

An explicit religious inclination is an experience that expresses itself through the realm of myths. It does not reveal stories that are not true, but rather the truth embodies the myths in a different manner from the doctrines of theology or philosophy. A personal religious experience is the teachi...

Prayer and meditation have always formed the core of the mystical life, but they have all too often been left in the realm of the "vowed" adherents, the monks, the priests, and such, other than for that occasional gathering in church or other event. Meditation and prayer are probably humanity's mo...

Bible 301 Our English word Bible comes from the Greek word Biblos, which means "book." In theology a study of the Bible is called bibliology. While the word Bible simply means "book" the words "The Bible" distinguish it as the supreme, unique and incomparable Holy Bib...

HOW ANIMISTIC BELIEFS AND PRACTICES EMERGED IN MODERN RELIGIONS Animism is the doctrine which places the source of mental and even physical life in an energy independent of or at least distinct from the body. Animism can be divided into three categories: Worship of the souls of men and animals, ...

Is there life after death? This question has been asked since the beginning of civilization and I believe will never be answered. Immortality is the un-ending existence of the soul after physical death. The doctrine of immortality is common to many religions. In different cultures, however, it takes...

Religion and psychology, thought by many to be two totally separate areas of discipline and human fulfillment, can be found to have a meeting point in the ancient Hebrew Tales of the Hasidim for healing and helping; in fact the word Hasidim itself has its origins in the Hebrew word hasid, which mean...

Dogging Dogma "It's not what you have faith in, it's just that you have faith," says Serendipity, a character in the movie Dogma. The film is about two angels, Loki and Bartleby, who have been kicked out of heaven and sentenced to live for the rest of eternity in Wisconsin. So...

1. If Gnosticism had succeeded in implanting its own distinctive ideas into Christian thought, Christian theology would be different in many fundamental ways. Because Christian theology has a strong foundation insofar as its teachings are concerned, the very structure and nature of Christian t...

The Lutheran and Calvinist Reformations are very similar in principle. Martin Luther and John Calvin hold that not mere abuses of the Roman Catholic Church need correcting, but that the Catholic Church itself is wrong in principle. I will discuss the platforms from which religious revolutionaries Lu...

Contents Page Page 1.0 Introduction 2 2.0 Methodology 3 2.1 Primary Resources 3 2.2 Secondary Resources 3 2.3 Interviews 3 2.4 Report on Local Community 3 3.0 Body of Report 4 3.1 Narrative Dimension 4-5 3.2 Stances within the Ministerial Pr...

The Patristic period in the history of the church range from 100 to about 500 AD. During this period the church suffered severe persecution and from this period of persecutions she developed a theology that carried her up to this century. So this essay is going to discuss the persecution, reasons fo...

Jesus of Nazareth shares meaning and value with other great historical influences of time such as Buddha. They are both categorized as great moral teachers who continue to influence even after death. They share similarities and differences at birth, during the time of their lives, and at death. T...

The Bible on Abortion It is said that the Bible remains silent on the issue of abortion, but both the Old and New Testaments can be sited supporting the morality of the issue, contrary to the Catholic views. This stance of the bible can be drawn based on the language used in the text and also the v...

Carol P. Christ explains the effect symbols have on females. She claims the symbol of a female Goddess does much in the way of helping women overcome their feelings of shame and doubt towards their own body and soul. Christ says the symbol of the male God undermines women deeply, and it hinders th...

Religion has always been a very sensitive and controversial topic to discuss. Since there are many different types of practices worldwide, not everyone believes in the same God. Religion can be defined in many different ways. However, religion to me is the belief of the higher power. No matter what...

Drinking, Right or Wrong There is an ongoing controversy over whether or not drinking alcoholic beverages is wrong. The subject of alcoholism is argued about over and over again between many Christian and non-Christian groups, not only in America, but throughout the world. Many Christians clai...

Scold your wife sharply, bully and terrify her" is a quotation from a fifteenth century Catholic Church publication called 'Rules of Marriage', a "document which does not just condone wife battering but actually recommends it as a meritorious action that will bring spiritual ben...

Emily Dickinson: Believer or Not? While attending Amherst College, Emily Dickinson became fascinated with Dr. Hitchcock's philosophies. Dr. Hitchcock was the originator of the American Scientific Association and President of Amherst College. Dickinson loved to read "Flowers of North ...

The 1945 discovery at Nag Hammadi of thirteen papyrus scrolls uncovered new insights and excited historians and theologians around the globe. Until this time, little was known about the mysterious religion of Gnosticism. It evolved into one of the main belief systems of the 1st century and helped ...

Religion in Crime and Punishment: -Raskolnikov's Pilgrimage Towards Salvation- "Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?"...

Is it possible to fabricate profound passions and emotions, or are genuine reasons compulsory to evoke such feelings? All of John Donne's verse, his love sonnets, and his religious poems, can be distinguished by a blend of passion and reason. However, the reasons for his poems are essential to comp...

Christianity is very practical. It is not a dead, dry, formal, human religion of rituals, outward form, and show, but a divine, living, vital, dynamic, liberating religion. The word Christian means, "Christ like", or "One follows Christ". Jesus Christ, who laid the foundation of Christian Church, w...