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...

Matthew Jay Krachunis May 2000 Hell The idea of heaven entices and encourages believers and non-believers alike. It is enjoyable to envision a place of eternal rest and relaxation, in the presence of God and loved ones. Heaven does exist according to the Bible, and is the destination of th...

There are no absolutes, no clear-cut black and white answers, no accurate gauge for justice - right and wrong - no real way to a world beyond physical death. This is the thinking of our age, an age of confusion. People hunger for answers but find only more questions. Christians are unsure of their...

In Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, the idea of the religion or mythology according to the ancient Africans was a major theme in the book. In historical context I am going to look at what they really believed and why Achebe mentioned some of the customs that pertained to their gods. Africans be...

Introduction My great aunt was a fascinating woman. She was raised in Canadian by English parents, married and immigrated to the United States. She understood French and English and was fluent in several different languages. She attended services, in places of worship, all over. She chose to p...

John Calvin created the patterns and thought that would dominate Western culture throughout the modern period. North American culture, in particular, is thoroughly Calvinist in some form or another; at the heart of the way North Americans think and act, you'll find this fierce and imposing reformer...

Proof Of The Exsistence of God Either God exists or He doesn't. There is no middle ground. Any attempt to remain neutral in relation to God's existence is automatically synonymous with unbelief. It is far from a moot question, for if God does exist, then nothing else really matters; if He does not e...

Introduction The organization of the eastern religions ranges from simple to complex. Many religions have spiritual leaders or priestly figures. These leaders have the responsibility to conduct religious services, ceremonies, and rituals, to advise or command believers, and to govern the religiou...

C.S. Lewis begins his book, "Mere Christianity", by introducing the Law of Right and Wrong or the Laws of Nature. This, however, arises a question. What is the Law of Nature? The Law of Nature is the known difference between right and wrong. That is, mans distinction between what is ...

The Sermon on the Mount The Sermon on the Mount is one of Jesus' most quoted, and most referenced teachings. The Sermon, a guideline to Christian behavior, worship, and spirituality, is found in the Gospel According to Matthew, chapters 5, 6, and 7. The sermon is broken into a vast array of ideol...

Why the Latter-day Saints closely adhere to the Word of Wisdom In her paper "In the Presence of the Past: Continuity and Change in Twentieth-Century Mormonism," Jan Shipps argues that the strict adherence to the word of wisdom present in the Church today began its evolution after the 18...

Old Testament The Old Testament is a compilation, and like every compilation it has a wide variety of contributors who, in turn, have their individual influence upon the final work. It is no surprise, then, that there exist certain parallels between the Enuma Elish, the cosmogony of the Babylo...

Knowing God In the scriptures we read of relationships that people like the apostles had with Jesus. The friendships that they had were deep and personal. They were also challenging. Jesus challenged the disciples regualarly as well as encouraged them. He warned them of the evil they were to ...

The Origins of Hinduism A Brief introduction to Hinduism The religion of Hinduism is the world's oldest religion, reaching far back to the very dawn of history. It is filled with a vast ocean of spiritual teachings that respect all aspects of life and consciousness. This paper is just a m...

Theories of literature demand the reader separate the author from the story. Millions of students engrain the mantra of "the author is not a character in the novel" into their memory or risk failing the most basic of English courses. While the author may not directly play a role in the nov...

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...

Evil, sinful, lover of Satan and weak are just a few adjectives to describe women through history. Nevertheless, women were not always portrayed as so. Women once held a strong and dominated figure within the society. In the ancient Egyptian society, women were equal to men in status and prest...

Can You Show That We Don't Know Anything? Most people go through life without ever questioning the idea of knowledge. We all make statements every day such as 'I know X', and 'We all have knowledge of Y', yet when we truly examine what it means to 'know' some...

There was a movement in mainstream churches that still exists today, often called the Charismatic Renewal. It was given this name because the movement itself is that of the Holy Spirit, the third person in the Trinity. The word "Charismatic" refers to the charisms of the Holy Spirit, his personality...

Crosby 1 Messenger The term angel derives from a Greek translation of the Hebrew word mal'akh, which first meant "Shadow side of God," and now means messenger (Jeremiah 59). Angels as an article of faith have become an unshakeable part of our society. One...

Crosby 1 Messenger The term angel derives from a Greek translation of the Hebrew word mal'akh, which first meant "Shadow side of God," and now means messenger (Jeremiah 59). Angels as an article of faith have become an unshakeable part of our so...

Christianity was traditionally understood to be founded by Jesus of Nazareth. Paul of Tarsus, after his conversion on the road to Damascus, worked tirelessly to establish Christianity among both Jews and God-fearing Gentiles of the Diaspora. Clues in the New Testament indicate that there was ...

Change and Tradition: Nigeria Unit The Journals of Mr. Brown and Mr. Smith Jesse Haines Mr. Brown's Journal Today I venture outward, toward the village of Mbanta, the next village selected for our missionary program. Hoping to begin on the right foot, I've hired an Ibo interpreter, s...

Introduction Mark 16:16 says, "And He said to them, Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned."1 This is the basis for which Christian's all around the world shares the gosp...

Should people need to prove God exists? If you ask this question, you also must ask what kind of proof would be sufficient and to whom it should be proven. When you talk about proof, you are talking about establishing some degree of certainty about the existence of God. That is where faith comes in...