The Organization of the Early Church. According to The Acts of the Apostles, the church began on the day of the first Pentecost, but the need for the development of the church is presented well before it's actual creation. The gospels of Matthew and John reveal the apostles preparation by ...

Lumen Gentium, arguably the most significant document to emerge from Vatican II in 1964, symbolizes a new turn in Catholicism, changing the way the Catholic Church views itself and its relationship to its world. Throughout Lumen Gentium, phrases such as "proclaiming... to every creature," ...

When you think of persecution, what comes to the forefront of your mind? Are you reminded of those who have been murdered mercilessly for the name of Christ? I think any of us, once we knew what the early church experienced--and, indeed, what Christians in other parts of the world are experiencing n...

(A cult in the webster's is defined as," a system of religious worship, especially with the reference to it's rites and ceremonies".) The word cult comes from the Latin word cultus, which means "worship". "In this sense the cultic act is an act of worship, involving external rites and ceremonies a...

Field Observation Paper For my field observation, I attended a Catholic mass and Pentecostal service, both in my hometown of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The first service I attended was the Catholic mass. The mass started at 10:30 a.m. with a Christmas hymn, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen. The priest w...

PREFORMING OUR THEOLOGICAL TASK1.Write an essay, which sets out as clearly as possible your present understanding of the Christian Church and the Christian faith and life. Along the way, discuss how Buechner and English have/or have not been helpful to you in formulating your own statement. The Chri...

The bible states many different opinions and "facts" on predestination. I say "facts" because that is what one is led to believe that the bible teaches. In one area the bible says that a certain number was chosen at the start and that the number will neither increase nor decre...

Walking down the street in downtown Burlingame, California shops consistently caught my eye- The Gap, Banana Republic, and J. Crew. As I was about to enter Ralph Lauren two young men in pressed black slacks and white collared shirts approached me. They introduced themselves as Elder Hansen and Elde...

When you take a class or when you are trying to make new friends it is important to be open-minded. Not always are you going to have all the right answers or know how to do everything. In my case, I had to be open-minded to the ideas of religion. My mom found this new church. I went there ever...

The world is going to be filled with prejudice no matter what. People are going to have their own opinions about some issues, new or old. If there weren't any disagreements, the world would be at peace. That seems impossible with today's world. Religion has been the topic since ancient tim...

Does God call us to worship Him because He needs our worship? This is the question that runs through many people\'s minds when going to worship at church. Does God command us to worship Him because His ego needs a boost? No! Worship was created not for His benefit, but for our benefit. The particula...

The book of Philemon has several different meanings which can be distinguished by the reader. I believe the book of Philemon is about authority, and specifically how Paul is able to harness his authority and still achieve his objectives. In the dictionary, authority is defined as, "The right ...

The Sacrament of Reconciliation Within the Christian faith there are many beliefs and acts for one to follow. Such acts consist of the sacraments, for which there are seven. Believed by many to be one of the most intricate and difficult to understand of all the sacraments, is the sacrament of R...

In the year 324 CE Constantine became the ruler of the entire Roman Empire. For the first time a Christian emperor had ascended the throne, although there is some dispute about the depth of his faith. Some see him as a statesman who exploited Christianity for political purposes, while others mainta...

Discovering the essence of Christianity is too varied and diverse a topic for anyone to pin to solely one definition. How one approaches the topic of Christianity is often in accordance to their personal foundations of religious belief. Sometimes these beliefs are deeply seeded during childhood ...

All of my life as a Christian I have been truly scared to read the book of Revelation, but I must admit that I now have a new profound outlook on the book. Revelation is a book of hope for God's people. It is also about the future and about the present as well. For it offers future hope to al...

What is Marriage Marriage is a socially recognized and approved union between two individuals of the opposite sex making them man and wife. It is a serious decision taken by a couple who feel that they love trust and have a mutual respect for each other to the extent that they promise to live tog...

Christianity is a fascinating world religion that grows in importance everyday. There are many things about this faith that interests people around the world. For example, the history, philosophy and its relevance in today's society makes the religion fascinating. When did this interesting beli...

"Joseph Smith, the Prophet and Seer of the Lord, has done more, save Jesus only, for the salvation of men in this world, than any other man that ever lived in it." (John Taylor) Joseph Smith was born in Sharon, Vermont on December 23rd 1805 to Joseph and Lucy Smith. When Joseph Smith...

"Creed or Chaos"Dorothy L. Sayers looks deeply into the controversial topic of the church's downfall including how and why dogma plays a vital role in ones distrust in the spiritual strength of Christianity. "Creed or Chaos" focuses on dogma as such a doctrine of faith proclaimed by the church and ...

Gorgias Essay Imagine walking into the classroom just as your instructor is handing back grades on a major test you recently took. She hands you yours and you see you have a grade much higher than you expected, in fact, it is one of the highest grades in the class. You suddenly exclaim,Thank you...

Eusebius of Caesarea: An Historian Mary Bivins THE 334 08 September 1999 Eusebius of Caesarea is considered by many authorities to be the first church historian . His life would span from 265 -–330 AD. Some claim that this is an estimated date, based on ...

The Nameless Face There is a man whose name I didn't know but whose words I'll never forget. A nameless face among a crowd of nameless faces, distinct only by his words of inspiring wisdom. It was a Sunday morning, the Lords morning. A gathering of faithful Catholics filled the ...

On October 8, 2004, writer and homosexual, Brian O'Leary Bennett wrote an article titled 'Forging a pro-gay, pro-life alliance,' in which he argues the point that, (as he believes,) those who are pro-life, should also be pro-gay. His main point is that he believes that someone is bor...

I am going to talk about the purposes of the Old and New Testament and how the Bible is not a good source for anti abortionist. First off, a great deal of confusion in the world today is caused by the general lack of knowledge about the purpose and the intent of the two major divisions of the Bible...