Period I – The Early and Medieval Church
1 – Polytheism (pending) Hinduism & Buddhism Egyptian Greco-Roman Paganism Middle Eastern Paganism Zoroastrianism 2 – Christianity’s Jewish Roots (pending) In order to understand Christianity, it is essential to grasp the importance of the following concepts and history to the Jewish community at the time of Christ’s birth: Monotheism God’s Covenant with his chosen People King David and the Temple in Jerusalem The Babylonian Captivity and Return to Jerusalem 3 – The Greco-Roman World Judaism gave birth to Christianity in a Greco-Roman world where Christianity’s Jewish roots merged with the Roman imperial culture and Greek philosophical ideas to mold Christianity into the institution it became in the early...
The Human Quest for Meaning
Is God Dead? In 1882, the philosopher Friedrick Nietzsche proclaimed that “God is dead,” and with his death our world is cut loose from its moorings to drift aimlessly through space without direction or meaning. with the death of God, nihilism was bornThe ordered cosmos is no more. He later wrote: “Once upon a time, in some out of the way corner of the universe which is dispersed into numberless twinkling solar systems, there was a star upon which clever beasts invented knowing. That was the most arrogant and mendacious minute of “world history,” but nevertheless it was only a minute. After nature had drawn a few breaths, the star cooled and congealed, and the clever beasts had to die.” Thus, with the death of God, nihilism was born,...
The Origin of Religion
One’s world view greatly impacts how we see reality. Our modern secular culture is based on an atheistic evolutionary view with reliance on science as the gage by which we measure truth. So, without acceding to the correctness of this worldview, we will begin our inquiry into the origins of religion from this familiar, albeit non-exclusive, perspective. We will first review the existing archeological evidence, then look at the most widely accepted current theories, and then review the historical development leading to these current views. We will consider the often ignored truth that the most primitive cultures worshiped a benevolent supreme being who created the universe and established the moral law for these cultures. We then end by...Preliminary Overview
Introduction We invite you to join us as we embark on a journey through history to retrace humanity’s search for meaning and discover where this pursuit has led us today. Perhaps during this expedition, we may each discover something new about ourselves and our fellow travelers on this quest. . . . more 1 – The Human Quest for Meaning We universally recognize that our capacity to reason is a distinguishing characteristic of the human race, yet we often fail to appreciate the magnitude and force of the human need for purpose. The innate human need for meaning and purpose in life is an even greater defining attribute of humanity than reason alone. In a very broad perspective, to be human is to be religious, whether one...Introduction
We invite you to join us as we embark on a journey through history to retrace humanity’s search for meaning and discover where this pursuit has led us today. Perhaps during this expedition, we may each discover something new about ourselves and our fellow travelers on this quest. As your guide you should realize that I am a believer, but I am not so arrogant as to think that I know all of the answers. This is an explorative expedition after all. We can all learn something from each other, so I encourage you to actively participate and share your ideas and questions, regardless of your perspective or your status as a skeptic or believer. I encourage this active dialog not because I believe all ideas and beliefs have equal value–I believe...CLEARSTONE PUBLISHING:
Amora is a sweeping action-adventure and a moving examination of spirituality and faith based on the true story of the noblewoman who inspired Justin Martyr’s petition to the Roman Senate.
The story follows Leo, a stern Patrician, who finds his life turned upside down after he betrays his Christian wife and her slave to die in the arena. Meanwhile, the slave’s fiancé seeks revenge, and Leo’s crippled son struggles with the loss of his mother as he pursues a budding romance.
Praise from Reviewers:
"This is a powerful story that will, unquestionably, resonate with people of faith, but has enough universal appeal to find a home with crossover readers as well."
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"The core concept of the novel feels like Christian forgiveness on a collision course with revenge."
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"The ideas of vengeance and forgiveness as two sides of a coin is a really compelling underlying motif for this novel."
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"I loved the inexorable pull of vengeance and betrayal pulling on all the characters. Knowing that the merciless hand of fate is moving towards Leo, creates the kind of delicious tension that drives stories in this genre."
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"We watch these characters struggle in different ways but all of them find their way to the same place at the end. I liked seeing the tension throughout the book as these moments of fate and decision wound together."
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"The novel does a great job zooming out for the big picture but also being able to really focus in on intimate human details and moments with these characters."
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"The blending of several distinct and quite separate storylines come together very well and provide an emotionally satisfying end to the book."
E-book now available for preorders.
Publication date: Sept. 10, 2020