A World in Conflict
Jesus was born into a Jewish world swirling with conflict from the tensions created by the Greek Occupation, the Maccabean Revolt, the Diaspora, the Rise of Rabbinical Judaism with its diverse sects, and Roman oppression. The Greek Occupation Many Jews returned to Jerusalem and Palestine after the Persian emperor Cyrus the Great gave permission in 538 BC for the Jews to return from Babylonia. The Jewish nation remained a quasi-independent vasal state of Persia until Alexander the Great conquered Persia in 334 BC, and took over control of Palestine. Life was never the same afterwards. Alexander and the Greek elite believed that their civilized culture offered the solution to all of the world’s problems and orchestrated a concerted effort...
Christianity’s Jewish Roots
In order to understand Christianity, it is essential to grasp the importance that monotheism, God’s covenant with Israel, King David, the temple in Jerusalem, the Babylonian captivity, and the Torah have to the Jewish tradition at the time of Christ’s birth. The Hebrew God is a Being with Emotions and Acts The God of the Old Testament is not a passive god without body, parts or passions. He is a being who is intimately involved in the lives of His people.Unlike Plato’s first principle that does not act and is not affected by outside stimuli, Israel’s God is a being with emotions who does things. He spoke and created the world. He is identified by many anthropomorphic characteristics. He brought Israel out of slavery in Egypt...Synopsis
We begin our course of inquiry by evaluating various preliminary concepts needed to put the people, events and ideas that we will study into a broader picture to provide increased understanding. First, we will begin by reviewing the human quest for meaning, the origin of religion and the role of fear in religion. Then, we’ll consider how the human factor interplays with religion and how Christians have determined truth over the ages. Polytheism Zoroastrianism had a much greater impact on western ideas than most people realize.Let’s explore polytheism at the time of Christ beginning with Hinduism, the earliest recorded world religion, with its core beliefs in: 1) the law of karma; 2) the cycle of existence consisting of...
Polytheism
In order to understand the origins and revolutionary nature of Christian theology, it is important to view it in proper relief against the religions in the region at the time of Jesus’s birth. Besides Judaism, which we will discuss in a subsequent lecture, various forms of polytheism dominated the religious landscape at the time Christianity came on the scene. Each province was subject to its own set deities with different powers who controlled the various forces of nature with one god typically becoming pre-eminent. But they all were still subject to the law of fate and eternal destiny. The nature of the gods in each society often differed from the nature of the gods of other areas. Some were plants, like the large sacred oaks or other...The Human Factor
Our review of history enables us to identify various themes that reoccur over time from which we can derive various principles to guide our understanding of the truth. We enhance our study of Christian religious history by considering how the following six human influences have continually impacted religious thought and actions throughout history: Religious activity is part of the human experience People often try to influence deity in an attempt to control their future The tension between human free will and God’s sovereignty The pendulum effect – beliefs often gravitate to extremes Religion is often used to justify improper behavior People generally project their own values and beliefs onto others, which often distorts historical...CLEARSTONE PUBLISHING:
“Light at the end of the arched tunnel. Blood on the stone wall. Rust on the cell’s bars. The glance of a gladiator sitting in his cell. The soldier’s sandals stepping in front of her. Amora grasped every detail as her world moved in slow motion, drawing her closer to her fate. The stench of death permeated the suffocating darkness, making a mockery of the heightened vitality within her. Her chains rattled, gears ground, animals roared, and people cheered. She gave them no heed. Amora, in an elegant white gown, moved with natural grace in front of a cell of prisoners. Her sixteen-year-old chained slave, Maria, followed behind wearing a simple tunic; a second soldier brought up the rear…”
With that introduction, author Grant Hallstrom draws you into the world of ancient Rome with its intrigue and contrasts, where he explores the timeless struggles between revenge and forgiveness, hope and despair, and loss and redemption.
This award-winning bestseller follows Amora on her path of self-discovery from her opulent teenage wedding with Leo through her life full of personal disappointment, tragedy, and betrayal, ultimately leading to peace in the face of death. We watch Leo withdraw into his dark private world of despair as he struggles to maintain his standing in society while trying to escape from the ever-present pain of loss. We delight in the romance between two slaves and champion the young man’s quest to avenge his lover’s untimely death. The sweeping panorama of this immersive story includes the suspense of battles and the action of gladiators fighting to survive in the arena as well.
The author weaves a well-crafted and deeply researched historical fiction based on a true story that will captivate the reader’s attention from the start. The book is filled with non-stop action and suspense, so you are never sure what’s about to happen on the next page. This superbly written and richly descriptive novel with brilliantly drawn characters and settings will have you turning pages from beginning to end. Skillfully constructed, cinematic in presentation and deeply inspiring, this thought-provoking book makes a solid impact.
Even though the book shows how new Christian ideas influenced some characters, it does not try to convert the reader. It simply tells the story including the role that religion played in their lives. Amora is ultimately a story about love, family, friendships, faith, trials and forgiveness. It is well worth the read!
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A Collection of Inspiring Essays.
God is love, and because we all have a spark of His divinity in us, we have a strong core need to love and to be loved. However, because we are born into an imperfect world, all of us have been disappointed by others we depended on for love. This betrayal creates an emotional black hole at the center of our personal universe that sucks us down into a life of loneliness, frustration and pain.
How do we escape the gravity of our emotional black holes? Can we really become free to love and enjoy life? As Mr. Hallstrom shares the life lessons he has learned from a variety of intriguing and often difficult experiences, you may discover a path of healing that leads to freedom and happiness.