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...Fear and Religion
Sigmund Freud wrote that religion is a delusion created by our subconscious mind in its attempt to deal with fear. He taught that humans are subject to three innate fears: the fear of death, the fear of the destructive forces of nature, and fear associated with suffering and the physical demands of life. He believed that humans sublimate these fears by repressing them and then transmuting and redirecting them through the culturally acceptable expression of religion. For Freud, God is nothing more than our subconscious desire for a father figure in the sky to protect us from harm, and heaven is simply our fantasy of a place without labor and suffering. There is no question that fear plays a role in human social interaction, including many...
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 – Understanding Christian Theology
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 – 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...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.