church leadership

Leadership [Name of the writer] [Name of the institution] Abstract Th? first ?ssue which must be clarified ?n approach?ng th? subject of local ?hur?h government ?s th? question of authority. All agree that Chr?st ?s th? Head ?nd that He rules through H?s Word. But what about authority on th? level of ?ndividual ?hur?h function, teach?ng, ?nd dec?sion mak?ng? Does Chr?st delegate authority to ?nyone else? M?ny ?hur?h groups ?re sure that He does not, that each m?n h?s equal authority before God by virtue of h?s ?ndividual priesthood. Our Americ?n spirit of democracy ?n th? ?hur?h ?nd its "one m?n one vote" leaves us ?ncl?ned to agree, at le?st ?n sentiment. We feel that we ?re ?nswerable to God alone, ?nd so authority over ?nyone ?n th? very personal realm of th? spiritual ?nd religious ?s out of th? question. Our beliefs ?nd practices ?re matters between God ?nd us ?ndividually, we tend to th?nk; ?nd ?n th? affairs of th? local ?hur?h collectively, th? majority rules. But does Chr?st rule by majority vote? ?s H?s will determ?ned by popular consent? Or ?s it given once ?nd for all ?n Holy Scripture to be faithfully m?n?stered to H?s people by spiritual l?aders with?n th? ?hur?h? Th?se questions state th? ?ssue clearly. Th? New Testament ?s clear ?n its teach?ng both by precept ?nd example that th?re ?re certa?n men ?n th? ?hur?h who ?re ?nvested with th? responsibility of

  • Word count: 38012
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Historical and Philosophical studies
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Catastrophic Dimensions

Catastrophic Dimensions Abstract: This essay's intent is to assess the relationship between the anti-Catholic legislation passed by the Irish parliament of 1613-1615 and the emergence of a distinct national identity in early modern Ireland. Key Words: Catholic, Irish, National Identity For almost four centuries, the royal administration in Ireland had distinguished between the Gaelic Irish populations in the hinterlands of Leinster, Munster, Connacht, and Ulster, and the English population in the Pale, that relatively urbanized settlement centered on Dublin, and in the outlying towns and earldoms of Leinster and Munster. The parliament of 1613-1615 gave legal force to a new, equally impermeable cleavage between the two components of the Anglo-Irish(1) colonial community: the Old and New English. The New English were recent Protestant transplants, sent from England by the crown during the sixteenth century to operate the Irish government. The Catholic Old English were natives of Ireland. Descendants of the original twelfth-century Anglo-Norman conquerors, the Old English shared an Anglo-Irish heritage and the common interests shaped by that heritage.(2) By securing the rigorous enforcement of the Oath of Supremacy, the implementation of revenue-generating recusancy fines, the expulsion of all Jesuits and seminary priests from Ireland, and the confiscation of Catholic lands

  • Word count: 10722
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Historical and Philosophical studies
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There is no doctrine in the Christian church more controversial than the doctrine of original sin which has intrigued the scholars of the church for centuries.

There is no doctrine in the Christian church more controversial than the doctrine of original sin which has intrigued the scholars of the church for centuries.1 While we take a look into the writings of the apostolic fathers, we find most of them dealing with the consequence of the fall of Adam. The apologists wrote more elaborately than the apostolic fathers did about the first sin of Adam, correlating it with church sacraments. However, it was not until the period of St. Augustine of Hippo (354-430) that the concept of original sin came to be considered as a doctrine. As a result, many contend that Augustine is the innovator of the doctrine of original sin unknown to his predecessors, and reject his thoughts. Conversely, some scholars of the church agree with Augustine's doctrine of original sin, regarding it as a purely biblical teaching. In the exposition of his doctrine, quoting a biblical semblance, the bishop of Hippo made humans responsible for the sin committed by Adam in whom they sinned. He developed a pessimistic view that as a consequence of original sin, the will and reason of human beings were darkened so that humans can no longer do good. Moreover, going to the extreme, he argued that sin is transmitted through the human seed, and is contracted at birth. Hence, according to Augustine, the lot of unbaptized infants is to be condemned eternally in hell. It is the

  • Word count: 9496
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Historical and Philosophical studies
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The enormous diversity of Hinduism reflects its long history of more than 3000 years and the hundreds of millions of people who follow Hinduism (Colledge, 1999).

Introduction The enormous diversity of Hinduism reflects its long history of more than 3000 years and the hundreds of millions of people who follow Hinduism (Colledge, 1999). There is no single right pattern of being a Hindu, as the religious experiences and the traditions people have received are heterogeneous (Killingley, 2003). Thus, one must be open to the diversity and flexibility of Hinduism, and bare in mind that any general statements about Hinduism are subject to exceptions (Killingley, 2003). Hindus began appearing Britain in significant numbers from 1950s onwards, and a new wave of Hindu immigration came from East Africa due to the 'Africanisation' policies in the 1960s and 1970s (Colledge, 1999). As Hindu communities have established themselves by opening houses of worship within their new host countries, Hinduism has transformed into an international religion with "international notions of space" (Caswell, 1996: 1). The first generation of immigrants had difficulty of coping with English language and customs; where as the British born generations may find it difficult to retain their sense of Hindu identity (Colledge, 1999). This background provides an interesting setting for research and we took the opportunity to study the only Hindu temple in Glasgow: Hindu Mandir, in order to investigate how Hindu identity and Hindu traditions continue in the British

  • Word count: 8575
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Historical and Philosophical studies
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Bob Marley's "Redemption Song": The Rhetoric of Reggae and Rastafari

Bob Marley's "Redemption Song": The Rhetoric of Reggae and Rastafari Since its founding in the 1930s, the Rastafarian movement has grown to the point where it has become a major cultural and political force in Jamaica. During its existence, the movement has challenged Jamaica's neo-colonialist society's attempts to keep whites at the top and blacks at the bottom of the socio-economic structure. Because of its controversial actions, the movement has evoked responses from observers that range from "hostility" to "curiosity" (Forsythe 63). On one hand, Rastafarians have been criticized because of their belief that Haile Selassie, the former emperor of Ethiopia, is God and that marijuana (ganja) should be used as a religious sacrament. On the other hand, the Rastafari have been praised for their continual resistance to and confrontation with oppression, racism, and the exploitation of the poor and underprivileged (Campbell 1). Unfortunately, most early studies of the Rastafarian movement create a distorted image of the group. Jamaica's national newspaper, the Daily Gleaner's, anti-Rastafarian perspective led many to conclude that the Rastafarians were Black Marxist "racists" whose "criminality" was linked to drug-addiction. As an example of the distorted image, Morris stated the following: They are vehement in their attacks on the government, the white man, imperialism and

  • Word count: 7677
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Historical and Philosophical studies
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The Dialectic of Enlightenment.

I. The Dialectic of Enlightenment A. The Project of Enlightenment The self-proclaimed project of Enlightenment is the subjectification of the individual - the overcoming of all those elements which militate against the autonomous ego's establishment of itself as a free and self-determining agent, an agent unencumbered by the mystical forces which, in pre-enlightened times, penetrate its consciousness and degrade its worldly existence. A definition of myth: that other-worldly realm in which the contradictions of this world are resolved in an illusory totality at the level of consciousness. For the individual to establish herself as an autonomous subject is clearly to rid herself of mythic thought, to take back the actual conditions of her life and confront the world as that which it really is - the individual must know the world, for only in knowing, only in rational and informed comprehension, is agency possible. To be free is to not only act, but to act according to the dictates of your own will, a pure will free from constraint, a will able to recognize and interpret the concrete situations of its existence as they are, shrouded not in superstition nor myth. To Enlightenment myth is anthropomorphism[]; it anticipates Feuerbach in viewing myth as nothing more than the projection of individuals' fears onto a fictitious sphere. By understanding nature, by analyzing and

  • Word count: 7670
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Historical and Philosophical studies
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Nagarjuna was a great contributor to the Mahayana tradition.

Nagarjuna was a great contributor to the Mahayana tradition. He acted as the interpreter and clarifier of the tradition's texts clarifying the notion of the Middle way as offered and taught by Buddha. Nagarjuna's system of the Middle Way greatly influenced not only the Mahayana tradition but also would influence the future developing schools of thought that would originate from the Mahayana Buddhist tradition, namely the Zen Buddhist tradition. Nagarjuna's philosophy of the Middle Way is manifested in the methods of the Zen Buddhist tradition. There are fundamental elements in Nagarjuna's philosophy of the Middle Way that are manifested in the Zen Buddhist tradition and way of thought. A case can be made for the Zen tradition being a practical application of Nagarjuna's Middle Way. Hsueh-li Cheng in one of his published works has already explored the proposition that Zen is a practical application of the Middle Way in 1979.1 The aim of this paper is to build upon the foundation Hsueh-li Cheng has already laid down to bring closer the ties of a notion of a Middle Way in the thought of Nagarjuna and Zen. The approach taken will examine how the central tenets of the Middle Way as described by Nagarjuna are manifested in the application of Zen discipline. The teachings that will be highlighted from Nagarjuna's philosophy of the Middle Way will be emptiness (sunyata), the

  • Word count: 5573
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Historical and Philosophical studies
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Islamic Fundamentalism, In this report I will discuss whether Islamic fundamentalism is a modern political ideology or not.

Islamic Fundamentalism Name: Amrit Sahtoe Student Number: 4242624 Date: 03/08/2012 Teacher: Dr. Alex Kazamias ________________ In this report I will discuss whether Islamic fundamentalism is a modern political ideology or not. I will do that firstly by trying to explain what Islamic fundamentalism actually really is. It is a term that is hard to explain. Secondly, I will discuss about modern political ideologies, I will give my view about modern political ideologies, how I think about it and what do I expect if we talk about modern political ideology. Thirdly, I will talk about political fundamental ideology. I have looked up some traditional people or groups. I will talk about their view on how they see our society or how they want to see our society. I will show some of their ideas, and that is why I think that Islamic fundamentalism is not a modern political ideology. Fourthly, I will discuss about modern Islamic thinkers, how they want to change our society and. Finally, I will end up

  • Word count: 5126
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Historical and Philosophical studies
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How is Spiritual and Religious Awareness in the Contemporary World Reflected in Popular Music?

How is Spiritual and Religious Awareness in the Contemporary World Reflected in Popular Music? Pop music has thrived since the post-war boom in youth culture and is now an established part of our contemporary culture. Spirituality can be defined as that which affects ones inner life or spirit, an incorporeal aspect to life which is often associated with religion. This essay will look at the aspects of spirituality such as the desire for something beyond the self, the search for community, the search for meaning and the expression of love and other emotions, and whether they are reflected in popular music. This essay will look at religious awareness in the contemporary world and how this is reflected in popular music. Our post-modern society is increasingly one without a shared set of values. Society is isolated in the present with little heritage and a fear or ambivalence of the future[1]. Consumer culture places greater emphasis on ‘things’, personal relationships become devalued. Average church attendance in the Church of England in 2005 was 988,000[2] every week. CD sales in the UK in 2005 were 33,375,000, and 11,443,000 downloads[3] (with the majority of all purchases made by those aged 25-44), this equates to an average of 861,885 CD and download sales a week. What these figures don’t tell us is how many people listen to music, and those figures are much

  • Word count: 5092
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Historical and Philosophical studies
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Bengali Muslims in the UK.

TITLE BENAGLI MUSIMS IN THE UK WORD COUNT 3200 Content page: * Rationale 3 * Contexts 4 * Concepts 5 * Methodology 6 * Evidence 8 * Analysis 9 * Evaluation 10 * Conclusion 12 * Appendix 13 * Diary 16 * Bibliography 16 Sociology Coursework: Rationale: I will be looking at the religion Islam where I will be comparing the 'religiosity' of Muslims in Tower Hamlets to those in Bangladesh. My hypothesis that Bengali Muslims living in Tower Hamlets are losing their religious beliefs because of the society they are brought up in. I have chosen to study Islam because as a Muslim it will interest me to find out if there is a link between the society one lives in and the decline in ones beliefs. I have noticed in my Bengali friends that their interest in religion and its way of life has declined. It seems to me that obtaining the materialistic goals of the 'American Dream' is their sole purpose in life. 19 Context and concepts: The United Kingdom has changed from a country mainly populated by Christians to a country that holds many religions. Wilson 1995 argues that this pluralism in religion means that religion no longer acts as a unifying force in society. My research will try to find out if the Bengali Muslims in the UK are losing their faith because there is no unifying force on Muslims; Islam is a minority religion in this secular

  • Word count: 4992
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Historical and Philosophical studies
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