Systematic Theology is a discipline in Christian theology that divides doctrines into categories. Here are the eleven most epic topics of Systematic Theology:[Read More]
Christology
Hanukkah, Jesus, and Potato Pancakes
Hanukkah had begun in Jerusalem. It was winter and Jesus was walking around in the temple at Solomon’s Porch, so the Jews surrounded Him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us bluntly.”
Jesus answered them, “I told you and you don’t believe. The work that I do in the name of My Father testifies on my behalf, but you don’t believe, since you are not from My sheep, as I’ve told you. My sheep hear My voice and I know them and they follow Me and I give them everlasting life and they will never ever perish and nobody will pry them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all and nobody can pry them from the hand of My Father; My Father and I are one.” (John 10:22-30)
Christian Pluralism
In an earlier post, we discussed panmillennialism (the belief that in the end, everything will somehow “pan out”). Panmillennialism is probably the most commonly held view of eschatology (doctrine of end times) in the Bible Belt, and if we get to the core of it, what we’ll find is that panmillennialism is driven by theological apathy. Unfortunately, many Christians don’t see the value in studying prophecy. I maintain that there is a lot to benefit from eschatology, but you can read the original post and decide for yourself.
Today, I’d like to look at Christian Pluralism. If panmillennialism is the apathetic approach to eschatology, then Christian Pluralism is the apathetic approach to soteriology (doctrine of salvation). It teaches that there are many different ways to be saved, so long as those ways involve Jesus somehow.
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Soviet Encyclopedia on the Bible and Christ
I have recently come across the Ukrainian Soviet Encyclopedia online (available here). It was an ongoing project over several decades in the Soviet Union, and gives insight to old Soviet mentality toward things. I looked up a few things and thought I’d translate some to give you a taste of Soviet propaganda. Here’s what the Ukrainian Soviets thought about the Bible:[Read More]
No, Jesus did not call God, ‘Allah.’
I have recently received a Qur’an in the mail along with a couple of booklets with some basic information about Islam. The booklet made an incorrect claim that stood out to me. It isn’t a fundamental doctrine to Islam, and I’m sure the author was not intentionally trying to mislead people, but he wrote:
Allah is the One and Only True God’s personal name […] It is interesting to note that Allah is also used for God in Aramaic, the language of Jesus, peace be upon him […]1
Arabic and Aramaic (along with Hebrew and a bunch of other languages) are Semitic languages, and have lots of similarities. One similarity that pops up across Semitics languages is their words for “god.” There tends to be “el” or “il” somehow related to the word for god in Semitic languages; some examples include ʾil in Ugaritic, ʾl in Phoenician, and ilu in Akkadian.
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Let’s talk about Santa
Lately, there has been a resurgence back to European Christmas traditions. A few years ago, Dwight Schrute of The Office introduced America to the old German character, Belsnickel. There is also a new movie out this year about the Bavarian Christmas creature, Krampus. I like this resurgence. Too often, the American idea of internationalization is actually Americanization. Instead of expecting the world to appreciate and celebrate our Santa Clause, this resurgence calls Americans to seek out other traditions of the season from around the world.
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