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William Thompson-Uberuaga
In this lecture, Professor Thompson-Uberuaga explains sources of authority in the Christian tradition, through the various concepts of reason and faith. Moreover he highlights the faith-reason interplay in its changing perspectives throughout history and within the individual himself any given point. Therefore, authority takes on new meanings, from the institutionalized Catholic Church to the stress on the 'common good' in the Protestant Reformation. Despite the tensi... More>>
Sidney Griffith
The lecture concerns itself with the two different categories of saints in the Christian tradition, martyrs and confessors. It explores these two categories both from an historical and theological perspective. The martyrs were the first types of holy people to be venerated in the early Christian community, as they were seen as emulating the martyrdom of Jesus. There was even a tendency among the early believers to strive to be martyrs. A confessor is a person who acknowle... More>>
The tombs of early Christian martyrs and confessors became the first churches in which Christian liturgies were said, and fostered the practices of veneration of saints and pilgrimage to these shrines. Miracles are always associated with saints in the Christian tradition, and early pilgrims brought back portraits or even vials of lamp oil from shrines. This lecture also traces the development of monasticism after Roman persecution of Christians ended, and describes early mystical and... More>>
In Roman Catholic and Orthodox theologies, Mary is venerated as theotokos, translated as "Mother of God", (meaning that Jesus is God). This title was bestowed by the Council of Epheses in 431 CE, and brought objections from Nestorian Christians. These objections appeared again and were an important part of the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century. The hagiography associated with Mary is traced from Justin Marty's depiction of Mary as a replacement for the Eve of Genes... More>>
Harvey Egan
The topic of this lecture the figure of St. Augustine, one of the fathers of the Catholic Church and primary influence on the first 1000 years of Christianity in Western Europe. Augustine is unique in the history of mysticism in that his main concerns and writings were about church doctrine and education. His status as the father of Christian mysticism is due largely to the fact that he viewed all speculation about God as mystical, and as such drew no distinction between... More>>
This lecture discusses the darker sides of Christian mysticism, as it is found to struggle with the trials of the body and soul that the mystic must pass through to reach the revelation of divine love. The focus is on the figure St. John of the Cross, the most celebrated Christian mystic who created a model of purification which passed through stages of apparent death. This is the dark night of the soul. Christian mystics often portray intense interest with this dark side of the mysterious... More>>
Father Benedict, Sheikh Abdelsalam Mennasrah and Rabbi David Seidenberg
This two part series discusses the relationship between mysticism and religious leadership. The three monotheistic faiths are each represented by their respective leaders. Is mysticism a good quality for religious leadership and what are the tensions between the mystical dimension and other dimensions of authority in religion? Father Benedict relates how in Christianity, G-d reveals himself, but does it veiled. Christ's hidden truth or reality is experienced through mystical practices. This ex... More>>
Continuation of "The Mystic Part 1" More>>
Continuation of "The Mystic Part 1"
This lecture discusses spiritual dimensions of Christianity. It surveys the history of Christianity including the topics of priesthood, church, and civil society while demarcating the differences between the Eastern and Western parts of the Christian Empire. In the West, the Church and clergy were very involved in the political, cultural, and societal sphere of public life. The Church had control over the state and smothered civil society, whereas in the East, the state smothered the Church and ... More>>
This lecture discusses the challenges computers pose on society from a Christian perspective. Nearly everything we do in modern times is connected to the computer. This affects our time and our space, and it has its psychological and spiritual reverberations on us. Substantive thinking is not what is important anymore, but fast processing is. This poses a question of human skills and traditions that will be lost. For example, letters take time, care, thought and effort whereas emails do not. Peo... More>>
Thompson-Uberuaga illustrates Christianity's development in the world, and more recently, in Europe. In early societies, a "cosmocentric reality" reigned, where the physical world was intrinsically tied into the spiritual world. With monotheism's appearance, a clearer sense of divinity is born; God is not a part of the world but the creator. He moves on to outline the Church's relationship to the sta... More>>
Sister Abraham and Kirsten Pederson
A religious journey of Sister Abraham, from her Lutheran home through the Catholic Church, to the Ethiopian Church. Sister Abraham tells her story of a theological journey that brought her from her home land of Denmark to the holy land. A journey driven by a theological search, academic pursuit and personal experiences that brought her to where she is today. Sister Abraham also explains the history of the Ethiopian church and its particularities. ... More>>
Franz Jozef Van Beeck
Van Beek views the process of conversion as a process of civilization. He illustrates how throughout history, as well as in his personal life, the process of conversion was a process of border crossing. Conversion is a passage between the primitive and the narrow to the wider and deeper. For Van Beek, the Christian believers are divided into three types, which he calls "The Happy Pew", the "Charismatics" and the "Mystics". He goes on to describe conversion as a sear... More>>
Brenda Brasher
Brenda Brasher answers questions about the Messianic Jews and their connection to both Judaism and Christianity. Brasher presents her research as to the causes of and reactions to Messianic Jews as well as her socio-religious analysis of the community both in Israel and in North America. Brasher goes on to explain the use of the Internet by the movement to recruit, explain and to teach members how to be part of the organization.... More>>
Harvey Cox
Cox surveys the changing environments that brought about and influenced the growth the movement of Messianic Judaism. Cox describes self-perceptions of group members who believe that they are both part of Judaism and of Christianity without the need to convert to or from either of the religions. He goes on to describe the global changes, as well as changes within the Jewish and Christian worlds, that contributed to the emergence of Messianic Judaism. Cox concludes with observations on what belie... More>>
Cox presents us with an overview of Gandhi's view of religions other than his own. Gandhi's inclusive attitude towards these religions manifests both in attitude towards and in study of religious texts and rituals of a variety of world religions. Cox describes the way in which Gandhi came to adopt this attitude towards world religions. He tells stories as to the way in which Gandhi was perceived and perceived himself as having an almost metaphorical connection with Jesus. According to Cox Gandhi... More>>
Franz Jozef van Beeck
Prof. Van Beeck presents a historical analysis of the development of Christianity and Christian beliefs in relation to the surrounding beliefs prevalent in the first centuries of the Common Era (CE). The idea of the plurality as well as the unity of God had to be explained to the non-Christian population, both Jewish and Hellenistic, in ways that were comprehensible to these communities. Van Beeck further discusses the different aspects of the trinity and unity of God according to Cathol... More>>
Harvey Cox and Franz Jozef van Beeck
Franz Jozef van Beeck and Harvey Cox present an ecumenical discussion on the 'pros and cons' of each other's denomination. Each presents the Church that they belong to (Catholic and Baptist). They first present the strengths and weaknesses of their own tradition and then discuss the same in the other tradition. Both provide theological presentations as well as personal stories of how they got to their denomination and how they relate to the other's denomination.... More>>
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