The debate surrounding the nature and attributes of God as presented in the Bible has garnered significant attention and critique from various philosophical perspectives like Friedrich Nietzsche, Bertrand Russell and David Hume. This philosophical critique emphasises the inconsistency in the nature of God and challenges traditional theological beliefs. The expression of regret by the God of the Bible in Genesis 6:6 raises philosophical dilemmas regarding divine attributes and the problem of evil. The contradiction between God’s regret and the affirmation of his creation as good underscores fundamental questions about divine omniscience, omnipotence and benevolence. The presence of evil and suffering in the world poses a significant challenge to the notion of a loving and all-powerful God. Examples of human suffering, such as slavery, colonisation, apartheid and natural disasters, further highlight the complexity of reconciling divine attributes with the existence of evil. Philosophically analysing biblical narratives, such as the story of Job, Noah’s flood and the plagues of Egypt, raises ethical concerns regarding divine justice and the moral agency of humanity. Additionally, the indiscriminate punishment of innocent individuals in these narratives challenges the credibility of a benevolent and compassionate God. The philosophical inquiry into the problem of evil and natural disasters underscores the need for a nuanced understanding of divine attributes and their implications for human existence.
Contribution: The study encourages reflection on key questions about the nature of divinity, the morality of divine actions, and the compatibility of traditional theology with rational thought. It highlights how inconsistencies in certain biblical accounts challenge those trying to balance faith with reason and scientific understanding. While some may view these narratives as metaphors or allegories, others find it difficult to align them with their intellectual beliefs, resulting in tensions between religious faith and scientific rationality.
Bu çalışmada, XVIII. yüzyıl Osmanlı âlimlerinden Dâvûd-i Karsî’nin (öl.1169/1756) Risâle fi’l-iḫtiyârâti’l-cüzʾiyye ve’l-irâdâti’l-ḳalbiyye adlı risâlesinde insanın irâdî/bilinçli eylemlerindeki özgürlüğü ve sorumluluğuyla Allah’ın her şeyin yaratıcısı olması arasındaki paradoksu nasıl çözümlediği incelenecektir. Ayrıca risâlenin tahkik ve tercümesi de yapılmak suretiyle risâle literatüre kazandırılacaktır. Çalışmaya konu olan risâle, İslâm düşünce geleneğinde insan fiilleri başlığı altında telif edilen irâde-i cüzʾiyye, efʿâl-i ʿibâd, ḫalk-ı aʿmâl, kazâ ve kader risâle silsilesinden bir halkadır. Risâle, metin ile şerhin iç içe olduğu memzûç şerh yöntemiyle yazılan nadir örneklerden birini teşkil etmektedir. Dâvûd-i Karsî, risâlede irâdî fiiller hakkında üçü gayr-i meşhûr, dördü meşhûr olmak üzere yedi görüşü detaylı şekilde inceler. Meşhûr olmayan görüşleri yorumlayarak, bunları meşhûr görüşlere dahil eder ve risâlenin yaklaşık 4’te 3’lük kısmını bu yaklaşımlara ayırır. Risâlenin son aşamasında kendi mezhebi olan Mâtürîdî görüşünün, Selefin “Ne cebir ne de tefvîz yalnızca bu iki yaklaşım arasında bir durum vardır.” şeklindeki görüşüyle paralellik arz ettiğini söyler. Esîrî Mehmed Efendi’den (öl. 1092/1681) esinlenen Karsî, irâdî fiilin “iki kudret”, “iki meşîet” ve “bir tekvîn”in toplamıyla hâsıl olduğunu ve ilk dört tanesinin yakın sebep, tekvînin ise müessir olduğunu savunur. Karsî, hem insanın fâilliğini ispat etmek hem de Allah’ın yaratma sıfatını korumak amacıyla fiilin anlamları ve hâl teorisinden hareket eder. Aslında ilâhî sıfatlar ve ontolojik meselelerin anlaşılmasında kullanılan hâl kavramı, Mâtürîdî kelâmcısı Sadrüşşerîʿa es-Sânî (öl. 747/1346) tarafından fiiller konusuna da uygulanarak bir eylem doktrini geliştirilmiş ve bu doktrin halef müteahhirûn Mâtürîdî kelâmcılar tarafından kabul görmüş ve kullanılmıştır. Karsî, Sadrüşşerîʿa’ya referansla fiile ait anlamlar ve bu anlamların varlık modlarından hareket ederek meseleyi temellendirmeye çalışır. O, fiil denildiğinde bundan iki anlamın anlaşıldığını; bunlardan birisinin masdarî anlam diğerinin ise bu masdarî anlamla hâsıl olan şey olduğunu ortaya koyar. Fiilin masdar manası fiilin “şey olmayan ciheti”ni ve fiilin masdarla hâsıl olan manası ise “şey olan ciheti”ni teşkil etmektedir. Böylece fiilin “şey” ve “mevcût” olmayan yönünün, yaratmaya konu olmaması sebebiyle bu, insanın gerçek fâil oluşunun hareket noktası olmuştur. Benzer şekilde Karsî, irâde, kast ve ihtiyâr-ı cüzʾî anlamındaki meşîetin, insandaki varlığının tabi olma yoluyla gerçekleştiğini ve hâl kabilinden olması sebebiyle yaratılmamış olduğunu savunur. Buradan hareket eden Karsî; bir taraftan fiilin mevcût ve şey olmayan yönüyle beri taraftan meşîet, irâde ve kastın yaratmaya konu olmaması sebebiyle hem insanın fiillerindeki irâde özgürlüğünü hem de Allah’ın mutlak yaratıcılığını korumuş olmaktadır.
Autorzy analizują współczesny stan sposobów legitymizacji władzy politycznej w kontekście filozofii uniwersalizmu egzystencji politycznej. Specyfika podejścia autorów polega na pojmowaniu legitymizacji jako trwałej, zinstytucjonalizowanej działalności aktorów politycznych, mającej na celu zapewnienie legitymizacji ich „roszczeń politycznych” nie tylko do realizacji żądań politycznych, ale także do zdobywania lub poszerzania władzy politycznej. Autorzy podkreślają, że w toku takich działań podmioty legitymizacji mogą wpaść w „pułapkę legitymizacji” w postaci zastępowania realnych decyzji politycznych politycznym populizmem.
Betty Friedan’s groundbreaking book, The Feminine Mystique (1963), in which she examines the ennui afflicting many housewives, provides a helpful and provocative framework for understanding the phenomenon of clergy burnout. Mid-twentieth century North American society had told women that being a homemaker was fulfilling, and if they did not think so, then the problem lay with them. Friedan argued that the problem lay with a patriarchal society that sold a one-size-fits-all understanding of womanhood. In other words, the problem lay not with the discontent women but with patriarchy. Contemporary parish ministry suffers from similar issues. Patriarchy has contributed to a paradigm for parish ministry in the twenty-first century that significantly increases the likelihood of burnout. This paper examines the usual strategies for addressing clergy burnout and demonstrates that, while they have merit, they neglect key church dynamics. A feminist approach to the issue, particularly one drawing from feminist ecclesiology, provides a corrective by attending to those neglected dynamics. The paper concludes by suggesting changes among clergy and congregations that can help to decrease burnout.
This article traces how prosperity theology is a corruption of a Calvinist idea describing the meaning and purpose of earthly prosperity, including good health, as a sign of God’s blessing. It has been secularized to the point where Americans often think that those who suffer are somehow ultimately, or exclusively, responsible for their situation in life. I then argue how this idea served as a catalyst for the dangerous idea of “positive thinking.” This idea implies, and sometimes makes explicit, that those who are suffering somehow deserve their situation and, therefore, must earn healing with faith in God expressed through the correct positive intellectual, emotional, and spiritual disposition. I conclude with a retrieval of the Latin American theology of accompaniment to refresh a Catholic understanding of suffering which can serve as a rebuttal to the negative influence of positive thinking and prosperity theology.
Gwarancja dla wszystkich w sztuce. 63 Konstytucji Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej daje prawo do składania skarg i wniosków, gdy organy publiczne i organizacje społeczne lub instytucje wykonują powierzone im zadania w sposób niezgodny z oczekiwaniami osób bezpośrednio zaangażowanych. Są cennym źródłem informacji na temat relacji jednostek z organami publicznymi, szczególnie w obszarach, które wymagają optymalizacji. Są to przede wszystkim podstawowe narzędzia, dzięki którym osoby starają się aktualizować swoje prawa. Celem niniejszego artykułu jest przedstawienie, obok źródeł prawa pozytywnego, ustanowionego przez organy państwa, również prawnonaturalnego podłoża z którego wyrasta instytucja składania skarg i wniosków.
Catholic Social Teaching needs to acknowledge the promise of the “hypostatic union” as a theological analogue in the Church’s theology of reconciliation. From the doctrine of the hypostatic union, humans can recognize that God encounters humans and beckons them on towards full reconciliation without destroying what defines them as humans. Rather, God unites them with himself. That “mode of being” should be Christians’ critical contribution to the public as inspired from their distinctive ethics. This theology of restorative justice must be relational, full of dependence, kenosis and “paradox.” The presence of “paradox” in this theology is not necessarily a moral failure, because tension arising from competing wills will always be with us. It is not regrettable, so long as they do not wander off the telos (God’s reign in the world).
In the modern world, on the one hand, technology has brought comfort to people and on the other hand had has raised many concerns toward the future. Philosophers pay a special role in finding a way or ways for the human society to have the maximum benefit and facing the minimum damage from the unpleasant items. Giving an Islamic path to science and technology may help us overcome the concerns and we reach this goal by something more than just speaking and having unnecessary prejudice. In recent decades producing Islamic science and Islamic technology have involved many scholars in the Islamic countries and Iran. It's interesting that even the hardest critics on the religious science program who denied the phenomena, accept the possibility of the religious and regional technology and further they have a positive attitude toward this kind of technology if some conditions exist. At the beginning we will take a look at evolution of attitude toward technology. Then, because of definition of technology as “humanity at wok” in recent attitudes and after a glance on the philosophy of science (as the nearest neighbor of the philosophy of technology), we will review different opinions about the influence of metaphysics on technology. If we map the opinions concerning the range of the influence of metaphysical believes on technological artifacts on a spectrum, on one side there are people who try to reduce from the importance of such assumptions by emphasizing common items of human societies and on the other side there are some who attempt to increase the importance of metaphysics of technology. There are evidences to confirm both opinions and perhaps there are different metaphysical roles in different technological experiences. But, at least, the role of metaphysical backgrounds on physical and social artifacts could not be denied. Anyway because of the Interlinking between social phenomena (such as science and technology) and metaphysics, any attempt in order to develop Islamic science and technology without explaining the Islamic metaphysic (theology) for it from valid religious sources (wisdom and quotes) will be superficial and ends to failure. Finally we recommended nine foundations to construct the technological metaphysic on. They are: 1. Noticing the hierarchical role of human being in the world 2. The Tightness between man and the world which he lives on. 3. Considering both the unseen and the visible world and accepting the causality in them. 4. Spreading science and technology. 5. Unity and concomitance of science and technology 6. Strategic and long-term unity between profit-seeking and rightful ends. 7. Denying relativity in principal moral standards and accepting relativity in some secondary matters. 8. The authenticity of deed, intent and belief simultaneously. 9. Bounded authority It's clear that these nine principles are not comprehensive at all, and is only an effort that tries to fit a sea in a bowl.
The belief of resurrection after death has been explained clearly in the Quran, but the problem is if the Quranic eschatological expressions are literal or symbolical. Although the Muslim theologians say that these expressions should be accepted as literal, Muslim philosophers say that they are symbolic. This is one of the discussion subjects that Ghazali explained incoherence of the philosophers. There are equivalences in the phenomenical world of the Quranic eschatological expressions. The Quran explains the resurrection with the objects that exist in the human knowledge and experiences. That means all of the Quranic eschatological expressions are symbolic and these symbolic expressions refer to the actualities beyond these objects
While the resources of early three centuries A.H include rarely The Narrative of Guraba, it has been attracted attention that the later period resources contain it rather frequently. We have a opinion that this narrative -apart from its weak from the perspective of isnad- is not word of the Prophet in point of its text
<p>Theology in the world of science </p><p>Although modern universities are direct successors of the great tradition of the Middle Ages they have a serious problem with theology. This discipline, which together with classical philology, has constituted the foundation and bond of all methodologically organised cognition has been marginalised because of the rapid development of natural sciences and rationalistic (positivist) paradigm in science. The rejection of the “Hymn to Logos” and its consequences have led to the crisis of university, the dissolution of existing vision of the world and moral principles rooted in the wise universum of the Creator and finally to the dejection of cognitive faculties of a human mind. In this context, the present study proposes a “logocentric” conception, persistently proclaimed by Joseph Ratzinger as the Cardinal- -Prefect and the Bishop of Rome which appears to be coherent and, most importantly, meaningful as it offers to the mankind understanding based on truth. Nevertheless, this doctrine derived from the fact of creation and incarnation of Logos-Jesus Christ seems to be rejected by modern culture which is variously prejudiced against Christianity. </p><p> </p>
A principal’s perceptions of the realisation of Christian values at a South African Primary School: A case study.
Many South African schools are facing the challenge of establishing a school culture that is conducive to teaching and learning. The school culture has a far greater impact on living and learning than any other factor in the life of a school. The research question in this study is: How did a primary school principal view the actualisation of Christian values in the school culture? An investigative, qualitative research design, and more particularly a case study, was considered to be the most appropriate approach to the research question. In a number of previous investigations in the school, the author has shown that the school principal treasured the inculcation of Christian values in the school. Data in this study were collected by means of various semi-structured interviews with the principal; paragraphs written by the principal; documents about school activities; a DVD of the school; and field notes taken during the interviews. The findings show the role of the principal in inculcating values in a school and the effect of a vision and mission to realise these values. Inculcating values in a school is best actualised in a positive, inviting school culture that focuses on continuing growth conducive to human development.
The approach of experiential realism could indicate where science and faith deal with the same reality, where science questions faith assumptions, and where faith goes beyond the mandate and method of science. Although prescientific, Martin Luther's theology is the classical prototype of an experiential theology. We experience God's creative power in all of reality. We discern its regularities through observation and reason. So faith opens up all the space needed by science. However, experienced reality is highly ambiguous. It obscures God's intentions. God's intentions are revealed in the proclamation of the gospel: God is unconditionally for us and with us and not against us. This proclamation is a promise, appropriated in faith, and geared to a vision of what ought to become. It is based on the interpretation of a catastrophe—the cross of Christ—as God's pivotal redemptive act in human history. It goes beyond the mandate and method of science, yet it is capable of giving the latter a sense of purpose, criteria of acceptability, and authority to act in the interests of humanity and the earth. Theology challenges science to acknowledge the necessity of a transcendent frame of reference and moral accountability. Scientific insight challenges theology to reconceptualize its assumptions on God, creation, and eschatology to integrate best science.