Hasil untuk "Practical religion. The Christian life"

José L. Ramírez-Colón, Ziqin Ni, Christopher E. Carr

Amino acids (AAs) are a key target in the search for life beyond Earth due to their extensive role in the machinery of all known life, persistence over geologic timescales, and analytical detectability. However, AAs can also arise from abiotic processes on planets and in space. For example, material from asteroid Bennu contained 33 AAs, including 15 of the 20 proteinogenic AAs that are fundamental to life's functions. Distinguishing life from non-life based on AAs in a sample remains an unsolved problem, particularly when their isotopic and structural signatures (e.g., chirality) could be altered via physicochemical processes. Here we introduce LUMOS (Life Unveiled via Molecular Orbital Signatures), a statistical framework that distinguishes life from non-life by analyzing the distribution of abundance-weighted HOMO-LUMO gap (HLG) values of AAs within a sample. Compilation of AAs datasets from diverse environments and provenances revealed that abiotic samples display highly uniform distributions of AAs HLGs. In contrast, biotic samples show greater variance and preference towards AAs with lower HLG, likely reflecting the need for life to control when, where, and how chemical reactions occur. LUMOS achieves >95% accuracy in distinguishing biotic versus abiotic provenance across diverse environmental and extraterrestrial conditions. These results suggest that varied molecular reactivity within biochemical systems may be a universal feature of life, representing an agnostic biosignature unlinked to the specific set of AAs used by life as we know it. LUMOS is compatible with existing analytical instrumentation, applicable to returned samples or in situ analyses. Broader characterization of abiotic and biotic environments will further refine the chemical boundaries separating biotic from abiotic chemical systems.

Karen Bullock

This chapter highlights the rationale informing the Declaration “Our Shared Responsibility to End Plastic Pollution, Protect Human Health, and Advance Social Justice for All,” which urges UN negotiators to incorporate provisions into the Treaty aimed at advancing human rights and protecting the vulnerable and the planet against plastic’s threats to human and planetary health.

Gabriella Rizzo, Jan Spacek

The Mars Life Explorer (MLE) mission concept offers a critical opportunity to investigate whether extant life exists within the mid-latitude ice deposits of Mars. However, MLE's current science traceability matrix emphasizes habitability assessment and organic chemistry over direct life detection. As crewed missions to Mars may occur as early as 2040, the window for uncontaminated robotic exploration is rapidly closing. A high-confidence determination of Martian life must be achieved before irreversible anthropogenic contamination compromises scientific integrity. This paper evaluates the scientific, technical, and policy limitations of the current MLE architecture and recommends specific instrumentation upgrades and governance measures necessary to enable definitive and agnostic life detection while safeguarding planetary protection.

Michaila Yesaya Meruntu Meruntu, Christophel Enistein Putra Wungkana, Shania Kirana Sumendap et al.

This paper focuses on the praxis of simplicity among Minahasan affiliates of the Christian Evangelical Church in Minahasa (GMIM) as a spirituality that opposes consumeristic religion. A qualitative case study design was employed to gather data in the form of in-depth interviews, participant observation, and analysis of documents using purposely chosen congregants who always engage in simple living in family, ministry, and everyday life. Data were interpreted using thematic analysis, which was informed by the theological-hermeneutical framework. The results indicate that simplicity is not considered an absence but a planned, religious lifestyle of sufficiency, gratitude, humility, and reliance on God’s providence. In practical terms, the concept of simplicity is reflected in judicious handling of finances, low-profile consumption, non-competitive involvement in worship, and judicious use of social media. Congregants define this way of life as a protest against consumerist ideas such as extravagance, flaunting, and spiritual arrogance, which are becoming more pronounced in church activities and general society. This opposition is anchored in the merging of Minahasan cultural norms, particularly mapalus (mutual help) and the GMIM ethos of love, service, and modesty. This study concludes that the praxis of simplicity among GMIM congregants is a situational spirituality of resistance that protects and revitalizes the church’s theological identity. It provides pastoral implications for faith formation, leadership, and ecclesial practices that are useful in enabling congregants to resist religious consumerism while being involved in modern social life in the plural context of Indonesia.

Matthew Omoruyi Otasowie

This paper is an attempt to discuss the roles Church play in society. A Church is a Christian institution. As a religious institution it installs patriotism and acceptance of current arrangement of power. The term social institution refers to concrete and highly relevant realities that affects our lives. The church with its sacred books, clergy, and worship constitute a social institution. Religion is an institution with a complex of practical, sociological and experimental dimensions, which is distinguished by characteristic objects; gods, salvation and giving meaning to life. Sociologists consider religious Institutions as church, denominations, sect and cult. The Church is an agent of socialization, it is the custodian of spiritual needs of the society. The method adopted in the study is critical analysis. Findings in this article is that Christianity began like a grain and seed planted upon the soil that grew mightily. The longing of the missionaries was fulfilled, as the grain grew into a tree of life (Prov.13:12). A church is a large organization with a hierarchy of officials. It ministers to all members of society. The method adopted in the study is sociological and critical analysis. The church performs some functions that are observed empirically such as marriage, solving youth problems, burial, educating the young through Sunday school and catechism. Man should love his fellow man, to keep the law of love make the soul sound, love is the bond of perfection. Among the Jews in the early church the social bond was always a bond of blood while among the Christians the social bond was bond of the spirit, discipleship. The Christians form community and association to replace the Jewish ‘mishpaha’ (clan or community).

Eki Yanto Neonisa, Yakobus Adi Saingo

The rapidly developing and dynamic modern era has also presented various ideologies and behaviors that have caused many people to begin to doubt the existence of God in the universe. This condition also has its own influence on Christian families whose children no longer have high enthusiasm in efforts to strengthen their spirituality, so that practical atheistic behavior or attitudes that no longer view religion and spirituality as important elements in human life often emerge. The purpose of this study is to analyze the role of Christian parents in anticipating practical atheistic behavior for the family. The research method applied is literature study and analysis by reduction. The research results explain, Parents have an important role and responsibility in the family, including having awareness in seeking education in such a way as to strengthen the spirituality of each family member to be obedient and believe in God. The example of parents who consistently embody their faith through their daily behavior in the family can encourage children to imitate it without feeling burdened/forced. Christian parents must be able to create a family whose character is in accordance with Christian values, so that it cannot be influenced by heretical ideologies and practical atheistic behavior.

Nobuntu Penxa-Matholeni

This paper explores a specific metaphor, (ungalichameli iqolomba), shedding light on its meaning, dissecting its layers, and developing theoretical insights into the profound interrelationships and connections it encapsulates. Furthermore, it seeks to investigate the extent to which this metaphor can enrich eco-Christian or practical theology. This exploration is facilitated by utilising indigenous storytelling methodology, with a primary question in mind: How can African indigenous religion enhance eco-Christian theology? This research aims to uncover the untapped potential of African wisdom for addressing contemporary environmental and intercultural challenges while honouring the interconnectedness of life, the environment, and spirituality. A social community caregiving perspective will be adopted. This paper contributes to the expanding field of eco-Christian theology by introducing and examining the metaphor ungalichameli iqolomba through an indigenous storytelling methodology, offering new theoretical insights derived from African indigenous religion. In doing so, it aims to bridge African wisdom with eco-Christian theology, providing practical solutions to contemporary environmental and intercultural challenges from a social community caregiving perspective.

Petrus Simarmata

The Nicene Creed (325), which affirms the Trinity as the core of Christian faith with profound theological, spiritual, and social ramifications, holds particular significance within the Asian context. This qualitative study employs a literature review to analyse the intricate relationship between the doctrine of the Trinity and communal spirituality in Asia. A comprehensive review of theological sources was undertaken, and the results demonstrate how the Trinitarian understanding of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit's relationality inspires a communal ethos characterised by solidarity, harmony, and togetherness. Within Asian traditions, which are deeply rooted in values of collectivity and interrelational spirituality, the doctrine of the Trinity emerges as a potent paradigm for an inclusive and dialogical expression of faith. The study thus substantiates the conclusion that the Nicene Creed, in addition to its dogmatic function, possesses the power to effect transformation in the practical realm of Christian communal life throughout Asia.

Steven P. Millies

Review of Charles C. Camosy, _One Church: How to Rekindle Trust, Negotiate Difference, and Reclaim Catholic Unity_

Livaneysa Richinta Friskila, Imanuel Adhitya Wulanata Chrismastianto

Effective communication occurs if students understand the meaning of the message conveyed by the teacher. If the delivery made by the teacher is not good, there will be a misunderstanding. This study aims to analyse how a Christian teacher can help students learn to communicate effectively. A descriptive qualitative research methodology utilizing literature studies was employed. In the era of postmodernism presenting various truths in assessing the actions taken, it is hoped that Christian teachers will be able to have the right foundation in acting. So, it is possible to build effective communication so that teachers, serving as guides, can understand and appreciate the needs of students, use media, explain messages clearly, and be humble. The conclusion is that Christian teachers as guides can have the right value of truth in building effective communication, namely looking at students as images of God. This is in line with the characteristic of Christian ethics, namely love. So, Christian teachers can love students so that they develop their abilities as a form of responsibility for the potential given by God. One of the ways that teachers do this is by choosing words in delivering messages to students related to assignments. The advice given is to choose a theory that is relevant to effective communication problems in learning so that it can analyze more deeply and find concrete solutions that can be applied to the role of teachers as guides. Bahasa Indonesia Abstract  Komunikasi yang efektif terjadi ketika siswa memahami maksud dari pesan yang disampaikan oleh guru. Jika penyampaian yang dilakukan oleh guru tidak baik, maka akan terjadi kesalahpahaman. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menganalisa bagaimana seorang guru Kristen dapat membantu murid-muridnya untuk belajar berkomunikasi secara efektif. Metodologi yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah kualitatif deskriptif dengan menggunakan studi literatur. Di era postmodernisme yang menghadirkan berbagai kebenaran dalam menilai tindakan yang dilakukan, diharapkan para guru Kristen dapat memiliki dasar yang benar dalam bertindak. Dengan demikian, dimungkinkan untuk membangun komunikasi yang efektif sehingga guru yang berperan sebagai penuntun dapat memahami dan menghargai kebutuhan siswa, menggunakan media, menjelaskan pesan dengan jelas, dan rendah hati. Kesimpulannya adalah guru Kristen sebagai penuntun dapat memiliki nilai kebenaran yang tepat dalam membangun komunikasi yang efektif, yaitu memandang siswa sebagai gambar Allah. Hal ini sejalan dengan ciri khas etika Kristen, yaitu kasih. Jadi, guru Kristen dapat mengasihi murid agar mereka mengembangkan kemampuannya sebagai bentuk tanggung jawab atas potensi yang diberikan Tuhan. Salah satu cara yang dilakukan guru adalah dengan memilih kata-kata dalam menyampaikan pesan kepada siswa terkait tugas. Saran yang diberikan adalah memilih teori yang relevan dengan masalah komunikasi efektif dalam pembelajaran sehingga dapat menganalisa lebih dalam dan menemukan solusi konkrit yang dapat diterapkan pada peran guru sebagai penuntun.

Saleem Abdul Fattah Ahmed Al Dajani, David Keyes

Deep AndersoNN accelerates AI by exploiting the continuum limit as the number of explicit layers in a neural network approaches infinity and can be taken as a single implicit layer, known as a deep equilibrium model. Solving for deep equilibrium model parameters reduces to a nonlinear fixed point iteration problem, enabling the use of vector-to-vector iterative solvers and windowing techniques, such as Anderson extrapolation, for accelerating convergence to the fixed point deep equilibrium. Here we show that Deep AndersoNN achieves up to an order of magnitude of speed-up in training and inference. The method is demonstrated on density functional theory results for industrial applications by constructing artificial life and materials `scientists' capable of classifying drugs as strongly or weakly polar, metal-organic frameworks by pore size, and crystalline materials as metals, semiconductors, and insulators, using graph images of node-neighbor representations transformed from atom-bond networks. Results exhibit accuracy up to 98\% and showcase synergy between Deep AndersoNN and machine learning capabilities of modern computing architectures, such as GPUs, for accelerated computational life and materials science by quickly identifying structure-property relationships. This paves the way for saving up to 90\% of compute required for AI, reducing its carbon footprint by up to 60 gigatons per year by 2030, and scaling above memory limits of explicit neural networks in life and materials science, and beyond.

Axel Kleidon

Life is a planetary feature that depends on its environment, but it has also strongly shaped the physical conditions on Earth, having created conditions highly suitable for a productive biosphere. Clearly, the second law of thermodynamics must apply to these dynamics as well, but how? What insights can we gain by placing life and its effects on planetary functioning in the context of the second law? In Kleidon (2010), I described a thermodynamic Earth system perspective by placing the functioning of the Earth system in terms of the second law. The Earth system is represented by a planetary hierarchy of energy transformations that are driven predominantly by incoming solar radiation, these transformations are constrained by the second law, but they are also modified by the feedbacks from various dissipative activities. It was then hypothesised that life evolves its dissipative activity to the limits imposed by this hierarchy and evolves feedbacks aimed at pushing these limits to higher levels of dissipative activity. Here I provide an update of this perspective. I first review applications to climate and global climate change to demonstrate its success in predicting magnitudes of physical processes, particularly regarding temperatures, heat redistribution and hydrological cycling. I then focus on the limits to dissipative activity of the biosphere. It would seem that the limitations by thermodynamics act indirectly by imposing limitations associated with transport and material exchange. I substantiate this interpretation and discuss the broader implications for habitability, the emergence and evolution of life, and the contemporary biosphere.

Waldecir Gonzaga, Rosendo Javier Bustamante

This study explores the concept of “pure and undefiled religion” in Jas 1,26-27, a central passage of the epistle that emphasizes the relevance of practical faith, evidenced through concrete actions. It is one of the seven texts referred to as catholic, universal, general, or non-Pauline letters, written by apostles from the group of twelve (James, Peter, John, and Jude). These texts may be small in size but hold immense significance in contributing to the Christian faith. The research begins with a detailed textual and critical analysis, aiming to understand the essential aspects of the definition of religion presented by James. Two fundamental components are investigated: the care for orphans and widows, representing the commitment to the most vulnerable in society, and the act of keeping oneself unstained by the world, reflecting the need for maintaining a morally upright life. The study offers a theological and exegetical reflection on these precepts, analyzing their ethical implications for Christian life and religious practice. This analysis examines the practical and theological dimensions emerging from the text, focusing on the integration of faith and works as defended by the author of the epistle. Additionally, the work seeks to contextualize James' teachings within the reality of the early Christian communities and reflects on their relevance to contemporary Christianity. For this purpose, the text of Jas 1,26-27 is presented in Greek and Portuguese translation, followed by a textual criticism and a biblical-theological-pastoral analysis, drawing conclusions for Christian life in various contemporary communities.

Terry Pouono

Christianity is the main religion in the Pacific Islands, and what is unique about Christianity in the Pacific is that religion cannot be separated from everyday life experiences. This is because the worship and veneration of a divine source is the foundation of Pacific cultures and worldviews. In the Samoan context, faith in the Christian God is not only a rational activity but a concrete, practical experience embracing the physical and emotional manifestation of one’s faith in God. This essay is a contextual theology paper examining the significance of applying authentic expressions of the gospel from a Samoan cultural worldview while acknowledging Christian traditions passed down by Western missionaries of the 19th century. Faith in God, without good works, is impossible in the Samoan context. This is because service to God and one another is imperative to social cohesion and prosperity. The physical manifestation of one’s faith through active, committed service to the church ministry is a sign of good faith, evident through excessive monetary offerings, responsibility for fulfilling specific roles in the ministry and a commitment to all church programs. The Samoan cultural nuance of community and service helps form an authentic expression of Samoan Christian identity.

Willem van Vlastuin

In Christian theological history, reflecting on the relationship between intellect and the will is an ongoing process. Roughly speaking, in Medieval Christianity, two concepts were employed to clarify the relationship between intellect and the will: intellectualism defended the primary role of the intellect, and voluntarism promoted the human will as decisive. These were represented respectively by Aquinas and Duns Scotus. After presenting these concepts as interpretive frameworks, the author examines Calvin. It appears that Calvin’s metaphysical structure of the human being can be characterised as intellectualistic. Richard Muller agrees with this, but he suggests that Calvin’s soteriology was influenced by voluntarism. From the fiducial character of faith, he argues the importance of the will in the fall from grace and suggests that Calvin placed himself in the voluntaristic tradition of Scotus. In this article, Muller’s arguments are investigated and evaluated, and the conclusion is drawn that there is no ground for soteriological voluntarism in Calvin. This conclusion led the author to question whether intellectualism can be spoken of in Calvin’s soteriology. His research into this question is answered affirmatively, leading to the conclusion that Calvin is best understood from an intellectualistic point of view in both his metaphysics and his soteriology. Contribution: Firstly, this article contributes to a historical-theological discussion of the relationship of will and reason in Calvin. Secondly, this discussion is important for a reformed anthropology. Thirdly, this historical insight is important for contemporary anthropological reflection, for example in relation to neuroscience.

Zhongang Cai, Jianping Jiang, Zhongfei Qing et al.

In this work, we present Digital Life Project, a framework utilizing language as the universal medium to build autonomous 3D characters, who are capable of engaging in social interactions and expressing with articulated body motions, thereby simulating life in a digital environment. Our framework comprises two primary components: 1) SocioMind: a meticulously crafted digital brain that models personalities with systematic few-shot exemplars, incorporates a reflection process based on psychology principles, and emulates autonomy by initiating dialogue topics; 2) MoMat-MoGen: a text-driven motion synthesis paradigm for controlling the character's digital body. It integrates motion matching, a proven industry technique to ensure motion quality, with cutting-edge advancements in motion generation for diversity. Extensive experiments demonstrate that each module achieves state-of-the-art performance in its respective domain. Collectively, they enable virtual characters to initiate and sustain dialogues autonomously, while evolving their socio-psychological states. Concurrently, these characters can perform contextually relevant bodily movements. Additionally, a motion captioning module further allows the virtual character to recognize and appropriately respond to human players' actions. Homepage: https://digital-life-project.com/

Lei Feng

According to panspermia, life on Earth may have originated from life forms transported through space from elsewhere. These life forms could have passed through molecular clouds, where the process of methanogenesis could have provided enough energy to sustain living organisms. In this study, we have calculated the Gibbs free energy released from synthesizing hydrocarbons for methanogenic (acetogenic) life in a molecular cloud, with methane (acetic acid) as the final metabolic product. Our calculations demonstrate that the chemical reactions during methanogenesis can release enough free energy to support living organisms. The methanogenic life may have served as the predecessor of life on Earth, and there is some preliminary evidence from various molecular biology studies to support this idea. Furthermore, we propose a potential distinguishing signal to test our model.

Morgan Braganza, Jacob Oliveira

As in other parts of the world, Canada’s citizens are confronted with biological, mental, and social crises. Despite the fact that these issues can be interrelated, they are regularly studied and addressed separately. The bio-psycho-social (BPS) framework was offered as an alternative approach for care because of its assumption that in order to produce a variety of interconnected outcomes relative to health and well-being, biological, mental, and social issues must all be considered. Some authors have argued, however, that without a spiritual component, the BPS framework is not holistic. As such, recent scholarship has explored the inclusion of a spiritual component in the framework, and social service professionals have been encouraged to consider designing interventions informed by the bio-psycho-social-spiritual (BPS-S) framework. Good examples of how to apply the framework in practice are limited. This case example describes how the BPS-S framework was applied to design a community-, sports-, and faith-based martial arts program in Ontario, Canada. The program draws upon a combination of sports-, community-, and Christian faith-based considerations to serve its participants, including vulnerable populations such as those with constrained access to social services due to mental health challenges, language barriers, or low levels of income. This article details some of the ways in which the operations of this program (e.g., activities, target audience, leadership) were informed by the BPS-S framework. This includes some of the advantages of drawing upon this framework to foster more nuanced and holistic well-being among participants. The article concludes with some limitations of the BPS-S framework and implications for applying it to other social service interventions.

Sara Seager, Janusz J. Petkowski, Christopher E. Carr et al.

Finding evidence of extraterrestrial life would be one of the most profound scientific discoveries ever made, advancing humanity into a new epoch of cosmic awareness. The Venus Life Finder (VLF) missions feature a series of three direct atmospheric probes designed to assess the habitability of the Venusian clouds and search for signs of life and life itself. The VLF missions are an astrobiology-focused set of missions, and the first two out of three can be launched quickly and at a relatively low cost. The mission concepts come out of an 18-month study by an MIT-led worldwide consortium.

Ekaterina I. Korostichenko

P. Singer is called one of the most influential living philosophers in the world, and one of the most controversial. The author of "Animal Liberation", "Practical Ethics", "Famine, Affluence, and Morality" created his own project of preference utilitarianism, in which he placed animals as moral subjects equal to man. In this, he questions Christian anthropocentrism: a human in his system of ethics is intrinsically no better than a chimpanzee or a dog. He recognizes the uniqueness of all species, speaking out against speciesism (discrimination on grounds of species). Singer's ethics is completely independent of religion. Raising issues related to abortion, euthanasia, animal rights, etc., the philosopher inevitably arrived to confrontation with Christian ethics and religious worldview in general. Religion, especially Christianity, plays a significant role in his works, since he considers many of the provisions of Christianity: the special position of humans in the natural world, the attitude to the sanctity of life - to be morally problematic. The article analyzes Peter Singer's critical theses on the Christian religion, including Christian ethics. The second section considers the responses of a number of modern religious thinkers to Singer's criticism of Christianity. In conclusion, the arguments of both sides are analyzed, their strengths and weaknesses are outlined, involving a broader tradition of secular-religious dispute. Conclusions are made about the validity of P. Singer's criticism of religion. Although said criticism is broadly integrated into the works of the philosopher, it is hardly a focus point - rather a tool to solidify Singer's position on practical questions like abortion, euthanasia, animal rights, etc. The negative attitude to religion has roots in Singer's early acquaintance with the Bible and the unhappy past of his family (two of the philosopher's grandparents died in concentration camps). The question of the meaninglessness of suffering largely determines the philosophy and practical ethics of P. Singer. Arguing with theologians, he most often resorts to the classical argument from evil. Singer's criticism of Christian religion is limited, reduced to the problem of the meaninglessness of suffering, the Euthyphron dilemma, criticism of the sanctity of human life, the "dominion" of man over nature. With the exception of a detailed analysis of the bias of Christianity against animals, the criticism is not original.