Catalogue Search | MBRL
Are you sure you want to remove the book from the shelf?
{{itemTitle}}
774
result(s) for
"Predestination"
Sort by:
Grace, predestination, and the permission of sin : a Thomistic analysis
\"This book discusses Thomistic commentary on the topics of physical premotion, grace, and the permission of sin, especially as these relate to the mysteries of predestination and reprobation. The author examines the fundamental tenets of the classical Thomistic account, and on this basis critiques the 20th century revisionist theories of Domingo Banez, Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange, Francisco Marin-Sola, Jacques Maritain, Bernard Lonergan, and Jean-Herve Nicolas. In conclusion, the implications of the traditional view are considered in light of the spiritual life\"-- Provided by publisher.
Book
‘Hell? Yes!’ Moorean reasons to reject three objections to the possibility of damnation
Objections to the orthodox doctrine of an eternal hell often rely on arguments that it cannot be a person’s own fault that she ends up in hell. The article summarizes and addresses three significant arguments which aim to show that it could not be any individual’s fault that they end up in hell. I respond to these objections by showing that those who affirm a classical picture of sin have Moorean reasons to reject these objections. That classical perspective holds that all (serious) sin involves choosing eternal destiny apart from God and that no sin could possibly be caused by God. Consequently, it is necessary for ending up in hell that someone commit a serious sin, and it is sufficient for ending up damned that one persists forever in sin. Since the objections conflict with Moorean commitments central to the classical perspective, those who hold to such a classical perspective on sin would have good reason to reject all these arguments, which involve assumptions that would entail that such a perspective is false.
Journal Article
A prayer for Owen Meany
In the summer of 1953, two 11-year-old boys--best friends--are playing in a Little League baseball game in New Hampshire. One of the boys hits a foul ball that kills his best friend's mother. Owen Meany believes he didn't hit the ball by accident. He believes he is God's instrument. What happens to Owen after 1953 is extraordinary and terrifying.
Book
‘Only’ or ‘also’ or ‘never mind’ Jesus?
This article explores two Christian perspectives on how to inherit eternity: The inclusive Christianity view and the exclusive Christianity view. The central research question is: What role does Jesus play in human salvation? Using a semi-systematic or narrative review approach, representative documents were analysed. According to these sources, many scholars believe that salvation can only be attained through Jesus by being a devoted follower. Other scholars argue that Jesus is merely instrumental in human salvation, while some assert that Jesus’ death has made salvation accessible to everyone. Additionally, another group of scholars claims that all individuals will get salvation, even without knowledge of Jesus.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implicationsFrom a Christian perspective, the conclusion of these arguments asserts that the Bible should remain the primary source for finding answers. However, it is unclear whether individuals inherit eternity through their own free will (by grace) – justification through faith – or through God’s intervention or predestination.
Journal Article
Augustine’s IEnchiridion/I: An Anti-Pelagian Interpretation of the Creed
At first glance, Augustine did not combine his soteriology and his Trinitarian doctrine in his anti-Pelagian oeuvre. Therefore, this article pursues the more hidden and implicit connections between these topics. The starting point of this endeavour is an analysis of the Enchiridion, a catechetical work in which Augustine interpreted the Roman—later so-called Apostle’s—Creed. Simultaneously, Augustine directed his attention in the Enchiridion to questions and arguments which originate from the Pelagian controversy such as original sin, grace, baptism, remission of sin(s) and the theory of predestination. Thus, this article ponders the question of how Augustine reflected his Trinitarian doctrine within this anti-Pelagian soteriology. While Augustine seldom referred to his Trinitarian doctrine explicitly in the Enchiridion (and his anti-Pelagian oeuvre), he presented in these works a conception of how the triune God operates as creator and saviour. This anti-Pelagian concept of God seizes several aspects which also appear in Augustine’s De trinitate. Moreover, by emphasising the unity of God’s operation as creator and saviour against the Pelagians, Augustine argued in favour of a specific Trinitarian doctrine: opera trinitatis ad extra inseparabilia. Thus, this article finally tries to analyse how Augustine amalgamated his anti-Pelagian Christocentric soteriology with his Trinitarian doctrine.
Journal Article
How the idea of religious toleration came to the West
Religious intolerance, so terrible and deadly in its recent manifestations, is nothing new. In fact, until after the eighteenth century, Christianity was perhaps the most intolerant of all the great world religions. How Christian Europe and the West went from this extreme to their present universal belief in religious toleration is the momentous story fully told for the first time in this timely and important book by a leading historian of early modern Europe.
Perez Zagorin takes readers to a time when both the Catholic Church and the main new Protestant denominations embraced a policy of endorsing religious persecution, coercing unity, and, with the state's help, mercilessly crushing dissent and heresy. This position had its roots in certain intellectual and religious traditions, which Zagorin traces before showing how out of the same traditions came the beginnings of pluralism in the West. Here we see how sixteenth- and seventeenth-century thinkers--writing from religious, theological, and philosophical perspectives--contributed far more than did political expediency or the growth of religious skepticism to advance the cause of toleration. Reading these thinkers--from Erasmus and Sir Thomas More to John Milton and John Locke, among others--Zagorin brings to light a common, if unexpected, thread: concern for the spiritual welfare of religion itself weighed more in the defense of toleration than did any secular or pragmatic arguments. His book--which ranges from England through the Netherlands, the post-1685 Huguenot Diaspora, and the American Colonies--also exposes a close connection between toleration and religious freedom.
A far-reaching and incisive discussion of the major writers, thinkers, and controversies responsible for the emergence of religious tolerance in Western society--from the Enlightenment through the United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights--this original and richly nuanced work constitutes an essential chapter in the intellectual history of the modern world.
eBook
Images of God in the South African Kairos Document (1985)
The South African Kairos Document (KD) was written, signed and published in 1985 by an ecumenical group of theologians and concerned laity. In 2025, the KD is commemorating four decades since its publication. This article explored the images of God in the KD, which has not been done before in any academic publication. It furthermore attempted to understand these images against the background of that time by comparing them with the God images of two other documents of the same time, the Belhar Confession (BC) of the (then) Dutch Reformed Mission Church (DRMC) and the Kerk en samelewing or Church and Society (CS) of the Dutch Reformed Church (DRC). This study found: (1) In KD and the BC, God is portrayed by means of present tense verbs – as active, intervening, taking sides and correcting. In Church and Society, God is passively caught up in noun constructions, such as ‘the Kingdom of God’. When God is used in conjunction with a verb, the verb is in the past tense, referring to God’s actions in the Bible. (2) In all three documents, God is portrayed as transcendental, but in KD and the BC, God is portrayed as immanent—as co-suffering with the oppressed. (3) All three documents portray God as male. (4) KD and the BC portray God mainly in terms of the contextual issues of the time, such as justice, peace and reconciliation, using various strands of liberation theology. CS uses salvation history and a theology of predestination to determine God’s will for present times, arguing that God’s will has never changed for his chosen people since biblical times. (5) While KD and the BC refer to God in terms of the New-Testament God of love and justice, CS often refers to the God of the Old Testament.ContributionAll three documents show a preference to refer to God rather than to Jesus Christ who is only mentioned in reference to reconciliation.
Journal Article
The Messianic Secret and the Significance of Preaching in Gabriele Biondo, Otto Brunfels, and Celio Secondo Curione
The “messianic secret” in the New Testament refers to instances where Christ instructed his followers to keep silent about his identity. While contemporary studies on the messianic secret have predominantly employed the historico-critical method, the Early Modern Period witnessed diverse interpretations that focused on edification and moralization. These interpretations emphasized the concealed Messiah’s identity, the act of revelation, and the duty to transmit the divine message as inseparable aspects of the Christian faith. The primary objective of this study is to explore the development of messianic secret interpretations in the first half of the sixteenth century. The study aims to address key questions such as: How were Jesus’s injunctions to silence interpreted? How did these interpretations shape biblical readings, preaching practices, and the evangelical mission? Did they impact the definition of the Church? Through a comparative analysis, this study examines the interpretations of three relatively contemporary authors – Gabriele Biondo, Otto Brunfels, and Celio Secondo Curione. It argues for the interconnectedness between biblical exegesis, preaching, the audience, theological concepts like predestination, holy remnant, and salvation, as well as the organization of the Church. Ultimately, this research demonstrates that diverse interpretations of Jesus’s actions and the messianic secret were rooted in changes in exegetical methods, the definition of the Church, and the understanding of the salvific message conveyed by Christ.
Journal Article
Voorbeskikking, goed en kwaad, menslike verantwoordelikheid, en die sending
Predestination, good and evil, human responsibility, and mission. The background of this article is the challenge that Paul deals with in Romans, namely predestination and the reference to good and evil in theology. It seems as if God ordained good and evil. God is, however, holy and totally good. Sources by Augustine, Calvin, Weaver, Van de Beek and others highlight the questions in this regard. The central implications of the cross of Jesus, as well as the issue of human responsibility are extremely relevant in this regard. The objectives are to give a sound theological evaluation of the question of good and evil from the perspective of reformed theology in interaction with Scripture. Interaction with Scripture and theologians leads to a literature study and thereafter exegetical, hermeneutical and systematic theology issues are addressed. The results established that different positions are taken, but God is just and not the author of sin. This implicates a clear view on mission: reject sin and turn to God. The conclusions are: God is holy, but all mankind should reject evil and accept that God is the fountian of good. Mission is the act of the Triune God (missio Dei) in Jesus Christ, through the Holy Spirit, to lead sinners from darkness to God. The good in Jesus Christ, by his death on the cross and in his resurrection, overcame evil. Contribution: The article illuminates the issue of good and evil in a new way and offers insight into its significance for the mission. This has significance for the current missiological engagement.
Journal Article