- Zeitschriftendaten
- Format
- Zeitschrift
- eISSN
- 2284-7308
- Erstveröffentlichung
- 20 Sep 2012
- Erscheinungsweise
- 3 Hefte pro Jahr
- Sprachen
- Englisch
Suche
- Uneingeschränkter Zugang
The God of Qohelet: Positive Divine Attributes for an Age of Technology
Seitenbereich: 4 - 20
Zusammenfassung
The book Ecclesiastes has been regarded as one of the most profound pieces of ‘wisdom’ literature in the ancient Orient. It rivals in depth and the courage to challenge the institutional status quo with the literature from Mesopotamia and Egypt. It has puzzled readers in the last three millennia with its unparalleled courage to ask uncomfortable questions about faith, Gods and humanity. Ironically, many of the questions that Ecclesiastes asked have found reverberations in the hearts of post-modern men and women today. On the one hand, the author affirms his belief that one can discern the ‘hand of God’ dispensing justice even in the most tragic of circumstances. On the other hand, Ecclesiastes confesses that, even though he applied his heart ‘to know wisdom and to know madness and folly,’ in the end he perceived ‘that this also is but a striving after wind.’ His conclusion? ‘Vanity of vanities: all is vanity!’ Statements like these have compelled us to approach Ecclesiastes in order to find the equilibrium in his vision between ‘despair’ and ‘hope.’ To do so, we will select a number of divine attributes that offer clarity not only to the vision of God in Ecclesiastes, but also to the sensitive issues of the meaning of life, suffering, justice, death and eternity. In the course of our analysis we will examine the views of contempoerary scholars who have written on this subject. We will show how Ecclesiastes’ vision takes into account human suffering and despair, without sacrificing the integrity of hope.
Schlüsselwörter
- Ecclesiastes
- death
- creation
- God
- immortality
- Uneingeschränkter Zugang
‘Does God Ever Feel Sorry?’ Understanding Verbs of Divine Emotion in the Pentateuch and the Targumic Versions of Onkelos, Neofiti and Pseudo-Jonathan
Seitenbereich: 21 - 39
Zusammenfassung
In the present study we will direct our attention to the particular instances in which God appears as the subject of the verb נחם in the Pentateuch, where the context describes the reaction of ‘regretting’ or ‘repenting’ over a previous decision. In addition, in order to find out whether the Aramaic translators were consistent when trying to avoid anthropomorphisms, we will look at several of the occurrences of the verb in situations where it appears with a human, not a divine subject. This comparative approach will allow us to locate the different dimensions of the semantic field in which a given verb functions. Hopefully the wider the picture of this field, the better the chances are that we will understand the motivations and beliefs that informed the particular choices the translators made.
Schlüsselwörter
- Targums
- Anthropomorphism
- God
- Repentance
- Old Testament
- Uneingeschränkter Zugang
Philo of Alexandria and the Epistle to the Hebrews on the Concept of the Spiritualization of the Cult
Seitenbereich: 40 - 66
Zusammenfassung
The Epistle to the Hebrews contains one of the most unique Greek lexicology and syntax of all the New Testament writings. Behind syntax, however, there lies a very profound theological vision on topics such as Christ, Temple, holiness, perseverance and salvation. Studying Hebrews against the background of Graeco-Roman culture, the source that most contemporary scholars mention as being closest to the world of Hebrews in this context is Philo of Alexandria. Not only on philological grounds, but also in matters of methods of interpreting the Old Testament cult and in theology, Hebrews and Philo share a very common background. Analyzing the Epistle to the Hebrews comparatively, we are bound to ask whether or not comparsions such as these are warranted. In the following study we will state the state of the problem and then will examine the two sources that seem to have served as a source of inspiration for the author of Hebrews: the Old Testament and Philo of Alexandria. We will focus exclusively on the issues of the method of allegory and the spiritualization/reinterpretation of Old Testament cultic entities, since both Philo and Hebrews are characterized by these concerns. In essence, we will want to know who or what served as the most plausible source of inspiration for the author of Hebrews in the particular area of the reinterpretation of the Old Testament cult.
Schlüsselwörter
- Hebrews
- Philo
- Old Testament
- cult
- spiritualization
- allegory
- Uneingeschränkter Zugang
Melchizedek, the Priest Who Derived His Pattern from the Preexistent Christ
Seitenbereich: 67 - 79
Zusammenfassung
Melchizedek is one of the most mysterious characters of the book of Genesis. As priest of God Almighty he blessed Abraham, the patriarch returning from war, and received tithes from him. The Epistle to the Hebrews presents Jesus Christ as high priest according to Melchizedek’s priestly order, based on God’s oath found in Psalm 110:4. While Christ’s priestly order according to Melchizedek is higher than Aaron’s priestly order, it is important to remember that Christ is greater than Melchizedek. In other words, Melchizedek derives his pattern from the preexistent Christ, and not the other way around. It is the purpose of this paper to bring to attention that the superiority of the characteristics of and blessings derived from Christ’s priesthood according to Melchizedek’s order is best understood only within this frame.
Schlüsselwörter
- Melchizedek
- Priestly order
- Melchizedek’s pattern
- A Type of Christ
- The Preexistent Christ
- Uneingeschränkter Zugang
Roy M. Oswald’s Concepts of Leadership in the Ministry
Seitenbereich: 80 - 90
Zusammenfassung
Roy M. Oswald is convinced that truly energetic organizations are not place to which people escape; they demand time, involvement, and participation from the people. The paper will give an overview of the basic leadership concepts of Oswald, evaluate his strengths and weaknesses and, finally, view these concepts from theological perspectives.
Schlüsselwörter
- Leadership
- self-care
- stress and burnout
- support
- mutual accountability
- Uneingeschränkter Zugang
Stress in the Pastoral Ministry a Study Among Hungarian Baptist Pastors
Seitenbereich: 91 - 103
Zusammenfassung
According to Scripture, pastors have an important role in accomplishing the task Jesus Christ entrusted to His body, the Church: making disciples. The degree of pastors’ effectiveness can influence the accomplishment of this task. Stress is an important factor in pastors’ life and ministry, and it can thwart the realization of the mandate received by Jesus Christ. This study, after presenting a number of concepts related to stress and the definition of it, focuses on internal contributors to stress, then continues with an overview of symptoms and stages of stress. Helpful methods of dealing with, reducing, preventing, and integrating stress are studied, then some theological implications conclude the paper. The study is combined with data drawn from the life and ministry of Hungarian Baptist pastors.
Schlüsselwörter
- Stress
- Burnout
- Hungarian Baptist pastors