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Human Life Priority

As for this first book, each topic of the books explains the following matters:Human Life PriorityThe writer thought of this topic because when he came to a funeral, a question would often pop up: "Actually, what is a human being&’s main task in this life?" And it turned out that it has also been thought over by Solomon and discussed in the book of Ecclesiastes.The Value of SalvationMany God's children falling away; they give up their faith and become followers of another religion due to persecutions, positions, wealth, and life partner, and one of the main reasons is because they do not know how invaluable the salvation they have gained when they accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.The Rights and Responsibilities of God&’s ChildrenAs Christians, we are God&’s children. However, we often assume those terms &“children of God&” and &“Father&” just as &“titles&” not as &“status&”. That&’s why we are less aware that we truly have the status or position as God&’s children with their rights and responsibilities. We would be overwhelmed when we know how wonderful the rights God gives us as His children.The Foundations of ChristianityWe often heard of some Christians or even activists who were amazingly diligent in serving the Lord, suddenly left their faith for another belief. How could this happen? One of the main reasons is that their foundations of faith were not strong. Therefore, this topic is very important and fundamental for us to comprehend and possess.The Characteristics of Children of God,We know that the ones who will go to Heaven are God's children, not merely people who like to go to church. Therefore, it is important for us to know whether we are God&’s children, because if we turn out not to be His, then we will go to hell. The Lord Jesus describes in detail the characteristics of God&’s children.4 Types of ChristiansThe Parable of the Sower explains about four types of Christians where only the fourth types who will survive. Therefore, we need to study them while looking at which type of Christian we are today. If we are not yet the fourth type, then we must immediately change ourselves, so that we can enter the kingdom of God.Jesus versus MammonAs we live in an age wealth and riches are idolized like today, it is necessary for us to know what the characteristics of Christ&’s followers are referring to money or wealth. If mammon becomes primal in our lives, we will expel our Lord Jesus Christ from our hearts.The Great CommissionThe phrase&” in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth&” (Acts 1:8) could perhaps be considered as one of our guidance today for evangelism. Although we do not live in the vicinity of Jerusalem, we can apply the principle of this phrase symbolically.

Human Nature & Jewish Thought: Judaism's Case for Why Persons Matter

This book explores one of the great questions of our time: How can we preserve our sense of what it means to be a person while at the same time accepting what science tells us to be true--namely, that human nature is continuous with the rest of nature? What, in other words, does it mean to be a person in a world of things? Alan Mittleman shows how the Jewish tradition provides rich ways of understanding human nature and personhood that preserve human dignity and distinction in a world of neuroscience, evolutionary biology, biotechnology, and pervasive scientism. These ancient resources can speak to Jewish, non-Jewish, and secular readers alike.Science may tell us what we are, Mittleman says, but it cannot tell us who we are, how we should live, or why we matter. Traditional Jewish thought, in open-minded dialogue with contemporary scientific perspectives, can help us answer these questions. Mittleman shows how, using sources ranging across the Jewish tradition, from the Hebrew Bible and the Talmud to more than a millennium of Jewish philosophy. Among the many subjects the book addresses are sexuality, birth and death, violence and evil, moral agency, and politics and economics. Throughout, Mittleman demonstrates how Jewish tradition brings new perspectives to--and challenges many current assumptions about--these central aspects of human nature.A study of human nature in Jewish thought and an original contribution to Jewish philosophy, this is a book for anyone interested in what it means to be human in a scientific age.

Human Nature and Other Sermons

Human Nature and other Sermons

Joseph Butler was an English bishop, theologian, apologist, and philosopher. He was born in Wantage in the English county of Berkshire. He is known, among other things, for his critique of Thomas Hobbes's egoism and John Locke's theory of personal identity. During his life and after his death, Butler influenced many philosophers, including David Hume, Thomas Reid, and Adam Smith.

Human Nature in Early Franciscan Thought: Philosophical Background and Theological Significance

In this book, Lydia Schumacher challenges the common assumption that early Franciscan thought simply reiterates the longstanding tradition of Augustine. She demonstrates how scholars from this tradition incorporated the work of Islamic and Jewish philosophers, whose works had recently been translated from Arabic, with a view to developing a unique approach to questions of human nature. These questions pertain to perennial philosophical concerns about the relationship between the body and the soul, the work of human cognition and sensation, and the power of free will. By highlighting the Arabic sources of early Franciscan views on these matters, Schumacher illustrates how scholars working in the early thirteenth century anticipated later developments in Franciscan thought which have often been described as novel or unprecedented. Above all, her study demonstrates that the early Franciscan philosophy of human nature was formulated with a view to bolstering the order's specific theological and religious ideals.

Human Origins and the Image of God: Essays in Honor of J. Wentzel van Huyssteen

How did human beings originate? What, if anything, makes us unique? These questions have long been central to philosophers, theologians, and scientists. This book continues that robust interdisciplinary conversation with contributions from an international team of scholars whose expertise ranges from biology and anthropology to philosophical theology and ethics. The fourteen chapters in this volume are organized around Wentzel van Huyssteen's pioneering work in human rationality, embodiment, and evolutionary history. Bringing a variety of diverse perspectives to bear on a hotly debated issue, Human Origins and the Image of God showcases new research by some of today's finest scholars working on questions regarding human origins and human uniqueness.

Human Perfection in Byzantine Theology: Attaining the Fullness of Christ (Changing Paradigms in Historical and Systematic Theology Series)

To what kind of existence does Christ call us? Christian theology has from its inception posited a powerful vision of humanity's ultimate and eternal fulfilment through the person and work of Jesus Christ. How precisely to understand and approach the human perfection to which the Christian is summoned is a question that has vexed the minds of many and diverse theologians. <p><p>Orthodox Christian theology is notable for its consistent interest in this question, and over the last century has offered to the West a wealth of theological insight on the matter, drawn both from the resources of its Byzantine theological heritage as well as its living interaction with Western theological and philosophical currents. In this regard, the important themes of personhood, deification, epektasis, apophaticism, and divine energies have been elaborated with much success by Orthodox theologians; but not without controversy. <p><p>Human Perfection in Byzantine Theology addresses the question of human perfection in Orthodox theology via a retrieval of the sources, examining in turn the thought of leading representatives of the Byzantine theological tradition: St Maximus the Confessor, St Theodore the Studite, St Symeon the New Theologian, and St Gregory Palamas. The overarching argument of this study is that in order to present an Orthodox Christian understanding of human perfection which remains true to its Byzantine inheritance, supreme emphasis must be placed on the doctrine of Christ, especially on the significance and import of Christ's humanity. The intention of this work is thus to keep the creative approach to human destiny in Orthodox theology firmly moored to its theological past.

Human Perfection, Transfiguration and Christian Ethics (New Studies in Christian Ethics)

Most people would agree that human perfection is unattainable. Indeed, theologians have typically expressed ambivalence about the possibility of human perfection. Yet, paradoxically, depictions of human perfection are widespread. In this volume, Robin Gill offers an interdisciplinary study of human perfection in contemporary secular culture. He demonstrates that the language of perfection is present in church memorials, popular depictions of sport, food, music and art, liturgy, and philosophy. He contrasts these examples with the socio-psychological concept of 'maladaptive perfectionism', using commercial cosmetic surgery as an example, as well as the 'adaptive perfectionism' suggested in the lives of Henry Holland, Paul Farmer, and, more ambivalently, Ludwig Wittgenstein. Gill then provides an in-depth analysis of New Testament and Septuagint usage of teleios and theological debates about the human perfection of Jesus. He argues that the Synoptic accounts of the Transfiguration offer a template for a Christian understanding of perfection that has important ecumenical implications within social ethics.

Human Purpose and Transhuman Potential: A Cosmic Vision for Our Future Evolution

[from inside flaps] ""Today we stand at a new frontier. We have within our sight--if not yet within our reach--a radically new human freedom. It is the freedom from our inborn genetic condition--the liberation from the constraints of our biological form.... The human era as we have known it is coming to an end. The posthuman era is about to begin." So writes Ted Chu, in this magisterial treatment of the increasingly timely debate about transhumanism and the meaning and purpose of human evolution. A prominent macroeconomist and polymath, Chu offers the most systematic effort yet to explore the scientific, historical, ethical, and philosophical dimensions of this worldwide discussion, reframing a field too often disfigured by scientific reductionism. Chu immediately establishes an interdisciplinary and evolutionary stance and then examines the ongoing transhumanist project from a rich variety of perspectives. He goes on to articulate a goal for humanity in the face of technological breakthroughs that beckon us toward previously unimagined potentials for progress--that is, if we can find the courage to consciously manage our own evolution. A new understanding of transhumanism emerges as he plumbs the depths of the world's wisdom traditions and surveys the most cutting-edge evolutionary theories and scientific advances. While admitting that the pursuit of human happiness is appropriate and noble, Chu demonstrates why our ultimate purpose--our "new divine covenant"--is to serve the forward march of cosmic evolution through the transcendence of our own biology, thus making way for our evolutionary successors in the posthuman future."

Human Rights Law in Egypt and Malaysia: Freedom of Religion and Expression, Volume 1 (Political Economy of Islam)

The discourse surrounding freedom of religion and expression in Muslim-majority countries is complex and multifaceted, shaped by a myriad of factors including cultural, political, and legal dynamics. This volume examines the complex interplay of these factors within the contexts of Egypt and Malaysia, offering valuable insights into the challenges and advancements in safeguarding these fundamental freedoms. From the diverse interpretations of Islamic principles to the varying legal frameworks and the influence of global events, such as geopolitical conflicts and terrorism, on human rights dynamics, this volume provides a comprehensive exploration of the complexities involved. Moreover, it delves into the historical, social, and political contexts that shape the protection and limitation of these freedoms, offering a nuanced understanding of the evolving discourse surrounding human rights in Muslim-majority countries. Through comparative analyses and discussions on the role of civil society and advocacy groups, this volume serves as an invaluable resource for scholars, policymakers, and activists seeking to deepen their understanding of the multifaceted realm of freedom of religion and expression in Egypt and Malaysia.

Human Rights Law in Egypt and Malaysia: Minorities and Gender Equality, Volume 2 (Political Economy of Islam)

In Muslim-majority countries, safeguarding minority rights and advancing gender equality are vital components of the broader human rights discussion. Minority rights encompass various groups, including ethnic, religious, and linguistic minorities, who often face discrimination, marginalisation and unequal treatment within society. These challenges are rooted in historical, cultural and socio-political factors that shape legal frameworks and societal attitudes towards minority communities. Similarly, gender dynamics play a significant role in the human rights discourse in these nations, as women encounter various forms of discrimination and inequality, such as limited access to education, employment, and participation in decision-making processes. This volume explores the legal frameworks concerning minority rights and gender equality in Egypt and Malaysia, shedding light on the challenges faced by marginalised groups in these countries. It evaluates the effectiveness of legal instruments and mechanisms in addressing discrimination and promoting inclusivity within these societies. Furthermore, it examines laws, government policies and court rulings related to women’s rights, covering essential topics such as education, employment and political engagement. This volume offers valuable insights for policymakers, legal practitioners, academics and activists dedicated to understanding and advocating for human rights in these societies.

Human Rights and Religion in Educational Contexts

What is the role of religion(s) in a human rights culture and in human rights education? How do human rights and religion relate in the context of public education? And what can religious education at public schools contribute to human rights education? These are the core questions addressed by this book. Stimulating deliberations, illuminating analyses and promising conceptual perspectives are offered by renowned experts from ten countries and diverse academic disciplines.

Human Rights and Responsibilities in the World Religions (Library of Global Ethics & Religion)

This book outlines approaches to human rights and responsibilities within the different world religions.

Human Rights and the Catholic Tradition

From the French Revolution to Vatican II, the institutional Catholic Church has opposed much that modernity has offered men and women constructing their societies. This book focuses on the experiences of German Catholics as they have worked to engage their faith with their culture in the midst of the two world wars, the barbarism of the Nazi era, and the uncertainties and conflicts of the post-World War II world.German Catholics have confronted and challenged their Church's anti-modernism, two lost wars, the Weimar Republic, the Nazi Third Reich, the Cold War, German reunification and the impulses of globalization. Catholic theologians and those others nurtured by Catholicism, who resisted Nazism to create their own private spaces, developed a personal and existential theology that bore fruit after 1945. Such theologians as Karl Rahner, Johannes Metz, and Walter Kasper, were rooted in their political experiences and in the renewal movement built by those who attended Vatican II. These theologians were sensitive to the horrors of the Nazi brutalization, the positive contributions of democracy, and the need to create a Catholicism that could join the conversation on human rights following World War II. This dialogue meant accepting non-Catholic religious traditions as authentic expressions of faith, which in turn required that the sacred dignity of every man, woman, and child had to be respected. By the twenty-first century, Catholic theologians had made furthering a human rights agenda part of their tradition, and the German contribution to Catholic theology was crucial to that development. The current Catholic milieu has been forged through its defensive responses to the Enlightenment, through its resistance to ideologies that have supported sanctioned murder, and through an extensive dialogue with its own traditions.In focusing on the German Catholic experience, Dietrich offers a cultural approach to the study of the religious and ethical issues that ground the hum

Human Rights and the Separation of State and Religion: International Case Studies (Religion and Human Rights #10)

This text highlights key aspects of the religion/church-state relationship/debate, and related hitherto marginal topics. The contributions make clear that there is no clear blueprint for an optimal relationship between religion/church and state. Individual states and countries are analysed on the granular level for example, to address mono-religious against poly-religious as well as secular societies. Among others, chapters address education, migration and politics against religion as well as the effect of LGBTQ+ communities on religion and societies. This collected volume appeals to researchers, and students working in religious studies and political science.

Human Rights for Refugees and Other Marginalised Persons: A Midrash Methodology

This book provides a new framework for conducting qualitative research into Asylum Seeking Refugees based on Emmanuel Levinas’ ethic of the face-to-face encounter. The methodology originates in the term Midrash—a narrative form that exposes; investigates; searches. It reconceptualises encounters between Asylum Seeking Refugees and those researching their experiences in a manner that moves beyond the possibility of ‘Othering’ and the removal of ‘voice’ that can characterise research into refugees. This methodology allows a complex and rich multidimensional text, with heterogeneity of voices, experiences, and subjects. As a phenomenological method of research, the internal phenomena of the researcher—feeling, intuition, and personal perception—are legitimate sites of knowledge and understanding, and are not considered separate from the external, objectively observable world. While the researcher is not researching herself, she is also not separate from the research field and data. The Midrash methodology is an honest and explicit method of research designed to (re)invigorated the passion of academics and researchers.

Human Rights in Islamic Societies: Muslims and the Western Conception of Rights (Routledge Studies in Islam and Human Rights)

This book compares Islamic and Western ideas of human rights in order to ascertain which human rights, if any, can be considered universal. This is a profound topic with a rich history that is highly relevant within global politics and society today. The arguments in this book are formed by bringing William Talbott’s Which Rights Should Be Universal? (2005) and Abdulaziz Sachedina’s Islam and the Challenge of Human Rights (2014) into conversation. By bridging the gap between cultural relativists and moral universalists, this book seeks to offer a new model for the understanding of human rights. It contends that human rights abuses are outcomes of complex systems by design and/or by default. Therefore, it proposes that a rigorous systems-thinking approach will contribute to addressing the challenge of human rights. Engaging with Islamic and Western, historical and contemporary, and relativist and universalist thought, this book is a fresh take on a perennially important issue. As such, it will be a first-rate resource for any scholars working in religious studies, Islamic studies, Middle East studies, ethics, sociology, and law and religion.

Human Rights in the Middle East

Exploring the most formidable human rights challenges facing the Middle East - the rights of women, minorities, migrant workers, and those of various sexual orientations, and the rights of all people to engage in civil disobedience - this volume addresses the extent to which dynamics surrounding human rights conditions in the region conform to or diverge from such dynamics in other parts of the world. Offering wide-ranging and rich analyses, the contributors to this volume argue that for human rights to be effectively enforced, they must be locally justified and achieved. The 2011 Arab revolts demonstrate that the people of the region can shape the condition of human rights in their societies.

Human Rites: The Power of Rituals, Habits, and Sacraments

What are we doing when we gather around the sacraments— or when we make the same breakfast every morning? Embodying rituals, says Dru Johnson. And until we understand what we&’re doing and why, we won&’t know how these rituals work, what they mean, or how we might adapt them.In Human Rites Johnson considers the concept of ritual as seen in Scripture and its role in shaping our thinking. He colorfully illustrates both the mundane and the sacred rituals that penetrate all of life, offering not only a helpful introduction to rituals but also a framework for understanding them. As he unpacks how rituals pervade every area of our lives, Johnson suggests biblical ways to focus our use of rituals, habits, and sacraments so that we can see the world more truly through them.

Human Rites: The Power of Rituals, Habits, and Sacraments

What are we doing when we gather around the sacraments— or when we make the same breakfast every morning? Embodying rituals, says Dru Johnson. And until we understand what we’re doing and why, we won’t know how these rituals work, what they mean, or how we might adapt them.In Human Rites Johnson considers the concept of ritual as seen in Scripture and its role in shaping our thinking. He colorfully illustrates both the mundane and the sacred rituals that penetrate all of life, offering not only a helpful introduction to rituals but also a framework for understanding them. As he unpacks how rituals pervade every area of our lives, Johnson suggests biblical ways to focus our use of rituals, habits, and sacraments so that we can see the world more truly through them.

Human Sacrifice: A Shocking Exposé of Ritual Killings Worldwide

Welcome to the terrifying world of ritual sacrifice.Around the world, humans are being trafficked, kidnapped, sold, and enslaved for the specific purpose of sacrifice. Mass-scale migration has seen these gruesome techniques exported from the land of the Aztecs and finding their way to the United States, Britain, and many other locations worldwide. Voodoo priests in London have been linked to ritual murders, and not long ago a Palo Mayombe priestess's New York City apartment yielded its grisly secrets. One New Jersey investigator says that sacrificial rites are not only going on today, but can be traced back ninety years in the States alone.Jimmy Lee Shreeve takes us on a nightmare journey, following the initial investigations of Scotland Yard into the murder of a five-year-old boy whose torso was found floating in the Thames in 2001, and traveling to Africa to unveil a grim trade of exporting humans for sacrifice. He uncovers the dark side of voodoo and muti magic, linked with a score of sacrifices and murders, and in Mexico, finds a devotee of Palo Mayombe responsible for torturing his victims and boiling them in a cauldron. Along the way, Shreeve brings his own brand of offbeat detective skills to the fore, providing startling conclusions to some of the world's most horrific murders. Brutal and disturbing, Human Sacrifice takes us into the dark world of twenty-first-century ritual murder.

Human Sacrifice: Archaeological Perspectives from around the World (Elements in Religion and Violence)

Sacrifice is not simply an expression of religious beliefs. Its highly symbolic nature lends itself to various kinds of manipulation by those carrying it out, who may use the ritual in maintaining and negotiating power and identity in carefully staged 'performances'. This Element will examine some of the many different types of sacrifice and ritual killing of human beings through history, from Bronze Age China and the Near East to Mesoamerica to Northern Europe. The focus is on the archaeology of human sacrifice, but where available, textual and iconographic sources provide valuable complements to the interpretation of the material.

Human Salvation in Early Christianity: Exploring the Theology of Physicalist Soteriology

Human salvation has been at the heart of Christian theological debate ever since the earliest centuries of Christianity. In this period, some Christians argued that because all of humanity falls in Adam, the incarnation of Christ, who is the second Adam, must also have a universal effect. Ellen Scully here presents the first historical study of Early Christian theology regarding physicalist soteriology, a logic by which Christ's incarnation has universal effects independent of individual belief or consent. Analyzing the writings of Athanasius, Hilary of Poitiers, Marius Victorinus, Gregory of Nyssa, Cyril of Alexandria, and Maximus the Confessor, she offers an overview of the historical rise and fall of the theological logic of physicalist soteriology. Scully also provides an analysis of how Early Christian theological debates concerning ascetism and ensoulment models have caused Christian narratives of salvation history to become individualistic, and suggests how a contemporary study of physicalist soteriology can help reverse this trend.

Human Simulation: Perspectives, Insights, and Applications (New Approaches to the Scientific Study of Religion #7)

This uniquely inspirational and practical book explores human simulation, which is the application of computational modeling and simulation to research subjects in the humanities disciplines. It delves into the fascinating process of collaboration among experts who usually don’t have much to do with one another – computer engineers and humanities scholars – from the perspective of the humanities scholars. It also explains the process of developing models and simulations in these interdisciplinary teams. Each chapter takes the reader on a journey, presenting a specific theory about the human condition, a model of that theory, discussion of its implementation, analysis of its results, and an account of the collaborative experience. Contributing authors with different fields of expertise share how each model was validated, discuss relevant datasets, explain development strategies, and frankly discuss the ups and downs of the process of collaborative development. Readers are given access to the models and will also gain new perspectives from the authors’ findings, experiences, and recommendations. Today we are in the early phases of an information revolution, combining access to vast computing resources, large amounts of human data through social media, and an unprecedented richness of methods and tools to capture, analyze, explore, and test hypotheses and theories of all kinds. Thus, this book’s insights will be valuable not only to students and scholars of humanities subjects, but also to the general reader and researchers from other disciplines who are intrigued by the expansion of the information revolution all the way into the humanities departments of modern universities.

Human Struggle: Christian and Muslim Perspectives

Many of the great thinkers and poets in Christianity and Islam led lives marked by personal and religious struggle. Indeed, suffering and struggle are part of the human condition and constant themes in philosophy, sociology and psychology. In this thought-provoking book, acclaimed scholar Mona Siddiqui ponders how humankind finds meaning in life during an age of uncertainty. Here, she explores the theme of human struggle through the writings of iconic figures such as Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Muhammad Ghazali, Rainer Maria Rilke and Sayyid Qutb - people who searched for meaning in the face of adversity. Considering a wide range of thinkers and literary figures, her book explores how suffering and struggle force the faithful to stretch their imagination in order to bring about powerful and prophetic movements for change. The moral and aesthetic impulse of their writings will also stimulate inter-cultural and interdisciplinary conversations on the search for meaning in an age of uncertainty.