Many Non-Western Traditions

Rely on intuitive experience

May not need a rational explanation (Hinduism)

Expressed in understandable terms to be shared with others

Non Theistic Traditions/Secular Movements

Involve an "ultimate object" or source of commitment: Communism; Buddhism (the void—filled with life and power and the…love of all beings)

 

Theistic Traditions

Personal God interacting in present time and past history; creator, sustainer (Judaism)

Impersonal God essential to all that is now, yet does not impact life today (some tribal peoples)

Aristotle

The first cause of motion must be perfect and complete in every way>Unmoved Mover (God); not creator, but source of motion and development in the world.

Rudolf Otto, The Idea of the Holy, 1923

Mysterium Tremendum

Denotes that which is hidden

Beyond conception or understanding

Extraordinary and unfamiliar

Absolutely and intensely positive

Experience of

Leaves one with a conviction of the reality and presence of the transcendent, the Divine, God

Demands a response

Written works relating human encounters with the Divine

Text takes on a life of its own

Projects a reality readers are invited to enter

Used for worship or ritual

Become both guides and criteria to us

Human thoughts, feelings and experiences of the Divine

Deistic Views

Transcendent-Immanent Views

Pantheistic Views

1. Polytheistic deism

Many divine beings; belong to the natural order

Navajo

2. Dualistic deism

One divine being transcending the natural order as its Creator or source; some separation between the Divine and nature

1. Dualistic pantheism

The natural order is a manifestation of the One divine reality

2. Materialism

The basic physical components (matter, energy, etc.) of the natural order are what is ultimately real.

Only one divine being

Transcends both natural order as its creator or source and is present and active in it.

Closely associated with the Christian religion

A process of becoming whole

An event

A state of healing, health, fulfillment and wholeness

A transformation: from separation to inclusion; from self-centered to God-centered

Depends on some activity, process, event or agent

Reorients one’s existence

For the Christian, the agent is God’s love in Jesus Christ

God’s free, unmerited love for persons

A supernatural substance given the believer to supplement and complete his/her natural being.

The power of God acting within life, transforming the life of the believer.

Paul Tillich-famous theologian who stands at the boundary between liberalism and neo-orthodoxy, idealism and realism, Protestant and Roman Catholic theology.

The essential experience of God’s grace is its presence experienced by the individual.

"You are accepted. You are accepted, accepted by that which is greater than you, and the name of which you do not know. Do not ask for the name now; perhaps you will find it later. Do not try to do anything now, perhaps later you will do much. Do not seek for anything, do not perform anything, do not intend anything. Simply accept the fact that you are accepted.

 

For Tillich, the inner experience of grasping one’s acceptance by the Divine provides the basis of all other actions and experiences.

Transcendental vibration of chanting the Hare Krishna

"As living spiritual souls, we are all originally Krishna conscious entities, but due to our association with matter from time immemorial, our consciousness is now adulterated by the material atmosphere."

 

"By chanting this transcendental vibration, we can cleanse away all misgivings within our hearts. The basic principle of all such misgivings is the false consciousness that ‘I am the lord of all I survey.’"

Movement from maya (illusion) to moksha release from the cycle of rebirths.

Movement from a state of bondage to destructive self-centered desire to Nirvana (a state of being beyond desire, intellectual comprehension or human emotion)

Hindu: Reliance on Vishnu and Shiva for assistance in attaining release from reincarnation.

Mahayana Buddhism: Reliance on the Bodhisattva (advanced spiritual leader)

Polytheistic religion: A special unbidden, unmerited state bestowed on a person by a god or goddess

Definition: The study of last things

For the Christian: Beliefs dealing with the end of history, the second coming of Christ, the resurrection of the dead, immortality of the soul, final judgment and Heaven and Hell.

 

Eschatology is centered on:

The ultimate fate of individuals in relation to good and evil

God’s ultimate power

Ultimate destiny of the entire human race and the cosmos

At particular moment in time

Dominant forces of evil will be defeated by the power of God

The struggle will involve terrible suffering of both the evil and the good

The result will be a complete, decisive, and final triumph of God and the forces of good, a cosmological victory that would end the transition from the old, evil order of things in our world to a new and perfect realm under God’s justice.

A New Society

A community of believers in a better society

The Shakers

The group offered salvation from an evil world

Karl Marx / Friedric Engles; MaoTse-Tung

A vigorous struggle against "the capitalistic yoke"

Vision of a new world, a new hope, "Those who have nothing will inherit the earth."

Protest—The civil rights movement

Prophetic aspect of the man, Martin Luther King

Affirmations of the constitution

Faith insights of the dignity of the individual

Gandhian nonviolence

Change in the 1960’s

Disillusionment with government

The Vietnam war

Awareness of oppressive political and economic power

Desire for transformation of consciousness:

Attitudes of selfishness, aggression and greed vs. peacefulness and love.

Rejection of religion which failed to protest

The prophet Jeremiah, late 500’s b.c.e.

To the people of Judah: God’s judgment is against you. You will be invaded from the north.

Invasion occurs> now the people believe Jeremiah

To the people: The covenant will be perfected by a new covenant written within the heart—"I will be your God and you will be my people."

Muhammad

This life is a time of testing; the wise person chooses and lives by the will of Allah….

Announced the coming of a day of judgment by Allah

All creation will be shaken

Allah will sit on his throne.

Judgment will follow, each person being rewarded or punished based on actions in this world.

The "Big Bang" Theory

16 to 14 billion years ago the universe was "packed" in an area or point without dimensions but with infinite mass. At the first instant of time there was an explosion and the universe began to expand.

Fate of the Expanding Universe

Continuous expansion until nothing is left.

Alfred North Whitehead

Alfred North Whitehead (b.1861 - d.1947), British mathematician, logician and philosopher best known for his work in mathematical logic and the philosophy of science.

"The universe shows us two aspects: on one side it is physically wasting, on the other side it is spiritually ascending."

Pope John Paul II

God is ultimately Creator and Redeemer of the universe.