Category: Religious Studies

Authentic christian leadership Audit

Authentic christian leadership
Authentic christian leadership

Authentic christian leadership

Order Instructions:

You will submit 9-page paper during this course that contain a personal analysis pertaining to the various leadership audits stemming from the Malphurs textbook readings. Each paper must contain a 1-page introduction, 1 page per audit, and a 1-page conclusion describing 2 personal action points stemming from the analysis. A current Turabian style title page, pagination, footnotes, and bibliography are also required.

Module/Week 4 includes the following audits:

Christian Leader: p. 173
Servant Leader: p. 180
Credibility: p. 182
Spiritual Gifts: p. 184
Natural Gifts: p. 191
Passion: p. 193
Character Audit (men/women): pp. 195/198

SAMPLE ANSWER

Introduction

The term audit is often used in or within the context of an in-depth financial investigation. In its more common occurrence it usually take a significant period of time where the investigation is done following a predetermined pattern. The main aim in a financial audit is to see if the custodians of an organization’s  resources. The basis of the audit is usually the comparison between the standards that have been set and the actual performance on the ground. A leadership audit is based on similar principles since this involves the assessment and appraisal of an individual’s leadership capabilities and qualities. Leadership is of course the ability to lead people who are in one form of organization or another. The concept of leadership is abstract unlike financial record keeping which will be done through the comparison of numerical values. The abstract nature of leadership means that there is a degree of flexibility in its analysis. Usually the concerned parties conduct a leadership audit based on an already existent value system, specifically the relevant aspects of the value system. Another unique aspect about a leadership audit that separates it from the conventional audit is the fact that it is best carried out retrospectively since an individual is best placed to judge his or her collection of attitudes, strengths and weaknesses relevant to their ability to lead. Leadership audits can therefore be based on[1] religious principles, legal principles or ethics that apply in a given area of human interest such as academia,politics or other career areas. A leadership audit is an invaluable tool when there is an impending strategic change around the corner. This is because it provides a logical and accurate pointer about the capacity an existent leader has, something that can be compared to the challenge or task ahead. Leadership audits are not done to determine whether change will take place or not. On the contrary they are done so that individual leaders know exactly where they are so that they figure out what to be more alert about, which areas they need to urgently improve and also the strengths they can capitalize on. This exercise details a leadership audit that I am conducting on myself based on principles of Christian leadership as discussed in the course.

Christian Leadership

Christian leadership is basically the tendency or ability of a leader to exemplify christian principles through his or her leadership. As a christian leader myself, the values that are manifested in the depiction of various leaders in the Bible need to be clearly seen in the way I carry out my responsibilities as a leader. I scored 15 in this area, indicating that I am above average with regard to being a Christian leader. Christian leadership for me is layered and it first of all begins with who I am as a person, secondly it is manifested in my professional life and ethics, third, Christian leadership needs to be very clear in the way I interact with other people in the workplace, mainly those who are my subordinates.

As an individual I need to be completely blameless without having any possible blame or issue that would bring me into disrepute. This is a case of the proverbial ‘putting my house in order.’ To the best of my knowledge I believe I have no problems in as far as my personal life goes. I live my life based on christian principles and this means that I hold firmly to honesty, sensitivity and also affirmatives. The one area that I however feel I need to work on is that of being steadfast when it comes to moral dilemmas in the wake of public pressure. My spiritual convictions mean I have to make decisions that stay on the ‘straight and narrow.’  I always work to ensure my obedience to scripture is based on my fear of God and not a fear of fellow human beings. This keeps me accountable even in private.

As a worker I always strive to ensure that I am following the rules that the organization has set. This way I show those who have been placed under my leadership a proper example and also show them that I have faith in the rules. Being transparent also key to my christian leadership since it shows that I have nothing to hide and this helps to create an environment of transparency. Being transparent also keeps me alert and more accountable for my actions[2].

Servant Leader

The concept of servant leadership was best exemplified by Jesus as he established his ministry here on earth two millennia ago. The term servant-leadership is somewhat of a moron given the fact that leaders are often the ones being served in society. Jesus’ best illustration of being a servant leader was when he washed the feet of his disciples, something that would be taken as the severe lowering of the status that a leader has relative to the members of the group. In this area I scored 12 and that is indicative that I am doing well in the area of servant leadership. For me servant leadership refers to looking for ways where I can serve those I am leading and add value to their lives instead of merely issue instructions.

The desire to offer service is something that I have had for a long time and it enables me to have the initiative to make things better wherever I am. As a result, I find myself having an urge to lead so that I can make things better for everybody involved whether it is in an informal setting or a formal one.

In the instances that I have been in a position of leadership, I strove to ensure that the needs of the major stakeholders are clear and well known. Once this is done, I had to weigh the different needs and give priority to the ones that were most pressing. This necessitates the need for dialogue and compromise since there is the ever present reality of needs clashing. Some of these needs are my own and as a servant I need to keep them aside for the sake of the greater good. I have noted that I tend to achieve greater success in instances where I keep personal interests aside. I think this is because in such a situation I have a much clearer focus on  the people that I am working with. I have the capability to better leverage on the strengths of my subordinates and also be sensitive about the challenges they have. I also don’t have any qualms about working alongside those I am leading since this is how I get an opportunity to demonstrate to them specifics about their tasks. If they have any challenges that are specific to their responsibilities, I will easily pick up on them and work towards a way forward[3].

Credibility

Being credible is basically being believable from the perspective of others. Gaining the trust of people is not something automatic. It is more of a journey whereby the level of trust gradually increases. I say this because I also tend to be skeptical of people I don’t know and it takes some considerable amount of time before I can trust them. I scored 17 in credibility, a sign that this aspect of my leadership is also above average. I am also particularly aware of the fact that people tend to have difficulty placing their trust in leaders and this therefore obliges me to be more deliberate about how I tender my duties as a leader. The best way for a leader to be viewed as credible is for him or her to be first of all trust-worthy as a person and second within their position of leadership.

The only platform that I have for my credibility to be manifested is through the interactions I have with other individuals. I believe that honesty is something that everyone should have and that the truth should always be told without its potential consequences being a determinant of whether it needs to be said or not. As a result I do my best to avoid being economical with the truth especially when the temptation to do so is great. Examples of this are when I have to express my displeasure about an offense that a friend or relative has committed against me. Another example is when I have to correct somebody about a potentially sensitive aspect of their person. With respect to social issues of public interest I must admit that I have lacked in credibility since it is at times more convenient to appear to be on the fence about a matter than to take a side which will be more controversial. I do this under the guise of seeking political correctness but the truth of the matter is that I need to be more credible and concise about the beliefs I have. These views however need to be expressed in respect so as not to raise ugly arguments with those of a contrary belief.[4]

Spiritual Gifts

Spiritual gifts are abilities given to us through the Holy Spirit’s workings. These gifts are very important in that they enable a person to better minister to others by enhancing his or her abilities. Spiritual gifts in the context of leadership are mainly those that have an inter-personal manifestation as they are supposed to enable the leader better relate with others and inspire them towards a desired direction or goal that has been set. Besides the interpersonal component which will be emphasized in the course of my leadership, these gifts should also be manifested in my administrative capacity as an overseer of the affairs of a larger group. My score for spiritual gifts was 19 and this shows above average manifestation of these gifts in my leadership.

On a personal level the gift of leadership makes me visionary and capable of imagining a suitable or desirable future of any formal/informal, spiritual/secular or academic group I find myself operating in.  I easily find myself asking myself about the reason we are together in a specific group and furthermore how we can maximize on the strengths we have to achieve the goals. If the goals have not been defined, I always encourage the rest of the members to be clear and specific about the goals that need to be achieved. I am very respectful of those I am managing and this makes it easy to see the potential they have within the group. Being a good administrator helps me to understand those I am working with better and assign them responsibilities that they will best carry out. I am also well placed to effectively pair people up into solid teams. Charisma is another spiritual gift that I have. With respect to  the leading of heterogeneous groups of people with different cultural backgrounds and ethnicity, charisma  makes it easy to break the boundaries and relate with everybody. I also get to act as a central figure connecting people who may ordinarily have difficulty interacting[5].

Natural Gifts

Besides the spiritual gifts that have been mentioned above, I also have natural gifts which are important in helping me  to lead effectively. These natural gifts include creativity, problem solving and intellect. All of these have a bearing on the way my leadership is manifested. My score in this area was 9 and this shows that a key strength area for me is the presence of natural gifts.

Being creative means that I thrive on the development of ideas in the different areas of life that interest me. I am regularly thinking of alternative ways of doing things and this is commonly referred to as the practice of ‘thinking out of the box.” As a result of this, my ideas tend to stand out from the existent ones, something very important when one needs to rectify a problem that has been existent for a long time due to inadequate resolution strategies being applied. Creativity ensures that redundant approaches to solving problems are eliminated and instead replaced with objective oriented techniques. I find that creativity helps me a lot in being progressive as a leader. The groups that I lead are always making progress and improvements to the members and to the task or tasks at hand. Another natural gift that helps me in problem solving is my intellect and ability to effectively analyze situations that are ahead of me for problem solving. Intellect enables me to mentally cross reference several variables at once and establish the kind of relationship they have with each other. Understanding problems better means solving them better. The application of the above gifts in combination leads to the coverage of greater ground without an acute increase in the demand for resources or the faculties of the members of a group. It is also key in motivating people since the human psychological reward mechanism is result based where people can easily account for their energy and effort[6].

Passion

There are two main forms of motivation that an individual can have. These are intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation. Intrinsic motivation comes from within and is dependent on the person’s state of mind and their collection of thoughts. Extrinsic motivation on the other hand is based on external factors that will act to boost the morale of the individual. With respect to passion being manifested in my leadership, it is more of a subjective issue. My score for passion was average and this means that there are things I seriously need to improve on.

The degree of passion I have tends to depend on the specific project being worked on and the degree of involvement. When I am involved in something that grants me some responsibility and autonomy, I will easily be passionate about it. Responsibility for me is important since it keeps me on my toes in that I have to deliver certain things within my responsibility and this makes me feel like an important part of the team. Autonomy enables me to manage the tasks at hand with relative mental freedom. The combination of these two therefore greatly boosts the level to which I am passionate about work.

There are however instances when the degree of passion I have wanes. This will take place when I am in a situation of strictly following the lead of another person and relying on them for any action I take. When such a scenario arises, I tend to be severely demotivated and disinterested since the contribution being made appears to be on behalf of another person rather than my own.

Character Audit

An audit of my leadership will be incomplete if I don’t include my qualities as a man and how they reflect on my ability to lead and guide others. From the audit I scored 45 which indicates that my character is above average. The key strength that I have as a man is not being dependent on the major detractors that stop men from being at their best with respect to their leadership. My main strengths are the fact that I have a good support base in that I relate well with the members of my family at home and that sets the pace for my relations with other people. I am accustomed to an environment where everybody is treated with love and respect and it reflects in my interactions with other people away from the family context.

The reputation I have in my immediate community is a good one and this is due to the fact that I have generally had positive relations with most people who know me. I have stayed in the same neighborhood for a long time and people recognize me and know me for engaging in honest dealings. Some people have seen me growing up and the improvements that I have made since childhood are noticeable, specifically with regard to how I present myself.

I however do have a weakness and it is in my temper. It is not an explosive temper but I easily get frustrated when I am working under pressure. During such times I will be passive aggressive in my expression of myself and this can really put off those working in close proximity to me. In as much as it is not very pronounced, it remains to be impatience and I therefore need to do something about it so as to improve on my character and  consequently my leadership[7].

Conclusion

From the leadership audit I conducted, I found out that based on different aspects of my character and value system, I am rank as an above average leader. There are however two main areas that I seriously need to work on so as to ensure my leadership is all rounded and effective. These are my passion and also my patience.

A combination of the audit and introspection pointed my attention to these two areas and as such I feel I need to put in place deliberate measures that will enable me convert these weaknesses into strengths.

With respect to the issue of passion, I need to train myself to be a follower lest I let my pride have the better of me. If I don’t learn how to follow, I cannot be an effective part of the team since I also have those who are senior to me and their position is just as crucial as mine. Also not being passionate can show my subordinates or those I am leading a bad example.

About patience, the best way to go about it is for me to purposefully seek to work with people who have in the past made me impatient. Instead of avoiding them or putting them off, I need to compromise and give them a chance, in the process training myself to have greater control of my temper. This way I will become a man of great character.

Improving on these two areas will be of benefit to me as well as anybody who will be under my leadership.

[1]          Malphurs, Aubrey. Being leaders: The nature of authentic Christian leadership. Baker Books, 2003 p173

[2]          Malphurs, Aubrey. Being leaders: The nature of authentic Christian leadership. Baker Books, 2003 p 173

[3]          Malphurs, Aubrey. Being leaders: The nature of authentic Christian leadership. Baker Books, 2003 p 180

[4]          Malphurs, Aubrey. Being leaders: The nature of authentic Christian leadership. Baker Books, 2003182

[5]          Malphurs, Aubrey. Being leaders: The nature of authentic Christian leadership. Baker Books, 2003 p 184

[6]          Malphurs, Aubrey. Being leaders: The nature of authentic Christian leadership. Baker Books, 2003 p 193

[7]          Malphurs, Aubrey. Being leaders: The nature of authentic Christian leadership. Baker Books, 2003 p 1959

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The Christian and the Old Testament Law

The Christian and the Old Testament Law
The Christian and the Old Testament Law

The Christian and the Old Testament Law

Order Instructions:

This forum focuses on the role of the Mosaic Law in the life of a Christian. The New Testament teaches the law is eternal and will never pass away (Matt 5:17), but that believers in Christ are “no longer under the law” (Romans 7; Galatians 3–4). For this assignment, read the article “Applying the Old Testament Law Today” by J. Daniel Hays and then write a 400-word reflection on what this article has contributed to your understanding of the Christian’s relationship to the Mosaic Law. You may discuss areas of agreement or disagreement, and/or specific issues raised in the article. Does the article help in showing how the Christian uses the law as an ethical and moral guide? Why or why not? This is a reflection on the article, not a summary of its argument, but you must deal with the specific ideas and issues raised in the article.

For the second part of the assignment, write a 250-word explanation of how you would take one of the following passages from the OT law and apply it to your life. In your explanation, your application must reflect what you have taken away from the article and/or what you have learned about ways the New Testament itself applies the commands of the Mosaic Law to New Covenant believers. Be clear and specific in relating how this particular part of the law applies to believers today and make sure that you reflect the basis and reasons for your application.

SAMPLE ANSWER

The Christian and the Old Testament Law

Throughout the ages, the Old Testament (OT) Law has actually caused a lot of interpretive problems for Christians. This paper provides a reflection on what Applying the Old Testament Law Today by J. Daniel Hays has contributed to my understanding of the Christian’s relationship to the Mosaic Law. Areas of disagreement or agreement are discussed, and/or particular issues that Daniel Hay has raised in this article.

Part 1: Reflection on Applying the Old Testament Law Today by J. Daniel Hay

In the article, the author clearly sums up the traditional approach to OT Law that many evangelical scholars and Christians use. Hays’ separation of the Old Testament Law into ceremonial, civil and moral categorizations is a clear and understandable summary, and captures what I have actually observed and read on applying the OT Law to current life. All in all, the article tries to answer the question: How should Christian believers apply the OT law? The answer of Hays to this question is (i) for Christians to follow his own 5-step intricate procedure referred to as principalism; that is, an alternative approach to applying the Old Testament law. (ii) To establish which perpetual moral principle is beneath every single Old Covenant Law; and (iii) to bring that eternal moral principle into the New Covenant.[1] This supposes that (1) each OT Law certainly has a perpetual moral principle beneath it; (2) The Lord expects every Christian to be able to carry out the research needed to objectively perform the task; and (3) each OT Law has to be brought into the New Covenant in such a way.[2]

Contrary to the Dispensation hermeneutic, Hays maintains that every Christian has to apply that which The Lord has specifically restated and reiterated to the Church – the Dispensational hermeneutic – and also that which he believes has to underlie each single law.[3] This task is impracticable and monumental for average Christians who lack a theological degree. In addition, it may discourage Bible study as demanding too much.

This article helps in showing how the Christian makes use of the law as an ethical and moral guide. This is because, as Hays pointed out, a lot of Christians choose to obey some of the laws and disregard others by deciding which ones are relevant or valid and which ones are not. I agree with David Hays that Christians breach the Old Testament Law with some regularity. The OT Laws commonly overlooked by Christians include Leviticus 19: 32: Rise in the presence of the elderly; Deuteronomy 22: 5: A man must not wear clothing of women and a woman should not wear clothing of men; and Deuteronomy 14: 8: Pig is unclean as it does not chew cud though its hoof is split, and their carcasses should not be touched, nor their meat eaten.[4] I agree with Hays that Christians actually comply with some laws and disregard others. For instance, they obey the following laws properly: Exodus 20: 13: do not commit murder; and Leviticus 19:18: love your neighbour as yourself.[5]

Nonetheless, Hays chooses to focus on what Christian believers breach rather than what they actually practice. This way, Hays invites readers to engage in a process of self-justification instead of true examination in the mirror of The Lord’s law.

Part 2: Application of one Old Testament (OT) Law: Leviticus 17: 10 – 14

Leviticus 17: 10 – 14 is essentially a law against eating blood. In this passage, the Old Testament Law stipulates that if any Israelite or strangers in Israel eat any blood, then The Lord would set his face against him or her, and He will cut that person off from amongst his or her people. Blood must not be eaten since the life of the flesh is actually within the blood, and blood is used in making atonement, on account of the life. This passage clearly spells out that any person who hunts any bird or beast that could be eaten has to pour out the blood of that bird or beast and then cover the blood with earth.[6]

Given that mankind has domination over every other creature on this earth, and since blood denoted life, the blood of any animal was to be reserved only for sacrifice to God, the Author of Life.[7] In every circumstance, an animal’s blood was spilled on the alter and offered to The Lord. This way, the taking of the life of an animal meant a turning from self to God, and God’s mercy and providence in caring for mankind. I would apply this law into my own life by avoiding consuming blood whatsoever. Eating animal blood would signify a turning to self; a participation in sin and worldliness; a rebuff of the life that God gave. The people who breached the proscription amongst the people of Israel and consumed animal blood were cut off from other persons. By eating blood, I would not just be made impure by my actions, but I would also become outcast from the people. As such, I will never eat blood.

References

Catholics United for the Faith. The Biblical Prohibition of Eating Blood. Steubenville, OH: Emmaus Road Publishing. 2010.

Hays, Daniel. “Applying the Old Testament Law Today,” in Bibliotheca Sacra, 158, No. 629 (2001): 21-35.

Kelly, Russell Earl. Hermeneutics: Reply to J Daniel Hays. Steubenville, OH: Emmaus Road Publishing. 2011.

Mangrum, Rick. Old Testament Law and Modern Lives. London, England: Thomas Nelson Publishers. 2010.

[1] Daniel Hays. “Applying the Old Testament Law Today,” in (Bibliotheca Sacra, 158, No. 629, 2001), 22

[2] Russell Earl Kelly. Hermeneutics: Reply to J Daniel Hays. (Steubenville, OH: Emmaus Road Publishing), 10.

[3] Daniel Hays. “Applying the Old Testament Law Today,” in (Bibliotheca Sacra, 158, No. 629, 2001), 26

[4] Ibid, 21

[5] Ibid, 21

[6] Rick Mangrum. Old Testament Law and Modern Lives. (London, England: Thomas Nelson Publishers. 2010), 76.

[7]  Catholics United for the Faith. The Biblical Prohibition of Eating Blood. (Steubenville, OH: Emmaus Road Publishing. 2010), 3.

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Culpability in Criminal Law from a Christian Perspective

Culpability in Criminal Law from a Christian Perspective Order Instructions: RESEARCH PAPER: TOPIC INSTRUCTIONS

Culpability in Criminal Law from a Christian Perspective
Culpability in Criminal Law from a Christian Perspective

Choose a criminal law topic and submit it, along with a 100-word rationale for choosing the selected topic, to the instructor for approval. To help choose a topic, consider that the purpose of this class is to provide an overview of the legal elements that apply to criminal law, procedure, and evidence, including proof, intent, conspiracy, punishments, culpability, and defenses. You can use the Course Schedule and the textbook help you with your selection.
You will also use this topic to develop your thesis and the 5–8 page research paper later in the course. The purpose of this paper is to discuss one of these criminal topics through the lens of your Christian Worldview.
PHASE 2:
RESEARCH PAPER – THESIS AND OUTLINE INSTRUCTIONS
The thesis must state the subject matter of your paper, and explain the position that you are taking on the subject. It must be no more than a couple of sentences and should help you focus your topic.
In your thesis, you must take a position on the topic—this could include exposing the faults, explaining the positive, or providing a better way of dealing with the problem.
Here are 2 websites that can guide you in producing your thesis.
• http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/pamphlets.shtml
• http://www.wisc.edu/writing/Handbook/thesis_def.html
Your outline must be well-developed in current APA format, including all of your paper headings and subheadings. It must be clear and concise to provide an established framework for the paper. A well-written outline will help you keep your paper on track and make sure there is a logical progression of ideas.

Here is a website that can help you with producing an outline:

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/544/2/

FINAL PHASE::
RESEARCH PAPER – FINAL SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS
The Research Paper must:
• Be 5–8 pages in length (not including the Title page and the References page).
• Use Times New Roman in 12 pt. font, be double spaced, and have 1 inch margins.
• Use current APA formatting including page numbers with running heads in the upper right-hand corner; a cover page with the title of the research paper, student name, course name, and instructor name; an abstract, a References Page with citations in current APA format.
• Utilize academic writing (i.e. neutral gender, no personal pronouns (I, we, our), no rhetorical questions, etc).
• Cite any idea that is not your own (In a good research paper there should be many citations, and remember the in-text citations must be in current APA format).
• Use at a minimum of 10 scholarly sources including journals from the field (online or hardcopy) and books (the ILRC-Integrated Learning Resource Center- has numerous sources available). Bible verses, case law, and statutes will not count as part of the 10 sources.
• Be submitted via the SafeAssign link for a plagiarism check. The file you submit should be named in the following manner: last name first initial_submission type (like rp1 for a research proposal. For example: smithj_rp.doc (this would be J. Smith’s research paper).
• Be written specifically for CJUS 400.

Culpability in Criminal Law from a Christian Perspective Sample Answer

Topic and Rationale

Culpability in Criminal Law analyzed from a Christian Worldview Perspective

Rationale: The topic “culpability in criminal law analyzed from a Christian worldview perspective” has been selected because it represents an issue that is relatively simple for individuals with a criminal law background but complicated to lay people. For this reason culpability is analyzed and explained in accordance to how it relates to Christian values. This helps to move from the known to the unknown, making it simple for an individual to understand a concept that initially seems foreign. This can then be used to make the target audience better equipped to stay on the right side of the law. At the same time, a better understanding of culpability can help the person to better defend themselves if they are being falsely blamed for serious offenses.

Thesis

The concept of Culpability appears to contradict the cliché of “Ignorance is not a defense,” the reason being that culpability goes beyond an individual’s committing of the action to find out if they deserve to be blamed for the action they did. One of the best examples that can be used in the explanation of culpability is the manner in which the principle is applied to the investigation of murder. First-degree murder is the judgment passed when an individual is found to be fully blame-worthy for another’s death. Second-degree murder and manslaughter on the other hand are used to describe scenarios where a person unintentionally caused another’s death. From a Christian perspective, murder is clearly prohibited both in the Old Testament and New Testament. Within the criminal law field of knowledge, culpability is however more complex than simply determining the verdict of a murder case, there are several categories of culpability and these too relate to the Christian Worldview in different ways.

Outline

  • Introduction
  • Introduction of culpability
  • The issue of blame
  • Legal system implication of blame
  • Christian perception of blame
  • Fairness
  • Legal application of fairness
  • Christian attitudes of fairness
  • Conclusion

Culpability in Criminal Law analyzed from a Christian Worldview Perspective

The Term criminal law is an umbrella phrase that refers to the set of legal procedures that have been put in place to deal with the prosecution, trial and punishment for criminal acts. There are several aspects of an ethical and legal nature that come into play in the delivery of criminal justice. Criminal law also contains the activities that the government or similar authority has prohibited with the aim of safe-guarding the interests and welfare of the individuals population as well as those of the state. Culpability is one of the most important elements of criminal law and this tends to be given greater priority when the crimes under consideration are taken to be very serious. Culpability is basically the degree to which an individual is worthy of blame for any given criminal action. This is an international concept owing to its being rooted in common law, something that was based on Christian Ethics at the time the law was formulated almost a millennium ago (Ashworth and Horder, 2013).

The issue of Blame

Culpability has a lot to do with blame though it is not just blamed in the sense of fault-finding. It is blamed in the sense of a person who has been accused of being investigated to establish if he or she had a hand to play in the eventual occurrence of a crime, whether direct or indirect. It is important to note that blame in its most basic form requires several elements and cannot exist independently (Werle, 2014). There has to be a prior expectation of the actor’s state of mind, knowledge and responsibility for their actions relative to any given situation.

There also needs to be a law in place forbidding a given action from being done within the borders of a given country. Third, the actor needs to have directly or indirectly have contributed to the law being broken. Culpability is therefore a measure of how much the agent or actor in question bears responsibility for the given action taking place. Culpability is in this sense a double edged sword with one side spelling doom for the actor and the other side having the potential to completely exonerate the individual from the accusations that have been made. On the undesirable end of the scale for the accused, culpability will be used to prove that the action committed or not committed constitutes moral evil. On the more desirable end of the scale, the measure of culpability will determine the occurrence to have been a natural evil where the individual is considered to be blameless for the actions. The Christian world view holds that an individual who commits an offence has to suffer the consequences but this will only happen if they are directly responsible and acted knowingly. An example of this is the story of the first sin in the Garden of Eden where Adam and Eve were banished for eating the fruit. The three actors involved were the serpent, Adam and Eve. God had explicitly instructed them to partake in the eating of any other fruit save for the one in the middle of the garden. The two, however, go against God and end up eating the fruit as suggested by the snake. Adam attempts to defend himself saying that he was given the fruit by the woman but this does not get him off the hook. Eve and the snake do not defend themselves even though she was offered the fruit by the serpent who justified eating it. The serpent did not eat the fruit but he too was punished. This is a clear example of culpability, all of them fell short of their moral obligations and this meant they had to face the consequences of their action (Ashworth and Horder, 2013; Stephen, 2014).

Fairness

Culpability is part of the criminal justice system’s deliberate efforts to be fair in its dispensation of justice to both the injured and the alleged agents of the injury. For this to take place, a lot of careful thought needs to have been done by the authorities involved in determining culpability for the actions in question. The lack of a procedure or rational system for the determination of culpability is something that could easily lead to the development of an unfair system where guilty persons walk free despite committing heinous acts and innocent people being convicted and punished for what they are not responsible for. Due diligence is necessary as this ensures the case and suspect are investigated in different levels (Robinson and Barton, 2014). The hope is usually to get a verdict ‘beyond reasonable doubt.’ This is not to say that the criminal law system is water-tight, mistakes still do take place and individuals go to great lengths to manipulate the system to their own ends. Having a clearly laid out procedure is very important in reducing the chances for mistakes taking place in the determining of culpability. Fairness and the delivery of fair judgments is something that Christians believe in and it is emphasized severally in scripture.  This is seen both in passages that discuss court-like scenarios as well as those where responsibility for sin is concerned (Herring, 2014). The example of the Garden of Eden and the occurrence of the first sin as illustrated above exhibits fairness since the individuals were found culpable as a direct result of their going against the rules put in place by the authority above. Another example where the importance of fairness is brought up is in Psalm 106:3 where the psalmist declares that there are blessings in store for those who seek and maintain justice. Proverbs 16 talks about the importance of believers using balanced scales and while this usually refers to honesty in business dealings, it can also be applied to the administration of Criminal Justice (Herring, 2014).

In Criminal law, a person will be considered to be culpable if it is proven that they fulfill four conditions (Bassiouni, 2012). The first of this is the individual’s being found to have actually caused the action. This is not really a determinant of culpability but rather a precursor to the culpability question. The nature of the action is what actually determines if the question of culpability will arise.  The acts of stealing, defilement or killing are examples where culpability comes in handy. A person being proven guilty will lead to their being labeled strongly with words such as sex offender, murderer or thief. Besides the harsh judgment in society’s eyes, the individual also risks severe punishments for the same with death and life sentences being the more extreme forms of punishment. As such the three preconditions below need to be fulfilled before any further verdict is passed on the suspected agent’s guilt or innocence (Ashworth and Horder, 2013).

The action in question needs to have been done deliberately by the actor. This means that the actor carried out or intentionally set of a sequence of events that was to lead to the crime taking place. The actor or agent does not necessarily have to have done the final action; it just needs to be proven that their aim was for the success of the criminal act. If a person for example begins seeking out sexual relations with minors at the local high school, it will be pretty obvious that this was their intention. But it will be a different case if they meet a minor at an adult’s function where security personnel were checking the ages of entrants. This is in line with the teaching in Hebrews 10 that states the absence of atonement for deliberate sin. This atonement was somehow an extension of grace to sinners. Christians therefore believe that while people are not perfect, it is wrong to consciously decide to break the existent laws (Stephen, 2014).

The second pre-condition that is carefully considered in the culpability debate is the ability of the person being accused to have had control over the situation in question. This consideration basically seeks to establish that the actor did what he or she did knowing that the action is forbidden, the nature of the action’s consequences, the presence or absence of a coercive force compelling the person to do what happened and finally the suspect’s overcoming of existent constraints to ensure that the criminal act took place (Norrie, 2014).

Christianity will similarly apportion blame to an individual if they knowingly break laws. Romans 6:23 is clear that the punishment for sin is death. This verse is not an island in as far as sin is concerned; it is in fact more of a reminder given that there are several other scriptures that define sin. Galatians 5;19 describes several examples of the sinful nature. This means that Christians believe in a system where one is culpable for their actions provided they know what they are doing is wrong but still proceed with it. The New Testament in contrast from the Old goes to great lengths to emphasize that individuals need to take individual responsibility for their actions and this suggests that believers need to take extra-ordinary steps to ensure they don’t fall into these sins (Allem, 2013).

In summary what emerges is the fact that the concept of culpability within the criminal law system is one reserved for the prosecution of serious crimes, separating the guilty from the innocent and also in the establishment of the motivation that was behind the person’s action. Culpability is a based on the autonomy of individuals, the responsibility they hold and also the consequences and severity of the actions they have engaged in. The issue of blame is not a pleasant one but from time to time it is necessary to apportion blame in extreme situations such as when a person’s entire life investment has been embezzled or in the case that life has been lost. The Christian world-view tends to be in agreement with this point of view as the central theme is fairness and responsibility for one’s actions. Crime and sin carry similar weight and from a human point of view, there are some crimes that are graver than others. Christianity and Criminal Law both agree on the need for due diligence during the investigation of these incidences because the implications of the judgment tend to be grave (Ashworth and Horder, 2013).

The third precondition that needs to be met for culpability to be established is the absence of an acceptable defense or excuse for the actions give. This provision is made necessary by the fact that there are extraordinary conditions that can at times compel people to operate outside what is considered moral boundaries.  Killing is very grave due to the social connotations of taking another person’s life. However there are several scenarios that would permit its excusal. An example is when it happens during self-defense when the suspect’s life or that of another person was deliberately put at risk. In this case, the individual will be allowed to walk free but it will need to be proven that their life was actually at risk requiring that amount of force (Moore and Hurd, 2011).

Another example would be in a road accident where a motorist knocks down a pedestrian who was crossing on a busy high-way where there is usually no human activity. If the person’s state of mind was altered say by a previously or recently diagnosed mental problem, they would again be excused. In this regard the onus falls on the prosecution to ensure that the case goes as intended. Christianity too is clear about incidences where offences are excusable; this is seen in Proverbs when it is written that a man who steals food because of hunger has committed a lesser evil than one who steals out of Greed. Cain’s killing of his brother Abel in the book of Genesis was not excused because he meticulously planned all the details and led his brother to a secluded place so that he could kill him out of Jealousy.

As such, it is necessary to highlight the fact that an individual’s vested interest plays a role in the investigation and determination of culpability. Cain’s jealousy and proximity makes him a person of interest in his brother’s killing in the same way a person’s known enemy can be considered a prime suspect in the event they get an injury.

Culpability in Criminal Law from a Christian Perspective References

Allen, M. (2013). Textbook on criminal law. Oxford University Press.

Ashworth, A., & Horder, J. (2013). Principles of criminal law. Oxford University Press.

Bassiouni, M. C. (2012). Introduction to international criminal law. Martinus Nijhoff Publishers.

Herring, J. (2014). Criminal law: text, cases, and materials. Oxford University Press.

Moore, M. S., & Hurd, H. M. (2011). Blaming the stupid, clumsy, selfish and weak: The culpability of negligence.

Norrie, A. (2014). Crime, reason and history: A critical introduction to criminal law. Cambridge University Press.

Robinson, P. H., & Barton, J. S. (2014). The Structure and Limits of Criminal Law. The Structure and Limits of Criminal Law (Paul Robinson ed., Ashgate 2014), 13-23.

Stephen, J. F. (2014). A history of the criminal law of England (Vol. 2). Cambridge University Press.

Stephen, J. F., & Smith, K. J. M. (2014). Selected Writings of James Fitzjames Stephen: A General View of the Criminal Law. Oxford University Press.

Werle, G., & Jessberger, F. (2014). Principles of international criminal law. Oxford University Press.

Interpretation of the Genesis 1 account

Interpretation of the Genesis 1 account
            Interpretation of the Genesis 1 account

Religion and Theology;interpretation of the Genesis 1 account

Order Instructions:

Read the assigned article by C. Marvin Pate, “Genesis 1–3: Creation and Adam in Context,” Criswell Theological Review 10 (2013): 3–25 (available thru the ATLA database). After you have read the article, answer the following 3 questions:

1. Explain your interpretation of the creation account in Genesis 1. Do you read this as an account of a literal six-day creation or do you hold to another interpretation? What specific details or evidences most influence your understanding of this text and your belief that the text should be read literally or figuratively? (300–400 words)

2. What is your view on the age of the universe, and do you believe that the data in Genesis 1–11 can be reconciled with an old Earth view? Why or why not? (200 word minimum)

3. What evidence shapes your view on the issue of the historicity of Adam and Eve? Explain your understanding of the theological significance and importance of this issue. (200 word minimum)

Interact with specific details and issues raised in the assigned article as you answer each of these questions. You are also free to interact with other sources. Cite sources that you reference or quote, and your answers must be your own work. Be sure that your reply engages specific issues, questions, or passages related to the thread.

SAMPLE ANSWER

Religion and Theology

My interpretation of the Genesis 1 account

The Genesis chapter 1 account discusses creation as an activity that took place in six days with God resting on the seventh. For one I believe that it is accurate in its representation of how things came into existence through the hand of God, in an orderly manner that works well to this day. The Account in Genesis tells a story of God somehow building the world from the ground-up starting with the building blocks for life both in the context of humans, animals and plant-life. I however feel that the six days that God took to create the world is something that needs not to be taken literally. As complex as man is, it is important to note that God remains the creator and this means that the plane in which God exists is much different from that one where humanity exists. As such it will not make sense to count the days as six days literally. The naming of six days must have been done to express the narrative in a format that humanity will easily fathom. Furthermore if it is to be taken as six literal days, humans should consequently have the power to supernaturally command things into existence and make other humans out of mud then breathe life into them like God did when he was creating Adam. The impossibility of these things in human terms conversely implies that the six literal days is not possible but rather figurative. While scientific approaches to creation tend to appear to be on a collision course with the Biblical account, I believe they have a lot in common and tell the same story but from alternate perspectives. On one hand the creationist perspective tends to be over-simplified by its proponents to the point of almost lowering the power or position of God. On the other hand, scientific approaches such as the Big Bang theory point to an immensely powerful force that suddenly came about leading to a chain of events that brought the world forth. This process is believed to have taken billions of years. I am inclined to believe that the six days God took if taken literally would be in the region of billions of actual days. Last but not least, I believe the inability of both old world theorists and new world theorists to tell the actual age of the world is testament to God’s power (Marvin, 2013).

Old Earth View and the account of Genesis 1: 1-11

I am inclined to believe in the Old Earth school of thought which proposes that the Universe is much older than the estimated 6000 years generally agreed upon in the New Earth theory. The reason for this is the ambiguity of the Bible and also the use of language. The narrative first begins with the existence of God’s spirit moving around a ‘formless and desolate plane.’ This formless and desolate plane cannot be said to be the earth but rather the medium in which the earth would be created in. Conventional wisdom dictates that night and day are caused by the rotation of the earth around the sun with alternating sides being exposed to light while the other side is exposed to darkness. Before this, God created the light, highly likely to have been the sun.  The earth’s creation therefore comes about at the point when there is day and night due to the phenomenon of rotation. My belief in the earth’s being billions of years old is based on the scientific theories that estimate the period of time these things would have taken place from a human point of reference with the units familiar to us. The human system of counting day and night could only have come about on the sixth day, but it should be noted that the first six days take place from the perspective of the creator and humans have not yet occupied the earth. Psalm Chapter 90 verse 4 better explains the fact that God’s system of counting days is much different from the way they are manifested for humanity (Beggren, 2014).

Historicity of Adam and Eve

With respect to the issue of Adam and Eve’s historicity, I tend to rely on Biblical evidence based on the fact that the lineages of various Bible Characters can be traced back to Adam and Eve. If they were mythical individuals used in a representative way, then this means that the names of people on the Biblical lineages are also fictitious and this brings to doubt almost the whole Bible since many of the stories told involve the lives and times of people who descended from Adam.

From a theological perspective it is important to accept Adam and Eve as real people as this validates the entire history of humans and also their relationship with God. While it is important to distinguish between real and figurative references used in the Bible, it is necessary to also take into consideration the implication that each direction has on the larger picture. The fall of man, the Exodus, God’s laws in the Old Testament, the New Testament and God’s salvation plan all have meaning based on the acceptance that Adam and Eve were living, breathing human beings. Given the fact that they had a personal relationship with God which was ruined at the fall of man, their susceptibility to sin and its consequences is a critical element in explaining and understanding this spiritual concept and its specificity to the lives of individuals (Marvin, 2013).

References

Berggren, William A., and John A. Van Couvering, eds. Catastrophes and earth history: the new uniformitarianism. Princeton University Press, 2014.

Marvin Pate, “Genesis 1–3: Creation and Adam in Context”, Criswell Theological Review 10 (2013): 3–25

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Differentiation between Christianity and Judaism

Differentiation between Christianity and Judaism
     Differentiation between Christianity and                                Judaism

Historical events that led to the differentiation between Christianity and Judaism

Order Instructions:

In 300 words, please consider the following: Discuss some of the historical events (e.g. Jewish revolt in Jerusalem) that led to the differentiation between Christianity and Judaism.

SAMPLE ANSWER

Historical events that led to the differentiation between Christianity and Judaism

From a historical as well as theological point of view, Christianity and Judaism have a lot in common. Christianity has strong roots in Judaism and this is seen in the structure of the Bible. Judaism is based on the Old Testament of the Bible, a holy book Christians also use. Despite this similarity in origin, the two faiths have experienced a sustained split leading to Judaism and Christianity becoming two distinct faiths. Several events in history contributed to this fact

The rejection of Jesus as the Messiah by the Jewish establishment is one of the main precursors to the split between Judaism and Christianity (Levine, 2014). For many Pharisees and teachers of the law, Christianity was more of a sect misleading Jews than a fully-fledged legitimate faith. This was based on the connotation of the Messiah being a political savior from Roman rule, something Jesus was not (Snyder, 2013).

Paul’s conversion was another factor that led to the split between Judaism and Christianity. Prior to his conversion, Paul dedicated his life to prosecuting Jews who practiced Christianity, his conversion made him dedicate his life to furthering Christianity and spreading the gospel to non-Jews. This helped to give Christianity a different identity from its Jewish roots as it became more cosmopolitan affair. This coupled with the difference in doctrine between a belief in inward transformation against Judaism’s emphasis on several tangible aspects such as circumcision and the strict following of Jewish practices further led to the split with Christians being keen on setting themselves apart as a unique group from the faith that had been in existence before (Atkinson, 2012). Prosecution and sustained opposition by Jewish religious leaders only gave the split inertia.

References

Atkinson, A. C. (2012). Pauline conversion and the resurrection narrative (Doctoral dissertation, uga).

Levine, A. J. (2014). The Misunderstood Jew. HarperCollins e-Books.

Snyder, H. G. (2013). 9 Early Christianity. The Cambridge Companion to Ancient Mediterranean Religions, 177.   http://assets.cambridge.org/97805211/13960/frontmatter/9780521113960_frontmatter.pdf

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Contemporary challenges facing Sufism in Egypt

Contemporary challenges facing Sufism in Egypt
Contemporary challenges facing Sufism in Egypt

CONTEMPORARY CHALLENGES FACING SUFISM IN EGYPT

Research Question
An authentic critical analysis of Sufism and how do manifestations of Sufism differ, or not, from modern Islamic movements?

Initial plan:
1.What is Sufism?
2.The Origin of Sufism/ Historical Background
3.Pathway of Sufism and their spiritual practice/ the modern day practices of the Sufi’s
4.Sufi orders in contemporary Egypt and their influence on society
5.Sufism and Modern Movements in Egypt such as Brotherhood, Salafi and how they are difference from each other according to their faith (creed), philosophy
and political ideas.
6.Political context in Egypt and Sufism and the role/representation they played during the national crisis like recent revolution and general election.
What is the state of the Sufis in contemporary Egypt in light of the recent developments? / What role are they likely to play or what was their position?
Transformation of Brotherhood.
7.There are fundamental differences between Sufis and Salafi & Brotherhood as well as secularism. So for whom Sufis and their followers did vote for? Or, not
they did take part in Elections?
How do manifestations of Sufism differ, or not, from modern Islamic movements? –This type of issues will be my research Question.
8.In the end, I would like to put forward some proposal to integrate Sufi orders in the mainstream politics in Egypt in a parallel way of their struggle to
please their Lord Allah.
9.Conclusion

PLEASE ALSO NOTE:
1. I personally believe that, Sufism is spiritual life of Islam. In the most cases they are far away from politics or political Islam; although I believe
that they should take part in politics as Prophet Muhammad build an Islamic state in Madinah after his migration.
2. Please bear in mind that, my dissertation supervisor is a pro Sufism and therefore I would like to present ‘Sufism’ on my dissertation in a positive
manner, I don’t want portrait Sufi and Sufism in a negative way.
3. Please identity challenges clearly from British invention to current period.
4. Mention role of Al Azhar University played in support of Sufism.
5. Personally I’m also not agree with the following points:
• There is no solid arrangement regarding the significance of the word ‘Sufi’ and many authors generally debated about its connotation and its validity.
• It is escalating urban population and dispersal of non-religious based education have resulted in bringing in radical tension within the Muslim communities
especially owing to the influence of western societies. It has been ascertained that there has been constant decline of Sufi order in modernizing Egyptian
society
• Sufism is entirely different from Sunni or Shi’a customs and traditions. (Because Sufi people are within Sunni group and their faith and creed also same.
They don’t follow Wahabism as well as they are against any sort of extremism)
• Sufism is used in incongruence to radical version of Islam.
• Sufism in the modern Muslim community reflects as a position taken on radicalism, integration and traditionalism among others.
• The superstition of the people that spring them to honour the saints. (I believe it is not superstitions but their religious and moral duty to honour their
saints)

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Response to “The Great Commission to Worship”

Response to “The Great Commission to Worship”
Response to “The Great Commission to Worship”

Response to “The Great Commission to Worship”

Order Instructions:

Please use the following format in preparing 4-MAT Book Reviews:

1. ABSTRACT. Summarize what you have read, boiling the book down into 300 words (1 page). Prove you comprehend the readings by writing a no-nonsense summary. The abstract is not a commentary or listing of topics but rather an objective summary from the reader’s viewpoint. Abstract equals “boiled down.” This section should include a minimum of 2 footnotes to the text being reviewed.

2. CONCRETE RESPONSE. Get vulnerable! In no less than 150 words and no more than 1 page, relate a personal life experience that this book triggered in your memory. Relate your story in first person, describing action, and quoting exact words you remember hearing or saying. In the teaching style of Jesus, this is a do-it-yourself parable, case study, confession. You will remember almost nothing you have read unless you make this critical, personal connection. What video memory began to roll? This is your chance to tell your story and make new ideas your own.

3. REFLECTION. This is the critical thinking part of the review (not critical in the sense of negative, but in the sense of questioning). In no less than 150 words and no more than 1 page, describe what questions pop up for you in response to what you have read. Keep a rough-note sheet at hand as you read. Out smart the author by asking better questions than he/she raised in the book. Tell how the author could have made the book better or more appealing to those in your field of service. One way to begin this section is by stating what bothered you most about the book. This is not a place to provide an endorsement or affirmation of the book.

4. ACTION. So what are you going to do about it? In no less than 2–3 page and no more than 5 pages for your entire paper.provide 3 action steps that describe what actions or changes you are going to make in your life, ministry, and/or work as a result of your reading. Action steps should be measurable and reveal a commitment to specific time, specific people, and identified steps.

Make sure the action steps are implemented between the time the review are submitted inModule/Week 7. Discussion Board activity asks for you to reveal the results of 1 of your actions.

5. Please provide a Turabian style* title page, pagination, footnotes, and Bibliography.

Total # of pages will be 5 excluding the title page, pagination, footnotes and bibliography.

PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT ANY FORM OF PLAGIARISM WILL NOT BE TOLERATED. PLEASE DO NOT PLAGIARIZE.

SAMPLE ANSWER

Response to “The Great Commission to Worship”

Abstract

The book titled “The Great Commission to Worship” authored by David Wheeler and Vermont Whaley, both scholars at Liberty University, is a book that is aimed at contemporary Christians who are concerned about their salvation. The two authors have different areas of specialization in theology; these are Evangelism and Worship respectively. Through the book, they discuss the unity of evangelism and worship. Not an existent unity but rather an ideal one which has been forgotten or simply ignored by many believers. Through the use of scriptures from the Bible, specifically the New Testament, these two authors lay a foundation for their arguments by defining both what worship is and what prayer is. The central theme here is the great commission which Jesus gave his disciples in Matthew 28: 18-20[1]. This scripture is discussed in light of the fact that Christians target their worship at God and this is done as a result of the desire of most of them to get saved. The authors argue that being saved is part of the salvation plan; much like the great commission spells out. The authors go to great lengths to discuss myths that are at times held in relation to what worship is and what it entails. These are dispelled through the use of scripture. Given the great importance of worship to Christianity and the equally huge importance of the great commission, the authors argue that worship is incomplete if there is no element of evangelism. Evangelism in the context of this book can be summarized as the act of telling other people about the goodness of having a relationship with Jesus, God’s son[2]. In this form of Worship according to the authors, there can be true transformation in the lives of individuals and it can also be appraised and evaluated instead of simply being repetitive. What the book discusses in summary is the need to have worship as a foundation for one’s Christianity and other things added onto it. This is contrary to the current situation whereby worship is seen as one of the activities of Christianity, a situation that makes it possible to separate it from evangelism.

Concrete Response

When I read this book, a memory that came to mind was the evangelism sessions we used to engage in during my high school years. The church group that I used to worship with had a youth group and this group was further sub-divided to individuals who have different general occupations such as college and high-school students. Each group had a set of activities it did during the weekends and holidays. The leaders of the group often mentioned the need to evangelize and invite people to church after telling them the good news about Jesus. This was often done through the sharing of scriptures that we had prepared in advance for short and straight to the point discussions. The plan was to meet and go around as individuals or in groups of two and start up conversations with strangers, telling them about gospel of Christ with the aim of getting into a spiritual conversation. I had trouble with this first because I was shy and second because I never truly appreciated the need to evangelize. At times I used to deliberately miss these meetings so as to avoid the likely awkward situations that would have ensued had I proceeded. One of the central scriptures that were used as a motivator for us was Matthew 28:18-20. At the time I thought it was possible for me to compensate by perhaps contributing extra money during the offertory session or find another activity within the church that I would engage in to make up for the lost time. The point of view I held was very much in tandem with that of Christians who view worship and evangelism separate. I thought of the two, and actually treated them as completely separate entities, but this was to selfish ends and I now see that I was gravely wrong.

Reflection

A question that I had in my mind in the course of reading the book was about the relevance of the topic and choice of words the authors used. On one hand I saw the relevance of the lessons given but on the other hand I could not help but wonder about the issue of semantics with respect to the words used. The title of the book is “The Great Commission to Worship” but what the book really discuses is obedience to God. Perhaps a title of “Obedience as true worship” could have been more befitting for this book. The term worship as used by Christians or within the context of religion tends to have two meanings depending on the context. The first and main use of the word is the centralization of a supernatural deity or some other entity in the life of an individual. In Christianity this basically means the complete allegiance to God. It also applies to other entities such as Baal in the Old Testament and Money in contemporary times. The other use of the term worship is the collection of activities mainly revolving around the offering of songs during a meeting of believers. While this second use is limiting, it is used by believers across the world in reference to the specific process of singing sacred songs. The great commission was more of a command given by Jesus to his believers and by extension to all Christians. The appropriate term for their reaction is obedience. While the action will be a manifestation of worship, what they are really doing is obeying what God commanded them to do. Going by the author’s definition of worship, obedience should have taken the central theme since it has relatively more continuity than evangelism in the life of a Christian. An obedient Christian will maintain virtues even when nobody is seeing him or her, giving them the moral authority to preach about the standards Christ set.

Action

Based on what I read in this book there are three things that I am going to do in an effort to ensure I engage in true worship. The first of this is to list down the activities I currently engage in in the name of worship. The second thing I will do is to decide on how and where I am going to evangelize. The third step will be the actual evangelism, not on my own but by pulling my spiritual friends along on the journey.

The step of listing down what I consider to be true worship is important in that it will help me to see where I have been falling short and also if my worship has been one of convenience as opposed to true worship as discussed in the scriptures. True worship for me will not just be instances of evangelism but the activities that I give of myself wholeheartedly. I will also evaluate these activities with respect to the transformational element. This is because it I could be engaging in some activities for my own glorification instead of God’s.

Following the evaluation of my worship, it is likely that I will have to eliminate or reduce some of the activities I do. I intend to replace these with meaningful evangelism. This means I will have to purpose to go out and tell people about the word of God based on scriptures. For this I will seek out opportunities that I usually have but seldom take advantage of. Possible options I will go for include the local sports club I attend as well as the strangers who I sit with on public transport almost every day.

The third step will be to actually go out and have a daily target of at least one person and gradually increase the number as I gain more confidence and courage. For confidence and courage, I will rope in some of my peers in the evangelism. For those who have been doing it consistently, I will seek to learn from them and for those who have not been paying particular attention to it; I will share what I learnt from this book about the need for Christians to take evangelism very seriously as part and parcel of their worship. My hope is that this will call them to action and they will be willing to accompany me as I go out and evangelize. In this way I will not just improve my evangelism but also ensure that as many people as possible get to hear about the word of God.

Reference

Wheeler, David, and Vernon M. Whaley. “The Great Commission to Worship.” Nashville, TN: B & H (2011).

[1] Wheeler, David, and Vernon M. Whaley. “The Great Commission to Worship.”Nashville, TN: B & H (2011).

[2] Wheeler, David, and Vernon M. Whaley. “The Great Commission to Worship.”Nashville, TN: B & H (2011).

https://digitalcommons.georgefox.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=https://www.google.com/&httpsredir=1&article=1280&context=tcl

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Criminal Law comparison with Biblical Examples

Criminal Law comparison with Biblical Examples
Criminal Law comparison with Biblical Examples

Criminal Law comparison with Biblical Examples

Order Instructions:

This is a discussion board assignment for an online class in Criminal Procedure.

Assignment Instructions:

Each of the Scriptures below concern a given criminal procedure topic. All Scriptures are from the New International Version, 1984. After reading the scriptures below answer the questions that follow.

Witnesses
Deuteronomy 19:15 “One witness is not enough to convict a man accused of any crime or offense he may have committed. A matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.”

Deuteronomy 17:6 “On the testimony of two or three witnesses a man shall be put to death, but no one shall be put to death on the testimony of only one witness.”

Cross Examination

Proverbs 18:17 “The first to present his case seems right, till another comes forward and questions him.”

Deuteronomy 19:16–19 “If a malicious witness takes the stand to accuse a man of a crime, the two men involved in the dispute must stand in the presence of the LORD before the priests and the judges who are in office at the time. The judges must make a thorough investigation, and if the witness proves to be a liar, giving false testimony against his brother, then do to him as he intended to do to his brother. You must purge the evil from among you.”

Physical Evidence

Deuteronomy 22:13–18 “If a man takes a wife and, after lying with her, dislikes her and slanders her and gives her a bad name, saying, “I married this woman, but when I approached her, I did not find proof of her virginity,” then the girl’s father and mother shall bring proof that she was a virgin to the town elders at the gate. The girl’s father will say to the elders, “I gave my daughter in marriage to this man, but he dislikes her. Now he has slandered her and said, ‘I did not find your daughter to be a virgin.’ But here is the proof of my daughter’s virginity.” Then her parents shall display the cloth before the elders of the town, and the elders shall take the man and punish him.”

Exodus 22:12-13 “But if the animal was stolen from the neighbor, he must make restitution to the owner. If it was torn to pieces by a wild animal, he shall bring in the remains as evidence and he will not be required to pay for the torn animal.”

Answer the following questions for your thread:

•Did these Scriptures change or confirm your views about how criminal procedure should operate according to each topic?
•How does our current system deal with each topic?
•How could our current system change (or not) to deal with each topic in a more biblical manner?
•Provide at least 1 reference and 1 different Scripture (other than those given above) in support of your post.

SAMPLE ANSWER

Criminal Law comparison with Biblical Examples

The Biblical passages provided did confirm my beliefs on how the criminal justice system should operate, specifically with respect to how criminal cases are handled in courtrooms. The rules need to be flexible and relative to the cases at hand. This is because different cases have different circumstances and as a result there likelihood of and manifestation of malice varies from case to case.  There should always be more than one witness in any case. Their testimonies need to be put to the test to check if there is any malice.

The current system is partly fair in the way it deals with some of the criminal issues. With many criminal cases however it is hardly fair because the testimony that matters is that of the members of law enforcement and in many such cases it is hard to test the evidence or accusation to find out if there is any malice. For criminals who cannot afford an attorney, one is often appointed by the state. The officers prosecuting also owe their allegiance to the state. In theory the case will be fair but it is necessary that such an attorney be sourced from an independent body from the state as seen in the case where the girl’s parents come to her defense (Deutronomy 22: 13- 18).

The country’s criminal justice system can however maintain the provision for multiple witnesses being called to the stand. This gives the defendant’s defense team a chance to defend their client and such a scenario makes it possible for the court to establish the credibility of an account being given by the witnesses. This reduces the chance of a malicious individual having undue influence over the fate of the accused. The suspect’s liberty to choose their own attorney where possible means they can have someone who will have their best interests at heart. Biblically it is clear that those in authority need to be fair to the powerless or those under them (Proverbs 29:14; Nelken, 2010).

References

Deutronomy 22: 13- 18

Proverbs 29: 14

Nelken, D (2010) Comparative Criminal Justice, Making Sense of the Difference. Vol 1, Sage, 2010  https://u-pad.unimc.it/retrieve/handle/11393/34944/35/291-311_EUC_104684.pdf

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How a Healthy Church is the Goal for Discipleship

How a Healthy Church is the Goal for Discipleship Order Instructions: For this assignment, you will explain how a healthy church is the goal for discipleship.

How a Healthy Church is the Goal for Discipleship
How a Healthy Church is the Goal for Discipleship

Next, you will examine your personal church or ministry context and identify the top 3 areas that your organization needs to focus on to create a healthier body of Christ. Finally, discuss some initial steps your organization could take to improve its spiritual health.

How a Healthy Church is the Goal for Discipleship Sample Answer

Introduction

If the goal of discipleship does not orient towards the creation of a healthy church, then it becomes questionable. The ultimate goal of discipleship is a healthy church. Discipleship denotes the willingness to follow in the steps of Jesus Christ and His ways despite the many challenges that one may encounter in the process. A healthy church denotes a congregation whose focus is not in the numbers of the members thereof, but rather the orientation towards doing the will of God. This paper analyses the healthy church as the goal of discipleship and gives the focus points of the church that need to be addressed in order to create a healthy church and to improve on the spiritual health.

Goal of discipleship

There has been an observed trend in the church today which points to the goals of discipleship as shifting from the focus to a healthy church. The goal of discipleship should be to raise a healthy church that denotes the glory of God. Much of the focus of many disciples has shifted to the growth of the church rather than the health of the church. The goal of discipleship is on the growing of healthy church such that the glory of God can be manifested in it. If the health of the church is not made the ultimate goal of discipleship; then there are bound to be problems. It becomes difficult to keep the focus of discipleship and it becomes extremely difficult to withstand the temptations and difficulties encountered in the discipleship. When one attaches the goal of discipleship to the healthy church, they are capable to withstand the difficulties that are bound to be experienced especially in the process f the growth of the church. The focus of the goal of discipleship to a healthy church is based on the realization of the difference between a big church or a growing church and a healthy church. The focus is not on the growth of the church but on the health.

Areas to be focused

In order to achieve the health of the church, it is crucial to focus on certain top areas and give the necessary alignment. First, it is crucial that the church focus on the spiritual growth of the church rather than the physical growth in terms of numbers. There has been much focus on the increment of the congregation numbers such that the health of the church has been neglected. Most of the preaching has been aligned to encouraging people to attend the church and to even encourage their neighbors at home and at work places to attend the church. There has not been much focus on the health of the church in terms of how well they follow the teachings of the Bible. There is therefore need to align the teaching to the congregation to focus more on the health in terms of following the teachings of the Bible rather than in the mare attendance of the church sermons.  This would go a long way in ensuring that the church is healthy n terms of doing the will of God in accordance with the Biblical teachings.

The other top area of focus is on the orientation of the gifts of the disciples. There has been much effort to encourage the congregation to make their offerings in the church without much focus on how the growing disciples should learn to give especially the poor in the community. Giving out offerings in the church is oriented to discipleship because; the ministry of leading the disciples cannot be accomplished without the offerings made by the congregation. However, this is not enough by itself because; some people could just give out of having plenty and not out of their hearts. There should also be the encouragement of the congregation to help the poor in society. This orients to the teachings of Jesus that we should help the poor and if we do not love our neighbors; then we do not love God. It is therefore, crucial that the focus should not just be on the giving in the church. There should be a shift such that the giving is also extended to the poor and the needy in the society. This kind of giving should be encouraged to take the first priority because; God likes a clean heart more than the offerings. The helping of the needy could even result to the growth of the church in the sense that; many people would be touched by the helping spirit of the church goers and they would therefore want to be associated with the church. They would therefore seek to become part of the church ministry and start attending the church. It is crucial that the leading disciples focus on making the congregation healthy even in their giving out of what they have rather than in increasing their numbers so that the offerings can increase.

In order to have a healthy church, it is crucial to also focus on the issue of the fruits of the developed disciples. The goal of the disciples who have already developed their grounds in the discipleship in Christ is oriented to making others healthy disciples. The disciples made are also encouraged to make others disciples too. When the new disciples are brought to the church, they are helped to grow spiritually such that they are able to bear fruits. If the disciples do not bear spiritual fruits, then they are not healthy. Therefore, the goal of discipleship as of being to develop a healthy church is not achieved. In order to ensure that the goal of discipleship is pegged to a healthy church; it is crucial to ensure that the disciples made are bearing fruits.

If the disciples are bearing fruits, then the church can be said to be healthy. The fruits to be borne by the disciples in a healthy church, whose disciples are oriented to making a healthy church, are the fruits of the Holy Spirit. The area of ascertaining the fruits of the disciples should be given focus so as to ensure that the church is healthy. The new disciples should be encouraged to understand the fruits that are borne by those that are led by the spirit of God. Those are the fruits of the Holy Spirit such as love. When they have understood the expected fruits, they are encouraged to bear them not just in the church but also in their lives outside the church. When the congregation is bearing the fruits of the Holy Spirit as the fruits of discipleship, then the church can be said to be healthy, and the goal of discipleship has been accomplished.

Steps to improve spiritual health and How a Healthy Church is the Goal for Discipleship

There is a need for improvement of the spiritual health of the church ministry. In order to do this; there is a need to take some steps. There should be more focus on the Bible so as to ensure that the congregation understands the true meaning of discipleship. The Bible is he Christian doctrine that carries the focal way that Christians, who are in essence the disciples of Jesus; should follow. The focus on the Bible would ensure that there are Bible sessions in the middle of the week whereby; the new disciples are guided to understand the teachings so as to be able to follow them in their daily lives. This view follows the observation made in the ministry. There have been assumptions that the Bible teachings have become familiar to people such that there is no need to give many teachings on the Bible. This is not the way to go because; the Bible can be taken to be new to any new disciple.

The other step to make the church healthy would be to focus on the health of the disciples in terms of spiritual affairs. Sometimes there is focus on the physical growth of the church such that the kind of life that the Christians live is not given much of attention. It is crucial to focus on the life of the disciples or the Christians such that; they are encouraged to live a life denoting following the steps of Jesus such that they can encourage other people to follow their ways by living a healthy life that is guided by the will of God. 

How a Healthy Church is the Goal for Discipleship Reference list

BARTON, RUTH HALEY, DIANE J. CHANDLER, TAN SIANG-YANG, JUDY TENELSHOF, and JAMES C. WILHOIT. 2014. “SPIRITUAL FORMATION IN THE CHURCH.” Journal Of Spiritual Formation & Soul Care 7, no. 2: 291-311. Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost (accessed April 23, 2015).

Budiselić, Ervin. 2013. “A Proper Understanding of the Gospel as the Key for Healthy Church Evangelism, Life and Ministry.” Kairos: Evangelical Journal Of Theology 7, no. 1: 9-33. Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost (accessed April 23, 2015).

Hewitt, Roderick R. 2014. “Evangelism as Discipleship.” International Review Of Mission 103, no. 2: 200-214. Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost (accessed April 23, 2015).

Joseph, Simon J. 2013. “Why Do You Call Me ‘Master’..?” Q 6:46, the Inaugural Sermon, and the Demands of Discipleship.” Journal Of Biblical Literature 132, no. 4: 955-972. Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost (accessed April 23, 2015).

VALIENTE, O. ERNESTO. 2013. “FROM CONFLICT TO RECONCILIATION: DISCIPLESHIP IN THE THEOLOGY OF JON SOBRINO.” Theological Studies 74, no. 3: 655-682. Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost (accessed April 23, 2015).

Joseph, Simon J. 2013. “Why Do You Call Me ‘Master’..?” Q 6:46, the Inaugural Sermon, and the Demands of Discipleship.” Journal Of Biblical Literature 132, no. 4: 957.

Joseph, Simon J. 2013. “Why Do You Call Me ‘Master’..?” : 962.

Budiselić, Ervin. 2013. “A Proper Understanding of the Gospel as the Key for Healthy Church Evangelism, Life and Ministry.” Kairos: Evangelical Journal Of Theology 7, no. 1: 21

VALIENTE, O. ERNESTO. 2013. “FROM CONFLICT TO RECONCILIATION: DISCIPLESHIP IN THE THEOLOGY OF JON SOBRINO.” Theological Studies 74, no. 3: 672

Hewitt, Roderick R. 2014. “Evangelism as Discipleship.” International Review Of Mission 103, no. 2: 200-214

BARTON, RUTH HALEY, DIANE J. CHANDLER, TAN SIANG-YANG, JUDY TENELSHOF, and JAMES C. WILHOIT. 2014. “SPIRITUAL FORMATION IN THE CHURCH.” Journal Of Spiritual Formation & Soul Care 7, no. 2: 301

BARTON, RUTH HALEY, DIANE J. CHANDLER, TAN SIANG-YANG, JUDY TENELSHOF, and JAMES C. WILHOIT. 2014: 297

The Doctrine of God Essay Paper Available

The Doctrine of God
The Doctrine of God

The Doctrine of God

Order Instructions:

This essay is to be no less than 1000 words and prepared in Turabian format (including footnotes).

In our reading the concept of God’s love emerges several times (a) in connection with Plato, (b) Augustine’s understanding of the essential nature of God in the Trinitarian relation, (c) the relation of God toward creation, and (d) especially as an attribute directed toward sinful humanity. Van hooper attempts thread the needle between Plato and Nygren on the matter of God’s love toward fallen creation (c and d, above).
1. Discuss the significance of this issue for classic theology vs. the contemporary discussion regarding the immutability of God.
2. Would you agree more with Vanhoozer or Nygren on this issue? Why?
3. In what way(s) does Feinberg contribute to this discussion in response to “Openness” theism and in relation to the immutability of God? Explain the importance of this issue for the gospel and Christian ministry.

SAMPLE ANSWER

The Doctrine of God

Understanding the nature and the Love God has to humanity is something that has elicited mixed reactions from various scholars. People hold contrary views about God’s love. For instance, people such as Plato, Augustine and Van hooper among many others have different perspectives and insights concerning the love of God and whether indeed God changes. The author therefore deliberates on the significance of the issue concerning immutability of God from the perspective of classic theology and contemporary and provides own view on the stance of Vahnoozer or Nygren on the issue. Contribution of Feinberg on the aspect of openness theism in relation to immutability of God is as well discussed.

Immutability of God (whether God changes or not) from classic theology and contemporary theology is important as it provides an opportunity to have a deeper understanding of God’s love.  The views of classic theology on immutability of God differ from that held by the contemporary theology on various instances. The Bible talks about God’s love in a number of verses. For instance, in 1 John 4:7-8 the Bible says ‘”Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love”[1]. This verse clearly shows that God Himself is love and therefore people must replicate this love.

However, classic theology, which has been greatly influenced by Platonic philosophy, holds the view that God or gods does not need anything from the human beings therefore cannot love[2]. The argument is that if God is perfect it means that He is not able to change since change means that He could be imperfect. Therefore, this classical view about God’s love is not supported by the Holy bible believed to be inspired by the Holy Spirit hence, Gods word. On contrary, contemporary theology uses the Bible as a reference to ascertain and prove of God’s love. Because love needs reciprocity between two people it means that God is not immutable meaning that God changes.  A number of verses shows this such as (Genesis 18:16-32, Exodus 32:14)[3].  This perspective furthermore, provides a number of lessons.  First is that the schools of thought indicates that God is the creator of all the things in the world and He has control over everything. He is therefore able to change in some times when people do not walk and do the way He has commanded and Wishes. It is the love of God that actually contributed to the sending of Christ, His only Son to save man from sin. Therefore, this is enough evidence about the love of God and that God can change.

I do concur with Van hooper perspective when it comes to the relation of God towards creation and when it comes to attribute directed towards the sinful humanity.   God is a loving God, he sometimes changes, and this does not mean that God is imperfect.  From the scripture that Van Hooper relies on to argue his point, it is important that God extend his love by forgiving the fallen humanities.  Human beings that had defied the commands of God were saved from their sins.  God love therefore, is surmountable. God forgives humanity their sins by sending His son to die for the sake of our sins[4]. This is a sign of love. Furthermore, in the Old Testament God is able to spare Sodom and Gomorra from destruction by promising Abraham that he will not   destroy the city if he found anyone righteous. In Exodus 32:14 God repents for the evils he thought to have done to people.  Therefore, I agree with Vanhoozer that indeed God is a loving God and He changes.

John Feinbeg as well contributes to this discussion.  His response to open theists whose version is of (incomplete God who is neither all knowing, all-powerful nor eternal beyond time), he believes that this is unscriptural. In relation to immutability of God, Feinberg believes that there are other things such as His inherent attributes and God Moral character that cannot change while some other things such as His Relationships to people and His emotions can change[5]. Therefore, the views of Feinber reconciles that passages or the views of changing and unchanging aspects of God but rather is weakened when God is viewed or placed as inhabitant of time[6].  This issue is therefore important for gospel and Christianity ministry. The church leaders and ministers must be able to understand this to know where they are heading.  For the classic theist God is far and is uncaring hence does not qualify to be God.  For the open theists, God seems confused and is not near God and projected in the Bible. The best way for Christian to live is to believe in the word of God as written in the bible. God is unchanging but will change in response to the activity of human beings as manifested through various instances in the bible. He is sovereign God and has given man freewill hence; people are responsible for whatever things they do.

Bibliography

Dolezal, James. ‘Trinity, Simplicity and the Status of God’s Personal Relations’.  International Journal of Systematic Theology, 16(1), 79-98.

Duby, Steven. ‘Classical Christian Theism and the Criterion of Particularity’.  International Journal of Systematic Theology, 15(2), 196-215.

King James version. Bible

Learn theology.com. The Openness Of God: A Critical Assessment, 2014). Retrieved from:             http://learntheology.com/the-openness-of-god-a-critical-assessment.html

Mdharrismd. Com. The Love and Immutability of God”.  2012. Retrieved from:             http://mdharrismd.com/2012/04/20/the-love-and-immutability-of-god/

[1] King James version. Bible

[2] Steven, Duby. ‘Classical Christian Theism and the Criterion of Particularity’.  International Journal of Systematic Theology, 15(2), 196-215.

[3] King James version. Bible

[4] Learn theology.com. The Openness Of God: A Critical Assessment, 2014). Retrieved from: http://learntheology.com/the-openness-of-god-a-critical-assessment.html

[5] Mdharrismd. Com. The Love and Immutability of God” Retrieved from: http://mdharrismd.com/2012/04/20/the-love-and-immutability-of-god/

[6] James, Dolezal. ‘Trinity, Simplicity and the Status of God’s Personal Relations’.  International Journal of Systematic Theology, 16(1), 79-98.

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