The Body and the Soul

I was really intrigued by this topic because I never really took into consideration the difference and whether or not they were both two integrated or separate elements. In truth, there is actually a radical distinction between the body and the soul. The body was created and is part of nature while the soul is a completely different component that is not derived from natural things. The soul sets the foundation of reasoning, will and desire. In other words, every irrational or rational decision that we have come to is because of the soul that occupies our body. The body itself serves as a structure or a template for the soul to act with. The soul tells and the body does. They go hand in hand with one another but are entirely different. With this idea behind the soul and our body another question can sort of be brought up because of this. What is the purpose of human life? Is our purpose here to pass a test or do we have no purpose? Maybe we will never know.

How is the law transformed by the New Testament and Jesus’ teachings?

            In the New Testament the followers of Christianity had to exemplify their faith in addition towards following the law while in the Old Testament faith had to be demonstrated by actions.  That is my answer to the question, but the reason I am bringing up this question from the review is because it relates back to my presentation. More specifically, I think the influence and character that was both demonstrated differently in the Old and New Testament had an influence on why the law was transformed. God himself was a fearful leader and an envious one and thus demanded that his followers demonstrate their faith by pure action, in the Old Testament, if not then there would be repercussions while in the New Testament Jesus used his kindness, generosity and willingness to help steer others to become faithful to him. Jesus followers did not have to demonstrate their faith by action like in the Old, but they did have to demonstrate their faith by remaining loyal and they also had to follow the rules and regulations.       

Jesus and the completion of Christianity

One of the review questions that we were given was 'How is Jesus the beginning and the completion of Christianity?' The beginning part is self-explanatory - Jesus created the religion of Christianity. But I'm confused as to what the completion of Christianity implies here. My interpretation of it was that the end of Christianity is judgment day, or when we enter Heaven and the afterlife, but I'm not sure that this is what's being asked here. Any ideas for other interpretations?

The Relations of the Body and the Soul

In class today, the topic of "second death" brought up the philosophical relations between the body and the soul. Although the conception of these two "entities" are entirely independent from the influence of other cultures, it is quite interesting to note that both the Greeks and the Romans have managed to conjure their own explanations for the existence of the two "parts" of an individual.

For the Greeks, the two are heavily interrelated: If the soul is virtuous, the body will display good health, strength, and vitality. On the contrary, if the soul fails to accomplish the Greek virtues of wisdom, moderation, courage, or justice, then it will be reflected upon the failing flesh that a man is corrupted. However, turning to St. Augustine, the soul and the body seem to be much more detached from one another. The body belongs to a part of nature, a vessel for "testing" the soul, constraining it within the boundaries of the material world. On the other hand, the soul, an individual's conscience, will be separated from the body upon death, either to ascend to the City of God or abandoned by God for damnation.

While the Greeks draw a parallel between the conditions of the body and that of the soul, St. Augustine seems to profess that a devout Christian would strive for the inverse. As "the last will be the first, and the first will be the last,"(Matthew 20:16) Christian suffering on Earth will result in a better spiritual conscience for the soul. On the other hand, if the soul succumbs to the temptations of the body, such as gluttony, lust, sloth, and so on, then the soul will consequently be corrupted and deemed unable to reach the Kingdom of Heaven.

Do you think the Greeks or Christians relate the Body and the Soul in the correct way? What differences in their paradigms drove them to believe in such a relationship?

-Robert

What is Free Will in City of God

Last class, Professor Vaught identified that Saint Augustine implies that sinners do not have free will. In the texts assigned for today's class, I noticed that the discussion of fate generally referred to everyone. The concepts of one's destiny or fate are further believed to be predetermined by God and reached by the action of man himself. This reminds me of the discussion on suicide. If a man chooses to end his righteous life by his own hand, he is will thus become a sinner. However, his free will was shown in his behavior until his death that God is said to have already known. Does this necessarily mean that virtuous people do not have free will if they are to reach one certain end? Or do you think that God permits all to have free will in order to fulfill their predetermined destinies?

The Humanlike "Son of God"

The question "who was Jesus?" has been one of the greatest debates of religion. As a figure that spans across Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, the role of Jesus differs according to different texts. Moreover, like Professor Vaught has suggested, Jesus himself can be viewed as the "face" of Christianity, an entire religion, because he is the one who has created the schism from Judaism. For what we know, Jesus certainly was regarded as a prophet. He says: 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through me,"(John 14:6) indicating that, like his ancestors Moses, Noah, and Abraham, he is able to directly speak to God. In Islam, "Isa" (Jesus) was also born from a virgin and preaches as a prophet for Allah, able to perform many miracles. However, his role in the Quran was not to spread a new faith but rather to confirm and renew it. 

Analyzing the Son of God from different religious and historical perspectives, what can we conclude him to be? Furthermore, if he did actually exist as a prophet, what was his connection to God and his role on Earth?

Holy Spirit

In our last class discussion, we began talking about what or who the Holy Spirit is in the Bible. I think we came to the conclusion that it is an extension of God, most often present when God speaks to his followers. We agreed that the Holy Spirit is a vessel, a voice, a presentation of God that exists between the infinite and finite worlds of the Kingdom of Heaven and the Kingdom of Man.

I did a quick Google search just to see if we were correct or close to what Christians believe it to be. A couple websites that I read, though I can't speak on their credibility, all seemed to agree on some basic principles of what the Holy Spirit is. Like God, the Holy Spirit is omnipresent, omni-powerful and eternal. More importantly, they all state that it is a living person -- a man, because of the same use of "he" and "him" that is used to describe God -- and that he has a will. One source says that he is not the ethereal and shapeless presence that is attributed to the word "spirit". He has a form, and serves the purpose of bearing witness to Jesus Christ. Apparently, he resides in Christ's followers once they believe in him, and also wills those who don't believe to convert.

It's strange to imagine a third divine being walking around and working in the same ways that Jesus and God do. We see very little of the Holy Spirit performing real actions in the Bible, and instead read about him only in reference by other characters. For those who believe in the Trinity or have been taught anything about it, is what I read true or widely believed/accepted? And does this new understanding of the Holy Spirit change your perspective of the New Testament?

 If anyone wants to read the websites that I looked at, they're posted here:

http://www.everystudent.com/forum/hspirit.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_Spirit
http://carm.org/holy-spirit