Judaism: Core Beliefs, History, and Practices
Judaism
Two significant events in ancient Israel’s history between the 6th and 5th centuries BCE:
- Babylonian Exile
- Restoration of the Jews to Judah
Voluntarist and Non-Voluntarist Views
Voluntarist understanding of divine law positions the will to love God over intellect. This means that God commands you to do things, and you do them because you love Him and have faith, not because of any other interest or reason.
Non-voluntarist understanding of divine law positions intellect above the will to love
Read MoreUnderstanding Key Concepts in Islam, Judaism, and Christianity
1. What is Jihad? What are the Two Types of Jihad and to What Does Each Type Refer?
Our textbook defines Jihad as “striving.” Greater Jihad is the internal struggle to become a better person. Lesser Jihad is associated with military conflict in defense of the faith.
2. What are the Three Divisions of the Hebrew Bible? What Do They Mean, or What Literary Genres Do They Represent? What Change Did Christians Make to the Order of the Books?
The Hebrew Bible is separated into three sections: Torah,
Read MoreChristian Humanism and Key Philosophical Concepts
Natural Law: A Reflection of Divine Law
Divine Law: The law of God.
Reverence for the Interior
A stimulus that moves a person to correct and improve every aspect of their life.
Reverence for the Social
Social and political commitment transformed the social sphere.
Open Action
The action of opening something so that it is now communicating with the outside.
Being vs. Having
- Being: Refers to the essence of a person.
- Having: The obsessive desire for material goods that prevents the full realization of human
The Holy Spirit, Early Church, and the Spread of Christianity
Coming of the Holy Spirit
Pentecost
After the ascension of Jesus, a small community gathered in the Cenacle, together with the mother of Jesus and the twelve apostles. There were about 120 people gathered when Apostle Matthias was chosen to replace Judas. The group constituted the first church in Jerusalem. The coming happened in Jerusalem on the day of the Jewish feast of Pentecost. This event celebrates the anniversary of the covenant of Mount Sinai between God and his people. They did not understand
Read MoreThe Pantheon: Roman Architectural Marvel & Engineering Masterpiece
The Pantheon: A Testament to Roman Ingenuity
The Pantheon represents a significant advancement in Roman art, building upon Greek construction techniques. The Romans experimented with arches and aimed for monumentality. The Pantheon, with its massive dome constructed using materials pushed to their limits, stands as a masterpiece of Roman engineering. Its dimensions remained unmatched until the 19th century and the advent of iron architecture. The dome, seemingly modest from the outside, is breathtaking
Read MorePedro de Valencia and Roman Historians: Life and Works
Pedro de Valencia: Life and Works
Pedro de Valencia was born in Zafra in 1555. He studied the first letters and the rudiments of Latin. His parents sent him to Salamanca to study law. They also noted his training in theology and classical humanities. Philip III appointed him royal chronicler and he moved to Madrid.
Work
Like his teacher Montano, Valencia was a man of encyclopedic knowledge. His writings covered many topics, and the content was not published either in his lifetime or in later centuries.
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