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thinkingonscripture · 7 months

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The God-Man: Understanding the Deity and Humanity of Jesus

At a point in time, the eternal Son of God added humanity to Himself, simultaneously becoming God and man, Creator and creature, the unique theanthropic person (John 1:1, 14, 18; 8:58; 10:33; 20:28; Col 2:9; Heb 1:8). Jesus is the God-man and exists in hypostatic union, as a single Person with a divine and human nature (John 1:1, 14; 1 John 4:2-3), both natures being distinct and preserved, not…

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eli-kittim · 5 days

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What if the Crucifixion of Christ is a Future Event?

Read the PDF of my article, published in the Journal of Higher Criticism, vol. 13, no. 3 (2018).

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scleroticstatue · 6 days

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Pick which one you most rely on

Definitions under the cut:

Historical: it is an accurate or mostly accurate historical telling of what actually happened

Fabulist: it is a collection of stories meant to teach moral truths or truths about the human condition

Scientific: it is a collection of inspired observations that teach us about the natural world and scientific advancements that we haven't discovered yet.

Conversational: it is a collection of stories & events meant to point out the differences between the Israelite God/the Messiah and the pagan gods worshipped by the Canaanites, the Persians, and the Romans

Christological: it is a story about the Messiah and everything included points to him

Literative: it is a collection of books with their own purposes, which varies from book to book and is not unified by a single underlying topic

Narcigetic: it is a collection of writings meant to help me in my day to day life and the general narrative isn't that important

#Christian polls #I'm curious

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tamamita · 10 months

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I don’t really know much about this Christian Pagan thing but why does it involve treating the OT God as evil?

A form of dualism is popular and tends to be an apologetic approach to Christian Biblical narratives about God's wrathful nature. The idea is that God, the Father, is the nice dad that cares about everyone and that's why he sacrificed His "son" to redeem for mankind's sins. While the God of Israel as narrated in the Tanakh or Septuagint is described as a wrathful god who often goes far to punish his servants, often in a vulgar or gruesome manner.

So some Christians and Ex-Christians conflate a Christological interpretation of God's nature as being separated into two, one being a false creator God, while the other is an all-benevolent God. It's an appealing idea, because it's an attempt at explaining Christian theodicy (Why evil exist). The idea is rooted in Macionism, a classic Christian school of thought with an obvious excuse to explain supersessionism. For God to be so wrathful did not align well with how benevolent Jesus was, so earlier churches attempted to shun the God of the Jewish people as nothing more than an evil diety, who punished and burdened the Jewish people with the Jewish laws, while the Christian God was merciful and nullfied the laws. if you are a Jewish person, you wouldn't want a bunch of non-Jewish people speak for your religion when they have no scholarly expertise on the Tanakh.

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runawaymun · 2 months

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List 5 topics you can talk on for an hour without preparing any material

tagged by @eldritchteletubbie! thank you babe!!

uhhhh let's see.

Elrond, obviously. Like all the Elrond lore -- and also my opinions about what I like and what I don't like about the choices Tolkien made with his story.

Feminism and the role of women in the Christian church (hint hint: the actual biblical stance is that women are called to leadership just as much as men and the gender gatekeeping was a later addition -- mostly stemming from Augustine. Ugh.)

Queerness and God and the Christian church (hint hint hint: the Bible actually has nothing to say about people who are in a committed same sex relationship that is fully consensual. Like, nowhere. And God himself has no gender. He just tends to choose he/him pronouns. Or actually he's multigendered. Omnigendered, if you will. And there's biblical evidence for this. Anyway uhhhhh yeah I could easily talk about that for an hour I'll stop).

Soteriology and Christology in general? Do you see where I am going with this?

Pretty much any history topic pre 20th century. Like I'm working on getting more familiar with the 20th+ centuries they're just not as interesting to me.

Taggingggg (no pressure ofc just do if you feel like it): @greyjedijaneite @jaz-the-bard @raointean @crumbling-toast @metatomatoes and anyone else who wants to do this! just say I tagged you. :)

#sorry for being slow in getting to this ahhhh!#i have exactly three special interests and it's Tolkien God/the Bible and history haha

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buggie-hagen · 5 months

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Books I've read in 2023:

On First Principles by Origen. Translated by John Behr.

Low Anthropology: The Unlikely Key to a Gracious View of Others (and Yourself) by David Zahl

Luther's Outlaw God, vol. 1: Hiddenness, Evil, and Predestination by Steven Paulson

Luther's Works, vol. 23: Sermons on the Gospel of St. John, Chapters 6-8

Boys and Oil: Growing Up Gay in a Fractured Land by Taylor Brorby

Theology is for Proclamation by Gerhard O. Forde

Luther's Outlaw God, vol. 2: Hidden in the Cross by Steven Paulson

The Annotated Luther, vol. 4: Pastoral Writings ed. by Mary Jane Haemig

Call Me By Your Name by André Aciman

Atomic Habits: An Easy and Proven Way to Build Good Habits and to Break Bad Ones by James Clear

Who is the Church?: An Ecclesiology for the Twenth-first Century by Cheryl M. Peterson

Messianic Exegesis: Christological Interpretation of the Old Testament in Early Christianity by Donald Juel

Luther's Outlaw God, vol. 3: Sacraments and God's Attack on the Promise by Steven Paulson

Ragged: Spiritual Disciplines for the Spiritually Exhausted by Gretchen Ronnevik

The Early Versions of the New Testament: their origin, transmission, and limitations by Bruce Metzger

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

Confessing Jesus: The Heart of Being a Lutheran by Molly Lackey

Adamantius: Dialogue on the True Faith in God translated by Robert A. Pretty

The Annotated Luther, vol. 5: Christian Life in the World, edited by Hans Hillerbrand

The End is Music: A Companion to Robert W. Jenson's Theology by Chris E. W. Green

Codependent No More: How to Stop Controlling Others and Start Caring for Yourself by Melodie Beattie

The Church Unknown: Reflections of a Millenial Pastor by Seth Green

Reading While Black: African American Biblical Interpretation as an Exercise in Hope by Esau McCaulley

A Guide to Pentecostal Movements for Lutherans by Sarah Hinlicky Wilson

Daily Grace: The Mockingbird Devotional, vol. 2

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Not listed are some books that I chose not to finish and some books that I have yet to finish.

#books #reading #theology #fun #gay #serious #2023 #booklist

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orthodoxadventure · 7 months

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Praying the Bible in the Liturgy

Orthodox Christians are not merely to read the Bible; we are also to pray the Bible. This takes place most clearly and completely in the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom on a Sunday to Sunday basis. Yes, there are two readings from the New Testament during the Liturgy -- an Epistle reading from one of the Letters of the apostles, Paul, Peter, James and John or other apostolic writings; and a Gospel reading from one of the four evangelists -- but we pray the Lord's prayer and also sing verses from the Book of Psalms. In the priest's blessing, "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God the Father and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all," we hear St. Paul's final farewell to the Church in Corinth (2 Corinthians 13:13); and in the choir's singing of "Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of Sabaoth, Heaven and Earth are full of Your glory," we hear the song of the angelic cherubim first heard by the Old Testament prophet Isaiah in the Temple in Jerusalem (Isaiah 6:1-5). The prayers of the Liturgy are full of biblical imagery and shot through with hundreds of Biblical quotes. In fact, the late French Orthodox theologian, Paul Evdokimov (1902-1970), once calculated that there are 98 quotations from the Old Testament and 114 quotations from the New Testament woven into the prayers of the Liturgy. The language of the Liturgy is the language of the Bible! To come to Liturgy attentively is to learn to pray the Bible!

But more than this: the priesthood, the vestments, the altar, the tabernacle, the oil lamps, the incense, and so much else of the Church's structures for worship are taken from the Old Testament Scriptures, particularly Exodus, Leviticus and the Book of Psalms, and are seen as the Christological fulfillment of the worship of the people of ancient Israel in both the synagogue and the Temple as described in the New Testament's Letter to the Hebrews. Every aspect of the Old Testament Passover/Exodus has been fulfilled in the death and resurrection of Christ and this is what we celebrate at each Divine Liturgy!

[Source of text: The Divine Liturgy of our Father among the Saints John Chrysostom (with Commentary and Notes)]

#Divine Liturgy #Bible #Orthodox Christianity #Christianity #Religion

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apenitentialprayer · 6 months

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Some views of the atonement see God as annulling history. We were lost but God stepped in and wiped it off the record, blotted it out. Other views that see God as suffering, accepting, enabling, and healing history seem to be more biblical.

John Howard Yoder (Preface to Theology: Christology and the Theological Method, page 320)

#Christianity #Jesus Christ #redemption #salvation #Tikkun Olam

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creativepopulationmarket · 8 months

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A Hermetic Science Belief

Catholics, Hebrew, Jews, Israelite

The Bible was wrote during the Holocaust Era (Hermes further known as Paul Biblically) typically to what is considered "Homoousios" (Haitchoe-moo-uess-i-oess) The Term It’s meaning “Seriously this means they wouldn't be Gentiles” Is The One Reason Why you are Not to think Jews, had the WHOLEOPPERATION thinking - We got Inspired by Catholics. Understanding The History or Not Even Times Can Feel Overbearing - but While you Choose to Remember. They would have only had what you are willing to let them have over you Mentally. And Look! The Culture of it is formatted through constructs to make you think they are the LEgyptienne's who built the Pyramids in the first place. Making over Our God's names to Name themselves to hide their true identities to Us Is The Absolute Wackness. Click to Listed Article Below to Understand there Shouldn't have ever been any Controversy with Arianism.

Acts 14:12

KJV

And they called Barnabas, Jupiter; and Paul, Mercurius, because he was the chief speaker.

NIV

Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul they called Hermes because he was the chief speaker.

Colossians 3:10-15 which talks about the way you are made in God’s image faith & principles

Genesis 1:26-28 that confirms God himself had an image as well as taking part in an Celestial Order

1 Timothy 3:16 reassuring God had a Body and Spirit with a Testimony of their own-while reincarnating to heaven to be Born Again.

Colossians 3:9-15

Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;

10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:

11 Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.

12 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;

13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.

14 And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.

15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.

Genesis 1:26-28

26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

1 Timothy 3:16

And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.

#black tumblr #ukraine #social justice #melanin #breonna taylor #police brutality #palestine

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fierysword · 1 year

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Matthew’s Sophia christology is also apparent in his editing of a second wisdom section of Q. The Q saying that began (Luke 11:49): “Therefore also the Wisdom of God said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles'” is edited by Matthew (23:34): “Therefore I send you prophets and wise men and scribes.” It is not enough to say Matthew simply eliminated the reference to Sophia.

Rather one must recognize that he identifies Sophia with Jesus, by attributing to Jesus not only a saying previously attributed to Sophia but by attributing to Jesus the content of the saying, namely, Sophia’s role as the heavenly personage who throughout history has sent the prophets and other spokesmen. It is to himself as preexistent Sophia that he infers in saying a few verses later (Matt. 23:37): “How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings. …”

By this time...the identification of Jesus as Sophia had become widespread. In Justin (Dialogue 100.4) one reads that Jesus “is also called Sophia … in the words of the prophets.”... Origen (A.D. 185-254) continued the Sophia Christology tradition when, after discussing a number of titles given to Jesus by the Gospels, he concluded that Wisdom was the most ancient and appropriate one.

Biblical Affirmations of Woman Feminine Imagery of God – Postbiblical Period by Leonard Swidler

#Jesus Sophia #divine feminine resources

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thinkingonscripture · 6 months

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The Suffering of Jesus Christ

When God the Son added perfect humanity to Himself, this enabled Him to experience suffering and death with, and on behalf of, humanity. The suffering of Christ may be viewed in at least two ways: 1) His suffering during His time on earth prior to the cross, and 2) the suffering of the cross. As the God-Man, Jesus was perfectly holy in all His thoughts, words, and actions. Such perfect holiness…

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eli-kittim · 1 year

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The Two Witnesses of Revelation 11

Eli Kittim

The Two Witnesses are Anointed with Power

In Rev. 11:4, the two witnesses on earth are said to be “the two olive trees” of the Lord. This verse is based on the Old Testament:

“These are the two anointed ones who stand

by the Lord of the whole earth.”

— Zechariah 4:14

The term “Messiah” (Gk. Christos) is derived from the Hebrew word mashiach, which means “anointed one.” So, Zechariah 4:14 cannot be talking about anyone else except the Messiah. As I will demonstrate, these two anointed witnesses could be none other than Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. And these two are one! The Holy Spirit is often called the “Spirit of Jesus Christ” (Phil. 1:19), the “Spirit of Jesus” (Acts 16:7), or “the Spirit of His Son” (Gal. 4:6). We know that the Messiah is the “anointed one” (Dan. 9:26). But the Holy Spirit is “anointed” as well (1 Jn 2:20, 27), and anoints Jesus with power (see Lk 4:18; Acts 10:38). The anointing takes place when Jesus and the Holy Spirit become one (during Jesus’ baptism)! It is Jesus’ rebirth, so to speak, when the Holy Spirit enters him and anoints him with power (Lk 3:22; cf. Acts 2:1-4)!

As for those thinkers who take issue with this view, claiming that the two witnesses are probably Enoch and Elijah who never died, there are three problems with their theory. First, regardless of whether a biblical character died or not, scripture makes it clear that you only live once (Heb. 9:27); there is no reincarnation. A reincarnation of Enoch or Elijah is therefore out of the question. Second, neither Enoch nor Elijah were the anointed Messiah. Third, both of these fictional characters are “types” who represent and foreshadow the Messiah. Notice the specific typology that is presented in Revelation 11 which typifies the two witnesses’ unique relation and connection to Jesus: the two witnesses are said to prophesy in the exact same place where Jesus supposedly lived, and they will die in the exact same city where Jesus allegedly died. I think you can guess the rest of the script: “But after … three … days a breath of life from God entered them, and they stood up on their feet” (Rev. 11:11). Just like Jesus, they’ll be miraculously raised from the dead after 3 days!

Moreover, Rev. 11:6 says that the two witnesses have tremendous authority (ἐξουσίαν) over heaven and earth to do as they please. However, only Jesus has that kind of authority. No one else! Jesus says: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me” (Mt. 28:18):

Ἐδόθη μοι πᾶσα ἐξουσία ἐν οὐρανῷ καὶ ἐπὶ

τῆς γῆς ·

Both Jesus and the Holy Spirit are called Witnesses

What is more, the two witnesses’ assignment is to bear witness to the truth (μαρτυρίαν; Rev. 11:7). The two persons of the Godhead who bear witness (μαρτυρήσει) to the truth on earth are Jesus and the Holy Spirit (see Jn 15:26; 18:37; Rom. 8:16; Heb. 10:15 [Μαρτυρεῖ/bears witness]). Case in point. First John 5:6 mentions the witness of the Spirit——namely, that God comes in the flesh——using the symbols of “water and blood” which represent the divinity and humanity of Jesus, thus indicating that he’s both God and man:

“This man, Jesus the Messiah, is the one

who came by water and blood—not with

water only, but with water and with blood.

The Spirit is the one who verifies this,

because the Spirit is the truth.”

Then, 1 John 5:7-8 goes on to explain that “these three [witnesses] are one”:

“For there are three witnesses

[μαρτυροῦντες] — the Spirit, the water, and

the blood—and these three are one.”

— 1 John 5:7-8

And 1 Jn 5:9 tells us that the content of this prophetic witness (ἡ μαρτυρία τοῦ θεοῦ) concerns the coming of the Son of God in human form at some point in human history. The Greek verb ἐλθὼν (came) is not referring to the time of action, but rather to the Christological prophecy which is supposed to take place according to the scriptures (cf. 1 Cor. 15:3-4). So the testimony of the two witnesses of Revelation 11 is about the parousia, or the coming of Jesus to this earth! Interestingly enough, Rev. 1:5 calls Jesus “the faithful witness” (ὁ μάρτυς, ὁ πιστός). This is reiterated in Rev. 3:14 where Jesus is “the faithful and true witness.” Both Jesus and the Holy Spirit are said to be God’s two witnesses, and these two are one! Since no one else except God can do these extraordinary miracles (e.g. fire-breathing, controlling the weather & the sea [cf. Mk 4:39], causing plagues; Rev. 11:5-6), and given that the language of the Greek New Testament is pointing to the authority, anointing, and witness of Jesus and the Holy Spirit, there can be little doubt as to who these two witnesses are.

First Comes Christ; Then Comes the Antichrist

The sequence of end-time events also reveals New Testament parallels and verbal agreements that are consistent with the notion that the Messiah will come first, followed by the antichrist. Notice the same sequence in Rev. 11:7:

“And when they have finished their witness,

the beast that comes up out of the abyss

will make war with them and overcome

them and kill them.”

This is essentially the same sequence that we find in 2 Thess. 2. The restrainer must first be taken out of the way before the lawless one can be revealed (2 Thess. 2:7-8). In other words, the restrainer must be removed before the antichrist can appear on the world stage. This same motif is repeated in Rev. 12:3-4 (italics mine):

“a great red dragon, with seven heads and

ten horns [representing the Antichrist and

the final world empire] … stood before the

woman who was about to give birth, so that

when she bore her child he might devour it.”

The way Rev. 12:5 is described, it’s as if it gives us Jesus’ birth, resurrection, and ascension, minus his death (which is alluded to in verse 4):

“She gave birth to a male child, one who is to

rule all the nations with a rod of iron, but her

child was caught up to God and to his

throne.”

So, in Rev. 12, the male child is born first, and then the red dragon kills it. It’s the exact same sequence in Rev. 6. First comes the peaceful white horseman “holding a bow” (representing the covenant; see Gen. 9:13 LXX) and wearing the Stephanos crown, which is typically worn by victors in Christ (Jas. 1:12; 2 Tim. 4:8; 1 Pet. 5:4; Rev. 2:10; 4:4), and then comes the red horse which triggers World War III (Rev. 6:3). We find the exact same sequence in Rev. 11:7. First come the two witnesses, and then comes the beast out of the abyss to kill them. This is the antichrist who must come after Christ. It’s the exact same motif in 2 Thess. 2:7-8 in which the restrainer must be killed before the antichrist can appear.

So, there’s a running theme throughout the New Testament which repeats the same end-time sequence in all these narratives, namely, the idea that Christ comes first, followed by the Antichrist! Thus, Christ’s coming is imminent (it can happen at any time)! But how is all this possible if Christ already died two thousand years ago? It’s possible because the gospels are not historical documents that correspond to real historical events. They’re theological narratives that are largely based on the Old Testament. By contrast, the epistles, which are the more explicit and didactic portions of scripture, say that Christ will die “once for all” (Gk. ἅπαξ hapax) “at the end of the age” (Heb. 9:26b), a phrase which consistently refers to the end of the world (cf. Mt. 13:39-40, 49; 24:3; 28:20). Similarly, just as Heb. 1:2 says that the physical Son speaks to humanity in the “last days,” 1 Pet. 1:20 (NJB) demonstrates the eschatological timing of Christ’s *initial* appearance by saying that he will be “revealed at the final point of time.” In other words, Revelation 6:2, 11:3, 12:5, and 19:11 all refer to the first coming of Jesus at the end of days!

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culturalsavage · 1 month

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ATMN Podcast Episode: Chris EW Green- God Doesn't Belong To Us

Friends, welcome back to All Things Made New. This episode, we get to hear from Chris EW Green. Chris EW Green is professor of public theology at Southeastern University in Lakeland FL and Bishop of the Diocese of St Anthony. He’s the author most recently of The Fire and the Cloud: A Biblical Christology, the second in a theological trilogy. Substack: ⁠https://cewgreen.substack.com/⁠ The Book…

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ngce · 3 months

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Kenoticism, also known as kenotic theology or kenotic Christology, is an unbiblical view of Christ’s nature. Kenoticism teaches that the divinity of the Son of God was somehow lost or lessened when the Lord took on human flesh and entered our world.

The word kenoticism comes from the Greek word kenoó, a form of which is translated “emptied” in some translations of Philippians 2:7. Writing about Christ, Paul says, “Who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied [ekenōsen] Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men” (Philippians 2:6–7, NASB).

Kenotic theology or kenotic Christology, first introduced in the late 1800s by German theologian Gottfried Thomasius (1802—75), is based on the idea that Jesus actually laid aside some of His divinity in order to be more like human beings. Philippians 2:6–7 is used as the proof text for this idea. Jesus “emptied” Himself, according to kenoticism, of His divine attributes.

The biblical truth is that Jesus Christ fully possessed both a divine nature and a human nature, and the two natures co-existed in what is often called the hypostatic union. Kenoticism is an attempt to redefine the nature of Christ. Interestingly, it is only the divine nature of Christ that kenoticism calls into question, not His human nature. Most people can easily accept the reality of Jesus’ humanity. Few would argue with the fact that Jesus was born, lived, and died as a human being. What is harder to accept is that He was born, lived, and died—and rose again—as God incarnate.

If Jesus divested Himself of some of His divine attributes, as some teach, then we have some theological problems. First, emptying Himself of any part of His divinity would render Jesus less than fully divine. If He had temporarily laid aside His omniscience, omnipotence, etc., He would have ceased being the divine Son of God. But God cannot stop being God, even for a moment.

Another significant problem with kenotic Christology involves the eternal destiny of all who follow Christ. No mere human being can fulfill the role of Savior. If Jesus were not the infinite second Person of the triune God, His sacrifice would be insufficient. If Christ were not divine, if He had given up His divinity at any point in time, the efficacy of His sacrifice on the cross would be nullified. To be the Savior, Jesus was at every moment both fully God and fully man.

How, then, do we understand Philippians 2:6–7, which says that the Son of God “emptied” Himself as He took on the form of a servant? In what way did Jesus “empty” Himself? We begin with context. Verses 1—5 describe the attitude believers should adopt, one that “was also in Christ Jesus.” Believers are to exhibit humility and lowliness of mind, having the same self-sacrificial mindset that Jesus had. He didn’t use His equality with God to His own advantage; rather, He took on the form of a servant. Believers are to emulate Christ by becoming humble and obedient. Believers do not put off their human attributes and become something else, any more than Jesus put off His divine attributes. Rather, they look to Jesus as their example and subjugate their impulses and desires for the sake of others.

Christ’s “emptying” of Himself was the laying aside of the privileges of divinity, not divinity itself. In heaven, the Son of God possessed infinite honor and glory and adoration. But He chose to leave that position of honor, and He “made himself nothing” (Philippians 2:7). When He came to earth, He veiled His glory and chose to occupy the position of a slave. The kenosis spoken of in Philippians 2:7 was a self-renunciation but not an emptying of deity. Jesus never ceased to be God, and He did not exchange deity for humanity.

What Jesus did was set aside His heavenly glory. And He voluntarily refrained from using His divinity to make His way easier. His miracles were not done to benefit Himself but to help others. During His earthly ministry, Christ completely submitted Himself to the will of the Father (John 5:19). John Walvoord explains it this way: “The act of kenosis . . . may . . . be properly understood to mean that Christ surrendered no attribute of Deity, but that He did voluntarily restrict their independent use in keeping with His purpose of living among men and their limitations” (Jesus Christ Our Lord, p. 144).

At times, Jesus intentionally veiled His attributes that at other times were fully on display. When He healed the sick, walked on water, fed the 5,000, and raised Lazarus from the dead, Jesus’ divine nature was fully evident. When He allowed Himself to be hungry, thirsty, beaten, abused, and crucified without retaliating, He was intentionally restricting His divine power. He did not give up His power; rather, He chose to subjugate it for a greater good. But at no time during His life was Christ ever without the fullness of divinity (see Colossians 2:9)

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pranaliahuja12 · 5 months

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Overview and Eligibility for the MA in Pastoral Studies

The Master of Arts in Pastoral Studies degree prepares Christian leaders for the workforce. It helps them to serve effectively as effective Christian witnesses in church ministries, cross-cultural missions, and communities. Effectiveness in teaching and learning, pastoral care and counseling, and evangelism and discipleship are taught to students in masters in pastoral studies. Theological and biblical studies serve as the foundation for both church ministries and individuals' long-term personal development. 

What is a Master of Arts in Pastoral Studies?

A professional degree program, master of pastoral studies prepares students for the mission and ministry of the Church in the world. Students are encouraged by Pastoral Studies to identify their special abilities and nurture them for service. 

Together with the fundamental pastoral abilities required for ministry in various kinds of contexts, this degree program offers a strong theological foundation. Along with encouraging an enhanced spiritual life, this curriculum offers a space for the convergence of theology and ministry practice.

Eligibility for the MA in Pastoral Studies

Students must meet certain academic requirements to be considered for a Master of Arts in Pastoral Studies. Students with insufficient background could have to take more courses, which would raise the overall number of credits needed to finish the degree. The other eligibility for the pastoral studies degree online include:

A bachelor's degree or qualify for bachelor's degree equivalency

English language proficiency according to graduate-level studies

At least three years prior ministerial experience.

Program Overview

Here's the program overview of pastoral studies online:

15 courses (45 credits)

Foundational Courses

C215 – Introduction to Theological Studies

D214 – Spiritual Formation

Area A: Biblical Theology

A202 – Old Testament

A203 – New Testament

Area B: Historical Theology

B Area Elective

Area C: Systematic Theology

C217 Fundamental Moral Theology

C226 Liturgical and Sacramental Theology

C228 Ecclesiology and the Theology of Ministry

C302 Christology and Trinitarian Theology

Area D: Pastoral Theology

D207 Canon Law and Ministerial Leadership

D214 Spiritual Formation

D302 Pastoral Field Education

D-Area Elective

General Electives

General Elective I

General Elective II

Outcomes of the program

The following outcomes are possible for a student who passes the master of arts in pastoral studies catholic: 

To show that they have a clear understanding of Catholic theological sources

To show abilities suitable for successful ministry

To integrate theological thought, spiritual development, and ministerial practice

To assess current beliefs, assumptions, and societal challenges in view of the Catholic intellectual tradition

Career connections

You can become a leader and serve in many different faith-based or community service roles with a master's degree in pastoral studies. Graduates in pastoral studies work in the government, diocese, and parish offices, schools, nursing homes, jails and punishment facilities, hospitals and healthcare facilities, and a variety of community human services organizations.

Specific employment opportunities for a master of arts in pastoral studies include:

Administrative church management

Pastor or minister

Youth services manager

Executive roles in organizations and NGOs providing human services

Chaplain in a healthcare facility

Teaching and other leadership roles in education

St. Bernard's School of Theology and Ministry prioritizes holistic formation, addressing pastoral, spiritual, and human aspects. Their MA in Pastoral Studies, in collaboration with the Catholic community, aims to deepen students' understanding of the faith and integrate it into their daily service. 

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wisdomfish · 8 months

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The earliest Christian creedal statement was most likely the simple yet profound New Testament proclamation, “Jesus is Lord! Saying “Jesus is Lord” (Greek: Kyrios Iesous) was the New Testament equivalent of saying, “Jesus is Yahweh” (the Lord God). This declaration of Jesus’ Lordship as the Messiah and Savior set first-century Christians apart both from Judaism and from the Romans’ worship of Caesar. Acknowledging Jesus as Lord lies at the heart of the Christian faith...

For Protestants, the authority of the creeds is not intrinsic but rather derived from Scripture. According to the Protestant principle of ‘sola Scriptura’ even creeds are subject to the supreme authority—the written Word of God. While creeds provide a valuable summary of universal Christian beliefs, they are not divinely inspired… Creeds are at least conceivably open to correction, reform, or modification, but always in light of Scripture...

The Apostles Creed, Nicene Creed, and Athanasian Creed identify the three divine Persons of the Trinity (Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit), focusing on their unique roles in redemption… Because too many Christian churches today fail to focus adequately on the full triune nature of God, many Christians live as functional Unitarians… The creeds which reflect a balanced trinitarianism can serve as a helpful corrective to today’s theological imbalances and lack of theological training...

The church fathers formulated the Nicene Creed in large part to address the Arian heresy that denied the unqualified deity of Jesus Christ by making him a creature. Arianism is still seen today in the theology of Jehovah’s Witnesses, Christadelphiams, and Iglesia ni Cristo...

The Athanasian Creed sets forth the Christian doctrine of the Trinity (three in unity), rejecting both polytheism (the belief in more than one god) and modalism (belief that the one God merely changes modes of expression). Polytheism is evident today in Mormonism, and modalism lives on in the United Pentecostal Church (Jesus only)...

The Creed of Chalcedon set forth the normative theological standard concerning the two natures of Jesus Christ (divine and human), thus rejecting various christological heresies (such as Monophysitism, the doctrine that there is only one nature in Christ, a belief still held by the Coptic Church)...

A creed is not, and was never meant to be, a substitute for personal faith. It attempts to give substance to a personal faith that already exists. You do not become a Christian by reciting a creed. Rather the creed provides a useful summary of the main points of your faith...

Contrary to the message too often heard in churches today, doctrine and theology are critical to an individual's spiritual growth and can provide a much-needed biblical foundation to stand on...

~ Kenneth R. Samples; Alister E. McGrath

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