In his book, Exclusion and Embrace, Miroslav Volf explores the interesting theology surrounding human identity, the other, and embrace. In order to figure out the issue of exclusion, and the reconciliation, that according to Volf, can only be found in God's embrace, Volf gets down to the root of humanity, exploring ideas of human identity. Volf's introduction, labelled “The Cross, The Self, and The Other”, shows us the original problem of self identity and foreign 'otherness' that, for example, “explains why 'tribal' identity is today asserting itself as a powerful force”1. Using Jurgen Moltmann's idea of “self-giving”2, Volf outlines his arguments in the following chapters and gives us an outline of his own theology and biblical usage. In …show more content…
As history shows, with the Holocaust in Europe and Moses' whole story in the Bible about how the Jewish people were Egyptian slaves, people respond badly to “other” populations that may have a higher hand. Volf uses the example of Cain and Abel to explain how “otherness” is seen as a threat to their identity. The story of Cain and Abel shows how Cain saw himself as better than his brother, and God taking Abel's offering instead, Cain's identity became threatened as his status quo was flipped. Cain's identity is being threatened, so as long as Abel's around Cain is no longer the superior brother. Volf claims that “every human being is potentially Cain and Abel, Cain's envy and murder do not prefigure how 'they' behave in distinction to 'us', but how all human beings tend to behave toward others”4. Chapter 2, “Exclusion”, Volf mentions how 'inclusion' has failed to counter evil, and then he “[makes] a distinction between differentiation and exclusion”5, claiming that differentiation is unavoidable, while exclusion is meant to be violent in its “expulsion, assimilation, or subjugation and [it's] indifference of abandonment [that] replace the dynamics of taking in and keeping out as well as the mutuality of giving and …show more content…
Volf even calls for the oppressed to forgive their oppressors and for both oppressed and oppressors to respond to Jesus' call for repentance: “It will not do to divide Jesus' listeners neatly into two groups and claim that for the oppressed repentance means new hope whereas for the oppressors it means radical change....victims need to repent because social change that corresponds to the vision of God's reign – God's new world- cannot take place without a change of heart and behaviour”8. As to the course's theme of 'responses to religious difference', Volf's theology shows the importance of differences in religion, culture and traditions, which are fundamental in the creation of personal and cultural, or even group, identity. His call to “embrace the other” is not a call to assimilate the other into our own image, but to “welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you” (Romans
“Religion Gives Meaning to Life” outlines how life is given meaning through theistic religion in Louis Pojman’s opinion. In this short reading, autonomy is described as in the meaning of freedom or self-governing and argues how it is necessary for ideal existence. By being honest and faithful with ourselves shows how we can increase our autonomy. “I think most of us would be willing to give up a few autonotoms for an enormous increase in happiness” (553) shows our willingness to practice good purpose.
Although the concept of identity is recurrent in our daily lives, it has interpreted in various ways.
In today’s world, we live in a society where we are subjected to follow rules, which are placed upon us by the society. Many people are faced with the dilemma of whether or not to follow the ideals of other people, or pursue their ideals and go against the prevailing conventions. In “Selections from Into the Wild” by Jon Krakauer, the author talks about a man named McCandless who went into the Alaskan wilderness in order to find his true self. His journey was also to escape from the societal norms of society. A person who goes into the wilderness believes that they can live their life with brute simplicity. This gives them little to no time with the complicated problems of modern society. Likewise, in “Waiting for a Jew” by Jonathan Boyarin, the author talks about one’s aspiration to find their identity and purpose in the community. He conveys that religious places, like shul, allow an individual to develop a cross- cultural self. The desires and expectations placed upon us by the society shape our strategies of personal identity; therefore, instilling fears that cause us to identify in opposition to our prevailing conventions.
The novel Silence has provoked much discussion on Loyola's campus this semester. As a predominantly Christian community, we find that the themes and dilemmas central to its plot land much closer to home for us than they would for many other schools: to non-Christians, the question of whether to deny (the Christian) God--for any reason--may not necessarily be such a personal one. Jesus' commandments to love God above all and one's neighbor as oneself do not find a parallel in all religions or cultures, nor does the seriousness with which Christians--specifically Catholics, and more specifically, Jesuits--have traditionally treated it.
Viktor Frankl’s book, Man’s Search for Meaning, is a powerful and insightful book, however, does the center message intertwine with his religious beliefs? Frankl’s book shares the same concerns as religion such as: First, his beliefs of having nothing will give one a Higher Purpose; second, his belief that we must change to become worthy; and third, that we need fill an “empty soul” with God to find meaning.
In this paper, I will be using Victor Turner’s concept of liminality to analyze the Christian rite of passage of baptism. Turner built upon Arnold van Gennep’s three-stage model of rites of passage, focusing on liminality rather than reaggregation and introducing the concept of communitas as the unstructured community during the liminal stage in which all members are equal. By using the anthropological lens of Turner to analyze baptism, specifically Jesus’ water baptism in the book of Mark, I hope to apply his concepts of liminality and communitas to the text to gain a deeper understanding of the model for modern Christian baptism rituals and interpretations, including Spirit baptism.
The four fundamental claims of the Catholic Intellectual Tradition, Human beings exist in a relation to a triune God, God’s presence in the world is mediated through nature and reality, faith and reason are compatible, the dignity of the human being is inviolable and therefore the commitment to justice for the common good is necessary. However, the great books in the Catholic Intellectual tradition show that they represent these fundamental claims in a broad distinctive way. This essay will show that these readings better represent one of the fundamental claims, human beings exist in a relation with a triune God, from the view point of three great books from the bible, Genesis, Exodus and the Gospel of Matthew. The Bible clearly supports the
How does this text either help you to explore and understand the possibilities of belonging or exclude you from connecting with the world it represents?
The past saw identity boundaries being stringently controlled by hegemonic discourse. Laws and social conventions aimed at controlling the “other” were common place. Racial, ethnic, and religious...
...nderson, 107). The novels demonstrate that humans react to alienation by choosing to alienate themselves rather than allow others to alienate them. The protagonists intentionally withdrew themselves from society before society could hurt them by denying them acceptance. They equally fear rejection which is common among human kind.
Boyd, Gregory A., and Paul R. Eddy. Across the Spectrum: Understanding Issues in Evangelical Theology. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2009.
Rutherford, Jonathan. "Third Space: Interview with Homi K. Bhabha." Identity: Community, Culture, Difference. Ed. Jonathan Rutherford. London: Lawrence & Wishart, 1990. 207-221.
... will of others and in harmony with the spirit prevailing in the worlds of others (The Core of the Matter: 54). Gordon argues that the Jewish people’s natural growth and self-realization has been hampered by alien and extraneous influences (Some Observations: 377). As the Jews has been pushed away from the primary creative processes, and forced to live under constant pressure and influence of foreign cultures, they have eventually lost the distinctive, external signs of identity, social structure, language and lifestyle, and become dependent on others materially and spiritually, leading them to have an inanimate existence, lacking in national creativity (Our Tasks Ahead: 381). This life has made the Jews passive and submissive; they no longer act upon or influence others, but are merely acted upon and influenced by others (The Work of Revival in the Diaspora: 78).
Lutzer, Erwin. The Doctrines That Divide: a Fresh Look at the Historic Doctrines That Separate Christians. Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 1998.
Rose, Mike, "Lives on the Boundary." Lunsford, Andrea and John Ruszkiewicz, The Presence of Others: Voices and Images That Call for Response 3rd ed. New York: St. Martin's 2000. 105-119.