A prophet? A magician? God? Many people become confused when the topic of Nostradamus pops up. Nostradamus was a French seer in the 16th century. A seer is a person who is supposed to be able to, through supernatural insight, see what the future holds. Among a seer, Nostradamus was an astrologer, philosopher, physician and alchemist. Nostradamus’ predictions are hundreds of years old but still find a way to be relevant in today’s society. “...he is said to have predicted the birth of Napoleon, The rise of Nazi Germany, the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the terrorist attacks New York’s World Trade Center”(“Nostradamus (1503-1566)”). People’s opinion on how real his prophecies were is all across the board. Some people are true believers while others are skeptics. “Skeptics of Nostradamus state that his reputation as a prophet is largely manufactured by modern-day supporters who shoehorn his words into events that have either already occurred or are so imminent as to be inevitable, a process known as "retroactive clairvoyance". No Nostradamus quatrain has been interpreted before a specific event occurs, beyond a very general level (e.g., a fire will occur, a war will start) (Nostradamus, 1). Whether you believe his predictions are true or misconceptions, its undeniable the impact Nostradamus has had on the world.
Nostradamus, born Michel de Nostradame, was born just one year after his family converted from Judaism to Christianity due to the religion persecution on the ascension of Louis The XII in 1502. Born to Reyniere de Saint- Remy and Jaume de Nostradame in 1503, Nostradamus’ family was full on scholars and doctors. Public education lacked range so he grandfather taught him. “DOCTOR DE RÉMY, Michel's mate...
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...on prediction comes quatrains #1 -60
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Web. The Web. The Web. 28 Feb. 2014. Hoggart, Simon.
Julian of Norwich lived during a time of great fear dominated by economic and physical hardships, feudal era of control, fear of death from the bubonic plague, corruption within the church’s hierarchy and doubt and insincerity was rampant amongst believers. Living a simple existence she depende...
...t to the accusations brought under the new Martin Guerre. Jean de Coras was proven to have had Protestant ties, and was eventually killed for them. (100) However, he was also a very learned, educated, and passionate man with an upstanding career in law and, after the case of Martin Guerre, the literary world. The idea that someone of so high a rank embraced the new religion shows that its influence at the time cannot be ignored.
In all human history, there are rare occasions of great individuals who not only have profound effect on future generations, but who also stand the test of time and scrutiny for millennia. These people are often thought to be great leaders of society or business but when we go back even farther in time, the great thinkers and societal leaders and influencers were more often also some of the great religious influences of their day. Religious influences like Origen of Alexandria and Tertullian, even the great philosophers like Socrates and Plato have all left a make on society and Christianity. This essay briefly introduces Athanasius of Alexander and Eusebius of Caesarea, two major influences of the Christian belief that were significant in shaping some of the fundamental principles of Christian faith and principles.
The historical record of the Jewish experience in France is rife with prejudice, discrimination, and violence. The French Enlightenment brought about increased tolerance for Jews, and many enlightened Christian thinkers, specifically Abbé Grégoire and Count Mirabeau, began to call for the emancipation of Jews (PPT 3).
John Hus’s humble beginnings hardly reflect the impact that he would later have on modern day Christianity and the reformation process that would occur within the Church. Yet, his upbringing and early career are an essential part of his legacy, and provide indications of what was to come. John Hus was born in Bohemia, which is located in what is now the Czech Republic. His family was not wealthy but Hus was known for being virtuous, and having a strong set of morals instilled within him, so his decision to study Religion at the University of Prague did not come as a surprise. He received his ...
...escent. The Cumaean Sibyl owned, according to tradition, nine books of prophecies, which she sold the remaining three to the Roman king Tarquin. In ancient legends women who could predict the future were called sibyls. These prophets were believed to be inspired by the gods and were found primarily in the famous oracle centers, particularly those of Apollo, the Greek god of prophesy. Sibyls were believed to live 900 to 1,000 years. According to the legends, some could interpret dreams and others could make their voices heard after death. Early Greek writers only mentioned only one sibyl, Erythraean Herophile, who predicted the Trojan war. Later on the number of sibyls were increased to ten, including the Samian, the Trojan, the Phrygian, the Cimmerian, the Delphian, the Cumaean, the Libyan, the Tiburtine, and the Babylonian. Of these the most important was Deiphobe.
“Oracles (or prophecies) themselves are messages from the gods in human language concerning the future or the unknown and are usually received in response to specific inquiries, often through the agency of inspired mediums” (Aune). For the people of Ancient Greece, Oracles were intermediaries between man and the G-ds. People would ask the Oracle questions about the future and/or ask for advice. Because the Oracles’ responses were always ambiguous, the answers could never be wrong. Regardless of the ambiguousness of the answers, the Ancient Greeks still relied heavily on the Oracles to make important life decisions.
However, always it have to be careful that the interpretation of each of the prophecies has to be guaranteed by the scriptures, if the prophecy fail to be endorsed, and supported by the scriptures this shall be taken as false.
“I will put my words into the mouth of the prophet who shall speak to them everything that I command” (Dt, 18:18). Prophecy is said to be the voice of God, and a prophet is simply God’s ambassador, relaying the word of God to the people. However, it is not by any means his/her choice, for once a prophet is called upon by God and com...
According to Max Dublins THE POWER OF PROPHECY, He seems to want to give a feeling that prophecy is all in the listeners mind and that Prophets are mostly very manipulative people and can influence people greatly. I tend to agree with this to some degree.
In the Bible, Old and New Testament, the word “prophecy” is discussed. Prophecy is defined as “a statement that something will happen in the future; the inspired declaration of divine will and purpose” (http://www.merriam-webster.com). Prophecy was used to predict the future or what is forthcoming to the people of God. The Prophets of the Old Testament were spokespersons of God and they were selected to foretell the word of God. The prophecies were used to predict the future and to give warning to the people of Israel. Many believe these prophecies have a great influence on the New Testament. “Prophets occupy a unique place in Israel’s future traditions and they contributed to one third of the Old Testament” (Varughese, A., 2003, p.284). The utterance of these Prophets helped shaped the stories of the New Testament.
Web. The Web. The Web. 14 May 2014. Stanley, Jay.
Science fiction, the fortuneteller of the future. Science Fiction is a type of a fiction that is based on a real or imagined technological advancements. Science fiction is known to tell the future throughout the literature of Science fiction. Science fiction was originally introduced to the world by Mary Shelley when she passed her award winning novel “ Frankenstein” in 1831. Science fiction is one the most intriguing subjects because everyone loves it and it helps the reader infer about what will happen in the future and how the world could encounter. Science fiction works as a cautionary tale due to the fact that science fiction illuminates the dangers and conflicts of technology, and portrays
René Descartes presented his readers to the thought of differentiating scholarly learning from church doctrine. He asserted science filled with myth and uncertainty could never advertise taking in or the headway of public opinion. Descartes reacted to the developing clash between these two powers with an endeavor to bring clarity. He was eager to test the acknowledged plans of his day and present change. Religion had not been independent from science previou...