orld ar I and orld ar II, a great deal of interest has been paid to the German Christian Church and Movement. The focus of this discussion will be on the German Christian Church and movement, specifically the protestant Church (people's church), after I and through II and the Nazi movement. The purpose of this discussion is to illustrate that the protestant German Christian church's ideology was not a product of Nazi orders or a response to Neo-Pagan influences, but in fact, was derivative of the post I culture of German.
Background Info

According to a book entitled Twisted Cross: the German Christian Movement in the Third Reich, the German Christian Movement was composed of Protestants, both clergy and lay people. The author asserts that people that were a part of this movement believed that Nazi Rule was a prime opportunity to spread Christian ideology.

Members of the movement believed that Nazis….

Religion: How Universal is the Christian Church?
Given all the variations of Christian denominations and different religions, how is it that the Church can still claim to be universal? "The name refers on one hand to the inclination towards uniformity (universus) existing in different things, in virtue of which different things may be represented by a single idea applicable to all in the same way and on the other hand to this one idea which is applicable to the different things (unum vs. alia)" (Universals pg). As used in the Nicene Creed, Catholic means 'universal' or 'all-embracing,' thus, Jesus Christ intended his church to embrace all people, just as he embraced all people, demonstrating in his own ministry to Greeks and Jews, rich and poor, woman and man, free person and slave alike (Schreck 89). The term 'catholic' in reference to the church is first recorded in a letter of….

History Of Christianity
The Conversion of Constantine

In the peer-reviewed Catholic Historical Review, author Charles Odahl explains that there was an "arduous military campaign" to regain control of Rome from "usurper Maxentius" in A.D. 312 (three hundred years after the death of Jesus Christ). The campaign was brutal and so Constantine the Great sought "supernatural assistance" against the enemies of Rome (Odahl, 1995). Of course previous emperors had sought power and influence from "traditional pagan cults" and had persecuted the Christian Church, and it hadn't worked out well in terms of military successes. So Constantine was said to have invoked (through prayer) "the Highest God" of the universe to help his troops; and because he believed he had an answer from the Christian God, he ordered placed on troops arms the "caestia signa of Christ" (the Cross). Because Roman troops won the Battle of the Mulvian Bridge (on October 28, 312), that….

oman eligions
Christianity has obviously made its make on mankind. However, the early Christians, coming from different religions, cults, and worldviews before the emperor Constantine converted the empire, would have experienced this transitions at varying levels from revolutionary to marginally different. This analysis proposes that a member of the oman society such as the Vestal Virgins saw a dramatic and revolutionary change in their daily lives. However, by contrast, not all members would have perceived the transformation as dramatically. For example, a devotee of the cult of the sun might have found rituals such as Christmas entirely familiar and consistent with previously held beliefs. This analysis proposes that although the introduction of Christianity was a dramatic change for the whole of oman, the differences were not felt by all demographics equally.

Discussion

Of all the different groups that would have taken a welcoming to the conversion to Christianity in the oman Empire, it….

Threats to Early Christians
There were many assets and assisting of the early Christian movement. However, there were also a lot of threats and challenges that had to be faced by Christians. These threats came in the form of the Gnostics, the Montanists and the Marcion. The threats and challenges that were faced by Christians by each of these groups will be detailed and described. Beyond that, examples of each of the groups and what they did to post a threat to Christians will also be covered. While the times of early Christians had a lot of good times and progress, there were also people that were violently opposed to what the Christians had to offer.

First up is the group known as the Gnostics. Many label their brand of religion as "heretical" and otherwise polluted. Indeed, they were a blend of Christianity, Greek philosophy and oriental mysticism. None other than the….

In contrast, the exterior was almost undecorated" (25). Another significant church that was built contemporaneously with the Hagia Sophia was the cruciform Church of the Holy Apostles (536-546), which featured five domes (Nickel).
Figure 3. Cross-domed church. Most important type of ground-plan of the Middle Byzantine period. In addition to the central dome, more elaborate examples have domes over the corner chapels -- quincunx. From the tenth century onwards, the cross-domed church becomes widespread throughout Bulgaria. In Russia it develops into the dominant church type of the Middle Ages, the cruciform domed church. (Church of Theofokos, Monastery of Hosios Lukas, Greece, tenth century)

Source: Nickel 25

Constantine clearly set the architectural bar very high, and Christian architects would be hard pressed to match the Hagia Sophia in terms of size, organization and decorations, but the structure was clearly a model for future efforts. In this regard, Nickel reports that, "Compared with these….

hereas Origen did, to a certain degree, follow Clement's teachings, he introduced his own point-of-view in the matter and provided his followers with less information regarding Christian mysticism. This is most probably caused by his interest in teaching mainstream Christianity. He considered that it was easier for him to promote the religion this way, as the masses were presumably unable to understand mystical concepts if they did not know the difference between material Christianity and spiritual Christianity.
Origen feared that by employing a Gnostic approach at understanding religion, people would realize that it was not obligatory for them to consider Jesus Christ and His crucifixion. Origen believes that it is not that a Gnostic "denies or doubts the truth of the Gospel history, but he feels that events which only happened once can be of no importance, and regards the life, death, and resurrection of Christ as only one manifestation….

Previously, house churches were small and informal.
Constantine also brought the Christian church into government affairs at Constantinople, doing so, according to historians, with the Roman notion "don't dominate, accommodate" in mind (Christianity as a cultural revolution). From 312-320 Constantine was tolerant of paganism, keeping pagan gods on coins and retaining his pagan high priest title. However, from 320-330 he began to attack paganism through the government but in many cases persuaded people to follow the laws by combining pagan worship with Christianity. y the 330s, Constantine has succeeded in extended complete freedom of worship to all Christians.

ibliography

Christianity as a cultural revolution. The History Guide. Retrieved October 5, 2004 from Web site: http://www.historyguide.org/ancient/lecture15b.html

Constantine converts to Christianity. North Park University. Retrieved October 5, 2004 from Web site: http://campus.northpark.edu/history/WebChron/EastEurope/ConstantineConverts.html.

CHUCH'S ESPONSIBILITY TO POVETY
Psychology

The Church's esponsibility to Poverty

The Church's esponsibility to Poverty

The Christian church has a long history of involvement in social issues. The paper discusses what, if any, is the Christian church's responsibility regarding the elimination of poverty and the combating of unjust economic systems. There are many figures throughout Christian history who are known for their generosity and compassion for the poor, most namely Jesus Christ of Nazareth, as well as a number of saints and other notable figures. Therefore, a sense of responsibility toward the poor is a long tradition within Christian culture and in some ways, fundamental to the Christian spirit of giving, and assisting those less fortunate. The paper argues not necessarily that the Christian church has a special role in the combating of poverty, but that it is definitively has a role, which is closely linked to fundamental elements of the Christian faith.

Most notably,….

Greek bishops could also marry, although such alliances prevent them from rising in position in the church, where Roman priests took celibacy vows. Regarding doctrine, some could Latin approach as more practical and judicial, while the Greek was more speculative about the nature of the Godhead.
Question

Martin Luther founded the Lutheran branch of Protestant Christianity. Luther rejected the authority of the Catholic Pope. The Bible alone was the ultimate authority for Luther. Salvation was by grace and by faith alone in Jesus Christ. Luther retained the sacraments of baptism, penance and Holy Communion and he held that in the Holy Communion the consecrated bread and wine are the Body and Blood of Christ

However, he rejected the ideas of purgatory, indulgences, invocation of the Saints, and prayers for the dead.

In contrast, while John Calvin also rejected the Pope, he believed that God alone could dispense salvation, holding to the doctrine of….

' At that moment, I came to realize that I have to set a good example for him by being strong and facing up to my circumstances. Remembering the special times that my mother and I shared as a little girl in our worship, I started going to church again and prayed to Him for help and guidance. Even today, I remember very clearly how I cried out to Him for help and asked Him what I should do in order to be saved. This was a turning point in my life because I felt so empty and lost but I knew in my heart that things were going to be okay.
One day not too long after this turning point in my life, I met a man who completely blew me away. At the time, I was with my friends visiting Las Vegas (I was not drinking anymore). We met….

Paul notes that "For baptized persons, moreover, marriage invests the dignity of a sacramental sign of grace," (Ch. 8). Fourth, marriage mirrors the union of Christ and the Church. The union of marriage should be viewed as a sign and as proof of Christ's love.
The characteristics of marriage according to Paul include the following. First, marriage assumes "full human" characteristics by being of "the senses and of the spirit at the same time," (Ch. 9). Marriage and conjugal love permits people to contemplate their role as human beings, and the meaning of being human. The purely physical and mundane features of marriage are thereby elevated to become teaching tools for the soul. Marriage is, in this sense, a uniquely human duty. Conjugal love should be appreciated as a special feature of human life, as a means by which men and women can cultivate a relationship with God and the….

Christian-Based Ethics in Business
Ethics

Having strong ethics is vital to the success of an organization but often that component is bypassed in the name of profit. With a strong ethical foundation, an organization will perhaps face more obstacles but will also have a better opportunity for success and longevity. Society, particularly American society, has changed greatly within the past 50 years, and continues to evolve. And with those changes, value systems and the emphasis placed on them changes as well. At the same time, society has dealt with large technological advances. And of course, as knowledge and technology increase, new questions and situations arise to challenge society's morals and ethics. Inadvertent disclosure of information becomes more prevalent as more people become involved in document handling. And the more documents that are handled by more people, conflict of interest may arise, with the potential to threaten the organization.

Particularly in the recent past….

Christian Beginnings by M.S. Enslin
Morton Scott Enslin's book "Christian Beginnings" is about exactly what the title says. It deals with how Christianity came about, but it goes back much farther than Jesus Christ. Most information that deals with the beginning of Christianity starts out with Jesus and his followers, but Enslin does not get to that until Chapter 10, which is in part II of the book. The first part looks at the rule of Herod and an understanding of Judaism. While these are not specifically Christian in nature, they had to do with the beginnings of Christianity and they must be understood before the rise of Christianity is understood. The first part of the book talks about this understanding of what happened before Christianity came about, and the second part of the book is more familiar to Christians and those that have heard various teachings of the Christian religion.….

As to whether it makes a substantive difference whether a Christian enters into a partnership or a corporation with a non-Christian, Scripture does not offer a clear-cut answer to this. Paul advises in 2 Corinthians 6:14 "Be ye not equally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness?" This might legitimately be construed to mean that one should not enter into a business partnership because this implies a relationship of equality. However, it is equally valid to come to the conclusion that the equality that Paul is referring to here is a spiritual one. So long as a Christian does not try to engage on an equal level in spiritual matters with a non-Christian, then she or he can engage in matters of the world.

James 4:4-5 offers some important insight into these questions. The key questions that the Christian must….

Many people are familiar with the word “canon” as it is used when discussing fictional works.  It refers to those books or other works that are an official part of the created world, as opposed to those created by others, like fan fiction.  It also distinguishes the written word from speculation or theories built on that word, but not directly supported by it.  Canon has a similar meaning in Biblical studies of the New Testament.  It refers specifically to those books believed to have been divinely inspired and incorporated into the New Testament.  This makes Christianity somewhat different from many....

The Reformation was one of the most significant religious movements in the modern Christian Church.  Also known as the Protestant Reformation, it is most highly associated with Martin Luther, who began the Reformation by publishing the Ninety-five Theses in 1517, which lead to a split between the Catholic Church and Luther in 1521 with the Edict of Worms.  This Edict officially condemned Luther and was aimed at preventing people who were Catholics, which consisted of most of Europe, which was part of the Holy Roman Empire, from supporting or defending Luther’s ideas. 

The....

A surprising number of factors contribute to church leadership.  While many people think that either knowledge of religion or adherence to religious principles are the two most important characteristics in a church leader, they are often secondary to actual leadership characteristics.  Servant leadership has served as a model for the ideal Christian leader, both in and out of the church, but on its own is not enough to be an effective leader for the church.  Leaders have to incorporate some other management principles to be truly effective. 

Church Leadership Essay Topics and Essay....