The term "theodicy," originating from the Greek words "Theos" meaning God and "dike" meaning just... more The term "theodicy," originating from the Greek words "Theos" meaning God and "dike" meaning justice, addresses the challenge of reconciling the existence of evil with the attributes of omnipotence, omnibenevolence, and omniscience attributed to God 1. Alvin Plantinga succinctly defines theodicy as the "answer to the question of why God permits evil." 2 Essentially, theodicy concerns the examination of God's role, whether active or passive, in the world He fashioned, which is confronted with the presence of evil and suffering. Philosophically engaging with theodicy involves grappling with the problem of evil, an inquiry undertaken by figures such as Irenaeus, Augustine, and Thomas Aquinas who, while acknowledging God as the Creator, confront the challenge of reconciling His existence with the presence of evil. Conversely, others, like Antony Flew and Plato in his Timaeus, either discredit God's role as Creator or question His attributes of omniscience, omnipotence, and paternal love.
In 2004, Walvoord prepared one of the largest studies on teaching and learning in the introductor... more In 2004, Walvoord prepared one of the largest studies on teaching and learning in the introductory religion courses on campuses across the United States, in which she included 109 colleges and universities and 12,463 enrolled students in 553 courses and their instructors. The main conclusion of this study revealed what Walvoord describes as, " the true dilemma of the 'great divide, " (Walvoord 2007: 7). This divide is between students' learning goals and faculty's teaching goals. Students, on one side, tend to focus on gaining an understanding of the world's religions in addition to finding answers to their important questions related to the meaning of their life and developing of their own spiritual and religious lives. Faculty, on the other side, focus on training their students on critical thinking skills and instructing them on the world religions. In her study, 66 selected faculty succeeded in meeting goals of both faculty and students. I argue that educators can bridge the " Great Divide " through redesigning the introductory world religions courses to incorporate materials that stimulate critical thinking, emphasizing on faculty's ability to facilitate conversation, make a space for students' voices to be heard, and arrange for times to meet students where students could be helped in making connections between the facts being taught about world religions and their own existential and spiritual questions.
Habib Girgis was born in a time when illiteracy spread all over Egypt in general and the members ... more Habib Girgis was born in a time when illiteracy spread all over Egypt in general and the members of the Coptic Orthodox Church (COC), the native church, in particular. COC was “asleep” for centuries (Sedra 2009: 4). It was still struggling hard to get out of the darkness of the Middle Ages (Yanney 1984:47). Habib Girgis started Sunday School in 1898. In about fifty years later, the Sunday School Movement in Egypt had grown very rapidly reaching 2,500 teachers and 43,000 children in 1949. In addition to teaching the children, the movement expanded to include youth and adults. Social services were added to Sunday school programs, such as summer camps for children and youth, services for the poor, and Boy and Girl Scout Troops. In this paper, I argue that Girgis’ charismatic personality through his establishment of Sunday School Movement, has changed the Coptic educational and social life.
Most Christians are aware of only one pilgrimage center, the Holy Land in Israel that includes Ch... more Most Christians are aware of only one pilgrimage center, the Holy Land in Israel that includes Christian holy places where Jesus Christ lived, was crucified and raised from death, and ascended into heaven. Few are aware of the Christian pilgrimage center that was located in the Western Desert of Egypt and flourished during the fifth and sixth centuries. In 1905, Kaufmann expedition discovered this pilgrimage center. Kaufmann discovered a basilica known as the marble basilica, which was built by the Roman emperor Arcadius, a big church built by Athanasius the patriarch of the Coptic Orthodox Church, other churches, and the remains of a city previously called Abu Mina. All were built in the desert for Christian pilgrims who were visiting St. Mina’s shrine.
Augustine, addressing his friend Marcellinus in the first chapter of the first book of Merits and... more Augustine, addressing his friend Marcellinus in the first chapter of the first book of Merits and Remission of Sin and Infant Baptism, states, “so strongly has this impulse led and attracted me to solve, to the best of my humble ability, the questions which you have submitted to me in writing” (Book 1, Chapter 1). Therefore, when Augustine writes on infant baptism, he is actually answering Marcellinus’ questions and others’ whom he refers to as, “those to whom these questions are a source of anxiety” (Book 1, Chapter 1). As an astute theologian, Augustine resorts to the Bible, especially St. Paul’s Letter to the Romans and Gospel of John, chapter 3, to support his theology. He also refutes erroneous opinions concerning infant baptism. Either in answering questions or in refuting views or even in elucidating theology, he employs reasoning as his tool. Although readers of this outstanding work expect to find complicated theological writings, they enjoy easy-to-understand reasons. In writing about baptizing infant, Augustine gives reasons as to why the church baptizes infants, which in fact disclose his understanding of sin and grace.
One of the most difficult topics to understand in Paul’s theology is “law.” Many researchers fou... more One of the most difficult topics to understand in Paul’s theology is “law.” Many researchers found it to be confusing or controversial. Just reading what Sanders writes shows the bewilderment some scholars have experienced, “The question of Paul and the law starts becoming more complicated when we note that he has both more positive things to say about it and also much more negative things…He claims that he ‘upholds’ the law (Rom. 3:31), … he states that ‘the law is holy’… yet he virtually equates the law with Sin and the Flesh (Rom. 6:14; 7:5)” (Sanders 1991: 99). In this paper, I contend to show that the teaching of Paul concerning law though it is scattered in his letters, it is void of contradiction and in harmony with the teaching of Christ.
Paul describes himself as “a member of the people of Israel…a Pharisee…as to righteousness under ... more Paul describes himself as “a member of the people of Israel…a Pharisee…as to righteousness under the law, blameless” (Phil. 3.5-6), a statement entails that he has been taught to recite the Shema daily, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord is one” (Deut. 6.4). However, Paul’s life has greatly changed after his encounter with Jesus in his way to Damascus (Acts 9). Later, Paul writes, “For us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist” (1Cor. 8.6), a new faith confession contains Jesus as Lord, which is not included in the Jewish Shema. Does this mean that Paul rejects the monotheistic teaching of his ancestors? In this paper, I argue that Paul has not discarded his faith in the one God of Israel but has identified the saving activity of God, both in his life and in the life of the ecclesial communities, with God (the Father), Christ, and the Holy Spirit that lead him to his Trinitarian understanding of God.”
The doctrine of one God in Christianity was inherited from Judaism and affirmed by Jesus, “The fi... more The doctrine of one God in Christianity was inherited from Judaism and affirmed by Jesus, “The first is, ‘Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one’ “(Mark 12.29). Then Jesus introduces the Trinitarian faith when he orders his disciples, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Mat. 28.19). The New Testament includes many references to the Trinitarian faith. But questions arise about the meaning of the Trinitarian biblical declarations. Christians had to wait three centuries until reaching a definitive formula for the Trinity. In this paper, I will show how the efforts of the Church and Christian theologians, such as Athanasius, Basil, and Gregory of Nazianzus led to the formulating of the doctrine of the Trinity in the fourth century.
The term "theodicy," originating from the Greek words "Theos" meaning God and "dike" meaning just... more The term "theodicy," originating from the Greek words "Theos" meaning God and "dike" meaning justice, addresses the challenge of reconciling the existence of evil with the attributes of omnipotence, omnibenevolence, and omniscience attributed to God 1. Alvin Plantinga succinctly defines theodicy as the "answer to the question of why God permits evil." 2 Essentially, theodicy concerns the examination of God's role, whether active or passive, in the world He fashioned, which is confronted with the presence of evil and suffering. Philosophically engaging with theodicy involves grappling with the problem of evil, an inquiry undertaken by figures such as Irenaeus, Augustine, and Thomas Aquinas who, while acknowledging God as the Creator, confront the challenge of reconciling His existence with the presence of evil. Conversely, others, like Antony Flew and Plato in his Timaeus, either discredit God's role as Creator or question His attributes of omniscience, omnipotence, and paternal love.
In 2004, Walvoord prepared one of the largest studies on teaching and learning in the introductor... more In 2004, Walvoord prepared one of the largest studies on teaching and learning in the introductory religion courses on campuses across the United States, in which she included 109 colleges and universities and 12,463 enrolled students in 553 courses and their instructors. The main conclusion of this study revealed what Walvoord describes as, " the true dilemma of the 'great divide, " (Walvoord 2007: 7). This divide is between students' learning goals and faculty's teaching goals. Students, on one side, tend to focus on gaining an understanding of the world's religions in addition to finding answers to their important questions related to the meaning of their life and developing of their own spiritual and religious lives. Faculty, on the other side, focus on training their students on critical thinking skills and instructing them on the world religions. In her study, 66 selected faculty succeeded in meeting goals of both faculty and students. I argue that educators can bridge the " Great Divide " through redesigning the introductory world religions courses to incorporate materials that stimulate critical thinking, emphasizing on faculty's ability to facilitate conversation, make a space for students' voices to be heard, and arrange for times to meet students where students could be helped in making connections between the facts being taught about world religions and their own existential and spiritual questions.
Habib Girgis was born in a time when illiteracy spread all over Egypt in general and the members ... more Habib Girgis was born in a time when illiteracy spread all over Egypt in general and the members of the Coptic Orthodox Church (COC), the native church, in particular. COC was “asleep” for centuries (Sedra 2009: 4). It was still struggling hard to get out of the darkness of the Middle Ages (Yanney 1984:47). Habib Girgis started Sunday School in 1898. In about fifty years later, the Sunday School Movement in Egypt had grown very rapidly reaching 2,500 teachers and 43,000 children in 1949. In addition to teaching the children, the movement expanded to include youth and adults. Social services were added to Sunday school programs, such as summer camps for children and youth, services for the poor, and Boy and Girl Scout Troops. In this paper, I argue that Girgis’ charismatic personality through his establishment of Sunday School Movement, has changed the Coptic educational and social life.
Most Christians are aware of only one pilgrimage center, the Holy Land in Israel that includes Ch... more Most Christians are aware of only one pilgrimage center, the Holy Land in Israel that includes Christian holy places where Jesus Christ lived, was crucified and raised from death, and ascended into heaven. Few are aware of the Christian pilgrimage center that was located in the Western Desert of Egypt and flourished during the fifth and sixth centuries. In 1905, Kaufmann expedition discovered this pilgrimage center. Kaufmann discovered a basilica known as the marble basilica, which was built by the Roman emperor Arcadius, a big church built by Athanasius the patriarch of the Coptic Orthodox Church, other churches, and the remains of a city previously called Abu Mina. All were built in the desert for Christian pilgrims who were visiting St. Mina’s shrine.
Augustine, addressing his friend Marcellinus in the first chapter of the first book of Merits and... more Augustine, addressing his friend Marcellinus in the first chapter of the first book of Merits and Remission of Sin and Infant Baptism, states, “so strongly has this impulse led and attracted me to solve, to the best of my humble ability, the questions which you have submitted to me in writing” (Book 1, Chapter 1). Therefore, when Augustine writes on infant baptism, he is actually answering Marcellinus’ questions and others’ whom he refers to as, “those to whom these questions are a source of anxiety” (Book 1, Chapter 1). As an astute theologian, Augustine resorts to the Bible, especially St. Paul’s Letter to the Romans and Gospel of John, chapter 3, to support his theology. He also refutes erroneous opinions concerning infant baptism. Either in answering questions or in refuting views or even in elucidating theology, he employs reasoning as his tool. Although readers of this outstanding work expect to find complicated theological writings, they enjoy easy-to-understand reasons. In writing about baptizing infant, Augustine gives reasons as to why the church baptizes infants, which in fact disclose his understanding of sin and grace.
One of the most difficult topics to understand in Paul’s theology is “law.” Many researchers fou... more One of the most difficult topics to understand in Paul’s theology is “law.” Many researchers found it to be confusing or controversial. Just reading what Sanders writes shows the bewilderment some scholars have experienced, “The question of Paul and the law starts becoming more complicated when we note that he has both more positive things to say about it and also much more negative things…He claims that he ‘upholds’ the law (Rom. 3:31), … he states that ‘the law is holy’… yet he virtually equates the law with Sin and the Flesh (Rom. 6:14; 7:5)” (Sanders 1991: 99). In this paper, I contend to show that the teaching of Paul concerning law though it is scattered in his letters, it is void of contradiction and in harmony with the teaching of Christ.
Paul describes himself as “a member of the people of Israel…a Pharisee…as to righteousness under ... more Paul describes himself as “a member of the people of Israel…a Pharisee…as to righteousness under the law, blameless” (Phil. 3.5-6), a statement entails that he has been taught to recite the Shema daily, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord is one” (Deut. 6.4). However, Paul’s life has greatly changed after his encounter with Jesus in his way to Damascus (Acts 9). Later, Paul writes, “For us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist” (1Cor. 8.6), a new faith confession contains Jesus as Lord, which is not included in the Jewish Shema. Does this mean that Paul rejects the monotheistic teaching of his ancestors? In this paper, I argue that Paul has not discarded his faith in the one God of Israel but has identified the saving activity of God, both in his life and in the life of the ecclesial communities, with God (the Father), Christ, and the Holy Spirit that lead him to his Trinitarian understanding of God.”
The doctrine of one God in Christianity was inherited from Judaism and affirmed by Jesus, “The fi... more The doctrine of one God in Christianity was inherited from Judaism and affirmed by Jesus, “The first is, ‘Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one’ “(Mark 12.29). Then Jesus introduces the Trinitarian faith when he orders his disciples, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Mat. 28.19). The New Testament includes many references to the Trinitarian faith. But questions arise about the meaning of the Trinitarian biblical declarations. Christians had to wait three centuries until reaching a definitive formula for the Trinity. In this paper, I will show how the efforts of the Church and Christian theologians, such as Athanasius, Basil, and Gregory of Nazianzus led to the formulating of the doctrine of the Trinity in the fourth century.
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