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The New Perspective on Paul is a way of reinterpreting the Apostle's New Testament letters, which lifts them out of the "Old Perspective" paradigm, as characterized by Protestant theology, and relocates them into a different theological framework. Leaders of the New Perspective include New Testament scholars N.T. Wright (1948-present; former bishop of Durham) and James D.G. Dunn (1939-present; former professor of theology at the University of Durham). The work of Wright and Dunn build upon the research of E.P. Sanders (1935-present; professor of religion at Duke University). Although Wright, Dunn, and Sanders, are the most well-known scholars associated with the New Perspective, there are many others. While the subject is often called "The New Perspective on Paul" (singular), it's more precise to speak of "perspectives" (plural), because there is not uniform agreement among those who challenge the Old Perspective. New Perspective scholars disagree ...

Padre Pio showing his stigmataIn Galatians 6:17, the Apostle Paul writes, "I bear on my body the marks of the Lord Jesus" (KJV). The Greek word translated "marks" is stigmata. ("Stigmata" is plural; "stigma" is singular.) While most Bible scholars confess that they don't know the exact physical phenomena Paul was referring to, in the last 500 years the term "stigmata" refers to when a person allegedly possesses marks on his or her body, which correspond to areas where Christ's body was afflicted when he was crucified. Some recipients have reported pain with stigmata, while others haven't. The marks may be visible or invisible. Reported cases of stigmata include people suffering from the five "Holy Wounds"; that is, one wound on each wrist or hand, one wound on each foot, and one wound on the side of the torso analogous of where Christ was pierced with a spear. Other signs of stigmata include bleeding from the foreh...

"Some will not be redeemed. There is no doctrine which I would more willingly remove from Christianity than this if it lay in my power." -- C.S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain "Abandon hope, all ye who enter here!" --Inscription over the gates of hell in Dante's Inferno "It would be dreadful to suffer this fierceness and wrath of Almighty God for one moment; but you must suffer it for all eternity." --Jonathan Edwards, Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God (1741) According to a 2004 Gallup Poll, 70% of Americans believe in hell. Belief in hell is highest among regular churchgoers: 92% of those who attend church weekly believe in hell, as do 74% of those who attend nearly weekly. In Christian theology, hell is the place or state into which unrepentant sinners pass after this life. Hell is generally thought to be eternal, and to include both punishment (poena sensus) and separation from God (poena damni). Although not central to the Christian faith, the doctr...

Christian beliefs about the afterlife vary between denominations and individual Christians, but the vast majority of Christians believe in some kind of heaven, in which believers enjoy the presence of God and other believers and freedom from suffering and sin. Views differ as to whether those of other faiths or none at all will be in heaven, and conceptions of what heaven will be like differ as well. A slightly lesser majority of Christians believe in the existence of hell, where unbelievers or sinners are punished. Views differ as to whether hell is eternal and whether its punishment is spiritual or physical. Some Christians reject the notion altogether. Catholic Christians also believe in purgatory, a temporary place of punishment for Christians who have died with unconfessed sins. For more specific Christian views about the afterlife, following are doctrinal statements from several different Christian denominations and organizations on the afterlife. Click on the linked title for th...

Image of God Fundamental to the Christian understanding of human nature is the belief that the first humans were created in the image of God (imago Dei). This derives from Genesis 1:26-27, which declares: Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. What does it mean to be created in the image of God? Certainly it does not mean that humans look like God, for all monotheistic religions believe God to be incorporeal (nonphysical). But theologians have found in this doctrine a rich variety of other meanings, all of which give great dignity and honor to the human race. Closely related to the imago Dei is the belief that humans were created perfectly good, on which Christianity, Judaism, and Islam are a...

christianity / beliefs / mary Christian Beliefs about Mary “Henceforth all generations will call me blessed.” --Mary, Luke 1:48 There are several Marys in the Bible, but by far the most important is Mary, the Mother of Jesus. She is known by many titles, including the Blessed Virgin Mary (sometimes abbreviated BVM), Queen of Heaven, Theotokos (Mother of God) and Our Lady (Notre-Dame in French; Madonna in Italian). Because of her humility, piety and role as the mother of the Savior of humanity, Mary has been accorded great respect in all branches of Christianity and is a favorite subject in art, music and literature. In Catholic and Orthodox Churches, Mary is the pre-eminent saint and the focus of much popular devotion. This article explores historical and modern Christian beliefs about Mary (known as "Mariology"), which includes such doctrines as the Immaculate Conception of Mary, the Virgin Birth of Christ, the perpetual virginity of Mary, the Assumption of Mary, Mary as ...

Come, O Lord" - 1 Corinthians 16:22 All Christians believe that Jesus Christ will return one day, an event also known as The Second Coming. The Bible teaches that he will come back to the earth at an unknown time to destroy the enemies of God, rid the world of sin, reward followers, and establish peace. In Revelation 19:11 reads, "I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True." This picturesque return of Christ is the culmination of predetermined events that will lead to the end of the world as it is now known. Because Christians interpret key texts differently, they differ as to what events lead to Christ's second advent. The three eschatological (eschatos is Greek for "last things") views that have been the most popular in the history of the Church are postmillennialism, amillennialism, and premillennialism. Like the etymologies their names suggest, differences center on the milennial period as r...

Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed from that moment." -- Matthew 17:18, NIV "The demon threw him to the ground in a convulsion. But Jesus rebuked the evil spirit, healed the boy and gave him back to his father. And they were all amazed at the greatness of God." -- Luke 9:42-3 "Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith." -- 1 Peter 5:8-9 In Christian belief, angels were created good but were endowed with free will just as humans were. Some of them rebelled against God, were banished from heaven, and became demons. The English word "demon" derives from the Greek daemon (δαίμων), which originally referred to any spirit but came to be associated with only evil spirits. In Christian teaching, the leader of the rebellious angels was Satan, who has became humanity's chief adversary. He is identified with the serpent who tempts Adam and E...

"God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendent of David. The virgin's name was Mary." --Luke 1:26-27, NIV "Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?" --Hebrews 1:14, NIV According to a March 2004 Gallup poll, belief in angels and demons is on the rise, at least in the United States. In 1994, 72% of Americans said they believed in angels; in 2004, 78% indicated belief in angels. Belief in the devil has risen even more dramatically, increasing from 55% in 1990 to 70% in 2004. 1 Other English-speaking countries are more skeptical, however. In November 2004, a Gallup poll showed that 56% of Canadians and 36% of Britons believe in angels and only 37% of Canadians and 29% of Britons believe in the devil. 2 Belief in angels is common to Christianity, Judaism and Islam. The concept of angelic beings is very similar in all three faiths: angels a...

In Christian theology, the Holy Spirit is the Third Person of the Trinity, co-equal with the Father and the Son as a part of the Godhead. Being personal like the other members of the Trinity, the Spirit is referred to as a "he," not an "it." The Holy Spirit is sometimes referred to as the Holy Ghost, particularly by conservative Pentecostal groups and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This name was used in the King James Bible (1611) and was the common term until the 20th century. The branch of Christian theology concerned with the Holy Spirit is called Pneumatology. The following article explores Christian beliefs about the Holy Spirit as expressed in the Bible and Christian doctrines. The Holy Spirit in the Old Testament In the Old Testament, the Spirit (ruach) is an instrument of divine action in nature and in the human heart. Before the creation of the world, the Spirit was brooding over the waters (Gen. 1:2). The Spirit inspired the artistic skil...

Jesus Christ is one the most fascinating and enigmatic figures in history. Despite his humble origins (a son of a carpenter from the Judean countryside), short life (about 33 years), and very short public career (between one and three years), Jesus is the central focus of the world's largest religion and has meant many things to many people since his death almost 2,000 years ago. Merriam-Webster's Encyclopedia of World Religions calls Jesus "arguably the most important figure in the history of western civilization." In recent years, both scholarly and popular attention has been focused on the "quest for the historical Jesus," an attempt to distinguish the human Jesus who lived and taught in Galilee from the "Christ of faith" developed by the early Christians. This subject will be discussed in a separate article (currently under development). This article focuses on the "Christ of faith" - that is, the Christian doctrine about who Jesus wa...