...In "Christ as a good Shepard," Jesus is depicted as one with the sheep, sitting along side them. They are distributed evenly with 3 on each side of him, all in informal arrangements and positions. Jesus is depicted in gold and purple, however, demonstrating his superiority with a halo on top of his head. Also, the landscape is very detailed. He is shown under a blue sky surrounded by plants and grass, in contrast to "The miracle of the Loaves and Fishes" mosaic. This mosaic depicts Jesus under a gold sky, the standard background color for medieval mosaics. He is faced directly towards the viewer now, spreading his arms and directing his disciples to distribute the great amount of fish and bread he has just produced. The artist only used 4 disciples to make the work's meaning explicit; he also aligns the figures laterally behind Jesus, close to the foreground. These two works compare in that they symbolize Jesus young and beardless. In Good Shepard Mosaic, the forms still have three-dimensional bulk, but the shading such as in the folds of the robes is less refined than in the past, and figured are not very grounded. The elements of realism have been sacrificed for a focus on spiritual elements such as anatomically incorrect tails of the sheep. "Miracle of loaves and fishes" is created in a very simple form in a small-scale frame. The rejection of illusionism takes away realistic features to focus on the religious meanings of the work, as Jesus holds a fish in one hand...
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...A Christ Figure is a character whose presence and actions resemble that of Jesus Christ, a martyr who sacrifices himself for the betterment of those around him. The novels, A Separate Peace, by John Knowles, One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey, and the movie, Cool Hand Luke, include Christ Figures who positively alter the setting where they once existed. Commonly, a Christ Figure intentionally takes on suffering, such as Luke in Cool Hand Luke and McMurphy in One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Luke is a newly arrived inmate at a work prison who influences his fellow prisoners to fight against authority. Just like Luke, McMurphy is a newly admitted patient in a mental institute who influences the people around him to defy the authority...
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...The Flagellation of Christ by Piero della Francesca is a complex and unusual depiction of the flagellation. The painting was so unusual that the Gardener textbook had extremely limited information regarding the artwork. It was created in the mid fourteenth century, making it a quattrocento, and utilizes the styles of renascence art. The group of three men in the foreground contains the main theme of the painting that is the Christian acceptance and Jewish rejection of Jesus as the messiah and how that created a divide in theological beliefs between the two groups. Through a visual analysis it is apparent that this image is unlike almost any other Christian depiction of the life of Jesus. In this representation of the Flagellation Jesus is not the main focus; rather he is confined to the background of the image. This is an unprecedented reversal of Jesus and surrounding figures in Christian artwork. The main focus is of a group of three men in the foreground. This is apparent due to their location relative to the location of Jesus. It is easily seen that the group of three men are in the foreground due to the artist’s clear lines on the floor that creates a three-dimensional scene. Although there is distance between the groups, there is a clear connection between them. Jesus and his group of tormentors reflect the first triad. This is further supported by the similarities between the posture of Jesus and the middle youth in the foreground. The fact that the two groups are...
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...Mill Street Church of Christ v. Hogan Introduction: All relationships have the ability to strongly affect people, especially individuals that were not initially invested in such relationships. In a principal agent relationship, there is an established responsibility that the agent can act on the behalf or instead of the principle; however, what happens when there is a third party affected by the decisions of that relationship? In the case of Mill Street Church of Christ v. Hogan, we are able to examine the differences between actual express and implied authority are applied and how these authorities hold the defendant liable to the third party. Mill Street Church of Christ v. Hogan, Mill Street Church of Christ and State Automobile Mutual Insurance Company appealed the New Worker’s Compensation Board’s decision, which had stated that Bill Hogan was indeed in an agent principal relationship with Mill Street Church of Christ; therefore is liable for the compensation of Sam Hogan, the respondent’s injury. In the case, the Church had decided to repaint their walls and hired Bill Hogan to complete the task. Hogan had been painting the walls himself, however he reached a difficult portion of the building and decided that he needed additional help to finish painting. He spoke with Dr. David Waggoner, an Elder of the church, who stated that Hogan could possibly hire Gary Petty to help; however Dr. Waggoner also mentioned that Petty would be difficult to contact...
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...“The Last Temptation of Christ” The Last Temptation of Christ is a highly controversial film that was released in 1988 by Martin Scorsese who claims his film is purely fiction. This story is based upon the analogy of the fictional novel entitled The Last Temptation of Christ, written by Nikos Kazantzaki. If you’ve ever wondered if there was any struggle between the spirit and flesh of Jesus Christ during his life as a human then this film tries to answer just that question. The main idea of this movie is suppose to give you a glance at the sinful temptations that Jesus Christ may have been subjected to while living as a human. By giving you a perception of the human side of Jesus and the agony he endured accepting his destiny; Scorsese hopes that Jesus becomes more identifiable in a manner where you can relate to the suffering he may have experienced in the process leading up to him dying on the cross for the sins of humanity. The main casting characters in this film are Willem Dafoe as Jesus Christ, Harvey Keitel as Judas, Barbara Hershey as Mary Magdalene, Andre Gregory as John the Baptist, and Verna Bloom as Mary, mother of Jesus. As the film begins, Jesus is a cross maker, he builds crosses for the Romans to be used during the punishment of Israelites. According to Jesus, he works with the Romans to spite God. He is angry because God loves him and he cannot stand to bare the pain of that love. The character of Jesus comes across as being a confused man by the voices he...
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...SWilliams BIB354 The Passion of the Christ Years ago I reviewed “The Passion of the Christ” and it was an extremely intense film that had critics giving their opinions from political and religion stand points. This film made some people aware of Jesus and the true events that took place leading to his death and resurrection, yet some individuals believe to this day that it is still a non-fictional myth. In addition, this film was about Jesus; how he endured pain as well as suffering in order to continue out the plan of his crucifixions. The actor, director, and producer Mel Gibson created this film as a voice to educate non-believers and believers of the history of Jesus during his final stages of life. According to Bartchy S. (2005), “This film is undoubtedly the most ambitious and most commercially successful exploitation of the Christian Scriptures to date (p. 314).” Although, everyone had their own outlooks and some believed that Gibson delivers no underlining story nor stern clarification of the perspective because every individual visions this movie in his or her own theory, on condition that milieu from their own theoretical “vessel” designed by specific and previous prospects. For example, various journalist trust that Gibson only have one track mind such as that of spiritual Roman Catholics in addition to Christians that are fundamentalist, along with that of more or less who desire to be called “Zealous Christians” whom has joined in countless groups aligned with...
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...Crystal Back THEO 104 December 11, 2010 What It Means to Be a Christian I. Introduction There are three concepts that have helped reshape the perception I have of Christianity: the Christian’s way of life, the Christian’s testimony, and the Church, or the Body of Christ, as it relates to the community. Each of these concepts is very important as independent ideas, but together they strengthen and enhance the life of a Christian. My own life has been strengthened by these ideas, and that is why I believe they are all essential to the growth and maturity of every Christian’s spiritual walk. They assist in defining what it means to be a true Christian. II. Section One: The Life of a Christian The first of these important concepts deals with the lifestyle of a Christian. Every aspect of a person’s physical life is directly involved with their spiritual health whether they realize it or not. It is not only crucial for a Christian to be aware of what they are doing in the presence of others, it is important for them to be aware of the decisions they make without an accountable audience. Choosing to live a lifestyle according to the teachings of Jesus Christ is the best way to genuinely show God and others that His lifestyle is, in fact, the best way. It also shows others, believers and non-believers alike, what a Christian really is and what one represents. For a Christian to truly be capable of living a Christian lifestyle, they must first begin their journey...
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...LIBERTY UNIVERSITY BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY Conversion Testimony Paper Submitted to Professor David A. Wheeler in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the completion of Contemporary Evangelism EVAN 525 – B02 by James D. Dynarski January 17th 2015 Conversion Testimony Instructions Part One – “I have not always been a Christian.” I have not always been a follower of Christ Jesus; my life before Christ was a dark and angry time for me. After my mother died suddenly in 1994 at the age of forty years old, I turned to the use of illicit drugs, excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages, and both mental and physical sexual perversion to numb the pain of my loss, in the process falling deeper and deeper into depression. I started to hang out with a crowd that introduced me to Wicca (witchcraft). I tried to believe it filled a void in my heart and life that I had felt I lost when my mother passed away. A Christian co-worker tried her best to witness to me and I scoffed at her simple belief of true forgiveness through Christ Jesus. I left her in tears that night as I told her if there is a God and a Hell, I am not good enough for Him and I deserve the Hell she was telling me about. Her straight and narrow path seemed dim and boring compared to my wide open road of self-indulgence. Part Two – “I realized I needed Jesus and received Him into my life when…” I realized I needed Jesus and received Him into my life after I had been...
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...American Dream, relying on God to solve one’s problems was not going to cut it. The hope that humanity could move forward as a whole sustained the country more than faith in solely God. John Steinbeck, recognizing the need for a faith founded in people rather than God, created the character of Jim Casy to represent a modernized Jesus Christ who would teach of the power of unity rather than the power of religion. His utilization of the Christ figure becomes more evident as the novel progresses. In Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck uses Jim Casy as the Christ figure to provide those of the Great Depression with a more pertinent faith reliant on the goodness of humanity rather than exclusively on God. Initially, John Steinbeck’s description of Jim Casy portrays a man who has fallen from the accepted faith-similar to that of Jesus Christ’s fall from Judaism -and has become enlightened by a radical new idea. When Casy is first introduced he is unsure about his own religious identity because he believes that “the sperit [isn’t] in [him] no more” (20). In order to understand this feeling of spiritual emptiness, Casy goes, “into the wilderness like [Jesus Christ]” (81). His lust for flesh fills him with guilt that troubles him. He considers that “maybe we been whippin’ the hell out of ourselves for nothin’” because “there ain’t sin and there ain’t no virtue” (23). He doesn’t understand the point of a faith that only condemns...
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...------------------------------------------------- Likewise must the deacons be grave, not double-tounged, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre, holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience. And let these also first be proved; then let them use the office of a deacon being found blameless. Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things. Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well. For thy that have used the office of a deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus. ------------------------------------------------- Likewise, the deacons (servants, attendants, waiters) should be venerable, honorable, well-ordered in their earthly life and have grace and dignity derived from heavenly citizenship. They should have seriousness of purpose and self-respect in conduct. They should not be double tongued, saying one thing to a person, then giving a different view to another. The deacon (servant, attendant, waiter) should not be given to alcoholic drink or greedy of base gain. A deacon (servant, attendant, waiter) should keep in mind the revealed, manifested truth that Jesus is the Messiah (through whom we obtain eternal salvation in the kingdom of God) with a pure (free from the defilements of the flesh and the world) conscience (knowing, co-perception = Knowledge?). Let these also first be examined, scrutinized...
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...through challenging times in my life. “I can do all things through Christ Jesus who strengthens me” (Philippian 4:13, King James Bible). As a single parent, battling with Breast Cancer, and going back to college, this I will do through Christ Jesus my strength and redeemer. As a single parent, years of raising two children by me were very difficult. There were not many times I had no time to carry out the many tasks that a good parent was required to do, nor did I have the strength. I was working night shift for twelve hours, coming home making sure that my children were prepared for the school day, figuring out what the meal would be when they returned home from school, doing house work and paying bills; all of this had to be done before I could get some rest. At some point I had no choice but to call on the name of Jesus Christ for strength to carry on. Without any hesitation I knew that “I can do all things through Jesus Christ who strengthens me”. The years have traveled on by; I am still depending on Jesus Christ for strength. A time had come in my life when the enemy had attacked my body with Breast Cancer. The cancer caused great weakness to my body, as I went through chemotherapy treatments. It was not just my physical state that had gotten weakness I acquired a mental weakness as well, trying to mentally process this great ordeal. I knew in my heart and mind that the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who had brought me through many hard trials had not brought me this...
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...are true” Having faith in Jesus Christ means relying completely on Him—trusting in His infinite power, intelligence, and love. It includes believing His teachings. It means believing that even though you do not understand all things, He does. Remember that because He has experienced all our pains, afflictions, and infirmities, He knows how to help us rise above our daily difficulties. Jesus Christ has atoned for us and prepared for us to receive eternal life. He is always ready to help us, as he commands us to “Look unto Him in in every thought, doubt not, fear not”. To me, faith is believing that Heavenly has a plan for us. It is trusting in God and knowing that He has a hand in all things in our lives. The Savior promises us, “If ye will have faith in me ye shall have power to do whatsoever thing is expedient in me”. Through Him, all things are possible. However, faith is more than simply a belief. Having faith in Jesus Christ can motivate us to follow His perfect example. It is what actions we take that put our faith to the test. For someone to have faith, they must be motivated to put a belief into practice, not merely being content with it in their mind. For example, we believe that Christ is the Savior, but because we have faith we act upon this. Some ways we can act upon our faith include going to church every Sunday, participating in service projects, and paying tithing. We act upon these things because of our faith in the Lord, Jesus Christ. He promises us blessings and...
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...totally agree with her on that because God is not focused on one particular culture, but all cultures. She also mentioned about restoring joy and purpose into the world. The majority of the world is lost because they don’t understand their purpose. They don’t understand that God has created them not for themselves, but for him. She mentioned that restoring the joy comes from sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. Not just to our culture alone, but to all. In order for us to change the politics of our nations, we must first influence the culture, and to do that we must reclaim a Christian worldview. I believe reclaiming the view of the world will make all the difference. Are we really viewing the world in the eyes of God? Do we really see the world as God’s creation even though all kinds of evil are going on? Can the world be saved through the sharing of the Gospel? Those are questions asked in this book. But, do we know the answers? She also talks about how we have lost our minds. She is speaking in the sense of evangelism. Have we really put on the mind of Christ when it comes to sharing the gospel with the lost or are we...
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...Josh Nicholas Professor Graham English 1301 8:00-9:30 September 12, 2013 “Salvation” by Langston Hughes No one person is without sin. Everyone has done wrong, and nobody is perfect. A lot of people seek salvation and forgiveness for what they have done in their life. The definition of salvation is the deliverance of sin and its consequences brought by faith in Christ. Of the many people that seek salvation, some may not find what they are looking for. In “Salvation” by Langston Hughes, the main character has lied to and deceived most of his church members about being salvaged, or in other words, saved, and he should be supported for his actions. The author of “Salvation” is Langston Hughes, and he is also the main character himself. Hughes was born in Joplin Missouri on February 1, 1902. Soon after his birth, his parents split and his mother moved around, so Hughes was mainly raised by his maternal grandmother. After moving to several different cities, he eventually settled in Cleveland which is where he began to write poetry. Poetry was not the only type of writing that Hughes partook in. He wrote novels and short stories along with his poetry. In the short story “Salvation” Langston is a twelve year old boy going on thirteen attending a revival at his Auntie Reeds church. Towards the end of the revival, all of the “sinner children” were brought upon the mourners’ bench. The reason for this? To find Jesus and to let him into the children’s lives. One by one the children...
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...because they are like us, the believe the same things that we do, follow the same laws and have the “same covenants and liturgical gatherings, the same sacraments, the same hopes.” Second everything that us humans have actually comes from God so who are we to withhold these things from those who truly need them. This, according to Nazianzus is simply irresponsible and selfish. Giving to the poor from your surplus is a sign of thanks to God and doing so makes you a “god to the unfortunate, by imitating the mercy of God.” Finally, Christ stated that what you do for the lowest of his people you did for him, so caring for the poor is especially important as it is also caring for the needs of the Lord. Of all of these reasons for caring for the poor, I feel like the final is the most persuasive because it gives you an actual person, and of all people the Messiah, that you have to be accountable to. Every Christian wants to please the Lord and Jesus Christ himself, and by following his word and caring for the least of his people, each of us can do just that. The other two reasons only make us accountable to ourselves and what we believe God wants us to do, but this final reason holds special significance because it comes from the words of...
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