Who is Amaterasu? (Shinto’s Principal God) 
Bishop's Encyclopedia of Religion, Society and Philosophy
by James Bishop
2d ago
The sun goddess Amaterasu is the principal deity (Kami) of the Japanese Shinto (“the way of the gods”) religion and the founder of the imperial dynasty. She is honored, especially at her temple in Ise, Japan, and is believed to give spiritual power to her people.  Amaterasu was born of the original parent deities, Izanagi and Izanami (see a summary of the Kojiki creation story), and came to have an important role in the ritual traditions of Shinto, especially those connected to the imperial household and the sense of a national religion. As the ancestral deity of the imperial family, she ..read more
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What Did Jesus Christ Believe About the Heavenly and Fallen Angels?
Bishop's Encyclopedia of Religion, Society and Philosophy
by James Bishop
2d ago
Jesus of Nazareth (c. 6–4 BCE—c. 30 CE) is described as speaking of both “heavenly” and “fallen” angels on a number of occasions. These teachings coalesce to provide the following: He had no doubts about their existence; he accepted without question, and proclaimed as an ontological given, both their reality and their division into categories of “heavenly” and “fallen” (Matt 25:41); He believed that angels were numerous, that they were arrayed in ranks and in hierarchies (Matt 26:53), and that “fallen” angels were led by, and were minions of, a “prince of demons” (Mark 3:23–26); That in the p ..read more
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Who is Ahura Mazda? (Zoroastrianism)
Bishop's Encyclopedia of Religion, Society and Philosophy
by James Bishop
2d ago
The force for good and the opponent of Angra Mainyu (the Destructive Spirit), Ahura Mazda (“wise deity”) is the chief god of the ancient Iranians and later the Zoroastrians. Ahura means “lord” and is an ancient Iranian term that is equivalent to the Vedic term “asura” found in the ancient Rigveda. Zoroaster or Zarathustra (lived mid second millennium BE or 6th century BCE) believed he had seen Ahura Mazda personally in a prophetic vision and had been called by him, therefore securing at the foundations of the Zoroastrianism a concept of a personal God. Zoroaster believed Ahura Mazda to be the ..read more
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Biblical Figures: Abraham
Bishop's Encyclopedia of Religion, Society and Philosophy
by James Bishop
2w ago
Abraham (“The Father of Many Nations”), previously known as Abram (“The Father [or God] Is Exalted”), is the first of the patriarchs of Israel who probably lived somewhere between 2000 and 1500 BCE. His life is depicted in Genesis 11–25 and he is recognized as the forefather of both Judaism and Christianity. According to the biblical account, Abraham was a merchant from the urban civilization of Ur of the Chaldees, in Mesopotamia, who traveled into Palestine. At 75 years of age, he left Ur believing that God (Yahweh) called him to found a new nation in an undesignated land that he later learne ..read more
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Developmental Psychology: Erik Erikson (1902–1994)
Bishop's Encyclopedia of Religion, Society and Philosophy
by James Bishop
3w ago
Erik Erikson (1902–1994), born in Frankfurt, Germany, was a psychoanalyst and psychiatrist known for his multistage theory on the social development of human beings. Erikson’s Childhood and Society (1950) introduces the eight stages of psychosocial development and the concept of an “identity crisis” and is considered a classical text by educators, psychologists, and sociologists. He also produced other prominent works, such as psychobiographies of Martin Luther (Young Man Luther: A Study in Psychoanalysis and History, 1958), Mohandas Gandhi (Gandhi’s Truth, 1969), and The Life Cycle Completed ..read more
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Christian History and Denominations: Methodism
Bishop's Encyclopedia of Religion, Society and Philosophy
by James Bishop
4M ago
Christian History and Denominations: The Quakers Christian History and Denominations: The Baptists _________________________________________________________________________ Methodism was a movement promoted by the brothers John (1703–1791) and Charles (1707–1788) Wesley. It soon became a separate denomination and now refers to members of the Methodist Church. John had a conversion experience in 1738, and like his brother Charles, it strengthened his resolve to dedicate himself to evangelistic work. John formed a group that became known as the ‘Holy Club’ or ‘Methodists’. He was ordained as a p ..read more
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Functional Differentiation and Religion as a Social Subsystem
Bishop's Encyclopedia of Religion, Society and Philosophy
by James Bishop
4M ago
Functional differentiation is defined as the fragmentation of modern society as new specialized roles and institutions emerge. These institutions have a specific function and relative independence from other social institutions, and control features and functions previously carried out by one institution. Functional Differentiation and Religion For both late twentieth-century (Luhmann 1985; Wilson 1982; Tschannen 1991; Casanova 1994; Chaves 1994; Willaim 1995) and twenty-first-century (Wohlrab-Sahra and Burchardtb 2012; Vanderstraeten 2015; Flatt 2023) theorists, functional differentiation has ..read more
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The Letter of Ephesians: Author, Date, and Themes
Bishop's Encyclopedia of Religion, Society and Philosophy
by James Bishop
4M ago
Ephesians was a letter sent to churches in Asia Minor, including Ephesus, the main church of the region. Addressees and Message Ephesians addresses no specific problems or issues in the church of Ephesus or other churches in Asia Minor but is invested in exploring the cosmic significance of the Christian faith.   According to Ephesians, the Church is the very purpose God had from the beginning of salvation history, which is universal in the equality of both Jews and Gentiles. Ephesians was an encyclical, circular letter sent to churches across Asia Minor, in particular to the church in Ep ..read more
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World Religions Thread
Bishop's Encyclopedia of Religion, Society and Philosophy
by James Bishop
4M ago
Test ..read more
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Christian Doctrine: The Fall
Bishop's Encyclopedia of Religion, Society and Philosophy
by James Bishop
4M ago
The Fall is found in Jewish and Christian theology and refers to when humankind fell from a state of primordial innocence in the sight of its Creator into a state of sin.  As described in the Old Testament book of Genesis, the Fall was the consequence of the disobedience of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Eve was tempted by a serpent to taste fruit, forbidden by God for them to consume, of the “tree of the knowledge of good and evil,” subsequently inducing Adam to do likewise. This disobedience led to their expulsion from the Garden of Eden and the receiving of further punishments, su ..read more
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