Notes, summaries, assignments, exams, and problems for Religion

The Encounter with God

The encounter with God is as follows:

a) Overall: Follow these steps: First, aversion to the outside world; second, search within; third, transcending, jump to the higher.

b) In particular, for power, it would be:

• Memory: "Memory is the power with which the soul is present to itself and yet is aware of the being of God." Memory is either of the sensible or intelligible. The memory is the act of memory, but the memory in St. Augustine also considers this: what I am and what God is.
• Knowledge: Types of knowledge: sensible and intelligible, the latter being the only authentic, and to reach it you must go through a series of steps (aside from the truth).
• Will: The Christian message is love, priority will, distancing of Greek intellectualism.

Meeting 5: The Mission of Jesus

Jesus was very clear about his mission. The mission of Jesus was to establish the kingdom of heaven on earth and reveal how much the Father in heaven loves us; free from sin and death to give new life to the children of God. However, this mission was not understood or accepted by all. Many who listened led him to death on the cross. The resurrection marks the success of the mission of Jesus.

The resurrected Jesus gathers the Apostles to continue his mission: all men carry the Father's love and the new life He gives us.

After sending the apostles to preach, he ascended to heaven.

The mission of the apostles is to continue the work he had started.

Since then, the church continues to fulfill the mandate of Jesus, and... Continue reading "Jesus' Mission, Ascension, and the Legacy of Saint Paul" »

The Middle Ages began in the 5th century with the fall of the Roman Empire and concluded in the 15th century with the Renaissance. In stark contrast to ancient philosophy, which primarily focused on the determination of the object, medieval philosophy centered its interest on God. Consequently, sacred truths revealed by God to humanity became the undisputed core from which all philosophical reflection had to emerge.

We can highlight three main periods:

• Patristic Philosophy: Early Christian Thought (1st-5th C.)

  This period refers to the early Christian thinkers and the Fathers of the Church who developed Patristic Philosophy. St. Augustine of Hippo represents the culmination of Patristic thought and Christian Platonism.

  St. Augustine of Hippo: Faith,

Early Christian and Byzantine Art and Architecture

Early Christian art and architecture emerged from the shadows following Constantine's Edict of Milan in 313 CE, which granted religious tolerance throughout the Roman Empire. This period, spanning from the 1st to the 5th century, laid the foundational building types that would define much of the Middle Ages. A fundamental divide marks this architectural evolution:

The Dawn of Christian Art: Before and After the Edict of Milan

Before the Edict of Milan (Pre-313 CE)

During this clandestine period, Christian art remained largely hidden, leading to limited architectural development. Tituli were private homes where the faithful gathered for meetings and Christian celebrations. Catacombs served as secret... Continue reading "The Evolution of Christian Art: From Catacombs to Domes" »

Introduction to the Play's Themes

The focus of the work is the moral confrontation between the authoritarian, rigid, and conventional figure (Bernarda) and the desire for freedom (represented by Adela and María Josefa). Sub-topics include passionate love affairs, the critique of hypocrisy and falsehood among the characters, and the conflict between two fundamental attitudes towards life and opposing ideologies.

Moral Clash: Authority vs. Freedom

This opposition is present from the start. Bernarda attempts to impose her oppressive rules, based on the traditional authority of the head of the household. Meanwhile, Adela and María Josefa try to rebel against this domination. The other daughters fearfully obey. The imposed eight-year mourning period... Continue reading "Bernarda Alba's House: Authority, Repression, and Female Desire" »

Cathedral Chapter

The word derives from the Latin capitulum, meaning council, and referred to the community of clerics forming the permanent council of the Bishop. Historically, it provided legal assistance to the head of the diocese. It consists of priests called canons, who are granted a sinecure, i.e., a specific role within the daily activities of the cathedral. They are responsible for holding the most solemn ceremonies that take place in the cathedral or collegiate church. Therefore, they are directly related to matters of worship.

The chapter has its own constitution and a president, known as the dean of the cathedral. One prominent member is the canon penitentiary, who has the authority to grant absolution in the sacramental sphere to... Continue reading "Catholic Clergy Roles: Cathedral Chapters and Archbishops" »

Places of Worship

The ultimate place of worship is the Temple of Jerusalem. However, as we all know, this temple is currently destroyed. Given this reality, for most Jewish believers, the synagogue serves as the Temple of Jerusalem, even though it may not be rebuilt (only the Wailing Wall remains). However, not all faithful Jews share that view. The synagogue, while conducting worship, performs other functions: it is the place of meeting and teaching the doctrine and laws.

Minister of Worship: Rabbi

From a technical standpoint, it is not accurate to say that the rabbi is a minister of religion, but today they are the closest equivalent to this concept in the Jewish religion. In fact, their role is to explain the Hebrew religion. They are the spiritual... Continue reading "Jewish Places of Worship, Rabbis, and Marriage Laws" »

Ba: The Shape-Shifting Soul

The ba is characterized by its ability to leave the body and take on many appearances. It is often represented as a bird with a human head. Coffin Texts 2.3.Los

The Pharaoh's Transformation

The Pharaoh, though still powerful, appears more human. This is how the Coffin Texts collection was formed. The sarcophagus itself represented the universe. The ascension took place in the form of the ba bird. The deceased could only reach heaven by using a fishing net placed to hunt souls between heaven and earth. There are other dangers in the form of animals and evil demons, such as Gegba (black bird) or Rerek (murderer of ka). Their fate will be threatened by Seth, who will also try to cause their second and final death. The

Alberto Méndez's *The Blind Sunflowers*: A Post-War Reflection

The text before us belongs to the book The Blind Sunflowers, by Alberto Méndez (1941-2005), a writer unknown until the appearance of this work, but connected to the world of publishing and the author of scripts for television. Despite being his first and only book (the author died eleven months after publication), The Blind Sunflowers was met with unanimous recognition from critics and was posthumously awarded the prestigious 2005 National Book Award and the 2005 Critics' Prize.

The work consists of four separate stories cleverly interwoven with each other. In these stories are narrated personal defeats framed in the most difficult period of the Spanish Civil War, the years 1936... Continue reading "Alberto Méndez's The Blind Sunflowers: A Post-War Reflection" »

John Locke on Tolerance

John Locke regards God as the foundation and guarantor of reason, but acknowledged that religion was a serious threat to peace and order.

Limits of Religious Knowledge

Locke acknowledges that if reason has its limits in matters of knowledge, it has no less in religious matters. Nobody, therefore, is in possession of absolute religious truth. But religion is born of conviction, constituting a sphere where political authority cannot and should not intervene. Locke thus postulates the defense of religious freedom and a commitment to tolerance.

Arguments for Tolerance

Locke puts forward arguments in favor of tolerance: that the ills of the political community are not the product of religious division, but of human intolerance;... Continue reading "John Locke's Philosophy of Tolerance" »