Mueller 32 In Theological Foundations

Religion

According to Mueller 32, in Theological Foundations, The Holy Spirit draws members of the church along, bringing reconciliation and transformation. He further notes that the indwelling of the Holy Spirit brings connectivity and embrace. According to Albl 1, faith is unquestionable since religious beliefs are based on opinions, which are either unknown or unknowable. Questions regarding faith do not have definite answers, but it requires a believer to have sound reasoning to defend, communicate, and arrange his beliefs systematically to avoid fallacies. Albl 2 explained that worldview is the religious inclination of the people, which includes Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam.

Mueller, 33, argues that wrestling with God can be understood or absorbed by human minds. Again, God uses excessive light, which appears to humans as darkness. Albl, 13. Transcendence is the aspect of God’s power that goes beyond the limits. Albl 16, rationalism is the ability to realize the ethical standards of differentiating what is right and wrong. Albl 19 claims that determinism is the doctrine that all actions are deliberated by the current state and immutable laws of the universe where there is no aspect of choice. Additionally, he says materialism is the constant urge for material possession by the ruling class, which fabricates religious laws in their favor of earthly possession. According to Albl, 23, the Word’s view about tradition is that God is all mighty and controls everything. The worldview of Materialism is that God is the source of everything. Albl 33 explains that paradigm is the ability of God to enter into dialogue and relationship with creatures. Albl 23 explains Theophany is the manifestation of God to his creation by caring and being kind to man. Mueller 25, YHWH means Yahweh (I AM WHOM I AM). Albl argues moral transcendence comes from ethics and right reasoning. Albl 16. God is incomprehensible, which means that God can never be understood by man. The sovereignty of God means His authority over his creation. Attributes of God are kindness, caring, and all-powerful. Albl 21, Theology is the study of God. Christian theology comes from the bible.

Thomas Aquinas is a great theological thinker popularly known for cause-effect works (Albl,22). His works on the first cause mean that God is the first cause of everything since He is the creator of everything (Albl,22). Muller claims that Jesus is an invisible image of God, the firstborn of every creature in whom the fullness of God shall dwell. God’s intelligence is beyond limits. He is naturally clever. Man cannot comprehend God. God’s knowledge is inexhaustible. Romans 8: 5-17 says that the mind of man is subject to enmity, for it is not subject to the laws of God. Any man who has no spirit of Christ does not belong to him. If the spirit of God that resurrected Jesus dwells in man, it shall also quicken mortal bodies through spirits. Genesis 12-50 talks about the history of Abraham, the king of Faith, who instructed him to move from his homeland to an unknown land. A covenant is an agreement between two or more parties (Mueller 41-42). God made covenant promises of giving Abraham a son and land, blessing him and cursing those who cursed him so that his descendants could rule forever.

The term New Testament means new regeneration and transformation (Mueller 57). Further, in 59, The New Testament is divided into gospels, letters, and the book of prophecy (revelation). In scripture interpretation, he argues that the reader must understand the intention of the author related to the reality of the passage, the translation should be literal, and the bible should interpret itself.

Works Cited

Muller, Richard A. The unaccommodated Calvin: Studies in the foundation of a theological tradition. Oxford University Press on Demand, 2001.

Albl, Martin C. Reason, Faith, and Tradition: Explorations in Catholic Theology. Saint Mary’s Press, 2009.