conceptions of divinity
The conceptions of God in the Book of Genesis and of Jesus Christ in the Book of Matthew are different in many ways. It is easy to see the contrast when taking a look at the two characters' most striking features, by their relationship with the world of human affairs, and their attitude toward human nature. This change in the conception of divinity suggests many things about the nature of the religious imagination.One of the most striking features of God is his immense power and awe. God's spirit is described as moving "upon the face of the waters" while the earth was "without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep." This presents an image of God as flying or floating across the water in an abyss of darkness. The fact that the Bible starts out by saying, "In the beginning God created..." implies that God was around before the beginning. This one small detail gives the God an image of such mystery, wonder and awe for the reader. Jesus Christ, as presented in the Book of Matthew, is almost the opposite of this description of God in the Book of Genesis. Jesus is subtler in his ways of inspiring awe. Jesus inspires awe in his followers by patience, kindness and by the teachin
In the New Testament, Jesus Christ is a human being with feelings, emotions, and desires just like everyone else. This allows him to be more merciful and patient with human kind than God is in the Old Testament. Jesus develops a relationship with his people as a teacher and not as strict as God is. Jesus can relate to the cares and concerns of human nature more than God can in the Book of Genesis. The change in the conception of divinity suggests that people can interpret symbolic and even literal events differently. People will never agree on everything. The religious imagination creates a personal connection with the faith in which that person puts his or her faith. This change in conception, evident in the contrast between the Old Testament and the New Testament of the Bible, suggests that the religious imagination can always change the way people interpret their life around them. A reader can read the Bible and interpret or imagine a scene differently then the previous reader. The religious interpretation is never static. The ideas and interpretations are always changing with the different ways in which the reader can see or imagine the text. The attitude of God towards human nature and imperfection is one of an all-powerful creator. God sees man as h
Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 862
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)
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