Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with theology

Nietzsche is to Nihilism as Who is to Optimism?

MikeHarris — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 17:58:32 -0800

I'm looking for philosophers, both classical and modern, who have constructed arguments for optimism. Now, by that, I don't mean I'm looking for positive psychologists – I know about Seligman's Learned Optimism and Burns' Feeling Good, the two biggies in that field.

What I'm looking for is more a support of the actual philosophical construct of optimism. In other words, what Nietzsche did for nihilism, these philosophers whose names I'm soliciting would have done this for optimism, or for philosophical models of thought that directly support optimism.

The most I was able to do was that Candide was modeled off of Gottfried Leibniz's belief that we live in the best of all possible worlds; I tried reading the English copy of Leibniz's Théodicée on Project Gutenberg, but found it a little too thick to follow.

Ideally, the people you would refer me to would either be able to be semicomprehensible to a motivated layman, or would have a good book in which someone else basically explains the philosopher's system, precepts, theses or what have you in layman's terms.

A backup option would be theological proponents of optimism, or of theological models of thought that could be considered optimistic – but of the two, I'd prefer to read materials philosophical, not theological, in nature.

What makes an Episcopalian?

Picklegnome — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 12:08:02 -0800

EpiscopalFilter: What must one believe to be an Episcopalian? What do a significant majority of Episcopalians agree on? What (non-political) issues are members fairly evenly split on? What beliefs are left up to individual members? I'm mostly interested in the theology, metaphysics, morality, etc., rather than the specific moral prescriptions or topics of political debate. Where do various issues of doctrine fall on the "Personally Interpreted / Essential or Prescribed" scale?

Atlas of Biblical Rome in Detail ...

snap_dragon — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 15:50:06 -0800

I'm trying to find a good atlas that shows all of the Roman Roads built throughout the Roman Empire for my pastor friend. I think there were some 53,000 miles of highway built by the Romans, and, as he is preaching through Acts and following Paul's journeys, he'd like to have a good atlas that shows the period Roman district names, cities, terrain features, and especially the roads. Do you have any idea where he might find something like that?

Satan(?) in Reformed Theology

snap_dragon — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 07:13:01 -0800

In Reformed Theology, what is the role of Satan? There is talk of foreordination and foreknowledge and absolute sovereignty of God so I don't understand Satan's creation and necessity in this theological framework. Can anybody explain the view or John Calvin's view?

add to wish list, rinse, repeat

raztaj — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 11:24:40 -0800

Recommendations for books about religion & theology - phenomenology of, anthropological, sociological, etc. Please give me suggested reading (classics, contemporary, novels, personal favorites) that deal with the discussion of religion/theology and god(s), more from the approach of what these kinds of insitutions fulfill in humankind. I realize, but am open to all kinds of suggestions!

(ps:) i'm beginning a MTS at divinity school soon, and am so excited, yet feel a little overwhelmed about wanting to read this and that and more and add every single book that deals with these broad ideas to my Amazon wishlist... so would like to narrow it down to what/why people think something is a good read

(ps part deux:) i will concentrate my degree in focusing on islam and women, but for now, very much open to discussion of religion (big ones, little ones, living, dead and all) that is less about scripture and rules, but an emphasis on the humanity of belief systems.

Why doesn't God call any more?

wilful — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 18:29:30 -0800

Are there strong theological explanations for why the current activity in miracles isn't quite what it used to be? No more pillars of salt, burning bushes, days being stopped etc... Doesn't he love us?

Looking for a copy of a rare book for a present to a professor!

Mali — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 00:48:16 -0800

I'm looking for a place to find a rare copy of a theological text as a present for a retiring professor. One of my favorite professors is retiring this year, and I thought I'd try to score a rare copy of Pierre Teilhard de Chardin's "The Divine Milieu" or "Hymn of the Universe" as a retirement present for her (or St. Therese of Lisieux's "Story of a Soul"). It'd be great to get it in French (the native language), as she's fluent, and hardcover is a necessity. I've looked on ebay, but I couldn't really find anything; any suggestions for sites / stores to look? I live in upstate Connecticut, but could travel within a couple hours for it if necessary. Thanks in advance!

Can anyone help me find a book including a letter to God written by a Holocaust victim?

piers — Thu, 30 Mar 2006 12:53:45 -0800

My apologies for this vague description--I used to work in a bookstore where I'd pick up and browse through a number of books. One book included a letter written to God by a Jewish man (maybe a rabbi?) imprisoned during the Holocaust. Part of the letter involved him saying, essentially, "no matter what you do to me, God, or what suffering you send, you can't make me stop loving you. That is the form my free will takes." Does anyone know the author or title?

Who was Reagan's theologian of apocalypse?

washburn — Sun, 15 Jan 2006 22:54:34 -0800

A tough one: I remember reading that during the Reagan years, as part of the campaign to convince the Russians that the US really would launch a second strike if faced with a preemptive Russian attack, Reagan turned to a religious figure or theologian who explained that a retaliatory attack, even if it resulted in the extinction of the human species, would be morally approvable and even required by God, and that it would serve the glory of God, despite the unfortunate consequences it might have for human beings. I don't think I just imagined all this, so I wonder: who was the religious person that articulated this position? What source can tell me about this stuff? Many thanks for any clues.

Help tracking down an O'Connor quotation.

macinchik — Fri, 25 Nov 2005 21:58:23 -0800

Help tracking down a Flannery O'Connor quotation. I have been told that O'Connor, when asked if she truly believed in the transubstantiation at the heart of the sacrament of communion -- i.e. if the bread and wine really became the body of Christ -- replied something like "of course, otherwise, to hell with all of it." I'm sure she must have expressed this sentiment multiple times in her writing but if anyone can point me to a particular passage, I'd be grateful.

Origin of the human as half angel, half devil?

ori — Tue, 07 Jun 2005 14:01:37 -0800

Who is the originator of the familiar literary trope that human beings are half lofty/angelic, half base? For some reason, Goethe came to mind, but I can't verify this, and it seems to me it would date much earlier. If the trope has no definite origin, I'd be satisfied with some of its more noteworthy expressions.

Why are Christians opposed to heterosexual pre-marital sex?

Pericles — Wed, 01 Dec 2004 02:58:31 -0800

Why are Christians opposed to heterosexual pre-marital sex. I can find some Paul diktats but is that the only problem?