REL 411 Exam 2
Origin: Cosmogony
Herem= holy/just war, excommunicated, justify war against sematic speaking people, need this to have the okay for war -islam= jihad -Christianity= crusades From the tanakh
Christianity and Augustine
After converting to Christianity, Augustin remained influenced by Neoplatonic ideas but changed his view on evil Now he believed that evil is not a lack of goodness, but the result of excessive self-love on the part of the sinner and the lack of sufficient love for God o Freud: focus on the Id (individual desire, lack of submission to God) is the problem and we have the problem bc our love of God is not sufficient to fill the hole in our ego that wants to become the father/God Spent lots of time battling heresies and helping to form the identity of Christianity
In ancient Judaism, the religious approval to kill someone or group is: A) hesad B) Herem C) ahavah D) crusade
B
In ancient Judaism, as noted in the Book of Genesis, what is satan? A) A fallen angel B) Eve's ego C) an agent of God D) Baal
C
Repentance and God
"Repentance is God's established system for breaking out of the negative cycle of sin and guilt. Repentance, then, is a complex spiritual process whereby the individual engages in serious introspection and confession and makes the firm determination not to commit the same sin again. He is reinforced and supported in his psychological stance by the conviction that God accepts him and forgives him" 234 No matter how many times you do it, you will be forgiven Guilt is part of the process Reinforce the good by understanding god accepts you and forgive you
Genesis 1 26-28 (NRSV- New revised standard version)
26 Then God said, "Let us make humankind[c] in our image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth,[d] and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth." 27 So God created humankind[e] in his image,in the image of God he created them;[f]male and female he created them. 28 God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth." 29 God said, "See, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food. 30 And to every beast of the earth, and to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food." And it was so. 31 God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day. Where odes evil come from Male and female are created at the same time and by God's hands
Constantine the Great
311 c.e edict of toleration- allows Christians to practice in the east 312 Constantine's dream (God speaks to him and promises him victory in battle if the cheero the first 2 letters of Christ are put on the shields of his soldiers), victory (believes he is the 13th apostle), and Christianity a legal religion 13th Apostle promotes catholic Christianity (universal)(only one Christian message vs all other heretics who had no legal rights or protection and excommunicated from the church Council of Nicaea 325 = orthodox position gets official support - Determine an orthodox creed, the nicene creed aka apostles creed - Official position of Athanasius (aka apostles creed, fierce opponent of all heretics) - the beat = heretics - Christians not of the universal sort - they were of the Devil not Christ. Prostitute of Babylon - heresy personifies. Heretics maniacs and Satan's disciples - Leads attacks against Coptic Christians (Gnostic Christians, believe that one should interrogate) of Nag Hammadi - "Anti-Christians" - Set forth a list of approved sacred books that becomes the New Testament. It included John and Revelation. Eventually becomes the fixed canon. ´ Heretics are treasonous bc they are disagreeing with the position endorsed by the Roman emporer- death is mandated All heretics should have a chance to be re-educated and recant their positions when they relapse that is when they are executed Done bc heretics were believed to be like a disease
Genesis 2 7-24 (NRSV)
7 then the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground,[b] and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living being. 8 And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east; and there he put the man whom he had formed. 9 Out of the ground the Lord God made to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food, the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. 10 A river flows out of Eden to water the garden, and from there it divides and becomes four branches. 11 The name of the first is Pishon; it is the one that flows around the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold; 12 and the gold of that land is good; bdellium and onyx stone are there. 13 The name of the second river is Gihon; it is the one that flows around the whole land of Cush. 14 The name of the third river is Tigris, which flows east of Assyria. And the fourth river is the Euphrates. 15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, "You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die." 18 Then the Lord God said, "It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper as his partner." 19 So out of the ground the Lord God formed every animal of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. 20 The man gave names to all cattle, and to the birds of the air, and to every animal of the field; but for the man[c] there was not found a helper as his partner. 21 So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then he took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. 22 And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. 23 Then the man said, "This at last is bone of my bonesand flesh of my flesh;this one shall be called Woman,[d]for out of Man[e] this one was taken." 24 Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and clings to his wife, and they become one flesh. 25 And the man and his wife were both naked, and were not ashamed. Adam (dirtman) comes first from thoughts/image of god Forms a woman from Adam- flesh of man, not as good/perfect
Gospel of Mark (ca. 66-70 ce)
Anonymous, written in Greek, audience was Christian gentiles, attributed to Mark - Nazarenes, Teachers, "Christians" - Pauline communities - Matthew borrows ca. 90%, Luke about 40% from Mark Written during Nero's persecution of Christians or Jewish revolt against Rome - Sporadic- some never experienced scapegoating/persecution and some experienced it all the time, often local (well dried up), sometimes from above Most incidence of miracles and healings and excorcisms Messianic secret - Jesus is Messiah/Son of God or Son of man...but - How could Jesus be the anointed if he failed (death? - His death wasn't what it seemed, done in order to liberate all us from... The sway of Satan and his minions - To offer us all freedom from the sins of our ancestors, to liberate us from the bonds of the past and institute a new age - Jesus did not fail, instead succeeded and resurrection becomes basis of their hope for resurrections as well ´ Earliest, shortest, most miracles Supernatural evil, definitions of evil used to construct an identity for early followers of Jesus Influenced by Paul's understanding of Jesus Written in a time period which the Jewish community is lead by zealots, revolting against Romans, persecution of the followers of Jesus Most Christians were highly conservative, followed tradition of their culture New Christians that emerge turn their backs on tradition Talks a lot about Satan and demons: Satan tempts Jesus, the demons possess people Talks about those who resist the messages of Christianity as also being Satan's minions on earth
Return from the Babylonian Captivity
As noted, influences from Persia the conquered by Alexander the Great and ...then Greece But also, internal disputes between those returned (interested in rebuilding a temple, reinstituting priestly rule, religious attitudes) and those left behind (majority) The "satan" now is more sinister - opponent of God not agent Rigorists vs those more able to assimilate causes more divisions, more willingness to use "satan", cosmopolitan vision - Those with God vs those who walked with the other nations: Covenant vs Outsiders - Process of demonization of the internal "other" turns "satan" into SATAN - a rival, enemy, evil
Augustine and Manichean religion
Augustine had served as a "hearer" for the Manicheans for about 9 years, who taught that the original sin was sex Saw life as an eternal struggle btwn good and evil. Body/material=evil; soul=good o Humans cannot help but to sin and there is no free will o Augustine and other Manicheans attributed their sin to a principle somehow outside of themselves o Sin origin= embedded in the flesh, a part of matter, but focus on force outside of themselves (king of darkness, first creation) o Second creation= humans, third creations= demons who disrupt balance btwn good and evil and Jesus a part of the world attempting to redeem the followers of light from the influence of the darkness Did not reject Christianity, the prophet of Manicheanism actually apostle of Jesus Great influence from Zoroastrianism and Buddhism; might have had access to Book of Enoch
Soul vs Body
Augustine saw the human being as perfect unity of 2 substances: soul and body o Grace of god reaches into the soul and helps the soul become fortified so that it can cut off the needs of the body He exhorted to respect the body on the grounds that it belonged to the very nature of the human person; helps you move in the world and act as Jesus in the world o W/o the grace of God, the body senses will overwhelm the soul § Want to engage in pleasure instead of using the body as a tool to move Initially, the 2 elements were in perfect harmony. After the fall of humanity they are now experiencing dramatic combat btwn on another (after the garden) They are 2 categorically different things. The body is a 3D object composed of the 4 elements, whereas the soul has no spatial dimensions. Soul is a kind of substance, participating in reason, fit for ruling the body if one surrenders the body
Marriage as a means to redemption
Augustine taught that human sexuality has been wounded, together with the whole of human nature, and requires redemption of Christ o The best is to have no sex at all; nun The best path is to avoid lust and marriage, but if it is unavoidable then healing can be part of the conjugal acts, undertaken without passion o # 1 accept Christ o #2 get married if you cannot stop having sex, and only have sex for procreative purposes The virtue of continence is achieved thanks to grace of the sacrament of Christian marriage- i.e. one can adopt full celibacy within marriage with time o Marriage also allows you an outlet for your broken will The redemption of human sexuality will be, however, fully accomplished only in the resurrection of the body
Libido and Evil
Augustine taught that the sin of Adam and Eve were either an act of foolishness (insipientia) followed by pride and disobedience to God or that pride came first The first couple disobeyed God, who had told them not to eat the Tree of the knowledge of food and evil (Gen: 2:17) The tree was a symbol of the order of creation (124) Self-centeredness, egotism made Adam and Eve eat of it, thus failing to acknowledge and respect the world as it was created by God, with its hierarchy of beings and values, failed to know their place and offer the proper respect to the creative principle that rules all things Augustine says They would not have fallen into pride and lack of wisdom, if Satan hadn't sown into their senses "the root of evil" (radix Mali) o Satan offered them temptation, appealed to their senses; their nature/will then becomes broken bc of this giving in to the temptation which are all tied to sexual desire Their nature was wounded by concupiscence (weak of temptation, fall into evil) or libido, which affect human intelligence and will, as well as affections and desires, including sexual desires In terms of metaphysics, concupiscence is not a being but bad quality, the privation of good or a wound o A wound of one's human nature that robs one of the ability to be good on one's own Libido often associated with sex, lust in general Trying to marry philosophy with theology
Neoplatonism
Augustine was dissatisfied with the Manichean "solution" to evil and turned to Neoplatonic philosophy instead: Plato reinterpreted by the later Romans and by Christians o God created the materials, so it must be redeemable; nature cannot be fully evil bc God was its architect Neoplatonism expands Plato's idea about the Forms (truths). The ultimate Form is God, that which is all-knowing, all light, all truth, and one can ascend out of the darkness of ignorance to God- true conversion and enlightenment in the Christian faith Also focused on the concept of Immaterial Reality: o The belief that evil is not a real feature of reality, but an incompleteness, or a lack of good § (i.e. a cavity is not a think but a lack) § A lack of closeness to God
Pelagianism
Augustine's understanding of the consequences of original sin and the necessity of redeeming grace was developed in the struggle against the heresy (wrong belief) of Pelagius and his disciples For Pelagius, human nature was given the power to act, to speak, and to think when God created it. Human nature cannot lose its moral capacity for doing good, but a person is free to act or not to act in a righteous way. Pelagius gave an example of eyes: they have capacity for seeing, but a person can make either good or bad use of it o We are not bad, but we choose to do bad things o Naturally good, can will own good Pelagians insisted that human affections and desires were not touched by the fall either. Immortality e.g. fornication, is exclusively a matter of will i.e. a person does not use natural desires in a proper way
A theodicy is which of the following? A) An audible and visual appearance of God B) The problem of evil and attempts as resolution C) A theory about the nature of God D) A creation story
B
The laws that establish good vs. bad behaviors are part of the 613 what: A) fallen angels B) mitzvah C) kashrut D) writs
B
The bad influence in ancient Judaism was: A) Gan eden B) Yezer tow C) Yezer ha-ra D) All of the above
C
What does the serpent tell Eve will happens if eats the fruit from the forbidden tree? A) you will know joy and happiness, as well as only goodness, forever B) you will grow more powerful than the sun and stars and live forever C) your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil D) you will serve Satan as his Queen and rule oner all the Lands and Nations
C
Bishop Irenaeus
Championed Gospel of John and Revelation, as the period seemed to be the end times- violence poverty, sickness, hersey Argued both written by same person - though they were not - in order to promote prophecy as an ongoing Christian gift inherited through Jesus Irenaeus identifies the Antichrist found only in a short letter attributed to John as the Beast in Revelation. Antichrist is not a word in Revelation. - Antichrist = Beast = alien ruling powers & heresy which was equated with mortal degeneracy, works against Christians and good of this world God demands right action and right belief - only those who accept true orthodox doctrine are of God, the rest of of the Beast. Heretics are Satan's tools/Antichrist minons
Institutional foundations 90 ce-onward
Christians realize imminent is not coming in their life time so they organize a model 2nd century c.e sees Christianity expanded Baptism washed away sins/expels evil spirits; act of excorcism - After this one is welcomed within the community of Christians What does it mean to be a Christian, what is required, how does one behave to family, social group, spouses, internal "others" - End up orthodox straight thinking - Anyone outside of the orthodox declared as heretics Unification and organization needed- end up with a hierarchy, an institution where this is only one right way, those who don't follow are on path to damnation - Paul & Peter models of new community *Paul lead his community, spoke with authority, conducted missions *Peter: first bishop of Rome, helps clarify and organize and unify - Apostolic succession ...later Petrine Primacy- every bishop after Pete can claim this, which gives them a position of primacy over all other bishops (current pope in Rome), can excommunicate people (cannot go to heaven), God speaks through/to Pope *People will claim Paul and Peter anointed their successors *Important successor be able to trace themselves in direct line of succession to the apostles (seen in Catholicism and Anglican today) -Divide btwn Clergy (deacons, priests, Pope, and bishops) v. laity (all those who are not in religious orders) - Exemplified in Bishop Clement (Apostolic/Church Fathers) v. dissidents (seen following false teachers under the sway of the devil "Domesticating" the scriptures to fit Roman virtues + Christian morals Jews by 100s - led by evil angel, dark path v. Christian light - More anti-Jewish thought
According to the article analyzing evil from a Freudian perspective, what causes the concept of evil to emerge? A) Guilt B) The bicameral brain C) Super-efo misfiring D) an Oedipal conflict
D
Zoroastrianism
Dualist Religion (not that they worshipped 2 gods, but understand the universe as a battle ground btwn good and evil) of the Persian Empire ca 600 bce onward Ahura Mazda (one true god, all that's good) vs. Angra Mainyu (Ahriman)- the evil spirit, used to mean removal of self from god God created a pure world through his creative energy Angra Mainyu attacks it and making it impure. - Aging, sickness, famine, natural disasters, death... God gave man free will; therefore man has the choice to follow the path of Evil (druj - deceit) or the path of Righteousness (asha - truth). - The path of Evil leads to suffering and Hell punished for their injustice. The path of good leads to peace and Heaven. Starts with Zoranaster or Zustra: a priest of indoeuropean polytheistic religions in a Persian tribe -Claimed to have a revelation from the one true God Forces of good will win
The religion of the Pre-Mosaic Hebrews
Early Semitic animism and polytheism- founder of Hebrew/Judaism - Semites of the desert (2000 bce) venerated stones and pillars - Nature was sacred- how the gods spoke to them - Initially Elim represented no specific supernatural being, but came to mean just one God Semitic language Organized under patriarch (father/male leader) or matriarch (female leader)
Book of Revelation: Evil Empire (Rome or internal enemies or both) ca. 96 c.e
Final book of Christian Bible - draws on the Hebrew Bible; last to be approved, and still not accepted in orthodox church today - Eastern Churches reject the Book Revelation, big debate on its acceptance in the West, not because it is based on revelation, but because it is considered strange. Rejected to this day by many Eastern Churches Apocalypse (a secret revealed) and Eschatology (about the end of times) Written during the reign of Emperor Domitian (81-96 c.e.) attributed to a "John of Patmos"- most likely not - Old context: Period of intense persecution by a despotic Roman Emperor --- no evidence of this nor is Domitian a despot - New Context: conflict within Christian Churches on whether to engage in the world of the Roman Empire or withdraw and face penalties for not being a part of the Roman world
Augustine's solutions
For God there is no past or future. Only an eternal present. Everything exists in an eternal moment. God is outside of time God's knowledge of the world entails necessity, but to deny that necessity is incompatible with freedom o Just because he knows it all, it does not mean he controls it all Freedom is the capacity to do what one wants and one can do what one wants even if God (or anyone else) already knows what that person wants After 412 CE, Augustine changed his theology teaching that humanity had no free will to believe in Christ but only a free will to sin; God's grace conquered broken will to sin (Retract 2.1) o Have to surrender to god and his grace will remove your broken will, thus saved
The Abrahamic Covenant
God's covenant with Abraham initiates a binding partnership between himself and Abraham's descendants. Four different versions appear in the Genesis narrative. In exchange for the promise of universal blessing and other benefits, the Abrahamic covenant includes a "sign," circumcision- separating themselves from others A contract - The first party (God) agrees to keep his chosen people and honor them and make them fruitful and multiply, give them land... In return for (Abraham and the chosen ones) are required to honor God and choose him as the high God
What does satan do in the Talmud?
He "threatens one with involvement in overt sexual activity when he appears in the company of attractive women; he warns of homosexuality (non procreative sex, male prostitutes and slaves) when he appears as a young boy. He embodies the primitive sexuality of the child wherein eroticism and aggression are fused together. Consequently, the rabbinic view of sin is tinged with sexual overtones. The Midrash often refers to this erotic quality of sin by using sexual imagery in discussing Satan: "In the hour that a man goes to sin, Satan dances with him until he completes the transgression (spilling the seed non procreativity, masturbation)."7 (232) Sin = sexuality Satan conjures images of "pagan" orgies and feasts tied to idolatry The Satan of the rabbis is the ID of Freud which overwhelms the taboos/rules of society Talmud- collection of laws/commentaries of Judaism Satan tempts us to commit sexual acts Sin/sex leads to death
Most interpretations of the Book of revelations
Historicism: Revelation is a broad view of history, telling us something about history "Apostolic:" Revelation is about the events of the apostolic era (1st century) a reflection of what happened in the 1st century Amillennialism: rejects the literal interpretation of the "millennium (end time)" and treats the book as symbolic Futurism: Revelation describes future events: "millennialists" Idealism/Allegorical: Revelation does not refer to actual people or events, but is an allegory of the spiritual path and the ongoing struggle between good and evil.
The Satanic other (Christianity)
How is Satan characterized? - Jesus' Jewish enemies (Sadducees and Pharisees) - demonizing the priests and scribes *Actively working against God, as lacking in compassion, not being in the proper frame - Dissociation from Jewish majority - the group that matters the most + is closest *Danger in associating bc jewish revolt *Danger in not associating bc breaking tradition - Might be best to Appeases the Romans (by paying taxes) though they are still outsiders *Hopes that romans will not view them as a threat Mark has Jesus realize that the Jewish leadership & family is controlled by unseen demonic forces who accuse him of being insane/possessed Jesus forms a new God's people and then we see an insider vs outsiders mentality emerge to protect the secret (the othering of our internal enemies) - God, Jesus, and his followers vs Herodians, scribes, priests - Refuses to make anti-Roman statements to avoid provoking the Romans - Portrays the end as a Jewish conflict that got out of hand - not anti-Semitic per se *Conflict of meaning of Messiah, understandings of end times and biblical prophecy, and whether or not Jesus was indeed a legitimate reformer or Messiah for the community
Problems brought up by heresies for Augustine's theories
If God is omniscient, then he knows the future. If he knows the future, then it must unfold exactly in accordance with his knowledge. Therefore, there is no freedom If there is no freedom, then humans are not responsible for their actions. Therefore, it would be immoral to punish them for sins Problem: either God is omniscient but immoral, or he is benevolent but ignorant
Malum is caused by sensual longing (lust)
In opposite to Pelagianism, Augustine pointed out the apparent disobedience of the flesh to the spirit and explained it as one of the results of original sin, punishment of Adam and Eve's disobedience to God By malum (evil) he understood most of all lust, which he interpreted as a vice dominating people and causing in men and women moral disorder Humans are powerless to affect their own salvation without the grace of God
Talmun: Mishna and Gemara
Jerusalem Talmud & Babylonian Talmud Let's look at our reading: Freud as a comparative lens Sin originates in man's soul - Yezer ha-ra evil inclination or to use Freud - Id Freud's Eros (love, sex, good) and Thanatos (death drive, evil) - god-like drives to evil and good within reality Rabbis believe Humans are composed of the Yezers (good and bad): capacity for unlimited imagination as well as unlimited evil. "Who is the strange God that lives in man? This is the evil Yezer " (231) Rabbinic theology attributes the evil to the power of the Yezer that is personified in the figure of Satan?" Who is Satan? He is the Yezer ha-ra"6 (232)- projection, sin originates in us, the id not controlled by the ego and superego - The cosmic extension of man's evil Yezer that develops into the anti-God & develops into the anti-God just as the human element of the good - Good yezer is god like - Both good and bed yezer resides within us Encouraged to use your mind Discussion of Yezer ha-ra
Satan in Mark
Jesus' life struggle against Rome but ALSO within and between good and evil - Preliminary fight in a cosmic battle (final victory of good) - Victory imminent and annihilation of evil From baptism onward, Satan and demonic forces work to destroy Jesus and his followers - 40 days = temptation - Satan the form on Judas, initiating the betrayal that will eventually lead to Jesus's arrest and then execution by the Romans - Demons possessing the sick recognize Jesus and contend against him *Satan himself doesn't appear a lot, his minions do - Sickness in the ancient world *How is it that God allows such suffering *Divine justice then above all involves human violence Jesus's life is a struggle btwn forces of supernatural evil, the minions of evil, as well as against the authorities On the cusp of this end time battle Jesus's execution is the culmination of this struggle btwn good and evil btwn God and Satan that began at the moment of baptism Mark places Jesus in this mold of the Conqueror who would defeat Israel's foreign rulers, but Jesus isn't alive thus developing the Messianic secret Satan is embodied as a supernatural body (opponent to God), the embodiment of one's actual enemies (those working against the message of Mark) Christians (follow Paul and Mark) vs the Nazarenes (don't understand Jesus in the way of the Christos, the way of Paul) vs the Jewish community (doesn't recognize Jesus as either Nazarenes or the Christians) vs the Gentile community (Romans who don't adopt Christianity and aren't Jewish)
Babylonian Captivity
Jewish elite taken captive by Neo-Babylonian Empire (586) Liberated by Cyrus the Great of Persia and ongoing contact from then on with Persians after the Exile - official religion of Persia = Zoroastrianism - Gave them the right to go home to Judah - Encountered Zoroastrianism when in captivity After the Exile is the emergence of a Jewish idea of Heaven, Hell, and the afterlife. Before the Exile - Jews believed that the souls of the dead went to sleep in "Sheol." (under the ground) After the Exile, the idea of a moralized afterlife place, with heavenly rewards for the good and hellish punishment for the evil After Exile, prophets placed more emphasis on cosmic war in apocalyptic (secrets revealed not end time) storytelling, poetry, and preaching about an imminent battle between the forces of Good and Evil at an End of Time A prophet/messiah will come - Looking for a son of God, an example of David- Jewish messiah - Anointed son of god not a literal son of god
John the Baptist
Jews of Jesus Time on messianic expectations - Son of God/Messiah - adoption - Son of Man -non-canonical Book of Enoch (ca. 300-100 b.c.e & Book of Daniel (probably 500s b.c.e and expanded upon until 300s?) - Sadducees, Pharisees, Zealots, Essenes, Herodians - Different understandings of who is morally rigorous or not - A lot of tension John the Baptist - possible Essene? - Living in a state of expectation of an end time, dualistic understanding of the world - Credited with baptizing Jesus thus instituting Jesus's reform movement on earth Jesus reformer born ca. 6-4 b.c.e - death ca. 30-36 c.e. - Gospels - "good news" 100s- how we know about jesus *Four = canon (3 synoptic- can be seen together borrow from Mark, 1 non-synoptic- borrow from John)- the measuring stick, the orthodox position of the Christian New Testament *Mark (ca. 70), Matthew (ca. 85), Luke (85-90), John (90-100)- four pieces of the New Testament *Different interpretations of Jesus's life, his meaning, and his message - Epistles - Letters (Paul earliest ca. 50s) and others - Eschatology - Book of Revelation(revelations about the End Times - apocalyptic- secret reveal and eschatological- end of times)- last book of the New Testament Community of Jesus's time was divided Some live in expectation of a messiah figure to restore an earthly kingdom Most do not live every day thinking about a messiah's salvation and what happens after you die Sadducees: elite of the Jewish community, sometimes the priests who did the ritual sacrifices, maintain the temple wealthy, politically active members of the judicial body (Hedren), very interested in ritual requirements, must deal with Romans with Pharisees (Jewish under domination of Roman Empire at the time) Zealots: group of freedom fighters of the Jewish community, looking for aspect of King David that was a warrior that fought to protect the Jewish people, want a messiah to lead them in battle against Roman domination and lead to liberation of people and new Jewish kingdom, not always appreciated by the Sadducees and Pharisees bc when they attack Romans punish everyone Essenes: Orthodox moralistic community of celibate men who live in small community outside in deserts, withdrew from community to maintain ritual purity, spend days training for holy war, believe son/prince of light is coming to lead them in an endtime battle against the forces of evil and Satan, influenced by the Zorosatrians- dualistic view Herodians: royal family, supported royal rule
Who is "John"
John is competing with multiple (100s) others claiming visions - warns followers to denounce or kill other prophets - calling them Jezebel or Balaam - Claims his view of the prophecy is the only correct one Creates an "orthodox" prophecy by pulling from Tanakh: Isaiah, Ezekiel, Daniel and from Mark (not Paul) Claims that Jesus revealed to him: warn the saints that Satan is working amongst them - the gullible have been taken in by Satan's agents disguised as leaders - Those who say they are Christian are they really Christian? Writing at a time when "Christian" was not a fully different identity yet - saw himself as a Jew who had found the messiah - Saw himself as a minority, holy remnant, of Jewish followers of Jesus - Would have advocated the embrace of Jewish styles of leadership, community and life A Messianic Jew who followed Jesus - Israel's priority - rare glimpse at cusp between Jewish messianic sect and "Christianity" full of non-Jews - John stands with Jewish messianic sect - God's holy, chosen, unpolluted by Roman culture - they - the non-Jewish followers - are the "Synagogue of Satan" - Gentile Pauline converts - glimpse of the last remnant of the followers of James (Jesus's brother), kept Jewish law but still considered them followers of the christ
Book of Enoch: the watchers
Maccabean War (167-160 b.c.e)- divisiveness between Greeks, rigorists (maintaining integrity of covenants), Hellenistic Jews leads to apocryphal book - The Book of Watchers - The First Book of Enoch Watcher angels appointed to supervise humans, but violate Gods orders by mating with humans producing giants (Nephilim) from whom came demonic spirits + story of Azazel sinning by teaching humans metallurgy (how to make weapons out of metals) which inspired men to kill and women to adorn themselves. What was really the intent with the story? Did the author mean that the Hellenistic rulers were greedy monsters corrupting good Jews or a critique of some priests who violate the covenant by being Hellenized. - Morality play- Effectively sets apart God's people from the immoral satans - Make a distinction btwn those who are pure of spirit and those who go chasing off material pleasure Post exile period, Greeks dominating Intent to talk about the Hellenistic kingdom and their ruler through code- they are greedy, death dealing monsters who pose to look over everyone, but are really corrupting the Jewish people Or a critique to priests who thought there could be an accommodation to Hellenistic culture
Yahweh and Moses
Moses regarded as founder of Yahwist (one of the sacred names of God that is not to be spoken in vain) faith Performed variety of roles - lawgiver, prophet, judge, military leader Both a model of how a prophet should act: humble service and example of man's inability to achieve perfect righteousness - God provides laws through prophets - Asks questions but accepts God - God works through prophets, prophets don't teach, preach, do miracles, etc. Moses gives Torah and laws and the mitzvahs/commandments- come directly from God to his people
Torah: Egypt and Moses
Most scholars believe that the probable setting was the Nineteenth Dynasty (c. 1306-1220 BCE) - Duration of stay probably four generations - Ca. 70 people arrive from family of Jacob to stay with Joseph , then multiply over 400 some odd years Earliest reference to Israel outside of Bible 1200s b.c.e. - which would place any enslavement at 1290s.- time period known as the exodus Abraham is promised land- modern Palestine and Israel Believed to be given by Moses to help move to Egypt -Known for having multiple encounters with god -Lays down the history of the people
Example of how Revelation used afterwards
New Prophecy - movement ca. 160 c.e. followed a period of plague, earthquakes, and violence The prophet Montanus speaks "in the spirit" in 160 c.e., followed by Quintilla a few years later, and prophets Priscilla and Maximilla Vision of Christ descending in the form of a woman to reveal that "New Jerusalem" was about to descend to earth Montanus and revelations Attacked, as was Revelation, by many Christians who claimed was inspired by Satan or mad ravings - new schism - Those who defended Gospel of John and Revelation did so to "prove" God's prophecy had shifted from Jews to Christians, and that Satan was using those within (heretics who didn't believe in Revelation)) and Rome to attack God's people
Personification fo Evil
New stories & revisions of old stories appear as satan becomes personified & gains a creation story Isaiah (14:12-15) "How have you fallen from heaven, day star, son of dawn!" - Written at different time periods (3), Isaish did not write the whole book but credited to him - Isyrian conquest, save from Isyrian, and Babylonian conquest - Day star more likely referring to king of Babylon, put himself up as a god like king, suffer wrath of God, thus cast down - Translated as Satan by some Genesis 6 "When men began to multiply on the earth, and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw the daughters of men, that they were fair." - From them came corrupted children Vita Adea et Evae 13:3 Satan speaking to Michael: "Why do you press me? I will not worship one who is younger than I, an inferior. I am older than he is; he ought to worship me." - Show Satan jealous and resentful of man's position, rebelling against god and being cast down
Saint Augustine
One of the great church fathers of the Western Roman Catholic tradition Very honored by protestants Helps to define the notion of original sin Good vs evil, city of god vs city of men Highly skilled philosopher in the Greco-roman tradition Augustine of Hippo 354-430 ce Roman African: probably Berber- born in northern Africa Manichean (eastern religion, duelist origin Iran, divided by elect and the auditors (those who could hear), saw the world as spirit light and goodness vs darkness and the material world, distrust of body and things made of material, spirit= illuminated and closer to divine essence) auditor then Christian Church Father, Bishop of Hippo, and Master philosopher Adopt Neoplatonic thought over time
The Early Hebrews of history
Patriarchs and Matriarchs in Mesopotamia by 1850 BCE- initially tribes ruled by leader who chose religion and used religion to create laws Abram aka Abraham ca. 1800 - Grandson of Noah - Patriarch of the 3 Abrahamic religions - Son of idlemaker and from Mesopotamia - Because he was so good and thoughtful he receives this apparition of god- theodicy - Sarah and Abraham given child through theodicy- but must sign a contract - Disobedience to gods will= evil, especially if you know about it, submission vs resistance - Encounter w/ God ca. 1730s
Oedipal connections- desiring the sin/taboo
Rabbis: sin as a rebellion against God's will - Garden of Eden is the first of many rebellions not a sexual sin Freud: The primal rebellion against the father culminating in the murder/negation of the father and the assumption of his authority is also Freud's analysis of sin or neurosis.- to become people/adults (ate the apple and became the father knowing bwtn good and evil) Rabbis and Freud saw the origins of religion in ancient motives of patricide and disobedience. The urge to replace the father is one aspect of man's attempt at apotheosis. The Rabbis and Freud agree that true idolatry is not the worship of the pagan gods - it is egotism Submit to God/Torah/Good Yezer/id to subdue sin
Essenes
Radical sectarian group emerges in Maccabean era Cosmic battle between angels and demons, God and Satan Conflict based identity - Essenes vs. majority of Jews and all Gentiles - the consigned all to damnation Austere, ascetic, secretive, communal living - monastic basically - Holy war, celibacy, women not admitted to the community, freeborn Jewish men only, all turn over property, strict ritual purity, adjunct members secondary - Prince of Light ally in a cosmic battle against Satan and Mastema - Called themselves Sons of Light, eagerly awaiting judgement - annihilation of enemies - the majority of Jews who they see as "without light" and damned Male based group Minority group Identity formed on a basis of conflict See themselves as pure, the orthodox, the covenant abiding group Lived in community of Jerusalem Essenes: "Dead Sea Scrolls" show direct Zoroastrian influence. "Essene Manual of Discipline," describes a war between the Spirit of Light and the Spirit of Darkness, as well as the Spirit of Truth and the Spirit of Error, and an ultimate End-Time when the battle will be won. "For God has established the two spirits in equal measure until the last period, and has put eternal enmity between their divisions. An abomination to truth are deeds of error, and an abomination to error are all ways of truth..." (Essene Manual of Discipline, from THE DEAD SEA SCROLLS ed. Millar Burrows) - no reconciliation btwn spirit of darkness and error and spirit of light Goodness will be given to the Essenes the sons of lights Establish pure kingdom, heaven will descend upon earth and essenes will be perfected beyond free will, cannot sin
Julibees (160 bce)
Reveal secret knowledge Pro-Maccabean apocryphal book - non-canonical How can so many of God's Chosen be walking in the way of the gentile - It must be Mastema (Personification of hatred), Satan, or Belial Retells story of Enoch w/t warning of God's punishment God had sent demonic angels to lead gentiles (foreign Gods) but God Himself rules Israel and is the only help/ponly means of reconcilation Reframes Abraham - Mastema tested Abraham with order to kill 1st born Call to Moses: do not let Belial rule the Jewish people & protect us from Gentiles - Also Those who neglect the covenant - sectarians within - seduced by evil fallen angels
Genesis 3: the first sin and its punishment
Snake/serpent is not satan/devil Just a snake/serpent that talks He tells Eve she won't die from eating the food off the tree since he's still alive and well Eve then tells Adam to eat the food bc she's not dead None of them died, but get in trouble Both notice they are naked after eating- Freud comes in- sex must fit into evil: tree gave them knowledge Eve does not take responsibility, fingerpointing Adam deflects too Serpent ends up with no hands and feet Women labeled as Devil's gateway
Original Sin (Augustine)
The sin of Adam is inherited by all human beings Augustine taught that Original Sin is transmitted to his descendants by lust and sex, which he regarded as the passion of both, soul and body, making humanity a massa damnata (mass of perdition, condemned crowd) and much enfeebling, though not destroying, the freedom of the will Augustine was the first to add the concept of inherited guilt (reatus) from Adam whereby an infant was eternally damned at birth How to get rid of it? o Baptism is a big part of it, but does not free/fully remove you; you're still going to be passing it on § Exorcism of your sin § If die before baptism, does not get to go to heaven; go to limbo and can never leave limbo
Mainstream Judaism
Some early Talmudic rabbis identified the "evil impulse" with Satan, but that idea was not completely accepted. Indeed, the features of Judaism that are most indebted to Zoroastrianism, such as angels, devils, Heaven and Hell, and eschatology are no longer emphasized in the Jewish mainstream (Hasidim still hold these views) It is in Christianity that the Devil is almost identical to the Zoroastrian concept. The Devil, or Satan, is a being who CHOSE to be evil, through pride, just like Angra Mainyu The devil roams about attempting to corrupt people, but has corrupted the physical world Christianity also adopted Jewish - and Zoroastrian - apocalyptic myths about cosmic battles and the upcoming end of the world The Christian book of Revelation, the last book in the New Testament canon, is a later example of a form that goes back all the way through its Jewish sources to the distant, ancient worlds of Iran and Mesopotamia. So now we must turn to Christianity to discuss Christian philosophies/theologies of evil and claims of a real Devil and demonic forces
The Confessions (Augustine)
The Confessions Account of his life and conversion at the age of 31: autobiography of his journey towards fully embracing his Christian faith o He opened the Bible at random and read Romans 13:13-14: not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying, but put on the lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof § Real conversion of the heart, comes to understand more deeply his human frailty, his lack of power and his need to embrace that in order to allow God to take over He remembers that he stole the fruit, not bc he was hungry, but bc it was not permitted- the need to rebel, the oedipal conflict: the need to assert one's own will when instead one needs to surrender to the will of or the plan of God His very nature, he says, was flawed. "It was foul and I loved it. I loved my own error- not that for which I erred but the error itself" o Brough him no joy in the end, once he realized it was wrong it led to suffering o Receive this flaw from Adam and Eve From this incident he concluded the human person is naturally inclined to sin and in need of the grace of Christ (the only thing that will save us, rid yourself of broken will, rid the world of evil and bring about a true liberated age)
The Giving of the Torah
The Decalogue (ten commandments in Christian) - top 10 categories: 613 mitzvah - I am the Lord Your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage - You shall have no other gods beside Me. You shall not make for yourself any graven image, nor any manner of likeness, of any thing that is heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them, nor serve them, for I, the Lord Your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation. (iconoclasm) - You shall not take the name of the Lord Your God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that takes His name in vain. - Remember the Sabbath, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work; but the seventh day is a Sabbath unto the Lord Your God, in it you shall not do any manner of work, you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your man-servant, nor your maid-servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger that is within your gates; for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested on the seventh day. Wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and made it holy. - Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord God gives you. (be good to your parents, honor traditions) - You shall not murder. (however, Moses killed someone, God says kill them all) (really means shall not murder your own, only kill those God has granted you kill) - You shall not commit adultery. - You shall not steal. - You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. - You shall not covet your neighbor's house, nor his wife, his man-servant, his maid-servant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is your neighbor's. Cannot create image of god= sin: iconoclastic -End up worshiping the art instead of God, only polytheists do that -We are different we don't do that Can not have more than one God
Jewish origin
The Hebrew record is as complete as possible Originally not monotheistic NOT old testement Religious not secular Tanakh- The Hebrew/Jewish bible: Torah, Prophets (Nevi'im)- people who are believed to have contact with god, Writings (Kethuvim) We do not call it the Old Testament in my classes First Five Books - Torah (given to Moses by God, contain cosmogony, laws of the people and many etiologies), Pentateuch - Given by Moses Judaism- one of the oldest monotheistic religions
Punishment from Genesis 3
The Lord God said to the serpent, - "Because you have done this,cursed are you among all animalsand among all wild creatures;upon your belly you shall go,and dust you shall eatall the days of your life.15 I will put enmity between you and the woman,and between your offspring and hers;he will strike your head,and you will strike his heel." 16 To the woman he said, - "I will greatly increase your pangs in childbearing;in pain you shall bring forth children,yet your desire shall be for your husband,and he shall rule over you." 17 And to the man[g] he said, - "Because you have listened to the voice of your wife,and have eaten of the treeabout which I commanded you,'You shall not eat of it,'cursed is the ground because of you;in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life;18 thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you;and you shall eat the plants of the field.19 By the sweat of your faceyou shall eat breaduntil you return to the ground,for out of it you were taken;you are dust,and to dust you shall return." All the worlds suffering and evils explained by this- not bc of devil, evil comes from us/humans Gives the notion that we inherit all of the sins from our ancestors
Moses and the covenant with Yahweh
The name: Yahweh - The sacred tetragram - יהוה (Yod Heh Vav Heh), Roman script Y H W H. - no one really knows the real pronunciation because only some could speak god's name - Blasphemous to utter the name of God -- it was only written and never spoken. This resulted in the original pronunciation being lost. - Name may have originally been derived from the old Semitic root הוה (hawah) meaning "to be" or "to become".- "I am" Torah Breaking of the commandment for saying God's name in a nonsacred way, it is vain- sin
Yezer Tow- Torah
The remedy for sin is the Torah which provides the good influence (Yezer Tow) God created two Yezers (ie good and evil): "represents more than the idea that God is responsible for evil or at least the potential for evil; the fact that God created two opposing inclinations reflects the rabbinic insight into the essential nature of man." 234 (good talking in one ear and evil talking int the other) Example: "If a man perceives that his Yezer [evil ] is overwhelming him, he should dress in black and go to a place where he is unknown and do what his impulses require him to do."13 "A man's Yezer constantly renews itself [or conquers the individual]."14 (234) WHAT?! - What do we make of this??? - Hint: Guilt and repentance - Best way to get rid of temptation is to give into it, feel how bad it makes you feel - Guilt assures you you will never do it again Obedience is better, it makes you feel good Give you the laws, give you the influence That which protects the yard, first line of defense
So... where did the evil com from (Judaism)
The serpent is not Satan...what is the sin of the serpent, Eve, and Adam? First mention of "satan" is in Numbers 22 - the word means accuser or adversary. It is not referring to Satan but "a satan". Most Jews do not believe in a fallen angel Satan but rather satans as agent (s) of God sent to tempt humans or as the bad inclination of humans - the yezer ha-ra- internal desires that you know you shouldn't have Satan is lower case and plural- tricksters, they don't make you do anything In reality we have free will, good yezer, and its ourselves that committed the evil act no one else's fault No heaven or hell Judgement happens here and now, when we die we go to sleep underground
Genesis 2 22-24 (NRSV)
Then the Lord God said, "See, the man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil; and now, he might reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever"— 23 therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from which he was taken. 24 He drove out the man; and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim, and a sword flaming and turning to guard the way to the tree of life.
Heretics
Those who followed Jewish ways & those who rejected apostolic succession & those who didn't hold forming "orthodox" - straight beliefs demonized Bishop Irenaeas ca. 180 ce - heretics are secret agents of Satan (Against Heresies), lusty, licentious, seducers, use charisma to seduce people away from the straight path - Resistance to moral teaching of clergy = proof of greed, lust, deception, Satan inspired - Reality they just held different views Who were the "heretics"? Rival teachers within Christianity - Huge variety - ascetics (renounced eating during certain hours of the day, lived in isolation, engaged in beating themselves, mortify the flesh and glorify the spirit), celibate (those who were able to renounce all sins of the flesh were closer to god), renunciates (gave up their wealth gave up their titles, and wandered teaching or preaching) anti-Jewish, anti-clerical, claim revelations, anti-world/family/world - But also Gnostics who accepted hierarchy, Hebrew Bible, and moral authority of clergy, communal worship, creeds, baptism *According to Church Fathers Tertullian and Irenaeus - all who deviate from consensus are heretics inspired by the Devil to ask questions , read falsly *Choice = evil because it destroys unity' questions make people evil; no discussion; embrace the rules through obedience to ecclesiastic discipline of the Fathers *Why issue with Gnostics? Questions, looking beyond/deeper for wisdom, unauthorized meetings, pro-female, prophecy, Divine Mother/Father beyond anthropomorphism, popular
Daniel- Canaonical
Unlike Enoch and Jubilees, Daniel does not describe internal sects as evil, other Devils But, there are angels (protect Jewish people) and enemies (Hellenistic and Persians, threat to Jewish people) Persian, Median, Hellenistic empires = monstrous beasts representing foreign rulers and nations threatening Israel Pro-Israel diverse opinions, anti-outsiders unlike the internally divisive minority groups of Enoch and Jubilees
Book of Job
Why good people suffer To test if you will praise God if everything gets taken away from you There is satan but not the Satan, just the accuser Job is a complainer, not the model of who you should be -He has everything -Loses his family loses his kids -Praise god when things are going well, complains when suffering God's Answer to why the good suffer - why evil happens (Job 38 1-7) Reminder of all the good that God has done Reminder to praise god no matter good or bad occurs Are you really good if you praise God only when things are going well? Most praise god for the wrong reasons, looking for a benefit or avoid consequence
Freud
id= instant gratification, desires, instinctual, first to develop Ego= develop around 5, reality, mediate behavior with the world Super ego-=ethical, moral, reminds you to have compassion The 3 works together for a person to function Religion itself is a projection of our own neurotic desires
