Theory Critique of Adams, Backus and Chapian Theory Critique of Adams, Backus and Chapian This paper addresses and compares the unique styles of Jay Adams in his book How to Help People Change (1986) and Telling Yourself the Truth by William Backus and Marie Chapian (2000). Both of these books approach change utilizing the Truth through the word of God in different ways. Summary of Theory Adams (1986) identifies a four step process that consists of teaching, conviction, correction and disciplined training in righteousness. He commands that counselors come together cohesively in identifying the goal of counseling as helping client’s change into a life of Christ-likeness (Adams, 1986). He stresses the importance of relationship involved in the process of change identified as relations between the power of God, the Bible, the counselor and the counselee (Adams, 1986).
Module Four Study Guide Materials: Across the Spectrum Chapter 1, 4, &5, Doctrines that Divide Chapter 8 Study Hints and Questions: (Across the Spectrum 1) Understand the three qualifications stated on page 11 regarding the inerrantist position. (Across the Spectrum 1) How does the Word of God itself support the inerrantist view? (Note pages 11-12.) (Across the Spectrum 1) Be able to explain the “argument from epistemology” as it is used to support the inerrantist position? In what way does this argument relate to the “problem of relativity”?
The argument from religious experience seems to state that we can experience God and therefore God must exist, for surely what we experience must be real. William James, American psychologist and philosopher, worked to expand on and validate this topic. James defined religious experience as ‘The feelings, acts and experiences of individual men in their solitude, so far as they apprehend themselves to stand in relation to whatsoever they may consider divine.’ He then identified the four types of mystical experiences: ineffable, noetic, transient, passive. An ineffable experience is one that cannot easily be articulated. It is too big a thing for words and therefore not necessarily understood by those who have not experienced it.
Religious Experience as Perception of God is some what of a prequel to Alston’s book Perceiving God in which he delves deeper and expounds more on his arguments concerning religious experience and perception. In Religious Experience as Perception of God, William Alston is focusing on direct awareness of God versus indirect awareness of God and presents his “Theory of Appearing” model of perception, in which he states that something presenting itself to you in a certain way, apart from your judging and /or conceptualizing it constitutes perception (Peterson, 45). Alston has divided this essay into five parts in an effort to present his argument gradually and in stages, I can only assume for better understanding and clarity, however, his technical writing makes it hard for the non-professional philosopher to fully understand his arguments. Alston uses section one as a foundation or introduction for his discourse; explaining that what he is calling an “experience of God” encompasses an array of all experiences the subject has related to the aforementioned experience and giving his reasons for focusing on “direct experience of God” and “nonsensory experiences” (Peterson,45-47). In Section two, Alston advocates a “perceptual model” of mystical experience (Peterson, 47).
He offers “proofs” or arguments as to why belief in God should be non existent. In this article he used three proofs as a basis for his arguments. McCloskey tends to use these proofs as if they are meant to serve as an absolute proof of God's existence. As Manis and Evans describe each argument they also list many limitations
Biblical Christian Worldview and Scientific Method Diane M. Croft Liberty University Research and Program Evaluation COUN503-B06 June 1, 2012 Biblical Christian Worldview and Scientific Method A worldview encompasses beliefs we have about the important matters of life and is a “conceptual scheme by which we consciously or unconsciously place or fit everything we believe and by which we interpret and judge reality” (Thomas & Sosin, 2011, p11). A worldview is the lens through which we see life. Philosophically, a worldview is comprised of four subject matters: Cosmology, epistemology, teleology and axiology. For the purpose of this evaluation, focus will be on epistemology, which is a concentration on knowledge and truth (what can I know for sure and how can I know it). There are two views of epistemology: Empiricism and rationalism.
The Power of God Contrell Shumate Sr. Liberty University The Power of God Introduction As I begin to study in the subject of theology 104, it was very interesting in learning about the power of God and how it applies in our life. Within this reflection paper, I will be pointing out three areas of theology that is important in the learning of God. The first principle that I will be talking about, is did Jesus claimed to be God? The second principle is does the Bible have authority? And last but not least, why are personal testimonies important in sharing the gospel?
In this paper I will examine and evaluate Cleanthes’s argument from design to the existence of God. I argue that although I begin by examine Cleathes’s argument from design to the existence of God. Cleanthes, a character introduced by David Hume in his Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion, tries to argue that the Universe was created by a designer, presumably God. According to Dan’s analysis at discussion, Cleanthes’s argument takes the following form: “ Premise 1 – The Universe resembles an artifact because: i) It shows a high level of complexity and ii) It has degree of apparently purposive organization Premise 2 – Artifacts are created by designers. Therefore, the Universe was created by a designer.
J. Ayer claimed that to speak of a designed universe is meaningless. Unless we could say what the world would have been like without a designer, we cannot reach the conclusion that this world is designed. Who establishes that there is beneficial order in the universe? How do we argue from that to the conclusion that god has designed it? Swinburne counted this by claiming that the order in the universe does require an explanation.
Rene Descartes’ existence of god The times in which we live in today make it almost impossible to prove God’s existence, and have many skeptics, scientists, and atheists’ trying to prove otherwise. One can even argue that if God’s existence was possible to prove then one would have no need for faith. Rene Descartes had faith and put forth several arguments to try and prove the existence of God in his Meditations, particularly his Third Meditation: of God, that he exists. To begin, Descartes tries to prove God’s existence with “causal arguments.” He claims that there must be at least as much reality in the cause as there is in the effect, the effect being himself, humans, earth, etc…;