http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/keyword/christianity Inquiries Journal provides undergraduate and graduate students around the world a platform for the wide dissemination of academic work over a range of core disciplines. en-us Thu, 07 May 2026 05:22:27 -0400 Thu, 07 May 2026 05:22:27 -0400 http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1723/opposites-attract-an-evaluation-of-foreign-policy-impediments-in-sino-vatican-relations By Rex N. Alley - The relationship between the People's Republic of China (PRC) and the Holy See appears to be an uneasy association between opposites. With over 1 billion people, the PRC is "the world's most populous state," while the Holy See is housed in tiny Vatican City.2 In addition to its status as a sovereign political entity,3 the Holy See is also the spiritual leader of the Catholic Church. Meanwhile, since the Revolution, the PRC has been a Communist state, led by a party that strives to "propagate atheism."4 Despite these differences, the PRC and Holy See also hold commonalities. The pope's spiritual... Thu, 30 Nov 2017 12:00 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1723/opposites-attract-an-evaluation-of-foreign-policy-impediments-in-sino-vatican-relations http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1640/mary-magdalene-as-a-renewed-feminist-icon-representations-in-the-christian-tradition-as-a-resource-for-contemporary-liberation-theology By Ellen AJ. Goodwin - Mary Magdalene remains prevalent within Christianity and popular culture. A mysterious and enigmatic figure, she continues to capture people’s imagination as ‘a mix of lust, loyalty, belief, prostitution, repentance, beauty, madness, and sainthood’ (Shaberg. 2004. P.9). Mary Magdalene’s complexity is in no small part due to the ambiguity and controversy of her various representations. Her continual and varied presence within the Christian tradition demonstrates her resistance to attempts, made by various patriarchal structures such as the Bible, Hebrew society, the early... Tue, 02 May 2017 11:58 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1640/mary-magdalene-as-a-renewed-feminist-icon-representations-in-the-christian-tradition-as-a-resource-for-contemporary-liberation-theology http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1541/identifying-a-developing-christian-culture-in-the-fourth-century By Andrea C. Hanna - To briefly set the scene, the fourth century was a complex period for Christianity. It moved from being a persecuted sect to being supported by a new Christian Emperor, to vying with Constantine’s successors over unorthodox beliefs, to being persecuted by Julian the Apostate, and finally being declared the official state religion by Theodosius. So, with context in mind, this essay will attempt to identify if, by the end of the fourth century, a Christian culture had become distinctive, in and of itself, as well as more distinctive than the pagan Roman culture into which it originally emerged... Wed, 22 Feb 2017 10:20 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1541/identifying-a-developing-christian-culture-in-the-fourth-century http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1043/thomas-arundels-constitutions-and-the-condemnation-of-wycliffes-vernacular-translations-1382-1415 By Christopher J. Kshyk - The first is related to scholastic and ecclesiastical attitudes toward the transmission of knowledge in the later Middle Ages. The second is related to the social and political upheavals in England during the late 14th and early 15th centuries, which Arundel viewed as stemming at least in part from the writings of Wycliffe and his followers (otherwise known as the Lollards). In addition, I examine Arundel’s Constitutions in connection with Henry IV’s (1399-1413) De Hæretico Comburendo, which is evidence of the cooperation between the Church and the Crown to control the spread... Wed, 27 May 2015 03:14 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1043/thomas-arundels-constitutions-and-the-condemnation-of-wycliffes-vernacular-translations-1382-1415 http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1040/how-christian-leaders-interact-with-twitter By Zachary Horner - This paper explores the relationship between Christian leaders and Twitter. Twitter’s founding resulted in an outburst in the use of the social media platform. Christian leaders quickly caught on, and today they use Twitter for a number of different purposes, seeking first and foremost to challenge and inspire their followers. Through the study of 30 different leaders’ tweets, as well as different blog posts, articles and interviews outlining different approaches to Twitter and other social media, the study concluded that pastors were most concerned with getting across the basic message... Sun, 30 Nov 2014 12:00 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1040/how-christian-leaders-interact-with-twitter http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/867/asceticism-in-the-modern-world-the-religion-of-self-deprivation By Betsy C. Chadbourn - Among the questions that have attracted my attention during my theological career thus far, nothing has struck me more forcibly than the possibility of asceticism existing in the modern world. Modern asceticism initially appears an absurdity. A non-existent. Something of the past, along with the once thriving Christian religion that laid its foundations. Before, we associated the ascetic with monkish values, the valorisation of chastity, a life of deprivation. Repulsion toward the flesh. Hostility for food. Enmity on all we call pleasure. Yes, modernity is surely an exodus from such; a secular... Fri, 14 Mar 2014 04:53 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/867/asceticism-in-the-modern-world-the-religion-of-self-deprivation http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/850/goblin-market-renunciation-and-redemption-in-christina-rossettis-narrative-poem By Kelley S. Kent - The poem begins with the goblin men’s continual cry, “Come buy, come buy” (l. 4). What these goblins represent is clear by their seductive, sexually explicit, description of their fruity wares: “Plump unpecked cherries / . . . Bloom‑down‑cheeked peaches, / Swart‑headed mulberries, /Wild free‑born cranberries /. . . Pomegranates full and fine” (ll. 7, 9‑11, 21). The goblin men appear to sell fruit, but they really appeal to, and try to waken, women’s carnal lusts: “sweet to tongue and sound to eye” (l. 30). The goblins... Sat, 11 Jan 2014 05:04 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/850/goblin-market-renunciation-and-redemption-in-christina-rossettis-narrative-poem http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/567/can-religious-based-ethics-play-a-role-in-development By Eve R. Hill - Development is closely linked to the idea of progress. Therefore the way in which progress is quantified, whether through economic, social or spiritual values, determines the way in which we conceptualize development (Power 2005). Religious beliefs are similarly ambiguous, although this arises from the sheer diversity of faiths present in the world today. Consequently the relationship between development and religion is hauntingly complex and so variable that it eludes simple definition (Alkire 2007). Nevertheless, since the first missionary endeavors of the colonial era, religious-based ethics... Tue, 30 Aug 2011 08:05 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/567/can-religious-based-ethics-play-a-role-in-development http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/562/free-will-in-the-christian-cosmology-comparing-paul-and-augustine By Jesse A. Goldberg - While numerous religious scholars have approached this essential question, the focus of this paper is Saint Paul, who addresses human beings’ freedom of choice in Chapter 7 of his letter to the Romans, and Saint Augustine, who formulates a defense of free will in his treatise On Free Choice of the Will. Paul lands on a kind of dualism in his discussion of law, human nature, and salvation, and Augustine approaches a robust version of human autonomy in his account of the problem of evil. While both saints manage to fit an articulation of free will within a Christian cosmology without changing... Tue, 16 Aug 2011 08:05 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/562/free-will-in-the-christian-cosmology-comparing-paul-and-augustine http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/549/the-historical-jesus-what-can-we-really-learn By Melissa JL. Alvaro Mutolo - The way to gain insight into anything historical is by examining the sources but in the case of Jesus three things must be acknowledged. Firstly, all the available evidence is in literary form. Epigraphic or archaeological evidence can only give information about his assumed background but provides no information about him as man (Tuckett 2001: 121). Secondly, Jesus did not write anything himself. There are unfortunately no personal memoirs or documents and so the only sources available are of what he purportedly did and said as recorded by others (tuckett 2001:122). Finally, there are no direct... Mon, 11 Jul 2011 08:05 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/549/the-historical-jesus-what-can-we-really-learn http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/534/temptation-and-the-ring-in-jrr-tolkiens-the-fellowship-of-the-ring By Kathleen E. Gilligan - Published in 1954, John Ronald Reuel Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings is a follow-up to his 1937 book, The Hobbit. An epic fantasy novel originally published in three volumes (The Fellowship of the King, The Two Towers, The Return of the King), The Lord of the Rings has enthralled audiences for decades. Adapted for radio, television, and finally film, Tolkien’s fictional novel is beloved by both children and scholars alike. What is it that makes Tolkien’s work so interesting? Many enjoy the triumph of good over evil or the excitement of adventure, while others prefer to read the... Tue, 31 May 2011 01:53 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/534/temptation-and-the-ring-in-jrr-tolkiens-the-fellowship-of-the-ring http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/522/is-paul-a-liar-the-pauline-corinthian-conflict-and-the-need-for-reform-in-the-american-church By Jonathan D. Brackens - The corpus of literature regarding Pauline Criticism is largely qualitative and polarized. Close examination of the Pauline-Corinthian conflict holds that in order to maintain legitimacy in the Corinthian Church, Paul miscontextualized Septuagintal scriptures. This research (a) details the dichotomous arguments, (b) highlights First Century Church limitations, and (c) presents quantitative research to support the assertion that Paul miscontextualized. Miscontextualization is measured by how accurately Paul quotes the Septuagint in his letters (i.e., (a) the number of words quoted from the referenced... Mon, 02 May 2011 08:05 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/522/is-paul-a-liar-the-pauline-corinthian-conflict-and-the-need-for-reform-in-the-american-church http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/383/chinese-women-and-christianity-in-the-late-imperial-era By Iulia O. Basu-Zharku - Christianity has not gained a large number of adepts in China, if compared, for example, with Japan. But Christianity in China, in the late Imperial Era, had a number of particularities. Moreover, Christianity sometimes influenced Chinese women’s lives but only in conjunction with other cultural elements and only if we take into consideration the broader context of the situation. Other times it did not influence women’s lives at all. Thus, this paper will focus on the context in which Christianity found itself in China, the way it adapted to Chinese culture, and the significance it... Tue, 08 Feb 2011 08:56 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/383/chinese-women-and-christianity-in-the-late-imperial-era http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/328/the-sermon-on-the-mount-is-it-livable By Michel F. Kearney - When the Preacher wrote, “of making many books there is no end” [KJV Eccles. 12:12] he did not anticipate the mass of articles, scholarly papers and textbooks that would be written about Jesus’ address given to a group of disciples on a hillside in Galilee, but the statement nevertheless can be applied to the literature surrounding what we now call the Sermon on the Mount, recorded in Matthew 5-7 and Luke 6:20-49. More than thirty years ago, W.S. Kissinger listed nearly 150 pages of bibliography on the Sermon (Crump 3), and judging from the attention that this most famous ethical... Mon, 22 Nov 2010 10:22 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/328/the-sermon-on-the-mount-is-it-livable http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/270/mysticism-and-christianity-in-early-english-literature-comparing-beowulf-and-sir-gawain-and-the-green-knight By Ellen T. Goodson - The introduction of Christianity to England in 597 established a structured, uniform faith among a people accustomed to different branches and pockets of polytheistic paganism. Over the next seventy-five years, the burgeoning country quickly grew unified under the tenets of Catholicism, transforming many of the practices of their ancestors into Christian traditions. However, the fusion of the two religions reshaped more than the Britain’s spiritual beliefs. Remnants of pagan mysticism and magic blurred and interwove with themes from the Bible to create proselytizing legends. An Old English... Mon, 12 Jul 2010 07:05 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/270/mysticism-and-christianity-in-early-english-literature-comparing-beowulf-and-sir-gawain-and-the-green-knight http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/96/jean-de-joinville-and-his-biography-of-saint-louis-on-the-seventh-crusade By Katherine Blakeney - The French historian Jean de Joinville was born into a noble and influential family in Champagne in 1224.[1] He took the cross in 1248 to join the first crusade of Louis IX. His decision to go on crusade was at least in part influenced by the long and illustrious history of crusading in his family. His grandfather Geoffroy died at the siege of Acre in 1189, his uncles Geoffroy and Robert had both participated in the Fourth crusade, and his father Simon, had fought in the Albigensian crusade and alongside John de Brienne (titular king of Jerusalem) at the siege of Damietta. His uncle Geoffroy had... Fri, 18 Dec 2009 09:21 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/96/jean-de-joinville-and-his-biography-of-saint-louis-on-the-seventh-crusade http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/79/universal-grace-early-christian-texts-focused-on-conversion By Lindsay D. Clark - Christian conversion must be understood above all as a gift of God, a bestowal of grace, for “God is the author of this change, who by his spirit puts repentance, faith, love, and every grace into the soul”(Cruden 1958, 36). The human soul must take responsibility for accepting God but not credit for doing so; just as God breathed into it its first life, so now in holy conversion does he breathe in its second life—he, and only he. Where this is concerned people create their own hardships, as God never rests. He is always ready for the willing soul, as Augustine writes, &ldquo... Mon, 07 Dec 2009 09:58 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/79/universal-grace-early-christian-texts-focused-on-conversion