Themed Paragraphs: Christianity

Concept of God:
Words: Trinity, Incarnation, Redemption, Salvation, Grace, Logos, Christ, Miracle, Cosmogony.

The simple definition of the concept of God in Christianity is that God is a single entity, all powerful, all loving, most just, and most right. The idea of Cosomogony illustrates God's greatness and power. This theory is based on the fact that God created the heavens and the earth and everything within the universe, making him Lord of all things. However, there are many more layers to this God, much more than just the Ruler of All. God has a personality as defined by his grace and logos. This concept is similar to that of the Jewish concept of God, for God is loving and graceful, providing his subjects with undeserved divine favor allowing for the justification and sanctification of sinners. He is also the God of ultimate justice, possessing the powers of logos, ultimate reason. God manifests himself in a trinity (Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost) in Christianity, solidifying his position in every aspect of human life. He is the Father, stern and loving, he is the Son (represented through Christ, the incarnation of God, who, after death, became the savior of all human kind, offering up himself for the redemption of man), and he is the Holy Spirit, something Jesus preached was within all humans. Unlike the God in the Old Testament, the christian God is not so involved physically in history, however, he intervenes via miracles in the lives of everyone (the grandeur of miracles vary). Miracles are certain happenings that are inexplicable within the human reason, thus they are acts of God, divine intervention in the everyday lives of man.

The Human Condition:
Words: Sin, Atonement, Repentance, Redemption.

Humans are born with "original sin" or a tendency to sin, to commit acts not in accordance with the divine entity (collective moral rule). Sin is resolvable, though through a process of atonement, repentance, and redemption. Humans, to be redeemed, must first atone for their sins. In other words, they must make a concerted effort to right their wrongs. This promotes good behavior within the religion, forcing those to recognize when they are wrong and then take the necessary measures to correct it. Repentance is another part of seeking redemption. One must feel remorse for their wrongdoings, and express their remorse to God, in order to repent their sins. After repenting and atoning for ones sins, redemption may be granted. Their is a clause though, christian redemption can be given only by God and one must accept God and Jesus as lord and savior (some sects have done away with this and think that simply being a good person is enough to redeem yourself).

Goal for Humans:
Words:Kingdom of God, Heresy, Agape, Sacrement

The goal for humans in Christianity can be divided into two (and a half) sections, Earthly Goals and the Afterlife/Apocalypse (the former helps to achieve the latter). The earthly goals consist of following the example of Jesus and being as christ-like as possible (What would Jesus do?) as well as pleasing God and forming a close fellowship with Him. To do this, one avoids heresy, the actions or teachings not in correspondence with the true doctrines of the religion. Other actions to obtain a Christ-like persona would be adhering to the tenets of Agape. Agape is the idea of an all encompassing love. Love for all religions, and all of humanity, something Christ embodied all the way throughout his crucifixion. These moral codes help one to emulate Christ to the best of their ability, which is good in God's eyes however there is also a ritualistic manner in which one may profess their love for Lord and savior. These rituals are called sacraments (i.e. Baptism, communion, etc.). These sacraments are not only physical manifestations of love for God and Jesus, but also experiences designed to bring one closer to God, to strengthen one's fellowship with Him.
The afterlife/apocalypse part of the goals are the more long-term sections. What happens when we die? For a christian, hopefully the ascension of your soul to heaven to dwell in the Heavenly Kingdom of God (different from the Kingdom of God for the term Kingdom of God has evolved over time). Once dead, one is Judged by God and admittance into heaven is either granted or denied. The apocalyptic goal is to bring about the Kingdom of God. This term used to refer to the concept of heaven, however now, it refers to a time when God's rule will become apparent, and a Kingdom of God will descend upon earth bringing with it the ultimate Peace and Justice. The beginning of this period will be marked with the second coming of Jesus Christ.

Eschatology/Cosmogony/Cosmology:
Words: Cosmogony, Cosmololgy, Eschatology, Ecumenism, Church.

Genesis focuses on the creation of the universe and the nature of God's creations, or christian Cosmogony and Cosmology.Christian Cosmogony refers to the fact that God created the universe less than 10,000 years ago, and, along with it, Humans. Cosmology has to do with the nature of the universe. The universe is good, for God created, all except for humans. Humans are the only of God's creation that do not follow the cosmological rule and stray from the path of goodness. These two concepts, in a way, birth another two concepts in Christianity. This straying from the path brings up the study of Eschatology (doctrines dealing with the end of things. Afterlife, Apocalypse, Judgment, etc...), for when one is not good, it leaves their eternal fate up in the air, to be decided by God. The idea of Cosmogony brings up Ecumenism. Everything was created at the same time under the same God, lending itself to a kind of Unity under God. Ecumenism is the idea of religious unity of all of God's subjects, however today is used in a more narrow sense pertaining to a unity under specific sects of the faith. This unity is represented through the Church which can mean anything to the collective group of believers, all the way down to a specific building for followers of a certain location to congregate. Nevertheless, the idea of church is to portray a sense of community amongst believers and perpetuate the ecumenical ideals of the faith.