Systematic Theology

This paper presents an extension of Observer Theory within the context of the Ruliad, using a mathematically rigorous formalization with category theory as the unifying framework.

This paper demonstrates how the interaction between Observers and the Ruliad can give rise to hierarchical domains of reality through sampling constraints, information integration, and entropy reduction.

By formalizing the Observer as an active agent that samples and integrates information across different domains, we provide a novel approach to understanding consciousness, causation, and the nature of reality within a computational framework.

The framework reconciles discrete computational structures with apparently continuous Observer experiences, addresses the causal relationship between different domains of reality, and provides a foundation for understanding qualia through information integration within the Ruliad.

We conclude with empirical predictions and applications across physics, cognitive science, and artificial intelligence.

Taking as its point of departure Pope Benedict XVI's comment that '[e]ach of us is the result of a thought of God', this article explores how the divine idea of the self bears promise for enabling a Catholic theological response to certain features of contemporary Western culture. This cultural setting is discussed first, using the interpretations of Philip Rieff and Carl R. Trueman, and their conceptualities of 'psychological man' and 'expressive individualism'. The dominant contemporary view of human identity thus presented is markedly individualistic, being focused on an inward sense of self. The dominant approach to human meaning is similarly individualistic, being the satisfaction or expression of that sense of self. While both Rieff and Trueman point to a widespread loss of religious faith as pivotally important to for the emergence of these cultural paradigms, they mostly leave aside questions regarding the truth claims of specific religions in responding to them. Secondly, the scholastic doctrine of the divine ideas is discussed, with a view to presenting an alternative approach to human identity and meaning based on the contention that each human person 'is the result of a thought of God'. Thirdly, the article concludes by drawing out the notions of identity and meaning implied by this doctrine, along with its inextricable relation to a specifically Catholic understanding of God. This understanding includes within it a distinct approach to human sociality in Christ, which answers directly to the individualism of contemporary culture, as outlined by Rieff and Trueman.

This article, which is divided into two parts, attempts to demonstrate within a specific euchology the claim that Jean Daniélou made in his seminal study, The Bible and the Liturgy, namely, that liturgical texts are themselves an expression of scriptural interpretation or exegesis. This claim is explored in four key ways where the author suggests that the Epistle to the Hebrews is appropriated in the Roman Canon Missae. The first is incorporation of the phrase «eternal covenant» from Heb 13:20-21 into the Supplices te, an unusual feature that is always witnessed in the Codex Veronensis. The second is the introduction of the figure of Melchizedek into the preexisting Greek source material shared with the Alexandrian tradition, forming a triumvirate of Abel, Abraham, and Melchizedek—all of whom figure in important ways in the argument of Hebrews. The third is the use of the substantive adjective maetestatis, also in the Supplices te, taken from the unique use of the term Heb 1:3 and possibly 8:1, and echoed in 1 Clem. 36:2 and T. Levi 3:9. Finally, the use of the phrase sacrificium laudis from Heb 13:15, which draws on Ps 50[49]:14 and Ps 116[115]:14-18. While the figure of Melchizedek and the phrase sacrificium laudis are found in the Old Testament but are unique to Hebrews in the New Testament, the fact that they are textually related to the other two features of the RC that are completely unique to the in the Scriptures (maiestatis and «eternal covenant » in connection with Jesus) means that there is a preponderance of evidential weight that Hebrews exercised a decisive and singular influence on much of what distinguishes the Roman Canon from other early anaphoras.
Sommario: Questo articolo, che è stato diviso in due parti, cerca di dimostrare all’interno di un’eucologia specifica, l’affermazione che Jean Daniélou fece nel suo seminario di studi, The Bible and the Liturgy, ovvero che i testi liturgici sono loro stessi un’espressione della interpretazione o esegesi scritturale. Questa tesi viene esaminata in quattro punti principali con cui l’autore suggerisce che la Lettera agli Ebrei è adottata nel Canon Missae Romano. Il primo è l’incorporazione della frase «alleanza eterna» (Eb 13,20-21) nel Supplices te, una caratteristica insolita che è da sempre testimoniata nel Codex Veronensis. Il secondo è l’introduzione della figura di Melchisedec nel materiale greco originale preesistente e condiviso con la tradizione alessandrina, formando un triumvirato di Abele, Abramo e Melchisedec, tutti personaggi importanti nelle argomentazioni della lettera agli Ebrei. Il terzo è l’uso dell’aggettivo sostantivato maiestatis, anche nel Supplices te, ripreso dall’uso unico del termine in Eb 1,3, e forse 8,1, e ripreso in 1 Clem. 36,2 e in T. Levi 3,9. Infine, l’uso dell’espressione sacrificium laudis di Eb 13,15, che si rifà al Sal 50[49],14 e al Sal 116[115],14-18. Mentre la figura di Melchisedec e l’espressione sacrificium laudis si trovano nell’Antico Testamento ma sono elementi unici per la lettera agli Ebrei nel Nuovo Testamento, il fatto che siano testualmente correlati alle altre due caratteristiche del Canone Romano, che sono completamente uniche per le Scritture (maiestatis e «alleanza eterna» in relazione a Gesù), significa che c’è una preponderanza del valore probatorio relativo al fatto che la lettera agli Ebrei abbia esercitato un’influenza decisiva e singolare su gran parte di ciò che distingue il Canone Romano dalle altre anafore primitive.

Indice Studi F. Bonomo, Le esequie nei sacramentari. 1. Il Veronese e il Gelasiano antico C.U. Cortoni, Questione della comunione nella santa messa. La controversia di Crema del 1737 nelle carte di San Michele di Murano A. De Mattio, Das Rituale eines katholischen Priesters der zweiten Hälfte des 16. Jahrhunderts aus Bayern -eine Untersuchung der Handschrift Cgm 9509 G. Ruggeri, Inediti "riti" mediali crescono? Appunti per una riflessione su nuove "ritualità" generate dalla Rete F. Ryan, Mortem annuntiamus et resurrectionem confitemur microcosm of liturgical development (Part two) Recensioni -Book Reviews Libri ricevuti -Books

These theses were originally issued as separate posts, either 
for each individual or in some cases, small group of related
theses, posted over a period of several months. Their
amalgamation results in some repetition of commentary and
proof-texting, for which I apologize. A more orderly biblical
synopsis has been provided in The Little Book of Providence,
referenced and accessible from this document.

The concept of God’s wrath is central to understanding His character in the Bible, yet it often evokes discomfort or misunderstanding. God’s wrath is His righteous anger directed against those who practice evil, rebel against Him, or suppress His truth. Far from being vindictive or capricious, God’s wrath is an outworking of His holiness and justice, tempered by His profound mercy and love. This essay explores the biblical portrayal of God’s wrath, its manifestations, its relationship to human sin, and its theological implications, particularly with reference to certain atonement theories. By examining scripture, we aim to clarify how God’s wrath coexists with His compassion, offering believers a balanced perspective on divine judgment and grace.

In the years following the Second Vatican Council, there was much debate amongst theologians and canonists as to whether and to what extent the Church could insist on the “religious submission of intellect and will” called for by Lumen gentium for non-definitive, and therefore non-infallible, teachings of the magisterium. Indeed, dissent from the authority of the Church and her teaching has been a serious obstacle to the council’s implementation. For this reason, ecclesiastical authorities, especially over the last 150 years, but culminating with the recent revision of the Church’s penal law in 2021, have sought to protect and promote this unity of faith even regarding teachings proposed without a definitive act by recourse to sanctions against obstinate dissent. Indeed, this most recent reform enacted by Pope Francis in the apostolic constitution Pascite gregem Dei has brought greater clarity and specificity to the penalties that may be imposed in response to such dissent that what was originally offered by the 1983 CIC. This important change to what is now canon 1365 has allowed a formerly ambiguous and difficult to employ disciplinary sanction to become a truly clear and more useful instrument for the Church’s shepherds to safeguard and restore the unity of faith.

This thesis seeks to clarify the delict mentioned in canon 1365 and to analyze the penalties prescribed in order to demonstrate the significance of their change and their increased effectiveness in meeting the challenge of preserving the integrity of the faith and morals. A tracing of the historical iter of the current canon 1365 from its theological foundations and various codification in law will show the importance the Church places on assent even to doctrines proposed by non-infallible exercises of the magisterium. An analysis of canon 752 will allow a more in depth examination of both the kinds of doctrines involved in this broad category of the “non-definitive” ordinary magisterium of the supreme authority, as well as the significance of the “religious submission of intellect and will” which the Church requires all the faithful to exhibit towards them. Finally, the delict of canon 1365 will be examined more closely to bring a greater clarity to the actions it proscribes and demonstrate the greater efficacy of the revised penalties that are to be imposed.

This article focuses on addressing Marilyn McCord Adams' 'Problem of Hell'the argument that eternal damnation is incompatible with divine goodness and omnipotence. While Adams proposes universalism as the solution, this raises concerns about preserving human freedom and moral responsibility. Drawing on insights from Thomas Hopko, Richard Swinburne, Jacques Maritain, and Alexander Pruss, I develop the 'Presence-Union' model of hell that reconciles eternal separation from God with divine goodness. This model demonstrates how the unveiled presence of divine love, combined with a miraculous restoration of natural felicity and the distinction between formal and real union with God, provides a coherent alternative to both traditional views of hell and universalism, and maintains both divine mercy and the gravity of human moral choice.

With this volume, Steve Walton begins to address a major lacuna in the Word Biblical Commentary (WBC). This series has established itself over the past half century as a significant and authoritative contribution to biblical scholarship, deriving from a confessionally evangelical standpoint and widely read and respected across the field. Yet no contribution on Acts had appeared until this point-when revised editions of some volumes have already appeared or are in train. Acts is no peripheral text within the New Testament or biblical canon: it stands, sui generis, as the sole narrative of the emergence of the early church, written by Luke as a sequel to his Gospel and received by the church as a bridge between Gospels and Epistles, an encapsulation of both Pauline and catholic strands within early Christianity. Steve Walton is amply qualified to write on this text, with a steady string of articles and essays on Acts over the past two and a half decades since his monograph comparing Paul's speech at Miletus (Acts 20) with 1 Thessalonians demonstrating his close familiarity with the text and his contribution to our understanding of it.

The election of Robert Francis Prevost as Pope Leo XIV on May 8, 2025, constitutes an unprecedented milestone in the history of contemporary Catholicism. Not only is he the first American pontiff, born in Chicago, Illinois, and a member of the Order of St. Augustine, but his appointment marks a symbolic and structural shift in the internal dynamics of the Catholic Church. With a pastoral career deeply linked to Latin America – in particular to Peru, where he was bishop of Chiclayo – his pontificate inaugurates a new pastoral sensitivity towards diasporas, migrants and geographical and existential peripheries.
In this context, his election should not be understood only as an ecclesiastical phenomenon, but as a profoundly political and cultural act that expresses the consolidation of a transnational Catholicism and the opening of a new cycle in the relationship between tradition and modernity within the Church.
I. Historical and symbolic impact
The figure of Leo XIV has been interpreted as a bridge between internal currents of the Vatican, achieving a consensus between progressive and conservative sectors. His election not only reflects the widening of the map of power within the Church—with an increasing emphasis on the southern hemisphere—but also reaffirms the legacy of Pope Francis, prioritizing an agenda centered on inclusion, social justice, and synodality.
His choice of the name "Leo" alludes to Pope Leo XIII, an emblematic figure of social Catholicism in the nineteenth century, reinforcing the symbolism of a pontificate that seeks to reconcile doctrine with social commitment.

The first edition of this book consisted of two chapters. The first was a lecture on the subject of redemption through the Lord Jesus Christ, the Hebrew Messiah and Saviour of the world. Since Hebrews, chapters 1 and 2, deals with this subject so very specifically and fully, I made a translation of them and combined it with a running comment and presented this material as Chapter Two of that volume.
Because of the vital importance of the message of Chapter One, and the universal need for this truth concerning redemption through Christ, I decided to add supplementary new material and to quote many passages from the Sacred Scriptures that were only referred to in the first edition, in order that those among the nations who do not have a copy of the Word of God might at least have in their hands those portions to which reference is made, and which constitute the biblical proof of the teaching presented.

The paper argues for the significance of honesty as one of the parameters for effective Gospel ministry. The premise of its argument was based on the seeming abandonment of moral standards and Christian principles in favour of expediency by some Gospel ministers, which has led to apparent manifestations of demeaning atrocities among the members of the clergy. The novelty of its literature review underscores the insufficiency of research on honesty in particular, though there are discussions around it from various paradigms. The paper adopted an analytical approach. The findings of the paper revealed that honesty is critical in the area of the call, character and practice of the Gospel minister. In addition, honesty is significant in that it helps builds a Christian community and enhances the Christian mission; it pleases God and makes the Gospel minister God's delight among others. The paper concluded with the affirmation that the effectiveness of any Gospel minister is dependent on the honest lifestyle of the minister. Furthermore, honesty is of utmost importance in human relations because every social activity, and every human experience where people are to act in concert, is impeded when honesty is lacking among them. Moreover, honesty as projected in the paper is not just truth-telling; it is truth-living.

The purpose of this study is to develop a strategy for members at Jachin Church in Hong Kong to identify authentic forgiveness and to practice it. Conflict and hurt are inevitable in life. To forgive and to be forgiven are crucial to turn conflict and hurt from being life-destructive to being life-constructive. Authentic forgiveness that is biblically based is a divine gift that God offers to humanity, so that hurt can be healed, the cycle of retaliation can be broken, one's painful past can be released, and impaired relationships can be reconciled. However, forgiveness carries different meanings and expressions within different cultures. Not all kinds of forgiveness that people practice in various cultures are biblically based and equally life-transforming. For example, some forgive by forgetting, some forgive in order to avoid conflict, and some forgive in order to achieve self-healing. The way many members at Jachin Church perceive and practice forgiveness deviates from authentic forgiveness because of the cultural influence of the Chinese tradition and western individualistic culture. For example, some forgive in order to maintain harmony, but they ignore the truth. Others forgive as a unilateral act of selfhealing without reconciling the broken relationship. Authentic forgiveness should comprise genuine repentance, which requires dealing with the issues, and reconciliation, which is a mutual transaction. This study employs a one-year timeline for implementing the pilot project. It intends to inspire and motivate members at Jachin Church to identify authentic forgiveness and to confront the tendency to trivialize it due to cultural influences. Further, this study also develops concrete steps for those in need to practice authentic forgiveness in order to receive the blessedness that God intends through it. An assessment will be done for the effectiveness of the pilot project before its full launch by the end of 2018. Content Reader: Jimmy Tan, PhD Words: 298 I would also like to thank many good friends and fellow colleagues in my church, many of my former classmates, many pastors of other churches, and a few professors who have given me much precious advice to complete this study. Lastly, I would like to give thanks to the faculty and staff of the Doctor of Ministry Program at Fuller Theological Seminary, who are extremely helpful, friendly, caring, and knowledgeable in equipping students to pursue what God has placed on their hearts.

São Vicente Ferrer (1350–1419) foi um frade dominicano espanhol, grande pregador, teólogo e missionário, conhecido por sua vida de santidade e pela força extraordinária de sua pregação. Nasceu em Valência, no Reino de Aragão (atual Espanha), e entrou na Ordem dos Pregadores (dominicanos) ainda jovem, demonstrando desde cedo inteligência brilhante e profunda piedade.
      Estudou filosofia e teologia em Valência, Barcelona e Toulouse, tornando-se um teólogo respeitado e mestre em Sagrada Escritura. Após uma grave doença e uma visão mística de Cristo e dos santos, passou a percorrer a Europa como pregador penitencial e apocalíptico, alertando o povo para a conversão, o juízo final e a misericórdia divina. Pregava com tanta eloquência e unção que multidões imensas se reuniam para ouvi-lo, e há relatos de conversões em massa.  É atribuído a ele um grande número de milagres, como curas, profecias e línguas milagrosas (era compreendido por pessoas de diferentes idiomas).
          Viveu durante o Cisma do Ocidente e apoiou inicialmente o antipapa Bento XIII, mas depois rompeu com ele quando percebeu que sua obstinação dividia ainda mais a Igreja.
    O "Tratado da Vida Espiritual" (Tractatus de Vita Spiritualis), foi escrito por volta de 1406,  é uma das obras mais importantes de São Vicente Ferrer, refletindo sua profunda experiência como pregador, confessor e mestre espiritual. Embora seja menos conhecido do que sua fama como missionário itinerante, esse livro mostra seu lado mais doutrinal e prático, oferecendo orientações claras para quem deseja viver com seriedade a vida cristã.
      Vicente foi canonizado pelo papa Calixto III em 1455, apenas 36 anos após sua morte — um dos processos mais rápidos da história da Igreja.

This study advocates for the appropriation of Paul's Missionary Specifics as blueprint for effective evangelization, pastoral duties and discipline in the contemporary Nigeria's society. This study adopts a documentation research method by employing both primary and secondary methods of data collections. The primary sources of data were convoked from personal communications while the secondary sources of data accrue from the bible and other extant literatures on the subject matter. Hermeneutical and phenomenological analysis methods were qualitatively utilized in streamlining and delineating the gathered data. Findings posit that reasonable number of individuals in the contemporary Nigerian societies hardly yield to the propositions of the gospel. They perceive the Church and her missionaries as scammers. Absurdities exhibited by some church clerics equally catalyze moral decadence in the society as they ought to serve as models. Since the theory of integral missions is adopted in this research work; it proposes as remedy to the evidenced ugly developments that the contemporary Nigerian pastors cum churches should endeavor to be selfless and holistic in their missionary enterprise in order to always make remarkable and positive impacts in the society. They should also reflect Agape love; live their teachings and preaching; always reflect Christ in their dispositions together with always empathizing with individuals in the vicissitudes of life they experience in the Nigerian societies. These submissions equally capture the locus of Paul's Missionary Strategies.

This article delves into the theological significance of cleansing rituals in the Gospel of John, exploring the intersections and rhetorical strategies employed in John 13:8-10 (footwashing) and John 3:5 (baptism). Utilizing a combined methodology of historical and rhetorical criticism, this study uncovers the symbolic connections between these passages, illuminating the themes of spiritual purification, humility, and union with Christ. The research reveals that footwashing in John 13:8-10 can be seen as a form of spiritual initiation, emphasizing humility and service, while baptism in John 3:5 symbolizes spiritual rebirth and regeneration. By examining the historical context of Jewish purification practices and the author's rhetorical techniques, this study demonstrates how these rituals intersect and reinforce each other, highlighting their importance in the Christian life. This analysis offers valuable insights for scholars, theologians, and readers of the Gospel of John, and more importantly contributing to a deeper understanding of the Gospel of John's theological themes and literary techniques.

This article discusses the prospects and pitfalls of science-engaged theology (SET) - a new and growing movement in the science and religion discourse. The guiding question of this enquiry is why, when, and how theology should engage with the sciences. After introducing what I call the 'source account' of SET that has emerged in recent discussion, I show that this basic account often comes with additional commitments: the 'no methodology' and 'locality and specificity' theses, both of which address the 'how' question, and the 'entanglement' thesis, which addresses the 'when' question. I argue that accepting any of them as an essential feature makes SET methodologically flawed. To provide alternative answers, I then propose to interpret the sources of theology in terms of the so-called loci theologici. Recognizing the sciences specifically among the loci theologici alieni also helps to counter the view that SET may spell the end of the discipline of science and religion. The aim is, therefore, to show that the source account of SET, if taken in a minimal sense, is a valuable contribution to the science and religion discourse, without replacing it, whereas SET, if coupled with these additional assumptions, would and has considerably muddied the waters.

It's difficult to know how or where to begin this Open Letter on the necessity of establishing a Papal Commission of Inquiry into Homosexuality, Pederasty, and the "Gay Lobby" in the Catholic Church. But since I must begin somewhere let me start with Question 21 posed to you by Brazilian journalist, Ilze Scamparini, during your first press conference of July 28, 2013 aboard the papal aircraft on route to Rome from World Youth Day in Rio,

I offer here some memories of my encounters with Derrida over the years. I do so in the spirit of a testimony to his person and philosophy, recalling several exchanges ranging from our first dialogue in Paris in 1982 to later conversations in Dublin and Villanova in the 1990s to our final meeting in New York in 2001. Several of these stories are intimate and anecdotal and I share them as a token of our personal friendship as much as a tribute to Derrida's persona as a world thinker and writer.

Let us pause at the question: does God (as a person) maintain an internal distance with respect to Himself? This is a more fundamental question than any theological issue—a question belonging to the philosophy of God. It seems that internal distance is constitutive of personhood: by this I mean self-consciousness united with self-determination. In short, it is the possibility of being other than oneself. This is not merely about acquiring new, desired attributes, but about the capacity to shape one’s individual essence—one’s very identity.

Logosul cel răstignit și înviat se descoperă ca singura realitate care oferă har, răscumpărare și o renaștere autentică, atât spirituală, cât și intelectuală. El nu doar că îi cheamă pe oameni la Sine, dar le și dă puterea de a vedea dincolo de iluziile trecătoare și de a-și găsi adevărata identitate și valoare în relația cu El. Cei care sunt atrași de diferite forme de pseudo-adevăr, de filozofii care promit iluminare, dar nu pot da viață, sunt chemați să își găsească împlinirea nu într-un logos efemer, ci în Cuvântul Etern, singura sursă autentică de viață, sens și speranță.

As experiências existenciais comportam um aspecto subjetivo e não podem receber uma expressão que as tornam integralmente comunicáveis. Mas isso não implica a aceitação do solipsismo a que condenam as filosofias da consciência, como a fenomenologia husserliana ou sartreana. E se o cognitivismo mostra que, na experiência subjetiva, há um suplemento não objetivável, a hermenêutica indica como é possível, pela linguagem narrativa, conceber certa comunicabilidade, embora semanticamente limitada, dos estados subjetivos. A Psicologia cognitiva, de outra maneira, com base na teoria das categorias e da ideia de aprendizagem, aponta para um universal parcial, tornando possível certa comunicação das emoções. No entanto, é somente na ação comum, na pragmática, que as hipóteses interpretativas podem superar sua indeterminação e ser eventualmente confirmadas.

Kwa miaka mingi nimekuwa nikisikia na kusoma kuhusu Imani ya Westminster (Westminster Confession of Faith) kama kielelezo cha kina na cha kihistoria cha mafundisho ya imani ya Kikristo. Hata hivyo, niligundua kuwa wachache wamepata nafasi ya kuielewa kwa kina—hasa kwa lugha ya Kiswahili na katika muktadha wa Kiafrika. Hapo ndipo mzigo wa kuandika kitabu hiki ulipozaliwa.
Mnamo 2020, nilipata neema ya kuwa mtu wa kwanza kutafsiri rasmi Imani ya Westminster kutoka lugha ya Kiingereza hadi Kiswahili, na kazi hiyo niliiita “MISINGI YA IMANI.” Kitabu hicho kimeendelea kutumika katika makanisa mengi nchini Tanzania na kimekuwa nyenzo muhimu kwa viongozi wa makanisa, wanafunzi wa theolojia, na waumini wanaotaka kufahamu kwa undani misingi ya imani yao ya Kikristo.
Kitabu hiki unachokisoma sasa ni ufafanuzi wa kina wa tafsiri hiyo ya awali. Ni juhudi ya kumulika maana ya kila sura, kuchambua msingi wake wa kimaandiko, kueleza muktadha wa kihistoria, na kufafanua athari yake katika maisha ya waamini wa leo.
Sijakusudia kutoa maelezo mapya yaliyo nje ya imani ya jadi ya Kikristo, bali kufungua madirisha kwa wale wanaotaka kuona urembo wa kweli za imani yetu kwa mtazamo wa:
• Kitheolojia (mfumo wa mafundisho yanayohusiana),
• Kimaandiko (ushahidi kutoka kwa Biblia),
• Kichungaji (matumizi katika maisha ya huduma, ibada, na uongozi).
Katika kila sura, nimejaribu kuonyesha uhusiano kati ya mafundisho ya imani na hali halisi ya maisha ya waamini katika kizazi chetu. Pia nimeweka maswali ya tafakari kwa kila sura, ili kuwahimiza wasomaji kufikiri, kujichunguza, na kushirikiana na wengine katika muktadha wa vikundi vya imani au madarasa ya kanisa.
Kazi hii haijakamilika katika maana ya mwisho—maana imani yetu ina kina kisichoisha—lakini ni mchango mdogo kwa kazi kubwa ya kulijenga kanisa juu ya msingi wa manabii na mitume, Kristo Yesu mwenyewe akiwa Jiwe kuu la pembeni (Waefeso 2:20).
Naandika haya kwa unyenyekevu, nikiamini kuwa Mungu atamtumia msomaji yeyote wa kitabu hiki kama chombo cha kweli, utakatifu, na uvuvio kwa kizazi kingine.
“Jiweke mwenyewe tayari kwa Mungu, uwe chombo cha heshima, kilichotakaswa, chenye manufaa kwa Bwana, kilicho tayari kwa kila kazi njema.”
— 2 Timotheo 2:21

Mch. Dkt. Daniel John Seni
Dar Es Salaam, TANZANIA
May, 2025

The existence of the heavenly sanctuary is perfectly detailed in the Holy Scriptures. However, this key concept to understand the plan of salvation is not taught in most Christian denominations and references are scarce to the importance that the Holy Bible itself gives it.

This may be due to a lack of understanding of the real and total purpose of the earthly sanctuary and its relationship to its heavenly equivalent. It is also possible that the neglect to study this important topic is due to eschatological connotations (related to the final events) that other denominations do not wish to accept. On the other hand, the existence of the Catholic priesthood (as well as that of the schismatic churches) is an added difficulty in accepting the existence of a heavenly priesthood, which is considered biblically valid, a subject that we will deal with in the following treatise.

We might say that it is highly unlikely that a Christian who is not a Seventh-day Adventist has heard of this doctrine in the depth that has been studied and taught in the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

The sanctuary doctrine is thus distinctive of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Although our name as a Church emphasizes the Holy Sabbath and the glorious hope of the marvelous appearance of Christ Jesus to save His people, it is the sanctuary doctrine (heavenly and earthly) that makes us unique within the theology of evangelical or Protestant Christianity.

This uniqueness depends not only on the very existence of the heavenly sanctuary, but also on the implications it has on other doctrines such as God's Law, Salvation, Investigative Judgment, Vicarious Death, and other important concepts. Just as we emphasized at the time (in another treatise) that believing in the account of the first chapters of Genesis totally changes the theological conception in many aspects, accepting the doctrine of the sanctuary is key to understanding some of the most extraordinary concepts contained in the Holy Book.

The correct understanding of the ministration in the heavenly sanctuary is the foundation of our faith.
Ellen G. White, Christ in His Sanctuary, 3

The subject of the sanctuary should be carefully examined, as it lies at the foundation of our faith and hope.
Ellen G. White, Christ in His Sanctuary, 8

We will try to study the sanctuary doctrine, using all the information of the earthly sanctuary to understand the heavenly sanctuary, and the relationship of both to the plan of salvation. This attempt will take us this treatise and the following two. Join me in discovering together the Lord's message through him and the importance for our time in particular.

When speaking of liberation, a fundamental question inevitably arises: Liberation for whom? This enquiry becomes more complex when the sex-gender perspective is added. This paper presents critical points within Latin American Liberation Theologies (LLT) that must be addressed to move towards a liberation of sex-gender dissidences (maricas). The reflection, far from being speculative, seeks to resituate the question of contextuality as one of the most important theoreticalpractical challenges in the elaboration of Queer Theologies from/in/by Abya Yala. Therefore, it will reflexively examine the urgent need to continue depatriarchalizing and "indecenting" the methodologies employed in LLT. To this end, it will draw on the contributions of Latin American indecent theologies, rarely considered by contemporary "liberation" proponents. Research through various reference works, past and present, leads to the following question: Are LLT ready to liberate maricas?

This essay investigates the ontological foundation of freedom through the late metaphysical writings of F.W.J. Schelling, focusing on his `Philosophical Investigations into the Essence of Human Freedom` and the `Ages of the World`. It argues that freedom is not primarily a function of rational subjectivity, but an expression of the deeper structure of being itself — a being that unfolds through tension, contradiction, and becoming.
Schelling’s concept of freedom emerges from a divine duality: a dark, unconscious ground and a conscious, self-revealing spirit. The tragic potential for evil and fragmentation is not accidental but intrinsic to this structure. The world is not a finished order but a site of becoming, where spirit actualizes itself through nature and history.
This vision is crystallized in Schelling’s ontological formula: “Nature is visible Spirit; Spirit is invisible Nature.” Nature and spirit are not separate substances, but two expressions of a single, dynamic unfolding. The essay thus repositions freedom as a metaphysical rhythm — the movement through which being becomes manifest in time, embodiment, and ethical responsiveness. The study situates Schelling in dialogue with Kant, Hegel, and contemporary phenomenology, offering a powerful reinterpretation of freedom as the visible and invisible motion of being — a unification of spirit, nature, and temporal existence.

A critique of the personal eschatology implicit in evangelism based on the question, "Suppose that you were to die today and stand before God and he were to say to you, ‘Why should I let you into my heaven?’ what would you say?" The assumptions behind this question are inconsistent with Biblical teaching on the judgement following the general resurrection.

We live today in a world shaken by unprecedented ecological upheavals. Soil is being depleted, forests are disappearing, climates are being disrupted, and yet one question remains too little explored: what spiritual and theological wisdom can we mobilize to rethink our relationship with the earth?
This article proposes a dialogue between two powerful sources of ecological spirituality: Genesis 2.15 and the African notion of “sacred land”. The author shows how these two sources can converge towards an integral ecological ethic.

Translated with DeepL.com (free version)

This article focuses on examining a particular method of Biblical Interpretation. This specific method is that of the Patristic Method of Biblical Interpretation, proposed by Richard Swinburne. The Patristic Method faces a specific issue, 'the Authority' Issue, which will thus be dealt with within this article by utilising the notion of epistemic authority, as conceptualised by Linda Zagzebski, and restating it within an Eastern Orthodox interpretative framework. Doing this will thus enable the Patristic Method to be presented as a robust and cogent contemporary method of Biblical Interpretation that offers a unified and accurate understanding of God's revelation in the Bible.

“The Overlooked Mystery of the Circumcision,” Catholic Servant (January 2025): 8. Reprinted in Catholic World Report, December 31, 2025. In this article, I look at the importance of this brief scene in the Gospel and explain why it fascinated centuries of Christians.

The article examines the Reformation as one of the sources of the secularization of art and simultaneously an impulse for new unintended developments with spiritual potential. It argues that the reformers' attitudes towards art helped facilitate the emergence and development of new secular subjects and renewed attention to ordinary life and its artistic reflection. In this way, it fostered a new kind of aesthetics, which some consider to be distinctly Protestant. At the center of this aesthetic is the reversal of hierarchies, affirming elements of life usually considered low and unworthy of aesthetic attention. Some view this kind of "iconoclasm" as not only Protestant but essentially Christian, as it reflects crucial Christian doctrines, namely the incarnation, where one image of God was destroyed in His becoming human. This newly emerged aesthetic is seen as both a product and a part of the transition from religious images to art in its own right, raising new questions about whether art on its own can be a source of spiritual impulses and thus opening the way towards the sacralization of art .

This paper follows on from the premise that humans are narrative beings, i.e. their identity is founded on stories. From a theological perspective, more importantly, Christian identity is founded on a particular story – the story of Jesus Christ. As a consequence, theology is the critical reflection of this story. Narrative theology is a school which emphasizes this point of departure. However, narrative theology also has its potential weaknesses. In the pursuit of their at least partial overcoming this paper suggests speaking about narrativist theology instead, drawing on from the difference between story and narrative. Subsequently, it argues for the need for the Christian church and theology to be involved in a generous and open dialog with various narratives of the Christian story and with various narratives of other stories. Finally, it suggests understanding (the Christian) story as something which must not be merely narrated, but also ritually enacted and embodied.

تُعتبر القيامة حجر الزاوية في الإيمان المسيحي الأرثوذكسي. فكما يقول القديس بولس الرسول: "إن لم يكن المسيح قد قام، فباطلة كرازتنا وباطل أيضاً إيمانكم" (1 كورنثوس 15: 14). فالقيامة ليست مجرد حدث تاريخي فريد متعلق بالمسيح فقط، بل هي ضمان لقيامتنا وللحياة الأبدية التي وعدنا بها الرب، وهي أساس رجائنا في تجديد الخليقة كلها.
في هذه المحاضرة، سنتناول موضوع القيامة والحياة الأبدية من المنظور الأرثوذكسي، مستكشفين الأبعاد الكتابية واللاهوتية والليتورجية لهذه العقيدة الأساسية من خلال النقاط التالية:
1. الأسس الكتابية للقيامة
2. المفهوم الأرثوذكسي للقيامة
3. التأليه (الثيوسيس) والقيامة
4. الليتورجيا وتجربة القيامة
5. تعاليم الآباء عن القيامة والحياة الأبدية
6. القيامة كرجاء للعالم

Against a wider cultural narrative that now pathologizes even biologically determined differences between men and women, evangelicals respond with a theological anthropology grounded in the biblical texts. This essay briefly traces the intellectual history of those determined to erase gender difference and in contrast proposes a biblical paradigm of difference based upon the theology of the body and the relationality of the soul. A final section offers an analysis of evangelical egalitarianism and complementarianism against the culture's paradigm and the proposed biblical account. Both sides make important contributions to the issue, but only one, appropriately modified, offers a way into the fullness of Scripture's message the church needs in our cultural moment.

Korean Christianity is known around the world for its amazing growth and dynamism, and this includes a thriving theological life, much of which is inaccessible without knowledge of the Korean language. Ryu Tong-Shik (Yu Tong-shik) was one of the first Koreans to attempt to trace the development of Korean theology in his seminal work, Han'guk shinhak-ŭi kwangmaek (The Mineral Veins of Korean Theology; first published 1982). This paper introduces Ryu's theological thought and investigates a particular observation he makes about two distinct patterns of Holy Spirit move-ment in the Korean church, which he designates 'paternal' and 'maternal' and identifies both before and after the liberation from Japan in 1945. The paper examines the grounds of Ryu's claim, which derive from the religious history of Korea, and suggests the relevance of this schema to other societies and to pneumatological reflection in general.

Made in the image of the Trinity, we are not made to be alone. Self-sufficiency is abhorrent to the human condition. The Bible declares this truth in the beginning: the Garden of Eden meets all of Adam's material needs, grants him safety and security, and provides him with meaningful work. He even has God to talk to. Nevertheless our Creator, Abba, discerns that Adam needs a partner. Adam needs to do more than just work and live; he needs to work with and live with. For Adam, and all humankind, self-sufficiency is insufficient. There is more. The soul (like God) seeks relationship not through a sense of lack, but from a feeling of potential, the intuition that openness to another offers increase. We are pulled by promise, not pushed by need.