Author: David Ellis
-
The Nature of Divinity: Grace, Mercy, and Compassion Across Major Religions
Divinity refers to the quality or state of being divine or godlike. It can encompass broader concepts, not just the nature, powers, or essence of gods, but also abstract universal principles such as a “divine energy”. So a divinity may be a specific, personal being or just something that is beyond human or material, such…
-
A Wicked World
We often say, among ourselves, that this is a wicked world (except, of course, for the perfectly pious bit we occupy and have control over!) But is it true? I am going to assume a debating stance, arguing both for and against the motion that this is a wicked world, and then invite you all…
-
AI and Grace…?!
As most of you know, Dr. Weaver, Kiran, Michael and I are putting together a book on grace based largely on Dr. Weaver’s talks in class, but also informed by your contributions in our class discussions. Inevitably, the book has a Christian theological bent. It is based largely on the Bible, because this is after…
-
Grace vs. Judgment: The Nature of the Christian God
The Bible is a complex and multifaceted text, reflecting the diverse socio-historical contexts and times in which its various books were written. In studying it, many have found a tension between, on the one hand, a seemingly judgmental God who operates on the principle of cause and rational effect—rewarding obedience and punishing disobedience; and, on…
-
Falling from Grace?
Many Christians seem troubled by the idea of “falling from grace.” It is a fairly common phrase; at any rate, I seem to have heard it a lot. Funnily enough, though, I was able to find it in only two Bible verses, both from Paul: “You who are trying to be justified by the law…
-
Divine Grace As Seen Around the World
There is a profound aspect of God’s grace that transcends boundaries and speaks to the heart of our faith. In the New Testament, Jesus speaks of having other sheep that are not of this fold, and in the Book of Revelation, we see a vision of people from all nations and tongues standing before God….
-
The Way to Universal Grace
Part 2: Non-ChristianLast week, we explored the Christian concept of grace as part of the New Covenant, applicable to all people. Today, we’ll examine how non-Christians might be aware of God’s grace and how it manifests in various cultures and religions. We’ve discussed the concept of grace often here in this class, and we have often noted…
-
The Way to Universal Grace
Part 1: ChristianDr. Weaver has commented that despite the limits of human understanding of grace, the concept itself seems to have been known throughout the ages by all religions and cultures. He asked me to look into that, so I took Claude AI’s help to find out what the Bible and other world faiths and beliefs have…
-
Prompting AI on Spiritual Matters
Last week, I presented a conversation I’d had with ChatGPT on the subject of Grace and Salvation. Jason commented on the importance of carefully crafting the questions or “prompts” you give to ChatGPT and similar AI “models”. The quality of the response you get is directly related to the quality of your prompt. Remember the…