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1	Sathya Sai Baba as Avatar: "His Story" and the History of an Idea Spurr, Michael James January 2007 (has links) I begin this thesis with a brief account of my meetings with popular South Indian guru Sathya Sai Baba (1926- ) and very brief a discussion of recent fraud and sexual abuse allegations that have been made against him. I note that one of the key factors involved in this, also accountable for his extraordinary popularity, is his divine persona-especially his self-proclaimed identity as "the avatar"-and I review previous academic studies pertaining to this. In contrast to most previous studies of Sathya Sai Baba, which align him primarily with Śaiva traditions and with the "Sai Baba movement", I note a strong (and long running) affinity in his ideas for Vaiṣṇava traditions (especially the Bhagavad-Gītā and the Bhāgavata-Purāṇa), and I add that his background as a member of a traditionally highly regarded bardic caste may have contributed to his divine persona. I further investigate this persona via a history of potentially parallel traditional and modern avatar ideas. I show something of the manner in which many of the avatar concepts and myths to which Sathya Sai Baba refers originated and developed, especially invoking the episteme of "resemblance", posited by Brian Smith, the idea of "inclusivism"-which I adapt from the work of Paul Hacker and Wilhelm Halbfass-and traditional (Sāṁkhya) processes of "distinction", "categorization", and "enumeration". In addition to these, I much refer to Max Weber's analysis of "pure types" of authority-traditional, charismatic, and rational-showing that Sathya Sai Baba draws upon all of these in legitimating his claim to be "the avatar". I also show that his divine persona draws upon a strong affinity that he exhibits for advaita ("non-dualism"), especially that of Śaṅkara, and that his personal history of intense devotional and ecstatic/yogic spiritual practices was likely important in the formative stages of this persona. I further suggest that the history of his geographic locale, in which there are strong themes of sacred kingship and ecstatic/advaitic/poetic/devotional sainthood, may have contributed to the production and reception of his persona. On top of this, I note that the influence of a number of modern avatar figures, especially Ramakrishna, Vivekananda, and Aurobindo, is patent in his avatar teachings, and I compare and contrast him with a number of other significant modern figures. Based upon all of this, I consider the question of whether Sathya Sai Baba ought to be regarded as a "traditionalist", both vis-à-vis modernity ("Neo-Hinduism", as defined especially by Paul Hacker) and "innovation". I conclude that, in contrast to most previous scholarly characterizations, he is certainly innovative, but that he ought not to be considered a "Neo-Hindu"-most appearances to the contrary being due to his borrowing or extrapolating ideas in a very traditional manner from typical Neo-Hindu thinkers (especially Vivekananda), as if these ideas, and those that framed them, were thoroughly traditional. Finally, I outline a couple of major themes in his avatar teachings: an ambivalent attitude to his role as an exemplar, which I note to accord with earlier and parallel avatar ideas; and strong docetic tendencies, which similarly, in contrast to some scholarly characterizations, find parallels in popular portrayals of other avatar figures. Sathya Sai Baba avatar avatara avatāra history religion Hinduism traditionalism Neo-Hinduism inclusivism resemblance Andhra charisma authority Hacker Halbfass advaita docetism divine kingship
2	Clement of Alexandria : incarnation and mission of the Logos-Son Worden, Daniel Lee January 2016 (has links) Clementine scholarship acknowledges Clement's doctrine of the Incarnation and generally maintains that for Clement the divine Logos assumed human flesh. However, because of Clement's complex logology and three passages suggesting a docetic interpretation of Christ's flesh, scholars tend to move away from addressing the Incarnation and treat either the metaphysics of the multiple logoi theory or the question of Clement's Docetism, or both. Because of this diversion in research, there remains a gap in the literature around Clement's teachings about the Incarnation. This thesis begins to fill the gap by explaining Clement's view of the Incarnation, which he connects to the emergent ‘exchange' doctrine, envisaged as a divine mission. It situates Clement as an heir of the apostolic tradition while he engages with Greek philosophy and Gnostic belief. The research delineates Clement's gnostic tradition, which he considered faithful to the Old Testament and to the teachings of the apostles. The investigation collates Clement's usage of John 1:14 and the term ginomai linked with Logos, anthropos, and sarx. It examines Clement's discussion in Stromateis VII.2, where he claims the Logos assumed flesh susceptible to suffering, emotions, and physical sensibilities. In Clement's teachings, the Logos became both anthropos and sarx so that anthropos might become theos. This thesis outlines Clement's usage of the terms parousia and epiphaneia (appearing), showing they are consequential to the Incarnation. Clement presents the Logos as Saviour, who conquers malevolent powers and death to release humankind from corruption through his sufferings from birth to the cross. Clement also presents the Logos as a Teacher, who during his parousia, interprets precisely the Old Testament, and in his appearing, discloses true gnosis, which guides anthropos to godliness. The evidence demonstrates that Clement bases his path for assimilation to God upon the Incarnation of the Logos.
3	Jesus Christ’s humanity in the contexts of the pre-fall and post-fall natures of humanity: a comparative and critical evaluative study of the views of Jack Sequeira, Millard J. Erickson and Norman R. Gulley Mwale, Emanuel 12 1900 (has links) Bibliography: leaves 653-669 / Before God created human beings, He devised a plan to save them in case they sinned. In this plan, the second Person of the Godhead would become human. Thus, the incarnation of the second Person of the Godhead was solely for the purpose of saving fallen, sinful human beings. There would have been no incarnation if human beings had not sinned. Thus, the nature of the mission that necessitated the incarnation determined what kind of human nature Jesus was to assume. It was sin that necessitated the incarnation – sin as a tendency and sin as an act of disobedience. In His incarnational life and later through His death on Calvary’s cross, Jesus needed to deal with this dual problem of sin. In order for Him to achieve this, He needed to identify Himself with the fallen humanity in such a way that He would qualify to be the substitute for the fallen humanity. In His role as fallen humanity’s substitute, He would die vicariously and at the same time have sin as a tendency rendered impotent. Jesus needed to assume a human nature that would qualify Him to be an understanding and sympathetic High Priest. He needed to assume a nature that would qualify Him to be an example in overcoming temptation and suffering. Thus, in this study, after comparing and critically evaluating the Christological views of Jack Sequeira, Millard J. Erickson and Norman R. Gulley, I propose that Jesus assumed a unique post-fall (postlapsarian) human nature. He assumed the very nature that all human beings since humankind’s fall have, with its tendency or leaning towards sin. However, unlike other human beings, who are sinners by nature and need a saviour, Jesus was not a sinner. I contend that Jesus was unique because, first and foremost, He was conceived in Mary’s womb by the power of the Holy Spirit and was filled with the Holy Spirit throughout His earthly life. Second; He was the God-Man; and third, He lived a sinless life. This study contributes to literature on Christology, and uniquely to Christological dialogue between Evangelical and Seventh-day Adventist theologians. / Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology / D. Phil. (Systematic Theology) Adoptionism Alleles Anhypostatic Christology Anthropotokos Alternative Christology Apollinarianism Apthartodocetism Arianism Augustinian model Autosomal chromosomes Autosomal inheritance Born-again Christology Chalcedonian creed Christology from above Christotokos Chromosomes Chromosomal abnormalities Cloning Co-dominance Communicatio idiomatum Complementary base pairing Cri-du-chat syndrome Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) Diploid cell Docetism Dominant gene Down syndrome Dynamic incarnation Dynamic monarchianism Eastern Orthodox Christology Ebionitism Embryogenesis Eutychianism Evangelical Christology Existential Christology Functional Christology Genes Gene mutation Gene expression Genome Genotype Gnosticism Hamartiology Haploid cell Heterozygous History of Jesus’ Christology Homoiousios Theology Homozygous Human cloning Immaculate conception Incarnation Incarnational life Inheritance Karyotype Kenoticism Klinefelter syndrome Logos-flesh Christology Meiosis Mitosis Modalistic monarchianism Monarchianism Monophysitism Mutation Nestorianism Nicene Creed One-nature Christology Ontological Christology Organogenesis Patripassianism Phenotype Polygenic inheritance Post lapsarian view/model Prelapsarian view/model Recessive gene Roman Catholic Christology Sabellianism Seventh-day Adventist Christology Sex chromosomes Sex-linked inheritance Speculative Christology Theotokos Turner syndrome Two-natures Christology Unique post-fall Christology Socinianism Soteriology Theotokos Turner syndrome Two-natures Christology Unique post-fall Christology Virginal conception 231.4 Seventh-Day Adventists -- Doctrines Salvation -- Seventh-Day Adventists Fall of man -- History of doctrines Jesus Christ -- History of doctrines Sequerra, Jack Erickson, Millard J. Gulley, Norman R.

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