Secularisation from kenosis

Recent decades have witnessed the acceleration of the process of secularisation, along with related effects in society such as a decline in morals. Christians must wonder why God allows this to happen. The suggestion is that this is a result of God’s selflimitation, kenosis, allowing a process of which He does not approve for the sake of human free will. Kenosis follows as a possible result of a distinction between the divine and the created world, which permits secularisation. This is generally seen as a result of the Renaissance, Reformation and Enlightenment, with effects in industrialisation and urbanisation; all of these can be linked with God’s kenosis. However, secularisation must not be seen as inevitable, but as having been exacerbated by the state of the church. If the result is a refining of the church, it could eventually lead to a resacralising of society

Opening the trinity: developing the “open theism” debate

The reconciliation of the omniscience of God with the free choices of humanity is a problem which has taxed Christian thinkers for centuries. Recently the issue has become prominent with the emergence of support for “open theism”, the belief that free will is such that God cannot know the future, simply because it has not yet happened. This idea has produced considerable opposition largely based on the perceived insecurity with which it leaves Christians, and the feeling that it diminishes God. A further solution to the problem can be based on the concept of God’s kenosis, that God has freely chosen to limit himself, specifically his knowledge. As this is a freely chosen action of God, so not an inherent limitation, and is temporary, it meets the fundamental objections to open theism. At the same time, kenosis was done for the sake of enabling a relationship with God, in which Christians do find ultimate security

A kenotic response to secularity

The church must be concerned to make the correct response to its increasing impotence and marginalisation in Western society due to secularisation. Past reaction has been to accommodate to the changed worldview, even to identify with it. A more appropriate response is to be Christocentric, so as to reflect the action of God himself in the sending of Christ for salvation. This involved his kenosis . In this case the response of the church is its own kenosis. This is also appropriate as secularisation was possible through the kenosis of God. The kenosis of the church is not an acceptance of defeat, but on the contrary, just as the kenosis of Christ, it aims at a positive result, the transformation of society

The perfect three: ontology as trinity

The Ontological Argument fo r the existence of God is briefly examined with particular reference to its basic premise, the assumption of the perfection of God. Despite some problems with the idea, it is believed that perfection is a valid concept. The thrust of the article is that if a perfect God exists, such perfection requires at least the basic concepts of the doctrine of the Trinity . The author therefore believes th a t the idea of the Trinity is derivable in a rudimentary form without reference to either revelation or to the "vestigia" (the supposed reflection of the Trinity in the creation), but simply from the idea of perfection. Some authors, both medieval and modern are cited in support of the argument

Kenosis and the nature of the Persons in the Trinity

Philippians 2:7 describes the kenosis of Christ, that is Christ’s free choice to limit himself for the sake of human salvation. Although the idea of Christ’s kenosis as an explanation of the incarnation has generated considerable controversy and has largely been rejected in its original form, it is clear that in this process Christ did humble himself. This view is consistent with some contemporary perspectives on God’s self-limitation; in particular as this view provides a justification for human freedom of choice. As kenosis implies a freely chosen action of God, and not an inherent and temporary limitation, kenosis is consistent with an affirmation of God’s sovereignty. This view is particularly true if Christ’s kenosis is seen as a limitation of action and not of his attributes. Such an idea does not present problems concerning the doctrine of the Trinity, specifically regarding the relation between the economic and the immanent nature of the Trinity. The Trinitarian doctrine, on the contrary, indeed complements this idea – specifically the concept of perichoresis (the interrelatedness among the Persons of the Triniy and the relation between the two natures of Christ)

The Spirit and secularisation

The existence of creation, especially of life, depends on the work of the third Person. In keeping with his nature as holy, the Spirit undergirds creation by providing separation and relatedness. This activity is, however, not of such a kind as to remove the measure of freedom that God gave through his selflimitation, and that is necessary for creation to occur. It is possible for individuals and society as a whole to ignore the Spirit, and for secularisation to occur. The action of the Spirit also underlies the new creation, which results in a distinctive society, the church, which is characterised by separation and relatedness. Through the church, the Spirit seeks to influence society as a whole by example without removing its freedom. To maintain the validity of this example, the Spirit also seeks to develop the church as a holy society, specifically counteracting the factors that produce secularisation in society

What is life?

The question of the nature of life, and therefore of the soul and spirit, has troubled people since time immemorial, especially if they are seen as essentially immaterial. It is suggested that the soul may be understood as the process of life, the inter-relationship between the parts of the body, and that the spirit is the driving force that motivates life. This is then related to the role of God in life, and particularly as the originator of new life in salvation

Nutritional characterization of grain amaranth grown in Nigeria for food security and healthy living

Amaranths cruentus is a flowering plant species that yields the nutritious staple amaranth grain. Zinc in grain amaranth is reported to contribute to boosting the immune system and iron is required by enzymes for oxygen metabolism. This study is to exploit the multi-benefits of amaranth which ranged from improved well-being to recovery of severely malnourished children; increased body mass index of people formerly wasted by HIV/AIDS; environmental adaptability, yield, and recipes   development. The study focused on determining the nutritional and medicinal   properties of grain amaranth cultivar obtained from Rural Extension with Africa Poor  (REAP) in Kenya which was propagated in Kwara State, Nigeria, harvested after 65  days, and prepared as samples for the study. Standard procedures of Association of  Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC), Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer, Flame  Photometer, and Spectrophotometer were used to determine the    macro/micronutrients in the grains. Results revealed that the grains contained   protein, lipid, Iron-66 mg/100g, Zinc-11.34 mg/100g, Calcium-78.7 mg/100g,  Manganese-37.1 mg/100g, Magnesium-2845 mg/100g, Potassium-400 mg/100g; Thiamine-0.2756 mg (%), Riboflavin-0.734 mg (%) and Niacin-1.042. More   research efforts are needed on growing, inclusion in diets, consumer behavior and  market acceptability of Amaranth cruentus based products in order to contribute to the efforts of addressing food security, poverty reduction, nutritional, and medicinal needs of vulnerable communities.Keywords: Complementary Food, Cultivar, Macro/micronutrients, Recipes,  Well-being

Breastfeeding and maternal perceptions of infant sleep, settle and cry patterns in the first 9 months

This study evaluated relationships between maternal perceptions of infant sleep, settling and crying patterns and breastfeeding. A prospective observational study of 91 mothers of healthy, term infants was conducted with follow ups over 9 months after discharge from a Western Australian maternity hospital. Feeding information, sleep, settle and cry behaviours, maternal bother at infant behaviours and confidence were measured using the Sleep and Settle Questionnaire. Breastfeeding confidence was measured using the Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy Scale—Short Form. Questionnaires were administered at 2 and 6 weeks, 3, 6 and 9 months. Linear mixed models were used to assess associations between maternal bother, feeding method and infant characteristics. The feeding method was not associated with maternal bother, and cessation of breastfeeding did not result in a change in bother scores (p = 0.34). Duration of infant crying in the day, evening and night, frequency of night waking and duration of settling to sleep in the day were associated with increased bother scores. Higher breastfeeding self-efficacy and maternal confidence were associated with lower bother scores (both p < 0.01). Maternal bother is associated with infant behaviours that require parental input, but not breastfeeding status. Resources that address parental expectations regarding infant sleep while providing strategies to support maternal wellbeing and breastfeeding are needed