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Project Gutenberg

What Was the Significance of Ephesus?

The ancient city of Ephesus had specific importance for Christianity and in the Roman Empire, particularly in relation to the Apostle Paul.

by Ryan Watson

https://www.thecollector.com/significance-of-ephesus/

Ephesus at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/subject/7462

#Books #theology #History

St. Paul, imprisoned, ends the letter to the Ephesians, and hands it over to Tychicus (Ephesians 6, 21-23), by Gustave Doré, 1886. By Gustave Doré.

Wood engraving (from La Sainte Bible, illustrated edition).

The scene is set in a dim, austere prison cell. Paul, shown with a long beard and a commanding presence, is seated on a low bench or stool, dressed in humble robes, his hands possibly shackled or loosely bound. His expression is solemn yet composed, embodying the gravity and serenity of a man whose faith remains unshaken despite physical captivity. By his side stands Tychicus, receiving the letter with reverence and attentiveness, a symbolic bridge between Paul's isolation and the wider Christian community.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:St_Paul_in_prison.jpg

I'm rereading the Hermetica and like, damn. 🤯 I was originally put off by the monotheism and christian influences, but I'm getting a lot out of applying the theology to my particular polytheist worldview.

Today's revelations:
The Gods are Light, which is illumination, or knowing, or sentience. And they are Life, which is an essential force that keeps the universe moving, like gravity and matter.

We humans are made in that image. We can know, and we can move through time and grow.

Love is the collection and connection of parts that creates Life. When we feel Love, it is because we see the divinity in a thing and it connects to our divinity. A sunset is awe-inspiring because it is a manifestation of a God. We fall in love with other beings because we recognize the Gods in them.

#Pagan #Polytheist #Hermetica #Theology

Sean Bala started reading Christian Ethics by D. Stephen Long

D. Stephen Long: Christian Ethics (Paperback, 2010, Oxford University Press)

No rating

Christian ethics, writes theologian D. Stephen Long, is the pursuit of God's goodness by people …

I love the Very Short Introduction series and this year I want to read more of them. In grad school I had an opportunity to take two courses in theological ethics and I have since had an interest in Ethics more generally and religious ethics more particularly. Looking forward to brushing up a bit and learning more in 2025!

#Christianity #Christian #Ethics #Theology #Philosophy #Religion #ReligiousStudies

Sheila DeBonis

Where's a good online marketplace to sell #usedbooks that is #NOTAmazon? Their Seller Central has become a little too complicated and I have a lot of former rentals my brother used in college which my mom had to purchase because he missed the return deadline. If it helps any, they are #history, #memoir, #christian, #theology, and some #fiction (editions published within the last decade). Also may sell some to local stores. #amazonalternatives @bookstodon

Christina Dongowski

Mein erstes Buch (aber da wusste ich noch nicht, dass es ein "Projekt" werden wird) im #apokalyptischlesen #endtimesreading war Catherine Keller, Facing Apocalypse. Climate, Deomocraxy and other last chances. Hier meine Goodreads Rezension dazu. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ . review is in english.
#theology #historyofreligion #apocalypse #Revelations #reading #nonfiction #lesen #sachbuch
@bookstodon @lesekreis
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5850105285

khthoniaa :pinkmoon:

I think theological discourse would be much more fruitful and fulfilling for everyone if we could all agree that every religion contains a seed of truth *and* that every religion is influenced by human intervention and bias. Therefore, every religion is deserving of respect (so long as it does not encroach on the rights of nonadherents), but no religion is beyond constructive critique.

#religion #theology #faith #spirituality

Graham Downs

I've been on here since November 2022, and I still don't have an #Introduction post. When I first joined, I was a bit lazy, and also couldn't really think of anything to write about myself, and as the time wore on, it just started to feel superfluous, and even a bit silly, to write an introductory post when I've been here for almost a year already.

But here goes:

I was born and bred in #SouthAfrica, and I really love it here. I often post stuff using that hashtag, both slice-of-life type posts, and occasional commentary on local #news. Specifically, I live in the City of #Ekurhuleni.

I'm an independent author, and have written a few books (website link in my bio), but for various reasons, I haven't written anything long-form in some time.

And one of those reasons …

I've been on here since November 2022, and I still don't have an #Introduction post. When I first joined, I was a bit lazy, and also couldn't really think of anything to write about myself, and as the time wore on, it just started to feel superfluous, and even a bit silly, to write an introductory post when I've been here for almost a year already.

But here goes:

I was born and bred in #SouthAfrica, and I really love it here. I often post stuff using that hashtag, both slice-of-life type posts, and occasional commentary on local #news. Specifically, I live in the City of #Ekurhuleni.

I'm an independent author, and have written a few books (website link in my bio), but for various reasons, I haven't written anything long-form in some time.

And one of those reasons is that I'm #PartiallySighted (I have #RetinitisPigmentosa), which has progressed quite rapidly in my old age. As such, you might see me using the #accessibillity hashtag from time to time, as I comment on the sorry state of it in websites and software.

For the same reason, I don't read nearly as much as I used to. I'm trying to get into #AudioBooks, but I'm still struggling with them, man. I really battle to focus long enough to finish one. (At this point, I should probably also tag #bookstodon and @bookstodon). :-)

By trade, I'm a Software Developer, and I love technology. But I'm an old-school lover of #technology, so I dislike web apps, struggle with mobile (also see my #disability), and prefer to work on a big monitor with an external keyboard and mouse, rather than a tiny laptop. Unlike most developers, I can't use multiple monitors because I keep losing the mouse cursor. ;-) #programming #development

Because of my interest in tech, I'm also often commenting on the state of the #Fediverse in general and #Mastodon in particular, and what I think should be done (spoiler alert: I think Mastodon is perfect the way it is, and it should be left well enough alone). :-P

Last but not least, I'm a #Methodist Christian, and my #faith is very important to me, so you'll sometimes see me sharing inspirational #Bible passages and discussing things related to #Christianity and Christian #theology.

Oh, I'm also a husband to the most wonderful wife any man could ever hope for, and a foster father to two beautiful teenage girls, but I don't tend to mention them much, because privacy.

Phew! Quite a wide range, hey? So feel free to give me a follow, if you like. Just be warned that you're unlikely to agree with EVERYTHING I post. :-D

Dr Jonathan Downie

I was thinking about #influence today.

In a decade or so, most of the popular and debated theology books and Christian Bestsellers will be only available from second-hand bookshops and specialist libraries.

In a week or so, that viral tweet or popular toot will be all but forgotten.

But 408 years ago, a man called Nicolas Herman, was born in an unremarkable town to a peasant family. Much of his adult life revolved around doing dishes in a French monastery. As far as we know, he never wrote a single book, nor did he go on a promotional tour.

But he left a deep impact on people. So much so that, after his death, letters he has sent were collated into a book. This book, The Practice of The Presence of God, published under the name of Brother Lawrence, the name Nicolas took in the …

I was thinking about #influence today.

In a decade or so, most of the popular and debated theology books and Christian Bestsellers will be only available from second-hand bookshops and specialist libraries.

In a week or so, that viral tweet or popular toot will be all but forgotten.

But 408 years ago, a man called Nicolas Herman, was born in an unremarkable town to a peasant family. Much of his adult life revolved around doing dishes in a French monastery. As far as we know, he never wrote a single book, nor did he go on a promotional tour.

But he left a deep impact on people. So much so that, after his death, letters he has sent were collated into a book. This book, The Practice of The Presence of God, published under the name of Brother Lawrence, the name Nicolas took in the monastery, is still read today and still affects people, hundreds of years after he died.

One ordinary man's peace and desire to always be close to God affected generations after generations.

What does that mean to me?
I would rather chase what God says is meaningful than what the world rushes after. I'm probably not going to influence generations like Brother Lawrence but I can influence my family and I can seek the Kingdom first, just like he did, and just like Jesus told us too.

#theologadon #theology #books