The Worth and Purpose of Humankind Defined Essay Example for Free

The Worth and Purpose of Humankind Defined Essay What is Imago Dei? Imago Dei is our worth and our purpose defined. What does it mean that humankind is created in the â€Å"image of God?† In what different ways have theologians defined this term, and what should we understand it to mean today? What difference does it make for those who look to the authority of God’s word, and what implications does this leave us with both now and for eternity? When looking for the definition of Imago Dei, one can look several places. First, one can look to the interpretations of Biblical scholars who have commit their time to studying scripture. Second, one can look for themselves all through the Bible for the definitions and contexts provided. Third, one can look to what the world believes or doesn’t believe about Imago Dei, as is evident in both the injustices and humanitarian efforts of our time. Lastly, one can look at their own life- at what they have experienced and how they have lived their lives and discover what they believe or don’t believe about being created in the image of God. Thus said, I shall begin by answering the question, â€Å"How have Bible Scholars defined Imago Dei?† Most scholars agree with a basic outline of Imago Dei as is found in scripture, but there are several different ways of understanding its context. Theologian Wayne Gruden defines the image of God as â€Å"The nature of man that he is like God and represents God† (Gruden 1244). In Creeds of Christendom, Biblical scholar Phillip Schaff (1819-1893) explains that being made in the image of God means that God intended for us to know him intimately and to be in a reconciled relationship with him. â€Å"Man was originally formed after the image of God. His†¨understanding was adorned with a true and saving knowledge of his†¨Creator, and of spiritual things; his heart and will were upright, all†¨his affections pure, and the whole Man was holy† (Schaff 521). Schaff also notes the importance of knowing God’s design and original plan for us before the f all of man. God intended for us to be just like Him- holy, pure, and righteous in his sight (Schaff 521). Scholars of The Evangelical Dictionary of Theology have defined the â€Å"image of God† as  a fundamental biblical doctrine, an image that is â€Å"sullied by sin and that [is] restored by divine salvation† (Elwell 545). Scholar Millard J. Erickson believes that it is critical to understand who God is and who we are to Him. He says, â€Å"The implications of the image of God should inspire us and set the parameters for our view of all humanity† (Erickson 170). Erickson believes that the image of God goes beyond the substantive, relational, and functional views and that one must draw conclusions from all of scripture. I agree with Erickson that one finds a concise definition of Imago Dei in God’s word. So then, what does scripture say about Imago Dei? After much study of the Bible, Scholar Millard Erickson has outlined the places in scripture where Imago Dei has been best defined and explained. The first is in Genesis 1:26-27: â€Å"Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our own image, after our likeness, and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.’ So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.† This is recapitulated in Genesis 5:1: â€Å"When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God.† Then in Genesis 9:6, we learn: â€Å"Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blod be shed; for God made man in his own image.† Here we see that being created in the image of God implies that we have great worth and our lives are valuable to God. From this verse, we also see that sinful human beings co ntinue to bear God’s image. In the New Testament, the learn about the image of God as we learn about Jesus. In James 3:9, we learn that God hates when we neglect to respect and honor each other, as those who bear God’s image. â€Å"With the tongue we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who are made in the likeness of God.† Much of the New Testament also explains that we are conformed more and more into God’s image- we become more like Him through the process of salvation. 2 Corinthians 3:18 says, â€Å"And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being changed into his likeness from one degree of glory to another, for this comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.† Erickson explains that from searching scripture, Bible scholars and church leaders have come to accept one or more of three views on the Image of God- the substantive view, the relational view, or the  functional view. The substantive view states that humankind has many of the same qualities and characteristics as God. These include the physical, psychological and spiritual likeness of God. The relational view states that we understand what it means to be made in the image of God through knowing him in a personal relationship (Erickson 122). We also better understand who God is and who we are through hum an relationships, such as the love relationship between a husband and wife (Erickson 123). Even more so, we understand the image of God through knowing the person of Jesus- For Jesus is the very likeness of God, and we become more like God through knowing Christ. The functional view holds that we understand who God is and who we are through what we do. In our dominion over creation and in our being commissioned by Christ to make disciples, we do our best to learn about all that God has given us and to honor God with our lives. We learn about God by following Christ’s example and by living a life worthy of our calling (Eph. 4:1). This is the basis of what scripture tells us about what it means to be made in the image of God. Does everyone have a basic understanding of Imago Dei, then? What does what is going on in the world today, and the way that most people treat each other reveal about what people believe about this subject? Let us look at both the good and bad social realities of our culture, and ask ourselves, â€Å"What does life look like for those who seek to understand and accept what God says about Imago Dei compared to what life looks like for those who do not know God?† The list of atrocities and injustices through time is endless. One does not have to look far to see the evil that has resulted from people rejecting God and oppressing one another. Slavery, war, greed, and oppression- an ocean of these disasters has swept through time, making every child ask â€Å"why?† and â€Å"how† could this be? Today, still, there are injustices to the human race that are hard to understand. In fact, people look everywhere for answers- to the media, to scholars, to historians, and to their leaders, but their search is in vain. Their hearts are left burning and throbbing. What then has led to the bullying of children, the gossip, and most frightening, the genocides that never cease to degrade the human race and leave us asking, â€Å"Why?† It is this: Man has rejected God and does not know who he is, and in turn, they do not know who  their Creator has intended them to be. The more I see of the world, the more I know I have been spared. In knowing who God is and who he says I am, I have been set free. I am free to forgive, free to love, free to honor, and free to value each person that God has made in â€Å"his own image.† Knowing that every person on earth has infinite worth in God’s sight, so much that he came to earth to die a criminal’s death on a cross for their sins, that they might trust Him and be reconciled to the Him who loves them and treasures them more than they could ever imagine- this changes everything. I have seen the difference that believing the truth about God and about me not only in my own life, but also in the lives all around me. That others â€Å"know we are Christians by our love† is true in not all, but many communities of believers. When I see love that doesn’t look for any in return I know that there is an understanding of Imago Dei. For the sake of the Nations and for the sake of the church, my prayer is that Imago Dei will continue to be understood and lived out, that all might know God and be reconciled to him. What is Imago Dei? Imago Dei is where humankind finds all of their worth. It is what drives our convictions and frees us to love, forgive, and value each other. Theologians explain that the image of God is often understood through the substantive view- that we are like God in having the same physical, mental and spiritual qualities and abilities that he has, the relational view- that we understand who God is and who we are through a relationship with Him and through our relationships with others, and the functional view- that we better understand what it means to be made in the image of God through our experiences and actions, in living our lives for Christ. What difference does it make to know who God is and who he says we are? All of the difference in the world- literally. Works Cited Elwell, Walter A. Evangelical Dictionary of Theology. Grand Rapids, Mich: Baker Book House, 1984. Print. Grudem, Wayne A. Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine. Leicester, England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1994. Print. Erickson, Millard J, and L A. Hustad. Introducing Christian Doctrine. Grand Rapids, Mich: Baker Academic, 2001. Print. Schaff, Philip. Bibliotheca Symbolica Ecclesiae Universalis: The Creeds of Christendom. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1966. Print.

Edvard Grieg’s Morning Mood and In the Hall of the Mountain King :: Art

Edvard Grieg’s Morning Mood and In the Hall of the Mountain King When one thinks of the Romantic composers, the names Beethoven, Wagner, Chopin, or Liszt come to mind. Looking even further into the period one sees the names of nationalist composers like Glinka, Tchaikovsky, and Smetana. Unfortunately, there are still many composers of the Romantic era whose music is known, but for some reason there names have grown apart from there music. Edvard Grieg, a Norwegian nationalist composer, is one of these men. Many people would know Grieg’s work â€Å"In the Hall of the Mountain King† if they heard it, but would be unable to tell you who had written it or where the work originates from. Despite his lack of fame in today’s world, his music still is a prime example of the Romantic period and tendencies. Two works in particular are â€Å"Morning Mood† and â€Å"In the Hall of the Mountain King†, both from his Peer Gynt Suite No. 1, despite their very conflicting styles. Edvard Grieg is thought of in the music field as a symbol of Norway. He was born in Bergen, Norway on June 15th, 1843 the fourth of five children. Music interested Grieg from a young age and at the age of six he began piano lessons with his mother. His mother, Gescine Hagerup, was known as the best piano teacher in Bergen and led him firmly, but lovingly into the music field. At the age of fifteen in October of 1858, Grieg left to attend the Leipzig Music Conservatory. He did not have an easy time at the conservatory. During his time there, Grieg suffered an attack of pleurisy that caused permanent damage to one of his lungs. He also had problems with the institutional nature of the school. However, despite the hardships he faced, he graduated from Leipzig at Easter in 1862 with high marks. After graduation, Grieg moved to Copenhagen to broaden his musical scope. While in Copenhagen he met people that would become life long friends and idols. One of Grieg’s first idols, which he met in Copenhagen, was Niels W. Gade, the first great Scandinavian composer. Another of Grieg’s idols was Rikard Nordaak, a fellow Norwegian, whose enthusiasm for all things Norwegian was transferred to Grieg. One of the most important people he met in Copenhagen was his cousin Nina Hagerup. They were secretly engaged in 1864 and married by 1867.

Intuitive Surgical

This paper will explore the strengths and weaknesses of Intuitive Surgical. This paper will analyze which leadership model(s) and practices would encourage innovation considering the global context of the organization. This paper will also assess how the information in the Intuitive Surgical case study does or does not exemplify the five discovery skills. Lastly, in this paper I will assess the actions that the leaders of this organization took to shape culture and processes to be more innovative.The leadership model(s) and practices that would encourage innovation considering the global context of Intuitive Surgical Intuitive Surgical is a company that has led the country as the global technology leader in robotic assisted minimally-invasive surgery (Hoffman 2012). Their main product is the da Vinci Surgical System which is a robotic surgical system designed to perform urologic, gynecologic, cardiothoracic, and general surgeries that are much less invasive than traditional surgeries (Hoffman 2012). This company was definitely a leader within their market.Each of the different leadership models support innovation within organizations in some form or fashion. In order to grasp how, one must first develop an understanding of innovation and leadership. Innovation has many meanings, but on a broad scale one can say that innovation is thinking outside the box. Leadership is a bit harder to describe because it is best understood when seen. To put leadership in words according to Doyle and Smith, leaders often become visible when an innovative response is needed (2001).Now that we have an idea of what these words mean, one of the leadership models that would be of great benefit to Intuitive Surgical is the transformational leadership. This leadership model serves as a role model by gaining the trust and confidence of peers and employees. By stating future goals, developing plans to achieve these goals and displaying an innovative edge, transformational leaders are gen erally successful (Bass, 1985). The transformation leader gets its followers to transcend there own self-interest for the sake of the organization (Doyle & Smith 2001).As for any organization, for innovation to take place they need caring people who are will to commit to the greater good of the organization, as well as creative people who have the capacity to turn ideas into practical products and services. Therefore, with Intuitive Surgical patents expiring in the near future they should channel the transformational leadership model so they can have a great chance of building innovators within its organizations. The second leadership model that could benefit Intuitive Surgical and help with innovation in organizations is behavioral leadership.This type of leadership moved away from who leaders where to what leaders did. If they continue doing what they are doing and coming up with ideas that make patients happy with very minimal errors, this companies acquirement of innovative empl oyees will rise along with its products. How the information in the Intuitive Surgical case study does or does not exemplify the five discovery skills In The DNA of Innovators, The discovery skills are the new ideas introduced by the innovator who did the five skills of: associating, questioning, observing, networking, and experimenting.Intuitive Surgical did use some of these skills very well. The first one I noticed them using was the networking skill. According to Dyer, Gregerson & Christensen, the idea networker, â€Å"networks to actively tap into new ideas and insights by talking with people who have diverse ideas and perspectives. † They used this skill when they decided to merge with Computer Motion Inc in 2003. This merge helped them to cancel out their biggest competition and lead country with their technological advancements. Associating, as Dyer, Gregerson, & Christensen (2011) stated, â€Å"happens as the brain tries to make sense of novel inputs.Associating hel ps innovators discover new directions by making connections across seemingly unrelated questions, problems or ideas (pg 23). † I did not notice Intuitive Surgical use of this discovery skill from the case study. In The DNA of Innovators, â€Å"Innovators ask questions to understand how things really are today, why they are those ways, how they might be changed or disrupted (Dyer, Gregerson & Christensen 2011). Intuitive surgical definitely answered a lot of questions by creating the da Vinci robot.With this robot they had to ask and answer a host of questions in order to acquire the precision of their device as they did. Innovators use the observing skill by carefully watching the world around them so that what they see can help them build ideas for new ways to do things. Intuitive Surgical used this skill also when they came up with their robot. Computer Motion Inc, who they merged with, was the first company to jump into the robotic surgical field which in turn means that I ntuitive Surgical watch this method and basically grew their device from a Computer Motions initial idea.Experimenting is used by innovators when they traveling to new places, seeking new information and trying new things ideas. Given that Intuitive Surgical is a leader on a global scale, this company definitely did a lot of experimenting. Also, the fact that their invention started off being used for laparoscopic surgery and went on to be used in six other surgical procedures shows that this company had done a ton of experimenting.The actions that the leaders of Intuitive Surgical took to shape culture and processes to be more innovative Intuitive Surgical took a lot of steps to make their organization more innovative. As I stated previously, merging with their biggest competitor was genius. This move alone helped them to gain a comfortable seat at the top of the ladder as global technology leader. Also, taking the step to put patents on their work secured their spot at the top for years to come. This company has helped a monopoly in the robotic-assisted MIS market.Now that the patents are due to expire the company has had time to come up with bigger, better ideas that they can put into play after the expiration has hit which could possibly acquire new patents. That way they can continue leading their competitors and protecting their development for another x amount of years. In 2008 Annual Report Letter to the Shareholders, Intuitive Surgical emphasized that their goal is to â€Å"take surgery beyond the limits of the human hand† (Hoffman 2012).

Definition Of Rule Of Law - 1044 Words

Rule of law can be explained in many different ways. One of its main definitions is â€Å"the laws are clear, publicized, stable, and just; are applied evenly; and protect fundamental rights, including the security of persons and property and certain core human rights† (World Justice Project, 2012). Education is something that every child in the world should have the right to, although in some countries, children do not have that right. Countries not being granted education is an example how rule of law does not come into play. In Pakistan, young girls do not have the right to an education. Malala Yousafzai, a woman from Pakistan was shot because she has been â€Å"advocating across the world for girls’ education rights† (Raphel, 2015). Malala†¦show more content†¦Males are respected more, and are granted more rights than women are. There are schools in India for girls to attend, â€Å"but more girls do not attend, often because of religious reasons or cultural pressures.† (Singh, 2016) There was a study done â€Å"by the U.S. Census Bureau [stating] that three out of five girls receives primary education versus three out of four boys.† (Singh, 2016) There should not be a difference in the gender of a child to determine if they will be attending school or not. Rule of law is not being achieved in this case because it is not fair how a young boy from India can go to school and work, while a young girl is not allowed to do that. Canada on the other hand, is an example of a country that puts education first. As in the last two examples of women’s education in Pakistan and India, Canada is a country where â€Å"women generally do better [in school] than men.† (Statistics, 2015) It has also been stated that in Canada, â€Å"girls are less likely to drop out [of school].† (Statistics, 2015) A reason for this could be that because Canada is putting the time into making girls feel comfortable and welcome at school, they feel the need to succeed. If girls in Pakistan and India were given education and somewhere to learn everyday, their progress would start to spike as well. Most Canadians take education and school for granted because we’re blessed with anShow MoreRelatedDefinition Of Maintaining Rule Of Law1363 Words   |  6 PagesV: Morality Ought Criterion: Maintaining Rule of Law The rule of law is vital to keep power with the people and prevent a government from being all powerful and oppressive. 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