Categories
History of religion

The Christian mission - a failed utopia

In the past it was Christian missionaries, today it is the preachers of neo-liberalism who fail to address the concerns of the peoples "to be converted". (Published in GralsWelt 66/2011) For centuries, the churches of the West saw it as their task to spread Christian teachings all over the world. The call for this can be found in the Bible for [...]

Categories
History of religion

Trip to the snake festival

(Published in GralsWelt 62/2010) Fairy tales, legends, myths, and fables often revolve around animals. These then serve as symbols, are related to human behavior, or are supposed to express the concerns or virtues of the bearer of the coat of arms as heraldic animals. Everyone sees e.g. in the lion a symbol for a ruler, knows the fox as sly and cunning, [...]

Categories
History of religion

Philon of Alexandria and the Search for Meaning

(Published in GrailWorld 61/2010) Around the same time as Jesus lived in Alexandria a Jewish theologian and philosopher, whose works gained great importance for Christianity, while they remained of little influence on the development of Judaism: Philon of Alexandria (c. 13 B.C. - A.D. 50), who knew nothing of the life and work of Jesus [...]

Categories
History of religion

Why still religions?

The value of religious thinking as an antipole to materialism (Published in Grail World 60/2010) We have reported in the Grail World on various occasions about modern endeavors that religions would like to abolish. From the scientist's point of view [i] some natural scientists stand in the way of the search for truth and - if they drift into violent fundamentalism - even endanger the survival of the [...]

Categories
History of religion

Why does God allow all of this?

In the year 1710 - 300 years ago - the first edition of the "Theodicy that is, Trial of the Goodness of God, Freedom of Man and of the Origin of Evil" by Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (1646-1716) appeared in French in Amsterdam. Further editions followed, in German and several other languages. The extensive font, which in baroque style [...]

Categories
History of religion

On the paths of the enlightened one

(Published in Grail World 13/1999) Buddhism is currently something of a "fashion religion" in our latitudes. Many Europeans are drawn to the ancient teachings of this world religion; disappointed they turn away from Christianity and seek enlightenment in the wisdom of Asia, in immortal teachings from ancient times. Without Buddhism, East Asia is in its quiet, [...]

Categories
History of religion

The chalice of Christ and the search for the Grail

(Published in GralsWelt 20/2001) Has the fabulous bowl of the Lord's Supper really been found? In the Grail Message from Abd-ru-shin it is stated that the life-giving "Holy Grail" is not to be found in the earthly, but in the highest spiritual heights. From the text, however - see quotation box - it can also be seen that in addition to this actual Grail, the [...]

Categories
History of religion

Relentless fight for the "basic truths

(Published in GralsWelt 55/2009) Modern Fundamentalism “We have to wait until someone comes who teaches us how to sacrifice and how we should behave towards our fellow human beings. Only a god can give us enlightenment ... In the meantime it is necessary to walk on the ruins of the truth that are still left to us, as it were in a boat [...]

Categories
History of religion

The historical Jesus and the Christ of faith

 (Published in GralsWelt 2/1997) There has been no other topic in the West for almost two millennia more or more intensely than Christianity and its founder. Belief in the Son of God, Jesus, became the most influential and widespread religious teaching in the world. Recently, however, this belief has been moved with [...]

Categories
History of religion

How and why did religious cults and rituals come about?

(Published in GralsWelt 54/2009) Religious scholars assume that religions have accompanied cultural development since the beginning of human history. Religious feeling is apparently an essential part of the specifically human characteristics that express it e.g. B. found in cults, rituals, myths, art, music, education, etc. Religiousness is also one of the fundamental human drives that society and its [...]