Theme Readings Reflection
“Christianity and Culture” is a diverse topic that incorporates several themes. The themes discussed in this reading are significantly essential in the daily living of human beings since humans live in a cultural era which is characterized by chaos and divisiveness. Through the prevalent themes in Christianity learning, individuals can gain knowledge on how to conduct our lives. The topics like Christianity and the Garden, as well as Ritual and Worship, are extensively discussed in this essay. Moreover, the familiar content and the discoveries made throughout the themes are also clearly outlined.
In Christianity and the Garden, the reading primarily focuses on the Garden of Eden. It is recorded in the Bible and depicts an earthly paradise which was created by God at the beginning of time. God purposely created this Garden to serve as a home for humanity. Many ideologies have been witnessed to explain this biblical event, but the version recorded in the Christian Bible is the primary concern in the reading. The narrative on the Garden of Eden is found in Genesis, and as per the writing, it is located east of Eden (Laie, 2018). However, different scholars have varied ideology as to where precisely this Garden is located. Despite this disparities, most have agreed that the Garden is at a place that was resided by gods.
Moreover, another great wonder was that the Garden was watered by only two rivers: Euphrates and Tigris. According to historical work, these rivers are located in Mesopotamia, which may suggest the actual location of this Garden. However, there has been dispute on the definition regarding the direct translation from Hebrew, which would be “Garden in Eden” (Laie, 2018). With this, there could be a presumption that there were many other gardens within Eden from this translation. Additionally, in the latter parts of the narrative, it is clear that human beings are sent out pf the Garden after disobeying God and eating the forbidden fruit. Christianity is entangled to the Garden as it describes God’s power over everything and how He provided a home for His greatest creation, man.
In Christianity, rituals are of crucial importance. Rituals are a symbol of wealth, and they range from public to private ceremonies. Large groups of people characterize public celebrations, whereas a small number of people attend private ceremonies. Besides, rituals are present in almost all communities as they date back to ancient times. Therefore, rituals are unanimously agreed on activities in a given society that depict some form of cultural wealth (Anders Bergquist et al., 2005).
Consequently, rituals play a significant role in human identity in terms of culture, social and personal life—rituals bare several meanings whose comprehension is optional. Additionally, difficult human realities can be easily articulated. Through rituals, important legal affairs like marriage are achieved. Indeed, rituals have diverse roles, and these are but a few. Some of these rituals are designed for worship, that is, to specifically connect with spiritual beings like God in Christianity. Some of these rites being, baptism and Holy Communion, to mention a few (Anders Bergquist et al., 2005). Christian worship is linked to ritual as it is believed to be an incorporation of ritual actions and words. Worship serves several purposes which are highly appreciated by Christians. Despite being highly beneficial to Christians, it associated with some negative connotations that bring about difficulty in the Christian walk. Christians are therefore expected to value each other’s ritual expression for them to grow as a single-family in Christ.
While learning about the Garden of Eden, I was able to learn new things as well as familiarize myself with knowledge gained before these readings. Gardening is an integral part of society. Through it, I was able to discover that God has absolute power over the entire universe. Another new thing I was able to learn was that gardening is a timeless activity and is a constant reminder to Christianity aspects of God. Moreover, patience is bound to grow through gardening. If we compare the biblical perspective and daily lives of human beings, cultivating expects one to wait for a particular period for them to bear the fruits. I was also able to acknowledge what I had the previous read from the biblical book of Galatians about God’s timing. Through gardening, I was able to understand that God’s time is sacred, and the linkage that exists between humans and the earth’s seasons (Osterhouse, n.d.). Previously, I knew the beauty that is brought about by gardening. Therefore, studying this reading strengthened the knowledge I already had in this. The text has also helped me to establish a better comprehension of Christianity and the Bible. The verses quoted in the Bible enabled me to build a clear picture of God’s power more easily. Moreover, the story on the origin of the Garden of Eden helped me understand and learn the story of creation and the chronology of events back then.
The reading on rituals and worship also enlightened me on several things as they built my knowledge of other things. The case studies provided that of the German family helped me to understand how a typical household in Germany behaves during mealtime, which I previously did not know. Another instance is that of the United States of America and how believers conduct their worship. Other stories which I had no idea of are those of Venezuela, Italy and England which depict their forms of worship as well as rituals in their society which I did not know previously (Anders Bergquist et al., 2005). Moreover, I was able to learn that rituals play a significant role in the daily lives of people and are connected to the trends in worship.
Moreover, I was opened to new terms in this reading like liturgy, which refers to a form of worship. Despite being a necessary tool in Christianity, rituals are also associated with some negativities that are bound to bring some harmful norms. Through this topic, I was also able to link it to my daily life and the form of rituals I am subjected to either at home or in Church. Worship is also an integral part of society which should be upheld by Christians. Moreover, ritual is a form of connection to divine beings, and therefore they should be conducted appropriately and according to the set guidelines.
In conclusion, the course work has been highly beneficial. The themes of ritual and worship, as well as Christians and the Garden, were quite helpful. I was able to understand a lot of things which I previously had problems with. Moreover, the readings were vast in information, and the main points are summarized above. The origin of the Garden of Eden is clearly outlined.
Additionally, the various forms of rituals in several communities are noted as well as the significance of such. The relationship between worship and rituals is also an important aspect that has been discussed. Undoubtedly, this course was quite helpful as I learned new things and understood the Christian perspective of some themes which I was not conversant with previously.
References
Anders Bergquist, Hjelm, N. A., Bowden, J., & Bowden, H. (2005). The complete guide to Christianity. Novalis.
Laie, B. T. (2018, January 12). Garden of Eden. Ancient History Encyclopedia; Ancient History Encyclopedia. https://www.ancient.eu/Garden_of_Eden/
Osterhouse, T. (n.d.). Save Your Soul: Start Gardening. CT Women. Retrieved June 10, 2020, from https://www.christianitytoday.com/women/2018/march/save-your-soul-start-gardening.html