Category: Theology and Doctrine

Our Weltanschauung, Our Metanarrative

~ MD Harris Institute ~ Leave a comment

People see the world through glasses made by their ancestors, their environments, and themselves. Our world view influences or even determines what we believe and what we do. Consider carefully your world view.

By Mark D, Harris

Weltanschauung, the German word for worldview, allows us to interpret our otherwise confusing world. Our  metanarrative, the overarching story, provides our weltanschauung, and gives meaning to our existence by answering four existential questions:

  1. Who are we (am I)?
  2. Where did we (I) come from?
  3. What went wrong in the world?
  4. Where are we (am I) going?

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The Character of God

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Theology is the greatest science, because theology combines the study of the natural world with the study of revealed Scripture, the Bible, to discover God, the Creator.  To know God is the highest goal to which man can aspire.

By Mark D, Harris

A friend of mine, Chris, a student in my Sunday School class several years ago, lost a friend from COVID early this year. Chris had prayed fervently for his friend, but God allowed the friend to die anyway. I shared Chris’ sadness as we talked together. He asked me to write an article addressing the question, “What is the character of God?’” The best place to discover the character of God is in His revelation, both His general revelation, creation, and in His specific revelation, the Bible.

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If God Were Absent

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What does a nation look like when God is not there? Or at least when its people live like God is absent.

By Mark D. Harris

Events in the world and in America have taken a dark turn at many levels in 2021. The COVID epidemic rages on, though natural and vaccine-related herd immunity is increasing. Political divisions, riots, and even hatred, continue at levels unseen since the American Civil War. False accusations fly without regard for the truth and without considering different perspectives. People and organizations lock down to protect themselves at all costs, and sacrifice individuals regardless of prior contributions or future potential.

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Will My Dog Go to Heaven?

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People love their pets and want to know what will happen after they die. The Bible provides an answer. 

By Mark D. Harris

About two weeks ago I saw John at a riverboat party. The general mood was light, but he stood alone in the shadows, his face stained with dry tears. John and his wife, their children long out of the house, had been forced to put their beloved dog, Gracie, to sleep. I listened long and said little as he shared his heart, and soon the party was over. A few days later he approached me at another gathering.

“Mark, you are a minister, right?”

“Yes, I was ordained as a Southern Baptist minister.”

“Will Gracie go to heaven? I have heard both – some people say that she will, and others say that since she doesn’t have a soul, she won’t.”

He paused. There was silence as I considered my reply. John was still visibly distressed, and I had to be right, but I equivocated.

“Well, the bottom line is that no one knows for sure.”

John’s face fell.

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