Numerology, Pantheism, Prudence, and Scholasticism

Word Definitions and Meaning

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What Is Numerology?

numerology [ < Latin numerus (number) ] This belief is based on the truth that numbers (like words) bear powerful symbolic, mystical, or supernatural meanings. Numerology pushes this so far as to claim that the number itself bears the actual power of the One (or Force) that lies behind the symbol. Numerologists are, of course, numerous. According to numerologists, if you know how to use the numbers, you know how to control that force. Those who dabble in the magical side of Jewish Qabbalah or are immersed in the Hal Lindsay method of interpreting Revelation and Daniel are heavily influenced by numerology. So are many gambling addicts and Powerball freaks. Some folks also look at patterns and counts to help decipher words, stories, and prophecies. That is a different form of numbers game.

Most numerologies assign (by tradition or method) a general meaning for each digit. For instance in Western systems 9 means 'the highest level of spiritual advance', while in Chinese systems it means 'enduring, lasting a long time'. One common numerological method is that of digit summing, where 243 becomes 2+4+3 which equals 9, and 9 has a general meaning in whatever number system is being used.

Belief in any degree of real actual power behind any number or letter or combination is a form of superstition and even of augury (turning to 'help' from supposed divinities or powers to determine a future course of action), and thus numerology is not at all Christian. It is trust in a machine-God whose buttons are pushed by you, not a living God who has a very different mind from yours. There are no evil or lucky numbers.

Intentional use of numbers to communicate something is found throughout Christian history, even in Scripture (for instance, in the Revelation to John). That is a form of code, usually used during times of persecution. In ancient times, many numbers in Scripture were interpreted as code where no such code was intended. This kind of numerology led to some very complex (and frankly, loony) theologies and practices, and created a frame of mind much like the occultists that the prophets and the church were opposing. Such methods often made the Scripture seem to mean something far afield from what it directly says, instead of being in step with it. Numerology also led to a class distinction of those who 'know' vs. those who 'don't', which twists the faith into something it is opposed to at its very core. Thus, it is a very bad idea to use numerology to find meaning in the Bible or any other literature, except where a number's literary placement tells us that some sort of simple code was directly intended by the author.

You can also check the dictionary for ''.

What Is Numinous?

numinous [ Latin numen (spiritual force of a place/object/being < a head-nod) ] filled with the sense of the presence of spirit or divinity.

In Christianity, God is everywhere, but there are certain places at certain times where the sense of God's presence, and its mystical special-ness, is stronger than at other times and places. This is expressed as God's being 'more present' or 'more potent'. Those moments are numinous. (There is also the sense of God's deliberate absence, which the Lord sometimes does to remind people of God's usual presence.) Numinous moments are felt instead of figured out. Numinousness has also been expressed by some Christian authors, including C.S. Lewis, as being where the separation of material reality from the spiritual reality is 'thin', to the point where one can 'see' through it. Of course, all descriptions of numinous encounters fail to catch all of it; they are an attempt to describe that which by definition can't be described or measured.

You can also look up 'numinous' in the .

om :

1. An Aussie's 'ouse
2. a unit of electrical resistance
3. A meaningless symbolic syllable which helps a person to momentarily blank out their mental processes and thus achieve a greater oneness with the universe. Its users are to so love the blissful blankedness that they seek (or non-seek?) to be further and further blanked until their minds become a blank. (Thus, there is no definition of "om". And that's why they use it.)

What Is Pantheism ?

pantheism :

1. Worship of the God of Fried Food.
2. The belief that all things (or nearly so) are gods, good or evil. Pantheism is very different from the Christian belief that created beings are something different than God. In that context, when Christians speak of 'oneness' with God, it is a relational oneness or unity (like with a family, a marriage, a team, or a friendship), not a oneness of being or an equality of kind. When Christians (especially the Eastern Orthodox) speak of people becoming gods, it is not an equality with the Creator, but being adopted by the Creator by way of the love of Christ and the leading of the Spirit, only partially brought about before the Kingdom comes. They are talking about our working with the Spirit to have us take on the Creator's drive, character and purpose. They are not talking about some spiritual or theological fairy dust that blends you into the Creator.
   
   It's hard to find a real future in pantheism -- it's a different version of the same thing, since all are one divine entity anyway, only they'll be more enlightened by the fading away of the illusory aspects of separateness. Christians, however, believe in a future with the One who loves us so.
   

You can also check the dictionary for ''.

What is a Paraclete?

Paraclete [ Gk paracletos < parakalein (to call to the side of)] In the New Testament, 'paraclete' is a descriptive title for the Holy Spirit. The meaning of the Greek word differs in context. The basic root meaning is "one who is called to the side of". From there, it took on a public meaning of "advocate" or "defender", and a private-setting meaning of "one who supports another in difficult moments". The New Testament used both meanings of paraclete, though the primary one is the public meaning. The original root meaning may actually have been a part of what Jesus intended (even though it was detached from the word generations earlier): Jesus left this life, and called on the Holy Spirit to come in His stead to be by our side, working for us.

A paraclete is not a colorful tropical bird. However, the Spirit is sometimes symbolized as a dove, and sometimes as a wild goose.

What is Prudence?

Prudence : [originally a contraction of the past participle form of Lat. providere (to provide for)] Taking care, using good sense or judgement. Other words like 'prudence' include discretion (actions made of sound judgement and self-restraint, especially about maintaining privacy) and circumspection (acting prudently in order to avoid social, cultural, or moral consequences). A person shows imprudence when they make snap judgements, without much thought or consideration. For instance, greed or lust trigger imprudence, while a deeper love causes us to stop and consider the thoughts of, and the effects on, other people. Prudence is considered one of the classic 'cardinal' virtues, in which the person takes the time and effort before making a decision, to discern what the best goal is and the best course of action to reach it. In that way, prudence is like a fruit of the Spirit.

"Affairs are easier of entrance than of exit; and it is but common prudence to see our way out before we venture in."
---- Aesop (620 BC-560 BC)

It would be prudent of you to look up the definition of ' ' in the dictionary.

What is Praxis?

praxis: [ < Latin < Greek (action) < Gk prattein (to do, take action).] The art of applying what you've learned. In many cases it means custom, habit, or established practice. But more correctly, it is taking action in a way that's guided or led by the theoretical framework that develops from your study of Scripture, history, and the world around you. Since the framework changes, so does your praxis.

The word 'praxis' is Greek, but Latin and then English adopted it as-is. For your theology to be applied in your life, you'll have to set up a game plan: what do my theology or faith practices say about how I am to order my life? What do I do each day to keep me on this track? The word 'praxis' itself has no place outside of theological shop talk. Yet, a theology you don't act upon in small and large ways is one you don't really believe or trust. The reasons behind your devotional behaviors must show up in your life choices. A faith (or, for that matter, a philosophy or political vision) that is without active consequences is a fraud. If this Christian stuff is really so important, then it must show up in how you relate to the world around you -- that is, by way of love. It determines, guides, and fills each thing you do, especially what you do regularly.

What is Scholasticism?

scholasticism: Any school of thought which stresses human reasoning, scholarship, and study for shaping theology and practice, often right to the brink of worshipping it. It most often refers to a movement which was strong among Catholics before the Reformation. Other scholasticisms influenced Lutherans three or four generations after Luther, and still another became prominent for nineteenth-century Presbyterians. In a scholasticism, theology and church life are justified through patterns that can be taught and learned, where one thing follows on another. Even if life is not like that. Even if God wants us to do it differently. Even if our ability to understand such things is limited. When a scholasticism takes hold, a pietism which gives a low value to systems of thought will soon follow.