Names of God

Fritz Poppenberg a German filmaker made a DVD from this article ( https://www.dreilindenfilm.de/produkt/der-name-gottes/)  which is available for free on youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjpGXSyIqTc

The understanding of God's name YHWH is so controversial that it is eventually the controversy of controversies, or the ultimate controversy. Indeed, why most of competent Hebrew scholars propagate patently false explanations about God's name? Why do the Jews refuse to read God's name as it is written and read Adonay "my Lord" (a plural of majesty) instead of it? Why God's name is usually punctuated e,â (shewa, qamats) by the Masoretes what makes its reading impossible, because the 4 consonants of the name YHWH must have at least 3 vowels (long or short) to be read, like the words ’aDoNâY and ’eLoHîM "God" (a plural of majesty), which have 4 consonants and 3 vowels? At last, why the obvious reading "Yehowah", according to theophoric names, which all begin by Yehô-, without exception, is so despised, and why the simple biblical meaning, "He will be" from Exodus 3:14, is rejected.

www.DrAlGarza.blog

The name of God has been discussed for centuries. Is the name of God Yahweh or Jehovah (Yehovah, the Hebrew form)? For the first time read what Rabbinic Jewish sources have to say about the Name of the Almighty. Read never before translated Hebrew Rabbinic sources on how to pronounce the name of God. The debate is settled from their own words.

God's name is fundamental to all monotheistic religions. Paradoxically, religions prefer to translate God's name as Yahweh "He Is," Adonay "my Lord," Allah "The God," rather than a transcription of the name, which is more usual. However, the key to unlock this mystery was provided by the famous Maïmonides, 800 years ago, when he wrote that the Name "is read as it is written." Name of God Y.eH.oW.aH Which is Pronounced as it is Written I_Eh_oU_Ah is Gérard Gertoux's examination of the paradox of the correct pronunciation.
University Press of America, March 2002: https://rowman.com/ISBN/9780761822042
Sellers: https://isbnsearch.org/isbn/9780761822042
Review by Professor Won W. Lee, Calvin College: This detailed treatment of the Name is useful for those who are interested in the history of its translation of the centuries (Religious Studies Review 29:3, July 2003, p. 285, https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/toc/17480922/2003/29/3)
Professor Lee specializes in biblical exegesis, theology, and hermeneutics of the Old Testament (https://calvin.edu/directory/people/won-lee)
Russian version https://teonote.com/books/Imya_Boga_ego_istoria_i_proiznoshenie.pdf

Academic and scientific support to produce a documentary from Fritz Poppenberg entitled: The Name of God (https://www.dreilindenfilm.de/produkt/der-name-gottes/).
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x7wqcdi

Religious Celebrations: An Encyclopedia of Holidays, Festivals, Solemn Observances, and Spiritual Commemorations. By J. Gordon Melton, Editor, with James A. Beverley, Christopher Buck, and Constance A. Jones. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 2011. ISBN: 978-1-59884-205-0. eISBN: 978-1-59884-206-7 Pub. date: September 13, 2011. [See below for entries.]

From the "Introduction" (p. xxi):

A review of the Baha’i Faith is particularly edifying. It is the newest of the major world religions and underwent some significant repression during its founding years. Through the twentieth century, it went through a lengthy process of establishing a new Baha’i calendar and designating holy days, including commemorations of the birth and death of the faith’s early founder/leaders. In a century, the Baha’is accomplished what it sometimes took other religions multiple centuries to complete. Meanwhile, a few of the twentieth-century new religions have moved to create an annual cycle of celebration within their first generation of existence.

Articles on Baha’i Holy Days in: Religious Celebrations: An Encyclopedia of Holidays, Festivals, Solemn Observances, and Spiritual Commemorations:

1. “‘Abdu’l-Baha, Ascension of (November 28).” (Vol. 1, pp. 1–4.)  
2. “Ayyam-i-Ha (Baha’i Intercalary Days) (February 25–March 1).” (Vol. 1, pp. 60–63.)  
3. “Bab, Festival of the Birth of the (October 20).” (Christopher Buck and J. Gordon Melton.)  (Vol. 1, pp. 65–67.) 
4. “Bab, Festival of the Declaration of the (May 23).” (Vol. 1, pp. 67–73.)  
5. “Bab, Martyrdom of the (July 9).”  (Vol. 1, pp. 73–76.)  
6. “Baha’i Calendar and Rhythms of Worship.” (Christopher Buck and J. Gordon Melton.)  (Vol. 1, pp. 79–86.) 
7. “Baha’i Fast (March 2–20).”  (Vol. 1, pp. 94–96.)  
8. “Baha’u’llah, Ascension of (May 29).” (Vol. 1, pp. 96–99.)  
9. “Baha’u’llah, Festival of the Birth of (November 12).” (Christopher Buck and J. Gordon Melton.)  (Vol. 1, pp. 99–102.) 
10. “Covenant, Day of the (November 26).” (Vol. 1, pp. 225–228.)  
11. “Naw-Rúz, Festival of (March 21).” (Vol. 2, pp. 225–228.)  
12. “Nineteen-Day Feast (Baha’i).”  (Vol. 2, pp. 641–645.)
13. “Race Unity Day.”  (Vol. 2, pp. 727–731.)   
14. “Ridvan, Festival of (April 20–May 2).”  (Vol. 2, pp. 744–747.)  
15. “World Religion Day (January).”  (Vol. 2, pp. 936–939.)  

In her well-known review of The Star of Redemption, poet, cultural critic, and philosopher Margarete Susman characterizes Rosenzweig’s project as theology that has “gone beyond the zenith of atheism” and articulates her view of this unique piece of work as the crowning achievement of the philosophical project of that time. But Susman’s assessment also addresses another issue of great significance: the fact that the atheism addressed by Rosenzweig’s book is the atheism of Goethe, and that the redemption that lies beyond this atheism becomes clear and gains voice only in light of the words of Mephistopheles in Goethe’s Faust, as we will see below. Susman’s assessment is consistent with Rosenzweig’s letter to Ehrenburg and identifies contending with atheism as a fundamental element of understanding The Star of Redemption. This article seeks a better understanding of Rosenzweig’s book based on Susman’s work. It also offers greater insight into Goethe’s significant role in the book and, in doing so, provides readers with a unique key for navigating the book that can also help understand the change in conception proposed by Rosenzweig in his Freies Jüdisches Lehrhaus (Free Jewish House of Learning). In this context, the word “free” has meaning on more than one level and can be understood as applying to both the House of Learning as an independent institution and to the freedom of human consciousness. This article is based largely on Susman’s review article on The Star of Redemption and her essay marking the celebratory publication of another installment of Rosenzweig and Buber’s German translation of the Bible. Here, however, I also seek to understand the deeper meaning of the claim regarding atheism’s role on the path to monotheism using the terms of Rosenzweig himself, as well as the language and thinking of Emmanuel Levinas.

The aim of this paper is to call attention to Ramon Llull’s Cent noms de Déu, or The One Hundred Names of God, and its unique place in the history of medieval Christian-Muslim polemics. Llull (1232-1315) was a writer, logician, philosopher, theologian and mystic born in Mallorca shortly after it was conquered by Christians from the Muslims. Originally living the life of a troubadour, he experienced a religious conversion and committed himself, in turn, to convert the “infidels”. With his Cent noms de Déu, a versified book written under the influence of the Islamic tradition of the asmāʾ Allāh al-ḥusnā, Llull aimed to refute Muslim claims regarding the inimitability of the Qurʾān (iʿjāz al-Qurʾān) which is believed to prove the divine origin of Islam’s sacred book. In addition, Llull sought to introduce an Islamic ethos within Christianity by suggesting a similar use in Christian daily worship to that of the Qurʾān in Muslim life, making his Cent noms de Déu a unique book in medieval Christian-Muslim polemics. I also provide a new dating and reevaluation of Llull’s intentions in writing this book.

One of the most lasting questions since the birth of the Church has been, who is Jesus? In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus asks his disciples, “Who do you say I am?” (Matt 16:15). Some have taken this passage of Scripture to mean that if you know Jesus as the Son of God, you have salvation. If this is true then what about believers in the Old Testament? Did they too have faith in Jesus Christ? If not, what did they have to do or believe? If not Jesus Christ specifically how can salvation be possible? The debates surrounding this question rests on degrees of knowledge; from no knowledge is required, to all must be known in a particular articulation.

BAHA'I CALENDAR
Sample Article posted by "Facts on File"

Excerpt from 2016 "Facts on File" ebook for high school students:

Baha'i Faith: A Quick Reference
Christopher Buck
Copyright 2016 Facts On File. All rights reserved.

BAHA'I CALENDAR

The Baha’i calendar, like all calendrical systems, charts physical time; yet the Baha’i calendar also inspires spiritual progress by associating time with reminders of human nobility. The new year begins on the vernal equinox (which is astronomically determined and falls on March 19, 20, or 21 on the Gregorian calendar); it consists of 19 months, each month of which is comprised of 19 days. The calendar, called the "Wondrous (Badi) Calendar," invests time with spiritual significance by naming weekdays, days of the month, months, years, and cycles of years after godly perfections that can be translated into goodly virtues. In this way the Baha’i calendar transforms time into opportune moments for reflection on matters of the spirit.

For example, Sunday, March 21, 2010, on the Gregorian calendar may be expressed as follows on the Baha’i calendar: the weekday of Beauty (Jamal, i.e., Sunday), the (first) day Splendor (Baha’) in the (first) month of Splendor (Bahá’) in the year (15th) of Affection (Vidad), in the cycle (19 years) of Unity (Vahid) of the first Grand Cycle (361 years) of All Things (Arabic, Kullu Shay’; Persian, Kull-i Shay’).

In the Baha’i calendar, the names represent far more than simple designations of units of time. They connect to the timeless progress of the soul. The calendar was originally created by the Bab, Baha’u’llah's predecessor and herald, who compared the souls of human beings to mirrors. These mirrors, once burnished and polished by spiritual efforts, are potentially reflections of all divine names and attributes of God that are capable of expression in human existence. To the extent that a person is a bearer of one of the names (i.e., qualities or powers) of God, that individual is empowered to express that quality in human action. (Buck and Melton have called this process "theophoric metamorphosis.") Through the progressive spiritualization of all persons—and, indeed, of all things—the Bab wished to transform all of reality into “mirrors” reflecting the perfections represented by these divine names.

In this unique calendric system, each and every unit of time gives pause for spiritual reflection. This is part of the Bab's comprehensive system of precepts and practices, all calculated to keep the believer in a constant spiritual frame of mind. Each of these dynamic names of God highlights a distinctive quality of sterling character and human nobility; they may not only be invoked, but they may be evoked. At every moment, a person, noting the present time, takes time to reflect on a godly perfection that can be translated into a goodly virtue expressed in thought and deed. By doing so, the mirror of the human heart, or soul, may reflect a ray of the spiritual sun.

The Baha’i Nineteen-Day Feast—when the local Baha’i community meets for worship, consultation, and fellowship—takes place at the beginning of each of the 19 Baha’i months. The Feast begins with devotions, is followed by consultation on community affairs, and ends with food and fellowship. The devotional portion has a spiritualizing effect; passages from the Baha’i Writings and prayers are read. Consultation takes place in a forum similar to a town hall meeting, but conducted with civility and respect. The purpose of consultation is to reach consensus. Consensus is not always possible, but a recommendation may be conveyed to the Local Spiritual Assembly (LSA) by way of a majority vote; even individual suggestions may be passed on to the LSA for consideration. Ideally, the LSA's decisions on prior Feast recommendations should be reported back to the community at a later Feast, both as a courtesy and as evidence of the importance the LSA places upon the consultative process. Finally, the community shares food with the goal of refreshing and further uniting the local community.

Further Information

Christopher Buck and J. Gordon Melton, "Baha’i Calendar and Rhythms of Worship," in Religious Celebrations: An Encyclopedia of Holidays, Festivals, Solemn Observances, and Spiritual Commemorations, ed. J. Gordon Melton (Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-CLIO, 2011), Vol. I, pp. 79–86.

Christopher Buck, "Nineteen-Day Feast (Baha’i)," in Religious Celebrations: An Encyclopedia of Holidays, Festivals, Solemn Observances, and Spiritual Commemorations, ed. J. Gordon Melton (Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-CLIO, 2011), Vol. 2, pp. 641–645.

Gerald Keil, Time and the Bahá’í Era: A Study of the Badí‘ Calendar (Oxford: George Ronald, 2008).

Edward M. Reingold, and Nachum Dershowitz, "The Bahá’í Calendar," in Calendrical Calculations: The Millennium Edition (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2001), pp. 223–231.

Nader Saiedi, Gate of the Heart: Understanding the Writings of the Báb (Ottawa, Ont.: Association for Baha’i Studies and Wilfrid Laurier University Press, 2008).

Entry Author: Buck, Christopher.

________________________________
Excerpt from:

Baha'i Faith: A Quick Reference
Christopher Buck
Copyright 2016 Facts On File. All rights reserved.

Summary

One of the world's youngest and fastest-growing religions, the Baha'i Faith's adherents believe there is one infinite God who sent divine messengers—including the founders of all the major world religions—to teach people about God and to help move humanity toward greater truths. Baha'i Faith: A Quick Reference covers all the basic information about the religion in an accessible A–Z format. This useful guide comes complete with full-color photographs, a timeline, and further readings for each entry to aid research.

About the Author(s)

Christopher Buck, Ph.D., is the author of God & Apple Pie: Religious Myths and Visions of America. An independent scholar, attorney, and former university professor, Dr. Buck has published numerous articles, essays, and books in religious studies, Baha'i studies, Islamic studies, African-American studies, and Native American studies.

Table of Contents
Cover
Copyright
Introduction
Entries
‘Abdu’l-Baha
Bab, The
Baha'i Administrative Order
Baha’i calendar
Baha'i community life
Baha'i eschatology
Baha'i ethics
Baha’i houses of worship
Baha'i laws
Baha'i prayer
Baha'i principles of unity
Baha'i Writings
Baha'u'llah
Table of Contents
Cover
Copyright
Introduction
Entries
‘Abdu’l-Baha
Bab, The
Baha'i Administrative Order
Baha’i calendar
Baha'i community life
Baha'i eschatology
Baha'i ethics
Baha’i houses of worship
Baha'i laws
Baha'i prayer
Baha'i principles of unity
Baha'i Writings
Baha'u'llah
Book of Certitude
Declaration of the Bab, Festival of the
God in Baha'i Faith
Hidden Words, The
Naw-Ruz
persecution of Baha’is in contemporary Iran
Ridvan, Festival of
Shoghi Effendi
Shrine of Baha'u'llah
Shrine of the Bab
Twin Birthdays, Festival of the
Universal House of Justice
Support Materials
Timeline
About the Author

This article discusses names for God in the corpus of Old English poetry. I begin by considering the problem of naming God, as defined by patristic authors and recognised by several Anglo-Saxon poets (Cynewulf and the author of the OE 'Exodus'). I then discuss the poetics of naming in OE, before considering analogues in Latin and Old Norse literature. Finally, I consider the problem of naming God from a Trinitarian perspective, looking at the ways in which OE poets distinguished (or seemingly failed to distinguish) between the members of the Trinity.

The silver inscribed amulet (PEF 2049) in the collections of the Palestine Exploration Fund was found in a tomb of the Graeco-Roman period during the excavations of the British expedition to Samaria directed by J. W. Crowfoot from 1931–35. The silver was tightly rolled up inside a cylindrical copper case and was recognized when the copper had fallen away. Comparative study of the associated finds, notably glass and lamps, suggests a date in the 4th or perhaps 5th century AD. The method of unrolling the silver sheet and its conservation is described. A copy and a transliteration of the text, which was directed at the healing of the owner, is given, with discussion of its religious setting and philological commentary.

Zwei bislang noch unveröffentlichte unvollständige Typoskripte Martin Bubers beschäftigen sich anhand von Ex 3,13f u.a. mit der Frage, ob Gott einen Namen haben kann, und was die jüdische Geistes- und die Religionsgeschichte zu dieser Stelle zu sagen haben. Der Aufsatz stellt die beiden Texte im Kontext von Bubers Äußerungen zum Gottesnamen vor. Es ergibt sich bereits aus der Analyse des Kontextes, dass Buber entgegen der geläufigen Forschungsmeinung durchaus an der Wahl des Personalpronomens zur Übersetzung des Gottesnamens in der gemeinsamen Bibelübersetzung mit Franz Rosenzweig beteiligt war. Auch die Typoskripte machen deutlich, dass sich Buber intensiver mit der Übersetzung des Gottesnamens beschäftigt hat, als dies seine publizierten Äußerungen dazu nahelegen.

The paper evaluates the previous explanations for the origin and meaning of (El) Šadday with regard to their etymological and religio-historical plausibility. Only the derivation of Šadday from the Egyptian deity Shed remains convincing under both criteria, and thus deserves a closer look. An analysis of biblical and extra-biblical sources from Palestine shows that the motifs associated with Šadday are comparable to those of Shed and, moreover, that these motifs are iconographically represented in Palestine. For these reasons, this paper argues that (El) Šadday takes its origin from Shed and that the biblical use of this name can be better understood in this context.

The purpose of this study is to examine the meaning of humankind in relation to the rest of creation, while
drawing from a variety of perspectives. There are a myriad of differing theories about the place and purpose of human
beings, however there are two major approaches which are at the forefront of this discussion. The first is that the human
being is merely created in this world, subjugated to the laws of the universe, and is open to development but they are
mortal and limited with a determined life span. The alternative approach is that, as well as being a physical being,
humans are spiritual beings with a unique capacity to connect them with the Divine-Eternal Being – a unique quality
beyond the scope of nature, life, and intellect. The premise of this paper concludes that humanity’s ability to attain an
exalted status over the entirety of creation is not merely a result of their physical capacity, but their metaphysical
faculties has given them the potential to connect with the Divine-Eternal Being.

Almighty God has a name, which He uses ±6000 times in the Old Testament. He also has another 75 names or titles which He uses to tell us about Himself — about His power, actions, love, and reputation. The Almighty is not an object to be possessed, nor is He accountable to or dependent upon anyone’s subjective interpretation or doctrinal minutiae.

This work is not intended to promote any specific attitudes, group, faith, or denomination, nor does it insist on the use of certain names as a point of doctrine or fidelity to Scripture. The intent is only to present objective educational and devotional information that would assist you in your own thoughtful conclusion about the Almighty and lead you to pursue a more knowledgeable and intimate relationship with that inexplicable, and yet knowable, entity commonly referred to as "God".

In the following I want to examine the demand [issued by some Christian groups in Germany] that Arab Christians should not address God as Allah in prayer, and that we should never render the Arabic term “Allah” as “Gott” in German (resp. “God” in English). This demand that was specifically directed towards Peter Beyerhaus and Christine Schirrmacher.

I want to present the following arguments against this opinion and in in support of the view that Allah is the best and most natural designation for the Biblical God:

This work is intended to examine the use and interpretation of Byzantine hymnographic texts of Hieroschemamonk Anthony Bulatovich, who was the leader of the Athonite Onomatodoxists during the 1910s, written during his defence of the Palamite doctrine on divine energy. Source research and analysis, philosophical hermeneutics and comparative textological research are the methods employed in this work. Sources on the subject include works by Anthony Bulatovich, Gregory of Nazianzus, Cyril of Alexandria, Dionysius the Areopagite, and Gregory Palamas. In his dispute about the name of God, Bulatovich paid much attention to the theme of divine energies. The doctrine on energy of God, developed by the Church Fathers and especially Gregory Palamas, was important for Bulatovich since he considered divine revelation to be an uncreated energy of God. He believed the name of God to be an example of such a revelation and therefore, being by essence energy of God, he argued that God's name is God. Onomatodoxy skeptics claimed, in contrast to Palamas, that divine energy cannot be viewed as God. Bulatovich aimed to prove the opposite and, not having at his disposal many patristic writings, he looked for confirmation of Palamite teachings on divine energy in biblical and hymnographic texts. An analysis of hymnographic quotes used by Bulatovich shows he understood their theological meaning correctly and derived ideas developed by Church Fathers from hymnography. Byzantine hymnography served Bulatovich as the main source of the Orthodox Church’s dogmatics. --- Published in: Vestnik Volgogradskogo osudarstvennogo
universiteta. Seriya 4, Istoriya. Regionovedenie. Mezhdunarodnye otnosheniya [Science Journal of Volgograd State University. History. Area Studies. International Relations], 2018, vol. 23, no. 5, pp. 60-70 (in Russian). ---------------------- В споре о почитании имени Божия лидер афонских имяславцев иеросхимонах Антоний (Булатович) уделил много внимания теме божественных энергий. Учение об энергии Божией,  разработанное отцами православной Церкви и более всего св. Григорием Паламой, было важно для Булатовича, поскольку он подчеркивал, что божественное Откровение является божественной энергией, а имя Божие есть частный случай этого Откровения. Таким образом если энергия Божия есть сам Бог, то можно называть Богом и Его богооткровенные имена. Противники имяславие утверждали, в противоположность св. Григорию, что энергию Божию нельзя называть Богом и что имяславцы неправильно понимают церковное учение об энергии Божией. Булатович стремился доказать обратное и, поскольку в его распоряжении не было ни сочинений самого Паламы, ни значительной части тех святоотеческих сочинений, которыми пользовался св. Григорий, о. Антоний искал подтверждение паламитскому учению об энергии Божией в библейских и гимнографических текстах. Анализ гимнографических цитат, использованных о. Антонием в полемике, показывает, что он верно понял их богословский смысл и почерпнул из церковного богослужения идеи, разработанные в византийской патристической традиции и выраженные у таких отцов Церкви как Григорий Богослов, Кирилл Александрийский, Дионисий Ареопагит и Григорий Палама: учение о различии сущности и энергии в Боге, о нетварности божественных энергий, о единстве воли и действия Лиц Св. Троицы, о действии Бога на тварь через энергии, о возможности для человека причаститься божественному свету-энергии. Таким образом, византийская гимнография послужила для Булатовича источником догматического учения Православной Церкви.

The weaponization of Islam comes forth from no doubt many instruments, though one of its most wide-reaching and effective instruments is surely absolute certainty. Long has absolute certainty been aligned to the notion of the ‘sacred’, and yet one must pause to inquire whether this absolute certainty has a place in the furrows and willful confusion of secular modernity. At first sight, it seems that no room is left for absolute certainty in the modern age of creative and chaotic uncertainty. But before abandoning such a possibility, perhaps it is important to explore whether the Quran can be interpreted to be a religious text (purposefully) rife with uncertainties. What kind of uncertainties can be revealed, and to what extent can they answer for the place of Islam, and its certainties, in a secular age?

In this paper, my attention focuses on unearthing metaphysical uncertainty in the Quran, specifically in the nature of God. Concretely, the question becomes: is the Divine Decree, or the very foundation of the Islamic notion of the universe and human life, one that is rife with absolutely certainty? In order to understand this question, I employ as instruments an interpretation of Heidegger’s theory of time in 'Being and Time' and an interpretation of Schelling’s understanding of God in his
'Philosophical Investigations into the Essence of Human Freedom'. I then focus on two of the most central characteristics of God in Islam, both concepts of mercy,
‘Ar-Rahmaan’ and ‘Ar-Raheem’. While contrasting these concepts with God’s justice in the Quran, I argue that a vast metaphysical uncertainty is allowed for in the Islamic notion of God. I conclude by briefly exploring the relevance of such a claim to the core beliefs of Islam and the consequences it carries for its ethical and normative claims and practices.

With the abilities and great capacity human kind has unique position in the universe and they have potential to be better than any other created beings. There is no doubt that what makes them unique and superior is that they can represent the names and attributes of God and through this capacity they are capable to understand God better than any other beings. Through examining the attributes of mankind, one may have an idea about the attributes of God. Although one's attributes are limited and dependent, God is eternal and independent. Nevertheless there is a relationship between God and his servants in terms of representing Him in the human dimension. God can see, hear, know etc. everything and in order to understand these facts, human beings compare their seeing, hearing, knowledge etc. to God and have an idea about the Eternal One based on their limited abilities. The names and attributes which are used to define God are also used for human kind to show them their value and remind them of their responsibilities. God acknowledges human kind as capable by defining them with these names. Human thought gives meaning to the names of God and also discuss whether these names are suitable to name God. When doing this, they benefit from their own experiences.

This article proposes the following interpretation of Ex. 3,14: "God said to Moses: I shall be who shall (will) be. He said: Thus you say to the sons of Israel: I shall be in so far as he has sent me to you." In favor of this interpretation the author examines the context of Ex. 3,14, the story of Moses´ vocation, and the structure of the speech situation and the dynamics of the usage of the divine names in Ex. 3,1-4,12. In a final paragraph the universal significance of Moses´ vocation is outlined.

This brief comparison of the doctrine of the affirmative knowledge of God presented in Meister Eckhart's Commentary on Exodus with St. Thomas Aquinas' teaching in I Sentences and the prima pars of the Summa theologiae argues that the two are less opposed than is commonly thought.

A lot of people have criticized the “Faith Movement” for its emphasis on healing as the will of God in all circumstances, but the more I examine healing from the perspective of a covenantal theologian*, which most Calvinists are, the more I am convinced that every covenantal theologian ought to be in agreement with the faith movement, at least on this issue. There are three main evidences for this argument:  the Gospel of the Kingdom of God, the Names of God, and the actions of Jesus as God’s Covenant Maker with humanity.

Heraclitus ἀεὶ νέος συνεχῶς (“always new, continually”)
The article succinctly presents and evaluates Wojciech Wrotkowski’s latest investigations concerning Heraclitus’ theosophy.

"Obawiam się, że za największą wadę źródłowej na wskroś i analitycznej monografii Wrotkowskiego może być poczytane przez niemałą część uczonych to, w czym tylko nieliczni jej czytelnicy zdołają rozpoznać niezaprzeczalną jej zaletę. Jest ona owocem odwagi, wyobraźni, wieloletniego mozołu oraz interdyscyplinarnej, filozoficzno-filologicznej kompetencji, które uparcie baczą na uczciwość i Prawdę, a nie – fałszywie pojętą lojalność i karierę; dzięki temu zawiera niezliczone sprostowania podręcznikowo-słownikowych komunałów, których jawne i głośne odwołanie jest równie dziś potrzebne, co nieziszczalne. Sądzę, że jeszcze niejeden raz usłyszymy i przeczytamy o domniemanej „tożsamości przeciwieństw” i o wojnie jako rzekomym „ojcu wszechrzeczy”, mimo że – jak na podstawie źródeł i świadectw niedwuznacznie wykazał Wrotkowski – od ideologii odwołujących się do tych pseudo-aksjomatów odwróciłby się Jończyk bez wahania (zob. s. 143-150, 376-378). Na przestrzeni wszakże całego niemal XX wieku owe quasi-interpretacje-doktryny cieszyły się, jak wiadomo, powodzeniem olbrzymim, służąc pośrednio usprawiedliwianiu wojen i animując relatywizm".

This paper was given as part of a panel discussion revisiting the Tracy/Lindbeck debate of the 1980's. The other panelists were Shaun Brown (Wycliffe College), Murray Johnston (Regis College), Gill Goulding (Regis College), and John Berkman (Regis College).

Devotion to the Names of God and the theological debates deriving therefrom are pivotal in both Christian and Islamic thought and practice. Ramon Llull's Hundred Names of God may be considered to act as a bridge between the two monotheisms. In this paper we shall focus upon some of the specific questions in whose regard both Christian and Islamic theologians have expounded on the basis of their analysis of the Divine Names, which Names find echoes in Ramon Llull's oeuvre.

Le dernier essai de Rosenzweig a pour titre « L’Éternel » (Der Ewige). Rosenzweig n’y précise d’ailleurs pas qu’il accorde lui-même une importance centrale à « l’Éternel » comme nom de Dieu dans L’Étoile de la Rédemption, où « l’Éternel » représente rien moins que la « synthèse » du système.

Allah soyut ve somut varlığı itibariyle Sonsuzdur, her şeyden her şeye daha yakındır.
Eşya O'nun enerjisi, yazılımı  ve isteğiyle (kudret, ilim ve iradesiyle) birer dosyadırlar.
O ise Ana Dosyadır. Dolayısıyla herşeyden herşeye daha yakındır.
Ne kadar varlık dosyaları varsa O'nun bir ismidir. Yani belirtisidir. Öyle ise O'na yakın olmak ne demektir?
Halkın diliyle evliya denilen zatların ne özelliği var. Ve ne yaptılar da O'na yakın oldular?

İşte Cevabı: Varlık, öz itibarı ile ilimdir, yazılımdır. Somut İlahi boyut olan Evren de ağırlıklı olarak  enerji (kudret) olmakla beraber, onda aktif  olan ve yöneten ilim ve iradedir, yani yazılım ve evrim (gelişme meyli.) Bu ikisi ruhun da özüdürler.
Yani kainat ruhlu ve canlıdır. Her yerinde hayat vardır, her yazlım bir melektir yani manevi bir dosyadır. (29. Söz)

Evet kainat sonsuz bilgi işlem ve hafızaya sahip kuantum bilgisayarı gibi çalışıyor. Bu bilgisayarın başka bir ismi de Âlemdir, âlem ilim kökünden gelir, anlam ve gerçeklik gösteren sistem demektir.
İnsan da bu sonsuz bilgisayarın küçük çaplı ama yine  de sonsuza yakın bilgi işlem hacmine sahip bir dosyasıdır bir âlemdir.
Namazda okuduğumuz El-Alemin (âlemler) kelimesinin birinci manası, insanlar denilen bu küçük dosyalardır. (26. Mektup)

Bu özerk dosyaların yaratılış amacı,  Yaratılış  Sistemine, sosyal hayatta sonsuz manalar, teknik gelişmeler, aktiviteler, fenler ortaya koymak ve psikolojik hayatta sonsuz ilim, düşünce ve maneviyat katmaktır...
Allah yaratılışta istediği şeyi artırıyor. (Ayet meali) Ve en çok artırdığı da insan eliyledir.
Dünya kainat karşısında çok küçük de olsa, insanın bu yaptıklarıyla kainattan milyon kere milyon daha büyüktür. Çünkü asıl olan yazılım ve manadır. Materyalistlerin kulakları çınlasın.

Başa dönersek, peki Allah'a yakınlık ne demektir? İşte velayet ve Allah'a yakınlık şudur: Aciz, fakir, bir mikroba yenilen  fakat manen çok zengin olan ve  insan denilen bu  ölümlü dosyanın  sonsuz olan ve sonsuz  kudret, ilim ve iradeye sahip olan, ölüm ve yıkım onun için düşünülmeyen Allah'a (Ana Dosyaya) entegre olmasıdır.. İnsanın küçük benden vazgeçip, sonsuz iradeye sığınmasıdır;  adeta kainat kadar varlığa sahip olmasıdır. "Ben insanları ve cinleri sırf beni tanısınlar ve bana entegre olsunlar diye özerk yarattım." (Zariyat Suresi.)

Peki bu entegrasyon ve birlik nasıl sağlanır?
Evvela, varlığı iyi bilmek ve Allah'ı iyi tanımak ile. (iman, düşünce ve ilim ile).
Küçük beninden vazgeçip sonsuzluğa yelken açmak, varlığa katılıp ona uyum göstermek.
Yasal yaşamak ve bu yasal yaşamanın şahsi dünyada küçük numuneleri olan ahlakı da yaşamak. Ve bunlarda süreklilik kazanmak için zikir ve ibadet etmek.

Ayrıca: İnsan evrim sürecinin son meyvesi olduğu için beyin katmanlarında onlarca hayvani dürtüler var. Din bu dürtülere nefs-i emmare diyor.
Bu hayvani dürtüleri arındırıp soyut değerlere yükselmek, velayetin birinci adımıdır.  Bu adıma din arınma manasında tezkiye diyor.

Bu yakınlığı sağlamak üzere bir çok yol, tarikat, meslek ve meşreb ortaya çıkmıştır. Acaba hangisi en idealdir, diye sorarsanız; Kur'an beş ayette cevap veriyor. Allah'a yakın olan kişi, ne korkar ne de üzülür diyor. Eğer korkuyorsanız ve üzülüyorsanız bilin ki henüz yolcusunuz, hedefe varmış değilsiniz.
Veya yolunuz yanlıştır veya eksiktir. Evet varlığı ve işletim sistemini tanımak, korku ve üzüntüyü giderir. Çünkü varlık ve sonsuzluğu idrak etmek başlı başına bir cennettir, ve varlığın işletimi tamamen iyiye ve hayradır.

Kur'an, bu hedefe varmak için üç adım attırır. 1) Sonsuz bir Allah'a inanmak.. 2) Ebedi sonsuz bir hayata inanmak.. 3) Yararlı işler yapmak. (Topluma ve kainata entegre olmak.) Bu konuda bütün dinler eşittir. (Bakınız Bakara suresi 62. ayet) Ve bu ayetten anlaşılan: Dinlerin de tarikatlerın de testi, o yola girmiş insanda ne gelecek korkusu ne de geçmişin üzüntüsü olmamasıdır.

Bu izahatın özeti şudur: Sonsuzluğu anlamak, Allah'ı soyut ve somut boyutlarıyla sonsuz bilmek. Ve varlığın ruhu olan o sonsuz yazılıma entegre olmak, ilk adımdır.
Evet: Sonsuzluk olmadan hiçbir adım atılmaz. Çünkü sonlu bir şeye entegre olup ona tapmak kutsal da olsa bir putperestliktir.

Son Bir Not: Bütün bu şartları yerine getiren bazı zatlarda ruhani inkişaflar olur. Ama bu ruhani inkişaflar amaç değil. Yasal ve ahlaklı yaşamak ve soyutuyla somutuyla  sonsuz varlığı ve ebedi hayatı bilmek (Kur'an'ın üç şartı)  yani bilge olmak velayet için yeterlidir ve asıl olan budur. Onun için alimler istikametli yaşamak, kerametten üstündür, demişler. İstikametin içine ilmi donanım ve yasal yaşamak da girer.
Ki bu maddi asırda asıl olan odur. (Kastamonu Lahikası)
Evet asıl olan tahkiki iman ve  istikamet ise de Halkın velayetten anladığı birinci ruhani manadır.

Bugün siz dostlarıma Ana Dosyanın sonsuzluğunu ve  O'na yakınlaşmanın, O'na entegre olmanın yol ve yönteminden 12 adımı gösterecek iki yazıyı gönderiyorum.
Arınma meselesi ise çok uzun sürer. Hem şekle önem vermeyen ve ilmi esas alan  ve  sonsuzluğu dile getiren muhakkik  mürşidler, fazlasıyla kitaplarında izahat vermişler ve bil-fiil olarak milyonlarca insanı o hayvani dürtülerden kurtarmışlar, onları arındırmışlar.
Bu iki yazıdan kısa olanını geçen hafta WhatsApp'ta yayınlamıştım. Arkadaşlar bir daha okuyabilirler. Çünkü tefekkür idman ister.