tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31051169323882153822012-01-29T13:55:14.758-08:00A Voice in the WildernessMusings on the Truth of Human ExistenceJohn Kunnathuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00253697976799503567noreply@blogger.comBlogger411100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3105116932388215382.post-89016783904704526702012-01-29T13:55:00.000-08:002012-01-29T13:55:14.770-08:00A Prophet without Honor: Mark’s Picture of Jesus A summary of the sermon made at St. Mary's Orthodox church, Houston on Jan 29, 2011. Listen here.
Today we heard a very interesting and meaningful story of Jesus (Mark 6:1-6). While Jesus was travelling from place to place proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom of God, he arrived at his hometown too. We expect that the people of his hometown must have welcomed him warmly. However, that is not John Kunnathuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00253697976799503567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3105116932388215382.post-73906556427961500612012-01-21T07:47:00.000-08:002012-01-21T18:37:39.405-08:00How would Jesus modify the Lord's Prayer for us today?If Jesus lived among us today, how would he teach us the Lord’s Prayer? Will it be the same as the one he taught his disciples in Palestine two thousand years ago?
Obviously Jesus will have to teach us the prayer in a language we understand, not in Aramaic, the language of the first century Palestine. When Jesus originally taught the prayer to his disciples, he did it in Aramaic. If Jesus livesJohn Kunnathuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00253697976799503567noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3105116932388215382.post-10604140294937571742012-01-11T19:49:00.000-08:002012-01-15T11:01:45.514-08:00Diverse Approaches to the Scriptures Humanity has inherited a wealth of scriptures from ancient times, which are accepted as authoritative to various religions. The scriptures are a record of the experiences of the past generations on the earth. Through the scriptures we can have a glimpse of how our ancestors faced the existential challenges on this earth. An examination of how they lived their life will help us today to live our John Kunnathuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00253697976799503567noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3105116932388215382.post-14481647382449864292012-01-08T13:21:00.000-08:002012-01-08T20:02:23.101-08:00The Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of SatanA Summary of the talk given at st. Mary's church, Houston on Jan 8, 2012. Listen to the talk here.
John, the Baptist, invites people to receive a baptism from him in River Jordan. Jesus receives baptism from him. After the baptism, Jesus sees a vision—God says to him, “You are my beloved son”. He also sees the Holy Spirit descending on him. Then Jesus goes to the desert, where he fasts for John Kunnathuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00253697976799503567noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3105116932388215382.post-85217861309040534832011-12-18T12:41:00.000-08:002012-01-21T19:24:57.269-08:00Adam, the Son of God A summary of the sermon I gave at St. Mary's Orthodox Church, Houston, on 12/18/2011. Listen to the sermon here.
Luke traces the ancestry of Jesus back to the first human being on earth, Adam, and finally he says that Adam was the son of God. I believe that nowhere else in the Bible is Adam called so. In the Genesis story it says that human beings were created in the likeness of God. This John Kunnathuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00253697976799503567noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3105116932388215382.post-79387815589869450992011-10-06T05:53:00.000-07:002012-01-21T19:46:07.925-08:00The Council of Vatican II The second Vatican Council is probably the single most important event in the history of Christianity in the modern times. It addressed the relations between the Roman Catholic Church and the modern world. It opened under Pope John XXIII on 11 October 1962 and closed under Pope Paul VI on 8 December 1965. It was held in four sessions between 1962 and 1965. Some 2,500 Bishops took part and the John Kunnathuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00253697976799503567noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3105116932388215382.post-46090700202492846232011-09-22T06:50:00.000-07:002012-01-21T19:47:07.821-08:00Syriac Christianity and Western Civilization
The Key Role of Syriac Christianity in the History of Western CivilizationThe eight centuries before the Common Era was the golden age of learning in ancient Greece. Once the Roman empire got divided into east and west, the various centers of learning were abandoned or destroyed, and thus Europe lost contact with its past. The Greek learning went East with the Syriac Christians, who taught John Kunnathuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00253697976799503567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3105116932388215382.post-79634883077263866752011-09-12T19:27:00.000-07:002011-09-13T03:45:00.405-07:00Christianity and SlaveryDiarmaid MacCulloch points out in his celebrated book of Christian history the role of Christianity in slave trade (p 868). Christianity stood not only for slavery but also against it. Both groups used the Bible to support their stand.
The Christian church's main justification of the concept of slavery is based on Genesis 9:25-27. Accordingly, when the worldwide flood had concluded, there were John Kunnathuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00253697976799503567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3105116932388215382.post-82692323970570075662011-08-29T20:25:00.000-07:002011-09-04T04:38:04.767-07:00The Idea of Justice Justice deals with what is right and wrong. One often assumes that right and wrong are categories like white and black. White is white everywhere and always, and black is black always and everywhere. However, right and wrong are more like light and dark. They are relative and they vary according to the viewpoint. What is right for an individual may not be right for another individual. What is John Kunnathuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00253697976799503567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3105116932388215382.post-11673616772315609742011-08-15T15:56:00.000-07:002011-08-15T16:11:10.113-07:00Humanism: Origin and Evolution
Looking for a definition of humanism, I came across a number of definitions:Any system or mode of thought or action in which human interests, values, and dignity predominate
A system of thought that rejects religious beliefs and centers on humans and their values, capacities, and worth
A variety of ethical theory and practice that emphasizes reason, scientific inquiry, and human fulfillment inJohn Kunnathuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00253697976799503567noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3105116932388215382.post-50999909273418183462011-08-07T20:34:00.000-07:002011-08-12T05:41:59.832-07:00The Challenge of FreedomAt the beginning of the fourth century CE there was a radical shift in the status of the Christian church—it became the official imperial religion of the Roman Empire. Until then it was just one of the several religious movements competing for a bare survival in the empire. It was often frowned upon by the rulers. Many of them were persecuted and even brutally killed. The edict of Milan (313 CE) John Kunnathuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00253697976799503567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3105116932388215382.post-62020858278414761552011-07-25T19:41:00.000-07:002011-07-25T20:54:28.176-07:00Good Samaritan Revisited
Miroslav Volf
Miroslav Volf is a Christian theologian who makes sense. He is committed to the unity and peaceful existence of humankind. I am making an attempt to explain his categories of belongingness and inclusion in the context of the parable of the Good Samaritan. It is natural for one to feel belonged to his/her family and immediate community around. Nearness is what causes belongingnessJohn Kunnathuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00253697976799503567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3105116932388215382.post-88652624511651702612011-07-21T06:35:00.000-07:002012-01-21T19:22:13.466-08:00St. Augustine's Role in the History of ChristianityIt wouldn't be incorrect to affirm that Augustine is the primary architect of the western Christianity. Even Jesus and Paul were seen by the western Christianity through Augustine's eyes. An examination of Augustine's view of life and its origin will provide the key to many of the perplexing questions regarding the divisions and deviations occurred in the historical development of Christianity. John Kunnathuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00253697976799503567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3105116932388215382.post-71716198781699909582011-06-22T19:32:00.000-07:002011-06-24T07:49:15.625-07:00What is Wrong with Secularism?Secularism is one of the major topics dealt with by Metropolitan Paulos Mar Gregorios. He was never tired of explaining how harmful secularism is in a number of his books and in numerous research papers. Here I am making an attempt to introduce in a few words what Mar Gregorios was trying to tell us through these books and papers.
Enlightenment East and West, A Light Too Bright, and The Secular John Kunnathuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00253697976799503567noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3105116932388215382.post-30101229795763704032011-06-16T14:36:00.000-07:002011-06-17T04:09:16.253-07:00The World is like a Moving Electric TrainWhat is our world like? If I address this question to ten different people, I will get ten different answers. Whenever I have asked this question to myself, my own answers have varied from time to time. When I searched for an answer to this question in the ancient scriptures and classics, I found that the answer to this question has varied from time to time and from place to place. When farming John Kunnathuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00253697976799503567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3105116932388215382.post-41545998515291783992011-05-20T19:54:00.000-07:002011-05-25T14:38:04.475-07:00Meaning of Eucharist in Catholic & Orthodox Traditions
Russian Orthodox Eucharist
Imagine that you are a Catholic and you are meaningfully participating in a Latin mass. When the priest pronounces certain words, the bread in his hands transforms into the body of Christ. When the priest breaks the bread, the crucifixion happens. This lets you transcend the limits of time and space, and gives you the opportunity to be an eye-witness of the saving John Kunnathuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00253697976799503567noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3105116932388215382.post-14272211967043034902011-05-01T20:48:00.000-07:002012-01-21T19:50:19.672-08:00A Euro-Centric History of Christianity
When I went to school and college what I learned as world history was really a Euro-centric history. For the European historians, Europe was the center of the world, and the history of Europe was the same as the history of the world. I realized this when I skimmed through the Glimpses of World History by Jawaharlal Nehru. Nehru, an Asian historian, tried to look at the world from an Asian John Kunnathuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00253697976799503567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3105116932388215382.post-11086560159687194812011-04-28T06:06:00.000-07:002011-04-28T07:05:35.538-07:00The Growth of Christianity in Roman Empire
Constantine's monogram
made with the first two letters
of "Christ" in Greek
A religious movement that started at a remote corner of the Roman Empire eventually became the official religion of the empire in a matter of three centuries. What exactly was the secret of this movement that made it so successful? If we can find the secret, that will be a lesson to all such movements of our own timesJohn Kunnathuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00253697976799503567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3105116932388215382.post-59315372489836372872011-04-21T10:21:00.000-07:002011-08-23T05:04:19.649-07:00Science for Man or Man for Science?Is the origin of the universe accidental or planned? This was the topic of a seminar organized by Malayalam Society in Houston, and the presenter was Mr. Philip Thekkel, a High School Science teacher. He concluded that the origin of the universe is accidental, and not planned by any external force. The participants listened with great interest to all the scientific information he presented and John Kunnathuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00253697976799503567noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3105116932388215382.post-28571362294734482822011-04-16T14:25:00.000-07:002011-04-21T08:11:15.793-07:00The Myth and Meaning of Good FridayOnce upon a time, there was a great empire ruled by a great and powerful emperor. People lived under the emperor's rule happily and peacefully until one day a fierce and ugly monster began to snatch people away and put them within his dungeon, and made them his slaves. The emperor made a master plan to put an end to the terror of the monster. He approached the monster disguised as an ordinary, John Kunnathuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00253697976799503567noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3105116932388215382.post-50256331664133825732011-04-15T11:04:00.000-07:002011-04-21T08:06:09.475-07:00NeurobicsWhat is Neurobics and why do we do it?We do Aerobic exercises to optimize our circulatory and respiratory systems. We do Neurobic exercises to optimize our nervous system. The term Neurobics was coined by Lawrence C. Katz, who was a Professor of Neurobiology at Duke University. He used the term to mean certain exercises specifically to develop the thinking skills. But here I am using it as an John Kunnathuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00253697976799503567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3105116932388215382.post-84804064716215694222011-04-13T10:51:00.000-07:002012-01-21T19:52:30.401-08:00History and Mythology in GospelsIn his History of Christianity, MacCulloch tells us how hard it is for a historian to dig out the real historical Jesus removing several layers of mythology. He admits that although the past two centuries saw a tremendous effort by the scholarly world to dig out the real Jesus, the result is still not that satisfactory. MacCulloch shows how a careful study of the four gospels in the New TestamentJohn Kunnathuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00253697976799503567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3105116932388215382.post-49885602543210055952011-04-06T06:35:00.000-07:002011-04-06T06:38:55.213-07:00The Parents of Christianity
Deviating from the conventional way, MacCulloch begins the history of Christianity not from its founder, but from the history of two different cultures—Hebrew and Hellenic-- as far back from 1000 years before the founder. These two rivers flowing separately for one thousand years, met during the period of the birth of Jesus, and this union gave birth to a third river—Christianity. The two John Kunnathuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00253697976799503567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3105116932388215382.post-49121774498178976892011-03-28T19:28:00.000-07:002011-04-06T06:39:45.614-07:00Theology as a Study of the Models of Human LifeImagine a man who finds himself inching forward through a narrow path at the middle of the night. His primary concern is safety, which very much depends upon how well he views his surroundings and his forward path. He wouldn't want to place his foot on a snake or to fall headlong into a pit. If he does not place each step carefully, he will suffer its consequences. Although he cannot see most of John Kunnathuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00253697976799503567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3105116932388215382.post-68404755499303330932011-03-14T15:47:00.000-07:002011-04-07T15:50:37.250-07:00The Gospel of Evangelical Christianity“Millions of people in this country whose lives have never been changed believe themselves born again because we have so reduced the gospel of Jesus Christ that it means nothing more than a simple decision that will only take five minutes of your time,” admits Paul Washer, an evangelical missionary in Peru, in a sermon. He explains the evangelical method of making people born again as follows:
“John Kunnathuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00253697976799503567noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3105116932388215382.post-47742462081266428322011-03-08T07:18:00.000-08:002011-03-08T11:59:18.640-08:00How do we Listen to God?An Introduction to Christian Meditation
Recently when I sent out an invitation for a workshop on meditation, I received an angry response from a young lady. It said,
I've heard of this meditation where you concentrate for long periods of time over "Nothing". It's a Hindu concept so in other words you're promoting practices from a pagan religion. You will never have control over your thoughts so John Kunnathuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00253697976799503567noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3105116932388215382.post-26544774529023323232011-01-30T20:05:00.000-08:002012-01-21T19:58:37.629-08:00Christianity in Kerala: The Past and the FutureChristianity in Kerala is about 20 centuries old. During the first 16 centuries, this Christian community had a relatively peaceful existence. During the last four centuries it had to pass through very painful experiences. Assaults from outside left it torn into several pieces. How this community sees itself and how it interprets its painful experiences will determine how it will face its futureJohn Kunnathuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00253697976799503567noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3105116932388215382.post-83004457200925458032011-01-24T10:59:00.000-08:002011-01-24T15:32:40.999-08:00A Guide to Yoga from a Christian PriestMeditation, A Technique to Keep you Happy and Healthy, published by CSS Books, Tiruvalla in Kerala, India, is the sixth book from Rev. Dr. Daniel Thomas, a former professor of Religious Studies at Vanier College in Montreal, Canada, and a priest of the Indian Orthodox Church. From the kind of books that came from this author, one can see that he is someone with a universal outlook. The first one,John Kunnathuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00253697976799503567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3105116932388215382.post-23853256224566663412010-12-23T08:35:00.000-08:002011-01-08T06:10:43.163-08:00The Life and Mission of ChurchIn the View of Paulos Mar Gregorios
What is church, and what is its mission? This question can be answered from the view of an outsider or an insider. An outsider view, a sociological one, would describe church as an institution or as a voluntary organization of Christian believers. This approach will certainly yield valuable information about the churches today, but not very helpful in definingJohn Kunnathuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00253697976799503567noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3105116932388215382.post-2700177640587954802010-11-24T20:55:00.000-08:002011-05-19T16:33:43.560-07:00Paulos Mar Gregorios as a Pioneer in Interreligious Dialog
Paulos Mar Gregorios
Paulos Mar Gregorios (1922–96) was a pioneer in Interreligious Dialog. He was one of the prominent leaders of interreligious movement at global level for a quarter of a century till he passed away in 1996. What follows is a brief examination of his vision of religion and interreligious movement in the light of today’s view and understanding of interreligious dialog and John Kunnathuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00253697976799503567noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3105116932388215382.post-8261866950278368512010-11-08T20:02:00.000-08:002010-11-14T05:32:41.862-08:00The Context of my Book: An Orientation to our LifeWe live our life based on how we view our life. A view of life is a picture of life within our minds. This picture gives us a framework from where we can answer the basic questions of life. When we say life is a journey, we are using a view of life to interpret our life experience. Sometimes we say life is a battle. We also compare life to a dream, a game, a movie, and so on. Our view of life hasJohn Kunnathuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00253697976799503567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3105116932388215382.post-25169138059419542572010-10-02T12:27:00.000-07:002010-10-04T07:17:26.363-07:00My Books and my View of LifeRecently I authored and published three books: An Orientation to our Life, A God with a Wider Heart, An Adventure Trip with God. Here I shall briefly explain why I did so.
These books are intended primarily for young people. The young people face severe existential issues, which often make life intolerable for them. These books help them overcome these issues by helping them obtain a perspective John Kunnathuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00253697976799503567noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3105116932388215382.post-22285581324378168632010-09-11T14:37:00.000-07:002010-09-18T06:10:32.158-07:00Meditation Made EasyWhat follows is a simple and easy-to-remember set of information and guidelines to meditate effectively. Let us ask three questions on meditation here: what, why, and how. We need to know what we mean by meditation and why we do it before we ask how we should meditate.
What is Meditation and Why do we Meditate?
Meditation is a mental exercise in order to strengthen the mind and the mental John Kunnathuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00253697976799503567noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3105116932388215382.post-51291243418593720122010-09-09T17:46:00.000-07:002010-09-09T19:11:42.808-07:00The Koran-Burning ChristiansThe other day I happened to overhear this conversation between two people:
Are you a Christian?
No, I am a Catholic.
Once the word “Christian” included all kinds of Christians, but today this word, at least in America, is used with a very limited meaning. It seems to denote a group of Christians who describe themselves Bible-believing and evangelical. That is why this person responded that he John Kunnathuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00253697976799503567noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3105116932388215382.post-80254590868489806462010-08-06T06:26:00.000-07:002010-08-06T06:26:23.462-07:00What is Man?The whole world is structured hierarchically in such a way that smaller units combine to form bigger ones. Therefore, when we ask what man is, we need to find out what units stand below and above man in the hierarchy. We need to find out what elements or units combine to form man, and what has man as a part of it.
What man is made of is a question that has been asked from very ancient times in John Kunnathuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00253697976799503567noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3105116932388215382.post-34312157625000282392010-07-26T20:29:00.000-07:002010-07-26T20:29:39.649-07:00A God with a Wider HeartA book of Bible stories retold by me is now available for $5.50 from here. These stories have tremendous power to inspire and transform human hearts. what follows is the introduction to the book. Stories shape civilizations. We live our lives in the present style because of the way we understand the stories we have inherited. Mankind has gathered a wealth of stories from those who lived in the John Kunnathuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00253697976799503567noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3105116932388215382.post-3708094289509287182010-07-11T15:08:00.000-07:002012-01-21T20:03:41.816-08:00The Why and How of Community LifeSummary of the talk given at the first meeting of St. Mary's Prayer Fellowship in Sugarland, Texas.
മലയാളത്തില് ചെയ്ത പ്രഭാഷണം ഇവിടെ കേള്ക്കുക
Dear brothers and sisters,
As we are having the first meeting of St. Mary’s Prayer Fellowship, I am honored and humbled for this wonderful opportunity to be a part of this celebration and share your joy and excitement.
This new beginning gives us anJohn Kunnathuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00253697976799503567noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3105116932388215382.post-73238411641963949952010-05-08T14:22:00.000-07:002010-05-08T18:10:20.634-07:00Choosing between Life and DeathSummary of the talk given at the second annual memorial of my son, Vineeth, on May 7, 2010. We all know that life is a journey. We move on in this journey by making choices at every point. We choose what to eat, what to dress, who to call, where to go, and what to do every moment in our life. We may broadly classify our choices into two as Jesus did: of life and death. For example, eating healthyJohn Kunnathuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00253697976799503567noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3105116932388215382.post-32473688564046609302010-04-28T19:53:00.000-07:002010-05-01T05:29:49.171-07:00A Meditation of GodPsalm 139 is a meditation of the relationship between God and human beings. Flying higher and higher in the wings of imagination, the poet repeatedly admits that the thoughts about God are so wonderful and precious for him/her. He/she also admits that the thoughts about God keep coming to his/her mind like the sand on the seashore. It is hard to find another poem of such scope and depth in world John Kunnathuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00253697976799503567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3105116932388215382.post-2330548775631292092010-03-26T11:26:00.000-07:002010-04-03T20:22:57.090-07:00An Orientation to Our LifeA book of mine published through Createspace.com is called An Orientation to Our Life. You can see it here and order it online. You may see a preview here. Check out the Amazon.com site for reviews. What follows is the introduction to the book.
....................................................................I grew up asking questions. They were about all kinds of things my young mind could John Kunnathuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00253697976799503567noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3105116932388215382.post-34830348029901496542009-10-28T12:29:00.000-07:002012-01-24T16:09:11.929-08:00Why don’t People Read Anymore?
Zachariah
Why don’t people read anymore? This question was the primary focus of the annual convention of LANA held in Houston last weekend. The Literary Association of North America (LANA) is an association of writers who write in Malayalam, the language of Kerala, the state with 100% literacy in India. This association has been able to bring together the prominent Malayalam writers in North John Kunnathuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00253697976799503567noreply@blogger.com6