Torah: Theology and Social History of Old Testament Law - Essay Example

One of the fundamental concepts is the eternity of God and does not change or age like humanity. It is imperative to worship God because he is a jealous God as presented in the book of exodus. The inspiration of book of Torah shows that it originates from God.

Therefore, Torah is immutable and contains the word of God. There is divine reward and retribution when the Torah is obeyed or disobeyed. The ability of God to offer retribution as a result of the disobedience of the Torah is presented by the character of God. The arrival of the Messiah and the existence of the messianic era is a belief presented in Judaism. The resurrection of the dead is a fundamental belief of Judaism (Crüsemanm, 1996, p. 23). The presentation of the moral laws in Leviticus presents the ideology and values wanted by G-d to his people. The laws are considered immutable and cannot be changed or even modified. The belief in the divine origin of the Torah is the main contributor to Judaism. Therefore, Judaism contains thirteen fundamental beliefs that focus on the existence and nature of God and the Torah.

Seven sacraments

            The first sacrament is baptism which is the basis of the Christian life. Christians are born of water and spirits and depict a new beginning in the Christian life. Even Christ was baptized in the river Jordan illustrating the importance of baptism. All the Christian denominations including Catholics, Orthodox, and Protestants practice this sacrament, but with different variations. The second sacrament is confirmation which is the sacrament of the Holy Spirit. It is the receiving of the Holy Spirit and involves the anointing of the forehead with chrism and laying of hands by the priest. It is practiced in Catholicism, but the Protestants do not practice confirmation on the basis that it was not practiced by the early church. The Eucharistic is the third sacrament and involves thanksgiving. It is described in the Eucharistic Liturgy in 155AD and is practiced in the Mass. However, the Protestants do not practice Eucharistic celebration on the basis of their norm. The fourth sacrament is confirmation which involves three steps namely sorrow for sins, actual confession to a priest, and restitution for sins. It leads to interior conversion of the heart, but it is not practiced by Protestants because they believe it is God's role to forgive sin and not human beings. The fifth is anointing the sick which is practiced by Catholics and orthodox, but the protestant denominations do practice a similar approach with the focus being on prayer for the sick and not anointing of the sick.  The sixth sacrament is the Holy Orders which began with the last supper. However, the protestant denominations practice the last supper as the main sacrament. The last sacrament is a marriage which is practiced by the Christ-professing denominations in the world.

Vedas philosophy and Brahmanism or Hindu tradition

            Vedic tradition is more than a religion. In reality, it is a way of life with complete philosophy and principles. It is based on truths that can apply to anyone at any time. These truths are termed Universal Spiritual truths. The nature of the soul is called Sanatana-Dharma which is the eternal nature of the soul. The recognition of one Supreme Being with different forms is captured in the philosophy which is similar to Hinduism.  Hinduism covers the existence of the Supreme Being in different forms and focuses on the various aspects of life. The recognition of the immortality of the soul is presented in both Hinduism and Vedic culture. Hinduism believes in the existence of immortality and change from one form to another after death depending on the values upheld. It is termed incarnation, and it is a growth process leading to liberation. There are ten qualities, which are the basis of a righteous life. They are firmness, forgiveness, self-control, and refraining from dishonesty or stealing. Other values include purity, control over senses, intellect, knowledge, truth, and patience. These values are the principles of living associated with Hinduism and the Vedic religion. The Vedic religion is shaped by the ten values termed as qualities of a righteous life. According to the Vedics, there is one God but with three integral aspects of absolute truth namely Brahman, Paramatma, and Bhagavan. These aspects help in defining the nature of God to humanity and illustrate the power and principles associated with God.