The readings over Bonhoeffer and the Confessing Church challenged my understanding of grace and murder. I was shocked that as steadfast Christians and instructors of the word Bonhoeffer and his co-conspirators were fine with the consequences of killing Adolf Hitler, even if that meant spending an eternity in hell, to save the millions being killed in the Nazi concentration camps. In the church I’ve learned the ten commandments and here at Abilene Christian University I’ve studied over Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. Because of my studies, I know God says, “You shall not murder” (Exodus 20:13, ESV) and Jesus says, “‘But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable…
where his photograph is crinkled in the shape of a cross, Jesus Christ is a definite aspect for theme. “Small wonder so many folks saw a blue-eyed Jesus in the role” (Pevere 1). It is a small wonder-isn’t it? How ironically the rebel of the film resembles Jesus Christ himself. “ Then too, after the station wagon bearing the dying Newman drives off into the rainy night, a dramatic point at which to have ended the film, there is a postlude establishing partly with flashbacks that Newman has Christ-like become a convict legend” (Champlin 4). Regardless of his…
If any character in the novel represents a Christ figure it has to be Montag. Even though he does not share all the same traits as Christ that does not mean that he is not a Christ figure. Traits of Christ that are applicable to Montag is that he’s around his 30’s, self-sacrificing, good with children, came to redeem an unworthy world, in agony, in a way is unmarried, and is in a type of wilderness with an encounter with the devil.…
M. Myriel “Jean Valjean, my brother, you no longer belong to evil, but to good. It is your soul that I buy from you; I withdraw it from black thoughts and the spirit of perdition, and I give it to God.”…
Throughout the Bible, Jesus makes it clear that we are to be Christ-like and our attitudes should be the same as his. Jesus freely put his rights aside, in order to become a human, to serve the needs of mankind. Which made him submissive to death. However, while he was on the cross, Jesus Christ’s humility is exemplified because he bore an agonizing death that consisted of humiliation, in order to provide our requirements.…
Les Misérables, published in 1862, is a story that focuses on an ex-convict, Jean Valjean, on his road to redemption. Through his course, he encounters characters such as the relentless and unforgiving police inspector Javert, the saintly Monseigneur Myriel – Bishop of Digne, the naïve orphan turned unmarried mother turned prostitute Fantine, the illegitimate child Cosette, the greedy con artist couple M. and Mme. Thenardier, and the upper class boy estranged from his family Marius. With these people, he learns compassion, forgiveness, mercy, and love. What’s outstanding about this story is how Victor Hugo incorporated his beliefs without making the story flat. He was able to articulate the struggles of class oppression and social injustice in such a way that not only the upper classes would understand, but also the lower ones who are the main reason he wrote the novel for.…
A Christ figure is a technique used in story-telling that is an allusion between the book’s character and Jesus Christ. Before I read the book A Separate Peace by John Knowles the idea of a Christ figure was unbeknownst to me. After some research, I found that there are many Christ figures, not only in literature but in films as well. Mufasa, Frodo, Superman, E.T., Optimus Prime & McMurphy were among my favorites. Themes and Symbols are an amazing part of story telling and the Christ figure has opened up a new interpretation of stories to me. Finny’s representation of a Christ figure is one of the best portrayals I’ve seen. Finny is God.…
Javert’s narrow-sighted goal compelled him to hound Valjean. His firm belief in absolutes caused his eyes to see only a criminal in Valjean. Therefore, Javert was unable to comprehend Valjean’s true soft, affectionate nature, which was hidden behind his hardened, criminal exterior. The inspector’s desire to capture all criminals urged him to follow Valjean and punish him for his crime. If Javert had not been obsessed with his goal, he would have seen that Valjean did not deserve to die as a criminal; he deserved to live like a free man. However, Javert’s unyielding goal continued to drive his actions. Since his goal did not allow him to see a difference between a compassionate and a cruel criminal, Javert continued to hunt Valjean mercilessly.…
Jean Valjean lived as mayor and helped better the lives of many people. His true test of character comes when an honest worker, Champmathieu, is wrongly accused of being the criminal, Jean Valjean. Valjean battles with himself about giving himself up as Jean Valjean for the freedom of an innocent man. Three convicts identify, so to speak, Champmathieu as Jean Valjean. Valjean thinks it over a long while weather it is worth it or not to come clean and save this man. Valjean goes to Champmathieu’s court hearing and sits, listening with a heavy heart until the closing arguments. Jean Valjean then stands up and tells the three convicts to “look this way.” He then admits to being the real Jean Valjean. “Do you not recognize me,” he asks. (116) Valjean continues to redeem himself and keep his promise to the bishop of being an honest man. He does this by sacrificing his freedom for that of an innocent…
Functioning at the highest stage of Kohlberg's Theory of Moral Reasoning, Jean Valjean is guided by personal ethical principles. Even Valjean's initial crime of stealing a loaf of bread can be justified if a more important principle, such as the prevention of suffering, is upheld. This correlates with a fundamental concept of Stage 6, Universal Ethical Principle, which dictates that law should be discarded when it fails to represent justice. This concept repeats itself when Valjean shelters Fantine, a woman forced into illegal prostitution by a society that is incapable of maintaining her welfare. As with social justice, " if the soul is left in darkness, sins will be committed. The guilty one is not he who commits the sin, but the one who causes the darkness." [1] Thus, Valjean was able to view Fantine not as a criminal, but as a victim. Jean Valjean is also capable of exemplifying a second concept of Stage 6, which requires him to be concerned about equality as opposed to personal gain. When a man is arrested under his name and is about to be committed for his crimes, Valjean declares his identity to the court, thus exonerating the…
Christians have traditionally believed that Jesus died for our sins and this belief has given rise to some questionable explanations like the idea that God would be appeased with the execution of an innocent person. Other questionable inferences include the idea that Jesus became human simply for him to be sacrificed because he is the only person of sufficient value to pay a ransom to God or Satan. More adequate reflections on the death of Jesus highlight the notion that death is an integral part of the human condition and one which is shared by Jesus. Other ways of appreciating the importance of the death of Jesus include…
Although the Bible’s description of Jesus and his crucifixion has not been changed, the perception of the people about Jesus has been changing throughout the ages. The poem “The Dream of the Rood” is good example of a unique view of Jesus and his crucifixion. The poem is referred as “one of the first and most successful treatments of the crucifixion” in Old English poetry (Burrow 123).…
Throughout different parts of the novel, Meursault demonstrates his atheist beliefs and his refusal to believe in a God, especially in Part Two of The Stranger: firstly, in trial, where he stood as the defendant in the death of the Arab man, the religious judge offers Meursault to be a “changed man” by accepting God as his “rescuer” of his sinful deeds, but Meursault turns down the offer; and secondly, when the chaplain offers Meursault a chance to redeem his freedom by, once again, going into the hands of God, Meursault, this time, violently denies the religion and refuses any help to his dilemma. However, what makes the situation ironic is the fact that before Meursault’s execution, he becomes “cleansed” of his confessions; everything that had been inside of his thoughts and heart came to light with the chaplain who was there to hear his rage. Not only that, Meursault wished for a “large crowd of spectators” on the day of his death and with messages of hate (Camus 123). This depiction of an execution is most definitely similar to the death of Jesus Christ. In the Bible, Jesus, the man who had lived his entire life as “pure as white,” became the anomaly and “the stranger” of Jerusalem and was declared to die in public, in front of a large crowd crying words of hate and accusation. Despite Meursault’s denial of religion, his execution, in a way, becomes a “holy” figure.…
The Thénardiers are merciless people who do all they can to extract money from Fantine, while treating Cosette terribly; making her do work, under-feeding her, and treating her like an animal that has no feelings. The Thénardiers are wealthy from the in keeping business, and they definitely have more money than Fantine, and yet they have no compassion. For her situation. They continue to take money from Fantine until she passes away, then they keep Cosette so they don’t have to hire another servant.…
His strong mind and willingness to be a good man is exposed at the end of the play. Passion and responsibility cohere after he tears his confession and chooses death over being accused. He believes that his integrity to be a good man will lead him to heaven and allow him to redeem himself. He knows that his name is good in the church and people will remember him as a strong member of the town. Elizabeth eventually forgives him and admits to her own faults. Her words allow John to forgive himself and gives him the courage to go to his death. Elizabeth says “He have his goodness now. God forbid I take it from him!” (Miller 145). Elizabeth forgives John for his sins and knows that he has fulfilled his passion for being a good man. John’s death symbolizes humanity and is a turning point for people realizing the insanity of the accusations. John’s passion directs him to take responsibility and follow his moral beliefs and redeem himself of his ultimate vice of…