Browsing by Author "Samarasinghe, Sanduni Mahesha"

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An Ecological View of Jesus’ Parable-Based Teachings on the Kingdom of God in the Synoptic Gospels of the New Testament
(Faculty of Humanities, University of Kelaniya, 2023) Samarasinghe, Sanduni Mahesha
The art of storytelling, which is enriched by parables and country folklore’s creativity, exists in every rural society. The Rabbis of Judah employed parables as a powerful teaching and encouragement tool in the Galilean Palestinian folk tradition where Jesus lived. This research examines how Jesus’ parable-based teachings on the Kingdom of God in the New Testament parables reflect an ecological vision. The main objective of this research is to explore the ecological perspective that Jesus, a Judean Rabbi, emphasized when he used parables to explain the mystery of the “Kingdom of God,” which was a typical teaching method in Galilean Palestinian folklore. Among the New Testament Gospels of the bible, Matthew, Mark, and Luke are referred to as “Synoptic Gospels” because they depict the stories and events in a similar way with regard to the teachings and mission of Jesus. These Synoptic Gospels contain parables. Parables in the New Testament are described using the Greek word “Parabola,” which means to compare two things from the natural world or day-to-day life. There, the ideas of challenge and equality are emphasized. For this, both primary and secondary sources were analyzed using the Historical method. According to the research, Jesus’ parables frequently featured natural themes such as fruit trees, wolves, sheep, birds, seeds, wheat, harvest, and flowers blooming in the field. This suggests that Jesus presented an ecological view. In the same way that a message about the Kingdom of God is conveyed by using an analogy of an item drawn from day-to-day life or nature, it is important to study the ecological context of contemporary Judean society to realize what the Kingdom of God means.
An Illumination of the Christian Gospel of Luke to Promote the Dignity of Women in the Apparel Industry of Sri Lanka
(Faculty of Humanities University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka., 2021) Samarasinghe, Sanduni Mahesha
This research study seeks to demonstrate that the illumination of the Gospel of Luke can be utilised to promote the dignity of the women workers in today’s garment industry in Sri Lanka. The formulation of investment zones became a prominent economic development policy in Sri Lanka in 1977. In addition to these invest- ment zones, garment factories were opened at the divisional level, where small and medium-scale garment factories were founded in various Divisional Secretariats throughout the island. Such institutions are also common in the Katana Division- al Secretariat, where women workers from the Katana Divisional Secretariat and other rural areas continue to be attracted to these organizations in large numbers. Accordingly, the main objective of this study is to comparatively examine the sense of dignity that Jesus granted to women in his contemporary Jewish society, and the dignity of the present-day female workers in the garment industry of Sri Lanka. For the purpose of the study, a sample of forty female workers employed in the garment factories within the Katana Divisional Secretariat were selected under the random sampling method. Preliminary data and information were obtained from this sample by distributing questionnaires, conducting interviews and using other observational methods. The data and information obtained were then analysed and presented by utilising descriptive statistical tools. Hence, this study endeavours to explore the manner in which Jesus’ efforts as a true humanitarian noble leader to reform the religious, political, social and cultural structures of his contemporary Jewish society can be likewise applied to promote and secure the dignity of women workers in the garment industry of Sri Lanka.