Write a five-paragraph synthesis essay, illustrating your command of the English language, your ability to synthesize numerous texts, and your mastery of appropriate in-text citations.

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Write a five-paragraph synthesis essay, illustrating your command of the English language, your ability to synthesize numerous texts, and your mastery of appropriate in-text citations. The goal is for you to demonstrate your understanding of several of the works from our reading list and your ability to recognize common themes among them.

Directions:

  • View: The synthesis essay
  • Choose a common theme running among three or four of the works from our reading list (select a topic that sparks insightful thinking).
  • Identify three sub-topics that support the development of that theme (these may become the topics for your body paragraphs).
  • Draft a thesis (you may construct an essay map or an umbrella-type thesis).
  • Identify the concept/topic for each body paragraph that supports the thematic connection among two of the texts:

o TextA&TextB

o TextA&TextC

o TextB&TextC

  • From each text, find appropriate passages, lines, or words that support the connections and then determine if the exact wording (quoting) or a paraphrase will best communicate the comparison or contrast between the texts (you will need at least one citation from each source discussed in the paragraph; thus, you will need a minimum of two in-text citations—either quotation or paraphrase per body paragraph). You do not need to cite all three texts in each body paragraph, but you must cite a minimum of two texts for each paragraph.
  • Draft tentative topic sentences and/or a sentence outline.
  • Consider the logical arrangement of the material in the paragraph (reasons, examples, names, numbers, & senses) and the essay.
  • Develop strongly worded introductory and concluding paragraphs (Introduce all the works and authors in the introduction; conclude the essay with thoughtful commentary).
  • Draft a Works Cited page (see LBH).
  • Try to incorporate more than one author within a citation (see LBH) to indicate scholarly ability to synthesize.

 

What are some theological agendas that have affected interpretation in the past? Are there any contemporary cultural issues that would affect interpretation?

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Investigate the Historical Context of the Passage.

Use the bible passage and larger context of the whole book to figure out:

Who?

Who wrote the passage? The author go beyond the name.

What was the mindset of the author/ relationship between author and God or audience/ the author’s circumstances?

Understanding who wrote it changes how we are going to read it.

Why did God choose that person?

Who was the passage written to? The Recipient

Jewish audience or Greek audience?

(needs/circumstances/characteristic)

What benefit would the audience get from the passage?

The main characters more than just the name pivotal to the story even God can be a main character of the passage (needs/circumstances/characteristics) brings perspective into the passage.

What?

What was being written about? ← According to the lecture, the what is not strictly about what was written/ being said.

what is the genre? and how does its literary context emphasize, bring the message.

When?

When was the section written?

cultural differences from then and now.

Where?

Where was the author when he was writing the passage?

Where was the author writing to?

What was the cultural climate into which the passage was written?

If necessary, consult commentaries, study bibles, or other historical references to gather further information.

Be sure to cite sources where necessary

Think about Personal Contexts

Preconceived Ideas

What are some possible preconceived ideas about the passage or the message that it communicates?

Theological Agendas.

What are some theological agendas that have affected interpretation in the past?

Cultural Issues.

Are there any contemporary cultural issues that would affect interpretation?

Spend 30 minutes in prayer after your finish your study of the passage but PRIOR to the beginning of the development of the lesson plan.  Then write a ½page reflective response. Place this response at the beginning of the Lesson Plan.

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Prayer Exercise.Spend 30 minutes in prayer after your finish your study of the passage but PRIOR to the beginning of the development of the lesson plan.  Then write a ½page reflective response. Place this response at the beginning of the Lesson Plan.

  • Spend the 1st15 minutes praying for an openness of your heart to God’s truth. Be responsive to any directions God leads you in.
  • Spend the 2nd15 minutes praying for God to show you the key idea he concerning the content of your message for the people you may teach this Bible study to.

Part 2: Lesson Plan.  Write a four-page lesson plan for a Bible study on the Gospel passage you have chosen to study.  Your lesson plan needs to be written with enough detail that someone else could teach your Bible study with minimal study.  You can pick any age group to teach and tailor the content to a specific group.  However, write your lesson plan with the “teacher” in mind, giving them a thorough discussion of the passage.  See Appendix C in the course syllabus for the grade rubric.

Critically examine two adaptations of The Pilgrim’s Progress, focusing on how they treat one particular aspect or incident of the original, you will describe and then evaluate how these adaptations are faithful and creative or unsatisfactory.

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Interact with two adaptation products based on Pilgrim’s Progress – children’s books, movies, animation, music, parody, art, board games, etc. Choose your focus on the theological fit or integrity of the product with Scripture and original Pilgrim’s Progress; or focus on the aesthetic, or production, or marketing, or pedagogical, or spiritual values of the product. Take a key incident of the narrative as a comparison rather than making sweeping comparisons of the whole ‘text’.

In other words,critically examine two adaptations of The Pilgrim’s Progress, focusing on how they treat one particular aspect or incident of the original, describe and then evaluate how these adaptations are faithful and creative or unsatisfactory, showing knowledge of the original. Judge this on a literary or aesthetic basis or on a theological basis, as you wish.

Research the past lives of the Buddha and pick one to highlight Describe the basic elements of the story and then discuss the lesson(s) that it teaches in Buddhism.

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Since Buddhism is a reincarnation religion, the Buddha lived many lives prior to the one in which he became the Buddha. These previous lives have been recalled by Buddhists and used as teaching tools in what is known as Jataka stories. Research the past lives of the Buddha and pick one to highlight Describe the basic elements of the story (in original writing using your own words, not simply copying the story) and then discuss the lesson(s) that it teaches in Buddhism. What do you think of the use of Jataka stories as teaching tools?
Before writing on this topic, you should research Jataka stories beyond the link provided above. This is because you are required to do research in association with each of the discussion topics so that you can provide well-informed opinions

Discussion forum: Paul’s theology is best represented in the epistles to the Romans. Choose one verse/passage you consider to be a key to understanding Paul’s teaching and explain why it is particularly meaningful to you.

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Discussion forum: Paul’s theology is best represented in the epistles to the Romans. Choose one verse/passage you consider to be a key to understanding Paul’s teaching and explain why it is particularly meaningful to you.

Identify two key aspects of Christian ethics you learned from the video and discuss how Christian ethics may be different from a secular view of ethics.

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In a 2-page reflective summary, summarize the definition and standards of Christian ethics. Identify two key aspects of Christian ethics you learned from the video and discuss how Christian ethics may be different from a secular view of ethics. Also, discuss how to apply a Christian view of ethics and what you will integrate your ethics as a Christian in your professional work.

How will it help you when making ethical decisions? Are there things you won’t do as a social worker because of your Christian ethics? Explain.

Explain the logic behind these approaches – how is each religion explaining why these alternative forms of worship are equally effective? Are they performing any specific rituals to combat the virus?

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Religious traditions’ responses to the corona virus

  • Investigate three different religious traditions’ responses to the corona virus in 4-6 pages
  • Search through news articles, twitter feeds, Facebook pages, Instagram, YouTube, WhatsApp messages etc. to investigate how various religious groups are dealing with the corona virus and its consequences, including the travel ban, immigration, and limited social interaction.
  • Choose three different religious responses to describe and analyze
    • Make sure you include specific examples from each tradition you have chosen
    • Explain the logic behind these approaches – how is each religion explaining why these alternative forms of worship are equally effective?
    • Are they performing any specific rituals to combat the virus?
    • How is each tradition attempting to keep their religious community connected to each other?
  • After you have analyzed the three different religious approaches, conclude with your own thoughts about what these approaches tell us about the flexibility of religions to adapt and engage with modern technology like the internet.

Describe how this organization or movement is seeking to care for, protect, and advocate for this population during the pandemic.

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Gather information about a population that is particularly vulnerable during the current corona virus
pandemic and efforts that are being made to address them.
Choose one vulnerable population that is suffering during the corona virus pandemic.
Examples could include homeless people, low-wage workers, the elderly, people in
prison, people without access to health care, etc.
Using credible news sources, describe the magnitude of the problem (how many people are affected) and the extent of human suffering caused by this pandemic in this population . See image below to choose your news sources. Only use news sources in the “high quality” “leans right, neutral, or leans left” categories. In other words, nothing from the “mixed quality” or “poor quality” or “hyper-partisan” categories.
Using journalistic, academic, or web sources, identify at least one organization or movement that is addressing this vulnerable population during the corona virus epidemic.
Describe how this organization or movement is seeking to care for, protect, and advocate for this population during the pandemic.
Conclude the paper by assessing whether or not this movement and/or organization fits with your understanding of Jesus’ command to love our neighbors and enemies and the tactics associated with Ghandian application of the Sermon on the Mount.

Grading Criteria
This paper will be assessed using the following criteria:
• Description of vulnerable population: Did the author use convincing evidence to show that this is indeed a particularly vulnerable population during the pandemic.(7 points)
• Description of organization/movement: Did the author identify a non- movement or organization that is caring for, protecting, and advocating for this vulnerable population? Did the author effectively identify its goals, tactics, successes,and failures? (7 points)

Conclusion: Did the author show understanding of Jesus’ love commands and the Ghandian application of the sermon on the mount by evaluating the organization/movement in the extent to which it applied these principles? (7 points)
• Writing: Was the paper written in clear, grammatical prose? (4 points)
Submit your final paper to Canvas on or before May 8. No late papers will be accepted.

Discuss how we saw Sam Harris promote this belief. Next, provide some of the reasons that Dr. Keller gives for challenging this belief. Do you agree more with Keller or Harris, and why?

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In 1-1.5 pages, Times New Roman, double spaced font, respond to the following prompt. Be sure to cite both The End of Faith and Making Sense of God in your response:

A critical secular belief that Tim Keller challenges in Ch. 2 of Making Sense of God is the idea that religion is based purely on faith and secularism on evidence (i.e., reason – understood empirically). First, discuss how we saw Sam Harris promote this belief. Next, provide some of the reasons that Dr. Keller gives for challenging this belief. Do you agree more with Keller or Harris, and why?