Notes, summaries, assignments, exams, and problems for Religion

Literary Context and Parallels

Parallels with Boccaccio’s Decameron

• Dante and Virgil serve as inspirations for the pilgrims.
• Structure and Focus: The narrative employs a linear structure focusing on the journey and the tales told.

Critique of Medieval Society

The work functions as a profound critique of 14th-century English society.

• Characters represent people in specific professions and social strata.
• Religion is a significant theme, often presented through criticism of the Church's corruption.
• The Conflict Between Classes (The Three Estates):
  1. Those who pray: The Church (Clergy).
  2. Those who fight: The Nobles (Aristocracy).
  3. Those who work: Peasants and Commoners.

Liminality and the Pilgrimage

The pilgrimage is presented as a liminal experience: traveling... Continue reading "Chaucer's Canterbury Tales: Structure, Themes, and Social Commentary" »

S

Salaf

The "pious ancestors," the first three generations of Muslims, whom some modern Islamists (also known as Salafis) uphold as embodying the ideal manifestation of Islam.

Salat

The prescribed five daily prayers, one of the "Five Pillars" required of all Muslims.

Sawm

Fasting performed during the month of Ramadan, one of the "Five Pillars" required of all Muslims.

Sayyid

An honorific title denoting people accepted as descendants of the Prophet Muhammad.

Shahada

Witness to faith; stating (in Arabic), "There is no god but God and Muhammad is His messenger"; one of the "Five Pillars" required of all Muslims, signifying conversion to Islam and a part of the ritual prayer (salat).

Sharia

The religious law derived from the four sources of law in Sunni Islam... Continue reading "Key Islamic Terms: A Glossary" »

1. **VOC**
2. - **Justice**- The cardinal moral virtue that consists of the firm will to give God & neighbor their due
3. - **Common Good**- The sum total of all social conditions which allow people, either as groups or individuals, reach their fulfillment more fully % easily
4. - **Social Teaching**- the subset of moral theology which is articulated when the church interprets events in the course of history with the help of the Holy Spirit and Revelation
5. - **Social Sin**- The effect that every personal sin has on other; the collectivity of such sins which creates “structures of sin”
6. - **Natural Law**- Moral knowledge that is written in every human heart & is “co-natural” with human nature
7. - **Solidarity**- Virtue of social charity, friendship

Dürrenmatt's *The Visit*: Essential Quotes on Justice and Corruption

Act I: The Price of Revenge

• Schoolmaster: “Like one of the Fates; she made me think of an avenging Greek goddess. Her name shouldn’t be Claire; it should be Clotho. I could suspect her of spinning destiny’s webs herself.”

• Claire Zachanassian: “I’m giving you a million, and I’m buying myself justice.” (Deathly Silence)

• Mayor’s Speech: “You forget, we are not savages. In the name of all citizens of Guellen, I reject your offer; and I reject it in the name of humanity. We would rather have poverty than blood on our hands.” (Huge Applause)

• Claire Zachanassian: “I’ll wait.”

Act II: Temptation and Condemnation

• Policeman: “That screwy millionaire has lost

Theodore Roethke's "My Papa's Waltz"

1. Literal Comprehension of the Poem

The poet's father came home smelling strongly of whiskey. The scent on his breath was potent enough to make a small boy dizzy, yet the poet clung to him desperately, wanting to waltz. They danced together until the commotion caused pans to slide down from the kitchen shelf. This noise was enough to anger the mother. The father's hand that held the boy's wrist had a battered knuckle. The boy's right ear also rubbed against the father's belt buckle. The father tapped the boy's head with his hard, dirt-caked palm and danced him off to bed. Throughout the dance, the poet kept clinging tightly to his father's shirt.

2. Interpretation: Themes of Love and Memory

Theodore Roethke’s... Continue reading "Theodore Roethke's "My Papa's Waltz" Analysis and Themes" »

Journalistic Language and Subgenres

Defining Characteristics of Journalistic Language

Journalistic language adheres to several key characteristics:

• Conciseness

  The volume of text in major news stories requires conciseness, which is an indispensable trait for transmitting as much information as possible within a fixed time or space.

• Special Content Disposition

  The subordination to a determined space, time, or the desire to capture the reader's or listener's interest necessitates a special content disposition for journalistic news articles. Data shows greater interest in secondary aspects following the main news (known as the inverted pyramid structure).

• Tendency Toward Cliché

  The inherent urgency required to write journalistic texts, along with the

Deconstructionism in Ethnography

Deconstructionism focuses on the power relations through which the 'other' is constructed, particularly in writing about other cultures—the language of ethnography. It questions the authority claimed by anthropologists over other cultures.

Historical Context and Critique

• Throughout history, anthropologists have claimed to be authorities on other cultures.
• This claim fortified the mystique of fieldwork and the explanation of other cultures to their audiences through written descriptions.
• The deconstructionist critique led many anthropologists to question the relationship between ethnographic texts and the fieldwork experience upon which those texts are based.

Result of the Critique

The filtering of exotic otherness... Continue reading "Deconstructionism in Ethnography: Power and Authority" »

Words of Jesus from the Cross

Jesus' Teachings and Final Moments

1. Forgiveness (Luke 23:34)

Even in agony, Jesus' focus remained on others. He prayed, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." This reveals his unconditional, divine love.

2. Promise of Paradise (Luke 23:43)

To a believing criminal crucified beside him, Jesus offered grace and eternal salvation: "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise."

3. Care for His Mother (John 19:26-27)

Demonstrating his humanity, Jesus entrusted the care of his mother to John, saying, "Dear woman, here is your son," and to John, "Here is your mother."

4. Cry of Anguish (Matthew 27:46, Mark 15:34)

In his darkest hour, Jesus cried out, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" meaning,... Continue reading "Seven Last Words of Jesus on the Cross: Meaning and Significance" »

Mission and Pentecost

With a mission: Continue Jesus' work of proclaiming the Kingdom of God.

Pentecost

• For the Jews: An offering of the first fruits of the harvest; God gives the Commandments to Moses at Sinai.
• For the Christians: The outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon all believers of Jesus.

Vatican II

The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, or Vatican II, was the twenty-first Ecumenical Council of the Catholic Church. It opened under Pope John XXIII on 11 October 1962 and closed under Pope Paul VI on 21 November 1965. At least four future pontiffs took part in the council's opening session: Giovanni Battista Cardinal Montini (Pope Paul VI), Bishop Albino Luciani (Pope John Paul I), Bishop Karol Wojtyła (Pope John Paul II), and Father Joseph... Continue reading "Christian Sacraments, Apostles, and Vatican II History" »

Cognitive Conditions

The four cognitive activities of the soul. The first two (conjecture and belief) lead to opinion, resulting from the knowledge of sensible beings. The other two (intelligence and discursive thought) lead to science, true knowledge because it is the fruit of the knowledge of intelligible beings.

Soul

That which essentially defines man. Its nature is that of a living body. It has a tripartite nature: rational soul, irascible soul, and concupiscible soul.

Analogy

A relation of similarity among distinct things. Reasoning based on analogy consists of attributing similar attributes to different things.

Arts (Mathematical)

The components that make up the distinct branches of mathematics. Two are cited: Geometry and Arithmetic. A consequence... Continue reading "Key Philosophical Concepts" »