Category: Religion and theology

Personal reflection Each reflection should be focused, about one page (double-spaced; ), and concern something from that weeks class (class slides and reading will be provided) or an opinion you didnt have a chance to express (or that you want to elaborate on)

Compare and contrast the Olympic morality displayed in Riefenstahl’s propaganda film “Olympia” with the Opening Ceremonies from China 2008 Olympic games. What are the Olympic values expressed in both films but in different ways? Use at least 2 specific examples and use the ideas about religion in the textbook. Link to textbook- ( ) Below are three criteria that we will use when grading your written work. The percentages are only to indicate how I weight these aspects of your writing: Clarity. The viewpoints you present in your writing must be clearly conceived and well argued. Your writing style should be straight-forward, easy to read and should be clearly related to the issues you wish to address. Topic sentences at the beginning of each paragraph are helpful in establishing the issue and argument for the reader at the outset. (40%) Engagement with the material. Entries are to be related to the reading material. They are not reviews of what has been stated in the book but are your critical analysis of the reading. Avoid direct quotes. Instead seriously take-up what you consider to be the key issues for the study of religion in the reading. An analysis of the issues discussed in the course become clearer the closer your writing is to the texts used in class. (40%) Creativity. The work of Religious Studies, and perhaps the Humanities in general, is essentially creative. Interpretation of religious phenomena requires that you come to some meaningful relationship with your object of study. This is one of the defining characteristics of creativity. You have a unique and important contribution to make to our collective understandings. There are no predetermined experts in the area of interpretation, only well refined and well- argued positions. Your interpretations will be dealt with as importantly as you regard them yourself. (20%) use textbook pages Textbook pp. 51-62 and these videos – &view=content&state=view

The content essay assignment provides you with the opportunity to take a deep dive into the content of a particular interpretive issue within an Old Testament book. The ability to engage with the historical, literary, and theological elements of interpretation is an essential skill to develop in biblical studies. Developing these skills through research and writing is a time-tested means toward becoming a more competent reader and interpreter of Scripture. The content essay assignment probes challenging issues by answering the interpretive questions that rise from the text of Scripture. Instructions You will write two (2) content essays during the course, one on the book of Judges and a second on 1 Samuel. The following parameters should be followed: Length of assignment: At least 1000 words but no more than 1500 words, excluding title page and bibliography. Format of assignment: current Turabian format. The paper must be double spaced. Use headings and page numbers as appropriate. Include title page and bibliography. The student must document Scripture passages with parenthetical citations within body of paper, but all other sources used must be documented with properly formatted footnotes in current Turabian format. Acceptable sources: The Bible (excluding study notes), textbook, and at least 3 additional academic sources published within the past 50 years that directly address the assigned Scripture passage. The student is encouraged to use academic biblical commentaries, academic journal articles, and academic monographs. Avoid devotional and general audience sources. Internet sources require instructors prior approval. Content Essay: 1 Samuel Assignment After reading 1 Samuel 8-12 and the corresponding textbook material, in an essay, answer the following questions pertaining to 1 Samuel 8-12: 1. Does God want Israel to have a king? After a critical analysis of the negative statements (1 Sam 8:1-22; 10:17-19; 12:1-25) and positive statements (1 Sam 9:1-10:16; 11:1-15) concerning kingship, what is your conclusion concerning kingship for Israel? 2. How do Genesis 17:6, 16; 35:11; and Deuteronomy 17:14-20 relate to the negative and positive statements concerning kingship in 1 Samuel 8-12? 3. Does the author of 1 Samuel depict kingship in a positive or negative manner? How does this relate to the message of 1 Samuel and its relationship to the rest of the Old Testament? Engage the Bible, textbook, and at least 3 additional academic sources in the argumentation for your propositions. Each essay must be 1,000 1,500 words and follow current Turabian format. At least three (3) academic commentaries and the course textbook must be engaged and cited in meaningful research and discussion of assignment prompts. Preferred source material includes academic commentaries, but academic journal articles, and academic monographs are acceptable in addition to the academic commentaries and textbook. Avoid devotional, general audience sources. Internet sources require prior instructor approval. Note: Your assignment will be checked for originality via the Turnitin plagiarism tool.

After reviewing the assigned readings for this week, please address the following questions. Please remember to use the headings Question 1 and Question 2 in your initial thread.

Question 1

Can you think of teachers who inspired you to learn a subject at school? Did they use certain motivational strategies in class? If so, which ones? Or did their influence on you derive from some other aspect of their behavior or presence?

Question 2

What is the role of teaching in the development of learner autonomy?

Reference

Hall, G. (2016). The Routledge Handbook of English Language Teaching. Routledge. ISBN: 9780415747394.

Article Critique Assignment Instructions

Overview

you are required to submit 23-page critiques for articles related to the assigned topics below. Access the Liberty University Librarys Research Portal to find peer-reviewed journal articles. The articles that you choose should be scholarly, empirical, and current (written within the past 5 years).

Article Critique Topics

Moddule 5

Comprehensible Input in SLA

Instructions

Include the following elements in your critique:

1. Summary: Provide a brief overview of the article, its intended audience, and its purpose.

2. Analysis: Analyze the articles strengths and weaknesses, providing evidence to support your opinions.

3. Key Elements: Select 12 key ideas from the article and consider how you can effectively connect them to your teaching and understanding of Second Language Acquisition (SLA).

4. Personal Analysis and Critique: Provide an in-depth analysis of the topic in your article.

5. Personal and Practical Application: Apply the insights gained in the article analysis with insights for future use.

6. Reflection: Explain various ways that you could incorporate the information gained and expressed in the article into your teaching methods.

Format the critiques in APA style and see the Article Critique Grading Rubric for the specific grading criteria.

Reference

Hall, G. (2016). The Routledge Handbook of English Language Teaching. Routledge. ISBN: 9780415747394.

Answer only two out of the following three questions (you will not get extra credit by answering all three). You should answer with no more than a few paragraphs for each. I will not count the number of words, but I will be grading you on: 1) how well you grasp the concepts, and 2) how much thought and reflection you put into your answers. So, answer each question as richly as possible.

Please include both of your answers in a single Word Document, and upload it Sunday, February 22nd, before midnight. Each is worth 50 points.

Question 1:

In casual discussions about religion, many of us encounter someone who claims that all faiths focus upon a God. In this course, we examined two religions which explicitly reject the idea of a creator deity: Buddhism and Jainism. Choose one or both of these religions, and outline what the followers of this religion see as the focus of their spiritual lives. You may want to Include the ideas of samsara and karma in your answer (which pertain to both religions). You will definitely want to describe the importance of liberation from rebirth if you choose Jainism, and the similar concept of nirvana if you choose to outline Buddhism. In addition, please answer the following questions: Has learning about such non-theistic religions in this course altered your understanding and appreciation of religion? Even those raised within one of these faiths may have an opinion about this.

Question 2:

In the first week of this course we learned of a distinction between transcendent and immanent ideas of the divine. A god that is depicted as transcendent is beyond or above nature, while an ultimate reality that is depicted as immanent is within or underlying nature. It is often proposed that God, as understood within Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, is depicted as mostly transcendent (although we will see that the mystics of these religions often provide an exception to this). But the concept of Brahman from the Hindu Upanishads and the Tao from Taoism are radically immanent. Choose either the Upanishads (from Hinduism) or Taoism. First, describe, to the best of your ability, this religions interpretation of the divine. Include in your description how this divine or ultimate reality is found within, or identified with, all of nature. I addition, answer the following questions: Have you ever thought of the divine in this kind of fashion? Do you think an immanent picture of the divine is preferable to a transcendent one? Why or why not?

Question 3:

Each of the great world religions has something to say about human nature. We have seen that Hindu scriptures claim that the true self is not our physical body, but the atman or eternal soul, and that this soul is part of brahmanthe unchanging ground and source of all existence. On the other extreme, we have seen the Buddhist concept of anatta or no-self, which dismisses the concept of an eternal soul, or even an I or me that abides underneath the flux of our experiences. Taoism rejects the artificialities of society and prizes the natural personwhat the Tao Te Ching proudly describes as an uncarved block. Most forms of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam accept the idea of a soul, but one that is created by, and not identified, with God. There are mystics within the Abrahamic religions which claim otherwise, but this is something we will see later. Out of all of the pictures of human nature we have discussed so far, which do you agree with the most? That you happened to be born in a particular religion is not a good enough answer, I want you to think about this question! Explain your answer in as much detail as possible.

In the NIV, Romans 12:9-21 is subtitled, Love in Action. This section follows earlier verses which charges Christians not to be conformed to the world, but to be transformed by the renewing of [the] mind (12:2)presumably this transformation should then work its way out into our lived lives. With this context set, Paul encourages his audience to live love in action. One of the ways he lists is to, Practice Hospitality (12:13b). This charge is simple, profound, and a unique hallmark in the picture he presents of a loving Christian community. For most students in this course, you will spend your lives in a service-oriented industry. You may service in commercial kitchens, in teaching, or in a healthcare, but you will serve. The question(s) of this discussion is as follows: How can you practically practice hospitality in your future calling? What are the ways that hospitality can and should work its way out in your life as you integrate your biblical worldview into your profession and vocation? What would it mean or look like to have hospitality become a virtue and a hallmark of your vocational service? Include reflections, foreplanning, narratives, and additional scriptural admonitions as relevant.

Create a monthly budget based on the average salary of your intended vocation using the budget template found at

https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/finance/budget-worksheet (or another template of your choice). Make sure you consider the cost of living in your desired location.

o Requirements: Submission must be in Excel format (xlsx).

Purpose: The purpose of this discussion is to challenge students to struggle with the political world in which they find themselves and to mine the resources that Pauls theology might provide for navigating our times. Here the student will explore the notion of faithfulness or loyalty in the context of American culture.

Overview: In the context of North American Christianity, where faith and patriotism are blended in all interesting and bizarre ways, what would be Pauls critique of modern North American civil religion (or Christian Nationalism; consider listening to this podcast –

, for an explanation of the meaning of Christian Nationalism), that is, the kind of religion that is expressed as God, Guns, and Guts? In other words, if our ultimate loyalty is to God, what tensions are created by our lesser loyalties, in this case, our love and loyalty to country.

Initial Post: What do you think Paul would say to modern evangelical social and political engagement? Would he find it consistent with the Gospel or at odds with the Gospel. Explain your answer.

• Be sure to add at least 4 in-text citations, with at least 1 in-text citation from a biblical source and at least 1 in-text citation from a non-biblical source. Contains at least 1 in-text citation from the week’s readings and resources. Note: The citation can come from a biblical or non-biblical resource. All non-biblical citations should note the author and page number rather than the year of publication. All biblical citations should note the book, chapter, and verse. Use these resources :Biblical Text
• Romans 35; 1213
• Philippians 1:272:18; 3:1521
• 2 Timothy
• Gorman, M. J. (2017). Apostle of the crucified Lord: A theological introduction to Paul and his letters. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. Chapter 13: Philippians (pp 482523)
• Chapter 17: 2 Timothy (pp 61231)
• Podcast: Vischer, P. (2021, February 3).
• Holy Post Media.

All citations have to have page number if coming from the text and direct quotes

PLEASE READ Below before accepting this assignment very important I do not have access to a copy of the book I can share but if you have KIndle and or KIndle Unlimited there is a copy ther

*Must have a copy of C. Wess Daniels. Resisting Empire: The Book of Revelation. Newberg OR: Barclay Press, 2019. If you have Kindle Unlimited you can get a copy, there I was unable to find an eBook that I could share. *DO NOT TAKE THIS IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A COPY OF THE BOOK OR CAN GET A COPY OF THE BOOK*

brief author biography and context

overview of the books argument

identification of key theological and ethical issues

four substantive quotations with discussion questions

implications for church and society