... little fluidity, lineation, or clarity - as was intended by its author, E.L. Doctorow. How, then, should one proceed in analyzing the themes in a novel with no storyline? Rather than tediously go through every theme Doctorow offers in his writing, focusing on the overall style of the novel might be a better way to approach the work. Often regarded as a post-modern author, Doctorow tends to show a sarcastic take on metaphysical themes ... and armor-plated brutishness, past experimental kingdoms of horses two feet tall and lizards that fly, into the triumphant dominions of the furry self-...

• Word Count: 992
• Approx Pages: 4
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

In Golding's Lord of the flies there is a political theme in which he creates a certain conflict between barbarism and order. This barbaric dictatorship takes precedence over democratic order due to its strong hold upon aggressive leadership. Golding uses two boys' Ralph ... and Jack, who portray these political figures. Ralph represents democracy, order, law, and rules while Jack represents dictatorship, barbarism, savagery and primitive culture. Ultimately Jack gains full authority over the group of ... you're in possession of the conch, keeping watch of the fire at all times, and the buil...

• Word Count: 932
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... God's first coming to Earth. Alluding to her incarnation as God, the grandmother lives in the attic of blue walls and "stars of silver" where from an elevated position she is able to see all, which is comparable to the sky which Christians describe God to reside (MacDonald 94). By acknowledging the grandmother to be an embodiment of God, one can better comprehend the concept of the grandmother's age and eternal beauty ... , to defeat the evil goblins. Similarly, the overlying theme in religion is the struggle between good and evil- light and dark, heaven and hell, God and the Devil. Thes...

• Word Count: 1315
• Approx Pages: 5
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... a people who have suffered and been scorned through events like the bondage in Egypt, persecution in the Middle Ages, the Holocaust and a continual struggle for existence without a homeland, bears an incredible amount of respect for the Jewish people's commitment to that covenant made several thousand years ago. Even up to the events of today with daily unrest in the Middle East the Jews could very easily fail to remain true, but their ... that the most important event in the history of Judaism is the Passover. It was at that time that the Jews were enslaved in Egypt and really did not ...

• Word Count: 384
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... Goodman Brown", I feel that Hawthorne is trying to symbolically show that evil is always lurking in the foreground of our being regardless of our faith in God and our Christianity, and our faith in our fellow men. That we no matter what the circumstance will find ways to justify our wrongfulness just as Goodman Brown was justifying his when he stated, " and after this one night I" ... dinner than to-night's meeting."" Goodman Brown looked up to the minister and the Deacon Gookin of the church, only to stumble on the vulnerability of their encounters of conversion of inequity. And later f...

• Word Count: 397
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

A Study of the Literary Career of Jonathan Edwards Although many think of Jonathan Edwards as one of the greatest American theologists, he was an amazing philosopher and scientist as well. His accomplishments were many, and his impact on those who have read his works everlasting, but most people know little about him. He was a brilliant man, entering Yale at the age of thirteen and came to be a pastor in Massachusetts. Edwards ... came from a family with a long line of ministers and took his grandfather's place in Northampton, Massachusetts when he died in 1729 (Browning). Although his preac...

• Word Count: 621
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... on the materialism of the world is the start of a journey to spiritual contentment. Moreover, following Antony's escape from materialism, he takes leave to the desert where the devil tests Antony's metal. After seeking the knowledge of wise men, throughout the region, Antony finds solidarity in the tombs where he "remains within alone" (Athanasius 43). Fearing Antony's ability to bestow his spiritual discipline on the people of the region, the temptations of the devil take the form of physical abuse. The ... , and donates his goods and life to the service of God. It is at Antony's final ...

• Word Count: 669
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... ; and the filth of the necessary tubs, into which the children often fell, and were almost suffocated. The shrieks of the women, and the groans of the dying, rendered the whole a scene of horror almost inconceivable" (Equiano, 58). This is one of the most important quotes from the entire narrative. Equiano suffered through the horrors of the Middle Passage a horrible experience no one should have to endure, and cites it as a reason for abolition in the cruelty that the slaves ... endured. This testament served as one of few written accounts of how bad slavery could be and why it shouldn'...

• Word Count: 595
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... pain or his friends and their beliefs that his sin is what is causing his suffering and that he must repent in order to be saved. After all of this, God then presents himself to Job in a storm, in awe of his presence, he begs for the Lord's forgiveness, which is bestowed to him, along with more livestock and children than he had beforehand. It appears paradoxical ... omniscient (all-knowing) being, to allow Satan to ill-treat Job, in order to show Satan that he, as God, will always be sovereign. However, as God already knows the future, the purpose of allowing Job to suffer made it seem...

• Word Count: 512
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... and the sociology of religion The theory claims that the real object of religious worship is not God but society itself. In The Elementary Forms of Religious Life, Durkheim argued that religion provided a framework of thought which was able to hold together the ideas and values that are shared by society. Durkheim believed that religion was no more than a reflection of the human need to be part of a community. He suggested that all societies ... needed to reaffirm their collective unity at times, and that the worship and rituals of religion provided an effective context in which to do s...

• Word Count: 392
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... thoughts when Wordsworth describes "The winds" that will be "howling at all hours." Wordsworth criticizes mankind, declaring that even when the winds howl, humanity is still out of tune, and looks on uncaringly at the spectacle of the storm. The flourishing alliteration and assonance in this short yet powerful phrase relates to the reader the intensity that the author wishes to convey in his passionate accusations in opposition to the modern age. Wordsworth's ability to describe ... could still see ancient gods in the actions of nature and thereby gain spiritual solace. His thunderous p...

• Word Count: 1163
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... is therefore difficult to prove because many different conclusions not all leading back to the existence of God could be accepted by the individual. Take the parable of the two gardens. One person sees order in a garden and therefore assumes it is made by a gardener at work. Another, looking at the same garden sees that the order of the garden could be there just by chance. It is ... beyond ones own experience. Another difficulty with mystical experiences is that they could be confused with the effects of consuming alcohol and or drugs. If the recipient themselves are unable to different...

• Word Count: 1056
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... , kind," that he believes in a god that cares for his followers and protects his loyal servants. He then tells us that if God set aside his omnipotent rein over all of creation for a moment to argue the reasons behind the injustices of th world,( "And did He stoop to quibble could tell why"), he would surely have some reasonable explanation for all the ignorant people that remain blinded ... by the prejudices that bury them, ("The little buried mole continues blind,") and why man, whom God made in his own image, must still die ... , ("Why flesh that mirrors Him must some day die,"). In l...

• Word Count: 337
• Approx Pages: 1
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... prayers and petitions in the cracks in the walls. (Kay & Davisdon, 2002) Specific prayers include Kaddish, Selichot, Tehillim and Mishaberach. Kaddish refers to the rituals of the mourners, is directed at the living, and shows that despite the loss, they still praise God. In essence, Kaddish affirms God's justice and speaks of the value of life. Selichot refers to Jewish penitential poems and prayers, with God's thirteeen attributes of mercy being the central theme. Attributes include ... the significance of the Holy Fire in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, where Orthodox pilgrims gath...

• Word Count: 2466
• Approx Pages: 10
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... required but it has been accepted willingly by the majority of the students in our schools and stands as a symbolic pillar of democracy and pride in our country. Second is the fact that any religious implications are lost in the repetition of the pledge. When the majority of people recite the pledge of allegiance they do so without even the trace of a thought of their religion or another. When I recite the words "under God" it does not conjure up ... actually investigate different religions and choose for their own beliefs instead of readily accepting the beliefs of his or her parents. ...

• Word Count: 707
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... 's foundation. By creating the First Amendment and requiring separation of church and state, the writers of the Constitution were attempting to define the country's views of religious practice and to prevent the spreading of religious persecution. However, they did not anticipate the outcome of their actions. They never anticipated that our country would become such religiously diverse. They did not expect issues such as the requirement of prayer in schools, the posting of The Ten Commandments and ... other religious material in public buildings, or the phrasing of the Pledge of ... ...

• Word Count: 648
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... it dies with its faith. " Will Durant (1885-1981). Facing Mt. Kenya, Jomo Kenyatta's ethnography, was written in the 1930's during the early years of British colonialism in Kenya. The Gikuyu traditionally were monotheists, believing in a unique and omnipotent God whom they called Ngai. Since early years of colonization, the Kikuyu people have tried to develop a religious attitude that would define its own culture while adapting forcefully to ... themselves in front of God and the missionaries. To the dismay of the clan these attempts to prove that polygamy was just, were ultimately igno...

• Word Count: 824
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... . Whether it be their upbringings, or past teachings, the individuals in Bradford's group see God as a type of security blanket that will protect them and possibly even bring them good fortune if they are simply faithful to him in return, " the God of Heaven who had brought them over the vast and furious ocean, and delivered them from all the perils and miseries thereof-. Bradford goes on to talk ... about " a special work of God's providence", in which he rids the pilgrims of a man who was causing grief and torment to the sick, " But it pleased God before they came half ... the seas ov...

• Word Count: 489
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... , he commanded all Christians to spread the good news of God's salvation through Christ's death, and he explained that the delay in his return was to give everyone, Jews and Gentiles, a chance to hear his word and put their trust and faith in him. Roberts states that this is the time we are living in now, the "last days." The future we are waiting for is Christ second coming where he ... calls all believers home ... with him to join him in the "perfected kingdom," where we can finally join God in His eternal rest. This has always been God's plan for ... ...

• Word Count: 944
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... also show how Douglass distinguishes the vast difference between the Christianity of Christ and Christianity of the slave holding religion. For the purposes of this paper, "religion" will mean a certain belief that an individual may have about someone or something. Although there are many types of religions in the world that people believe in, the religion that is mentioned in Narrative of the Life is of the Christian faith that believes in the word of the Bible and that there is ... some kind of God. Most people say that believing in a certain religion is good for the body and soul and...

• Word Count: 1984
• Approx Pages: 8
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... came Pentecost, and a third visitation. The disciples were all filled with the Holy Spirit. They vowed this even as the dramatic arrival of the third party, the Holy Spirit to the divine assembly . This marks a shift from an earlier stance, one that continued in the Eastern tradition, of beginning with God the Father as the source of all that is . Up until the 20th century, the writings of Augustine and Aquinas dominated the Western Catholic tradition. Like a stonewall they ... in the economy of salvation are real distinctions within God. The question of the coherence of belief in an im...

• Word Count: 911
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... is through his ancestral ties. He is a descendant of Cain, having been,"...spawned in that slime, conceived of Cain/ murderous creatures banished By God..." (106-107), and therefore, by definition, is an outcast of society, doomed to roam in the shadows, always from the outside looking in. His whole existence, coming as it were from one of the original sins, is grounded solely in the moral perversion to hate good simply because it ... has exiled him from his ways. "It harrowed him to hear the din of the loud banquet every day in the hall, the harp being struck and the clear song of a sk...

• Word Count: 1184
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... off evil temptations and returning to his normal life after this trip. During his journey through the forest, Young Goodman Brown comes across instances to find his religious faith in quandary. The devil creates the illusion that of all the acquaintances of Goodman Brown are involved in deviltry. When the devil asks Goodman Brown to join them initially, Brown replies, "Friend, my mind is made up. Not another step will ... Brown encounters more leading figures in the community coming to the devil's communion. He then vigorously insists his opposition to joining the ranks of the devil by ...

• Word Count: 1164
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... forms of religion, but all of them man has the consciousness of having grasped the inner truth of things and attained to the completion of his being. Whether the divine is believed to be immediately present or be far off, there is never any doubt of its absolute reality. Religion, then in all its forms implies a belief in some power higher than man, the source of all that is best and noblest in his life, and the object of his ... a glass darkly"" and the mystics spoke of as the great "cloud of unknowing." Fellowship with the unseen, or the relation towards what is deemed divine has been...

• Word Count: 4041
• Approx Pages: 16
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... open to others but still hold their beliefs to the highest regard. Pluralist's tend to view God above all concepts but stretches them to include other religions. The most appealing to me is actually the least prevalent in the Theology of Religion, Mutuality. The Mutuality perspective allows Christians to look at the spirituality of other religions and be open-minded to the idea that, although our beliefs are different, it doesn ... 't make them untrue. They all have their pros and cons but it ... ...

• Word Count: 698
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: Undergraduate