...I believe that the study of secular literature can be a legitimate Christian pursuit if one studies literature to glorify God. First, it is necessary for Christians to be rooted in the Word of God so that everything that is put into their mind is screened through “biblical lenses”. As we read in Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, knowledge without the love of God “puffs up”, produces arrogance (1 Cor. 8:1). In addition, Christians need to be careful of the material that they put in their minds. In the same letter, Paul commanded the church to expel any evildoers from their presence because of the influence they would have on the others (1 Cor. 5:11). Christians should fill their minds with things that will inspire worship of God and service to others (Phil. 4:8). Moreover, it must be understood that many people claim to be Christians, but trust in their own understanding rather than Scripture, which is a direct contradiction of the Word of God (Prov. 3:5-6). People have become wise in their own eyes after consuming knowledge based on human wisdom. Society often influences and dictates the actions of most people and one finds it difficult to see a difference in the behavior of many professing Christians and the rest of society. One does not need to study literature to understand the problems with society. The Bible is sufficient for all of our needs (2 Tim. 3:16). The debate of evolution vs. creation or the age of the Earth are good examples how knowledge and science...
Words: 730 - Pages: 3
...SECULAR LITERATURE | Important Reasons for the Christian to Study Secular Literature | | When thinking of secular literature it could be defined as literature that is not bound by religious views, but rather literature that is based on worldly views and not on religious principles. My first thought will be on the importance of Christians reading secular literature. It is my belief also that Christians should read secular literature because even though it may be based on principles of “secularism,” does not mean it is not good reading material. To be a good student, one must be aware of what is going on in the worldly readings, as well as scriptural readings. This is what will make us good scholars in the natural and spiritual. The thoughts that stick with me most from the presentations are: “Seek God’s wholeness for your life, the how and why is important, Jesus is the Master Teacher, Literature helps you be exposed to the world around you, and Television has inundated American Culture.” Seeking God’s wholeness for your life, the how and why is important really struck me. It is imperative that we make sure we are not trying to fill our lives with things that will give us temporary satisfaction. While we all have flaws about us, Jesus shedding His blood on the cross for us, has given us an entrance into becoming whole; once we become one through His transforming power, then we can begin to seek answers for the how and the why concerning our lives. This leads us to Him...
Words: 376 - Pages: 2
...Discussion Board One This discussion board deals with reasons for Christians to study secular literature and the pros and cons thereof. One of the main contentions of the presentations is that the written word or literature provokes critical thinking whereas television does not. The assertion is that literature whether it is secular in nature or not promotes critical thinking while television reduces critical thinking and promotes emotional thought. I agree with this premise and believe that it can be supported through observation. I have been involved with the instruction of adult learners, teens, and young children for many ears through various venues. One thing that I believe to be common among all three is that as a group they would all rather watch an entertaining video or movie that read the same story in book or short story form. What are the reasons for this? The first reason it that is just simply easier and requires less work to watch the video. People have become conditioned to the “easy” way of leaning and do not resent being told what to think. Secondly to read the material requires a personal investment of time and energy. The individual must read the material then digest it and from their own opinions based on their experience and life lessons. The third reason is that once you have read the material and formed your own opinion is that in many instances you are asked to present your beliefs or finding s to the group at large, or to present your understanding...
Words: 331 - Pages: 2
...partial fulfillment of the requirements for the completion of the course 201420 Spring 2014 OBST 510-B08 LUO by March 2, 2014 ABSTRACT There are fourteen chapters in the book Ancient Near Eastern Thought and the Old Testament: Introducing the Conceptual World of the Hebrew Bible written by John H. Walton. It includes five main sections. Along with these sections there are historical pictures that consist of over 20 images. Each one of those images are included in a complete appendix at the beginning of the book. Walton gives acknowledgements, which are followed by a list of abbreviations. Part 1- Comparative Studies In this first section it includes the first two chapters. Chapter one is appropriately named history and methods. The resolution of this part of the book is to protect the Bible from the harm done by comparative studies which warped evidence to work against the historicity, canonicity, and divine revelation of the Bible. Chapter 1- History and Methods This chapter opens up with the rediscovery of Egypt and Mesopotamia, dating back to the 1800s and the mid 1900s. The author states that archeologists were very quickly discovering that the Bible in its entirety was completely and wholly accurate and true. It was during this time that evolution and the scientific movement was at its prime. Science was progressing. IT was during this time that science and theology began to clash. The truth of the Bible was being fought against on all sides...
Words: 3469 - Pages: 14
...poverty reduction program and how those roles varied over the mentioned period. The below main research question guided and directed the entire study: what role did Faith Based Organization play during the Poverty Reduction...
Words: 1353 - Pages: 6
...Religion and Politics and the effect of religion in America For a virtuous instance of how religion affects politics in our current world we need not look very distant but rather look around you. The influence of Catholicism on Latin American politics, and the role religion plays on Middle Eastern politics have had a profound affect in those related societies. After examining the effects of religion into the above mentioned societies it is clear that the introduction of religion into politics has proven to be suppressive and counterproductive to most third world countries, and various subcultures in first world countries. A very well known writer and scholar on the history of Egypt, Budge, E. A. Wallis, "Egyptian Religion and Society: Egyptian Ideas of the Future Life (Library of the Mystic Arts)". Citadel Press. August 1, 1991. Wrote, “Most scholars have concluded that, in later times at least, there was no close personal tie between the individual Egyptian and the gods, that the gods remained aloof, that their relationship to humans was indirect, communicated to him by means of the king”. We must remember that there was no established book or set of teachings, as the Bible or the Qur'an, and few prescribed conditions of behavior or conduct. Humans were guided essentially by human wisdom and trusted in their belief in the goodness of the gods and of their divine son, the king. An important concept in Egyptian life was the idea of justice. Although the Egyptian was entirely...
Words: 1835 - Pages: 8
...the Spaniards to study. Americans introduced the public school system and by that we should thanked them because they’re the reason why there’s Philippine Normal University, our school. We all know that they had hidden agendas for their own good that’s why they helped and educated us. But In my own opinion, I must say that both parties benefitted, what they did had a mutual effect to the Americans and to us Filipinos.”American colonial period To help win over the Filipinos to the new American colonial government, General MacArthur provided $100,000 for Philippine education. New schools were established with English as the medium of instruction, with chaplains and non-commissioned officers serving as teachers. Following the surrender of Aguinaldo, President McKinley directed the Second Philippine Commission to establish a free secular public school system that would prepare the Filipinos for citizenship. The Department of Public Instruction spawned the Bureau of Education under Act 477. The establishment of the public school system in 1901 under Act No. 74 required a great number of teachers. Thus the Secretary of Public Instruction, with the approval of the Philippine Commission, brought to the Philippines 1,000 American teachers, known as the Thomasites. Teachers were also trained in the Normal School founded in Manila in 1901 and its branches subsequently established in major towns. Elementary school teachers were trained in English language and literature, geography, mathematics...
Words: 1261 - Pages: 6
...Servant-Leadership Theory from a Socially Constructed World View and a Biblical World View Mark J. Dixon Jr. Liberty University Abstract Servant-Leadership Theory has been a progressive theory in which much study has been done. Robert Greenleaf began using the term servant leadership to encourage leaders to first want to serve. There are two different world views discussed in this research paper that will shed light into what it takes to be a servant leader and how it can be successful if there is a full understanding of the theory present. There is the secular and the biblical world view in which differences in the two are identified. Servant-Leadership is meant to be more than just a way to see positive outcomes in a business, but it also transfers into effecting people’s lives. An attempt to enhance understanding and the question trying to be answered here is what separates the secular view of Servant-Leadership Theory from the Biblical worldview. This paper examines the characteristics and goals of servant-leadership though both worldviews to give a better understanding of servant-leadership theory. Keywords: servant-leadership, characteristics, biblical, secular Servant-Leadership Theory from a Socially Constructed World View and a Biblical World View There has been much attention given to leadership theories since the introduction of Servant-Leadership Theory by Robert Greenleaf in 1970. Greenleaf’s intent for servant-leadership is to help not only the leader...
Words: 4875 - Pages: 20
...Introduction. Refugees who are defined as people that are residing outside their countries of origin have a different reason for their migration to other countries. Sometimes referred to as asylum seekers, the individuals commonly seek refuge in other countries as they flee from harsh economic social and political conditions present in their countries of origin. Since time immemorial, Australia has had international obligations to protect the refugee’s rights starting from how they arrive to where they arrive. The Australian government is internationally obliged under different treaties that ensure that the human rights of the refugees are respected as well as protected. According to (Phillips & Spinks, 2013, p.241), the number of refugees that arrive to Australia by boat is approximately 4586. Research question, significance and aims of the research (I) Research questions * What accounts for the high number of refugees that arrive to Australia per annum? * What are the necessary actions, to ensure that the management of refugees and asylum seekers that come to Australia is done in the appropriate manner? * Is there a link between the number of refugees that arrive to Australia per year and the quality of service that the refugees receive from the department of immigration and citizenship? (II) Significance The significance of this study is to: * Examine the factors that are responsible for the high number of refugees that come to Australia every year...
Words: 1998 - Pages: 8
...the achievements of ancient Greece that have left the most indelible imprint on Western civilization. In particular, it was greek achievements in the realms of art, democracy, medicine, philosophy and literature that has influenced the modern world the most. It is interesting to note that the loss of Greek thought after Roman civilization inducted a period popularly characterized as the Dark Ages. During this time human life was, in words popularized by Thomas Hobbes, “nasty, brutish and short.” Superstition, disease and a short life span were the hallmark of the age. It is crucial to understand that the middle “dark” ages finally ended with the re-discovery of greek texts to usher in the re-birth of civilization, ie: the Renaissance. It was the Catholic theologian St. Thomas Aquinas that set Western civilization on its current track by reintroducing Greek thinkers to European intellectuals. The popularizing of Greek philosophers renewed Western interest in Greek achievements, specifically within the realms of art, democracy, medicine, literature, and philosophy. While some of these subjects remained underdeveloped in Greek times, such as the discipline of medicine and democracy, others were so advanced as to set a standard to this day in the realm of art, philosophy, and literature. Discussed herein is a brief exploration of those Greek achievements that left their greatest influence on Western Civilization. To begin, Greek visual art has had a huge influence on the development...
Words: 1702 - Pages: 7
...A RESEARCH STUDY OF HOW THE LEADER BUILDS A HEALTHY TEAM [pic] A Research Project Presented to The Faculty of the School of Professional Studies Adult Degree Programs Central Christian College of Kansas [pic] In Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the Degree of Bachelor of Science in Business - Organizational Leadership [pic] By Jeff Dugger May 2011 Copyright ( 2011 by Jeffrey Paul Dugger ABSTRACT A RESEARCH STUDY OF HOW THE LEADER BUILDS A HEALTHY TEAM Author First/Last Name This applied leadership study was conducted to …… TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE CHAPTER ONE: Statement and Description of the Leadership Issue 4 Introduction 4 Statement of the Leadership (Thesis Statement) 4 Statement of Purpose 4 The Setting 5 History and Background 5 Scope of the Project 6 Importance of the Project 6 Conclusion 6 CHAPTER TWO: Survey of Secular Literature 8 Introduction 8 Leadership Principle One: Healthy teams are established through skilled communication, personal integrity and enabling of others 8 Leadership Principle Two: Healthy teams grow as they educate, motivate and innovate 10 Leadership Principle Thee: Healthy teams are sustained by strong group dynamics, organized behavior and visionary intuitiveness...
Words: 6529 - Pages: 27
...Excerpted from Critical Companion to the Bible a Literary Reference Reading the Bible as Literature The Bible was written by many human authors, some of whom are known with certainty and some of whom are disputed. What is more, if you were to ask believing Jews or Christians, they would name a different author of the Bible: God is said to have “inspired” the writing of the Scriptures. The Bible is a religious book, not just for one community of faith, but for several: Jews and Christians of different denominations, including both Catholic and Protestant traditions. These groups disagree as to which books actually belong in the Bible. In addition, over time, several different approaches to interpreting the Bible have been developed by these groups. In this volume, the Bible is examined mainly from a literary point of view. A literary approach to this unique book, however, will only be successful if we are conscious of the fact that it is not to be judged according to the rules of modern literature but rather as a document of the ancient Near Eastern and Jewish-Hellenistic cultures. One Book, Many Books: Which Texts Belong to the Bible The Bible is not a single, unified work but a compilation of individual texts commonly called books. Which books belong to the Bible? This question is answered differently by different religious communities. The Hebrew Bible is the Holy Scripture of the Jews. It contains books originally written in the ancient Hebrew and partly in...
Words: 4457 - Pages: 18
...There is substantial evidence that by 1926, with the publication of The Weary Blues萎靡的蓝调, Langston Hughes had broken with打破 two well-established确立已久的 traditions in African American literature. In The Weary Blues, Hughes chose to modify the traditions that decreed规定 that African American literature must promote racial acceptance and integration融合, and that, in order to do so, it must reflect an understanding and mastery 掌握of Western European literary techniques and styles. Necessarily excluded 排除by this decree规定, linguistically and thematically, was the vast amount of secular 长期的folk material in the oral tradition that had been created by Black people in the years of slavery and after. It might be pointed out that even the spirituals 圣歌or “sorrow悲痛的 songs” of the slaves—as distinct from their secular songs and stories—had been Europeanized to make them acceptable within these African American traditions after the Civil War. In 1862 northern White writers had commented favorably on the unique and provocative激励人心的 melodies of these “sorrow songs” when they first heard them sung by slaves in the Carolina sea islands. But by 1916, ten years before the publication of The Weary Blues, Hurry T. Burleigh, the Black baritone男中音 soloist独唱歌手 at New York’s ultrafashionable非常流行的 Saint George’s Episcopal 主教的Church圣公会, had published Jubilee大赦年 Songs of the United States, with every spiritual圣歌 arranged 编排so that a concert singer could sing it “in the manner 方式of an art song.” Clearly, the artistic...
Words: 2255 - Pages: 10
...In chapters five through eight, we see how various individuals altered the study of language and use of rhetoric in influential ways. Whether by altering gender roles, or challenging systems of thought, individuals such as Catherine of Sienna, Margaret Cavendish, Petrarch, and Peter Ramus played a role in the way rhetoric is employed today. In a patriarchal system, Catherine of Sienna was ahead of her time. During the medieval era, letter writing was prominent. Letters were written by professional male secretaries and scribes in traditional, masculine, rhetorical style. When women began writing letters, they donned the masculine form, in efforts to be taken seriously. Although Catherine of Sienna lacked formal education, she was able to make a profound contribution to rhetoric that influenced her time, as well as rhetoric to come. By combining the secular and ecclesiastical policies that were prevalent in her time through writing, Catherine cast an influence on persuasion that evolved the style of writing used during her time. Her letters altered approaches to poetry, and paved the way for female...
Words: 635 - Pages: 3
...Jean-Paul Sartre and Existentialism Jean-Paul Sartre . . . the name is one of the most popular in modern philosophy. But who was he? What did he write and what were his works about? What was his role with regard to Existentialism? What is Existentialism, really? What life influences affected the person as whom he became famous? How would Sartre assess various social topics that we face today? What are the problems with Sartre's view of Existentialism and existence in general? These are the questions addressed in the following pages of this brief dissertation.His life Upon reviewing several sources, it is apparent that Sartre was a very disorganized and inconsistent individual. Sartre was obsessed with his intellect to the point of abandon of all else in his life - personal hygiene, honesty, organization, thoroughness, and more. It seems that he felt he was of superior intelligence in comparison to all others who surrounded him. He was not necessarily a great and original thinker, but rather a superb media sensation of sorts. Rather than developing Existentialist thought, he merely promoted it to amazing popularity through his eccentric lifestyle. Although he is best known for his association with Existentialism, it is interesting to note that he denounced its principles later in life and adopted Marxism, which he also later denounced. Jean-Paul-Charles-Aymard Sartre was born in Paris on June 21, 1905, the only child of Anne-Marie Schweitzer Sartre and Jean-Baptiste Sartre. Anne-Marie...
Words: 2585 - Pages: 11
