...History 200 14 December 2010 1 Mysticism and Diabolic Witchcraft: Female Susceptibility of the Italian Renaissance During the Italian Renaissance, Christianity experienced a heavy resurgence in mysticism. Mysticism was a type of devout faith or spirituality found throughout the convents in Italy and primarily exercised by Christian Italian women (Sheldrake 93-95). These women underwent vivid connections with God which involved an awakening of consciousness and awareness for God’s divine will. In extreme cases, women fell into a transcendental union with God in which they experienced ultimate illumination. In these rare occurrences, women could encounter faith miracles such as stigmatas, ecstasies, or the re-living of Christ’s Passion. During this period, Italy also experienced another intense spiritual movement labeled diabolic witchcraft (Tavuzzi 150). In the case of diabolic witchcraft, again experienced primarily by females, women underwent a concentrated level of worship and contractual relations with Satan. Historical examples show these women developing sexual relations with Satan, as well as maleficia or harmful magic (Tavuzzi 153). The women involved in diabolic witchcraft were pursued by the Church’s legal arm, the Dominican Inquisitors. They were put on trial, accused of heresy, and either imprisoned or killed. Similarly, the Dominican Inquisitors investigated women who were involved in mysticism and upon the examinations performed by the inquisitors;...
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...that statement that there is no absolute truth is completely illogical. There are indeed absolute realities and standards that define what is true and what is not. Therefore, actions can be deemed right or wrong by how each compares to those absolute standards. Educators have the ability to share the absolute truth to their students in many areas of study. Christian educators believe the Bible when it says that Jesus is “the way, and the truth, and the life” and that He is the ultimate manifestation of truth and the only way one can get to heaven (John 14:6). Another example of the existence of absolute truth is found in the human conscience, that feeling within them that tells them that things should be a certain way that some things are just wrong. In the Holy Bible, book of Romans 2:14-16, describes the role of human conscience. “Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them. This...
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...instinct in all humanity which can be aroused through self-examination. This universal truth is accessible to everyone who thinks and question. Socrates assumes that any person with whom he talks has the resource to answer his question correctly, that is, that no specialist knowledge is required. Socrates thought that knowledge is virtue, and virtue leads to happiness. It makes sense to think that moral people know what morality is. If you know right from wrong, then you might be able to choose to do what you know to be right. It also makes some sense to suspect that our beliefs about right and wrong influence our decisions. If we believe its right to help a drowning child, then it would be fairly shocking to decide not to do so—and it would less surprising when we decide to help the child. It is quite a shocking statement to say that virtue always leads to happiness. Criminals commit crimes that hurt others to help themselves. To think that their crimes would make them unhappy is a strange thought. However, it isn’t too shocking to think that helping others can make us happy, so doing the right thing might be more fulfilling than committing crimes. Perhaps the most shocking thought that Socrates proposed was the unity of the virtues—if you have one virtue, then you have them all. Courage requires wisdom, wisdom requires moderation (e.g....
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...movements sprouted across Europe that escalated a new way of thinking about religion. The Mendicant movement, which stressed spirituality of simplicity in response to church wealth, power, and corruption, and Mysticism, which stressed individual spiritual experience instead of dogmatic doctrines, were monumental steps in the direction towards religious freedom. These movements, along with the Renaissance’s emphasis on human experience and capability and the recovery of classical and early Christian sources produced a serious challenge to the Roman Catholic concept of Christendom and introduced a spirit of fresh inquiry and independent thought. These movements created a snowball effect for intellectual emancipation, eventually leading to the 30 years war, religious splits, and territorial splits. What is most interesting is that institutionalized Christianity, the crux of society for more than three centuries, was no longer the same glue or “religio” in the Early Modern Era; ironically, the development of religious freedom was this “religio” for society. It is important to look deeper into the time of the Renaissance because it was in those pivotal years that people’s perspective on religion was visibly changing drastically. Beginning in 14th century Italy and spreading throughout Europe into the 17th century, Europeans rediscovered literature of Homer, Plato, Aristotle, Sophocles, Ovid and hundreds of other Greek and Roman authors, and in so doing rediscovered...
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...first stem of discussing the truth validity of this statement, we need to understand the meaning of Faith and Reason. Faith in my own opinion would be the entrusting or bowing oneself to others while Reason would be the use of our intellectual capacities to arrive and certain truths. In about to find the truth validity of faith and Reason being compatible realities, we are going to base on what some Philosophers and Religious people have send about the two to give its validity. As a human being may be defined as the one who seeks the truth, life cannot be grounded upon doubt, uncertainty or deceit. It would constantly be threatened by sear and anxiety. A search so deeply rooted in human nature cannot be completely vain and useless. One does not ask question about something one knows absolutely nothing about scientists who try to explain something will not give up until they find an answer. The same is true for ultimate questions; “the thirst for truthful answers to them is so deeply rooted in the human heart that ignoring them would cast our existence in leopard.” There are different kinds of truths “most depend on immediate evidence confirmed by experimentation, philosophical truth obtained by the speculative power of the human intellectual finally the religious truths of the different religions traditions to some degree grounded in philosophy.” Philosophical truths are not the domain women direct their lives according to their own philosophies. At this point the question...
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... | | | |By Rev. David F. Austin | |3/6/2012 | |Pragmatism - an American movement in philosophy founded by C. S. Peirce and William James and marked by the doctrines that the meaning of | |conceptions is to be sought in their practical bearings, that the function of thought is to guide action, and that truth is preeminently to be| |tested by the practical consequences of belief. | 1 Pragmatism is a philosophical tradition centered on the linking of practice and theory. It describes a process where theory is extracted from practice, and applied back to practice to form what is called intelligent practice. Important positions characteristic of pragmatism include instrumentalism, radical empiricism, verificationism, conceptual relativity, a denial of the fact-value distinction, a...
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...in European civilization immediately following the Middle Ages. It relates mostly to the growth of artistic and intellectual creativity which is also used by artists and thinkers to recover and apply the ancient learning and standards of Greece and Rome. The Renaissance was basically an intellectual and also cultural movement that imparted some sort of intellectual quality which made it one of the most important events in universal history. This movement was carried on between the fourteenth century and the sixteenth century. The Renaissance was believed to be restricted to Italy somewhere during the late 15th century. This great movement made a huge and advance difference in the world today and also back in the days. It brought major contrasts with civilization in Europe during this time period. This has become of my interest not only because it is one of the world’s most known events, but also because it is a movement that benefited and contributed intellectual developments in most parts of the world today. It is most commonly known that one of the reasons the Renaissance period took place was because theology was rejected by the Middle Ages and was taken over by science. The outlook and institutions of the Middle Ages disintegrated and conspicuous modern forms, like science, emerged. Because of the different levels in society during the time of this intellectual movement, all the different kinds of level of society could be seen clearly in the European civilization. Therefore...
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...exegesis, Gnostic studies, existential philosophy, and hermeneutics to the Gifford Lectures, the theological essay, popular and literate dialogue about the Church, demythologizing, and the relation of the New Testament to daily life?3 If the theological significance is judged in terms of intellectual climate, moral force, and scholarly style or by the more tangible but subtle influence on several generations of scholars, then the theological significance seems almost as elusive as it is palpable. Fortunately, diversity of form and subject is more apparent than real. The theological atmosphere and problematic shaped by Bultmann may be traced to concepts and procedures available to any critical reader. While it is quite correct to note, as did Hans Jonas on the Feiertag celebrated in honor of Bultmann in Marburg, November 16,1976, that it is impossible to separate the man from his writings, for he lived as he wrote,4 we are not here primarily concerned with Bultmann's personal psychological integrity, striking as it is. It may, however, be accurate to say that this escalating unity of life and work is grounded in the one objective to which Bultmann committed himself: the mediation of the Christian tradition, the attempt to make a particular religious vision and its theological interpretation fruitful for the present and future. 1 Rudolf Bultmann, "Der literarische Character der neutestamentlichen Schriften," Christliche Welt 22 (1908) 378 (two paragraphs). 2 His last commentary,...
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...Islam is considered an Arab religion because in the beginning it emerged on the Arabian Peninsula in the town of Mecca. The creation of Islam came about from the prophet Muhammad brought unity, power, and cultural and economic growth. Islam means submission to God, otherwise known as Allah to the Islamic people. Islam gave Arabians a form of monotheism, which shared Christian and Jewish scripture and adapted the traditions of those religions to Muslim needs. The Arabian Peninsula is mostly desert dotted with oases where cities were established surrounding them and the coastal areas of the peninsula. Much of the remaining peninsula comprises of camel nomads that are organized in tribes and clans. The Bedouin culture was similar to that of other nomads; they were herders that lived in clan groups living mobile lifestyles. “The Bedouin’s also believed that all members of a tribe were descended from a common ancestor.” (McKay et al, 2007.) This was in direct conflict with Islamic beliefs. Clans were clustered into larger tribal groupings that came together usually only in times of crisis or war. The survival of a group depended on each person’s loyalty and contribution to their family. Due to the harsh environment, a case of exile or abandonment would be fatal. Taking its roots from the Arab Peninsula, the Islamic civilization was spread by merchants. Cities in the north of the peninsula provided increased trade over the empire and outside of the empire. Islam spanned from Central...
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...An Analysis of an Ideologue Charles Darwin [Name] [Institution] An Analysis of an Ideologue Charles Darwin Introduction Charles Darwin (1809-1882) was a renowned English naturalist whose work completely revolutionized the study of natural sciences. Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection was not only popular during his time but it soon formed the foundation of modern scientific attempts to understand the origin and development of life on earth. Forming part of the reason for his success was his passionate personality concerning science and the nature in general. According to Gutek (1995, p.5), Darwin was a great naturalist whose theory exerted a profound outlook on the European as well as American intellectuals. For example, by questioning the traditional conceptions of human origin, the theory brought about changes in the manner of thinking among many intellectuals. Darwin’s personal accomplishments were shaped by a number of factors chief among them his early interest in nature. From childhood, Charles Darwin collected different things such as beetles and stones and carried out experiments together with his brother inside a garden shed. However, it is his five year voyage aboard HMS Beagle (1831-1836) which provided him with an opportunity to make observations and investigations that culminated in his theory of natural selection (Sulloway, 1982, p.1). Historical Context There are a number of historical events that significantly...
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...Civilization Midterm Exam The basis for the development of western civilization stems over hundreds of years and involved many different cultures and regions. As civilization evolved different cultures naturally had an impact on one another. The Hebrews, Greeks and Romans did just this, influence one another and these influences carried on to life, as it is known today. From 1500-900 B.C. the Hebrews proved to be a pliable society who endured very hard times coming out with their culture relatively unbroken. The Hebrews were known for their cultural and spiritual laws, rules and morals. The ancient world was a harsh place to thrive and within the harshness they introduced morality and justice. Their belief in one god and their god is something that has extended over hundreds of years and continues into today’s culture. The nucleus of the Hebrew legal belief is found in the Ten Commandments, which is found in the bible. The Bible has had the greatest single influence on religion, ethics, and literature of the West. Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are all rooted in the scriptures of the Hebrews. Christianity evolved out of Judaism. Jesus and his early followers were Jews, and probably considered themselves Jewish reformers rather than founders of a new religion. The Christian Bible incorporated the Jewish Bible, so the bulk of Christianity's most sacred writings are Jewish as well. Muslims also regard the Jewish and Christian scriptures as important, and many passages in the...
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...The definition of religion is really hard to get down to the point of what it really mean to them. Some people give they thoughts as if it is a wear or a certain look as to what they believe or the culture that they may have chose. Never the less some say religion is simply a cultural world view. This vague approach also comes up short as it would then include ideologies, such as socialism, communism and even capitalism, as religions. I think that everyone has a religion or a author that they may wanna give praise to for whom that they may believe or culture wise to give props for the state that ones may think they in. To me belief and supernatural is a state of religion. This is consider a state being as holy and sacred. Which no man or a woman should take it lightly and understand what you are doing or who you are giving honor too. Discuss this and it can be a very touchy subject to many base on how they are raise or up bringing. Religion can also mean an activity that someone is extremely enthusiastic about and does regularly or some even do it on a regular basis. As I do my research I see that there are so many religion and each religion has they own knowledge to religion. To the people that gives they own state of art about topic have they own definition and who is we as people can say weither they wrong or weither they are right. It is up to the creator of us to decide that and judge us accordingly.All religions share ideas about how to cope with living, death and...
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...intellect, clarity, personality and emotional understanding than had ever been seen before. Towards the middle of the 14th Century a new way of thinking was beginning to emerge and take a hold on society, A way which let people express themselves with a clarity unseen Since the fall of the Roman Empire and the dark days of the Middle Ages, a great time of reform and education was on the brink of exploding onto the scene. This was the beginning of what we now know as the Renaissance the ‘Rebirth’ and the new way of thinking would later be referred to as Humanism. The Renaissance was one of the great intellectual ages of European culture at its height during the 15th and 16th century there were many amazing new developments amongst many areas including painting, sculpture, architecture, literature, education medicine science including many more of mans intellectual and educated pursuits, the main center of this revolution was classical Italy although later spreading throughout Europe to infiltrate all facets of European culture The Renaissance saw creation of different attitudes towards life and different ways of thinking. After spending hundreds of years in the depths of the Middle ages a time when human progress and achievement slowed to a trickle, Western Civilization blurred and there was a great period of cultural decline, society wanted some sort of freedom from the grips of an extremely religious European way of life and so began the drift away from these catholic...
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...oppress minorities and precautions are needed against this abuse of power. Mill raised awareness and warned against tyranny of majority. Social tyranny is more formidable than political oppressions, because tyranny of majority limits freedom of thought, prevents social progress, which is the beginning of all corruptions, and it is more difficult to escape and severer to endure than oppressive political regimes. First of all, majority’s opinions, values and norms determine all society’s values and point of views. Tyranny of majority can manipulates and suppresses minority’s thoughts and opinions. One step further, social tyranny may limit freedom of thought. According to K.Stone (2008), ‘’ Social tyranny penetrates even more deeply into everyday life, into the soul itself’’ (p.1). Starting from this point of view, tyranny of majority has a great power hence; it can manipulate all people thoughts easily and penetrates in all thoughts. Most in demand thoughts and are popular thought which can determined by majority. Stone (2008) clarified that, ‘’ ascendant part of the social structure, the big part of the country generally emanates from the interest of the upper class and determines their sense of superiority’’ (p.2). If anyone in society thought different from...
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...novel depicts characters, such as Mr Brocklehurst and St.John Rivers that are challenges to the ideal christian way and faith throughout the novel. The eccentric romantic gothic genre and the surrounding supernatural presence lurks around crowds of chapters. The contrastive saint Helen Burns used as a reverence to the good aspect and purity of christianity. Banned after it was originally published.Questioning christianity was highly seen as blasphemous.This novel was considered controversial at the time of it's original production, as the victorian England were engulfed in religion and thus lifestyles was dominantly influenced by christianity. Implications that Mr Brocklehurst and Mrs Reed might be participating in a false religion, through the course of their actions and descriptions. The metaphor ‘black pillar’ is used to describe Brocklehurst and others inability to religion and matters of spirituality from any other perspective apart from their own, such austere characters mirror evangelical Christians sense of imperative regulations. Such distasteful representive’s being compared to that of evangelical Christians, may seem anti-Christian. Hypocritisy is thoroughly appreciated as one of the constructions of many living in a false religion. Bronte exposes Mr Brocklehurst desire’s to uphold his reputation of being an enlightened Christian, but Jane clearly testifies against his principles that seem to change in different settings, best...
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