Religion

Answer questions: 1. Describe the concept and formation of the Old Testament canon. 2. Chart out the development of the New Testament. What are the key historical markers and criteria that resulted in the selection of its 27 books? 3. How does knowing about the formation of the Bible  affect your confidence in its reliability.    Our textbook is Reading and Understanding the Bible  by Ben Witherington. Chapt 16

1. Review the material posted under Unit 1 (Google Classroom).2. Read John Bowker’s article “The Paradox of Religions”.3. Answer the following questions:- Bowker says “religions are such bad news only because they are such good news”. He calls this “The Paradox of Religions”. According to Bowker, what creates this paradox?(Your arguments and reasoning should be based on Bowker’s article. Strive to draw a comprehensive/holistic picture of Bowker’s approach to the issue.)- In the article, he discusses whether Religion is man-made; explain his position on this issue. According to your understanding, would Marx agree?(Assume that the reader has no preconception about Bowker’s or Marx’s perspective / approach.)Times Roman, 12, (If you decide to use additional sources =Oxford/MLA/Harvard), MAX 2 pages.https://docs.google.com/file/d/1e-27aiRhQr-iQNzmL5w-JlreEJgHTwA2/edit?usp=docslist_api&filetype=msword

Teams are critical to the workplace. In order to contribute to a team, one must understand the purpose and function of teams. Working together towards a common goal is an essential characteristic of a team. By understanding the characteristics of a team, one can determine the necessary steps for building and maintaining a team.Reference Book:  17 Indisputable Laws of Team Work.- by John C. MaxwellReference Book:  The FIVE Dysfunctions of a Team – by Patrick LencioniWrite a 1-page response entry giving your definition of what a team is and why teams are important to you. This entry can come from work, church, or home perspective. The goal is to allow you time to reflect on what a team is and how teams play an active role in our lives.Scholarly academic resources, textbooks, or other sources provided. APA format is required.

Assigned Reading: Gen 1-2:4; Exod 31:12-17; The Sabbath Amidah for evening, morning and afternoon. b. Berakhot 26b [from “It has been stated” to “in the offerings”]).Secondary Reading: Abraham Joshua Heschel, The Sabbath, pp. 73-76.Essay #2 (A): Beginning with descriptions of the three representations of the Sabbath in the Sabbath blessing in each Amidah (evening (348-50): “You sanctified…who sanctifies the Sabbath;” morning (484-486: “Moses rejoiced…who sanctifies the Sabbath;” and afternoon (612): “You are one…who sanctifies the Sabbath”) discuss the theological concepts found in each, how they relate to one another, and their cumulative message and effect.  Also discuss what they teach you about the Jewish conception of the Sabbath.  This latter element may be presented as an addendum to the essay or integrated into your discussion if your thesis makes doing so reasonable. Due 4/13.Essays are to be approximately 5 typed double-spaced pages in length, organized around a thesis derived from the prompt.  You are expected to back your arguments with references to the assigned text(s) and to cite correctly all sources (see the instructions on the last page of the syllabus for details).  Essays should be submitted via email no later than 11:59pm on the day they are due.  They must be proofread before submission.  Three (3)errors  or more will affect your grade, as will lateness. Each of these will result in your paper being docked one letter degree (i.e. B?B-): for every 3 careless errors or for each day they are overdue, respectively. 

The AssignmentSelect a scholarly book or memoir written by a contemporary author (not a translation of an older work) on some topic related to Islam. The book can be written from a variety of disciplinary perspectives (history, religious studies, anthropology, sociology, political science, art history, etc.) Read the book carefully and then write a 2000-word book review of the work.The book review should include:1.    An introduction to introduces the book and offers a brief, but clearly articulated, statement of the book’s particular contribution to the understanding of Islam.2.    A summary of the book’s content, chapter by chapter or section by section (see me if you are confused about how to do this, it might be more complicated for memoirs). It should however, be in prose format. Please do NOT put this summary in outline or bullet point format!3.    A paragraph indicating the particular strengths or shortcomings you see in the book, based on your own assessment of the author’s argument and drawing upon the relevant material you may have learned in this class to make an informed assessment of the author’s work.4.    A final conclusion offering your overall assessment of the book.

1.) Select a parable from the New Testament (e.g., the prodigal son, or the good Samaritan) or a story from the Old Testament (e.g., Ruth, Naomi, and Boaz; David and Goliath). You may rewrite the whole story or a specific scene(s). Some ideas are listed below.Prodigal Son : Write a conversation between the father and older brother while the younger brother is away.The Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) : Write a conversation between the Samaritan and the man at the inn after the Samaritan returned from his journey.Ruth, Naomi, and Boaz (Ruth 1-4) : Rewrite the scene at the city gate when Boaz meets with the kinsman redeemer, then offers to take Ruth and marry her.David and Goliath (1 Samuel 17) : Write a story about David and his brothers once he arrived at the battlefield.2.) Read the story and take notes on the characters. Write a character list and descriptions.Sometimes characters are not named. You can either give them names or write them as a title and number (e.g., Son #1, Son #2).3.) Visualize and write the setting. Where and when is the story taking place? The story can be in the past or present; if there are multiple settings, please make sure to include them!4.) Write the theme, which is the lesson of the story. A well-written emphasis should be one sentence long. If you are having some trouble finding the emphasis, try asking yourself these questions:What is the lesson or moral of the story?What did the character(s) learn?How can I apply the emphasis to my own life?5.) Write the introduction, also called the exposition.6.) Rewrite the story in modern English as a story or a script. Copying and pasting from the Bible is not acceptable, even if it has modern language. You must have at least 400 words of dialogue, not including the other elements.7.) Proofread your paper for any errors.8.) Save your paper. The title must be your first name, last name, name of assignment (Brianne Johnson – Parable Essay)12-point Times New Roman or Arial font1-inch margins, double spacedHeading and headersWrite at least 400 words for the dialogue portion of the essay.Works Cited pageWhen saving your paper, the title must be your first name, last name, name of assignment (Brianne Johnson – Parable Essay).

The last component of the multipart assignment requires you to put all your thoughts and ideas into the final draft of your paper. This final component to your assignment must be 1,750-2,000 words and address how Jesus fulfilled God’s Old Testament redemptive covenants—the Abrahamic covenant, the Mosaic/Sinai covenant, the Davidic covenant, and the new covenant.Structure your essay around each of the Old Testament redemptive covenants: (1) the Abrahamic covenant, (2) the Mosaic/Sinai covenant, (3) the Davidic covenant, and (4) the new covenant. For each covenant, show how the major sections of the New Testament—(1) Gospels and Acts, (2) Paul’s Epistles, and (3) the General Epistles and Revelation—indicate that Jesus has fulfilled these redemptive covenants.Here is a suggested structure for your paper:A. Introduction (approximately 100 words)B. Fulfillment of the Abrahamic Covenant (approximately 400 words)Gospels andActsPaul’s EpistlesGeneral Epistles and RevelationC. Fulfillment of the Mosaic/Sinai Covenant (approximately 400 words)Gospels and ActsPaul’s EpistlesGeneral Epistles and RevelationD. Fulfillment of the Davidic Covenant (approximately 400 words)Gospels and ActsPaul’s EpistlesGeneral Epistles and RevelationE. Fulfillment of the New Covenant (approximately 400 words)Gospels and ActsPaul’s EpistlesGeneral Epistles and RevelationF. Conclusion (approximately 150 words)This essay requires a minimum of six academic sources from the GCU Library in addition to the Bible and your textbook. Additional sources outside of the GCU Library may be used with the instructor’s approval prior to usage.

Church History IHIST 201Final Essay AssignmentChoose one of the following topics for your final essay:?Consider the practices of different Christian groups throughouthistory (Early Christians in Acts and during the persecution, variousmonastic orders, mystics, medieval Christians, followers of Savonarola, those who vowed extreme poverty, others).  Should Christians today incorporate the practices of these Christian groups into our lives?You may choose 3groups to discuss, or you may divide your paper into two sectionsthat discuss practices toemulate and practices to refrain from.If you choose the latter organization, be sure your paper is clear on what group(s) observed the practices you are discussing.?Consider the false doctrines that have been taught within Christianity over the centuries. How can a believer be sure that the teachings of a church or a trusted leader are actually correct?  Discuss a minimum of 3examplesof false doctrine, including at least 1 mentioned inyour textbook and at least 1 from moderntimes.Do some research on your topic.  Choose 3-5 reliable sources, which may include the Bible and your textbook.  Your essay should meet the following requirements:?Demonstrate a thorough understanding of the subject matter, have a clearly stated central idea or thesis, and address each question or topic inthe assignment. ?Include concepts from the course reading, personal examples, and a minimum of 3 Scripture references as supportMaterial for this course was:    The Story of Christianity, Vol. 1: TheEarly Church to the Dawn of the ReformationAuthor    Justo L. GonzalezPublisher    HarperOneISBN    9780061855887, 006185588XPublish Date    Aug 10, 2010Binding    Paperback Description    In The Story of Christianity: Volume 1, Justo L. González, author of the highly praised three-volume History of Christian Thought, presents a narrative history of Christianity, from the Early Church to the Dawn of the Protestant Reformation. From Jesus’ faithful apostles to the early reformist John Wycliffe, González skillfully traces core theological issues and developments within the various traditions of the church, including major events outside of Europe, such as the Spanish and Portuguese conquest of the New World. This updated and expanded edition incorporates recent archaeological discoveries about the life of Early Christian Communities, as well as important contemporary research revealing the significant role of women throughout the history of the church. With lively storytelling, The Story of Christianity provides a fascinating and panoramic history of the dramatic events, colorful characters, and revolutionary ideas that shaped the first fifteen centuries of the church.

The context section will run between 3-4 pages in length, double-spaced in 12 point Times New Roman font type. This portion of my exegesis paper has two sections. The first section is my Introduction that serves as an overview of what I will write concluding with a thesis/purpose statement that alerts the reader as to what I plan to achieve in the writing of the paper. The thesis/purpose statement should be highlighted so that it can be easily located by underlining, bolding, or highlighting in yellow like this.The second section is the most important and should receive the bulk of your attention. Here you will explore the historical, cultural, and literary contexts of the passage selected. This process zooms out and then zooms in. You zoom out with the historical overview of the time frame in which the passage was written. You start to zoom in with a focus on cultural matters that were current in the society when the passage was written. Finally, zoom in directly on the literary setting paying attention to genre or type of literature, placement in the larger book, and any unique literary features that cause the passage to stand out (like repetition of a particular word, emphasis on a specific location, etc.). The Introduction, Historical, Cultural, and Literary sections will have a separate heading following Turabian style. Be sure the paper uses the School of Divinity Standardized Title Page and reflects a graduate level vocabulary.****I included a copy of the Standardized Title Page.I will definitely be requesting you as each section becomes due for this is a paper that he broke up into several small portions. I would prefer to keep the same individual that began the paper. I believe it would be less confusing and more efficient to do so.

Read Matthew 14:1–11. Verse 7 is the critical verse in this passage. For your initial post, what mistake did Herod make? What can we learn from his mistake that can be applied to our professional or personal lives?