Category: Religion

In a 1000-1100 word essay, make an argument about how Christianity relates to people’s morals and ethics.
REQUIRED ELEMENTS OF YOUR FINAL ESSAY:
Your essay must include the following elements (in any order/format you prefer):
1. An argument regarding the relationship between 2 examples of a religious tradition and an aspect of the social world (for example, an argument about the relationship between religion and violence)
• Your argument should be briefly stated in a thesis statement in the introduction of your essay and should be re-summarized in your essay’s conclusion (This is a crucial part of the assignment).
• A strong religious studies essay uses concepts of religious studies in charitable and critical analysis to support an argument about how and/or why some phenomenon occurred (refer back to Lincoln and McCutcheon articles on Module 1 if you need a refresher).
A strong argument will have three key parts:
a) A description of the relationship between religion and your chosen aspect of the social world.
For example, your argument could look like one of these statements (X being your chosen
aspect of the social world):
 People have often employed religious practices to respond to X.
 Many aspects of X are derived from religious teachings.
 X is often shaped by people’s religious identities.
 Religious discourse is often employed to justify X.
 Studying religion helps us understand X better by…
 Studying X helps us understand religion better by…
b) An explanation of why and/or how that relationship has taken that form.
For example: What specific characteristics of religion help to explain this relationship? Think here about the qualities of religion we have studied this semester, including religious authority, discourse, practices, community and identity, institutions, adaptation, and tradition. How do these qualities of religion help us understand this relationship?
c) Evidence in support of the argument. As described below, you will use two examples from
our course to support your argument. You will also support this by way of using only the readings or videos in the course (You may not use the slides for this assignment). Only the readings and videos we viewed in class can be used, so make sure you extract as much content from the readings/videos and not the slides. You also have the option of doing some additional research of peer-reviewed article, but this is optional.
2. The use of at least two fundamental concepts of religious studies
• We learned several fundamental concepts of religious studies: adaptation, authority (especially transcendent authority), community, discourse, institution, practices, tradition, and the difference between religious studies and theology. Your essay should refer to at least two of these concepts.
To review these concepts, see the Module 1 Slides as well as the readings by McCutcheon and Lincoln. As noted above, using these concepts will help you build your argument regarding the relationship between religion and an aspect of the social world. Some of these concepts might help you illustrate how religion and this aspect are related.
For example: if your argument is that religion restrains violence, you might talk about religious discourse that prohibits violence or religious practices of peacemaking.
Some of these concepts might help you argue for why religion and this aspect have this particular relationship.
For example, you might talk about how religious discourse that prohibits violence has a special authority compared to political discourse that encourages violence.
3. The use of two examples from our course
An example could be any concept, teaching, practice, group, historical event, debate, or anything else that was referenced in our course. It should be something specific and precise.
For instance: “Judaism” is not an example, but something specific such as Jewish responses to persecution in the Second Temple period, Moses Mendelssohn’s argument regarding Judaism and reason, Jewish discourse on martyrdom, the development of Orthodox Jewish practice in modern Europe, or the use of Sabbath elevators, is.
When discussing an example, be specific and detailed about the example itself and about how that example reflects the particular relationship between religion and the aspect of the social world you are discussing.
When discussing your examples, think about the following questions:
How and/or why did religion and your chosen aspect of the social world relate in this example?
How does this example help to illustrate and support your argument regarding the relationship between religion and your chosen aspect of the social world? The point of these examples is to provide evidence to support your argument.
So, for example, if your argument is that religion restrains violence, you would want to provide examples
of times that religion has restrained violence, of religious discourse discouraging violence, of religious communities engaging in nonviolent political practices, etc.
4. Evidence from at least two course readings (not the lecture slides), with citations provided. Provide page-number citations in parentheses at the end of the sentence. (MLA format)
Remember that citations are needed for any time you paraphrase or reference a specific point from an author—even if you don’t use a direct quote.
Do not copy word-for-word from class slides. This is plagiarism. Put the ideas into your own words. You may use the slides to support your findings, but the point of this assignment is your research.
Do not use any sources other than our course materials, you have the option of using a peer-review article only if I have approved it.
DO NOT USE AI-GENERATED SOFTWARE TO WRITE YOUR PAPER. YOU WILL RECEIVE AN F and face possible academic penalties listed in the syllabus

1. Pastoral Theology
(Original Content Only) (600 words) (APA format) (APA in-text citations are a must)
Watch all 4 GYH videos and read all GYH academic resources for weeks 3.
GYH video Links:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1kYhIHFL3pCv-dWKzrz-UNMsMKmpsyOvd/view
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1kbwuxtc0TfLaRah4UOgQevgg4OM6mNQ7/view
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1kcHeuR1NDs5iIfT8BkX2uSubUD_ZstgM/view
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1kkcFq5KYhJDaReSh84PAbshljRe6ZD-s/view
*Each member will bring to the group one takeaway from each of the videos and articles. Group members will take turns sharing their insights and reflections on their takeaways (20 minutes). Next, group members will then discuss specific ways they have seen the impact of each week’s subject matter impact people in their sphere of influence. Describe the situation, the people involved, and what took place (20 minutes). Lastly, group member must share their own challenges with the material. Prayer will then be offered as deemed appropriate by all group members (20 minutes). If limited sharing occurs in this section, please pray for the local church es represented I the group related to the various themes of the week.

2. (Original Content Only) (7-page paper) (Kate Turabian Style Paper) (Footnotes are a must in a Kate Turabian Style Paper)
Note: The GYH (Guard Your Heart) themes that impacted me the most were “Baptism & Child Dedication” in week 4 since I plan on becoming a parent and “Funerals, Care for the Sick, & Counseling Ministry” in week 6 since I care for the elderly.
GYH links to videos:
Baptism and Child Dedication- Consequences https://drive.google.com/file/d/1kF8fwe-1DKFuz4-pTnD_84rn10GbnxQH/view
Baptism and Child Dedication- Impact
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1kFUbkkvUNY-RfQDRRKxBJ78PzpGg2Y_O/view
Baptism and Child Dedication-Heart Condition
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1kLFF1WhFBKV2u2QhkRw9r6xO39RdvUiK/view
Funerals, Care for the Sick, & Counseling Ministry- Accountability
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1kYhIHFL3pCv-dWKzrz-UNMsMKmpsyOvd/view
Funerals, Care for the Sick, & Counseling Ministry- Dealing with the Problem

*Students are required to write a 7-page reflection paper on the themes from the GYH curriculum that impacted them the most.

3. Managing Conflict
(Original Content Only) (5 page paper) (APA citation) (At least 5 references) (Bibliography must be included)
Produce a paper 5 pages that summarizes your research in a topic of your choice. In either case, include a bibliography.
Topic: Fraternization and Preferential Treatment in the Workplace

4. Ethical issue
(Original Content Only) (3 paragraph post) (apa citations) (in-text citations are a must)
Find or describe from your own experience an example of an unethical issue in a workplace setting. What challenges did this create for the worker (s). What were the consequences of the problem? Was it eventually solved?
5. Reflection
(Original Content Only) (3 paragraph post) (apa citations) (in-text citations are a must)
Spend a few moments of reflection summarizing your thoughts about how you began the course (Beginners understanding of the field of management and how to gradually Manage Workplace Conflict) and how you ended the course. Is your knowledge deeper, broader, or much the same? How will you use the information you’ve learned in this class?

Please follow everything that is listed in the LSP PAPER 1 doc. Let me know if you have any questions. DO NOT PLAGRISE. CITE everything. It will be checked..

The Apostle Paul belonged to an Eastern culture. In this Assignment, consider how Paul’s understanding of the concept of “face” allowed him to preach the gospel clearly and uncompromisingly, but in a way that did not destroy the hearers’ individual dignity and that demonstrated that Paul did not think he was better than them.Step 1: Read and analyze the following passages. Then, in a two-column chart, compare 5 key points that reflect Paul’s understanding of “face” and culture.
Romans 3:9-23
1 Timothy 1:15
Step 2: Based upon your findings, in a page paper explain the application of saving face and how to provide a biblical response that affirms the dignity of each individual in the frame of the mission dei.

send me back a plagiarism report !!
Essay 2 Instructions
Minimum Length: Over 2 pages of double-spaced, size-12 text
Maximum Length: 4 pages (going over the max a little won’t lose you any points in my class, but more is good
only if it’s correct and well written)
Grammatical Correctness: Grammar is the most important thing to me, and it’s how most students end
up failing essays. Pay attention to spell and grammar checks and use services like Grammarly.
Basic Essay Elements: Your essay should have the following elements:
1. a title
2. an introductory paragraph of no less than 5 compound-complex sentences
3. body paragraphs of at least 7 to 12 compound-complex sentences
4. a concluding paragraph of no less than 5 compound-complex sentences
Refer to the Writing Essays presentation in the Essays folder in Blackboard for more info on these elements.
MLA Essay Design: I have made instructional videos for how to format MLA papers in both Word and Google
Docs. You can find them in the Essays folder. Do what they show you and make your paper look exactly
like what you see. A significant portion of your grade depends on executing this properly.
Originality: I expect this essay to be 100% your own writing. If you choose to bring in outside sources (which I
don’t recommend at this point), I will grade your essay as a research paper, which means you must have
correctly integrated quotes, along with properly executed MLA (not APA) works-cited and in-text citations.
Read my presentations in the Essays folder for more info on these important topics.
Do not take material from the Internet or any other source and drop it into your paper without properly
citing it! That is plagiarism, and it will get your essay an automatic 50 (first offense) or a 0 and reported to the
Office of Academic Affairs (second offense).
When you have finished your essay, save it as a .docx or .pdf file and upload that file to the Essay 1 Dropbox
in the Essays folder in Blackboard. If you need help figuring out how to submit your essay, I have a video in the
Essays folder that can show you what to do.
The essay can be turned in late in Blackboard for up to 3 days after the due date, with a 5-point penalty for
each day it is late.
Pick ONE of the following for your essay:
1. Choose an event from either childhood or now that you believe doesn’t show you behaving at your best.
Write an essay explaining what happened and how you now view that event. Would you change what you
did? Why?
2. Explain how a certain ritual or ceremony is conducted in your religion. Make sure that someone of another
faith will be able to understand the process and include a thesis statement that explains why this process is
important to you or your faith.
3. Think about your room, home, or any other space that you feel represents you, that has your stuff, that
displays the things you love, etc. Describe that space in an orderly fashion (clockwise from the door, front
to back, etc.), focusing on the objects or elements that represent who you are and what’s important to you.

(14 pages) (Kate-Turabian style) (footnotes are a must)
Students are to write a 14-page biblical theology of Pastoral Ministry paper based upon an in- depth understanding of scripture. There needs to be a minimum of 10-15 unique academic sources. A detailed description and grading rubric are provided in the Assignment section of Canvas.
Rubric
Quality content which addresses these five
required sections of this 14 page paper:
(1) Introduction (1/2-page),
(2) Body (7 pages) – presents the biblical and
theological foundations of pastoral ministry
(3) The Sacraments (2 pages) – provides a
biblical overview of baptism and The Lord’s
Supper
(4) Church Procedures (1-page) – details
how one becomes a pastor in student’s
ecclesial context
(5) Personal Reflection (2 pages) – accesses
student’s strengths and weaknesses in pastoral
ministry
(6) Conclusion (1/2) – describes major
takeaways from the assignment.
Integration throughout paper of biblical
support, and at least 10-15 scholarly cited
resources.
Paper is to be 14 pages, excluding the title
page and Works cited page and only resources
referenced in the paper should appear on the
Works cited page.
Quality of writing: double-spaced, well-
developed writing, use of appropriate
headings, correct grammar, appropriate
citations, & formatting using Turabian style
including title page, table of contents and
“Works Cited” section. An introduction
containing a clear purpose statement and a
conclusion are essential! Page numbers
should appear in the upper right-hand corner
(with no page number on the title page). Use
in-text parenthetic Bible references, rather
than footnotes to cite Scripture—for example:
(Gen 1:1).

1. (ORIGINAL CONTENT ONLY) (400 WORDS FOR THE POST) (APA CITATIONS)
(IN-TEXT CITATIONS ARE A MUST)
(Must cite text: Hedges, P. (2021). Understanding Religion: Theories and Methods for Studying Religiously Diverse Societies. Oakland: University of California Press.)
DQ1: Learning to Compare (All Over Again)
Contains unread posts
Context
Comparison is a natural part of our thought process, but rarely do we think about the process of comparison. Every decision we make, from what’s for dinner to which degree to pursue, is a comparative decision that takes into account our values, priorities, and practical considerations. When comparing religions and the people who practice them, there are specific factors one must attend to for the comparison to be done ethically. If we are going to compare—and we are because that’s how our brains are wired—then we should learn to do so responsibly.
Description
In light of your readings, write a post in which you
share what you perceive to be the five (5) main issues that scholars of comparative religion need to address in order for their work to be viable.
Do you think these concerns can be addressed effectively, resulting in an ethically balanced comparison?
If “yes,” how?
If “no,” why not?
If “maybe,” what is the comparativist’s success contingent upon?
2. (ORIGINAL CONTENT ONLY) (400 WORDS FOR THE POST) (APA CITATIONS)
DQ2: Ritualizing Ritual
Contains unread posts
Context
Like comparison, ritual is everywhere. In this exercise, we practice putting theory and method into action by applying what you have learned toward an analysis of an actual ritual. We focus on rituals that are brief yet important to the everyday practitioner; this allows you to go into depth, rather than spending your time on breadth.
Description
Choose one of the rituals curated below and
analyze it in terms of performance theory and speech acts.
What is done, where, by whom, with what intent, and to what effect?
What about the ritual do you find most interesting or would like to explore further?
Does this ritual give you any insight into the worldview of the tradition from which it comes?
Please do additional research as needed.
Hindu puja, a daily worship ritual: How to Have a Puja at Home (Howcast; 3:23 min)
Buddhist twice-daily chant: How to Chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyoo | (Soka Gakkai Official; 6 min)
Jewish Amidah prayer: The Amidah Prayer (PBS Religion & Ethics Newsweekly; 3:26 min)
3. (ORIGINAL CONTENT ONLY) (400 WORDS FOR THE POST) (APA CITATIONS)
DQ3: Combining Approaches
Contains unread posts
Context
In response to critics of cross-cultural comparison, Wendy Doniger states, “I still think that cross-cultural comparison is worth doing and can be done responsibly, rigorously. But I now realize more fully how much is lost if [historical] context is abandoned, and how many more ways there are of contextualizing comparison to make it richer” (The Implied Spider, xi). Comparison and the study of ritual, like so much of what we do in religious studies, is inherently interdisciplinary and requires applying a variety of approaches if we are to see a phenomenon with any depth. Here, we are going to practice combining approaches.
Description
For this application exercise,
(Two Rituals: Rites of Passage and Liminality)
choose two (Rites of Passage and Liminality) of the rituals from the required viewing for this week. Drawing from the readings for this week,
how would you begin to answer Doniger’s call to compare these two rituals responsibly and rigorously?
What might you need to study before diving into an interpretation of either or both rituals?
4. (ORIGINAL CONTENT ONLY) (600 WORDS FOR THE POST) (APA CITATIONS)
Your senior pastor has asked you to develop a biblical counseling ministry at your church. Specifically, your senior pastor wants you to identify three theological principles upon which to build the counseling ministry. These principles would serve as a guide for the structure in the ministry. What three theological principles would you use to build your church’s counseling ministry? Use scripture to support your answer.
(Original Content Only) (600 words) (APA format) (APA in-text citations are a must)
Watch all 2 GYH videos and read all GYH academic resources for weeks 6.
GYH video Links:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1kYhIHFL3pCv-dWKzrz-UNMsMKmpsyOvd/view?pli=1
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1kbwuxtc0TfLaRah4UOgQevgg4OM6mNQ7/view

Your paper should run 5-7 pages in WHITE PAPER STYLE and should includes at least 3 scholarly sources. It should be formatted in APA style and should include:
A title page
An introduction (including a “problem statement”)
Background (research-heavy section where you identify the problem)
A proposed solution
Conclusion
References or citations formatted in APA style

Following Christianity can have a positive impact on mental health issues such as depressions
Works Cited
Keating, David. “Spirituality and Support: A Descriptive Analysis of
Online Social Support for Depression.” Journal of Religion & Health,
vol. 52, no. 3, Sept. 2013, pp. 1014–28. EBSCOhost,
https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdoi.org%2F10.1007%2Fs10943-012-9577-x&data=05%7C02%7C%7Cffa4fc80d86f4463ca0408dc5cb16b83%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C638487164467809301%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=F9jhM7VLjympBnX1MUr80zulv5rWllidVj8vWmNv4F8%3D&reserved=0.

Please complete the following seperate assignments, each in their own document:
Assignment 1: please read the following before class:
ousterhout, “the holy space: architecture and the liturgy”
worksheet questions (remember to include quotes from the texts):
what is a church? what, if anything, is required for a building to be a church (or not)?
what different aspects might you focus on in the study of church buildings? how might the approaches of architects, theologians, archaeologists, and art historians differ?
what stood out to you most about the construction and architecture of Hagia Sophia (this can include how it’s different from other Byzantine churches)?
how did the style of Byzantine churches evolve over time? Assignment 2: please read the following before class:
germanus of constantinople, on the divine liturgy (*read only pp16-23, and then read 7 numbered sections from 1-43 (pp57-107) of your choosing)
worksheet questions (remember to include quotes from the texts):
in your own words, what do you think is a liturgy (and think about what is necessary to constitute a liturgy)? what strikes you as the most important components or aspects of a liturgy? drawing on our last class and the description of the byzantine liturgy of the eighth century (pg. 16-23), how would you describe the relationship between physical space and the divine liturgy?
drawing upon germanus’ text (and the fact the text itself is an interpretation of the liturgy), what do you think the divine liturgy meant for byzantine christians?
what’s the most surprising thing that stood out to you from the reading (either from the introduction or the commentary)? and why?
abbreviated worksheets 6&7
what is a church? what, if anything, is required for a building to be a church (or not)?
what stood out to you most about the construction and architecture of Hagia Sophia (this can include how it’s different from other Byzantine churches)?
how did the style of Byzantine churches evolve over time? what are two things that stood out to you about the byzantine liturgy (16-23)?
what stood out to you from the 7 sections you read about the germanus’ commentary/interpretation of the liturgy?
Assignment 3: please read the following before class:
romanos the melodist, the harlot from the kontakia on the nativity of christ
arentzen, holy arousal
[in-class] kassia, hymns
[in-class] the sound of hagia sophia (4min)
worksheet questions (remember to include quotes from the texts):
describe the most memorable concert/performance you’ve attended. what made it so memorable? how did the setting (location, time, people, etc) influence your experience? what passage from the kontakion fascinates you the most and why?
in what ways do you think the audience would have responded to this part of Romanos’ performance?
what are two things that caught your attention in arentzen’s piece and why?