Abstract
This essay offers a nuanced historical account and explanation of why the Jewish dietary rule came to insist on the prohibition of the consumption of certain animals, while others were tolerated, with particular reference to the time when the rule came to be fleshed out. More specifically, the paper looks into the case of pigs or pork as an animal whose inclusion in the list of those unclean might strike as particularly odd to the modern reader. Given the similarities they had with oxen, sheep and goats as domesticated and herbivorous livestock, swine, it seems fair to say, had little reason to be excluded. But this short piece argues that their labelling as unclean had as much to do with the peculiar circumstances in which Leviticus and Deuteronomy were written as with the consistency of the religious doctrine based on an adherence to the tenet of separate spheres which pigs and other animals fell foul of.

Outline;
Introduction
Reasons for the Exclusion of Pig: Hygiene and Habit
Criticism of Hygiene and Habit Interpretation
Contextualising Dietary Law: Babylonic Exile and Anti-desert Mentality
Distinctive Categories and Aberrations
Conclusions

From the Paper
"That pork was unhygienic does not stand up to much scrutiny either. Criticising the hygienic rationale, Jean Soler for example, correctly makes the obvious point that the nomadic Hebrew tribes, who lived at the time when these rules were drawn up, did not possess sufficient medical knowledge to be able to pronounce the pig unclean based on the infectious dangers it posed to man. Even though it would be tempting to suppose that the kind of hot and arid climate in which the ancient Israelites lived was particularly hazardous for the transmission of diseases, the lack of even physicians to prepare for this possibility at that time points to the extent to which medical reasons could not plausibly be carted out to account for why pigs were expressly forbidden."

Tags:pork, unclean, unhygienic, Leviticus

Abstract
Johnson and Wilentz's book, "The Kingdom of Matthias: A Story of Sex and Salvation in 19th Century America", gives a detailed account of a unique 19th century American episode of religious revivalism, during which time a simple carpenter, Robert Matthews, claimed to be the prophet Matthias. This paper analyzes the core theme of the book and describes how this period, known as the Second Great Awakening, impacted the lives of the men and women of American society during that time.

From the Paper
"Taking advantage of people's religious inclination and their search for prophecy, Matthias succeeded in getting many New York businessmen to join his "kingdom" which he established on one of their estates in Sing Sing. Utilizing the vulnerability of people, the fanatical ravings of Matthias captivated many intelligent people. His kingdom was based on the concept of prosperity, optimism, tolerance and freedom. He advocated claims of abundant food for all, naked bathing, wife swapping and complete obedience. He propagated the concept of the inferiority of women and damned wives who worked."

Tags:Elijah, Pierson, cult, Joseph, Smith

Abstract
This paper takes a look at the life, times, work, and fate of the first-century Christian missionary, Paul of Tarsus, including his relations with other Pharisees in Biblical Judea.

From the Paper
"Paul was a Pharisee of the very strictest order, along the lines of Nicodemus and Gamaliel. Unlike the hypocritical Pharisees that were rebuked by Jesus, Paul was not a worldly or indifferent priest, but a religious fanatic of the highest degree. His life before conversion, though he persecuted the Christians and oversaw the execution of the martyr Stephen with satisfaction, was marked with an honest and earnest pursuit of righteousness. While this would not pardon his actions or reduce his liability in his early persecutions, it does shed light on the genuineness of Paul's religious fervor. Upon hearing of the trial and subsequent crucifixion of Christ, he undoubtedly viewed it as the righteous destruction of a heretic. So intent was Paul in his desire to exterminate what he viewed as a dangerous assault on The Covenant that he petitioned the Sanhedrin for authority to proceed to Damascus and bring all the Christian apostates he could find back to the holy city in chains to follow their Savior upon their own crosses. As the bravest and strongest of the rising rabbis, he was granted this request and set out upon the road that would change his life forever."

Tags:antioch, apostles, jesus, nero, saul

Abstract
This paper shows the differences between the Gospel of John and the three Synoptic Gospels in the Passion Narratives. The paper reviews the writing styles, places, and people of each account.

From the Paper
The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke are considered the synoptic Gospels, because they follow the same general pattern. John's Gospel, however, is distinguished from the other three in many ways. Though, the most important difference takes place in the events of the Passion Narratives.

Tags:bible, gospel, jesus, john, luke, mark, matthew, narratives, passion, synoptic

Abstract
This paper begins with an analysis of the "The Book of Revelation", its literary genre and a discussion on how it cannot be considered a missionary tract. The main points are divided into two categories, why we should do mission and how we should do mission. These are explored separately through an analysis of the glorification of God, love for fellow man and how we are considered instruments of God. It also explores the idea of 'centrapetal mission', its basis in "Revelation" and support in the rest of the Bible.

From the Paper
"It must be said at the outset that Revelation is not a missionary tract. Its purpose is not to encourage the believers under persecution to reach out and travel, preaching the good news as they go, rather "[it] depicts the result of mission: people from every tribe and nation gathered in heaven to worship God and the Lamb" . We are left with the task, then, of inferring the why and how based on outcome, like reading the last chapter of a long and complex novel and trying to work out what went before. Our plight isn't that hopeless of course as we are aided by the rest of scripture but the point remains that we must take our incentives from a book that does not state them explicitly."

Tags:bible, centripetal, god

Abstract
This is a survey of the primary characteristics of the gospel and the circumstances which brought it into being. The fourth gospel has always been thought to contain some of the most advanced Christology and theology in the New Testament and in this essay the writer considers the origins for its unique perspective. Factors such as the purpose, date and authorship are examined as well as its distinct preoccupations and its relationship with the Synoptics.

From the Paper
"It has often been said with some justification that John's gospel offers both the most depth of interest to the scholar in the New Testament while at the same time being of the greatest benefit for a simple reading. The reason for this is that the character of the fourth gospel is in its way unique. It contains detailed and advanced Christology and language while at the same time possessing a fundamentally spiritual and easily accessible veneer. Not only this but it is free of the awkwardness of narrative which is sometimes present in the Synoptics. To ask the question of how it came to be written is unavoidably to engage with this character. In fact there are a range of issues which are intertwined with the notions of authorship and general background. To address the Johannine question satisfactorily, then, it is necessary to seek some continuity in resolution of the problems that arise. This is particularly true in the case of the structure of the gospel and the nature of its composition. Perhaps the most effective way to proceed, then, is first to deal with the character of the gospel and its makeup and by doing so try to reach some resolution about its nature and purpose. During this process some resolution might be sought of the more general aspects of the method of composition. With this in mind the details which might be useful in establishing the circumstances can be examined to reach an impression of background. After this the question of authorship will be thrown into a somewhat clearer light and so this too might be addressed effectively. Only then, with ideas that cohere with the various issues, can the question of how the fourth gospel came to be written be said to be answered."

Tags:christology, synoptics, testament, new

Abstract
The writer argues that Christology of the fourth gospel is the most engaging and interesting of the New Testament. The writer addresses the major facets and purposes of the Christology. The author asks what the evangelist was seeking to show and how did he go about it. Interesting and thought provoking novel ideas are raised.

From the Paper
'In some senses the divinity of Jesus within the fourth gospel is very obvious. John does indeed portray Jesus as divine. In 10:28 Jesus states clearly, "I and my father are one." It is clear also from 20:30f that Jesus is the Christ and Thomas' declaration of Jesus as, "My Lord and my God" is effectively an explicit statement of divinity. The real issue here lies in an understanding of the divinity of the Johannine Jesus in a less superficial capacity. This leads to addressing the second part of the question. By asking what does John mean in terms of the divinity of Jesus it is not merely a general statement about the status of Jesus but a specific analysis of a special and unique kind of divinity. In order to understand this it is necessary to consider how John presents Jesus as divine. This refers not only to the manner in which Jesus is divine but to the literary and other devices which the fourth evangelist uses in order to make his case and bring us to an understanding of this divinity. Perhaps the most obvious starting point in such an inquiry is to briefly consider the Christological titles, being the clearest explanation of the status of Jesus. After this a more in depth consideration of the scriptural backing that John invokes to explain the Christology of Jesus is of vital importance. There are then certain other issues which need to be expanded on this subject including the contemporary expectations of various different statuses and roles in what might be called divinity. It has often been said that John has a high Christology and such does indeed prove to be the case. Nevertheless the concept that Jesus is simply indistinguishable from God and should be seen as a personification of the deity is incorrect; there is a very significant and defined role for Jesus as divine within the fourth gospel."

Tags:christ, divinity, messiah, revelation

Abstract
This paper examines the first of Shakespeare's sonnets. It explains the technical aspects of the sonnet and also its major themes and concepts. The first part paper focuses on explaining the sonnet in order to make it more readily understandable. It shows how Shakespeare crafted the idea that it is a tragedy if the beauty of the world is not perpetuated through reproduction. The second part of the paper follows-on from the first part and offers an in-depth analysis of the sonnet. It looks closely at the tone of the sonnet, cultural influences and the concept of profusion.

From the Paper
"Indeed, there are a multitude of other Biblical and cultural references in sonnet 1 that are very important in allowing us to understand the poem effectively. In the second-from-last line, we see a reference to gluttony one of the seven deadly sins. There is also an allusion to Isaiah [32.5]. In Shakespeare's medieval culture, the rose of beauty was an often-quoted symbol. Similarly, the central concept of the sonnet (i.e. the dynastic obligation to produce heirs) was heavily rooted in medieval culture. Shakespeare so immerses us, the reader, in such cultural references that one wonders whether he is really intending to make a political point in this sonnet rather than just generally musing over a young man's inability to procreate."

Tags:bible, profusion, shakespeare, sonnet

Abstract
An analysis of the great questions that have beset the religious and scientific worlds as the last few centuries have seemingly brought about collision between the two. This is perhaps the greatest issue that faces modern debate in either religion or cosmology. This essay looks at the main questions at hand and the ramifications of the scientific theories currently in vogue. It considers them on an individual basis and precisely what they mean for individual Christian understandings of the model of the universe.

From the Paper
"The question of the reconciliation of Christian and Scientific ideas of creation carries with it a number of significant implications and ideas which must be examined in some details before any kind of answer can be reached. The most obvious element of this is the question of what precisely is meant by a Christian concept of creation. This could easily be an idea as broad as the number of Christians. The fundamentalist creationist account is one idea but then anything which posits God as what might be called the cause of the universe is realistically a form of Christian concept of creation. The ultimate upshot of any examination of this issue, then, is that Christian creation is easily reconcilable with science because anything that science postulates could have happened could have been put in place by God. The main issue, then, in this examination, must be that of assessing the way, if at all, science allows the presence of a creator be it in the capacity of an inexplicable early event or the creator of the Genesis account. The answer to this question is that cosmology has been able to assemble a model of the universe which, broadly speaking, functions without need for a creator God. This in no way makes it impossible for Christianity to, as it were, add God on to the existing model but would suggest, although certainly not conclusively, a self-sufficient model of the universe which is likely to be free of the presence of a divine creator."

Tags:cosmology, creationism, function, heisenburg, indetermanacy, quantum, wave

Abstract
In this essay the writer looks at the problems which arise from miracles and what the ramifications of these problems are. The paper addresses scientific, philosophical, theological and textual issues. It also considers several miracles in some depth including the resurrection. The writer discusses some of the ways in which Christians have dealt with these problems and the helpfulness that this has when considering the issues at hand.

From the Paper
"Miracles hold an undeniably important role within Christianity. They can be seen as a firm indication of the power and divinity of Jesus, God is seen as giving him the power to perform miracles. Certainly in John's gospel miracles are essential in demonstrating that Jesus is the Christ. Not only do miracles enhance the divinity of the figure of Jesus and the overall authority of Christianity but they also fulfill a position as a significant theological vehicle which frequently allows the evangelists to advance their own theological agenda. Furthermore the resurrection of Jesus, undeniably the most significant of all miracles in the gospels, is absolutely central to Christian theology and doctrine as it is in the present day. Despite the important role which miracles hold in both doctrine and the "hearts and minds" of believers, however, it is undeniable that the interpretation of them has changed through the advance of scientific knowledge and method. The scientific enlightenment devised several theories which seriously questioned the traditional way in which the Church had always maintained the world functioned. The theories of scientists such as Galileo and Copernicus began to demonstrate that the Earth was not as central to the universe as the Church had always held. As scientific method advanced the superstitious thought of many people began to destabilize and with it the claims for miracles decreased. In the twentieth century the former stance of accepting miracles and other paranormal phenomena has decreased. Many twentieth century Christians, nevertheless, argue that the miraculous content of the biblical narratives did indeed happen exactly as the evangelists recorded them. Some might argue that the events happened but the emphasis on them has been altered slightly to fit the agenda of the evangelists. Some contemporary liberal Christians, however, including David Jenkins, one-time Bishop of Durham, might argue that in fact the miracles as recorded did not happen at all. The accounts exist for reasons other than historical accuracy. Through an examination of the various problems which confront the twentieth century reader of the gospels and judging the efficacy of efforts to solve these problems it is, perhaps, possible to judge how the miracle accounts of the gospels might best be read and whether such a liberal reading is appropriate."

Tags:christ, experience, healing, jesus, religious, resurrection