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Muhammad, Medina and the Jews, 2008.
This paper discusses the treatment of Jews in the establishment of a state in Medina.
3,900 words (approx. 15.6 pages), 7 sources, MLA, AU$ 129.95
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Abstract
In this article the writer notes that in the 6th century, Muhammad moved to Medina in order to get away from the Meccans, who were tormenting him. This was a turning point in Muhammad's life, and gave rise to the first Islamic communities. The writer then discusses that in Medina, there were several Jewish communities and there is much disagreement and controversy concerning the relationship between Muhammad and the Jews. The writer looks at the issues of who were the umma referred to in the Constitution of Medina and the definition of the umma. The writer also discusses whether Muhammad's raids on the Medinan Jews were contrary to the spirit of Islam. As is shown in the paper, different scholars have offered differing interpretations, such that it is difficult to be clear on these issues.
From the Paper
"On the other hand, al-Waqidi does not describe this relationship of integration and proselytizing. Yet Ibn Ishaq argues that some good experiences had convinced Muhammad that the Jews could in fact be included in an umma with the Muslims. Unfortunately, this was not to be. Even if there was as much integration and cooperation as Ibn Ishaq believes, it was very short-lived. Religious conflicts caused the Jews to turn away from Muhammad, while Faizer notes that Muhammad's symbolic turning of his qibla from Jerusalem to Mecca indicates that the feelings of antipathy were mutual."
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Catholicism and the Pueblo Revolt of 1680, 2008.
An analysis of the religious orientation of the Pueblo Revolt of 1680 according to "Spanish Missions, Cultural Conflict, and the Pueblo Revolt of 1680" by Henry Bowden and "Franciscans and the Pueblo Revolt" by Ramon Gutierrez.
1,178 words (approx. 4.7 pages), 5 sources, MLA, AU$ 49.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses two essays, "Spanish Missions, Cultural Conflict, and the Pueblo Revolt of 1680" by Henry Bowden and "Franciscans and the Pueblo Revolt" by Ramon Gutierrez that are found within "What Caused the Pueblo Revolt of 1680?" by David Weber. The paper compares and contrasts the two sources and then discusses the conflict's religious orientation according to these sources.
From the Paper
"A close reading of the descriptions offered by the governor of New Mexico, Don Antonio de Otermin, will, naturally, highlight the religious overtone of the revolt. As Spanish officials cared very little (if at all) for the physical well-being of their subjects, the description, with its endless religious rhetoric, fails to address the very real material reasons for the uprising, choosing instead to relate the absolute horror of the Spaniards when they encountered the religious sabotage of the Pueblo Indians: "What grieved us most were the dreadful flames from the church and the scoffing and ridicule which the wretched and miserable Indian rebels made of the sacred things, intoning the alabado and the other prayers of the church with jeers" (Hackett). This incident gives much credence to Bowden's argument, and it certainly seems that the Pueblo revolt was geared towards the removal of all things Catholic from the land. And, although the governor never mentions it in his long letter, this goal was coupled with the belief that this removal would result in a paradise of abundance and health."
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The Korean War, 2008.
This paper uses the primary paradigms in international relations to enhance our understanding of the Korean War.
3,502 words (approx. 14.0 pages), 9 sources, MLA, AU$ 119.95
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Abstract
The paper examines the Korean War through the lens of three of the major paradigms in international relations: realism, world society and theory of dependence. The paper shows how no one paradigm of international relations exactly fits all aspects of the Korean conflict. The paper explains how we must therefore consider a convergence of paradigms to fully understand this war.
Outline:
Introduction
The Primary Paradigms
The Korean War: A Realist Analysis
The Korean War: A Dependency Theory Analysis
The Korean War: World Society Theory
Analysis
From the Paper
"There exist a number of different paradigms to explain the events of the Korean War. The theoretical model of Realism has long been one of dominant theories of international relations, although as a formal school of thought it has only existed since the Second World War. The primary assumptions of this theoretical model is that the global political system is fundamentally anarchic in that nation-states are effectively sovereign with no check on their actions other than from other nation-states. The relations between these states is predicated on their differential power levels - state power being understood in military and economic terms - with each state pursuing its own national security and other interests."
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American Civil Rights, 2008.
A discussion of the effect on civil rights in America of the Patriot Act of 2001 and the 2007 Supreme Court's decision to make partial-birth abortions illegal.
1,329 words (approx. 5.3 pages), 3 sources, MLA, AU$ 53.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses the challenges to civil rights that exist today in the United States. The paper particularly discusses the the implementation of the Patriot Act of 2001 and, in 2007, the Supreme Court's decision to make partial-birth abortions illegal. It then looks at how these two decisions have affected overall civil rights in America.
From the Paper
"If any good can be found in this ongoing crisis in the United States and its Patriot Act, it is that, hopefully, an important lesson has been learned by American civil rights activists. That lesson is that human rights cannot be taken for granted. Activists need to keep working even when civil rights are in good shape. Luckily, one win for the Democrats will probably be enough to get the legal framework moving to repeal the Patriot Act. The history of American civil rights since 1945 is too strong a tradition to be held hostage by hysterical legislation."
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Literature Review Regarding Contemporary China, 2008.
A review of the literature regarding reform and thought in contemporary China.
2,964 words (approx. 11.9 pages), 3 sources, MLA, AU$ 106.95
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Abstract
This paper analyzes three articles that relate to issues in contemporary China. It specifically examines "Rebuilding the Party's Normative Authority: China's Socialist Spiritual Civilization Campaign. Problems of Post-Communism" by Feng Chen, "Dilemmas of Thought Work in Fin de Siecle China" by D. C. Lynch and "Economic Reform and Ideological Decay: the Decline of Ideology, in Riding the Tiger - the Politics of Economic Reform in Post-Mao China" by Gordon White.
Table of Contents:
Introduction
Reform and Ideology
Lynch on 'Thought Work'
Gordon White and Riding the Tiger
Feng Chen
Conclusion
From the Paper
"When studied after Lynch's paper and White's early 1990s summary, Feng Chen's work seem on target. He shows the Party's intellectuals and ideologists inventing work for themselves according to 'human interest' topics such as crime, removing unwholesome influences, bringing on patriotic education for the young - and these do point to some sort of socialist function. Ironically, the CCP is to run the Chinese state whose shifts to capitalism bring social problems and work towards correcting the social problems created. Feng Chen's discussion is effective in the irony of the CCP being unable to make a "normative order" according to socialism when nearly all else it pursues is so geared to capitalism. (41) An alert reader too will see that none of this matters because the Chinese show in different ways that, first and foremost, they want the benefits of capitalism. It seems like the CCP can have its moralizing intellectual and ideological "role" if it wants, because the Chinese want to be employed and have buying power. Also, they see the clear failings of capitalism as pursued by an archaic Party in millions of visibly poor people and the migrant worker population that is mentioned by others as a strong defect of the present system. If a reader follows the Chinese press, he or she can begin to think like an everyday Chinese who does not expect accuracy from the state media, does expect to be given some message of what it means to be a Chinese citizen, how China will be "great" of course, and as Feng Chen added, some instruction to do as the Party suggests. (33)"
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Diocletian's Palace and the City of Split, 2008.
An overview of the history and architecture of Emperor Diocletian's palace and the City of Split.
3,310 words (approx. 13.2 pages), 24 sources, MLA, AU$ 114.95
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Abstract
This paper relates that the Emperor Diocletian rose through the orders by virtue of military skill, brilliance, and flexible scruples and how in preparation for his retirement, Diocletian had built a huge structure on the Dalmatian coast, a few miles from Salona. It also looks at how what began as a villa eventually became a a permanent settlement as the city of Split developed.
From the Paper
"While there will probably never be definitive evidence of when the inhabitation which became Split took place, it is unlikely that the palace was ever entirely derelict. It was simply to fine a resource to pass up, and while it may have been many decades before there was any substantial permanent settlement here, it seems highly doubtful that the palace was ever truly deserted. (Wilkes, 88) While the precise nature of the inhabitation at Split during the early years remains questionable, the city always seems to have been regarded as autonomous, and by the time Constantine Porphyrogenitus chronicled it, it was essentially independent and remained so until the Venetians gained control in the fifteenth century. (Plommer, 256) "
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The Civil War: Its Impact on Today's American Society, 2008.
A discussion of the impact of the Civil War on American society.
979 words (approx. 3.9 pages), 3 sources, APA, AU$ 41.95
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Abstract
This paper examines how the Civil War still has a lingering effect on today's American society. The paper explains that this terrible conflict has impacted American politics, culture, economics and social values in many ways, but the political effects of the Union victory over the rebelling Confederacy have been perhaps the most important, for had the South won the Civil War, the existence of two rival countries at the center of the North American continent would have greatly altered future political, economic, cultural, and social developments. The paper looks at how, because of the Civil War, the federal government and federal bureaucracy became much more powerful, and the American president's war powers were significantly expanded. The paper then points out that progress against racial prejudice and discrimination began to be made, but nearly a century passed before racial segregation was ended and racial equality was accepted by most of the American people. The paper also discusses how the Civil War led to loyalty to America instead of loyalty to one's state, great industrial expansion, the creation of a national media, growing world trade, the development of active and powerful labor unions, and the establishment of an economic foundation that made the United States a global economic superpower within a hundred years. In conclusion, the paper shows that in terms of cultural changes, the Civil War led to a growing cultural sophistication across the United States in the form of increased public interest in literature, poetry, the theater, and art.
From the Paper
"Fite (1983) notes that in terms of domestic politics, the expansion of federal authority required to win the Civil War created a huge and powerful central government in Washington D.C. and established a lasting precedent of centralized federal government power. Before the war broke out in 1861, the federal government was relatively weak, and the states retained significant political power. But during the war years, the Lincoln administration and the United States Congress were compelled to expand their powers in order to save the Union, and these powers resulted in an enlarged federal bureaucracy which, once established, was reluctant to give up the broad range of powers it had acquired during the war."
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Religion and the Media in Nigeria, 2008.
An analysis of the reasons for and effects of the intersection between religion and the media in Nigeria.
1,183 words (approx. 4.7 pages), 6 sources, MLA, AU$ 49.95
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Abstract
This paper analyzes the intersection of religion and the media in Nigeria. It shows how the effect of the fundamentalism and conservatism in religion can be felt in nearly all forms of the media in Nigeria, but primarily in television and newspapers, which account for the majority of the media productions in the nation. The paper discusses the reasons for and effects of this intersection between religion and the media.
From the Paper
"In short, the Nigerian media faces significant pressure and limitations on independence from religious and political groups, including fundamentalist Muslims. Islamic influences, particularly in the broadcast media and the print media, have resulted in religiously inspired television programming, sensationalized newspaper articles, and fatwas calling for the death of "offensive" journalists. In any sufficiently modern nation, the freedom of the press from just this kind of influence and control should be sacrosanct. It is a basic freedom that permits religious and political intolerance from erupting into major conflicts and violence. Unfortunately, in Nigeria the independence of the media is severely limited and the influence of religious groups, including fundamentalist Muslims, has affected the kind of media that is produced and the public's reaction to it."
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The Senatorial Aristocracy in Rome in Late Antiquity, 2008.
A discussion of the preservation of Roman identity and the fall of the Roman Empire.
1,919 words (approx. 7.7 pages), 7 sources, MLA, AU$ 74.95
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Abstract
This paper examines the efforts undertaken by the senatorial aristocracy in Rome to preserve its identity between 350 and 395. The paper explains that these efforts were subverted by the political and religious opposition of the East Roman emperors and the Church. The paper looks at how the issue to preserve the Roman Senate's identity was fundamentally a means to restore the Senate to play a political role in the new Empire. The paper then points out that the political reality, however, and the anti-pagan religious fundamentalism made it quite clear that there was no such accommodation for the Roman West.
From the Paper
"When Diocletian split the Roman Empire, he sealed the fate of the Roman West as effectively as the barbarians in 476. Yet, as Rome in late antiquity "was for the most part a city without an imperial presence" , there is a particular poignancy to "the sacred Senate" and the Rome of that era. "The city's Senators were, for many authors, an embodiment of all that was venerable about Rome" . Ammanius says that once the interminable civil wars of the third century (235-284) had ended, "the white hair of the senators and their authority are revered and the name of the Roman people is respected and honored" . "The Eternal City" retained its symbolic resonance as the center of civilization even in defeat. "Odovacar...a German, ruled in Italy as "rex" ([and] "maintained the Roman administrative system" ."
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Hiroshima, 2008.
An analysis of the reasons and justification for the bombing of Hiroshima through a review of Howard Zinn's "Hiroshima: Breaking the Silence" and Samuel J. Walker's "History, Collective Memory, and the Bomb".
1,371 words (approx. 5.5 pages), 2 sources, MLA, AU$ 55.95
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Abstract
This paper looks at the American use of an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima and how the fifty-plus years since the nuclear attack have allowed for clearer thinking regarding the reasoning behind the dropping of "the bomb." The paper examines two articles, written in 1995 and 1996, in order to better identify the reasons for and justifications of the United States' use of the first atomic weapons on the civilians living in this Japanese city. The articles are "Hiroshima: Breaking the Silence," by WWII veteran and renowned Boston professor Howard Zinn and "History, Collective Memory, and the Bomb," by J. Samuel Walker.
From the Paper
"But the need to one-up Russia diplomatically was not the only Cold War victory gained with the bombing of Hiroshima. Both the United States and Russia had long been studying and developing the new form of energy and weaponry promised by nuclear power. With the defeat of Germany, who had also been exploring such things, the United States and Russia were in a race to both create and practice nuclear capabilities against prospective enemeies. The United States knew that by showing that they had the bomb and were not afraid to use it, at the same time exhibiting the sheer destruction and terror that it caused, they would win a decisive battle in the Cold War. "
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Renaissance Christianity, Natural Disasters and Witchcraft, 2008.
A look at how Christians throughout Europe responded to natural disasters and the ways in which they contributed to certain widespread notions of eschatology.
1,965 words (approx. 7.9 pages), 10 sources, MLA, AU$ 75.95
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Abstract
This paper argues that Christians, during the late medieval period and the proto-modern period before the advent of the Enlightenment, responded to disasters by seeking out scapegoats and attributing them to something they had done to incur the wrath of God. The paper points out that the determination to find scapegoats for pestilence or crop failure invariably led to the witch hunts that extended over a period encompassing roughly seven centuries, from about the thirteenth century until well into the nineteenth century. To better understand this phenomenon, the paper examines the eschatological assumptions of the age. The paper concludes that Christian eschatology had the effect, for many centuries, of convincing large numbers of Europeans that the return of the Almighty was near and that righteous Christians would fortify their souls by rooting out those who were heretical, unfaithful, and responsible for unnatural natural disasters.
From the Paper
"Between the thirteenth and nineteenth centuries, it is estimated that one million people in Europe were executed for witchcraft. Additionally, those witchcraft trials which have survived the passage of time appear to have frequently been conducted by ecclesiastical (Christian) courts. In the earliest trials, the institution of the Church took the lead role; by the end of the aforementioned period, it appears as though the Church was rarely, if ever, involved. In any case, whatever the amount of blame one wishes to affix to the European Christian Church, it would be inaccurate to suggest that only religious factors - however important - determined the actions of Europeans when confronted with a meteorological crisis they could not understand."
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Harry S. Truman, 2008.
An examination of the achievements of Harry S. Truman as President of the United States, focusing on the challenges that he had to overcome in this role.
1,621 words (approx. 6.5 pages), 6 sources, MLA, AU$ 63.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses Harry S. Truman's life, as well as his history as a politician. The paper provides a background to his life, but focuses on his achievements as President of the United States. It also discusses Truman's first notable act as President, which was also his most notorious - the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August of 1945. In addition, the paper describes Truman's other achievements and focuses on the challenges that he had to overcome as president.
From the Paper
"Arthur Schlesinger Sr., the Harvard historian, was noted for (among other accomplishments) his polling of other historians and scholars in order to arrive at a list of "rankings" or ratings of the greatest Presidents in United States history; he conducted such polls in 1948 and again in 1962. His son, Arthur Schlesinger Jr., has followed in the footsteps of his father by conducting an updated poll in 1996. While some critics have noted that the great variance in presidential ranking polls may suggest that they are more subjective than objective (cf. Dean), Schlesinger's placement of Truman at number seven on his list of greatest Presidents may well be a testimony to the difficulties that Truman had to overcome during his two terms in office, and his strong personal intention to do what was necessary to get the country back on a peacetime footing in the face of a brewing Cold War (Schlesinger 179.) Given the subjective nature of such polls, there is no guarantee that Truman will remain in this position in future polls, as history has a way of being reinterpreted and placed into new contexts as new information comes to the surface with the passing of years; as a result, new and fuller perspectives may be expected to arise."
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The Jugurthine War, 2008.
A discussion of the Jugurthine war between the Romans and the Numidian Kingdom.
1,971 words (approx. 7.9 pages), 5 sources, MLA, AU$ 75.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses the Jugurthine war fought between the Romans and the Numidian Kingdom, which was ruled by Jugurtha. The paper explains that the Jugurthine war took place in Numidia, which is located near the western coast of Africa where modern-day Algeria is. The paper also explains that Numidia was a kingdom made-up of mostly semi-nomadic Berber tribes that are closely related to the Moors and present-day Moroccans. The paper points out that this war inadvertently exposed the rampant corruption that occurred towards the end of the Roman Republic. The paper concludes that this war served to foreshadow Rome's change from a republic to an empire, and that these leaders squabbled for many years until Julius Caesar took control of Rome as its first emperor in 49 BC.
From the Paper
"Numidia became united during the 2nd Punic War when Masinissa, the chief of the Massyli tribe, united it. They originally were allied with Carthage but ended it when the Romans offered land and money incentives in exchange for the loyalty of the Numidians. Masinissa accepted and the spent the next 50 years ruling over the people that lived on that land. He brought peace to the people and tried to convert them to farmers.
"His death in 148 BC marked the height of the Numidian Kingdoms. Around the same time as his death, the Romans invaded Carthage and essentially destroyed it during the Third Punic War. This left Numidia the largest empire in Northern Africa."
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Taixu and Modern Chinese Zen Buddhism, 2008.
An analysis of the efforts of Buddhist activist monk, Taixu, to improve Buddhism and life in China.
1,622 words (approx. 6.5 pages), 5 sources, MLA, AU$ 63.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses the life and influence of the Buddhist activist monk, Taixu. It describes how he was profoundly affected by China's experience of World War I and the suffering of ordinary Chinese and what he did to improve the situation. In particular, the paper discusses how Taixu improved Buddhism, in order to improve the life of ordinary people in China.
Table of Contents:
Introduction
Improving Buddhism, Improving China
Concluding Remarks
From the Paper
"What was observed as a New Buddhist Movement in China after the Communist Revolution of 1949 was still remarked upon by observers and associated with Taixu after his death. (See Callahan 1952) Taixu had hoped for a Buddhism that was national, transnational, public and populist, as needed well educated and otherwise prepared monks and outlets suiting lay people who wanted to create an improved society. Taixu could not imagine what lay in store for the Chinese in the decades after his death. In 1950, his disciplines saw his writings published, and then all things of the kind were steadily discouraged. In 1989, there was renewed interest in Taixu and his followers, in a rather glorified rendition of Taixu, despite his failure to ever gain leadership of the Chinese Buddhist Association. The regime backed several volumes of his works that were reprinted in various languages, as though the People's Republic of China had never opposed its spiritual authorities, the competing network in the Buddhist establishment."
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Catholic Church Music and Gregorian Chant, 2008.
A look at the development of the Gregorian chant and the important role it plays in church music.
1,390 words (approx. 5.6 pages), 11 sources, MLA, AU$ 56.95
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Abstract
This paper provides a historical background to the Gregorian chant, an important musical style that came to represent all holy occasions by putting poetry to music, and charts its development through the years. The paper then discusses and describes four hymns that are still used today: Stabat Mater Dolorosa or "Our Lady of Sorrows", Pange Lingua Gloriosi or "Sing, My Tongue, the Saviour's Glory", Victimae Paschali Laudes or "May you praise the Paschal Victim", and Veni Creator Spiritus or "Come Holy Spirit, Creator Blest".
From the Paper
"By the Sixth Century, when Gregory was a Monk, there were already many, many chants in use. He gathered and collected these. In those days monks often wrote their own hymns or adapted earlier versions they had heard in other monasteries. The result is that there was already many different kinds chant. For example in the 4th Century Mozarabic chant developed in Spain. We get Ambrosian chant for St. Ambrose in Milan and Gallican chant from "Gallic" France. There are even chants from Ethiopia in Africa. Over time many different styles of chants developed and found their way into daily mass and special services for festivals or holidays. (Hope, 2007) Sometimes this style was also used for non-church music as well. (Music-for-Church-Choirs.com)
"Gregorian chant is also known as "plainchant" from the French "plein chant" which means "full singing." (Music-for-Church-Choirs.com) By the time of Gregory different chants had been connected with or written for most all special events. We don't know the names of most of the early chant composers, but we do know that many intended for specific Sundays or feast days were composed between the 5th and 8th Centuries. (Ex. Introit, Gradual, Alleluia, Offertorio and Communio). Many of those commonly heard in mass today like the Kyrie, Gloria, Credo or Sanctus were composed later, between the 9th and 12th Centuries. (Hope, 2007)"
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Guilds in the Middle Ages, 2008.
This paper discusses the guilds that were in existence in Geoffrey Chaucer's fourteenth century England.
1,339 words (approx. 5.4 pages), 1 source, MLA, AU$ 53.95
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Abstract
The paper identifies some of the various occupational guilds that formed a part of Geoffrey Chaucer's fourteenth century English world. The paper shows how occupational guilds were a pervasive part of fourteenth century English life and a significant, if not all-encompassing, part of the lives of their members.
From the Paper
"In Chaucer's The Prologue to "The Canterbury Tales," the reader is introduced to a haberdasher, a carpenter, carpet-maker, weaver and to a dyer. These were presumably all very important trades during Chaucer's time, but they were also only a few of the occupations that had guilds during the period. For instance, merchant guilds were quite common in Chaucer's England. By all accounts, these guilds were predominantly organizations comprised of merchants involved in long-distance commerce as well as in local wholesale trade. As well, Gary Richardson of the University of California at Irvine reports that there is at least the suggestion that many of these merchants were also businessmen engaged in the retail selling of commodity goods in their home cities as well as in the distant, exotic locales wherein they were permitted the right to set up shop. Interestingly, it appears as though the merchant guilds of pre-modern England were mostly devoted to trade. However, the most powerful among them could actually establish colonies in foreign cities and even become inextricably involved in local politics - at least in their home towns (Richardson, para.5)."
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