This is a Book report see details below Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

This is a Book report see details below - Essay Example Jesus as a figure in history is undoubtedly a very important and pertinent topic for today. There is a persistent question about Jesus that defies an easy answer. Which Jesus is easier to accept and believe The Jesus that the gospels proclaim as the Son of God who came to be born of a virgin with his divine attributes and claims, two millennia ago Or the Jesus that history is willing to accept and record to the extent science and circumstances allow us to explain and prove This treatise is intended to explore the aspect of Jesus as an historical figure. For this purpose, it is necessary to go into the various details that denote history. Details such as ancestry, creed, social and religious customs and background of the relevant times, Jesus' personality, occupation, credentials, circle of friend, relatives and acquaintances, political scenario, and so forth. The study of the historical Jesus naturally implies the study of the old and new testaments as well as church history. In order to secure the views of every reliable source, fairness demands that nothing must be seen to be explained away as irrelevant, immaterial and conclusive. As of date, the socio-rhetorical interpretations technique is ideal in getting close to the historical Jesus because of its meticulous approach and openness to scrutiny. It uses insights from sociolinguists, semiotics, rhetoric, ethnography, literary studies, social sciences, and goes on to interrelate ancient, modern and post modern systems and schools of thought.(1) Nothwithstanding the means available to get to the details on the history of Jesus, questions galore. Enigmatic rationalists and cultists crop up ever so often with profound and radical claims relating to the history, personality and even "matrimonial facts" about Jesus. Controversies exist relating to even simple incidents as: Was Jesus really baptized by John Did he really feed the four and five thousand Did he really raise Lazarus from the dead What did Jesus mean when he said the kingdom of God was at hand And so forth and so on. (2) The Present Status Until the Middle Ages, leave alone Jesus, it was difficult to gain access to the scriptures for simple meditation. Those who did encourage study of the scriptures like Martin Luther and William Tyndale, who had to pay for it with his life, were publicly ridiculed and warned to desist by the custodians of faith at the highest levels. Of course, their successors regret it now! Even after the scriptures became accessible to the common man, for a long period of time, a study of Jesus in the historical context was frowned upon as akin to apostasy. As a student of history, questions on Jesus could not be freely discussed which otherwise in theological context could have been considered too provocative and even sacrilegious. For instance, the question on the virgin birth of Christ is bound to figure prominently in the historical context whereas in the theological sense it could mean inviting trouble. Coming to healings, miracles and exorcism, the controversy only generates more heat and dust and very little light. Historically, as of now science is in no position to unearth evidence of events and oral statements recorded as having been made but for which there exist no solid proof except their confirmation by the

Cows research paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Cows - Research Paper Example However, the degree at which people value and keep this animal significantly depends on their culture, religion and background. In Latin America cows are predominantly used in bullfighting, in Africa, they are a sign of wealth and prestige while in India; the cow is a holy being that is to be revered. In the media, cows are often portrayed as big, domesticated and fertile animals. More and more farmers are slowly abandoning cattle keeping because the cost of feeding them, veterinary cost is quite high as opposed to cultivating other cash crops. There are many different breeds of cows depending on their use. Ranchers mainly keep beef cattle while there are those who keep dairy cows. This also depends on the conduciveness of an area’s climate. The importance of cows to the economy cannot be under-rated since the Cattle industry is a multibillion dollar enterprise that significantly boosts the economy of many countries. Cows provide milk, beef, hides used in making leather and shoes. The value of cows is profoundly undermined and therefore, it is for this reason that I decided to base my research on the importance of cows and the connection that exists between man and cows. Cows are easy animals to see, unlike other animals like tigers and leopards. Though easy to see they are the most unseen animals and the least appreciated of creatures; nevertheless, they have among the biggest benefits to mankind. I wanted to find out peoples attitude and beliefs about cows. To conduct my research, I deliberately chose to carry out interviews with different people in order to learn about their views and attitudes about cows. Interviews are an effective way of getting in depth information, and it is also quite helpful in discovering how individuals feel and think about a particular subject matter. Therefore, with this in mind I conducted four interview sessions with people of different cultures and who had lived in different parts of the world (Dr.