Author: Andre Coleman

Biologically speaking, we humans are social beings. We need our parents to be born, and once that happens; even though we are considered single individuals with a brain and mind that let us think and learn, we do not isolate ourselves from the rest of the people. On the contrary, all we do is to follow our peers.

We gather in groups, and these groups constitute subgroups again. This is the basic method we follow to successfully organise and build up our social structure to satisfy our several needs.

The first of these groups is our family, and from here we span to neighbourhoods; communities of different kinds, that we joined based on a particular interest, such as: religious, sports, academic, musical, labour, political, ideological, etc. These groups grow in number to form states and then countries or nations.

All these people together establish a society. Societies differ from one another and every single one of them is unique, particular and characterised for a distinctive feature that we call “culture”.

Culture is that complex absoluteness that we learn day by day. It is everything with which we fill and give sense to our existence. The way we wear, think, believe, act, speak, perceive are all framed and shaped by the ideas, concepts, values that are part of a specific culture.

Through culture we learn to adapt ourselves in this physical world, manipulating the available resources for our own welfare and we also shape our behaviour to avoid a social chaos.

Concepts of Culture

Culture is neither natural nor artificial. It stems from neither genetics nor rational thought, for it is made up of rules of conduct, which were not invented and whose function is generally not understood by the people who obey them. Some of these rules are residues of traditions acquired in the different types of social structure through which each human group has passed. Other rules have been consciously accepted or modified for the sake of specific goals. Yet there is no doubt that, between the instincts inherited from our genotype and the rules inspired by reason, the mass of unconscious rules remains more important and more effective; because reason itself is a product rather than a cause of cultural evolution. – Claude Levi-Strauss, 1983.

Culture means the whole complex of traditional behavior which has been developed by the human race and is successively learnt by each generation. A culture is less precise. It can mean the forms of traditional behavior which are characteristic of a given society, or of a group of societies, or of a certain race, or of a certain area, or of a certain period of time. – Margaret Mead, 1937.

Culture is the integral whole consisting of implements and consumer’s goods, of constitutional charters for the various social groupings, of human ideas and crafts, beliefs and customs. Whether we consider a very simple or primitive culture or an extremely complex and developed one, we are confronted by a vast apparatus, partly material, partly human, and partly spiritual, by which man is able to cope with the concrete specific problems that face him. – Bronislaw Malinowski, 1944.

Culture embraces all the manifestations of social behavior of a community, the reactions of the individual as affected by the habits of the groups in which he lives, and the product of human activities as determined by these habits. – Franz Boas, 1930.

Characteristics of Culture

Culture is learnt: as soon as we are in contact with other members of our culture, we start learning all about it; therefore, we can assume that culture is learnt rather than inherited biologically. A human being will learn the culture of the society where he is raised; thus, a person that is born in Australia would not practise the same culture if he had been born in Poland. In this context we are different from animals since they are biologically built in a way that they will know how to behave and act naturally even if they grew in isolation.

Culture is shared: if culture is learnt, we can state that it is also shared. We share all knowledge among the members of the same society. This way we pass on the standards of our culture along years keeping it alive. As we are social beings, we have a high tendency of sharing and this feature let us improve as a whole. By sharing we provide the necessary tools that are used for a gentle adaptation in all stages and environments we go through in our lives.

Culture is integrated: culture itself is not a single unit. It is a complex whole in which every feature that characterizes it has an important role that makes that culture distinctive and peculiar. All these features function integrated and not separately from one another. This way when a feature changes, it affects to the whole system making it also swift.

Culture is dynamic: there are some reasons such as: population growth, technological innovation, environmental crisis, intrusion of outsiders, modification of behaviour, etc; that have made cultures change. That is why cultures must be flexible and dynamic in order to adapt constantly to the new changes and avoid repression of his members.

Culture is based on symbols: culture has been transmitted among its members along the years through a set of different symbols. Symbols are then the instrument used to pass on culture and keep it alive from generation to generation, and language is the most important one.

Functions of Culture

According to Bronislaw Malinowski (1884 – 1942) the function of culture is to fulfill certain biological and psychological needs people share.

Cultures are expected to fulfill certain functions in order to lead a society successfully and some of them might me:

Guarantee the biological continuity of its members.

Provide practical means to pass on knowledge among members.

Meet the psychological and emotional needs of its members.

Being flexible enough in order to survive the increasing shifting conditions.

Offer strategies for the rational production and distribution of goods and services considered necessary for life.

Provide an organised and diverse social structure so that all its members can fit in it and also understand the world in their own means.

Facilitate social interactions among its members and offer reasonable ways to avoid or resolve conflicts that might rise within the group as well as with outsiders.

Allow human beings to adapt the environment to their own purposes. Social interactions do not refer to only relationships among human beings but also and deeply with nature. The survival of all cultures depends on the way they use and treat nature.

A well-working culture is the one that satisfies the different groups within the society as equally as possible; thus, its individual members can all have access to the resources available in the community and achieve their personal and collective goals. This will avoid the members to feel unsafe and unattached; therefore, they will not easily fall into anti-social behaviours, such as: violence, crime, suicide, depression, abuse of drugs, etc.

Enculturation and Acculturation

Every single culture is learnt by their members and transmitted from person to person and from generation to generation to avoid its absolute disappearance. The most important instrument used to carry this out is language. The process of passing on knowledge among people is what we call enculturation. This process is vital to guarantee the survival of the culture, but it is also significant to do it in the most smoothly manner to avoid any disruption among members and also among the features of the culture being transmitted.

Enculturation let us understand the past so that we can make a better sense of the present and therefore plan a more sustainable future for the welfare of our species. This process also gives us the opportunity to find out more about ourselves; our ancestors and origin; where the way we think and perceive the world, our values and beliefs come from.

When enculturation is carried out in the proper manner, the members of all cultures grow up closer to their past, revitalizing the core values that make their cultures unique and distinct from all others. They also grow up in an environment characterized by the deep pride of belonging to one particular culture and behave with strong ideas of maintaining their culture alive; albeit the irrevocable changes they must go through.

There is also another phenomenon that cultures might experience, consisting on the absorption of one culture over another one, called acculturation. This usually happens when industrialized or capital societies influence highly over traditional small societies to the point of modifying them completely. Once they are in contact, the former shapes and converts the latter one. The small society adopts the culture of the powerful one as the final outcome. This process is similar to that of colonization. It is especially more noticeable now that we live in a globalized world; where the small societies are usually the most affected ones.

Ethnocentrism and cultural relativism

There is generally a bad habit of criticising other people’s behaviour but most of all to judge the way other cultures function. When we find ourselves interacting with people from other cultures, or simply see it on the media; we get surprised by the different manners they behave, think and express in similar situations. There is nothing wrong with comparing cultures, in fact, this way we learn more about others and value ours, too. We must keep in mind that when comparing, we should adopt an unbiased position in order to understand the best way possible why other people do things in the way they do, and avoid unsupported preconceptions.

The term that refers to what it is mentioned in the paragraph above is ethnocentrism: the belief that the way that one’s own culture functions is the only proper and correct one, while all others are wrong.

In order to avoid making fast judgements or simply incorrect conclusions; anthropologists, when studying cultures, always put into practice what they call cultural relativism which is the idea that we must suspend or postpone judgement of other people’s practices until we acquire a full understanding of the culture in which we are interested; so as to understand them in their own cultural terms. It is important to clarify that in this process what it is done is to put off one’s judgement towards another culture, it is neither precipitated nor cancelled. Through cultural relativism it is possible to hold our judgements and perceptions about the culture being observed to the last stage; in order to take down accurate data and keep valid records; furthermore, avoid preconceptions influenced by ethnocentrism.

Conclusion

Along history not only humans have changed, but also the way we live. In our search for a better and more comfortable world for us to inhabit; we have made an irrational and abusive use of natural resources. We have damaged nature to such extreme points to threaten our own survival. Most of the societies around the world, influenced by the western fashion have turned into very consumerist ones; the ideas and values that used to grasp societies together are now stirring political discomfort and creating social inequality because the leaders and members of our societies are more tented to achieve personal and individual profits at any cost to work collectively so that every member can accomplish his personal and collective needs.

The process of changing is unstoppable; everything needs to keep changing constantly to stay alive; therefore a culture that does not adjust its features simple disappears. The most important affected feature of a culture is its language. Language is that particular faculty that differentiates us from animals and makes us a unique and rational species.

Through language we humans are able to express our feelings, thoughts, ideas and most importantly to transmit our culture from one generation into another one, assuring its survival along years. Many languages have already disappeared, mainly as a result of the process of acculturation; and with the languages, also ways of thinking, expressing, seeing, perceiving are gone. This way the world becomes small and intrinsic, losing authenticity and variety provided for the distinct and diverse manners of receiving, understanding, analyzing, shaping and living this world.

For a culture to survive is not enough to shift. It should do it in a way that it can guarantee that its members will satisfy their biological and social needs; thus, the whole society will feel competent and safe; therefore, it will behave proudly and mutually to keep it alive.

How could someone explain Americas loosening view of sexual intercourse over recent decades. Have our moral standards changed so much that they now accept or even encourage frequent sex? Is it just a method of rebellion as people attempt to fight conservative societal views? Maybe we just wish to fight those who instill inhibitive ideas on us, and our forms of freedom in this case, that of our bodies. Has American media’s desire for revenue and profit caused an increased sway towards what was previously deemed inappropriate? Prevention of sexually transmitted diseases is one reason.in this essay, I will argue that celibacy in today’s society is acceptable and not taboo.

First, how could someone explain America’s loosening view of sexual intercourse over recent decades? One can speculate on these ideas, probably others as well, and not really get anywhere. They’ve all contributed to mod There can be several motives why people decide to engage in sex. You know them. Everyone does. And of course, mostly for married folk, there’s the desire to have children. Other than that, all of those motives really originate, whether directly or indirectly, from the basic biological urge that makes us all crave sex. The difference between celibacy and the casual sexual attitude in today’s society is how a person decides to react to that urge and the various other motives that stem from it.

Secondly, maybe we just wish to fight those who instill inhibitive ideas on us, and our forms of freedom in this case, that of our bodies. not all people consider it a priority to do push-ups the hard way every weekend. In fact, some consider it a priority not to have sexual intercourse. These people are celibates, and they’re not ashamed to admit it. They’re proud of it. Tease them as you may, but they often have very good reasons to refrain from the common practices regarding sexual activity, and all the cultural side dishes that accompany it. Where will you find them? Yeah, church. We know. Where else? The reality is that they can be found in the same places as everyone else. You just may not realize it. Be that as it may, celibate people follow a different code on how, when and why they would or would not participate in sexual activity.

Lastly, celibacy is the key for prevention of sexually transmitted diseases and unplanned pregnancy. as there are different reasons why people have sex, there can also be varying reasons why people don’t. The most obvious one is health risks, and the spread of sexually transmitted diseases. However, when compared to most other reasons, this one still revolves around benefit to a certain physical satisfaction, that of being healthy and free of complication. It also stems from the issue of pressure and acceptance, as a person who contracts any health problems from intercourse may feel shunned from his or her peers, or may experience a personal sense of disappointment of modern times.

In conclusion, how could someone explain America’s loosening view of sexual intercourse over recent decades? Maybe we just wish to fight those who instill inhibitive ideas on us, and our forms of freedom in this case, that of our bodies. , celibacy is the key for prevention of sexually transmitted diseases. My whole idea in writing this essay is to bring awareness to the idea of celibacy in today’s society. Preventing teen pregnancy and the AIDS epidemic is one benefit of celibacy. But in today’s society sex sells it is everywhere books, television, movies, and billboards. Peer pressure is one of the main deterrents of celibacy. So I hope that this essay shed a little light on how celibacy is not such a bad thing.[words 634]

Michael Garcia

Professor Rowe

Writing Techniques I

26 November 2012

Argument Outline

First, how could someone explain America’s loosening view of sexual intercourse over recent decades?

Secondly, maybe we just wish to fight those who instill inhibitive ideas on us, and our forms of freedom in this case, that of our bodies.

Lastly, celibacy is the key for prevention of sexually transmitted diseases and unplanned pregnancy.

In conclusion, how could someone explain America’s loosening view of sexual intercourse over recent decades? Maybe we just wish to fight those who instill inhibitive ideas on us, and our forms of freedom in this case, that of our bodies. , celibacy is the key for prevention of sexually transmitted diseases.[words 117]

Supporting details worksheet

How could someone explain America’s loosening view of sexual intercourse over recent decades?

Have our moral standards changed so much that they now accept or even encourage frequent sex?

Is it just a method of rebellion as people attempt to fight conservative societal views?

Maybe we just wish to fight those who instill inhibitive ideas on us, and our forms of freedom in this case, that of our bodies.

Has American media’s desire for revenue and profit caused an increased sway towards what was previously deemed inappropriate?

Prevention of sexually transmitted diseases is one reason.

Thesis Statement: In this essay, I will argue that celibacy in today’s society is acceptable and not taboo.

Topic sentence#1 First, how could someone explain America’s loosening view of sexual intercourse over recent decades?

One can speculate on these ideas, probably others as well, and not really get anywhere.

They’ve all contributed to mod There can be several motives why people decide to engage in sex. You know them. Everyone does.

And of course, mostly for married folk, there’s the desire to have children.

Other than that, all of those motives really originate, whether directly or indirectly, from the basic biological urge that makes us all crave sex.

The difference between celibacy and the casual sexual attitude in today’s society is how a person decides to react to that urge and the various other motives that stem from it.

Topic sentence # 2 Secondly, maybe we just wish to fight those who instill inhibitive ideas on us, and our forms of freedom in this case, that of our bodies.

Not all people consider it a priority to do push-ups the hard way every weekend.

In fact, some consider it a priority not to have sexual intercourse. These people are celibates, and they’re not ashamed to admit it.

They’re proud of it. Tease them as you may, but they often have very good reasons to refrain from the common practices regarding sexual activity, and all the cultural side dishes that accompany it. Where will you find them? Yeah, church. We know. Where else?

The reality is that they can be found in the same places as everyone else.

You just may not realize it. Be that as it may, celibate people follow a different code on how, when and why they would or would not participate in sexual activity.

Topic sentence # 3Lastly, celibacy is the key for prevention of sexually transmitted diseases and unplanned pregnancy.

As there are different reasons why people have sex, there can also be varying reasons why people don’t.

The most obvious one is health risks, and the spread of sexually transmitted diseases.

However, when compared to most other reasons, this one still revolves around benefit to a certain physical satisfaction, that of being healthy and free of complication.

It also stems from the issue of pressure and acceptance, as a person who contracts any health problems from intercourse may feel shunned from his or her peers, or may experience a personal sense of disappointment of modern times.

Topic Sentence # 3Lastly, celibacy is the key for prevention of sexually transmitted diseases and unplanned pregnancy.

AS there are different reasons why people have sex, there can also be varying reasons why people don’t.

The most obvious one is health risks, and the spread of sexually transmitted diseases. However, when compared to most other reasons, this one still revolves around benefit to a certain physical satisfaction, that of being healthy and free of complication.

It also stems from the issue of pressure and acceptance, as a person who contracts any health problems from intercourse may feel shunned from his or her peers, or may experience a personal sense of disappointment of modern times.

Conclusion: In conclusion, how could someone explain America’s loosening view of sexual intercourse over recent decades?

Maybe we just wish to fight those who instill inhibitive ideas on us, and our forms of freedom in this case, that of our bodies.

celibacy is the key for prevention of sexually transmitted diseases.

My whole idea in writing this essay is to bring awareness to the idea of celibacy in today’s society.

Preventing teen pregnancy and the AIDS epidemic is one benefit of celibacy.

But in today’s society sex sells it is everywhere books, television, movies, and billboards.

Peer pressure is one of the main deterrents of celibacy.

So I hope that this essay shed a little light on how celibacy is not such a bad thing.[words 634]

In the book of Ruth, the name Ruth itself means mercy. In the context of the book this mercy is to show that God’s grace and mercy is for all the people in Israel.

Ruth was a poor woman and on top of all she was as well a foreigner which made her life more difficult. However, during her difficult time she was helped by another woman and helped her overcome her difficulties. This woman was older and through her experience in life was able to listen and give advice to Ruth. In return Ruth offered to her extreme loyalty.

Ruth’ story is a historical novel which is based on real people and it signifies and points out a story of courage in difficult situations. It is set in the period of the Judges before the birth of King David however there is evidence that it was in reality written much later so much so about the time when the two tribes of Judah were set free and were allowed to go to Jerusalem.

The story is divided in four episodes each exploring Ruth’s life. The first episode was about Ruth and Naomi that go to Bethlehem. This first act which can be regarded as a prologue discusses how Naomi and her family went to Moab. Naomi was Israelite and lived with her family, however an unfortunate event occurred. A storm destroyed their grain and there was famine among most of the people including Naomi’s family. This famine led such a family to go to leave their home, Naomi with her family had to go and live in another country, specifically that of Moab. Naomi with her husband had two sons and later they got married. Due to circumstances Naomi’s husband and sons die. Heavy hearted she sees fit that she returns to Bethlehem. Naomi had two daughters in law who were Ruth and Orpah. The three women ended up being widows and in ancient Israel there were not allowed to remarry because their dead husbands were still considered to be families. However one must keep in mind that the daughters in law were not Israelites, unlike Naomi they were Moabites which were considered bitter enemies. So much so, there a few battles between them. This is so because the Israelites regarded the Moabites as inferior because according to hem they originated from an act of incest between Lot and his oldest daughter. This led to the believe, that the Moab nation was tainted. Naomi, regarding all this hatred among the two groups believed that her daughters in law Ruth and Orpah would not go to Bethlehem with her. However Naomi’s hope was not completely lost. Orpah decided to be in Moab among her people, but Ruth saw things in a different light. Ruth shared the same grief and loneliness that Naomi was facing and this led her to accompany Naomi and return with her to Bethlehem.

The second episode of the book of Ruth takes a different shape. Naomi was a widow but still she had family connections. On top of that both Naomi and Ruth were women of initiative; they did not believe that things were going to happen by themselves. Case in point, at that times women mostly took action in food management and production and Ruth took part in gleaning the barley so that she and Naomi survive. Naomi had a relative on her husband’s side, who he was rich and went by the name of Boaz. As Ruth usually did, she had to do gleaning in order to survive and she ended up gleaning in a field belonging to Boaz.

‘She came and gleaned in the field behind the reapers. As it happened, she came to the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech. Just then Boaz came from Bethlehem.’ (Ruth Episode 2:1-7)

One must notice that in such an event, Ruth uses the phrase ‘as it happened’; this signifies the meaning that God indented this scene to happen. This phrase is often used in the bible to bestow the greatness of God to establish such scenes. Also, Naomi and the people of Bethlehem saw that Boaz was a good match for Ruth and encouraged her to him.

Naomi believed that Ruth was good enough for Boaz as she was a good woman and respected, all her problems would cease if she just could have a rich husband. She saw through Boaz that he was perfect for Ruth, for he had a good nature, respected as well, rich and obligated to help them as he was a relative of Naomi. Boaz was a ‘go-el’ who had a duty to aid the respective family if the husband died.

Like Naomi believed, Boaz helped Ruth so much so, he went through many ordeals to gain extra grain for her, protected her and saw that she was properly fed. Through his help and care, God was opening a branch for destiny to occur.

The third episode takes place at the threshing floor which is a perfect time of the year as the harvest would have been brought in and weather would still be warm. Naomi thought that this was the last chance that Ruth had to marry Boaz so it was here that she devised a plan for Boaz to propose to Ruth. Ruth thought that the idea of her marrying Boaz was mere fantasy because she was a poor Moab woman while he had high status and rich however she still listened to Naomi and she heeded her words.

‘When Boaz had eaten and drunk, and he was in a contented mood, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain. Then she came stealthily and uncovered his feet, and lay down.’

Ruth dressed well, perfumed herself and waited until Boaz had eaten a good meal. Afterwards, Boaz went to sleep and Naomi went near his place and lied down next to him.

‘cover her with his blanket’

This phrase suggests that since Boaz is the ‘go-el’, a kinsman, Ruth has the right to demand marriage so this phrase suggests marriage. Boaz agreed however he had some dire news that his cousin was a much closer kinsman than he is. Boaz had to deal with his cousin before he could marry her and he had to do everything in order so there would be no questioning about the legality of the marriage. Ruth slept and stayed next to Boaz till the morning and returned to Naomi. Naomi was eager to know whether she would marry him, but she was not alone as so was Ruth eager to know whether they will marry or not.

This leads to the fourth and final episode of Ruth’s book. As what happens in every place, the villages come to know what is happening as Boaz, the next morning, was already met by the nearest kinsman of Naomi’s family. However due to some negotiations concerning land finally Ruth and Boaz got married and they had their son Obed being the father of Jesse who was the father of David, who he united Israel to its greatness.

“Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without next of kin. May his name be renowned in Israel! He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourishment for your old age. For your daughter-in-law who loves you, who is more to you than seven sons, has borne him”. Then Naomi took the child and laid him in her bosom, and became his nurse.’ (Ruth Episode 4:1-22)

As one can see, the book of Ruth deals with how family continues throughout generations amplifying their greatness as the former Ruth was a woman who had no children but events folded in such a way that she became the great grandmother of David. It also puts forth a message about dealing with problems. In the beginning Ruth had nothing left, only Naomi however she embraced the little she had and did not lose hope. Even a poor Moab woman as Ruth through God’s aid was able to fulfil her destiny.

The religious aspects of the Book of Ruth deal also with practicality. All the themes conveyed such as love, generosity and most importantly to trust in each other brings out the meaning that no matters how badly events occur, goodness exists and it is achieved through effort and hard work. Given this fact, one can understand why the book of Ruth was written. God’s purpose may be fulfilled in many ways, some of them even unexpected. God’s love is for everyone and not only to the people of Israel.

The story reveals God’s character in His faithfulness in regards to chosen people. Ruth is God’s instrument to bless the nations. Old Testament narratives reveal the character of God and he is revealed as the provider of the helpless. In the book of Ruth, God provides Boaz, the nearest kinsmen to ultimately meet Ruth. Boaz becomes Ruth’s husband and also reclaims the rightful home for Naomi. Boaz is one who redeems; he redeemed Ruth as she was a victim of poverty, she was unprotected and no one provided for her.

The story provides a lesson on love and kindness. As we see from the very beginning, in the first episode, Ruth gave everything she had for Naomi her mother-in-law. This shows Ruth’s sacrificial character, so much so, Boaz noticed Ruth’ ability to give more than to receive back. Case in point, in the book of Ruth; it is stated that;

“Against the dark moral and ethical backdrop of the Judges period, the foreigner Ruth emerges as a paradigm of loyal love and of the kind of person the Lord is looking for to populate his covenant community”.

The tragedy of the beginning sets the story in motion as then there is the will to search for a special something that will restore balance. Naomi and Ruth are stricken by tragedy and this leads them to no hope of provision as they were childless. Naomi considers herself cursed by God, she sees no hope of security but then everything changes by God’s will through Ruth. A hero is someone who sacrifices his own needs to help others; Ruth is a heroine and saves Naomi. She sacrifices her security and the likelihood of marriage to remain loyal to Naomi however Naomi’s rule changes and adapts throughout the story. In the beginning she tries her best to dissuade Ruth to come with her to Bethlehem. However later on, when she accepts the fact that Ruth will accompany her, she wants her to marry Boaz. She even provides a plan on how to do so; this makes Naomi a complicated character throughout the story. When this change of attitude occurs, Naomi regards herself as vessel to bring about God’s voice. She actively prepares Ruth and Boaz for marriage and does her best in doing so. Even though the book is entitles Ruth, the story revolves around Naomi and her perspective. However, one cannot pass unnoticed the fact that is about God and His loving kindness to act as a provider for Ruth and Naomi.

References:
Books:
Hubbard RL., JR., The Book of Ruth, Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Websites:
http://www.wcg.org/lit/bible/hist/ruth1.htm
http://www.womeninthebible.net/1.13.Ruth.htm
http://www.americanbible.org/absport/news/item.php?id=151

The book of Judges is headed in Hebrew Bibles with the word shophetim meaning “Judges” or “executive leaders”. This designation occurred in the Talmud and the Septuagint (LXX). The title is derived from the type of leadership which dominated the theocratic era in Israel’s history, spanning from the death of Joshua to the coronation of King Saul the beginning of the Monarchy.

The task of identifying the author and establishing a date of composition for the book remains somewhat enigmatic, as it is with all the historical books of the Old Testament. According to the Babylonian Talmud and early Christian tradition the authorship is assigned to Samuel although there is really no conclusive evidence that would lend credence to this theory.

In regard to the date of composition various theories have been proposed. Liberal critics and advocates of the documentary hypothesis consider the book to be deuteronomic in its present form, they trace the same putative pentateuchal sources that they see as underlying the Pentateuch into the book of Judges. Others reject this idea and hold to the view that the books of Deuteronomy through 2 Kings form a distinct theological and literary unit clearly the work of a single author-compiler. More recent scholarship has moved away from typical source-criticism and taken a more aetiological approach being for the most part concerned with issues such as characterisation and the place of tradition in the development of the narratives.

However internal evidence from the text of the book can help to provide us with a more accurate date. The recurring phrase, “In those days there was no king in Israel” 17:6, 18:1, 19:1, 21:25, would indicate a composition after the establishment of the Monarchy. We are told in 1:21 that the Jebusites were still in control of Jerusalem a situation that David altered when he became King and defeated them (2 Sam 5:6). This evidence would imply that the book was written after the establishment of the Monarchy but before the days of King David, the reign of King Saul being a probable estimate. The Talmudic hypothesis which holds Samuel as the author would also fit well into this time scheme.

The purpose of the book is adequately expressed in the works of many scholars. Paul N Benware states: –

“Judges was written to record the experiences of Israel during the era of the theocracy.” [1]

Another scholar R K Harrison describes it this way: –

“The purpose of the work was to show that a centralized hereditary Kingship was necessary for the well-being of the Covenant theocracy.” [2]

Cleary the historical purpose of the book is to provide an account linking the conquest of the Promised Land under Joshua to the establishment of the monarchy.

The environment that serves as a backdrop to the history recorded in Judges is crucial to a proper understanding of the book. The events recorded cover the turbulent period in Israel’s history between the conquest of Canaan to the beginning of the Monarchy, conservative dating giving us a time period of 1380BC to 1043BC. [3] Although the land had been generally conquered and occupied under the campaigns of Joshua many of the Canaanite strongholds had been bypassed which left the responsibility for their subjugation to the individual Israelite tribes. The bible describes the heterogeneous population who resided in the Land of Canaan at this time (Jud 3:5). They consisted of six nations; they are the Canaanites, Amorites, Hivites, Perizzites, Hittites and Jebusites. [4] The book of Judges describes the Warfare between these groups as the tribes tried to complete their occupation of the Land. During this period the people of Israel did not obey the Lord and due to this a significant disintegration of political and social life began to put in an appearance among the Hebrew People. The peoples began to be seduced by the attractions of the Canaanite religions and ended up serving Baal (Jud 2:11). The state of the nation is accurately described by the repeated phrase: –

“Every man did what was right in his own eyes.” Jud17:6, 21:25

Due to the continued disobedience of Israel the lord gave them into the hands of foreign oppressors, among whom the Philistines were the most serious. The majority of the book details these oppressions and the exploits of the Judges whom God raised up to deliver them (Jud 2:16). This can be seen in the literary structure of the book. Most scholars agree the book can be separated into three distinct sections usually outlined thus: chapters 1-2 the introduction, 3-16 the oppressions and judges, 17-21 the appendix. The middle section detailing the oppressions and Judges is usually described as the “cycle of the Judges”. Paul Benware outlines the different stages of this cycle as follows: – 1.) Israel served the lord, 2.) Israel sinned, 3.)Israel became slaves, 4.)Israel cried to the Lord, 5.) A judge raised up and 6.) Israel delivered. [5] This cyclical composition outlined in Jud 2:11-19 will contribute to understanding the theology behind the Book of Judges.

It is with this background that we can now look at the theological message purported by the Book of Judges. The key theme for the book of Judges as stated by Leon Wood is failure, the failure of Israel to live up to her God given obligation. [6] It documents the constituents that result in spiritual apostasy. Ultimately it contrasts the failure of Israel to keep its covenantal responsibilities with the overruling covenant faithfulness of God, it shows the principle established in the Torah that if they are obedient they will have peace in the Land (Deut 6:19-19) and if they are disobedient they will be oppressed (Deut 7:1-4). The book of Judges shows that God will keep His word and will not overlook disobedience, but also that He is always willing to forgive his people and rectify their transgressions. God will stay faithful to his promise but Israel must live in obedience to inherit the benefits of the promise.

It is this somewhat paradoxical problem that is behind the narrative contained in the book of Judges.

The book of Isaiah can be divided into 2 sections; the judgment and the comfort. The first thirty nine chapters are about judgment and the rest is comfort. The book of Isaiah is about the prophet Isaiah and the visions he saw regarding Judah and Jerusalem. Isaiah was mainly called upon by God to prophesy to the people of the kingdom of Judah. Judah was experiencing some difficult times and was on the verge of being destroyed by Egypt and Assyria, but God showed them mercy and spared their life. The book of Isaiah paints a picture of God’s forthcoming judgment. “The mighty man will become tinder and his work a spark; both will turn together, with no one to quench the fire” (Isaiah 1:31), this shows how powerful God’s judgment is; it is going to come blazing down like a forest fire. The book of Isaiah also mentions that Isaiah also recognizes that our God is merciful, compassionate and gracious. According to the book of Isaiah, the great nation of Israel (Judah and Israel) was deaf as a beetle and blind as a bat when it came to God’s commands. The book of Isaiah, more so than other, emphasizes on Messiah and the salvation that follows him. One day, the Messiah will rule in righteousness and justice, “a king will reign in righteousness and rulers will rule with justice” (Isaiah 32:1). Peace and safety will be brought by the Messiah; through Him, Israel will be the light house and all the nations will look up to Israel. The book of Isaiah mainly focuses on the kingdom of Messiah on earth; it also says that God’s righteousness is entirely revealed during Messiah’s reign.

As an ambiguity, the book represents Messiah to be the one to suffer. “Christ suffered in his body; arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin” (1 Peter 4:1), the book of Isaiah also mentions that you can only be healed through his wound. Although God punishes sinners he also comforts them at the time of their trouble, for instance “As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you” (Isaiah 66:13)

RESPONSE

According to the first verse of the book of Isaiah, it was about the visions of Isaiah. If that was the case who is the author of the book; could it have been, Isaiah? Toward the end of the book, it describes the arrival of the Messiah and all the suffering he has to tolerate in order to wipe our sins clean. In order to fulfill all the prophecies in this book, the sovereign Lord organized every detail down to the crucifixion. All throughout the book of Isaiah, the main themes were the judgment and salvation of the people of Israel. From what I have noticed, the book of Isaiah is mentions a group of angels, called seraphim. It introduces the idea of heaven. The book also mentions Lucifer, an angel of god, the days before became the devil. One of Isaiah’s prophecies was one that was truly remarkable; it was the prediction of the Persian king Cyrus and his life, were mentioned long before his birth. Isaiah’s calling from god was mainly make the people of Judah and Jerusalem repent, and return to god as he is the judge, the jury, and the executioner. According to the book of Isaiah, Isaiah’s job as a prophet was to deliver an important message; repent your sins to the God and that Salvation comes not from man but the God almighty. The first chapter in the book of Isaiah, God promises the people two things; the first for the people who are good, and the second for the sinners. God’s promise to the obedient one was “you will eat from the best of the land” (Isaiah 1:19) and to the disobedient people, “you will be devoured by the sword” (Isaiah 1:20). If you look at the Isaiah’s prophecies; they were basically depictions of the life of Jesus Christ and his ministry. Why was the Northern Kingdom, Israel, being judged upon? What was Israel doing that made God so angry, that He decided to punish them for their sins? Why is the verse, “For all this His anger is not turned away, But His hand is stretched out still.” (Isaiah 9:12, 17, 21; 10:4) repeated several times in the book of Isaiah? What does it signify? When I first started reading the book of Isaiah, one thing that I noticed is the fact that the book had 66 chapters and the first 39 chapter, the judgment, and the last 27 chapter, the coming of messiah and the salvation. Similarly, the Bible has 66 books divided into 39 books, the Old Testament, and 27 books, the New Testament. Are these numbers related to each other, if so does that symbolize anything? Something that needs to be further analyzed.

The Book of Exodus is the second book of the Old Testament. According to dictionary, the word Exodus means, “departure or emigration, usually of a large number of people.” (Dictionary.com). Exodus is the continuation of the book of Genesis; it picks up where the other one left off. Genesis ended when God chose his people, the Jews of Israel. The book of Exodus can be classified into three sections: the beginning, the middle, and the end.

In the beginning, the book of Exodus explains what the circumstances where the enslavement of Jews under the Pharaoh. With all the difficulty and sacrifice the chosen people of God had to go through, a Levi man married a Levite woman and gave birth to a son named Moses. During that period, the Pharaoh of Egypt had ordered, “Every Hebrew boy that is born you must throw into the Nile, but let every girl live”(Exodus 1:22). Being a mother, she tried to hide her baby as much as she could and then she had to let him go. After three months of hiding the baby, Moses’ mother put him in a papyrus basket and let him float away in between the weeds of the Nile. Moses ends up being raised by the daughter of the Pharaoh. Moses grew up and became chosen to be the deliverer of God’s people. Moses went to Pharaoh to release the Jews. Pharaoh refuses and God through Moses brings forth the ten Plagues. Each Plague did more damage than its predecessor, the last one with the death of the first born in the family, these even t lead to the first Passover. Moses showed the Pharaoh how power full the God of Israel is, by the partition of the Red Sea to deliver the Israelites from Pharaoh.

The middle segment of the book is about journey to the land of the free. During which God gave people His Law carved on to a thick slice of stone. In spite of all the amenities given by God, the people fought against Him by making a statue of Gold and started worshiping it. The Last portion of Exodus is how God created the Ark of the Covenant, with its different aspects that He wants the people to follow including the forms of worship.

RESPONSE

The idea of going to church came from the book of Exodus and it is very clear. The picture being painted about the various sacrifices the Israelites have to give was part of a master plan. The Passover Lamb of God, which is the utmost sacrifice humanity, could give. The sacrifice of the Lamb is seen in various parts of the Bible. For Instance, in Genesis Abraham ends up sacrificing a ram, in Exodus, during the last plague, a lamb was sacrificed and its blood were marked on the door frame so that the Israelites would not be affected by the Plague. Imagine this, if lord had to kill the first born, how angry must have he been in order to do such a terrible thing. On another note, it is interesting see how God give the people the Ten Commandments; know which they would not be able to keep. It shows us that we are not able to abide by even the simplest of laws. God’s involvement in the people of Israel is clearly shown, through their deliverance from slavery to the food and water in the desert. I believe that it shows that God will provide with all our needs as long as we love him with all our heart. An example of this concept is, “Give, and it will be given to you” (Luke 6: 38). From the book of Exodus, we understand that sin is something that never gets unpunished. God’s does punish you for our sins, sooner or later. It is implied that if we are relieved of a situation we shouldn’t be in, it means that we shouldn’t go back to it. Especially, it is said in Exodus about not going back to other God’s. “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You shall have no other Gods before me.” From this it is very evident about the concept of going back to your old self. On a separate note, why did the Lord harden the Pharaoh’s heart? So does that mean he was showing that he was on both sides, or simply put a way to prove us that we had free will? If it was the latter than the former, why go through such extreme circumstances? Could He have made the point with less causality? Something to definitely make us think and analyze about is the way I look at it.

God’s power and authority cannot be contained or measured by any human or natural standard. He knows all things, even the thoughts and actions of mankind. His knowledge is without limit and His wisdom perfect. No secret is hidden from God as He is in every imaginable and unimaginable place at any time at the same time. He is the only true steadfast being one will ever encounter. Hebrews 13:8 confirms God is “the same yesterday, and today, and forever.” (Bonnke 2007:51-52)

The Nature of God

God’s nature is clearly evident in His love for His creation and especially His concern for those who don’t know Him. He calls mankind His children to whom He gave the gift of life through the ultimate sacrifice by crucifixion of His only Son, Jesus Christ.

God also declares that He is spirit, He is everlasting, He is light and He is love (Bonnke 2007:53-54).

The Old Testament Provision for Sojourners

God’s love and compassion for His creation and His desire for all to be saved is evident even in the Old Testament where various accounts of salvation from destruction can be found. The usual way of salvation was brought through the yearly sacrifice of an innocent lamb that needed to die in exchange for the sin of man. This ritual was to be replaced by the future promise of a deliverer who would bring about eternal forgiveness for sin, once and for all. (Bonnke 2007:55)

Old Testament prophets prophesied regarding this messiah and coming king who would fully restore Israel in relationship with God. (Bonnke 2007:56)

The New Testament

In Bethlehem a sinless boy of promise was born. He came to be entitled Jesus Christ and His destiny was to die so that the guilty might live. His ministry completed God’s plan of redemption. He promised His followers the empowerment of the Holy Spirit who would enable them to boldly proclaim the everlasting good news of salvation, through Jesus Christ, to the entire world. (Bonnke 2007:57)

Peter and Paul are two examples of how the power of the Holy Spirit enabled them to proclaim the gospel. Fearful Peter denying his affiliation with Jesus Christ was now fearlessly proclaiming the gospel. In the name of Christ Paul faced many sufferings and even death. Beyond all rationale they were compelled with the responsibility to tell the world of what Jesus had done. “With the blessing and assurance of salvation comes the responsibility of evangelism” (Bonnke 2007:58)

Power for evangelism

Jesus was aware of his disciples’ weaknesses and that they needed anointing and power through the promised Holy Spirit baptism to tell all about the good news of Jesus Christ. (Bonnke 2007:58)

On the day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit was poured out on the disciples. This once unknown power has now equipped these simple, weak and fearful fishermen with boldness, power and a new desire for evangelism. Pentecost marks the beginning of God’s plan for the proclamation of what Jesus’ death and resurrection means to all mankind. A message to be shared with the whole world (Bonnke 2007:59)

The disciples had to be witnesses unto Jesus “both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth” (Acts 1:8). In application this suggest that the first field of witnessing was to be their own, then nationally including those rejected by society, and then to the entire world (Bonnke 2007:60).

Through the evident power of the Holy Spirit, three thousand people received salvation after hearing this first sermon brought by Peter. The impact of what the disciples had received was clear and the flames of evangelism was burning bright. “The purpose of the Great Commission was a reality” (Bonnke 2007:61).

Models for personal and public evangelism.

Modern day evangelists have the privilege of learning from the works of those who laid the foundation of evangelism. Although strong military movements influenced various religious views, Christianity remained steadfast in its viewpoints and even continued to grow in influence even under adversity and persecution (Bonnke 2007:64)

Philip

Philip was the first recorded evangelist in the New Testament and appointed to oversee the welfare of widows and children in the church at Jerusalem (Bonnke 2007:64).

He became a very active preacher in Samaria where he cast out demons and healed the sick. Simon the magician was highly impacted by Philip’s public ministry in this town.

Afterwards Philip was guided by the Holy Spirit into Gaza where he ministered on a personal level to an Ethiopian eunuch. Philip found this eunuch reading the writings of Isaiah and explained to him how Jesus Christ was the fulfilment of these prophecies. The eunuch accepted the message and was baptized (Bonnke 2007:64-65).

Paul

Paul ministered in Macedonia, far beyond the borders of Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria. He was once a persecutor of the Christian believers, but now filled with the Holy Spirit he had an intent to tell the world about the gospel of Jesus Christ . He did so against any Satanic resistance. Even being imprisoned for his beliefs did not stop his mission. Prison just became another venue. Paul also had fears like any normal human being, yet by the power of the Holy Spirit he overcame his fears and preached with authority and conviction, knowing God was with him (Bonnke 2007:65)

The curch and evangelism

Evangelism and mission will always be stimulated with the church’s emphasize on the baptism of the Holy Spirit. They have become a new people identifying themselves using the Greek term ecclesia which translates as assembly or congregation. Although division have been caused at times through different viewpoints within the church, the unifying purpose of evangelism still stands.

Conclusion

Fr. Horacio Dela Costa, in his work The Background of Nationalism and Other Essays, made an effort to help the Filipino find strengthen his own sense of identity, questioning the shallowness of the usual Filipino’s claim for national identity. He says, “It is easy enough to say, ‘I am Filipino’.” but then asks what saying it means when “the very word itself is a foreign derivative with no exact indigenous equivalent”. The truth is that, as Father Dela Costa says, we do not even have a name we can call our own. Father Dela Costa’s essays in this text concerns to “clarify the Filipino’s sense of identity and purpose as a nation.”(p. vii)

In this text, Father Dela Costa gave light on the responsibility of the writer in contemporary Philippine society. Here he writes about the concerns the writer must keep in mind. The writer as an artist, he says, is responsible for conveying the right ‘memorable’ experience in his text.

The writer must be aware of the Filipino’s sense of identity. Startling, in fact, that Father Dela Costa started proving the Filipino’s cultural identity by doubting it. He asks, “Do we have a cultural identity?” (p.83) He wonders because what is apparent is that Filipinos have cultural diversity “far more pronounced than any other Asian nation”. He recognizes that our neighboring Asian nations have been subjected to Western cultural influence but he observes that none of them have experienced such interpenetration as the Filipino. This is the reason why he questions the Filipino identity. The influence of the West have seemingly been so much mixed with the Filipino’s own that it might, in a way, have dominated what remains to be originally Filipino.

Father Dela Costa contends that Filipinos cannot just accept it as a given that the Filipino is culturally diverse, a mix of Asian and Western. He wants the Filipino to be aware of his own and claim just one, it cannot be both. So much of the culture may be influenced by the West such as the constitution and religion but Father Dela Costa contends that still, we cannot be both. We must be one or the other, Asian or Western. He says that the Filipino who accepts both might be accepting so because he subscribes to the Aristotelian concept of orderliness wherein he likes to see things fit neatly in categories. To those who accept both, the Filipino is Asian because he is geographically from Asia but also Western because of so much Western things he does culturally. However, this new category of being both might be disorderly after all. Father Dela Costa suspects a rough kind of unity here. (p.84)

All in all, Father Dela Costa encourages the Filipino writer to be aware of his identity thru enlarged consciousness and refined sensibility of the present and past. This work of his aims to empower the Filipino to be aware of what he truly is and truthfully claims his culture as his own.

The Rizal Bill of 1956

Horacio dela Costa was asked to draft for the Church a pastoral letter on the writings of Jose Rizal (particularly Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo) being included in the reading curriculum of students in the Philippines. It is not something many know, but he actually expressed a positive view of Rizal, hailing Rizal as “builder of a nation”.

In draft A, he reinforced that Rizal was not someone with an “unthinking love” for the country, meaning that the Filipinos suffered under colonial rule but this was not the only cause of their suffering. He went on to say that Rizal’s books, contrary to popular belief, were in fact not looked upon unfavorably by the Catholic Church since the Church would never get in the way of the “legitimate political and social aspirations of any people” (Schumacher), which were expressed in Rizal’s novels. However, a closer inspection of the novels reveals that his writing did not lambast the Church but rather brought attention to the abuses and issues surrounding the institution such as the reality of “unfaithful priests” and excessive veneration of saints. Though it must be realized that these issues do not in any way render Catholic doctrine as a whole null and void. Therefore, in Dela Costa’s view, it can be seen that Rizal was not targeting the Catholic Church with his novels but the crimes that its members commit in order to tarnish its principles.

The “way” of Jesuit Education entails that a person has morality closely intertwined with intellect, “an integral relationship between the life of faith and the life of the mind”. (Donahue 1992) This therefore implies that one may display the values of his Jesuit education by making sure that his sense of morality permeates his intellectual endeavors, that he is able to discern well with reason but also able to see goodness, to see God in all things, no matter how difficult it might seem to be.

In this case, Horacio Dela Costa incorporated morality into his analysis of Rizal and his two novels by discerning Rizal’s motives through his writing. It would be all too easy to go with the opinion of the majority of the bishops who hired him to write the pastoral letter by just condemning the inclusion of Rizal’s novels in the reading curriculum of schools. However, Dela Costa wrote out a letter with a more positive view of Rizal according to what his intellect, as well as his sense of morality and goodness told him, which in turn gauged the morality that he could see in Rizal and his writings.

Rizal’s novels tell of some negative aspects of religion, such as corruption in the character of Fr. Damaso and Salvi or even the religious complacency of Tiago, who prayed as much as a saint in the story but might not have reflected this religious sense in terms of his actions. It would have been all too easy for Dela Costa, or for anyone, for that matter, to dismiss these examples as plain criticisms of the Church, aimed at providing those who do not support the Church as an institution with the fuel to rip them apart. However, Dela Costa was able to use his keen intellect and sense of morality and goodness on Rizal’s writings in order to pinpoint insights that went much deeper. He was able to surmise that Rizal was not anti-Church; his writings did not reflect a negative image of Catholic doctrine, but rather revealed the abuses and crimes being committed by the members of the Church, whether these be in the higher ranks such as the priests or ordinary laymen.

Dela Costa was able to recognize Rizal’s examples of excessive veneration of saints, malicious behavior of religious figures, and other such unholy matters as expressing a stand against how religion was presented to people during his time; how religion existed in people’s lives back then. Dela Costa was able to recognize Rizal’s morality and sense of goodness through his writing when others could only see bald-faced accusations and criticisms of a powerful institution.

It is important to possess a realistic picture of the world, a world where suffering exists. In the world today, it would be so easy for a person to block things out if they should find something unpleasant. However, a Jesuit education, in order to let people see that there is goodness and God in everything must also groom people to accept and face the reality of a suffering world. Dela Costa would not have taken Rizal’s exposure of the negative aspects of the Church as he did, if he did not choose to see the world for what it is, negative aspects and all. He was also able to understand Rizal’s intentions to tackle suffering at its source because he was also able to take the time to discern the dirty, painful picture of reality and avoid putting blame and accusations on Rizal, who the bishops thought had a negative view of the Church itself.

On Free Trade and Poverty

“Free trade between an industrial country and an agricultural country is to the detriment of the agricultural country aˆ¦ Our negotiating position aˆ¦ cannot be other than based on our national interest aˆ¦ and at the same time, on social justice.” (Trade between the unequal, lecture 30 August 1968). According to Gatdula these assertions made by Fr. De La Costa, based on recent findings by several international organizations, were deemed correct and still very much relevant in today’s free trade market. His works from the past are still some of the main frameworks of today’s society.

On poverty this is Fr. Dela Costa’s perspective: “We must now make our own decisions and must take the full consequences of the decisions we wrongly make, or weakly make, or cravenly fail to make. We no longer have a mother country or a colonial master to blame for our shortcomings; we only have ourselves.” (Philippine Economic Development, 27 January 1966) Although not specifically directed towards the poor and impoverished, Fr. Dela Costa believes that we have full control over our lives and he wants the poor to take control to try to get themselves out of the hole they are currently in. They have to make a stand and not just blame whomever for their situation.

Another insight is that this phrase was written forty years ago for it most likely was a problem back then that Fr. Dela Costa saw, truly enough this is still applicable in our lives today, especially with our Filipino culture of blaming others for the shortcomings or negative outcomes in our lives. Clearly seen in our electoral system wherein we are the ones who vote for and decide who our government officials are but when they don’t perform up to par we blame them but in reality the one to blame is us, for we are the ones who voted for them. Fr. Dela Costa also asserts that for our country to gain economic development all the people must contribute, it must be a joint effort. Undoubtedly this is true but the question that he raises is that are we all willing to do this?

Some technological inventions have affected our life greatly for the past decades, especially computers. It’s true that computers really provide us more convenient life. With computers, we can deal with many documents even faster, we can use computer to control machines to work, and we can also buy what we want through the Internet on computers. Nevertheless, computers also brought some bad effects to our life; here are some examples of the bad effects that computers have brought to us.

One of the bad effects is the impact for art. There are more people tend to create art works by computers, for, those created by computers are neat and tidy. In my opinion, however, they are only squares, straight lines, and other boring things, which are supposed to be called art works. From art works, we can see what an artist wants to deliver to us; we can feel the passion, the eager or even the suffer just like what the artist felt from his/her work. For example, in Renoir’s paintings, we can easily find the tenderness and his pity for people because he had given his spirits to his paintings. Even though computers can also make paintings in Renoir’s style, we can’t see any emotion or spirit in them at all since computers can only imitate rather than create.

Another bad effect is that computers have brought much solitude into people’s life. For instance, there are more and more people would like to stay home using computers rather than going out to have interaction with people. This is because these people are poorly educated in a holistic manner. Thus, your viewpoint has caused some misunderstanding. It’s not a good phenomenon, for everyone has to know how to get along with others; there’s no one can live on his/her own.

What’s more, we can’t deny that, with the help of computers, we become lazier than we used to be. For example, many students tend to find information simply on the Internet instead of going to libraries for their homework, and if their teachers ask them to hand their homework in type form, the only thing they have to do is copy the information. Therefore, students won’t get anything from their assignments.

When it comes to technology, some people will lose the original treasure in human beings, like diligence and sociability. We can’t rely on technology too much. After all, technology is used to help us. We should take advantage of technology instead of being taken advantage of by technology.

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Swami Vivekananda was born on 12 January 1863 in Kolkata to Vishwanath Dutta and Bhubaneswar Devi .Swami Vivekananda’ s childhood name was Narendranath Dutta. His father was an Attorney-at-low in the Calcutta high court. He was proficient in English and Persian .he had also in depth knowledge of bible and Hindu scriptures in Sanskrit. His mother was a deeply religious lady, well-versed in the art of story -telling .swami Vivekananda was very much attached to his mother. She used to tell him mythological stories which he heard with great concentration and interest. He often said that it was his mother who had been the source of constant inspiration in his life. He had learnt epics and Purina’s from his mother.

Since his childhood Vivekananda was very intelligent and had great attraction for spiritual matters. Vivekananda retained everything he was once told. He always spoke the truth and always wanted to test the truth of whatever he was told. He was very bold and courageous even in the middle of danger. He was equally good at singing and sports. He was born leader.

Narendra passed his entrance examination from the metropolitan institute. He did graduation from Christian college Calcutta .Hastie, the principal of the college was highly impressed by him. Mr. Hastie was known to have made his remark about Narendranath,”Narendranath is really genius. I have travelled far and wide, but I have never come across a lad of his talents and possibilities, even in German Universities among philosophical student. He is bound to make a mark in life.”He had a wide range of interests ranging from sports and music to wrestling, philosophy and poetry. He had great love for the poetry of Shelley, Wordsworth Herbert Spencer and John Stuart Mill. Narendra did not enjoy worldly pleasures. He was always on the look for something beyond worldly and materialistic world. His life completely changed when he met with Sri Ramakrishna. He became Swami Vivekananda from Narendranath Dutta after he met Sri Ramakrishna for the second time.

As a child, Vivekananda was strong -willed and restless. as a student of philosophy ,he had various questions related to god such as ,if there was any God ,how He looked ,why he created this world ,what relationship does He has with the people and the like , but there was none who could satisfy his queries. Narendra loved and admired Ramakrishna, but never surrendered his independence of judgement. Sri Ramakrishna suffered a deadly disease and very soon passed away. Before his death Ramakrishna brought his young disciples under the leadership of Narenda. He also transmitted his power to Narendra and said,”By the force of the power transmitted by me, great things will be done by you.” When Sri Ramakrishna passed away in august 1886, all his young disciples under Narendra laid the foundation of Ramakrishna brotherhood at baranagore. It was during this time that Narendra along with his disciple brothers took the vow of sannaysa and renunciation and felt the need of wandering life of the sannaysa. And towards the close of 1888, Narendra too began to take temporary excursions away from the monastery. He founded the Ramakrishna Mission, one of India’s leading charitable institutions.

Narendra wanted to have a good understanding of Indians, Indian cultures and traditions. For this he undertook extensive travelling, taking leave of his brother monks with the firm resolve to cut himself free from all ties and to go into the solitude of the Himalayas. This was a great departure .like a diver he plunged into the Ocean of India and the Ocean of India covered his tracks. He was an unidentified monk with exceptional genius. He met many leading personalities’ lawyers, teachers, and rulers .He appealed them all to do something for the suffering masses. A few among them came forward and provided him financial support so as to take a journey to the west and make them known of the eternal religion of the modern world.

Carrying forward his noble mission, Narendra, with the help of subscription rose by some of his young disciples, visited America to attend the parliament of religions convened at Chicago. At the young age of 30, he reached Chicago to represent Hinduism there. The appeal of his simple words of burning sincerity, his great personality and his bright countenance were so great that the next day the newspaper described him as the greatest figure in parliament of religions. When this quite unknown young man of thirty appeared in Chicago at the inaugural meeting of the parliament of religions opened in September 1893, by cardinal gibbons, all his fellow members were forgotten in his commanding presence. The thoughts of this warrior prophet of India left a deep mark upon the United States. This simple monk had become the man of the hour. His address to the parliament of religions established him as an exponent of India’s age old values. Overnight he became a great national hero of India. Suddenly it brought to the Indians that there must be something in the Indian thought that the Western intelligentsia feel compelled to admire. It is for the first time that they awoke to the richness of their heritage .His visit to Chicago was a tremendous success. After he made visit to England and Switzerland. He spread his message there .He got the chance of meeting and lecturing various kinds of people .Swami’s lecture at these places aimed at raising big funds to help relieve the suffering and poverty of Indian masses as well as to bring to the West the ancient Indian wisdom of Vedanta and practices of classical yoga.

Vivekananda stayed in America for more than three years. This long stay was full of intense activity .Vivekananda began to offer classes, free of any charge to his sincere students. After delivering numerous lectures and classes in New York during this time, he founded first Vedanta Society in America. He also trained a group of close disciples at Thousand Island park. Swami saw in Margaret a great future in the work for India. Swami’s lectures in England form Janna yoga. The results of his work produced such an impression that he was offered the chair of Eastern Philosophy at both Harvard University and Columbia University. He had laboured hard to give this message to the West that Vedanta forms the universal principle basic to all religions and his efforts resulted in the establishment of the first centre for yoga work on a permanent basis in the United States. He returned to India at 1896.At madras he delivered public lectures which was a call to rise and build a new India.

He described India’s neglect of masses as a national sin. The social status of women in India was also a matter of grave concern for him. India’s ethnic and religious diversity for him was never a matter to be worried about, for India had always sought her unity in love and respect for different sects and communities .He aspired for a new social order and new civilization in which best spiritual traditions of India would be combined with the latest advancement in the field of science and technology. He preached “Jive is shiva”, meaning every being is a part of God. He gave this call to Indians to “Arise, awake and stop not till the goal is reached.”

This great man of India died at the young age of 39 on the 4th of July 1902.He established two monasteries in the name of Sri Ramakrishna, one at baronage and the other at blur, near Calcutta. Till today his work is carried out in these Missions. He said to his followers, “It may be that I shall find it good to get outside my body-to cast it off like a worn -out garment. But I shall not cease to work. I shall inspire men everywhere, until the world shall know that it is one with God.”Tagore once advised Romaine Rolland,”If you want to know India, study Vivekananda”. In a short life of 39 years, he produced classics such as Janna yoga, Bhatia yoga, Karma yoga and raja yoga. He delivered numerous lectures, composed many poems and was spiritual guide to many seekers who came to him for instruction.He organized Ramakrishna order of monks. Swami Vivekananda once spoke of himself as a “Condensed India”.

Swami Vivekananda said that “Mukti and all else appear of no consequences to me”. And “sell it, if necessary we are Sanyasins, We ought always to be ready to sleep under the trees and live on what we beg every day”.