Abstract This paper evaluates Gregory A. Boyd's book "God of the Possible: A Biblical Introduction to the Open View of God," which presents open theism as an alternative to classical theism. The writer analyzes Boyd's approach, his biblical interpretation, the core beliefs of which he writes and their practical implications. The writer concludes that Boyd successfully achieves his prescribed purpose for writing and presents a 'much more livable theology'.
Outline:
Abstract
Boyd's Project
Biblical Interpretation
The Beliefs of Open Theism
Practical Advantages of Open Theism
Conclusion
From the Paper "Boyd contends that there are many problems inherent in the classical view of God's foreknowledge and thus seeks to present a more biblically sound and more practically relevant standpoint on the issue of God's foreknowledge. He desires to present this in a way that is widely accessible to all as he contends that "this issue is too important and too practically significant to be limited to academic circles." Consequently he concedes that particular aspects of the open theism perspective have been deliberately overlooked in order to achieve his overarching goal of informing and motivating the intended audience in the most effective manner possible."
Abstract This paper ananlyzes the hypotheses presented in Robert Boyd and Peter Richerson's seminal work "Culture and the Evolutionary Process." The reviewer considers assumptions presented in the book which underline the relationship between science and culture in promoting human evolution. The paper also shows links between Boyd and Richardson and earlier research in the field. The reviewer concludes that the discussions and analyses in "Culture and the Evolutionary Process" uncovers explanations and generates further understanding of how humans and human society came about, and continues to develop in the present.
From the Paper "Boyd and Richerson provide two general assumptions that lead to their hypothesis, which posits that science and culture significantly influence each other in understanding the human evolutionary process. In the words of the authors, "process-oriented "scientific" analyses help us understand how history works, and "historical" data are essential to test scientific hypotheses about how populations and societies change" "
Abstract This paper discusses Boyd Shafer's definition of the meaning of modern nationalism in his book "Faces of Nationalism: New Realities and Old Myths", as well as the authors take on the realities and myths of modern nationalism. The paper further discusses Shafer's belief in internationalism over nationalism and provides some biographical data on author as well.
From the Paper Shafer's "Faces of Nationalism" is an expansion and reinterpretation of his book, "Nationalism: Myth and Reality". In the preface to the book Shafer cites his purpose as a historical study of the faces, the realities and myths of modern nationalism. In spite of more than two books on the subject as well as learned papers, Shafer states that he does not believe that he..."
Abstract Critique of Nina Boyd Krebs' book. Her thesis that the USA is undergoing a profound cultural crisis. Mainstream versus alternative ethnic, social or spiritual groups. Variety of individual experience. The paradox of multiple identities, and walking the edge between two cultures. Analysis of edgewalking and personal narratives of edgewalkers.
From the Paper "This research reviews the book Edgewalkers by Nina Boyd Krebs. Edgewalkers is Krebs's response to what she perceives as a profound cultural crisis in the United States. She refers to the "morass" of an American experience in which the dominant, or mainstream culture, seems capable of literally swallowing up the myriad individual cultures that contribute to it; the melting pot theory is one aspect of this (15f). But she takes the view that acknowledgment and even nurturing of the individual cultures of discrete contribution to the "pot" is a meaningful possibility, not least because the image of the pot has the effect of limiting outlook and perspective of the realities of lived culture. In order to establish a context for such acknowledgment and nurture, Krebs pursued the personal narratives of a number of people whom she describes as ..."
Abstract This paper discusses the book "Edgewalkers" by Nina Boyd Krebs which is Krebs's response to what she perceives as a profound cultural crisis in the United States. It analyzes her view that the American experience is one in which the dominant, or mainstream culture, seems capable of literally swallowing up the myriad individual cultures that contribute to it. It examines how Krebs pursues the personal narratives of a number of people whom she describes as edgewalkers--those individuals who function and even thrive on the boundary between mainstream culture and another culture-group to which they were born as a matter of ethnicity.
From the Paper "To the degree Krebs looks at a variety of individual experience coming from many social and ethnic cultures, it can be characterized as cross-cultural. But she is not just interested in identifying multiple cultures; she seeks to get the inside story of the experience of walking the edge, or boundaries, of cultures in the American context. Edgewalking, in Krebs's formulation, entails competent movement of an individual between cultures with which he or she is either identified or in which he or she is materially positioned. She cites people "who use their intelligence, creativity and stamina to solve problems, promote harmony and find a better way," as against people whose identity politics may foster political gridlock, ethnic/gang rivalry, or indeed multiculturalism, which over the years has proved to be more divisive than unifying as a principle of social organization (15-16)."
Abstract This paper looks at the transformative learning theory of Jack Mezirow, and an alternative perspective on the theory by Robert Boyd. It looks at the transformative learning process and how it is thought to work by examining the transformative process in changing a person's perspective of the world.
From the Paper "Transformative learning theory, developed by Jack Mezirow, states that learning occurs through autonomous thinking and that the centrality of experience, critical thinking and rational discourse, are three common themes in transformative learning. Transformative learning theory was developed by Mezirow and, although he is the major developer of the theory, other perspectives on the theory have emerged based on the work of Robert Boyd. Mezirow's theory developed into a comprehensive and complex description of how learners construe, validate and reformulate the meaning of their experience."
Abstract This paper relates that a windshield survey of a community requires making observations, either by walking or driving, at different times of the day and week to more fully understand and evaluate a community. The author points out that this windshield survey for the Boyd Hill community was conducted as a community health project to assess the community and to identify any problems. The paper concludes that this survey of the neighborhood shows it to be a true neighborhood, which has seen better days, but the real problem with the community is that it has been isolated and divided by the road system in the town. The paper includes many charts and a graph.
From the Paper "The community does contain a recreational center called the Boyd Hill Recreation Center, located at 1165 Constitution Boulevard. The center is situated on a 22-acre park and includes a gym, a conference room, an activity/games room, three outdoor basketball courts, ands a lighted baseball field on two small lots. The center also has two lighted tennis courts, a swimming pool, and a wooded trail for hiking. One of these trails is accessible to the handicapped. The park operates Monday through Thursday from 9:00 am to 8:00 pm and on Fridays from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm."
Abstract The paper covers many famous court case which deal with the exclusionary rule and how they relate to the fourth and fifth amendments in the Constitution. The exclusionary rule applies to the waiver of production of evidence that may incriminate someone. If the evidence is regarding defrauding, this evidence is excluded from this rule.
From the Paper "Injustices occur every day in the eyes of citizens that are law abiding. The due process clause of the Constitution sometimes allows people who have committed crimes to be freed based on technicalities. These technicalities can also usually be called mistakes on the part of criminal justice personnel. Someone who has dedicated his or her life to protecting truth and justice made a mistake, knowingly or unknowingly and thus society pays the price. Allowing a criminal to go free never seems to be the just thing to do. However, considering it was a provision of the Constitution it is the right thing to do purely based on the fact the Constitution was created to protect the rights of citizens, good or bad."
Abstract This paper examines how many people believe processual and interpretive archaeology to be completely different schools of thought. By looking at the seven main concepts of processual archaeology and the eight main concepts of interpretive archaeology, the writer demonstrates how they go hand in hand as well as complement each other. The example used is the origin of agriculture.
From the Paper "Though processual archaeology and interpretive archaeology appear to take different approaches to the study of the human past, they share a common end goal: to understand how societies came into being, how they developed and how they worked, all using data from the archaeological record. The two circles of thought each claim their distinctiveness from the other, but if we compare and contrast their main points, we will see how these two methods relate very closely. In other words, their main differences may just be in terms of scale of analysis. By examining the articles on the origins of agriculture (Redding; Richerson, Boyd, and Bettinger; Hayden; and Hodder) and the approaches of the authors in terms of processual vs. interpretive archaeology, we will see the strengths and weaknesses of each. Ultimately, this analysis will provide insight on how a combination of both fields may prove a more effective method for the study of the human past."
Abstract This paper introduces, discusses and analyzes the book "American Tabloid," by James Ellroy. The paper shows how the book exploits widely held suspicions that the assassination of John F. Kennedy resulted from a criminal or political conspiracy. The paper examines Ellroy's explanation of the events that led up to the presidential "hit" and how this conflicts with the official version contained in the Warren report. In conclusion, the paper examines what this popular appeal of the "revisionist" explanation of the murder say about American's changing social imagery regarding government in the post Vietnam era.
From the Paper "The book is a chilling account of history that could have happened just that way, and it is much more believable in an age when the government has come to represent something not to be trusted. It is not hard to believe that Hoover knew all along and approved (Ellroy 540), because history has shown the man was obsessed with his job and his power. History has also shown the government covered up many other shady dealings, just as Nixon covered up Watergate and the Oval Office tape recordings, and eventually resigned, rather than face impeachment. And he was supposed to be the good guy! "Dick Nixon's a good man, and the entire Kennedy family is rotten down to the core" (Ellroy 307)."
Abstract This paper introduces, discusses, and analyzes the topic of women as spies during the Civil War. In particular, it contains evidence to support the argument that the North and South used women as spies during the Civil War.
From the Paper "Belle also gained valuable information from Yankee leaders that helped General Jackson win an important battle at Front Royal. However, Belle was not alone in her adventures. While Belle openly used her position as a well-educated female to manipulate men and gain information, many other women served their causes in different, but equally effective ways. Mary Edwards Walker was one of these women. She was a physician, and the only woman to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor. At first, she volunteered in the medical corps because the Union Army would not allow her to serve officially, and she became the first women surgeon in the U.S. Army, official or not."
Abstract This short essay (three pages) reports on the article, "Gurov's flights of emotion in Chekhov's "The Lady with the Pet Dog," by Boyd Creasman, from the Spring 1990 edition of the journal, Studies in Short Fiction. The essay offers an explanation of how its author found the article and determined the validity of the work, a one-paragraph summary of the article, and a personal statement of the author's understanding of the story as a result of the article.
This paper examines the evolution and evaluation of the exclusionary rule from its origins in the 1789 Virginia Bill of Rights to the modern landmark case of Mapp v. Ohio.
Abstract This paper explains that the exclusionary rule falls under the province of the Fourth Amendment of the Constitution, which protects citizens against unreasonable searches and seizures from agents of the state; and upon which the Supreme Court ruled in 1914 that any evidence obtained in unlawfully or illegally was inadmissible as evidence during a trial. The author reviews important cases that have shaped the scope and spirit of the exclusionary rule, such as Leon v. United States and Vernonia v. Acton. The paper studies criticisms against the exclusionary rule, including arguments that by letting criminals get their cases dismissed on technicalities, the exclusionary rule subverts the justice system.
Table of Contents
Definitions of the Exclusionary Rule
History of the Exclusionary Rule
Boyd v. United States
Weeks v. United States
Wolf v. Colorado
Mapp v. Ohio
Exclusions to the Exclusionary Rule
Criticisms of the Exclusionary Rule
Arguments in Defense of the Exclusionary Rule
Alternatives to the Exclusionary rule
Conclusion
From the Paper "One of Madison's proposals was based on the Virginia law against general search warrants. Thus, the proposed Bill of Rights included a provision to guarantee citizens protection against unreasonable searchers and seizures, a provision that eventually formed the foundation for the Fourth Amendment. Furthermore, Madison also pushed for a clause protecting people from becoming witnesses against themselves. Madison and his supporters were concerned over previous practices in Church tribunals, where confessions extracted through torture were then used against a defendant in Court. This clause in turn formed the basis of the modern Constitution's Fifth Amendment."
Abstract This paper discusses and analyzes the topic of women in the Civil War era. Specifically, the paper illustrates important women of the Civil War, including the way women were treated and the various roles they played in relation to the war. The paper introduces Belle Boyd, one of the most well-known female Confederate spies. The paper also presents the story of Jennie Hodgers, one of the most notable women who dressed as a man. The paper discusses Mary Edwards Walker, a physician and the only woman ever to be given the Congressional Medal of Honor.
From the Paper "Women served in many ways during the Civil War. Some worked as nurses and doctors. Some actually dressed as men and fought in the war. Some spied for the North, and some for the South, bringing back valuable information that military leaders put to good use. One of these spies was Belle Boyd. Boyd is probably one of the most well known female Confederate spies since she wrote about her encounters after the war and even toured the country talking about them. She was successful because the Union men did not expect a woman to be a spy, and because she understood how to deal with men and to play up to their male pride while obtaining the secret information she wanted. One historian notes, "With the element of surprise as her weapon, Belle succeeded in securing and transmitting information so valuable to Confederate troops that Stonewall Jackson commissioned her a captain and made her an honorary aide-de-camp" (Faust 215)."
A review of the events of the DC sniper shootings, including the preliminary shootings, the "Beltway" Attacks, the investigation during the attacks and the arrest of the two suspects.
Abstract This paper examines the timeline of the DC sniper killings that took place in October 2002. It explains the preliminary killings and the actual "Beltway" attacks. The paper then analyzes the investigation during the attacks, the arrest of the two suspects and the logistics and tactics used by the suspects. Finally, it discusses the whereabouts of John Allen Muhammad and Lee Boyd Malvo prior to their arrest.
Table of Contents:
Abstract
Introduction
Preliminary Killings
"Beltway" Attacks
The Investigation During the Attacks
The Arrest of the Two Suspects
Logistics & Tactics Used By the Snipers
Conclusion
From the Paper "The deadly string of shootings finally came to an end on October 24, when Muhammad and Malvo were found sleeping in their 1990 Chevrolet Caprice, at a rest stop near Myersville, Maryland. Police were given the information by a truck driver who noticed the parked car. A .223-caliber Bushmaster XM-15 rifle and bipod were found in a bag in Muhammad's car. According to CNN, the rifle was found behind the rear seat of the 1990 Chevrolet Caprice, which had been modified to allow the rifle to be fired from inside the vehicle. The Bushmaster rifle is a civilian, semi-automatic version of the Colt M-16 military rifle, which can be fired in fully automatic mode. Ballistics tests later verified the same rifle matched 11 of the 14 bullets recovered from the attacks."
