Abstract This paper reviews how the poem 'Soliloquy of the Spanish Cloister' by Robert Browning utilizes a dramatic monologue that provides aesthetic detail and moral values. In many ways, this poem echoes the other poetical works of Browning, by providing a moral insight into the sometimes hypocritical nature of organized religion. By realizing these facets of his poetry, Browning's dramatic monologue offers character narratives that are morally based within a Christian milieu.
From the Paper "This literary study will analyze morality within the dramatic monologue of Robert Browning's "Soliloquy of the Spanish Cloister." The morality of the monk that is narrating in this poem reflects the often hypocritical clerical view of Christianity. Browning shows a propensity for this form aesthetics in portraying a character that is morally declaratory, but lives an immoral lifestyle. This aspect of the poem is a common thread in Browning's dramatic dialogue, since it relies on morality and character details to reflect the hypocrisy of religious values."
Abstract This paper explains that, in the metaphor of the cave and its dwellers, Plato states that the world as human perceive it is like a dark cave, where all human beings sit around a fire, staring into the light; they cannot see one another, the nature of reality, or the heavens with any great understanding in such a dark and cloistered environment. The author points out that any individual who dwells in "real life" can have some inkling of the use of the metaphor, separating the gesture of goodness in name or in physical action alone from the actual, meaningful gesture of either selfless love that does not demand a reward or enact a real, physical result in the world, rather than simply obey a social code. The paper concludes that Plato's metaphor is a positive and active approach for human philosophy because it suggests that a complete form of understanding is possible, despite the pain it may cause.
From the Paper "The reason that human beings do not have a full sense of a real and a complete life is because the world, as we cave dwellers see it, is not experienced fully and in the flesh of the present moment. Rather, it is only experienced in a shadowy and inconsequential fashion. Because human beings are distanced, because of a poor philosophical education, from the nature of the world's reality, the fire blinds us, or we mistake the shadows we see for truth. The heavenly philosophical apprehension of a greater truth that is more fully conceived and more intellectually substantive than the life on earthly is much better than what we actually pass our day to day existence in, which are simply copies of ?the real.?"
A review of the book "The Monastic Order in England: A History of Its Development from the Times of St. Dunstan to the Fourth Lateran Council" by David Knowles.
Abstract This paper reviews the David Knowles' book "The Monastic Order in England: A History of Its Development from the Times of St. Dunstan to the Fourth Lateran Council", about the changing nature of monasticism from 943 to 1216. The paper explains that this book is the first publication of its kind and is therefore a valuable contribution to monastic literature. The paper relates to the book's detailed accounts of the different phases of monastic life in England, including the activities of English monks within their cloisters and their relationship with society. The paper also includes a brief discussion of the book's insight into the historical events that led to this period as well as the tradition that proceeded it. The paper concludes with a review of the positive academic critique of the book.
From the Paper "Before examining Knowles' book in further detail, it is important to define monasticism in a larger historical setting. The Columbia Encyclopedia defines Monasticism as a "form of religious life, usually conducted in a community under a common rule." In Luke 4:1 we read that, "Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Holy Spirit into the desert." John the Baptist lived an ascetic lifestyle in the wilderness as the word of God came to him in the desert. In conscious imitation of these examples many early Christians withdrew to remote areas. Often this was to escape Roman persecution, but it was also to flee from worldly distractions and seek God. According to the Columbia Encyclopedia, Christian monasticism had its origin in the Egyptian deserts in the third and fourth centuries with the anchorites, who looked for perfection in extreme asceticism. St. Anthony, who is called the father of monasticism, is the best known of these anchorites. Although they had little organization, they regarded the best Christian life as a solitary, ascetic, celibate existence where the world had been totally renounced and replaced with heavenly contemplation. Western forms of monasticism spread with Christianity to Ireland in the sixth century, where monasteries served as the Church's centers. St. Benedict's efforts in the sixth century led to the establishment of the Benedictine monastic order, a more structured and moderate monasticism. The Columbia Encyclopedia credits monasticism with preserving learning and classic thought in Europe."
From the Paper "The form of the piece is essentially a ternary with an extended coda. The initial A extends from measure 1 to measure 32. The contrasting B section extends from measure 33 to measure 42. A? extends from measure 45, to measure 73 leaving the coda from measure 74 to the end of the piece. Also, A and A? contain internal repeats. Within A, measures 19-32 are essentially a repeat of measures 5-18, disregarding the text. Within A?, the music for measures 43-56 is essentially identical to the previous two iterations. However, the second repeat within A? (measures 57-73) is varied, explained in greater depth below. "
From the Paper " The term of a Schone Madonna means a beautiful Madonna; which I think gave justice to the lovely sculpture from Salzburg, Austria. Like many Schone Madonnas she had the common S-curve figure and her stance. The Madonna's stance made her seem as if she was in the midst of rocking her baby ? The Christ Child to sleep. Though her body parts were heavily hid through the long draping garments; her position made it that she was standing with one leg straight while the other leg bent at the knee. "
From the Paper "Kathleen Norris's The Cloister Walk is a fascinating account of the author's year-long spiritual experience as an "oblate" among Benedictine monks in St. John's Abbey in Minnesota. The author defines oblate as one who engages in "an abbreviated yet powerful profession of monastic vows; you attach yourself to a particular monastery" and "promise to follow the rule of St. Benedict insofar as your situation in life will allow" (Norris xvii). Norris becomes, in effect, a sort of part-time monk for a year. Athough her dedication to and love of the monastic life during that period are anything but half-hearted. Norris is a poet as much as a down-to-earth mystic, and her book gives the lay reader tremendous insights into and appreciation of the spiritual riches of the monastic life.
Norris's book makes the monastic life appear so fascinating.."
Abstract The book analyzes and reviews Patricia Buckley Ebrey's book, "The Inner Quarters: Marriage and Lives of Chinese Women in the Sung Period" which examines the lives of Sung women in relationship to their interactions with their own blood families, their husbands, their husband's families and their own children. The paper also raises several inadequacies of the book.
From the Paper "Another problem, or perhaps more an inadequacy of the book, is contained within what could be taken as Ebrey's thesis statement. She says in the Introduction that she intends to focus on, "the intersection of women and marriage" (7). While it can be clearly seen from the text that marriage or widowhood was the usual status of women, the book's decision to exclude accounts of single women is disappointing. However small a percentage, society would have contained women without dowries, divorced women, and women who remain single for religious reasons, such as Buddhist nuns. An exploration into their place in society would have been an interesting contrast."
Abstract Theologians, Biblical scholars and Christians all over the world often wrestle with two extremely important questions about their faith. These questions are, "What is God like"? and "How should we live in response to God"? Through references to four experts in the field of theology, Kathleen Norris, Saint Augustine, Monika Hellwig and Dorothy Day, this paper compares different views on each of the questions. The paper shows that the common denominator between the views examined is that everyone agrees that in order to truly live in response to God, we need other people. Some feel that we need others to direct us, some feel we need them to challenge us, some feel that we need them so that we have people to love, but everyone agrees that we need others.
From the Paper "Kathleen Norris, author of The Cloister Walk, makes it abundantly clear that she believes that God most often reveals himself through our actions and through our connections with other people. She feels that God has given us the tools to get started on our journey of faith, love, and life, but we need to rely on other people to get the full experience. Not only do we need others to help us learn and grow, but we also need to challenge each other to become better Christians. By constantly challenging each other, we make sure that we will never stop striving to become better Christians. Since such great happiness lies in a good relationship with God, the people that challenge us help us to become better, happier people."
This paper reviews ?Resegregation in American Schools,? by Gary Orfield and John Yun, which argues that a new form of segregation is emerging in the nation's schools.
780 words (approx. 3.1 pages), 0 sources, 2004, $ 27.95
Abstract This paper explains that many white students remain cloistered in their own schools; meanwhile, non-white racial groups, Latinos and blacks in particular, are often located in schools with a non-white majority, often in areas with high crime and poverty rates and no access to a quality education. The author points out that a better solution than school vouchers are charter schools, which allow communities and educators greater leeway in designing their curricula, lesson plans, and school missions. The paper states that a quality education is the right of all Americans, not just a select few.
From the Paper "This new segregation will have several important long-term consequences not only for the Latino and black students but also for society as a whole. Education is seen as a stepping-stone for a brighter future. The goal of educators, after all, is not only to teach students skills for gainful employment. In doing so, education is supposed to give young people the critical and analytical foundations that will later allow them to contribute to their communities."
