Renaissance and Reformation: Key Developments and Figures
Instruments of Royal Power in the Renaissance
Unified under the king’s authority, the country saw improved administration, the introduction of a standing army, and the organization of international relations through diplomacy. Territory was unified through war and marriage.
Causes of the Reformation
Disparagement of the Clergy
The Popes were more concerned with earthly ambition than fulfilling their role as heads of Christendom. Bishops lived luxuriously and often did not reside in or visit their dioceses.
Read MoreUnderstanding God’s Mission, Kingdom, and Covenant
God’s Mission: Redemption and Restoration
God’s mission originated from mankind’s rebellion through pride and willful disobedience, breaking the fellowship between God and man. Despite this, God, in His love, initiated a process of redemption to bring fallen humanity back to Himself. Mission is a coordinated set of activities to reach a specific goal. God’s Mission is to advance His Kingdom through the world by preaching the gospel, through creation, Jesus, His word, and the present.
Key Learnings
Read MoreAchilles’ Wrath in the Iliad: Canto I Analysis
The Iliad: Canto I – A Deep Dive into Achilles’ Wrath
The poem begins with the invocation of a God: “Sing, O goddess, the anger of Achilles, son of Peleus.” Greek poets believed poetry did not come straight from men, but that the gods sang in their souls. Thus, they started by asking for inspiration, a god to sing within them. The opening lines indicate that this is an important issue: the anger of Achilles and the adverse consequences of that anger on the Achaeans. This indicates that the poet of
Read MoreChronicle of a Death Foretold: A Literary Analysis
Chronicle of a Death Foretold: A Literary Analysis
Chronicle of a Death Foretold is a thriller by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, first published in 1981. The story is based on an actual event that occurred in 1951.
Summary
In a small, virtually isolated town near the Caribbean coast, whose only connection to the outside world is a river, Bayardo San Roman, a rich newcomer, marries Angela Vicario. After their wedding, the newlyweds retire to their new home. Bayardo discovers that his wife is not a virgin.
Read MoreIslam: Origins, Beliefs, Practices, and Culture
Islam: Origins, Beliefs, and Practices
Muhammad was born in **Mecca** in the year 570. As a young man, he was involved in the caravan trade, and during those trips, he encountered the Jewish and Christian religions. At the age of 40, he received the revelation of God, Allah, and three years later began to preach his doctrine. Islam means submission of the will to a single God. Muslim doctrine, the doctrine of Muhammad, was collected after his death in the **Quran**, the sacred book of Muslims. It
Read MoreMaasai People: Culture, Society, and Traditions
Maasai
Introduction
The Maasai, also spelled Masai, are a nomadic warrior aristocracy who historically dominated large areas between Kenya and Tanzania. They settled in these lands in the late sixteenth century. Their way of life and economy are based on pastoral nomadism, moving to find pasture for their cattle.
The Maasai are united by their Nilo-Hamitic language, Maa. The ethnic group consists of four major tribal groups: the Samburu, the Arbus, the Baraguyu, and the Maasai, the latter being the
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