Comparison Of Hero And Government In Beowulf And Oedipus Rex Essays

Comparison of Hero and Government in Beowulf and Oedipus Rex Beowulf is an Anglo-Saxon folk epic written by an unknown author. It was written sometime during the eighth century. Oedipus Rex is an Ancient Greek tragedy written by the playwright Sophocles sometime around 430 BC. Although the two works were written during two different time periods, in two different places, and are different kinds of literature, they can still be compared and contrasted. These two works contain many similarities and differences in the depiction of hero and the depiction of government. Beowulf tells the story of one of the most heroic men of Anglo-Saxon times. The hero, Beowulf, is able to use his super-human physical strength and courage to put his people before himself. He encounters terrifying monsters and the most brutal beasts, but he never fears the threat of death. Beowulf is the ultimate epic hero who risks his life countless times for great honor and for the good of others. Oedipus Rex is a tragic play, which discusses the tragic discovery of Oedipus--that he has killed his father, and married his mother. He is self-confident, intelligent, and strong willed. Ironically these are the very traits which bring about his tragic discovery. Oedipus gains the rule of Thebes by answering the riddle of Sphinx. The two heroes, Beowulf and Oedipus, are very similar in some aspects and also quite different in others. The first similarity in the depiction of hero is that both heroes are of aristocratic birth. Beowulf is the cousin of Higlac, who is King of the Geats. Oedipus is the adopted son of Polybus and Merope, the King and Queen of Corinth. Furthermore, his real parents are Laius and Jocasta, King and Queen of Thebes. Another similarity is that both heroes end a period of suffering by abolishing a monster. Beowulf ends the suffering in Herot by killing the monster Grendel. "A prince of the Geats, had killed Grendel, / Ended the grief, the sorrow, the suffering / Forced on Hrothgar's helpless people / By a bloodthirsty fiend." (lines 482 - 485) Oedipus is responsible for ending the Sphinx's reign of terror upon the city of Thebes. He does not physically kill the monster as Beowulf does; he merely answers the Sphinx's riddle. When he does so, the Sphinx kills herself. A third similarity is that both heroes are challenged by another character in the story. Beowulf is challenged by Unferth, and Oedipus is challenged by Tiresias. When challenged, both heroes arrogantly boast about their accomplishments. "No man swims in the sea / As I can, no strength is a match for mine." (lines 253 - 254) Beowulf goes on boasting to Unferth, "Nine was the number / Of sea-huge monsters I killed. What man, / Anywhere under heaven's high arch, has fought / In such darkness, endured more misery or been harder / Pressed?" (lines 294 - 298) When challenged by Tiresias Oedipus says, "Tell me when you ever played the prophet straight? Or why when the she-dog Sphinx of riddles sang, you never spoke a thing to break that spell? ?But I, the Oedipus who stumbled here without a hint, could snuff her out by human wit." (page 38) A difference between Beowulf and Oedipus is that each has different qualities that qualify him as a hero. Beowulf is classified as a hero because of his physical strength a nd bravery. "Beowulf, Higlac's / Follower and the strongest of the Geats-greater / And stronger than anyone anywhere in this world." (lines 131 - 133) Beowulf comes to help the Danes in a time of need. This shows him as a dignified example for all human beings, classifying him as an epic hero. Oedipus is not classified as a hero because of his physical strength but rather because of his mental strengths. He uses intellect to solve the riddle of the Sphinx. Many of the most intelligent men of Thebes have been killed trying to answer the riddle, but Oedipus proves his intelligence superior to theirs. Moreover, Oedipus differs from Beowulf as a hero in that his traits that give him riches and power ultimately lead him to his tragic ending. Thus, Oedipus is classified as a tragic hero.

Important Health-Related English Vocabulary

Important Health-Related English Vocabulary Learning to express yourself in English when talking about your health can be difficult. While you dont need to understand the more technical, scientific, or medical language doctors and other healthcare providers use, it is helpful to know basic health-related vocabulary. This page provides some of the most common English  vocabulary used to talk about health and healthcare. Youll find important categories with an example sentence to help show context for each word provided in this vocabulary overview.   Illnesses Ache - The ache is getting worse. What should I do?Earache - Ive got a horrible ear ache today.Headache - I woke up with a pounding headache this morning.Stomach ache - Dont eat too much chocolate or youll get a stomach ache.Toothache - Go to the dentist for your toothache.Cancer - Cancer seems to be the plague of modern life.Cold - People sometimes work if theyve only got a cold.Cough - He has a strong cough. He should take some cough syrup.Flu - Its common to feel aches and pains, as well as have a slight fever when youve got the flu.Heart attack - A heart attack doesnt need to be fatal in modern times.Heart disease - Heart disease affects a lot of families.  Infection - Make sure to clean the wound so you dont get an infectionInfectious disease - She caught an infectious disease at school.Pain - Where do you feel the pain?Virus - There is a virus going around at work. Take lots of vitamins. Minor Injuries Bruise - I have this bruise from hitting myself with a door!Cut - Put a bandage on your cut.Graze - Thats just a graze. Its nothing serious.Wound - That wound needs to be treated by a doctor. Go to the emergency room. Medical Treatment Bandage - Use this bandage to stop the bleeding.Check-up - I have a check-up next month.  Dose (of medicine) - Make sure to take your dose of medicine at ten oclock.Drugs - The doctor can prescribe drugs if necessary.  Injection - Some medicine is given by injection.Medicine - Regularly take the medicine and you should have no problems.Operation - Ron has a serious operation on Friday.  Pain-killer - Opiates are a type of pain-killer that can be very addictive.  Pill - Take one pill before you go to bed.Tablet - Take one tablet with each meal.Tranquilizer - This tranquilizer will calm your nerves so you can rest. People in Healthcare Dentist - The dentist gave me a check-up and cleaned my teeth.Doctor - The doctor can see you now.General Practitioner - Most families have a general practitioner to help them with most needs.  Midwife - Many women choose to have a midwife help with the birth of their baby.  Nurse - The nurse will come in to check on you every hour.Patient - The patient has a broken rib and nose.Specialist - The specialist was excellent but extremely expensive.  Surgeon - Surgeons need to have nerves of steel as they cut into the flesh during an operation. Places in Healthcare Hospital - Ill meet you at the hospital and we can stop in to see Peter whos recovering from surgery.Operating Room - The surgeon entered the operating​ room and began the operationWaiting Room - You can sit in the waiting room until hes finished.Ward - Mr. Smith is in the ward at the end of the hall. Health-Related Verbs Catch - Most people catch a cold from time to time.Cure - It took the doctor six months to cure the illness.Heal - A wound can take a long time to heal.Hurt - The boy hurt his ankle playing basketball.Injure - I injured myself climbing a tree!Operate on - The surgeon will operate on the patient at three oclock.Prescribe - The doctor prescribed an antibiotic to help the wound heal.Treat - Well treat anyone who has a health issue. Health-Related Adjectives Fit - Hes a fit young man. He shouldnt be worried.Ill - Unfortunately, she looks ill today.Sick - Do you feel sick?Healthy - Eat healthy food and get regular exercise.  Unhealthy - Eating fatty foods and lots of sweets is very unhealthy.Painful - The painful arm was held in a cast.Unwell - Many students are feeling unwell.Well - I hope you get well soon.

Effect of Music During Worship Service Term Paper

Effect of Music During Worship Service - Term Paper Example Consequently, the congregation expresses their unity through singing together a repeated common story thus facilitating the formation of religious identity. Gospel music components such as the pitch, rhythm and lyrics are humanly organised thus they strongly affect the worshippers emotions through influencing the chemical processes of the brain thus leading to reflections, joy, sadness and physical expression of the gospel truth through body movements (Wren, 2000). In addition, emotions are reflected in the patterns of belief and actions like bodily movements unlike passive listening to professional choirs (Christian, 2003). The research paper will enable us understand the reasons behind the growth of use of music during worship especially in evangelical churches. The research will be instrumental in composition of worship music that strengthens the emotions of the worshippers and glorifies the gospel. Hypothesis statement Music executed properly will bring the glory of God that will cause every believer to participate in the worship service. Research questions In order to understand the effect of music during worship, the research paper will answer the following questions. I. How often is music used during worship? II. Does music during worship strengthen the emotions and minds of the worshippers? III. Does music during worship allow more freedom of expression through the lifting of hands and other body movements? IV. Can music during worship unify Christians and exalt God? Literature review In 1500, Roman Catholic Church worship was practically a formal affair with professional choirs leading the music. However, the prevailing attitude among the congregations was that God needed the best from every worshiper instead of worshippers listening attentively to... This paper approves that music during worship will establish the mood thus enabling the congregation to value both faith and feelings towards the creator. Musical rhythms have deep personal associations for worshippers thus act as a reference point during worship. Music during worship facilitates revelation since Christians believe that revelation that is both natural through human experience and also supernatural through praise and worship. However, majority of the Catholic respondents see music as not essential during worship and they do not necessary express their freedom through bodily movements, but through prayer. The research findings point out that a majority of the Churches incorporate music during their worship regardless of whether in an urban or rural setting. This report makes a conclusion that music is a powerful tool of worship since it influences the mental and spiritual aspects of the worshippers. The primary effect of music is to provides the worshippers an opportunity for participation thus improving their remembering and reinforcing the unity and gospel truth. Music during worship affects the worshippers’ emotions and feelings thus strengthening their spiritual and mental capacities. Nearly all Churches, regardless of the denomination have incorporated either Gospel or contemporary music in their services. Although traditional churches denominations like the Catholic have not appreciated the effect of music during worship, modern denominations like the Baptism appreciate music as essential in worship.

Ophthalamic Disorders Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ophthalamic Disorders Case Study - Essay Example Mr. Ally is suffering from an eye stoke which is a disorder of the optic nerve. An eye stroke is also referred to as (AION) Anterior Ischemic Optic Neuropathy (Kumar, 2008). The eye is surrounded by numerous tissues, veins and blood vessels that have a duty to aid in the circulation of blood from one eye point to the next. In the event that the flow of blood to the optic nerve is tampered with, the eye suffers from a stroke. This is an urgent attack that is not easily noticed and develops into a fully blown condition in no time. This is because the optic nerve suffers from lack of oxygen and blood. This indicates that the blood flow to the eye is reduced or blocked totally chocking out the supply to the optic nerve. This seriously hampers the overall performance of the nerve (Hattenhauer, 1997).Once the optic nerve encounters the chocked or reduced blood supply, it swells. The swelling is terribly hard to notice if tests are not conducted as the swelling does not become a noticed phe nomena immediately. The optic nerve does not receive blood in the correct amount and the correct pressures. This affects the normal capacity of the eye thus resulting in shadows and floaters when viewing. After a while, the eye is significantly affected and suffers from total vision loss (Kumar, 2008).The doctor can introduce Mr. Ally to Corticosteroids which will have the task of enhancing blood circulation in the optic nerve. They will also ensure that the swelling experienced reduces with time.

Construction Safety Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 6

Construction Safety - Assignment Example The main objective of an emergency action plan is to consider safety requirements with special importance given to mis-haps like â€Å"fall, struck by, caught between and electrical hazards† (CPWR, 2010), and etcetera. The plan focuses on guarding labor in vehicle traffic, providing secure working zone for cranes, maintaining a secure heavy-duty route, allowing safe carriage of construction material, diminishing noise exposure by correctly locating heavy machinery, checking carbon monoxide discharge, preventing risks of fire, maintaining sanitation and drinking water system for workers, and making emergency transport easily available. Hazards that are addressed are traffic security, floods, harsh weather irregularities, quakes, facility blackout, illness, electrical protection, material management, collisions, fire safety, and trapped in vulnerabilities while working on site. The major components of an emergency plan involve measures regarding personal injury; methods for repo rting construction disasters; policies and procedures for project evacuation; procedures for emergency escape; assignment of routes for escape like floor plans, maps and refuge areas; procedures for fire extinguishers; rescue plan; and, procedures to handle employees after

Is Mary the Theotokos?

Is Mary the Theotokos? Is Mary the Theotokos?  Does it matter? Without the Blessed Virgin Mary Christianity, would be meaningless. That Mary is Mother of God is rooted deeply in sacred scripture, and this Church doctrine has been confidently taught since the Council of Ephesus (A.D. 431), during which occurred a decisive intervention of the Churchs teaching authority on behalf of Marys divine motherhood and against the claims of Nestorius, Bishop of Constantinople who stated that Mary did not give birth to God, but to an ordinary baby, called Christ, who was in some way connected to God. Consequently, Mary did not deserve to be called by the title of Theotokos, or God-bearer, but rather the meeker title of Christotokos, or bearer of Christ. To get an idea of what was happening at the time we need to take a brief look at why this controversy began and at what was being said. So, to begin, it was the primary concern of the Council of Nicaea to make it plain beyond all possibility of misunderstanding that Jesus of Nazareth, while personally distinct from the Father, is God in the fullest sense of the word. As the Creed states, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, consubstantial with the Father; it was the Churchs determination to maintain this doctrine of derived equality without deviating into either modalism or tritheism, that led her on the long intellectual pilgrimage whose goal was full understanding of that mutual interpenetration of the three divine Persons, through their union with the one divine Essence, which is denoted by the word perichoresis. Only when the divinity of the Son had been firmly established could the Church give her full attention to the fact that the Son, being God, had become man. But can there be in Christ an unconfused union of Godhead and manhood? This was the question which was to exercise the minds of theologians and throw the life of the Church into turmoil from Constantinople to Chalcedon. What the orthodox Fathers were striving to do, and what was ultimately achieved at Chalcedon, was to preserve the doctrine of unconfused Godhead and manhood of Christ against tendencies which strove, on the one hand, to unite the two terms at the cost of confusing them with each other and, on the other hand, to keep them distinct at the cost of separating them. This today may not seem to offer any special difficulty; that this is so is a sign of the triumph of Chalcedon in theological thought, but, in the fifth century it was a notion that could only be achieved at the cost of bitter controversy and schism. So, when the theologically unimaginative but critically active Nestorius became Patriarch of Constantinople everything was ready for an explosion, which came when Nestorius openly supported his chaplain Anastasius in denouncing the application to the Blessed Virgin Mary of the title Theotokos. Nestorius was an Antiochene in Christology, deeply influenced by the ideas of Theodore of Mopsuestia, and it was his clumsy, clumsily articulated elucidation of the inferences of the position of the Antiochenes that was to set light to the controversy. Quite early on Nestorius was called upon to pronounce on the suitability of Theotokos as a title of the Virgin Mary, and ruled that its correctness was doubtful unless Christotokos was added to balance it. But in getting himself around this issue Nestorius used uncontrolled language which was calculated to provoke those whose approach was different to his own. He argued that no human being could be Gods mother and no human being could give birth to God; Mary gave birth to a man not God, the instrument of divinity. God could not have been carried for nine months in a womans womb, or have been wrapped in baby-clothes, or have suffered, died and been buried. Behind the description of Mary as Theotokos, he professed to detect the Arian theory that Marys Son was human or the Apollinarian concept that the manhood was imperfect. These flare-ups of Nestorius were calculated to be confrontational. But they played into the hands of Cyril of Alexandria, Nestoriuss bitter rival. Cyril claimed to see in them as a resurgence of the theory of two sons which was rejected in the fourth century. Alarmed by this claim that Marys son was just a man, Eusebius, later to become Bishop of Dorylaeum, quickly concluded that Nestorius was trying to re-establish the adoptionism of Paul of Samosata. By exploiting this interpretation Cyril was able to secure Nestoriuss condemnation as a heretic at the Council of Ephesus in 431. Based on these judgements the traditional picture of Nestorianism as a heresy which split God/man into two distinct Persons rapidly formed itself. When Divine Scripture is about to tell of the birth of Christ from the Virgin Mary or [his] death, in no place does it appear that it puts God but either Christ or Son or Lord, because these three are indicative of the two natures, now of this and now of that, now of the one and now of the other. For example, when the Book relates unto us the birth from the Virgin, whom docs it say? God sent his Son. It says not that God sent God the Word, but it takes a name which indicates both the natures. Since the Son is man and God, it says that God sent his Son and he was born of a woman; and therein thou seest that the name is put which indicates both the natures. Thou callest [him] Son according to the birth from the blessed Virgin, for the Virgin Mother / of Christ bare the Son of God. But since the Son of God is twofold in natures, she bare not the Son of God but she bare the humanity, which is the Son because of the Son who is united thereto (Nestorius, 450 AD). The first chapter of St Johns Gospel tell us quite simply that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. Two points need to be noticed. The first is that in Hebrew flesh and blood means not just the material part of a man in contrast with his soul, but human nature as a whole. The second is that St John does not say that the Word united flesh to himself, but that he became flesh. St Athanasius was fundamentally clear on this point. In general, however, he was quite content to think of the Incarnation as taking place through the union of human flesh to the divine Word. He took upon him our flesh, as Aaron did his robe, and assumed a body like ours, having Mary for the Mother of his body (Athanasius, 356/360). Nestorius himself never drew from his premises the conclusions which Cyril believed him to have drawn and which were drawn by some of his followers. Nor is it to be supposed that the outlook of Antiochene theology logically implied the Nestorian heresy. What is true, however, is that, while the pluralistic emphasis of Antioch made it perfectly easy to preserve the distinction of the humanity and the divinity in Christ, it made it very difficult to provide for their real union. Apollinarius had maintained the union by removing from Christs humanity one of its constituents, the rational soul, and inserting the divine Word (Logos) in its place. No Antiochene could tolerate such a mutilation; the humanity must remain entire and complete. But how then is this unity of divinity and humanity to be effected? If the humanity is complete we shall surely have a complete human individual and it will be this individual and not the divine Word (Logos) who will be the subject of Christs life. No wonder, then, the Alexandrian will reflect, that these Antiochenes refuse to call Mary theotokos; they cannot help believing that he whom she bore was not God but a man, even if God came to dwell in him after she had borne him. Whatever they may say, they believe in two Sons, one the Son of God and the other the son of Mary, however close the relation of the two may be. The clash between these points of view was fierce at first. Cyrils intervention was quick when he heard of Nestoriuss mockery of Theotokos, in refuting what he deemed gross heresy. The patriarchs exchanged some quite prickly letters without with neither of them making any significant headway. So, Pope Celestine was contacted by Cyril, who send him a dossier of extracts from Nestoriuss writings and from the declarations made on the Incarnation by the reverend fathers of past generations. Nestorius also wrote letters to Celestine and in his third he stated: I have learned that Cyril, the most distinguished bishop of the city of Alexandria, has become worried about reports against him that we received, and is now hunting for subterfuges to avoid a holy synod taking place due to these reports. In the meantime he is devising some other disturbances over terms and has chosen [as a point of controversy] the term Theotokos and Christotokos: the first he allows, but as for Christotokos, sometimes he removes it from the gospels, and sometimes he allows it, on the basis of what I believe is a kind of excessive prudence. In the case of the term Theotokos, I am not opposed to those who want to say it, unless it should advance to the confusion of natures in the manner of the madness of Apollinaris or Arius. Nonetheless, I have no doubt that the term Theotokos is inferior to the term Christotokos, as the latter is mentioned by the angels and the gospels. And if I were not speaking to Your Worship who is already so knowledgeable, I would need to give a very long discourse on this topic. But even without a discourse, it is known in every way to Your Beatitude, that if we should think that there are two groups opposed to each other, the one using only the term Theotokos, the other only Anthropotokos, and each group draws [others] to what it confesses or, if they have not accomplished this, puts [others] in danger of falling from the church, it would be necessary to assign someone to such an affair if it arises who exercises concern for both groups and heals the danger of both parties by means of the term taken from the gospels that signifies both natures. For as I said, the term Christotokos keeps the assertion of both parties to the proper limits, because it both removes the blasphemy of Paul of Samosata, who claimed that Christ the Lord of all was simply a human being, and also flees the wickedness of Arius and Apollinaris. Now I have written these very things to the most distinguished bishop of Alexandria, as Your Beatitude can tell from the copies I have attached to this letter of mine, as well as from the copies of what he wrote to us. Moreover, with Gods help it has also been agreed to announce a world-wide synod in order to inquire into the other ecclesiastical matters. For I do not think it will be difficult to investigate an uncertainty over words, and it is not a hindrance for a discussion of the divinity of Christ the Lord (Nestorius, 430) It did not take to long for Celestine to make a decision, and he called a synod in Rome in August 430 which decided against Nestorius and voted in favour of the title Theotokos. Nestorius was given a warning that, within ten days he would be treated as excommunicate unless, after receiving the notification, he retracted his teaching. The implementation of this ruling was given to Cyril and he characteristically carried out his task. He held a synod at Alexandria, afterwards sending a letter to Nestorius requiring him to subscribe to twelve anathemas. These anathemas, which were intentionally confrontational, summarise in terms which were uncompromising the Cyrilline Christology, some of which I reference here: If anyone does not confess that Emmanuel is God in truth, and therefore that the holy virgin is the mother of God (for she bore in a fleshly way the Word of God become flesh, let him be anathema. If anyone does not confess that the Word from God the Father has been united by hypostasis with the flesh and is one Christ with his own flesh, and is therefore God and man together, let him be anathema. If anyone divides in the one Christ the hypostases after the union, joining them only by a conjunction of dignity or authority or power, and not rather by a coming together in a union by nature, let him be anathema. If anyone distributes between the two persons or hypostases the expressions used either in the gospels or in the apostolic writings, whether they are used by the holy writers of Christ or by him about himself, and ascribes some to him as to a man, thought of separately from the Word from God, and others, as befitting God, to him as to the Word from God the Father, let him be anathema. If anyone dares to say that Christ was a God-bearing man and not rather God in truth, being by nature one Son, even as the Word became flesh, and is made partaker of blood and flesh precisely like us, let him be anathema. If anyone says that the Word from God the Father was the God or master of Christ, and does not rather confess the same both God and man, the Word having become flesh, according to the scriptures, let him be anathema. If anyone says that as man Jesus was activated by the Word of God and was clothed with the glory of the Only-begotten, as a being separate from him, let him be anathema. If anyone dares to say that the man who was assumed ought to be worshipped and glorified together with the divine Word and be called God along with him, while being separate from him, (for the addition of with must always compel us to think in this way), and will not rather worship Emmanuel with one veneration and send up to him one doxology, even as the Word became flesh, let him be anathema. (Alexandria, 430). This union of two natures in the one divine Person of Christ is called the hypostatic or personal union. It is the mystery of the Incarnation of God; it is also the mystery of the divine Motherhood of Mary. Cyril also said in this letter: Therefore, because the holy virgin bore in the flesh God who was united hypostatically with the flesh, for that reason we call her mother of God, not as though the nature of the Word had the beginning of its existence from the flesh (for the Word was in the beginning and the Word was God and the Word was with God, and he made the ages and is coeternal with the Father and craftsman of all things), but because, as we have said, he united to himself hypostatically the human and underwent a birth according to the flesh from her womb. This was not as though he needed necessarily or for his own nature a birth in time and in the last times of this age, but in order that he might bless the beginning of our existence, in order that seeing that it was a woman that had given birth to him united to the flesh, the curse against the whole race should thereafter cease which was consigning all our earthy bodies to death, and in order that the removal through him of the curse, In sorrow thou shalt br ing forth children, should demonstrate the truth of the words of the prophet: Strong death swallowed them Up, and again, God has wiped every tear away from all face. It is for this cause that we say that in his economy he blessed marriage and, when invited, went down to Cana in Galilee with his holy apostles (Alexandria, 430). A letter was issued by Theodosius summoning a general council to meet at Ephesus at Pentecost 431, with an astonishing medley of rival meetings taking place before the event. Recognised as the Third General Council Ephesus was effective in that Nestorius was never rehabilitated, dying in exile in 451. Its more positive achievement was to canonize the Nicene creed as establishing orthodoxy. In the two years following Ephesus strenuous efforts were made to heal the divisions in the Church. The instrument of agreement, known as the Formula of Reunion, was contained in a letter sent by John of Antioch to Cyril, it ran as follows: We confess, therefore, our Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, perfect God and perfect man composed of a rational soul and body, begotten before the ages from the Father in respect of His divinity, but likewise in these last days for us and our salvation from the Virgin Mary in respect of His manhood, consubstantial with the Father in respect of His divinity and at the same time consubstantial with us in respect of His manhood. For the union(henosis) of two natures has been accomplished. Hence we confess one Christ, one Son, one Lord. In virtue of this conception of a union without confusion we confess the holy Virgin as Theotokos because the divine Word became flesh and was made man and from the very conception united to Himself the temple taken from her. As for the evangelical and apostolic statements about the Lord, we recognise that theologians employ some indifferently in view of the unity of person but distinguish others in view of the duality of natures, applying the God-befitting ones to Christs divinity and the humble ones to His humanity (Antioch, 433). Cyril greeted this formulary with enthusiasm in his letter to John Laetentur coeli. Which was read out at the Council of Chalcedon, part of which I now cite: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦We confess, therefore, our Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, perfect God, and perfect Man of a reasonable soul and flesh consisting; begotten before the ages of the Father according to his Divinity, and in the last days, for us and for our salvation, of Mary the Virgin according to his humanity, of the same substance with his Father according to his Divinity, and of the same substance with us according to his humanity; for there became a union of two natures. Wherefore we confess one Christ, one Son, one Lord. According to this understanding of this unmixed union, we confess the holy Virgin to be Mother of God; because God the Word was incarnate and became Man, and from this conception he united the temple taken from her with himselfà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Chalcedon, 451). After these early great councils of the Church feasts to The Blessed Virgin increased, lots of churches were dedicated to her and in the latter part of the seventh century four new feasts to Mary had started to be celebrated; the Annunciation, the Assumption, the Purification, and the Nativity of The Blessed Virgin Mary. With Pius IX promulgation of the Immaculate Conception in 1854 devotion to our Blessed Lady accelerated, and many appearances of the Blessed Virgin took place. And also at this time many Marian customs grew which included Maytime processions, the wearing of the Miraculous Medal and the Rosary. 1962 saw a major change which happened with Vatican II grounding more firmly in Scripture and liturgy devotion to Mary placing The Blessed Virgin securely in the mystery of the Church. The truth of the Blessed Virgin Marys divine Motherhood and its corresponding dignity are found in these words of the Second Vatican Council: The Virgin Mary, who at the message of the angel received the Word of God in her heart and in her body and gave Life to the world, is acknowledged and honoured as being truly the Mother of God and Mother of the Redeemer. Redeemed by reason of the merits of her Son and united to Him by a close and indissoluble tie, she is endowed with the high office and dignity of being the Mother of the Son of God, by which account she is also the beloved daughter of the Father and the temple of the Holy Spirit. Because of this gift of sublime grace, she far surpasses all creatures, both in heaven and on earth. At the same time, however, because she belongs to the offspring of Adam she is one with all those who are to be saved (Lumen Gentium, 53). The mark of our Blessed Ladys holiness is that she was filled with the grace of God. The Blessed Virgin is the pattern to follow. Giving herself completely with love she was filled with the life of God. Marys Yes to the angels message reveals her part in the work of salvation. And the Angel said: Fear not, Maryà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ the Holy Spirit shall come upon you, and the power of the most High shall overshadow you, and therefore the Holy which shall be born of you shall be called the Son of God (Luke 1:26-35). These are the words of the great mystery of Marys divine motherhood heralded by the angel in Lukes Gospel, their straightforwardness is persuasive as they announce the origin of our religion. In the beginning, they inspired triumphant faith, the faith of the martyrs and the Saints. The faith which will continue to inspire all Christians to the end of time.

Apollinarius and His Teachings Essay -- Religion History

Apollinarianism is the heresy, which denied the completeness of Christ’s humanity named after Apollinarius of Laodicea born circa 312 –315 who became a bishop of Laodicea in 360. Originally, a supporter of orthodoxy against the Arians, his Christological teaching becomes a heresy among scholars, at a synod in Rome in 374-80 and by the Council of Constantinople in 381. The Christology of Apollinarius is summarised as, one hypostasis, one physis, one prosopon and one energia (activity). The intention of this essay is to examine the background of Apollinarius and his teachings. It will also look at his main opponents Gregory of Nazianzus and Gregory of Nyssa. Background: Apollinarius of Laodicea is the last of the great extraordinary thinkers of his time influenced by Hellenic position. Apollinarius was a man of great learning influenced by his father a grammarian also called Apollinarius. His father left his hometown and settled at Berytus as a schoolmaster, and later had moved to Laodicea. Apollinarius formed friendships with influential figures in early church society such as Epiphanius. If Apollinarius was not born in the faith then he had been a Christian for many years. He was then ordained priest at Laodicea. He was familiar with classical literature and wanted his son Apollinarius born between 312 and 315 to have a good education. Not much is known about the life of his son Apollinarius of Laodicea he was enthusiastic to the formulation of the Nicene faith and was left to develop his theological theories, during his life time he made many works which have now perished. The works, which are available to us, are heretical and are just a small proportion of his entire works. Later this city became his Episcopal ... ...t recurring argument against his Christology. â€Å"It was man’s rational soul, with its power of choice, which was the seat of sin†; if the word is un-united with a human rational soul then the salvation of mankind is not achieved. Works Cited Dà ¼nzl Franz, A Brief History of the Doctrine of the Trinity in the Early Church, 2007, London. Grillmeier Aloys, Christ in Christian Tradition, Volume 2, Part one, 1987, Oxford. Grillmeier Aloys, Christ in Christian Tradition, Volume 2, Part two, 1987, Oxford. Kelly J. N. D., Early Christian Doctrines, 2008, London. Raven Charles E., Apollinarianism, 1923, Cambridge. Sellers R. V., Two Ancient Christologies, 1940, London Stevenson J., Creeds, Councils and Controversies, 1989, London. Norris R. A. Jr., The Christological Controversy, 1980, Oxford. Addis & Arnold, Catholic Dictionary, 1951, London.