Essays and Research Papers on Theology

A 5 page book review that examines The Study of Spirituality, edited by Cheslyn Jones, Geoffrey Wainwright, and Edward Yarnold. The writer points out that this is a heavy tome, written for the serious scholar. However, the vast majority of the selections are not inaccessible to the uninitiated, and are written in a straight-forward style ...

A 5 page paper, Many books have been written on preaching, some of which have short lifespans while a few have very long lives. The books written by Haadden W. Robinson have lasted about two decades. This essay provides the major ideas found in three of the chapters in the entitled book. Bibliography lists 3 ...

A 5 page paper evaluating and discussing this piece written by John Winthrop, a Puritan governor. It is compared in the paper to the style of Winthrop’s account of the hearings of Anne Hutchinson that eventually culminated in Mrs. Hutchinson being excommunicated from the church and exiled from the colony. Winthrop’s personal accounts ...

A 5 page summation and analysis of Walpola Rahula's book What the Buddha Taught, a concise, clearly-written, text that explains the basic principles of Buddhism in a way that is easily accessible even to the novice to Buddhist thought and practice. No additional sources cited.

A 10 page paper examining how the Christian needs to perceive euthanasia. King David, the man after God’s own heart, wrote in Psalm 139: “All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be” (v. 16). This is a comforting verse when lamenting the ...

A 3 page overview of the writings of St. Thomas Aquinas, which offer philosophical proof for Thomas’ arguments. The great benefit of Thomas’ writings and particularly the Summa is that they do not require initial agreement with Thomas’ position on any subject. Thomas assumed that individuals would question those values and beliefs that ...

The Pearl was written toward the end of the middle ages and incorporates the Christian belief system with many pagan beliefs, myths and symbolic, including many of the symbols and rituals associated with death and dying. This 7 page paper explores both the secular and religious associations made within the context of death. Bibliography lists 8 sources.

A 3 page paper that discusses this Psalm. The author writes an expostion, citing other verses to support the meanings. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

A 6 page paper comparing the two works. C. S. Lewis is known for his Christian writing, both overt and more veiled forms. The Screwtape Letters most assuredly are the finest example of Lewis' overt Christian work in that Screwtape, demon supreme, writes letters of instruction to his nephew Wormwood, who is on ...

A 5 page paper written in the first person, from the perspective of a young 18th century Quaker woman still living at home with her parents. The paper takes the form of a journal, in which Sarah wonders about the reports received in Meeting about the opposition to the Friends in Massachusetts and Virginia. The community ...

A 10 page comparison of the two prophets in relationship to their contrasting responsibilities to the Israelites: one to lead them out of slavery, the other to explain why they had lost their freedom and also to give them hope for the future. The paper compares and contrasts the writings, biblical and others, ...

A 9 page research paper that examines the Eucharist and how the ritual of communion originated in early church practice. The writer examines pertinent scripture and historical writing. Bibliography lists 7 sources.

A 6 page paper discussing the philosophy of Christian education. For a large part of Christian education the essential elements are the same as they are for public schools. They desire to educate the individual and to support the child through their years. But the techniques and the essential support system is very different as the Christian school ...

A 5 page paper which examines the importance of Christian education and the role it plays in American society. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

A 5 page research paper that addresses the topic of salvation as it is addressed in the Old Testament. The write particularly focuses on the "prophetic" model of salvation in OT scripture. The writer also considers this aspect of religious faith from within the context of this time in history, while relating it to ...

The transition from Pagan to Christian beliefs was not accomplished quickly nor was it always obvious. Major changes in the social order such as that which accompanied Christianity were seen in the social, political and economic realms as well as in the arts before it was generally accepted. This 5 page paper argues that the writing of Beowulf ...

A 7 page paper that begins with the probable dates when each of the Gospels was written and how that relates to canonization. The paper reports the movements and people who influenced the canonization process and reports and explains the criteria used to determine which Books would be included as canon. Bibliography lists 9 ...

A five-page creative writing assignment dealing with a pact with the Devil; special attention is paid to dialogue and its role in developing plot and characterization. No sources.

A 5 page paper discussing a Catholic theologist’s views of the source of Christian ethics. In The Sources of Christian Ethics, Pinckaers consistently points to scripture and the Holy Spirit as filling the ultimate role of influence in building and maintaining strong moral and ethical foundations among individual believers. The author argues that ...

A 5 page paper which examines how Emily Dickinson defined her life through her art of poetry, including identification of common themes, with examples from her poems, and also a consideration of how her Puritan background influenced her writing. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

This 8 page paper discusses the role of Confucian reflection in early Chinese poetry. It touches on the similar role played by Plato in considering early Greek writing. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

This 4 page paper is written in first person and provides a personal view on the film The Ten Commandments. Information from the movie is discussed. No bibliography.

A 6 page essay discussing the meaning, purpose, themes and uniqueness of the Gospel of John, in general, and these verses, in particular. The parable cited is found only in John's gospel. The writer concludes that the message is as relevant today as it was when it was written. Bibliography lists 1 source.

A 15 page paper that looks specifically at how the Synoptic Gospels relate to each other in the telling of the Passion of Christ, i.e., the days leading up to His crucifixion and Resurrection and then on to Pentecost. Numerous examples from the Gospels are cited to demonstrate their similarities and differences. The paper begins ...

This well-written four-page paper explores the events leading to the decline of medieval civilization. Reformation, Renaissance and the viewpoints of two great religious leaders are discussed. Bibliography lists 3 sources.