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Essay Instructions: i) Book Review ? An 8-10 page book review of one of the ?Scriptures? that is foundational to a world religion that is discussed in this course (for example, for Christianity ? the Gospel of Mark, for Judaism ? the Torah, for Confucianism ? the Analects). The book review is to be of a sacred scripture itself (not of a book about a sacred scripture) and must follow the standard guidelines below:
i) Introduction (6 marks):
(1) A general description of the book: title, author, subject and format. Here you can include details about who the author is and where he/she stands in this field of inquiry. You can also link the title to the subject to show how the title explains the subject matter.
(2) A brief summary of the purpose of the book and its general argument or theme. Include a statement about who the book is intended for.
(3) Your thesis about the book: is it a suitable/appropriate piece of writing about the problem for the audience it has identified?
ii) Summary of Content (2 marks):
(1) This can be done in the same way that it is done for the simple book report (do not spend too much time or paper on this section, as the analysis and evaluation of content is more important than a simple summary).
iii) Analysis of Text (10 marks):
(1) What is the writer's style: simple/technical, persuasive/logical?
(2) How well does the organizational method (comparison/contrast; cause/effect; analogy; persuasion through example) develop the argument or theme of the book? (Give examples to support your analysis.)
(3) What evidence does the book present to support the argument? How convincing is this evidence? (Select pieces of evidence that are weak, or strong, and explain why they are such.)
(4) How complete is the argument?
(5) Are there facts and evidence that the author has neglected to consider? (You may need to refer to other relevant material)
iv) Evaluation of the Text (6 marks):
(1) Give a brief summary of all the weakness and strengths you have found in the book. Does it do what it set out to do?
(2) Evaluate the book's overall usefulness to the audience it is intended for.
v) The paper must be written in the Modern Language Association format (MLA).

Essay Instructions: I have 4 questions with 1 page per answer.
I am to read these books Gospel of Mark, Paul's Epistle to the Galatians, Paul's Epistle to the Romans, The Confessions of St. AugustineThe Consolation of Philosophy of Boethius and answer these following questions.1.While you may know evil that is found in each of these texts, emphasizing in your analysis the uniqueness of each such definition. Then give a modernexampleof a person/event that would be considered evilby each of these authors, yet not necessarily evil by the definition of the other four.2. In the Greco-Roman world, we saw how effective speakers like Alcibiades could establish themselves as credible authorities;we then saw how philosophers attempted to provide alternative models for authority within our society. Our five writers, working within the context of emerging Christianity, will each offer a new or at least revised vision of what is required for an individual to speak with authority on moral issues.Identify, with as much precision as possible, what each writer seescas the central elements of such "authority" in Christian society, and then identify similar claims employed by modern "authorities" who speak on matters of public morality. 3. May people in western culture find that having belief in something is a virtue. Many even contend that it is inevitable. Then texts we are studying just now foreground this issue nicely, but their considerable didderences in the wat each values and uses"belief." Using your texts identify the uses to which each author puts "belief" and the limitations each identifies in that use. Now find contemporary examples of the use of belief in similiar to ways to that you have identified in the writer of St. Mark, the works of Paul, Augustine, Boethius, and Gregory of Tours. 4.How we each understand the nature of conflict affects our ability to deal with those inevitable conflicts includes 1. a "vision" of how conflict arises 2. what we can do in response 3. what we expect others of like mind with us to do and 4. what we expect of our "opponents." Gregory of Toursunderstands conmflict in one way; the Franks. What of the author of Mark, and Paul? Both of their texts are involved with very real conflicts as well. Present your four-fold analysis of each such "understanding of conflict," and then document, from your own experience, how you have used each at some time or another.

Essay Instructions: This is a book review of the following book:

MacDonald, Dennis Ronald. "The Homeric Epics and the Gospel of Mark". New Haven: Yale UP, 2000. Print.

These are the requirements for the book review:

A) Begin with an introduction and a brief synopsis, or summary, of the book. In this section, you should identify the major elements of the work, and especially its basic thesis or theses, interpretive framework, central theme, and main conclusions presented by the author. This is the distillation of the book's contents. This should be no longer than one page.

B) Next, discuss the main point of each chapter (in order)- what info is provided in the chapter that supports the author's overall thesis? What is the main focus of the chapter? What themes are addressed? What types of sources does the author use? Essentially, why does this chapter exist? (Each chapter should in some way support, reinforce, or illuminate the author's main point). This is the bulk of the paper and should be 6-7 pages.

C) Critical analysis: How well does the author support their thesis? To what extent is the thesis supported by the arguments in the text- are they convincing or not? What type of evidence does the author tend to use to support their argument? Are there any special features of the book which merit attention? What is especially noteworthy or interesting? This should be/include the conclusion and be no longer than a page.

There is no room for fluff or non-critical filler. The paper should be as detailed as can be within the page requirements. Thanks!!

Essay Instructions: Read the Gospel of Mark and write a brief summary of its contents. Include discussion of authorship, purpose, and other critical matters. Be sure to include an evaluation of the 'silence motif' in the Gospel. 3 sources will be required but can not be from the NIV Study Bible or Encountering the New Testament Text Book.