Is high culture by definition elitist Essay Example

Is high culture by definition elitist? Paper The term high culture is defined as meaning the works of writers, artists and composers who are considered by scholars and critics to be superior to others. High culture is associated with the educated and more affluent people because they are considered to be more able to understand it and afford to take part in it. As high culture is defined as the appreciation of works which are considered to be superior, it is generally considered to include the appreciation of writers, such as Shakespeare and Dickens, composers such as Purcell and Elgar and artists such as Constable and Gainsborough. This definition of high culture can mean that it is considered to be elitist, meaning that it is only available to a select class or group of members of society. The people who are in this group or class are the more affluent and powerful and upper class members of society. However, whether this definition makes high culture elitist is a matter of opinion. The definition of high culture can make some people think that high culture is a type of culture which is only available and made accessible to the upper classes and more affluent people in society only. As works that are deemed to be high culture are works that are considered by scholars and critics to be superior to others, many may consider that these works can only be fully understood and appreciated by people who are superior to others. Also, the fact that works of high culture are by definition works of writers, artists, and composers makes high culture seem inaccessible to some members of society as works of high culture do not tend to be forms of entertainment that have mass appeal, such as television. The definition of high culture considers it to be artwork, music which is generally not classed as popular of pop music, and books. These have a more limited appeal than forms of entertainment such as television and cinema, and therefore make high culture more elitist by making it something which is enjoyed by less people. For example, those who are less well-educated will not be able to appreciate the plays written by Shakespeare or novels written by Dickens. We will write a custom essay sample on Is high culture by definition elitist? specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Is high culture by definition elitist? specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Is high culture by definition elitist? specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Books which are regarded to be high culture such as War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy cannot be appreciated fully by those who are less well-educated because they will not fully understand the language and therefore will gain less from the book than someone who is better-educated and can understand the book better. Yet, the definition of high culture also shows that high culture is not elitist and is available and accessible to all classes and groups of people in society. The definition of high culture states that it is only associated with the educated and more affluent people. This term means that it is usually only enjoyed by these people, however, it can also be accessed and enjoyed by others as well. The term associated does not make high culture seem elitist because it shows that it is available to all of society. For example, with music which is considered to be works of high culture. Simply because it is deemed to not be popular music and therefore is not designed to appeal to the masses does not make it any less available and accessible to all members of society. It can be enjoyed by anyone it is simply a matter of their tastes. In my opinion though, high culture is elitist. I think this because I deem that works of high culture are those which have an intellectual value and so require thought into their meaning. The members of society who are not educated (as I feel that whether they are affluent has no relevance), will not be able to appreciate this and gain from the works. However, high culture is available to everyone for them to enjoy and access as they wish. There is nothing which sets works of high culture aside and will not allow certain members of society to access it it is simply lack of knowledge that may prevent them from being able to fully understand it and therefore gain from it and appreciate it in any way. In conclusion, I think that high culture is by definition only, elitist, as the works which are considered to be of high culture are generally those which do not appeal to everyone and can only be fully understood and appreciated by those who are more educated and therefore more capable of being able to appreciate the intellectual and aesthetic value of the works.

A Brave New World essays

A Brave New World essays One may think that the society in Aldous Huxleys Brave New World is a gross representation of the future, but perhaps our society isnt that much different. In his foreword to the novel Brave New World, Aldous Huxley envisioned this statement when he wrote: "To make them love it is the task assigned, in present-day totalitarian states, to ministries of propaganda...." Thus, through hypnopaedic teaching (brainwashing), mandatory attendance to community gatherings, and the use of drugs to control emotions, Huxley bitterly satirized the society in which we live. The way the fascist and totalitarian regimes of the past used mass propaganda techniques to brainwash their people was very similar to the way Huxley described the hypnopaedic teachings in his novel. He also thought, however, that the present-day totalitarian states' methods were still "crude and unscientific." For example, in the novel the different classes had been brainwashed since birth to believe that they all contributed equally to society. Therefore, the people wouldn't try to think for themselves because they had never been trained to think anything differently. In addition, they didn't have any knowledge of a society that they could compare themselves to. In our society, many great lessons have been learned from the mistakes of rulers in the past. This is revealed when the Director said, "History is bunk." In our society, the dictators attempted to gain control of the world, but they usually failed because they weren't able to persuade the entire world to think like them. I n the past, Communist leaders have attempted to rewrite history, but in Brave New World, this was taken one step further; they forgot about history altogether. The only people who had access to any knowledge of the past were the ones who had the power: the World Controllers. Thus, they were able to create a society that fit their liking. ...

English Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 2

English - Essay Example Chris on the other hand left behind his luxurious life so he can achieve what he really wants to achieve, what his heart wants and work towards that goal. Maya who dealt with the racism around her alone, was separated from her brother and was forced to live a life where she was tortured for being black which was not even her fault, still she was able to live a life where her own self was her priority irrespective of what people think about her. Courage made a very difficult journey of Lalu, later on known as Polly Bemis a dignified path for her. In the novel â€Å"Thousand Pieces of Gold† in 1853 Lalu started her life in Nathoy China, however she ended up becoming Polly Bemis living in Grangeville, Idaho in 1933. She was very dear to her father who used to call her â€Å"thousand pieces of gold† as she was very precious for him. During a bad patch Lalu was sold to a bandit and in return her father received two bags of soya bean. Lalu who was thousand pieces of gold for her father was actually sold for just two bags of soybean. Difficult phase of her life started where she was forces into sexual slavery. She was a slave of trader and later a Chinese saloonkeeper kept her as well in Gold Rush country. Lalu never lost her hope and even during extremely crucial and hard times was bravely protected her dignity and self respect which was important for her. She lived a life of a homesteader after she was won by a man in a poker game. Her spirits very always high and nothing in the world, no difficulty was able to affect her spirits. The importance of valuing ones self gives person courage to even cross hardships of the life with a smile on the face. In the novel when Lalu was sold, the scene depicts the story in a beautiful manner, "He reached out, hesitated, and then looked up at Lalu, his eyes pleading for understanding. She twisted her face away -- Behind her, she heard him snatch the bag and scoop up the spilled seed. 'Two bags,' her father begged. ' She's worth two bags of seed† (McCunn, 67). Novice to Master   is a story of Soko Morinaga who lived a life full of courage and self determination from 1925 till 1995. After completing his high school, he got into the practice of Zen. Zuigan Goto started training him to become a monk at monastery at Daitokuji from 1949 till 1963. Sesso Ota Roshi gave him the Dharma transmission seal. He also in the book says, â€Å"He led a very difficult life, Narrow experience of knowledge generated misconceptions for him however with a smile on his face, extremely high level of patience and spirit he led a life with sleep deprivation, without food, eating without any sound, strict behavior of his masters and a very difficult lifestyle. Morinaga says, "The purpose of practice is not to increase knowledge but to scrape the scales off the eyes, to pull the plugs out of the ears. Through practice one comes to see reality. And although it is said that 'no medicine can cure fully,' whatever pr ompts me to realize 'I was a fool' is, in fact, just such a medicine." In his sermons he talks about mental states, how no favorability and adversity is made and projected by the state of mind. He says, "In people or things, there is no such thing as trash" (Morinaga, 96). â€Å"Into the wild† is a story that reveals journey of a man who is from a well known family, Christopher Johnson Mc Candless. He decided to leave everything he had behind, from $25000 savings which he donated , his car which was very

Hate Violence Turn it off by Tim Goodman Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Hate Violence Turn it off by Tim Goodman - Essay Example Goodman reiterates his thesis statement throughout his essay to make sure that his argument is easy enough to understand and his reasoning simple enough to follow. The social context of this essay is applicable to almost anyone, from young children to concerned adults. While this essay seems to be meant for children, in actual fact Goodman is trying to get through to parents because he knows they are in a position to enforce change in the family home. Goodman used logical arguments that parents would understand, but even more important was the fact that he did not go overboard by criticizing parents too much. The author tried to steer parents away from complaining about violence on television to a local official and instead use the remote to take control back of the television. I feel that Goodman did make a good choice for the intended audience and purpose of this assignment because if he had missed the mark then he may have made people resent his argument. The writer used a clear structure to his essay with three distinct supporting arguments. More importantly, Goodman continually stressed the overall purpose of the essay after every couple of paragraphs so that the reader did not forget what the argument was. Goodman used to tone and language that was necessary for parents of young kids to hear. He tried to get on their side by pointing out that complaining about it won't actually do anything and they should be the ones to make a change rather than telling others to change. Goodman quite rightfully states that some people prefer to watch violence on television, and those people should not have their rights taken away just because someone else doesn't like it. Instead, we all have the choice to watch or not watch so it really comes back to us. Â  

Word Mouth in Advertising Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Word Mouth in Advertising - Dissertation Example From this discussion it is clear that positive word of mouth is perhaps what most companies like to hear because besides increasing the consumers' intensions to purchase innovative products; it helps company by creating a favorable brand image and that of the firm. This can subsequently lead to a reduction in the amount of expenditure by companied on promotions. Negative word of mouth on the other hand, dissuades potential buyers from a brand, product or a firm and consequently damages the firm’s financial position as well as and   more power than positive word of mouth communication.As the paper stresses while many authors have handled the impact of negative word of mouth communication in advertising, there is still a huge gap, especially when it comes to how this marketing tool can be used to influence campaigns that target social problems such as gender bias, smoking, poverty, respecting traffic signs, sexual harassments, and education. It is worth noting the fact that ne gative word of mouth communication, because of its influential power, can be used to achieve progress in a number of areas in the society. However, the previous researchers have only been delving on how word of mouth advertising has been influencing marketing and sales but failed to conduct a proper investigation on the impact it can have in solving social problems that the society faces today. There is no doubt that it would equally have a big influence in this area as well.

Importance Of Contextual Theology In And Of Africa

Importance Of Contextual Theology In And Of Africa The subject of contextual theology in Africa is of current interest as it flows into the contextual theology of Africa in the wider world through its links with, and affect on the growth of, Pentecostalism within and beyond its borders, due to globalisation. As both of these areas of contextual theology in Africa and of Africa have their positive and negative aspects, I wish to ask the question, What lessons can we learn from understanding the impact of setting and the history of contextual theology in and of Africa which can guide other establishing theological contexts, particularly of the Emergent Church and LGBTQI contexts, regardless of geographical location. The enormity of the subject requires that the scope of this essay be limited to consideration of Christology only, and in that I will particularly consider the work of Kwame Bediako (Bediako 2004), and compare other models of contextual theology (Bevans Schreiter 2002). The debates in Christology, its historical emergence in the early the church and in the African contexts, help us again recognise the implications for ministry to mind and body with fresh understanding of Christ as God and as Man, and how these various aspects relate to our praxis and theological method. This is no less important for understanding the dialogue with Islam as it is for understanding the impact on the historical divide between modern emerging contexts in Western and Non-Western cultures (other than Africa). I will also consider the positive benefits of globalisation and its positive effects on transmission of content and the sharing of method to the possible benefit of the whole church, made possible through dialogues with non-traditional settings and approaches that are emerging using the grass roots approach advocated in African contexts. In this I will consider some alternative modern Christologys from the LGBTQI context and draw some comparisons. I hope to suggest a n embryonic model for contextual theology which I shall call the Incarnational Model of Contextual Theology. African Christology on the cusp Globalisation Past and Present. Global impacts through empires whether they are Persian, Roman, or Colonial are outdone in speed and reach by the modern means of communications and travel, yet there remains many places that are still not enriched, and remain disconnected and controlled and limited by the theological context they have both inherited and developed. This is possibly because in poorer areas there are still the problems of translation and transmission, as well as exposure to other views, which are not facilitated or enabled by situational and resource poverty. In this, the grass roots are still dependant on a third party bringing them the corpus of knowledge; in that respect, they have in some ways simply exchanged their overlords without changing their situation. This means that they still lack independence. Thus, the positive benefits of globalisation remain to be fully exploited and could provide an appropriate vehicle for transmitting the lessons of contextual theology in and of Africa to other geog raphical regions and into non-academic grass-roots settings beyond its normal reaches, as well as allowing these areas to have free unhindered exchange with other groups. Without this, the theology in and of Africa will become in-bred and undeveloped. Comparison between Western and Southern Contexts of Christianity à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ½Lothar Schreiner defines Contextual Theology as: Contextual theology is theology predicated with reference to its context. Contextuality, then, means relation to the substance and nature of the context, which goes beyond merely the literary setting to include geographic, linguistic, social, political, cultural, and ideological factors. Contextual theology is faith-knowledge on the basis of both the biblical revelation and the contemporary reference. (Schreiner, in (Fahlbusch et al. 1999) In considering Christology in the Western and Southern contexts, represented by Northern European and North American contexts on one hand, and the African contexts on the other, there is a distinction which Tennent refers to as Theology from Below in Africa which integrates the work and person of Christ with the human situation and experience, compared to the more philosophical upper-side theology of the early church which has continued in the Western tradition. (Tennent 2007) However, Tennent does not give consideration to the current evangelical modernist approach to theology it adopted in engaging with post-Enlightenment challenges, which has an effect on openness to considering alternative methods in the first instance, let alone the conclusions one can draw from these methods. This has an effect on dialogue within the African contexts, especially where there are still some remnants of colonial influence, but more so in transitioning to a contextual theology of Africa in the Afri can Diaspora, the uncritical adoption of modern evangelicalism would stifle dialogue and raise contention in both academic and grass-roots settings of Western Theology. This is as important for inter-faith dialogue as it is for inter-contextual dialogue. (Musk 2008) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ½George Evers alludes to the recognition that African context exists in reality as a plurality of contexts, and notes that there is a desire for independent African theology, despite its theological roots in Christian History represented by the great North African theologians of antiquity, Tertullian, Cyrian and Augustine. (Evers in Fahlbusch et al. 1999) Bediako parallels the methods of early Hellenistic writers within the church, and how they approached the enculturation of the gospel within a peri-Christian Graeco-Roman context, with that of the modern approaches of African Christologys dealing with both their own pre-Christian past, as well as their adoptive history imported by colonial missionaries. In this he illustrates for example the use of Hellenistic terms such as logos and the transition to the use of kyrios in the early church and compares this to grass roots references to Christ as Ancestor (among others) anticipating a transition in time to other terminologies. (Bediako 2004, p.63) Tennent points to the work of Jaroslav Pelikan who shows that each epoch of the church has had a prominent image of Christ, which collectively builds our modern day Christology. Thus, he lists a Jewish Messiah, a Gentile Lord Jesus, a post-Constantinian King of Kings, the Universal Man of the renaissance, a war-time Prince of Peace, and moder n day liberator. Tennent rightly points out that these historical reflections can not dictate a moratorium on future Christologys (Tennent 2007, p.110). It is vital that we recognise that every context has the right to not just write in the margins of the depositum fidei, but must write in the corpus, adding their parts of the Christological puzzle. This is true for African contexts, as it is for any other, including the emerging and LGBTQI contexts. Therefore, the task of integrating Christian faith with authentic African identity becomes a central theme in the emergence of African Christology. (Tennent 2007, p.115) In throwing off the Great Chain of Being (Lovejoy 1990, p.59) African contexts offer an authentic and hopefully empathetic voice to emerging and alternative contexts held captive by the chains of others. But the message and methods need to spread beyond its borders, and out of its centres of academia to be of immediate benefit both locally and globally. Who do People say I am? Various pre-Christian references to Christ that have arisen from African Traditional Religions are explored by Bediako, as well as by Stinton, who also provides useful survey data for her conclusions (Stinton 2004, p.47) and by Tennent (Tennent 2007, p.105). Between them, they highlight several images of Christ that arise from the grassroots African Christologys listed below: Table 1: Images of Christ in African Christology Master of Initiation Healer Ancestor Loved one Chief Liberator Lord of the Spirits Host and Giver of Hospitality Christ as Ancestor is particularly well expounded by Bediako (Bediako 2004, p.25) and Tennent (Tennent 2007, p.122) and provides an interesting point of contention which ultimately demonstrates the pan-cultural relevance of Christ, as well as the immutability of His work, playing to the holistic approach of African Christology which integrates the person and work of Christ. Bediako struggles to link this to Western/Hellenistic parallel, and overlooks the concept of elder brother [a parallel concept within Ancestor] which can be found in the titles of Christ in Greek/Hellenistic thought, such as firstborn (Gk. Prototokos  [1]  ) which does not refer to first-to-be-born but rather the pre-eminent heir, or else only-begotten (Gk. Monogenes  [2]  ) that is the unique-one, especially when prefigured as Wisdom. Both these Western/Hellenistic images of Christ provide parallels of unique source, and therefore ultimate ancestor. There is also a clear parallel to ancestor as mediator a nd Christ as mediator par excellence. Similarly, in Christ as Healer, there is a potential over-lap of experience between African and LGBTQI contexts in their shared experience of HIV/AIDS. In my own experience, working as a trainer in healthcare in Transkei, East Cape, RSA among the Xhosa people of Masameni, we worked with Church leaders, tribal leaders, and local practitioners of African Traditional Religions (ATR) who carried out ritual-circumcision, and local healthcare volunteers. We were able to get them to adopt the use of a disposable scalpel and suggested this was a commemorative gift to the individual to mark their rite of passage. These scalpels were made available via local health partners free of charge. In this approach we were able to guard against transmission of infection while honouring their traditional religion. Alas, this message has not penetrated the wider community. (Meel 2005) Nonetheless, in the group we worked with, the notion of Christ the healer working through the body of Christ, his people, was embraced as a wonderful image and inspiration, which even the practitioners of ATR were able to support. In his essay, Ezekiel understands AIDS; AIDS understands Ezekiel LGBTQI writer Jim Mitulski speaks of his own journey with HIV/AIDS and parallels Ezekiel vision of the valley of dry bones with Christs unifying role in creation. (Mitulski in Goss M. West 2000a, p.155) For him, and for the people in the African continent living with HIV/AIDS, understanding Christ as healer and consummator unifier of faith enables difficult journeys through sickness, and perhaps towards death, to be based on a solid foundation of faith in Christ. There is no sophistry in this journey. There is no sugar coating. Nonetheless, Christ is central to the journey both as a fellow pilgrim and also as the object of pilgrimage. But, even when the bodies are dead and buried, there is a role for Christ unifying the body again from dry bones. This parallels Christologys of Christ in African where Christ i s Lord of the Spirits and/or Christ as Chief. Applied Contextualisation Relocating Christological themes again in and from the African context relies on careful contextualisation. Various theologians have used disparate methods and approaches. Both Sanneh Bediako place heavy emphasis on the use of African languages; this places them at one extreme of those who support the translational model of contextual theology. If humanity is the receptor of language as they contend, then culture should be both dictionary and thesaurus. Thus, to extend that metaphor, the Christological puzzle must be a polyglottal interlinear. What both writers go on to show is that the importance lies not just in linguistic equivalence, but in a cross-mapping of cultural domains of thought. Sannehs vernacular is balanced by Bediakos use of grassroots images such as Christ as Ancestor and Christ as Healer, with the latter author drawing close to an anthropological method. While Bediako insists that we ought to speak positively of oral, spontaneous, implicit or grass roots theology, as theology which comes from where the faith lives, in life-situation of the community of faith, he stops short of an anthropological model by stressing that alternative religions are not the source and do not shape Christian affirmations. (Bediako 2004, p.17) Yet, in this quotation I see great resonance with the approaches with LQBTQI communities to do likewise and allow the theology and Christology to come from where faith lives. The translational model presupposes a supra-contextual unchanging message, while a purely anthropological model uses the personal and communal encounter as its starting point, and in method, allows the grass-roots to self define. On this matter, Donovan here makes a clear distinction between the gospel as revelation and the communal response to this revelation as religion, and thus recognises the immutability of the gospel as well as stressing the importance of seeking the authentic commonality from within the context in all its richness. This parallels the who do you say I am approach from within LGBTQI contexts. (Bohache 2008) and would not differ much from other approaches employing reading against the scriptures as a hermeneutical tool. (G. O. West Shomanah 2000, p.250; G. West 1996) I have not found any Christological examples of this within Queer Christologys, but in essence, the reading-against approach is employed by Koch in employing a non-typical approach to hermeneutics, though it is not applied to Christology. (Stone 2001, p.169) We should note here that within African contexts there is a potential dichotomy between what is demanded for a context in and of Africa, and that which is granted or permitted by that context to other external contexts. Thus, it is sad to see the African church being so vociferous in the debate about homosexuality; a simple methodological analysis should surely grant other contexts the same privilege as was claimed and rightly demanded by African theologians in their quest for liberation. That is, for the gospel to be authentic, the gospel must operate from within the context. This is a major tenet on which I propose an Incarnational model of contextual theology; that is, Christs incarnation was the ultimate step of identification and required a transition into the human context but went beyond that in fully identifying with the marginalised of society in the face of religious opposition. The model therefore, in this respect, imitates that objective. In principle what I propose is a modified synthetic model, in as far as I recognise the importance of several models; Bediakos translational approach enables sympathy with Donovans anthropological approach. A liberationist approach would possibly go further in allowing the praxis within community to inform our Christology, but I am not aware of any such models emanating from the African context. Nonetheless, I disagree with Newbiggins Counter-Cultural model in as far as I disagree with the assumptions behind the use of the gospel. Like Donovan, I see it as immutable, and therefore while I agree with Newbiggins analysis that everything should be subject to the gospel, I disagree that the gospel should be seen as a tool for refutation and rejection of local context. There is no threat from syncretism when you view God and the Gospel as immutable, and when you merely use the notions within other contexts to continue to resolve the Christological puzzle. Bediako, in drawing short of a fu ll anthropological model, sides with Newbiggin in seeing the gospel as a refutation and rejecting tool. However, emerging from modern western contexts are post-evangelicals who are rejecting the modernist method adopted by post-enlightenment Christians as they engaged with opponents of their time. This approach was embedded into the western theology imported into the African context. This modernist approach is still evident in the post-colonial echoes as the remnant of adoptive history present in various contexts in Africa, and as it has survived in Western contexts also, it parallels with the contexts of Africa found in Pentecostalism in the west. Relationship, Re-appropriation and Redemption The Jewish atheist Buber has contributed to philosophy with his understanding the I-thou versus I-thee framework. Part of this work expounds the notion of deepening understanding of I-thee relationships (interpersonal, interfaith, inter-group) which comes from a deeper understanding of the I-thou relations (cosmic.) and vice versa (Buber 2004) One of the global problems the church faces in all contexts is the gap between academic theology and grass roots theology, and a lack of exchange between the two. Not only do different groups exist in silos, but there is a gap between academic and grass roots within silos. Thus, when cross-talk between the silos takes places, it is usually only at the academic level, and does not penetrate to the grass-roots. The Christological puzzle demands that the gospel be found within all contexts and that each contributes their own piece to the puzzle. However, each silo considers its own received knowledge as universal and normative. Thus we need to learn several lessons in considering Christologys in and of Africa. First that the gospel has nothing to fear from experimentation intended to unearth Christ from within the context. All the various models of contextual theology should be permitted. Secondly, we should allow each context to self-define in order to obtain both an authentic and relevant message which also has current rather than historical application. Thirdly, language and poverty are real obstacles to dissembling walls between academic and grass roots theology and are a major contributing factor to the failure in positive effects of globalisation. Despite non-textual approaches in some contexts, there needs to be greater dialogue between the silos including non-traditional groups from outside the normal scope of research, and also greater exchanges within silos between academic and grass-roots. I would include here post-modern and non-traditional groups such as the LGBTQIA groups. The Incarnational model therefore suggests that there should be not only a top-down and bottom up commun ication within silos, but there has to be communication between silos at all levels that is both practical and pragmatic, but also respectful. Conclusion The methods and models employed in various contexts in and of Africa provide a strong methodological foundation for other contexts seeking to discover Christ in their contexts and thus incarnate their spirituality in their setting. There is a lack of intra-contextual and inter-contextual dialogue connecting academia and grass-root settings both in Africa and in Western theologies. I propose that by adopting a post-evangelical approach, which engages with postmodernism, a foundation of empathy with alternative groups and settings would be facilitated. This avoids the certainty trap which inevitably locks groups in a head-to-head confrontational stance as they seek to defend their position rather than discover the truth. Instead, it is possible that the groups align side-by-side on the journey. In this, the Incarnational Model of Contextual Theology post-modernises the Synthetic model with a refining-redeeming gospel to mirror culture rather than refute and reject it. But it finds its deepest meaning in the lives of the groups discovering its depth, and therefore incorporates a deeply spiritual and deeply practical element of praxis. The final aspect of this incarnational model alludes to the need for publishing the outcomes and rooting them in not just the religious practices of various groups, but in their secular lives too. Most importantly is facilitating access to the materials and resources outside of academic circles. Poverty and language will continue to be obstacles to be overcome. While certain contexts are disbarred because the materials are not in an accessible language and while the positive effects of global spread of the message through the internet requires access to that medium, then there will continue to be substantial pockets of every context existing in effective isolation from their academic partners and isolation from other enrichment from other contexts. (Adeyemo 2006) (Akper 2007)(Ballard Pritchard 2006) (Bediako 2004)(Bevans Schreiter 2002)(Chike 2008)(Clarke 2005)(Countryman/Ritley 2001) (Dada 2010)(Donaldson 1996)(Goldingay 1996)(Goss M. West 2000b)(Jenkins 2009)(Mashau Frederiks 2008)(Moloney 1987)(Nadar 2007)(Sankey 1994)(Stuart 2003)(Tennent 2007)(Thomson 2006)(Wilson 1995) (Jenkins 2006)(Jenkins 2007)(Stinton 2004)(G. West 1996) (Culley 1976)(Elliott 1986)(Fahlbusch et al. 1999)(Jewett, 1985)(WILLIAM 2004)(Winquist 1987) Bibliography Background reading Adeyemo, T., 2006. Africa Bible Commentary: A One-volume Commentary Written by 70 African Scholars, Zondervan. Akper, G., 2007. The Person of Jesus Christ in Contemporary African Christological Discourse. Religion Theology, 14(3/4), pp.224-243. Ballard, P.H. Pritchard, J., 2006. Practical Theology in Action, SPCK Publishing. Bediako, K., 2004. Jesus and the Gospel in Africa: History and Experience, Orbis Books. Bevans, S. Schreiter, R.J., 2002. Models of Contextual Theology Revised edition., Orbis Books (USA). Bohache, T., 2008. Christology from the Margins, SCM Press. Brown, C., 1986. New international dictionary of New Testament theology, Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House. Buber, M., 2004. I and Thou (Continuum Impacts) New Ed., Continuum International Publishing Group Ltd. Chike, C., 2008. PROUDLY AFRICAN, PROUDLY CHRISTIAN: THE ROOTS OF CHRISTOLOGIES IN THE AFRICAN WORLDVIEW. Black Theology: An International Journal, 6(2), pp.221-240. Clarke, C.R., 2005. Towards a Functional Christology Among AICs in Ghana. Mission Studies: Journal of the International Association for Mission Studies, 22(2), pp.287-318. Countryman/Ritley, 2001. Gifted by Otherness, Thomas More Press. Culley, R.C., 1976. Semeia 5, Oral Tradition and Old Testament Studies, Society of Biblical Literature. Dada, A.O., 2010. REPOSITIONING CONTEXTUAL BIBLICAL HERMENEUTICS IN AFRICA TOWARDS HOLISTIC EMPOWERMENT. Black Theology: An International Journal, 8(2), pp.160-174. Donaldson, L.E., 1996. Semeia 75: Postcolonialism and Scriptural Reading, Society of Biblical Literature. Elliott, J.H., 1986. Semeia 35: Social-Scientific Criticism of the New Testament and Its Social World, Society of Biblical Literature, Scholars Pr. Fahlbusch, E. et al., 1999. The Encyclopedia of Christianity: (A-D) v. 1 (Encyclopedia of Christianity, Brill. Goldingay, J., 1996. Models for Interpretation of Scripture, William B Eerdmans Publishing Co. Goss, R.E. West, M., 2000a. Take Back the Word A Queer Reading of the Bible, Pilgrim Press. Jenkins, P., 2006. The New Faces of Christianity: Believing the Bible in the Global South, OUP USA. Jenkins, P., 2007. The Next Christendom: The Coming of Global Christianity Revised edition., OUP USA. Jenkins, P., 2009. The Lost History of Christianity: The Thousand-year Golden Age of the Church in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia, Lion Publishing plc. Jewett,, R., 1985. Semeia 30: Christology and Exegesis: New Approaches, Society of Biblical Literature. Lovejoy, A., 1990. The Great Chain of Being New edition., Harvard University Press. Mashau, T.D. Frederiks, M.T., 2008. Coming of Age in African Theology: The Quest for Authentic Theology in African Soil. Exchange, 37(2), pp.109-123. Meel, B., 2005. Community perception of traditional circumcision in a sub-region of the Transkei, Eastern Cape, South Africa. Available at: http://www.safpj.co.za/index.php/safpj/article/viewArticle/256 [Accessed December 7, 2010]. Moloney, R., 1987. AFRICAN CHRISTOLOGY. Theological Studies, 48(3), pp.505-515. Musk, B., 2008. The Certainty Trap: Can Christians and Muslims Afford the Luxury of Fundamentalism, Nadar, S., 2007. CONTEXTUAL THEOLOGICAL EDUCATION IN AFRICA AND THE CHALLENGE OF GLOBALIZATION. Ecumenical Review, 59(2/3), pp.235-241. Sankey, P.J., 1994. The church as clan: Critical reflections on African ecclesiology. International Review of Mission, 83(330), p.437. Spicq, C.E., 1994. Theological lexicon of the New Testament, Peabody, MA.: Hendrickson. Stinton, D.B., 2004. Jesus of Africa: Voices of Contemporary African Christology, Orbis Books. Stone, K., 2001. Queer Commentary and the Hebrew Bible, Pilgrim Press. Stuart, E., 2003. Gay and Lesbian Theologies: Repetitions and Critical Difference, Ashgate Publishing Limited. Tennent, T.C., 2007. Theology in the Context of World Christianity: How the Global Church Is Influencing the Way We Think about and Discuss Theology, Zondervan. Thomson, A., 2006. Learning from the African Experience: Bediako and Critical Contextualisation. Evangelical Review of Theology, 30(1), pp.31-48. West, G., 1996. Semeia 73: READING WITH: EXPLORATION OF INTERFACE BETWEEN CRITICAL AND ORDINARY READINGS OF THE BIBLE, Society of Biblical Literature. West, G.O. Shomanah, M.W.D., 2000. The Bible in Africa: transactions, trajectories, and trends, BRILL. WILLIAM, S., 2004. DOGMATIC THEOLOGY 3RD ED HB 3rd ed., EVANGELICAL PRESS. Wilson, N., 1995. Our Tribe: Queer Folks, God, Jesus, and the Bible, Harpercollins. Winquist, C.E., 1987. Semeia 40: Text and Textuality, Scholars Press.

extinction of great apes :: essays research papers

The great apes are humankind’s closest relatives. Great apes include gorillas, chimpanzees, orangutans, and bonobos, which are also known as pygmy chimps. At the turn of the century, there were approximately one million chimpanzees in Africa. This number has declined down to 150,000. Mountain gorillas have halved in size over the last ten years, leaving only 320 to roam the trees of their homeland. Some say these great apes will face extinction within a decade. Why is this the case and should we let this happen? These apes lose areas of habitat on a daily basis. They are also constantly slaughtered for meat and body parts. These two enormous contributors of great ape depletion are just unnecessary additional threats to the existence of our relatives. We must not forget that there is also disease and environmental catastrophes that kill off these intelligent human-like primates. Humans share up to 98% of their DNA. This makes the great apes a very valuable and important subject for study. There is a lot we can learn from them. Because we are so closely related, this may also be a link to global extinction. Perhaps a more thorough evaluation of each of the factors which contribute to the depletion of the four great apes may help to understand how damaging and unnecessary this depletion has become for them, as well as for us. Loss of Habitat   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One of the most influential causes for the mass decline in great apes is due to habitat loss. Habitat loss includes the clearing out of forests for agriculture, timber extraction, and fuel wood. The orangutan may be in the most trouble because of this. The last large groups of these primates are located in the large rainforests of Indonesia and Malaysia. These forests are currently being destroyed by illegal loggers, planters, and also by forest fires. Many of these fires seem to be started by plantation owners. The act of logging is not just about taking down a few large trees. It is about stealing all of their resources. Great apes use their environment to build tools and to eat. If we continue to take away their primary food source, they are sure to die off. In addition to destroying their food resources, logging creates islands of rainforest. Cutting down trees, leaves gaps of open area. This causes an isolation of the great ape population.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The gap caused by logging also is a common cause of these rainforest fires.