Religion of the Victorian Era Faith in Crisis Essay Example

Religion of the Victorian Era: Faith in Crisis Paper Religion of the Victorian Era: Faith in Crisis â€Å"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness †¦ it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair. †(Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities) The Victorians had a society comparable to ours with an explosion of ideas and innovation. Today our American society is famous for being a â€Å"melting pot. † Each individual has a different background where they create ideas completely different from another’s.One most likely pictures a melting pot as a fusion of ideas mixing together. One may also see the conflicts our society’s opposing ideas have created and see confusion rather than fusion. The term Victorian literally describes events in the reign of Queen Victoria during the years 1837-1901. The qualities of the queen herself help describe the values of the peoples of the time such as earnestness, moral responsibility, and domestic pr opriety(Christ, and Robson 980).The quality of moral responsibility had an enormous impact creating a great deal of controversy in this society. There became a religious battle; A challenge fought between the religious groups, the philosophers, the scientists, and every person with any opinion. England’s prosperity through new technology led to an expansion of influence around the world. Its annual export of goods sky rocketed in value between 1850 and 1870 and people began to invest. This investment of people, money, and technology created the British Empire(Christ, and Robson 985).Many English people viewed this expansion as a moral responsibility. Rudyard Kipling called this the â€Å"White Man’s burden. † Queen Victoria said that the goal was â€Å"to protect the poor natives and advance civilization† (Christ, and Robson 985). The social relevance began to increase during the first century of industrialization. The sequence of events caused missionary societies to flourish and Christianity began to reach India, Asia, and Africa(Obelkevich 311). While the British missionary societies were expanding, religious debate arose.By the mid-Victorian period the Church of England had transformed into three main divisions: Evangelical, Broad Church, and High Church (Christ, and Robson 984). James Obelkevich wrote, â€Å"The Victorian age was self-consciously religious. Britains greatness, Victorians believed its prosperity, social stability, political liberties, and Empire was rooted in Christian (and Protestant) faith. Yet if religion flourished, it did not bring harmony or good feeling†(328).Biblical disagreement spread with the introduction of new scientific advancements, along with philosophical, social, and religious ideas. The church went from unified to a state of pluralism which began the controversy with â€Å"Protestant against Catholic, Anglican against Dissenter, Evangelical against high churchman, Christian against u nbeliever† (Obelkevich, 328-329). The changes in the church may have been the start of the problem but the changes in society fueled the fire and allowed it to rage. The growth of industry made towns larger and widened the gap between classes.In 1830 the Liverpool and Manchester Railway opened. This was the first steam-powered, public railway line in the world. Railway construction exploded and the train changed England’s landscape, brought cities closer together, and allowed commerce growth. The economic growth brought parliament reform (Christ, and Robson 982). Astronomers became able to gain knowledge of stellar distances which was also frightening to people who never pictured a universe so vast. Anxiety from new scientific theories such as Charles Darwin’s evolution out broke.This not only went against the Christian God creating the world in seven days but also stole man’s role in the world and purpose felt lost for many. John Fowles writes in the nove l The French Lieutenant’s Woman, â€Å"By the 1860s the great iron structures of their philosophies, religions, and social stratifications were already beginning to look dangerously corroded to the more perspicacious† (Christ, and Robson, 987). This quote gives a great illustration of the feelings coming over the Victorian British society at the time.Their faith was being rocked by humans’ new ability to accomplish more things allowing some to feel stronger and no longer needing God. Science and new philosophical ideas shook everything they based their lives on. The literary community displayed their thoughts of the new industrious society and the ideas of science and philosophy through their works. Alfred Tennyson, Matthew Arnold, and Robert Browning express their viewpoints through poetry. Alfred Lord Tennyson’s In memoriam AHH expresses the change of the seasons and the celebration of Christian feasts starting with despair and growing with hope.Tennyso n was moved to write this long religious poem because of the death in 1833 of his friend Arthur Hallam. The poem opens with the words â€Å"Strong Son of God, immortal Love,/ Whom we, that have not seen thy face,/ By faith alone, embrace,/Believing where we cannot prove;† (1-4)(Sanders, 140). This displays his feeling of God well. Although there is much going on in this time period, with scientific discoveries, humans growing stronger with their capabilities, along with the tragic death of his close friend Tennyson holds tight to his faith.Matthew Arnold spoke a different theme through his poetry; It was the questioning if the life in a modern industrial society had the capability to be full and enjoyable (Christ, and Robson 1350). Robert Browning came along later than Tennyson and Arnold but was seen as a mediator between the two poets to one group of readers. This group saw him as a great philosopher and religious teacher that dissolved the doubts. There was a second group of readers that appreciated him for his writing rather than the content (Christ, and Robson 1248).In An Epistle Containing the Strange Medical Experience of Karshish, the Arab Physician, he announces his belief in creation with the lines, â€Å"Karshish, the picker-up of learning’s crumbs,/ The not-incurious in God’s handiwork/ (This man’s-flesh he hath admirably made,/ Blown like a bubble, kneaded like a paste,/ To coop up and keep down on earth a space/ That puff of vapor from his mouth, man’s soul)†(1-6). This is interesting because many intellectuals were changing their views to evolution in this time.Browning, Arnold, and Tennyson were all poets unafraid to use their work to speak their minds. Each displaying their attitudes in different ways about the new changes and God. During the Victorian Era there is no doubt the faith of religious people was threatened by great change. Charles Darwins theory of evolution and the industrial revolution ch allenged religion and questioned everything which held it together. Through studying the events in history and analyzing the way people would feel in such a time one can attempt to take a side.Our life experiences would affect this decision, of course, and our society’s ideas are much different than the people in the Victorian era also. We have become more open minded, in my opinion, allowing the fusion of our ideas to take place easier. The Victorians had a trouble with fusion; The perfect word to describe the era: confusion. Works Cited: Christ, Carol T. , and Catherine Robson. The Norton Anthology of English Literature. Eighth Edition. E. New York, NY: W. W. Norton Company Inc. , 2006. 979-1825.Print. Obelkevich, James. Religion. Social Agencies and Institutions. Ed. F. M. L. Thompson. Cambridge University Press, 1990. Cambridge Histories Online. Cambridge University Press. 24 July 2011 DOI:10. 1017/CHOL9780521257909. 007 Sanders, Andrew. Christianity and literature in E nglish. World Christianities c. 1815–c. 1914. Eds. Sheridan Gilley and Brian Stanley. Cambridge University Press, 2006. Cambridge Histories Online. Cambridge University Press. 24 July 2011 DOI:10. 1017/CHOL9780521814560. 010

10 Facts About the Geography of Baja California

10 Facts About the Geography of Baja California Baja California is a state in northern Mexico, the westernmost in the country. It encompasses an area of 27,636 square miles (71,576 sq km) and borders the Pacific Ocean on the west; Sonora, Arizona, and the Gulf of California on the east; Baja California Sur to the south; and California to the north. By area, Baja California is the 12th largest state in Mexico, which has 31 states and one federal district. Mexicali is the capital of Baja California, and more than 75 percent of the population lives in that city or in Ensenada or Tijuana. Other large cities in Baja California include San Felipe, Playas de Rosarito, and Tecate. Baja, California Facts The following is a list of 10 geographic facts to know about Baja California: It is believed that people first settled on the Baja Peninsula around 1,000 years ago and that the region was dominated by a few Native American groups. Europeans did not reach the area until 1539.Control of Baja California shifted between various groups in its early history, and it was not admitted into Mexico as a state until 1952. In 1930, the Baja California peninsula was divided into northern and southern territories. However, in 1952, the northern region (everything above the 28th parallel) became the 29th state of Mexico, while southern areas remained as a territory.The dominant ethnic groups in the state are white/European and Mestizo, or mixed Native American and European. Native Americans and East Asians also make up a large percentage of the states population.Baja California is divided into five municipalities. They are Ensenada, Mexicali, Tecate, Tijuana, and Playas de Rosarito.As a peninsula, Baja California is surrounded by water on three sides with borders on the Pacif ic Ocean and the Gulf of California. The state also has diverse topography but it is divided in the middle by the Sierra de Baja California, the Peninsular Ranges. The largest of these ranges are the Sierra de Juarez and the Sierra de San Pedro Martir. The highest point of these ranges and of Baja California is Picacho del Diablo at 10,157 feet (3,096 m). Between the mountains of the Peninsular Ranges are various valley regions that  are rich in agriculture. However, the mountains also play a role in Baja Californias climate, as the western portion of the state is mild due to its presence near the Pacific Ocean, while the eastern portion lies on the leeward side of the ranges and is arid through much of its area. The Sonoran Desert, which also runs into the United States, is in this area.Baja California is extremely biodiverse along its coasts. The Gulf of California and Baja Californias shores are home to one-third of Earths marine mammal species. California sea lions live on the states islands, while various types of whales, including the blue whale, breed in the regions waters.The main sources of water for Baja California are  the Colorado and Tijuana Rivers. The Colorado River naturally empties into the Gulf of California, but because of upstream uses, it rarely reaches the area. The rest of the states water comes from wells a nd dams, but clean drinking water is a big issue in the region. Baja California  has 32 universities with 19 serving as research centers in fields such as physics, oceanography, and aerospace.Baja California also has a strong economy and is 3.3 percent  of Mexicos gross domestic product. This is mainly through manufacturing in the form of maquiladoras. Tourism and service industries are also large fields in the state.

The Best and Worst Trees for an Urban Forest

The Best and Worst Trees for an Urban Forest It has been determined by the United States Forest Service that nearly 80 percent of the U.S. population lives in urban areas that have developed a dependent  relationship with  the social, economic, and ecological  systems  near cities and suburbs.  Although quite  different from wildland forests, these urban forests have many challenges associated with healthy growth just as rural forests do. A large part of urban forest management includes planting the right tree for the appropriate site. The distribution of urban tree cover and the benefits of urban forests will  vary across the United States and requires addressing the challenges of sustaining this important resource with the best trees for every sites potential.   Top Trees to Plant in the Urban Landscape Overcup Oak or Quercus lyrata: Actually, most  oaks are great in urban settings, but many are very slow growers, Overcup oak is also slow but quickly reaches 40.  It is recommended to plant in all but the Northcentral states.  Red Maple or Acer rubrum: This maple is a ubiquitous, wide-ranging, native tree. It adapts well to most soils and sites and thrives under urban conditions. It also is an early harbinger  of fall as it turns color well in advance of most eastern deciduous tree species.  White Oak or Quercus alba: This is the other oak recommended and can be planted in nearly every state in the US. It is similar to lyrata and easy to find in most nurseries.  Green Ash or  Fraxinus pennsylvanica: This tree is native to eastern North America and common west to Wyoming and Colorado but will grow in every state in the U.S. The tree is fast growing on moist sites and hardy once established. It is best grown as a single tree with adequate room to grow but to be avoided wh ere the emerald ash borer is endemic. Crapemyrtle or Lagerstroemia: This small tree is the most common southern street and yard tree planted in a wide range that encircles the US from New Jersey through the deep South, Texas, Southern California and to the Pacific Northwest. There are cold hardy  varies like Northern Crapemyrtle,  Lagerstroemia  indica  that can be planted through zone 5.Dogwood or Cornus florida: This small showy all-season tree is possibly the favorite of yards and parks in all of the United States (with the exception of the middle upper western states).Japanese Maple or Acer palmatum: These trees have extraordinary shapes and are very popular in yards and open landscapes. As with dogwood, they are not hardy  in the middle upper western states.Baldcypress or Taxodium distichum: This tree is becoming the most popular tree in urban landscapes. It is hardy in all but the driest of states.  Others include the red oaks, a return of disease-resistant  American elm varieties and American linden (American basswood.) Urban and city forests are an essential component of America’s â€Å"green infrastructure† which makes the care and management of these city trees extremely important. Having the wrong trees (many of which are invasive), when added to natural (insects, diseases, wildfire, floods, ice and wind storms) and social problems (over development, air pollution, and inadequate management) makes for challenges as urban expansion continues. Top Trees NOT to Plant in the Urban Landscape Mimosa or Albizia julibrissin:  short-lived and very messy in any landscape.Silver maple or Acer sacharinum:  very messy, ornamentally dull, aggressive rootsLeyland Cypress or Cupressocyparis leylandii:   quickly outgrows space, short-lived.Lombardy Poplar or Populus nigra: canker-prone, with litter and short life.Popcorn tree or Sapium sibiferum: invasive tree species.Chinaberry or Melia azedarach: Invades disturbed areas to become thickets.Royal Paulownia or Paulownia tomentosa:  Invades disturbed areas to become thickets.Bradford Pear or Pyrus calleryana  Bradford:  Invades disturbed areas to become thickets.Siberian Elm or Ulmus pumila:  Invades pastures, roadsides, and prairiesTree of Heaven or Ailanthus  altissima:  Forms dense, clonal thickets, highly invasive.

The Future of India's Economy Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 3

The Future of India's Economy - Research Paper Example Most countries in the western world are facing declining proportion of working-age population due to aging; however, there is not going to be much change in the proportion of a working-age population of India in the years ahead. Aging population proportion is increasing every year across most developed economies and reasons attributed to the phenomenon are a reduction in fertility rates and gains in overall longevity of men and women. Only India and South Africa will have a higher share of the working-age population. In 2011, the working-age population in India, age 15-64, is estimated at nearly 65 % of the total population that will increase further to around 68% in 2030. Though it will decline slightly in 2060 in proportion to the total population, it will still be higher in percentage terms when compared with its level of 2011. This is important because most of the developed economies including Japan, the US, and China, the proportion of this working class would have reduced to le ss than 60 percent (Johansson et al. p14). From the table, it is amply clear that its annual population growth rate would be even lower than the US; however, it will be higher than China, which shows a negative growth rate in 2060. By 2060, India will be the top country in terms of population in the world. Crude death rate per thousand will be lesser than the US and China perhaps due to a relatively younger population in comparison to these countries. The infant mortality rate is an important indicator of health policies that prevail in the country, and on that count, it will still remain significantly higher than both the countries in comparison. Life expectancy for male and female both would have reached at the decent levels by then.

Evaluate Various Organizational Perspectives Essay

Evaluate Various Organizational Perspectives - Essay Example in place, an organization can be described as a unit or group of people that utilizes skills (knowledge) to perform tasks that achieve a universal goal. An organization has a systematic structure that consists of management with components based on regulations such as laws (form and nature) (Draft, 2007). Organization theory is a collection of principles that suggests an appropriate way of organizational management. Organizational theories encompass the organizational structures and designs. Another aspect of organizational theory is that it articulates internal and external relationships of organizations (Argyris, 2001). Organizational theory is multidisciplinary as it derives its principles from arts, sciences and humanities. The multidisciplinary aspect of organizational theory makes studying organization theory fascinating and challenging. Most scholars like the challenge of thinking in an interdisciplinary manner. A second reason to study organizational theory is that with the right attitude an individual will acquire or improve his/her managerial skills. Organizational theory covers crucial management areas such as strategic finance, marketing, human resource, operations communication and information technology (Grint, 2005). A cogent theory should have a clear non-complex design. The theory should also reflect on culture in regard to its principles. Finally, a theory should outline principles that act as guidelines in the course of change. This calls for theories to be flexible in order for them to meet these standards (Grint, 2005). The multiple perspectives in organization theory create open mindedness especially in regard to management of the organization. This is because various perspectives provide for different causes of action for situations. This aspect of diversity is also necessary when it comes to dealing with change as the theories provide alternative courses of action (Hales,

Lines composed upon Westminster bridge, Sept. 3 1802 and London Essay Example for Free

Lines composed upon Westminster bridge, Sept. 3 1802 and London Essay These two poems show very different views of London. Lines composed upon Westminster Bridge, written by William Wordsworth, describes London in detail. He captures the beautified city and expresses the calmness of the morning. William Blake, who lived around the same time, wrote London which expresses the chaotic and corrupt side of London. Wordsworth describes the city in much detail. A sight so touching in its majesty. The Earth has not anything to show more fair. He expresses his true feeling about the city from where he sees it. He goes on to personify the city and describe how it doth like a garment wear The beauty of the morning; silent, bare. He has captured the city in the morning when it is quiet and in a sense almost naked with no one yet bustling through the streets, there are no fume engulfed traffic jams or shouting street salesmen. There is only the calmness of the morning. All the man made objects and buildings, such as ships, towers, domes, theatres and temples lie open unto the fields and to the sky. The man built objects remain where they were left not yet being used by Londoners. The atmosphere is sublime, the sun is just rising and soaking everything in its light, Never did sun more beautifully steep Neer saw I, never felt, a calm so deep! the scene is so peaceful he is feeling peace within himself. The natural body of the city, the river, is gliding in its own free way, the way it wants the river glideth at its own sweet will Its free will is moving it naturally through the city as though it were the countryside. The river has also been personified to give more emphasis of its freedom. He is so overwhelmed by the atmosphere and calmness of the city. Dear God! The very houses seem asleep everywhere he sees is not yet awake, again he has personified an object to give it more emphasis. His final line is describing the city as a mighty heart that is lying still. The capital, like the giant mechanism of a heart is just lying still. The aim from the poem is to describe the amazement he sees when looking over a massive city and seeing the calmness. He wants to express to others how peaceful and calm it makes him feel and pass that feeling on to the reader. The first two stanzas describe what the city is like, and what he sees around him. The sestet after this shows his personal response to what he has already described and how he feels about the city. Blake presents a much more depressing, morbid scene of London describing the corruptness of everything in the city. He is describing the attitudes and goings on in London that are normally never spoken about, the things which people may or may not know but which go on behind closed doors. A lot of repetition is used, unlike in Wordsworths poem, to give emphasis to the points which he is trying to make. In every cry, of every Man, In every Infants cry of fear, In every voice he only lists one example in each line but gives the effect of a lot of crying and pain and fear. He speaks in a first hand account throughout the poem I wander, I hear, and I meet. By speaking in the present tense it makes the reader more inclined to think it is going on here and now however old the poem may be. By beginning the first line with I wander thro each chartered street It makes it easier to visualise what he is describing because it is a first hand account. The chartered streets are each set out neatly and ordered, the chartered Thames is also very regulated and gives the impression of it being divided and bought and sold. He notices a mark in every face I meet Marks of wisdom, marks of woe. This evidence of scars of weakness and great sadness in faces contrasts with the peaceful and happy atmosphere Wordsworth gave to London. He hears mind-forgd manacles in crys of every man and Infants cry of fear he is referring to the fake, made up manacles that he cannot actually hear but knows that something is wrong. His repetition of cry continues to the next stanza where he talks of chimney-sweepers which are doing the dirty, hardest jobs and suffering for their work, an example of the depressed and morbid London. The description of the blackening church shows the soot taking over London and the church becoming almost evil, involved with dirty money or becoming corrupt. Even the church is starting to lose its faith. Another large part of London life is also criticised, the hapless soldiers sigh Runs in blood down palace walls. Fighting is going on around the palace but going unnoticed, the palace is oblivious to the corruptness going on inside its own walls. He contrasts the third stanza with the 4th final stanza, not only the church and palace and the huge industries of London are corrupt the streets are also. Thro the midnight streets I hear How the youthful harlots curse there is a lot of prostitution going on in the streets of London but was something that wasnt spoken about. The STDs, or curses blasts the new born infants tear. Implying that prostitutes pass on STDs and then these in turn get passed on to the newborn babies of those who have any disease. Another example of a corrupt system in London, which now effects the innocent. And blights with plagues the marriage hearse. Sleeping with prostitutes while married destroys the whole point of marriage and then if the partner becomes pregnant another generation is born into corruption. The use of hearse shows how marriage is carried away as though dead and not taken seriously. The extremely regular meter helps put across the ordered ways he describes the beginning. These chartered and regulated ways soon give way to the examples of how corruption is slowly taking over the whole city, the government, the church, the palace and the streets. The first poem also used a regular meter, which, also worked well in describing the city peacefully and happily. The two poems contrast greatly in not what they describe but how they describe it. Wordsworth has a much more calming poem, which in effect leaves the reader much more calm and peaceful. This is unlike Blakes who describes so much evil and chaos going on, his poem leaves the reader much more depressed and almost disgusted with how the people and industries of London are behaving. Their use of language is also quite different, Wordsworths entire poem is full of description of beauty, bright and glittering and full of splendour. He uses very grand descriptions of everything unlike the descriptions of Blake, which are quite harsh and blunt, blasts the new born infants tear, blights with plagues and runs in blood down palace walls. I did enjoy both poems but preferred the first, Lines composed upon Westminster because of its use of more soothing, happy descriptions of London. It made me feel much more relaxed after reading it whereas London left me feeling slightly more depressed and sad. Although this may have been the aim of Blakes poem I preferred Wordsworths poem because it was much calmer.

Trinity of Beliefs Essay -- essays research papers

We study different religious faiths in order to understand other people. Many people have strong religious convictions, and it would be impossible to understand them without first understanding their faith. Which is why when studying the early Western World the religions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, which are all closely related, are examined. All three of these religions are Western, they are monotheistic, and together they form the Abramic religions. Judaism is the oldest, dating from around 2000 BC and the most ancient religion still practiced in today's society; Christianity originates from shortly after the death of Jesus Christ; Islam is the youngest, emerging in the seventh century AD. It would appear, then, that Christianity and Islam are descended from Judaism, as different interpretations of the same beliefs. A possible hypothesis is that Christianity and Islam are adaptations of the old monotheistic religion in accordance with the political and social climates of t he times in which they emerged. All three religions share the same ancient history. The importance of Adam, Abraham, Moses and David and many others detailed in the Old Testament, is agreed on by all three religions; however, their view of Jesus' place in the scheme of things is the first major disagreement. The Christians believe him to be the Messiah, which the Jews had waited for for so long, while the Jews and Muslims believe him to be a great prophet and find the claim that he is the Son of God to be blasphemous. This difference of opinion was the chief reason for the bloody break up of the relationship between the Jews and the Christians. At their first emergence the Christians were considered a sect of the Jewish faith by both themselves and other Jews. However, the relationship between the different sects and the rest of the Jewish community became increasingly problematic as Jesus' teachings were considered blasphemous by the Romans. Jesus' all embracing theories and disregard for Jewish law made his movement all the more loathsome to the Jews. This is the primary reason for the stormy relationship between the two religions that were once one; the second reason is due to the manner in which the sect broke away and become a religion in it's own right. This breakaway began with the increasing rejection of Jewish law, for example, of the dietary customs, and when an Emperor... ...ar, even fashionable belief around the Roman Empire at this time, and paganism was fast becoming the religion of the ignorant. However, the diversity of the cultures and pre-existing beliefs in this area meant that not everybody could accept Judaism and the laws and customs that came with it as their single religion. This made sects necessary, and there were a great number of these; Christianity and Islam were the most popular and enduring of them. In today's society, Christianity claims the largest percentage of the world's population, while Islam is the second largest faith. Therefore, although historically Judaism shares a very close relationship with Christianity and Islam, its two main sects have now overtaken it as the world's most popular religions. Today, if a non-Jew, a non-Muslim and a non-Christian came together and examined their faiths, they would find no real faults between them. However, ask any Jew, Muslim or Christian and they will tell you a lot of conflicting b eliefs between the faiths. When, in truth, the faiths are basically one faith all connected in roots, prophets, and beliefs and its not the faiths that are in conflict, but the people of those very faiths.