...the road to Damascus” (Hindson, E., Towns, E., Illustrated Bible Survey; An Introduction, 2013, page 402), (Acts 9:1-20 KJV). The works of Paul, an Apostle, and a bondservant of Jesus Christ are too numerous to comprehend. Paul states his reason for writing the letter, “(1) the gospel is the power of God that leads to salvation (Romans 1:16), and (2) the righteousness of God by faith is revealed in the gospel (Romans 1:17)” (Hindson, E., et.al, 2013, page 416). The synopsis of this essay addresses Paul, the natural world, human identity, human relationship with God, and cultural issues in Rome during the era of 56/57 A.D. Paul’s epistle letter to the Romans reads like a State of the Union address. Paul addresses salvation, and righteousness in the form of condemnation (Romans 3:5), justification (Romans 5:1), and sanctification (Romans 6:19). Natural World One cannot speak of the natural world, without referring to the Book of Genesis. From the onset, Paul were adamant in teaching the Romans that God is the creator of the natural world, “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse” (Romans 1:20 KJV). Although, man and his mindset, has what he thinks his own agenda as revealed in Romans 1:25. Thus came the, “fall of man.” From the beginning of time (Genesis 1:1) to this day, man has fallen short of the glory of God’s grace...
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...Blackface Chic: High Fashion, Racechange and Cultural Tourism Race, Identity, and Public Culture Popular cultural representations, in particular those in the fashion industry, have recently reinvented a historically loaded image in their performances: blackface.1 In the past several years, blackface and other images of physical transformations of race have appeared in a number of high and popular fashion contexts including a “yellowface” fashion show in Shanghai sponsored by Karl Lagerfeld, supermodel Heidi Klum photographed wearing only chocolate syrup, an issue of French Vogue featuring a white model in black body paint and elaborate “African-inspired” costuming, a photograph in V Magazine of two models, one in blackface and one white, wrestling, two episodes of America’s Next Top Model involving racial and biracial transformation, and an editorial naming American Apparel and showing a woman in blackface. Blackface, though in a contemporary form more accurately described by the term “racechange,” or the performance of one race by another (Gubar 2000), far from being taboo have become an aesthetic in the fashion industry. Though popular magazines and newspapers such as Essence and a number of fashion blogs have responded to particular instances of racial transformation, there is relatively little scholarly work on the rise of racechange in contemporary fashion. This essay attempts to fill that gap in scholarship by examining racial transformation through...
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...24Jan2016 Identity: The Constituents of Selfhood What is identity? This is a question that organizations, religions and couch doctors have attempted to answer on people’s behalf since the formation of society. Identity is everything, a unique combination of over 10 billion sets of characteristics. No two sets are alike, all are unique. It is one’s framework. It’s these genetic characteristics that an individual identifies as belonging uniquely to them. Identity is a complex notion influenced by internal and external forces. It’s reified by both variable and invariable traits; further influenced by the combined efforts of those around. In short, individuality manifests itself from the convergence of important factors: genetics, adolescent development and cultural influences. All these elements and circumstances combine to form one singularity: identity. Genes, the basic unit of heredity are a combination of nucleic acid and evolutionary black magic. They’re the mechanism behind one’s genesis; the framework on which their identity is fastened. These characteristics are immutable (current technology withstanding). Passed on from one’s biological parents; an homage to their legacy. Subjectively speaking, genetics are profoundly constitutive of self. A person identifies and is identified to a large degree by their phenotypes, or the outward expression of their genes. From eye color to skin color, genes have a profound impact on social development and ultimately, identity. For example...
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...The End of American Exceptionalism? The Limits of Power is a primary reading that was published in 2008 before the results of the presidential election was known. It was written by Andrew Bacevich who is a retired U.S. Army colonel and professor of history and international relations at Boston University. In the book Bacevich argues that the United States has been in a unique position since its inception. It has a large amount of inherent advantages, such as an abundance of natural resources and a lack of nearby external threats. Despite these advantages, he sees the United States as having embarked on a disastrous path of rampant consumption and attempted empire building that is corrupting and bankrupting the country, all while using American exceptionalism as a justification. When asked what American exceptionalism means in an interview shortly after his book was published Bacevich answered, “Well, this is not an idea that’s original with me. It’s clear that from the founding of the Anglo-American colonies, from the time that John Winthrop made his famous sermon and declared that “we shall be as a city upon a hill” a light to the world it’s clear that, from the outset, there has been a strong sense among Americans that we are a special people with a providential mission. In the twentieth century, probably going back to roughly the time of Woodrow Wilson, certainly since the end of the Cold War, this concept of a providential mission, a responsibility to the world, has...
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...Report on the Religious life of Planet Earth Joan C. Mercieca Strayer University Religion 212 – World Religions Dr. Lawrence Ruddell April 28, 2012 I recently traveled to the planet called Earth to ascertain if people and the planet are religious and what they practice in the aspects of religion. I will give you examples of behavior or beliefs I observed during my visit on Earth. The first thing that I saw was that Earth and its people are separated by many religions and variations of religions. What I mean by this is currently Earth has about forty three hundred belief systems and within these beliefs there are many different sects (Fisher, 2011). According to Barrett (2000), I looked at there are twelve classical major world religions. Babi and Baha'i faiths, Buddhism, Confucianism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Jainism, Judaism, Shinto, Sikhism, Taoism, and Zoroastrianism (Fisher, 2011). There are many other religions on earth but Christianity is the largest. Christianity comprises of Roman Catholicism, Protestantism, and Eastern Orthodox. What I have observed from Christianity is that they have different sects within. Christian’s believe that there is one God who is supremely powerful and knowing. Christian’s beliefs sounded bizarre to me because they believe that anything is possible if they believe in this God. These Christians believe that their God made the Earth, heavens and animals in six days...
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...people of Uttarakhand today that the whole country stands with them in this moment of crisis. Our government is working with all the resources at its command to rehabilitate those whose houses have been destroyed and rebuild damaged infrastructure. Our army, paramilitary forces and numerous officers and staff of the Central and State governments worked in difficult conditions in partnership with the common people to perform an outstanding task in providing relief to those who were stranded. We especially pay homage to the officers and men of the Air Force, ITBP and NDRF who sacrificed their lives to save others. We are also deeply pained that we lost the submarine, INS Sindurakshak in an accident yesterday. Eighteen brave sailors are feared to have lost their lives. The accident is all the more painful because the Navy had recently achieved two major successes in the form of its first nuclear submarine, INS Arihant and the aircraft carrier, INS Vikrant. We pay homage to the brave hearts we have lost. We also congratulate the Navy on its successes. Brothers and Sisters, We achieved independence in 1947 under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi. If we look at our subsequent journey, we would find that our country has seen major changes every ten years. In the decade beginning 1950, India took its first steps as a democratic republic under the leadership of Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru. We established institutions like the Atomic Energy Commission, Planning...
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...Brand Name and the Quest for Success in the Luxury Sector All luxury designers strive to achieve long-term success. To put a label on a collection of products is to create a brand, but that label does not provide for definite staying power. Lucrative brands have gone beyond creating something pretty; an outstanding brand writes a story that the consumer believes and wants to buy into and the brand then becomes more than its product. Labels that grasp the importance of branding understand that they must be more than the watch or bag or scarf. The appeal of a brand must be in who the consumer becomes when he or she puts on or uses a certain product. Brand awareness widens when a high-end label creates and conveys a clear message or lifestyle that the consumer thinks he or she can attain through purchase. That is the art of branding. Branding convinces the consumer not to simply buy a product, but instead buy the brand as a whole. A stellar product does not stand alone—behind it must be something deeper, a message or a symbol which should represent or relate back to the identity of the brand. Within the luxury sector, where products are often an investment regardless of one’s socio-economic status, conveying an identity is crucial. If the consumer cannot see what he or she will gain from purchasing a $2,000 handbag or a $26,000 watch, there will be no sale, and the ship that is the brand will sink. John Goodchild and Clive Callow, authors of Brands: Visions and Values...
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...forms of media and has been referenced and meta-referenced beyond the scope of traditional superhero entertainment. For several years in the 1950s, the only three superheroes to have their own comic book were Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman. The cultural impact of the character, once derided by psychologists and anti-comic book crusaders as an anti-male lesbian, has steadily increased over the years, having served as an iconic exemplar of the feminist movement and a continuing symbol of female empowerment. As such, she appears in numerous media, from cereal box covers and popular magazines to being referenced both directly and indirectly in film, animation and television programming. As a cultural icon, she is the subject of several homages and parodies in many forms of media. In art Wonder Woman is the subject of a 1978 - 1979 video art piece Technology/Transformation: Wonder Woman. In this work she uses appropriated images of Wonder Woman to subvert the ideology and meaning embedded in the television series. Author T.J. Demos writes, "(the) opening with a prolonged salvo of fiery explosions accompanied by the warning cry of a siren, Technology/Transformation: Wonder Woman is supercharged, action-packed, and visually riveting... throughout its nearly six minutes we see several scenes featuring the main character Diana Prince... in which she transforms into the famed superhero." The exhibit currently resides in New York's Museum of Modern Art. In theatre Wonder Woman's...
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...Culture Challenges at Coca Cola Final Group Project of Organisation Planning and Design Akshit Jauhari 15PGPIM05 Devadatt Gholap 15PGPIM12 Ishaan Sharma 15PGPIM16 Piyush Arora 15PGPIM21 Sakshi Jain 15PGPIM43 Ujjwal Singh 15PGPIM44 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1) Introduction---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------2 2) Mission & Vision---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------3 3) Culture at Coca Cola----------------------------------------------------------------------------------4 4) Culture Issue at Coca Cola---------------------------------------------------------------------------5 5) Cultural Change to power innovation------------------------------------------------------------6 6) Teaching Notes-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------8 7) References----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------14 INTRODUCTION The Coca-Cola Company, a beverage company is the manufacturer, distributor, and marketer of non-alcoholic beverage concentrates and syrups. It is best known for its flagship product Coca- Cola, invented by pharmacist John Stith Pemberton in 1886. Asa Candler who incorporated The Coca-Cola Company in 1892 bought its formula and brand in 1889. Besides its flagship Coca-Cola beverage, Coca-Cola currently offers more than 400 brands in over...
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...A Glimpse of Amy Tan As one of the first Asian American cultural writers of her time, Amy Tan is also one of the most significant contemporary writers of Literature today. Amy Tan brings to life the struggles of dual cultural identity, generational clashes due to age and cultural gaps minority woman face in society. Many of her stories are based upon real obstacles her, her Mother and Grandmother had in their lives as young woman, facing not only the minority issues but the sexiest stigma’s of their times. Born in Oakland, California in 1952, Amy Tan was born to immigrants that had left lives and family behind in China. As a teenager, Amy was faced with the tragic death of her Father and a few months later her Brother. Shortly after their deaths Daisy, Amy’s mother, decided “to cleanse the evil influence of their "diseased house". (Mote) And moved her family to New York, Washington, Florida and finally to Europe. At first they lived in the Netherlands and eventually settling in Monteux, Switzerland where Tan completed high school. Being considered an outsider by her peers, and the continuous feeling of anger and loss she felt from losing her brother and father, she began hanging out with a crowd of drug-dealing hippies and at sixteen was arrested. Her relationship with her Mother became increasingly strained and after a close encounter of almost eloping with a mental patient, Amy and her family returned to United States where her mother enrolled her in a small Baptist...
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...The humanistic, Petrarchan characterization of the early Italian Renaissance1 had begun to give way to a more unstable, anguished atmosphere by 1478.2 The vacuum of power that had been brought on by the Babylonian Captivity3 was still inflicting conflict within the Italian leadership hierarchy. The thriving neo-classicist jurisdiction of Lorenzo de’Medici in Florence was beginning to falter at effective management of the city-state,4 slowly creating an opening for opposing figures, such as the resurgent papacy,5 the friar Girolamo Savonarola6 and King Charles VIII of France,7 to mobilize support for a return to the seemingly less indulgent notion of religion having supremacy over discourse and daily affairs. The clash of these two forces, along...
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...How has Milton’s Paradise Lost shaped modern depictions of Lucifer? John Milton’s Lucifer has become so prominent in modern discussion of hell and sin that it is often confused with the theological account of the devil. Luciferian characteristics or depictions of Lucifer himself can often be linked back to Milton’s Paradise Lost and I will discuss multiple ways that Lucifer has become integrated into modern popular culture. From DC Comics’ Lucifer Morningstar to Walter White in Breaking Bad, I will show how Milton’s Paradise Lost has shaped modern depictions of the devil. Milton’s Lucifer was seemingly created from the influence of the Italian Renaissance devils of Giambattista Marino and Torquato Tasso. Lucifer’s ‘prissy disdain for earth’ and hatred of man in Tasso’s Gerusalemme Liberta helped form Milton’s depiction of the character. Philip Beitchman suggests that ‘Milton saw Satan’s contempt for man formed from dust’, drawn from such lines as ‘Man, man the vile, born of vile mud’. This hatred is exemplified by Milton in the words ‘Woe to the inhabitants on Earth!’ paraphrasing the New Testament verse of Revelations 12:12. Beitchman suggests that Lucifer’s hatred is fuelled by the purpose of man, claiming that ‘it was standard wisdom that man was created to supply the place of fallen angels’. If man was created to replace him, then we can perhaps understand Lucifer’s disdain towards them in Paradise Lost. We ought to look towards Marino’s La strage degli innocent, in...
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...An Analysis of Outliers: The Story of Success XXXXXX MNGT 5670 – Managerial Leadership Webster University Abstract A theory is presented to the reader that there are not any successful self-made people, which is contrary to popular beliefs. The theory is presented in the book, Outliers: The Story of Success (2008), authored by Malcolm Gladwell. The theory is further defined by the premise that holds that success is enabled by a person’s culture, environment, when and where they were born, and a strong work ethic. These theories and examples of success are analyzed using the textbook, Leadership: Research Findings, Practice, and Skills (2013) by Andrew DuBrin. Several examples are provided in this paper that illustrate and support Gladwell’s thoughts on opportunity and cultural legacy. Keywords: cultural legacy, success, leadership, Leader Member Exchange Model, in-group, out-group, cognitive factors, behaviors, task-related attitudes An Analysis of Outliers: The Story of Success The author of the book Outliers: The Story of Success, (2008) Malcolm Gladwell, leads us through several compelling chapters of discussion regarding selected individuals who are extremely intelligent, driven, some famous and ambitious. These are the characteristics of individuals that are perceived as being the highly successful members of our society. Successful individuals are termed as “outliers”, people who fall outside the normal acumen of human experience. Gladwell (2008)...
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...recognizable yet difficult to describe; It is simple yet may have profound meaning to us. It demands a poetic quest and points up the shortcomings in all those attempts to understand the things around us by compartmentalising them, fragmenting, quantifying, reducing. Local distinctiveness is essentially about places and our relationship with them. It is as much about the commonplace as about the rare, about the everyday as much as the endangered, and about the ordinary as much as the spectacular. In other cultures it might be about people's deep relationship with the land. Here discontinuities have left us with vestiges of appreciation but few ways of expressing the power which places can have over us. But many of us have strong allegiances to places, complex and compound appreciation of them, and we recognize that nature, identity and place have strong bonds. We sometimes forget that ours is a cultural landscape. It is our great creation: underpinned by nature, it is a physical...
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...Floyd McAllister June 14, 2010 Rel 112: Introduction to the New Testament Rev. Ashley Summerlin Questions of the Week Week One There are those who feel that interpreting the Bible is simply process of opening the Bible, reading a brief passage, and then offering an opinion of what that text seems to mean. What do you think about the process? How does knowledge of the historical and cultural background of the Greco Roman world influence the interpretation of the New Testament? What is involved in interpreting a passage from the New Testament? The process of reading a passage is more than just simply opening the Bible, this is history this is our guide for life. It helps us to live our lives in the way God would want us too. I believe the knowledge of the historical and cultural background of the Greco Roman world influenced the interpretation of the New Testament because of the history context, the way they lived and the heinous and pleasant things they did I think all things in that frame played a part in the interpretation of the New Testament. I believe a measure of trust faith and belief is involved when interpreting a passage. Week Two The four Gospels give us four unique portraits of Jesus. Does this diverse witness to Jesus enrich our understanding of Jesus or do the four Gospels cause confusion? What aspect of Jesus’ life has been your biggest surprise in your readings in this course? In a way it does cause confusion but with them telling everything...
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