The assignment for this week is to write a 4-5 page paper presenting your position/beliefs of much of the content we have explored in this course. However, rather than simply regurgitate previous material for an overall credo (a statement of one’s theological beliefs), the task before you in this assignment is to articulate your position as formulated around a particular topic, namely good and evil. Moreover, you should exhibit a strategy for sharing your position in a society that is suspicious of faith based answers to life’s most troubling questions. These two areas comprise the content of this paper.
What the paper to be written is about is on the line of a case study. The following quote is from the 20th century English novelist Dorothy Sayers. If one is unfamiliar with the crucifixion story it would prove well to read a version of it from Matthew, chapters 26-28. The quote of Sayers is as follows:
“When Judas sinned, Jesus paid; He brought good out of evil, He led out triumph from the gates of hell and brought all mankind out with Him; but the suffering of Jesus and the sin of Judas remain a reality. God did not abolish the fact of evil: He transformed it. He did not stop the crucifixion: He rose from the dead.”
Reference: Sayers, D. (1938). The greatest drama ever staged. London: Hodder and Stoughton.
The issue to address about this quote is whether you agree with it or not. The manner in which to answer that question is to relate what has been discovered by you in your readings, thinking and writings for this course up to this point. In others words, does it take revelation from God to agree with this thought of this quote? How does the trilemma cited earlier help your understanding (see Week 4)? What aspects of atonement figure in your answer? What does your reaction to this quote say about your personal worldview? These questions are important for shaping this paper. The goal of this exercise is to apply one’s thinking to everyday life. You should define evil and, if appropriate, relate an evil situation you have encountered or seen/read about to this paper.
The second part of the content section would focus on how to share one’s beliefs with an opposing view. This is expected of students regardless if one is a Christian or not. You should strive to offer a strategy of how to persuade rather than attack the opponent(s). This in no way says trying to say another’s opinion is wrong; rather it simply notes that you recognize (or at least consider) civility in the public square to be a noble goal.
Your paper should include the following parts:
Introduction- The paper should begin with a good introduction, which consists of an interesting lead-in, a purpose statement and a brief outline of the paper. A good lead-in is like a “teaser” at the beginning of a newscast or a preview for a movie; it should attract the interest of the reader. The purpose statement should clearly state what the paper is about, as well as continue the thought of the lead-in. One of the main ways to discourage someone from reading your paper is to omit a purpose statement. If you keep your readers guessing as to what they are reading about, it will frustrate them and prevent them from understanding the subject. A brief outline of the paper is reader friendly, as are accompanying section headings in the paper.
Body- This section of your paper should clearly address the topics described in the instructions above with appropriate citations and references for scholarly sources to support your ideas.
Conclusion- With the introduction and main body completed, your paper should have a conclusion focusing on summarizing the main points you have discussed and restating your thesis.
For both parts of body of your paper, remember to cite your sources in APA format. You should have at least 8 sources on your reference page. Please double-space your paper in 12-point font, and include a title page.
