Topic Fourteen (2010/12/13~2010/12/20): Mistery of the lost brother, Joseph?
Being his father's favorite child in the family, Joseph was sold to Egypt by his elder brothers. What might be the reason(s) that led to this tragedy?
Discussion topic:
Should Josoph be responsible for his own misfortune? Or, should his elder brothers be blamed for the evil doing?
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Topic Thirteen: Women in the Old Testament
Topic Thirteen (2010/12/6~2010/12/13): What are the roles played by women in the Old Testament?
Monotheism and patriarchy were established in the age of The Old Testament. In this social structure, what roles did women normally play?
Discussion topic:
Please raise an example and point out the significance of this woman in the Biblical tradition.
For example, Eve is the first woman. She was created from a part of Adam. She was taught to be submissive and loving to her husband. However, she possessed a weakness in her character, i.e., vanity, that had caused the betrayal to God's order and led to the great fall of humanity into mortality and catastrophies. Eve in the BIblical tradition is like Pandora in Greek mythology: The woman's curiosity and vanity have caused human race a lot of troubles.
Monotheism and patriarchy were established in the age of The Old Testament. In this social structure, what roles did women normally play?
Discussion topic:
Please raise an example and point out the significance of this woman in the Biblical tradition.
For example, Eve is the first woman. She was created from a part of Adam. She was taught to be submissive and loving to her husband. However, she possessed a weakness in her character, i.e., vanity, that had caused the betrayal to God's order and led to the great fall of humanity into mortality and catastrophies. Eve in the BIblical tradition is like Pandora in Greek mythology: The woman's curiosity and vanity have caused human race a lot of troubles.
Topic Twelve: The Holy Jerusalem
Topic Twelve (2010/11/29~2010/12/6): Why is Jerusalem called "The City of Heaven"?
In "Jerusalem: City of Heaven" (Discovery Channel: 1999), a historical sketch of the holy city of Jerusalem highlights the zenith importance of this city to three groups of religous believers: the Jewish people, the Christians, and the Muslims.
For the past two thousand years, these different groups of people have fought against one another in competition to get control over Jerusalem, and tragedies happen over and over again.
Religous masters teach people to love others and to co-exist in peace. However, the political situations in the middle East have been in turmoil, and hatred grows with the years.
There is a saying: "Among the ten beauties on Earth, Jerusalem possesses nine of them; among the ten vices on Earth, Jerusalem also possesses nine of ten."
Duscussion topics:
(1) Why is it that the most beautiful and the most vicious exist at the same time in Jerusalem?
(2) Do you think there is a way to make different enthnic groups living in/around Jerusalem reach a peace agreement?
In "Jerusalem: City of Heaven" (Discovery Channel: 1999), a historical sketch of the holy city of Jerusalem highlights the zenith importance of this city to three groups of religous believers: the Jewish people, the Christians, and the Muslims.
For the past two thousand years, these different groups of people have fought against one another in competition to get control over Jerusalem, and tragedies happen over and over again.
Religous masters teach people to love others and to co-exist in peace. However, the political situations in the middle East have been in turmoil, and hatred grows with the years.
There is a saying: "Among the ten beauties on Earth, Jerusalem possesses nine of them; among the ten vices on Earth, Jerusalem also possesses nine of ten."
Duscussion topics:
(1) Why is it that the most beautiful and the most vicious exist at the same time in Jerusalem?
(2) Do you think there is a way to make different enthnic groups living in/around Jerusalem reach a peace agreement?
Topic Eleven: Moses and His Miracles
Topic Eleven (2010/11/22~2010/11/29): Why is it so important to prove that Moses really existed and his miracles truely happened?
In "Who Was Moses?" (Discovery Channel: 2000), the narrator endeavored to find scientific evidence to prove that the events recorded in the Old Testament were true and that Moses really existed in history.
In the Chinese article cited bellow, there displays another modern effort to recreat the crucial scene in the Exodus in scientific experiment.
Discussion topic:
Why is it so important to show that Moses was a real person and the miracles he performed could really happen in reality?
摩西過紅海 科學模擬版
時速101強風 吹出「出埃及」路
更新日期:
2010/09/23 02:36楊明暐／綜合報導
中國時報【楊明暐／綜合報導】
《舊約聖經》記載，摩西帶領以色列人離開埃及時，法老派兵追來，百姓面對紅海走投無路，上帝吩咐摩西拿杖伸向紅海，接著刮起一陣強勁的東風，海水便分開了，於是以色列人從海中乾地走過去。
以色列人過紅海，可能是《舊約聖經》中最引人矚目的一件神蹟。科學家現在相信，這件事確有可能發生，不過海水分開靠的是大自然的力量，而非摩西手中的杖。
美國科羅拉多大學博爾德校區國家大氣研究中心的科學家利用電腦模擬方式，研究風對海水產生的效應，結果顯示，在時速一百零一公里的強大東風吹襲十二小時後，較淺的海水會被推至一條河流與一個濱海潟湖匯流處達四小時之久，使百姓得以通過，就像《出埃及記》的描寫。
領導這項研究的ＮＣＡＲ科學家德魯斯（Carl Drews）指出，透過流體力學，可以解釋海水分開的原因。此外，科學家也認為，發生這一神蹟的地點應該不是在紅海，而是在鄰近的尼羅河三角洲某條古老的河川上。過去有人提出各種的理論，其中一種是發生海嘯，海水迅速退去，隨後沖回來，正好將法老的軍隊淹死。
《舊約聖經》記載，摩西帶領以色列人離開埃及時，法老派兵追來，百姓面對紅海走投無路，上帝吩咐摩西拿杖伸向紅海，接著刮起一陣強勁的東風，海水便分開了，於是以色列人從海中乾地走過去。
以色列人過紅海，可能是《舊約聖經》中最引人矚目的一件神蹟。科學家現在相信，這件事確有可能發生，不過海水分開靠的是大自然的力量，而非摩西手中的杖。
美國科羅拉多大學博爾德校區國家大氣研究中心的科學家利用電腦模擬方式，研究風對海水產生的效應，結果顯示，在時速一百零一公里的強大東風吹襲十二小時後，較淺的海水會被推至一條河流與一個濱海潟湖匯流處達四小時之久，使百姓得以通過，就像《出埃及記》的描寫。
領導這項研究的ＮＣＡＲ科學家德魯斯（Carl Drews）指出，透過流體力學，可以解釋海水分開的原因。此外，科學家也認為，發生這一神蹟的地點應該不是在紅海，而是在鄰近的尼羅河三角洲某條古老的河川上。過去有人提出各種的理論，其中一種是發生海嘯，海水迅速退去，隨後沖回來，正好將法老的軍隊淹死。
Monday, November 15, 2010
Topic Ten: Jesus Christ's Image
Topic Ten (2010/11/15~2010/11/22): The Transformation of Jesus Christ's Image over the Centuries
Jesus Christ came from a culture that strictly banned the making of any image. Without any portrait of him nor any accounts describing his appearance, how could the later generations manage to create a universally recognized
image of him?
In the class, we had a survey of European church arts from the middle ages to the modern time, trying to understand how the contemporary image of Jesus Christ gradually took shape.
Discussion topic:
Listed below are several images of Jesus Christ over the period about one thousand years. Which picture do you think best fit the image of Jesus Christ, the Savior, on your part? Why?
Image One: Jesus Christ, Monastery Church, Greece, 11th century
Image Two: Jesus Christ, Dome of Cathedral, Palermo, Italy, 1148 AD
Jesus Christ came from a culture that strictly banned the making of any image. Without any portrait of him nor any accounts describing his appearance, how could the later generations manage to create a universally recognized
image of him?
In the class, we had a survey of European church arts from the middle ages to the modern time, trying to understand how the contemporary image of Jesus Christ gradually took shape.
Discussion topic:
Listed below are several images of Jesus Christ over the period about one thousand years. Which picture do you think best fit the image of Jesus Christ, the Savior, on your part? Why?
Image One: Jesus Christ, Monastery Church, Greece, 11th century
Image Two: Jesus Christ, Dome of Cathedral, Palermo, Italy, 1148 AD
Image Three: The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci, Santa Maria delle Grazie, Milan, 1495-98
Image Four: The Last Supper by Joos van Cleve (1485-1540)
Image Five: The Last Supper by Edward Burne-Jones (1833-98) and Charles Fairfax Murray (1849-1919), 1872
Image Six: Christ and Staff by Carl Heinrich Block (1834-90)
Image Seven: Jesus Christ, by Nanette Crist at Easter, 1986.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Mid-term Exam Questions
Mid-term Exam Questions on Roman/Greek Mythology
Introduction to Western Literature 2010.9~2011.2
You may choose to do the following ten questions (1) with consultation to the two textbooks or (2) without any assistance. The base score is the same: 20%! NEW!This is a take-home exam. You do not have to stay in the classroom. The due date is Tuesday afternoon (2010.11.9) at 4:00pm at Vinia’s office mailbox.
1. Do you think that the Olympian gods and goddesses embody natural forces? Please raise ten examples.(奧林匹亞神祇象徵大自然力量的神力?舉十個例子說明.)
2. Is the power structure of the Olympians similar to the patriarchy of human society? If an Olympian god/goddess makes a big mistake or commits a serious crime, who is going to going to carry out justice and punish him/her? Please give three examples. (奧林匹亞神祇的權力結構和人類社會的父權結構相似嗎?誰來撼衛天庭正義? 舉三個例子說明.)
3. How do the Greek heroes deal with fatal temptations and other uncontrollable forces from Nature and other creatures to accomplish their missions? Please give five examples.(人類英雄如何面對致命吸引力與不可抗拒的力量.舉五個例子說明.)
4. Zeus is the most powerful god among the Olympians. In addition to the thunder bolt, he is equipped with transformation skills. Please point out five cases in which Zeus transformed himself for certain purposes. (見証Zeus的變身術,舉五個例子.)
5. Many Olympian god/goddesses play their roles in human civilization, serving as (1) the patron deities for cities and (2) the guardian deities for professional practices. Please give five examples in each category. (奧林匹亞神祇護衛人類城市與職業,各舉五個例子說明)
6. Some great Greek heroes accomplished their tasks with their physical strengths or prowess, rather than their intelligence and wits. Please give five examples of such heroes.
7. Some Greek heroes relied heavily on their wits and verbal skills, rather than their prowess, to achieve their goals. Please give five of these examples.
8. There are many cases of metamorphosis in Greek/Roman mythology. Please give five examples of humanoid changing into other forms of beings.
9. In Greek mythology, many gods and human beings, along with their belongings, were raised up to the sky and became constellations or stars. Please give ten examples.
10. In Greek mythology, there are many fantastic creatures and animals that carry with them supernatural and mysterious powers. Please raise ten examples and also describe their powers. (舉五個希臘怪物奇獸和牠們不可思議的奇幻力量.)
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Topic Eight: The Most Unforgetable Character in the Story of “Helen of Troy”
Topic Eight (2010/11/1~2010/11/8): The Most Unforgetable Character in the Story of “Helen of Troy
Please pick one person from the following list and elaborate on the reasons why he/she is your choice of the most unforgetable character in the story of the Helen of Troy.
1. Helen’s parents: Zeus (in disguises of the fog and the swan) and Leda, who gave birth to two eggs
2. Sisters: Helen and Clytemnestra
Brothers: Castor and Polydeuces (The Gemini)
3. Two brothers: Agamemnon (King of Mycenae) and Menelaus (becoming King of Sparta after marrying Helen)
4. Agamemnon married Clytemnestra, bearing three children: Iphigeneia (sacrificed by Agamemnon in exchange for sea wind), Orestes (later to kill his mother to avenge his father), Electra
5. Menelaus married Helen, bearing Hermione
Love triangle: Hermione, Neoptolemus (Achilles’ son), and Orestes (Agamemnon’s son)
6. Priam (King of Troy) bearing Hector (the Crown Prince of Troy), Cassandra (a seer and priestess for Apollo), Paris, and other 50 sons.
7. Aphrodite and Anchises (a royal prince of Troy ), bearing Aeneas (to be the forefather of Rome
8. Two great couples at Troy
9. Peleus (King of Phthia) married Thetis (a Neried, sea nymph)
10. Achilles’ son Neoptolemus captured and deserted Andromache after the Trojan War to marry Hermione, daughter to Helen and Menelaus.
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