An Ecological Model of the Trinity Essays

An Ecological Model of the Trinity Essays An Ecological Model of the Trinity Essay An Ecological Model of the Trinity Essay An Ecological Model of the Trinity Within The New Cosmology Advancement of modern technology and scientific discovery, as well as the sociological developments of the past century, has changed the way humanity relates to the world. Human culture, particularly American culture, has developed a predominant world-view of earth’s resources and human relationships as things to be used and manipulated for personal gain. Scientists are warning with increasing urgency that the survival of the planet is at risk. Global warming caused by depletion of the ozone layer is negatively affecting climate change and the polar ice caps are melting at previously unimagined rates. Pollution, deforestation, manipulation and indiscriminate consumption of the planet’s natural resources have also contributed to an ecological crisis. Much of the environmental destruction can be directly connected to exploitation of people and cultures by business and industry for purposes of economic gain. Science alone cannot persuade the human community to make the swift and pervasive changes needed to begin repairing damage done to the earth. Human consciousness must begin to understand the interrelatedness of people and ecological systems that sustain life on the planet. The injury done in the name of scientific and economic progress can begin to be mitigated by a response from communities of faith. Contemporary ecological theology establishing creation as a revelation of the divine is a starting point for promoting the need for reconstruction of environmental and cultural systems. Humanity needs more than ever to discover the direct relationship of God’s intimate relationship with the universe as well as God’s being in intimate relationship with the individuals. Collaboration of current theological and scientific philosophies can help reveal a God â€Å"so intimately present in the world that the world can be regarded as an incarnate expression of the Trinity, as creative, as expansive, as conscious, as self realizing and self-sharing. † An ecological theology based on a relational model of the Trinity creates a paradigm allowing the contemporary Christian a way of relating and responding ethically to the world and to each other. Scientific theories of the universe Basic scientific descriptions of prominent contemporary theories of the origin and composition of the universe are helpful in beginning to construct an ecological theology. A foundational description of differentiated life forms existing within larger organic systems illustrates aspects of a trinitarian model of mutual relations found in the physical universe. Current theories of the scientific origination of the universe rely heavily upon what has been called â€Å"the Big Bang theory. This theory, credited to Edward Hubble posits that approximately fifteen million years ago, a tremendous explosion occurred from which all matter and energy originated. As a result of this explosion the universe, galaxies, stars and planets were created and the universe continues to develop and expand. The earth is the result the cooling process of a minute amount of matter from this explosion over the millennia enabling a process of evolution in which the rich diversity of plants and animals emerged and grew. Unanswered questions in regard to the Big Bang remain as development of theories in quantam physics progresses. Science continues to discover and revise its hypotheses and theories about the origin and organization of the universe. However, from the Big Bang theory, two basic conceptualizations of matter appear. The first idea is that all created matter is derived from the same source and therefore interrelated. The second is that from the same particles and energy, a multitude of specific and differentiated life forms occur. Both sameness and difference play major roles. Like the One and the Many, they will be with us through the whole development. Protons are all alike, but put different numbers of them together, and you get completely different substances. Or, take a certain number of carbon atoms, a number of hydrogens, oxygens, and nitrogens, and, without varying the numbers of each, just put them together n different arrangements, and again you’ll get very different subs tances. † The organization of substances at the atomic level created conditions in which biological ecosystems have evolved. Scientific work in biology, microbiology and genetics support the seminal work of Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution as the basis for life in its ongoing transformation and diversification in nature. But science cannot and does not presume to answer questions of why the universe came into being or how and why we exist. That is the work of philosophy and specifically for this paper, the discipline of theology. The place of human beings in the history of this evolving universe, as it has been charted by modern sciences, can only be seen in its complete reality in the light of faith, as a personal history of the engagement of the triune God with creaturely persons (art. 62). † Traditionally, the Christian begins by seeking answers about the origin of the universe and nature of God in the written word of scripture. â€Å"And God saw that it was good† Ge n 1:12 NRSV- A Biblical interpretation of creation The story of Genesis provides a rich description of the creation of the universe by God. Judaeo-Christian creation accounts, actually two separate stories interwoven in the book of Genesis, describe an ordered process initiated by God. A reading of the creation stories in fact reflects the same process of development that modern science proposes; from light energy to the formation of galaxies and solar systems to the creation of the earth and from it plant, animal life and finally the human species. But the task of these original creation narratives was not so much to tell how and when the universe was created. The purpose of the authors of Genesis was to attempt to respond to questions about the meaning of existence and the nature of God. These are concepts beyond the realm of science. In the Genesis account, God speaks and the universe, whose origin is love, comes into being. The origin of the substance of the cosmos is not what but who. Then, desiring reciprocity of love, God creates the human being. Out of loving desire for relationship the universe and humanity are born. In biblical terms, â€Å"God’s being cannot be sought in a rudimentary divine â€Å"stuff† of some sort, but rather in the hunger for relationship to which the doctrine of the Trinity witnesses. † Relevance of the Trinity for Contemporary Christianity One of the first things a Catholic child is taught to pray is the sign of the cross. â€Å"In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit;† the Trinity is invoked at the beginning and conclusion of almost every experience of prayer from childhood through adult life. Liturgical sacramental celebrations and the Liturgy of the Hours are filled with trinitarian formulas and doxologies. Christians proclaim their faith in the Trinity each time the creed is recited. Yet most people asked to define the Trinity cannot explain anything more than, â€Å"The Trinity is one God, in three persons. † More than one priest asked to preach a homily on the Trinity has been known to quip, â€Å"It’s a mystery of faith. What more is there to say? † Yet the theology of the trinity has been one of the core doctrines of Christian faith since its early history. Although the theology of the Trinity remains a central doctrine of faith, the average person remains unaware of any real impact of the Trinity upon their lives. What difference does the doctrine of the Trinity make in the lived experience of twenty-first century Christians? In an attempt to answer this question, theologians of the twenty and twenty-first centuries have begun renewed interpretations of the doctrine of the trinity and its relevance in contemporary Christian life. History and Development of Trinitarian Theology In order for create a foundation for contemporary scholarship to construct a relevant ecological theology of the Trinity grounded in mutual relationship between the Creator and creation, it is helpful to provide a brief overview of the development of trinitarian theology in the course of Church history. Trinitarian theology appeared early in the life of the Church. The patristic Church first addressed controversies concerning the nature and exact relationship between the three persons of the Trinity the Arian controversy. The resolution of the debate was to proclaim the Jesus as being of the same substance or homoousios, with the Father at the Council of Nicea in 325 C. E. and that the Holy Spirit was coequal with the Father and the Son at the Council Constantinople in 381 C. E. This cemented an orthodox Trinitarian doctrine of the Church. However, understanding and explaining these concepts remained a challenge. Augustine of Hippo in the fifth century developed a detailed Trinitarian theology explaining the unity of the three divine persons of the trinity. Augustine then describes separate consciousnesses between the three persons and the process of interaction between them. In this model known as a psychological analogy, â€Å"God is fully conscious and knows and loves God-self and creation. † The psychological analogy was reinterpreted and expanded by Thomas Aquinas one thousand years later. Thomas refined the theology of Augustine, adding a technical systematic approach with specific terminology describing the â€Å"processions and relationships between the three persons, ad intra, and then to the ivine missions, ad extra,† which dealt with the external mission of each person of the Trinity. This organized comprehensive definition of the mystery of the Trinity seemed to articulate a thorough treatment that left little need for further investigation until the twentieth century. The great twentieth century theologian, Karl Rahner is often quoted as saying, â€Å"one could dispense with the doctrine of the Trinity as fal se and the major part of religious literature could well remain virtually unchanged. Yet Rahner’s work, along with other modern theologians such as Jurgen Moltmann, began exploring deeper dimensions and modern implications for a revitalized Trinitarian theology. Modern Trinitarian scholarship reaches beyond simple debates between immanent or economic models and addresses a relational theology that implies ethical behavioral praxis for the Christian community. Two Contemporary Relational Interpretations of the Trinity Two contemporary theologians who have made significant contribututions to a revived relational model of Trinitarian theology are Leonardo Boff and Elizabeth Johnson. Emphasizing cultural anthropology and the documents of the Second Vatican Council, directing the Church to live in greater relationship with the wider world, liberation theology developed in the Church of Latin America. Liberationist theologian Leonardo Boff develops a distinctively perichoretic model of the Trinity in which â€Å"Each divine Person permeates the other and allows itself to be permeated by that person. This interpenetration expresses the love and life that constitutes the divine nature. It is the very nature of love to be self-communicating; life naturally expands and seeks to multiply itself. Boff accentuates the equality of persons within the immanent trinity and uses the concept of the Trinity as Perfect Community to criticize unjust social and political structures which subjugate and oppress people based upon class, race and economic status. Elizabeth Johnson has constructed a Trinitarian theology within a feminist theological framework. Johnson, approaches the p roblem of patriarchal language and imagery of the Trinity by presenting language based upon the study of Wisdom literature imaging the persons of the Trinity as Spirit Sophia, Jesus-Sophia and Mother-Sophia. Johnson reclaims the translation of Thomas Aquinas to translate YHWH, the name God gave Moses at the burning bush as â€Å"Qui est† or The One Who Is. â€Å"Johnson argues that, if God is not intrinsically male, if women are truly created in the image of God, then there is cogent reason to name Sophia-God â€Å"the one who is,† the one whose very nature is sheer and exuberant aliveness, the profoundly relational source of being, wellspring of life, dynamic act, She Who Is. In this way Elizabeth Johnson attempts to present a vocabulary that images God and the Trinity without the masculine biases implicit in past theologies and scriptural interpretations. The feminist theological model for a Trinitarian theology presented by Elizabeth Johnson expands the Christian imagination and helps to lay a foundation for exploring dimensions of the imago Dei, and the persons of the Trinity that surpass an understanding of God that is exclusively male. â€Å"Many theologians, and pa rticularly feminist theologians, have identified the power of language for naming God as a critical issue. Johnson’s question concerning the right way to speak about God can be situated within the rising concern of all people who have begun to recognize the profound implications of speech about God both for the future of life on this planet and for the human person‘s capacity to know and relate to God. † Johnson’s Trinitarian model is that of a God of mutual relations who is not a removed observer of human suffering but in the person of Jesus-Sophia becomes vulnerable and able to share in the suffering of humanity. This compassionate God suffers with creation and wishes to draw all humanity and creation into loving union and to heal the world of suffering and evil. Both Boff and Johnson emphasize the imago Dei, the face of God, reflected in the faces of God’s people. God that bears the image of the suffering and oppressed demands a response of compassion and restoration of just social systems from God’s people. The Universe as the Imago Dei Similar to the theologies of Boff and Johnson, Denis Edwards further explores the ecological model of the Trinity in light of Christology. Christianity is par excellence the religion of the incarnation and, in one sense, is about nothing but embodiment. † Jesus, the Word made flesh is the ultimate expression of the imago Dei. In the person of Jesus Christ, the Christian, experiences the incarnate presence of God seeking loving union with humanity. An ecological theology expands the Christological metaphor of imago Dei, to include a cosmic Christology. â€Å"Joining in the creative work is really central to the whole contemplative enterprise. Cosmogenesis – the generation of the cosmos – can be seen, as Teilhard de Chardin saw it, as â€Å"Christogenesis,† the growth of the â€Å"ever greater Christ. † This Christ has been â€Å"growing in stature and wisdom† (Luke 2:52; read â€Å"complexity and consciousness†) these last dozen or so billion years and is nowhere near finished yet. † The Universe as God’s Body Another ecological theologian, Sallie McFague also constructs a model of God based upon an ecological theology. McFague’s concept of the universe as the body of God is accentuates an incarnational Christology stating, â€Å"We know God – we have some intimation of the invisible face of God – through divine incarnation in nature and in the paradigmatic Jesus of Nazareth, in the universe as God’s body and in the cosmic Christ. † McFague distinguishes this image of the universe as God’s body as metaphorical. It is intended as a vehicle to expand and explore contemporary understanding of the nature of God. This paradigm is not to be understood literally as a reinterpretation of pantheistic theology. Since we now know that our bodies and spirits (or minds, souls) are on a continuum, is it so odd to think of God as embodied? Remember that we are thinking analogically or metaphorically. † McFague emphasizes the presence of God in the universe existing as a communion of diversity. â€Å"To contemplate divine transcendence as radically and concretely em bodied means, of course, that it is not one thing: divine transcendence, in this model would be in the differences, in the concrete embodiments, that constitute the universe. For McFague, knowledge of God is found in understanding the diversity and specificity of life-forms existing within the body of the universe. Using the language of the body enables us to re-imagine the human encounter with the Divine as experienced in and through all creation. In God â€Å"we live and move and have our being,† Acts 17:28 NRSV. The presence of God sacralizes all created matter and establishes the entirety of the material world as the imago Dei. Accepting the universe as the embodiment of God necessitates our intimate relationship with ecology. As we treat the universe, we treat the real presence of God. An Ecological Trinitarian Theology The ecological crisis has increased universal human consciousness about the fragile balance that exists in the worlds environmental communities. Because of this theologians have begun to ask questions about the nature of God embodied in creation and humanity’s relationship with the universe. Many scientists and theologians are beginning to find areas of commonality between the two disciplines rather than seeing one as exclusive of the other. Australian eco-theologian, Denis Edwards has created an ecological theological conceptualization of Christian cosmology for the twenty first century using Christian revelation in conjunction with current theories in physics and evolution. Denis Edwards builds this model upon a trinitarian God as â€Å"Persons-in-Mutual-Relations† beginning with the creation stories of Genesis and from Christian scripture, particularly in the Gospel of John. In The God of Evolution: A Trinitarian Theology, Edwards illustrates John’s use of the word abiding or â€Å"indwelling† over forty times in the gospel and twenty-seven times in the Johannine letters referring to the relationship between the persons of the trinity or God’s relationship within human beings. â€Å"According to John, the love of Jesus and the Father in the Spirit, is a dynamic relational life of mutual indwelling, which reaches out to embrace us, catching us up in the open circle of divine love. In addition, Edwards is heavily influenced by the Wisdom Christology of Elizabeth Johnson connecting Wisdom literature with God at work in creation. â€Å"Wisdom is clearly concerned with the whole of creation and with the interrelationships among human beings, the rest of creation and God. † Rather than relying only on classical Trinitarian categories and definitions, Edwards retrieves the work of Richard of St. Victor (d. 1173) as well as the Trini tarian theories of St. Bonaventure. Edwards, in describing the theology of Richard of St. Victor of the twelfth century â€Å"suggests that it is friendship which is at the heart of things. I find this a fruitful way to approach an understanding of the God of evolution. † The friendship described by Richard of St. Victor is the friendship built upon an Augustinian â€Å"social approach to the Trinity, the trinitarian model of the lover, the beloved, and their love. † Richard describes the self-transcendant loving union of human friendship as the human model for understanding the relationship between the persons of the Trinity. The fullness of love shared between the Father and the Son â€Å"ecstatically breaking out beyond the two to include a third. † Edwards also revives some elements of the trinitarian theology of Bonaventure â€Å"in which the world is a vast symbol of the Trinity and the economy is ontologically grounded in the immanent trinitarian mystery of God. † For Bonaventure creation is the self-expression of God. Edwards states, â€Å"It is divine community that constitutes reality as it is and as it becomes. It is divine love that enfolds all creatures and enables them to be. It is this sheer relationality, this communion in diversity, which sustains and empowers biological evolution. † The ecological theology constructed by Edwards, recognizes the permeation of Divine Love in the presence of every particle of created matter, emanating from the source of the Creator’s love and infused with life by the power of the Holy Spirit. Denis Edwards writes, â€Å"the foundation for a theology that takes evolution seriously can be found in the trinitarian vision of God as a God of mutual relations, a God who is communion in love, a God who is friendship beyond all comprehension. This community of self-transcending donation of love is a paradigm illustrating the nature of the Trinity, a conceptualization of the universe, as well as a paradigm for Christian living. Yet these abstract concepts are sometimes difficult for the average Christian to grasp. Edwards suggests, If it is accepted that God is communion and that the universe itself is a created com munion existing from the divine communion, then this raises the question of how we think about the relationship between the divine communion and the community of creatures. We cannot think about this relationship without some kind of imaginative picture of God’s interaction with the universe. A Story of Trinity and the Universe Long ago in a small village lived a woman. She became known far and wide as the finest cook in the land. An invitation to her home for dinner was coveted by all. Her pastries and main courses were culinary delights but she was best known for her soup. When asked by aspiring chefs for her recipe, she simply smiled and said, â€Å"I put love into everything I make and that’s what makes the difference. Every night lucky visitors were treated to an experience they would savor for a lifetime. The woman was very happy. One night a young girl longing to possess the ability to recreate the recipe for the woman’s famous soup secretly hid in the old woman’s cupboard and watched through a knot hole in the door as the next day’s soup was prepared. The girl took careful note as the old woman selected each i ngredient, measuring, chopping, mixing with such great reverence and skill it seemed as though if the girl was watching a ballet. Then the young girl was startled as the chef kissed each ingredient just before adding it to the soup. Next even more alarmingly, the young girl watched in amazement as the woman carefully selected and sharpened one of her knives. She proceeded with great care to place a small slice in her finger and hold it above the soup. Slowly, a few bright red drops fell into the cooking liquid among the rest of the ingredients. Finally, the old woman singing quietly, it seemed to the pot, leaned over the soup and breathed deliberately as she stirred the mixture. The novice cook stole out of the cupboard and ran home. She immediately repeated the steps she had just witnessed. One: carefully choreograph preparation and kiss ingredients. Two: prick the finger and add a few drops of blood. Three: blow into soup while stirring. The young girl was giddy with delight. She could now make the exact recipe that had made the old woman both famous and loved. Now with such a valuable recipe she could sell her soup and become rich and famous throughout the countryside! However, the next day as she set up shop and sold her soup to passersby, the young girl’s soup met with limited approval. Her soup hardly left the taster yearning for more. Those who tasted the soup did not express the same praise and satisfaction that the old woman daily received. No one pleaded for permission to return the next day for more. What could she have left out or done wrong? It simply did not make sense. Plagued by her inability to recreate the woman’s soup, the girl decided to go to the old cook and confess her attempt to steal the recipe in order to coax the woman to tell her what went wrong. After the wise old woman listened to the story of the greedy girl, she simply smiled and with a sigh, agreed to share her secret. â€Å"You see,† she said, â€Å"I have no magic recipe. But the three steps you thought you saw were not what they seemed. The first step is that I love what I am creating. The second step is that I summon the love within myself and physically insert it into my creation. Finally, I share all my energy and love with those who eat my soup. † The young woman went away still perplexed by the crazy old cook. God As Loving Communion The story presents a possible image of God’s body as the universe. Within this paradigm, the physical substance of the universe is important and even holy because the Creator has willed it and loved it into being. The substance of the created world and its differentiated life-forms may be interpreted as the ingredients lovingly used by the old cook. Each ingredient measured and added precisely is necessary to the recipe. Yet, their true value does not reside in the substance of the ingredients. Their real value resides in the fact that each ingredient reflects God’s intentional self-gift of love. God As Incarnate Being Using a metaphor of the universe as God’s body, all of creation assumes an incarnational identity. Just as the Christian experiences Jesus as the Word made flesh, the Christian also believes that creation came into being from the expressed will of the Creator. If the first person of the Trinity, is the Giver of life and the Creator of the Word, the second person, Jesus, is the personification of Gift and Creation. â€Å"Through the Incarnation of God’s Word in Jesus Christ, the gift of God’s love, God’s very life is immutably turned toward us creatures with whom God has freely and irrevocably entered into the covenant. † The old chef was not satisfied in merely creating a perfectly delicious soup, she desired to share her very life-blood with those who would partake in her creation. Jesus, the Word made flesh joins God and humanity in intimate union. In the Incarnation, God takes part in the pain and sorrow, joy and love present in our lives. Jesus is the ultimate gift, God’s self-giving love. The second person of the Trinity, the Gift is the â€Å"piece de resistance† of God’s creation. Not set apart from the universe but fully immersed, part and parcel of creation. The spirituality of the Christian is defined, nourished and empowered by Jesus Christ. The Spirit, The Giver of Life The Incarnation is possible through the power of the Spirit, the ongoing presence of love at work in the world and within the deepest core of the human being. Witin the human soul exists the indwelling of God, the Holy Spirit. The third person of the Trinity completes the circle of God’s love. Expressed in three divine persons within one being, the Trinity can be defined as the Creator, the Incarnation and the Spirit. Trinitarian spirituality espouses that God’s self-gift of love is incarnated in Jesus Christ that comes to the world through the power of the Holy Spirit. Denis Edwards states, â€Å"the distinctive work of the Spirit in the ongoing creation of all things can be understood in terms of the power of becoming and the gift of divine communion with each creature. The Holy Spirit is the energizing force within the Trinity. It is the regenerative power of God’s love that enables life to be maintained and proliferated throughout the universe, in the human community and even at the core of the individual human soul. God’s greatest gifts to the human spirit; faith, hope and charity through the prompting of the Holy Spirit are called into human consciousness. The Holy Spirit works in and through the Word. â€Å"In the Son and the Holy Spirit, God is speaking and breathing the divine life in the world. Indeed, throughout Christian history the Holy Spirit has been referred to as the Breath of God. This is a metaphor with which we can easily identify. For in the human organism without breath there is no life. When we are breathless, we are unable to speak. In imagining God, we can extend this metaphor in saying that without God’s Breath, the Word could not have become present. In further contemplation of cosmic reality, we understand that the breath of the Holy Spirit â€Å"empowers all life and ? gives direction to the teeming life of creation. Returning to our story, the cook breathed into her soup (which we can now explain allegorically as the universe) because she longed to share her life-giving energy with her friends. The final product of the soup was made of love with the desire to share intimately with those in relationship with the cook around her table. And finally, the old woman gave her energy born of love to those sharing her meal in order that they could be sustained and energized after being fed. Communion of Loving Relationship This story imagines the Trinitarian concept of God’s loving self-communication, expressed distinctly in the three Divine persons. The Trinity is an inextricable unity of loving relationship found in the God we call three and one. Each person of the Trinity exists in a unique individual reality, yet are united within one God. Greek Orthodox theologian, John Zizioulas asserts, â€Å"There is no other model for the proper relation between communion and otherness either for the Church or for the human being than the Trinitarian God. If the Church wants to be faithful to her true self, she must try to mirror the communion and otherness that exists in the Triune God. The same is true of the human being as the â€Å"image of God. † Being as Communion Denis Edwards states, a â€Å"foundational concept is that God is a relational God, a God of equal and mutual friendship, and that all of created reality is to be understood as relational. To be is to be in communion. At the most fundamental level, being is communion. † The human being exists as unified combination of the organism and soul. The two are inextricable. The human being â€Å"is not a creature composed of two elements but is a single being in whom matter and spirit are essentially united. † Human beings seem to have an on-going struggle with integration. Separation of body and mind, assigning evil to things of the body and goodness to the spiritual realm is prevalent in past and present history. This duality has been the struggle of theological controversy over the church’s history. The church has continually held that the essence of the human person is not matter versus spirit, the fully human person exists as matter in cooperation with spirit. In other words, we ought to love and honor the body, our own bodies, and the bodies of all the life-forms on the Planet. The body is not a discardable garent cloaking the real self or essence of the person; rather, it is the shape of form of who we are. † It is complete interdependence of both body and soul that makes us fully human. Beatrice Bruteau uses scientific method ology in the areas of physics, biology, chemistry and mathematics in combination with philosophy and theology to explain the nature of cosmic being and reality and applies these theories to the individual. Bruteau uses complex scientific and mathematic formulas in conjunction with theological analogies to create a unified picture of the reality and being within God that is reflected in a Trinitarian communion of persons and in the cosmos. The personhood is reflected in the ability to transcend the self. The unseen untouchable energy of pure love that works in and through the world Judeo-Christianity calls God. As we read in the Gospel of John, â€Å"God is love. † John : , NRSV Christianity defines love (God) as the source of all creative life-giving energy. Each person experiences the origin of creative love as God at work within their being. The presence of God within the human soul imparts Divine love that allows human beings to function in loving relationship with each other, with God and with all of God’s created universe. Practical Application Of A Relational Trinitarian Model In contemporary theological discussion, relationality and communion in diversity are the essence of the Trinity within the economy of salvation. The Christian of modern times is able to comprehend the concept of the tripersonal God as persons in mutual-relationship with each other and the universe. A this model of God impacts all interpersonal relationships between human beings, relationships between entire cultures and our relationships with the entirety of the created universe. For, if all things exist in communion with God, we are inextricably related to each other and all creation. Therefore, the Christian is expected to act responsibly within these communal relationships. This communio is what the human being is called to image and participate in ecclesially, extending to participation in the Body of the Church and beyond to the wider community. The person seeking authentic conversion and deepening union with God must take a new approach toward all relationships. A truly Trinitarian spirituality demands recognition of being in relationship with God in every aspect of existence. Trinitarian spirituality is relational and inclusive of all people and creation. â€Å"It is also inclusive of all forms of non-human life and all of creation, indeed the whole world. This communion of the Trinity, in relationship with the human being, the church and the entirety of creation demand an expanded definition of relationship for the Christian. Beatrice Bruteau asserts, â€Å"If the world is the Body of God, then it must be both honored as God and also dealt with in worldly terms. If we are members of the incarnate Deity whose essential nature is to be sharing comm unity, then we must express this reality in appropriate community-sharing arrangements. † The theologies of liberationist and feminist theologians consider the socio-cultural dimensions of an understanding of Trinitarian theology. Gaudium et spes, The Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, called upon the people of God to read the â€Å"signs of the times. † This anthropological perspective â€Å"called for critical reflection on people’s lived realty in the light of faith and its contemporary experience of society and culture. † As part of the human community, Bruteau asserts that all people share in God’s ecstatic reality and so the human community must be fully immersed and participative in social, scientific, artistic and religious aspects of life. As Bruteau puts it, â€Å"If what we discover by such culture is our membership in the Incarnate Transcendent Community, then we must live this out in terms of deep appreciation of ourselves, of our social communities, of our material, technical, informational, aesthetic, and meaningful world. † The Trinitarian theologies of Elizabeth Johnson and John Zizioulas are different in their approach yet each arrives at a communal model of Trinity. Orthodox Patriarch John Zizioulas’ work recalls the patristic concepts of the trinity and the psychological model of Augustine and defines the Trinitarian formula as â€Å"three Person’s in equal relation [he] recovers a key understanding that the being of God is communion. † Zizioulas’ trinity accentuates ecclesial communion and is most perfectly celebrated in the liturgy. â€Å"At the table of the eucharistic liturgy the many- the gathered community joined with the rich diversity of the whole of creation- are constituted by the Spirit into the one Person of Christ. It is as the body of Christ that the many-become-one are offered to God the Source of all being, and are drawn into the communion of the triune God. † Although these two theologians have very different perspectives both arrive at a conceptualization of the trinity as God in intimate loving communion with humanity which presents a way of being and a model for Christian life. â€Å"They point to how this central symbol of Christian faith can work to facilitate the participation of believers within God’s life, within the human community, and with non-human creation. Relational understanding of an immanent, yet transcendent God in relationship with all of creation and all people demands a radical response from the Christian. Theologians such as Denis Edwards, Beatrice Bruteau and Sallie McFague have expanded our perception and understanding of the Trinity as relational and communal. If God exists not only within the human soul but also throughout every particle of creation, humanity then must begin to view itself in individual relationship with God and also in a communal relationship with all humanity. Christians that fully embrace the immanent presence of God within and moving through a sacral universe, must now begin to make judgments and act in loving just relationship with the ecological systems in which we live. Elizabeth Johnson’s Trinitarian model presents the idea that â€Å"to contemplate the mystery of the one Trinitarian God as a living mystery of personal relations at the heart of the universe is to come to know Holy Wisdom, the triune God. This one-God-who-is-three suffers with us and prompts us to ethical action. The movement to ethical action is the dimension that modern theology contributes to a revitalized understanding of the theology of the Trinity pertaining to individual and societal praxis. The Vatican Document, â€Å"Communion and Stewardship: Human Persons Created in the Image of God† states, â€Å"The triune God has revealed his plan to share the communion of Trinitarian life with persons created in his image†¦Created in the image of Go d, human beings are by nature bodily and spiritual, men and women made for one another, persons oriented towards communion with God and with one another. †(art. 5) And, â€Å"In effect, no person is as such alone in the universe, but is always constituted with others and is summoned to form a community with them. † (art. 41) The human person does not live independently but exists within social ecological communities. The document calls the human person to responsibility within these communities â€Å"by gaining scientific understanding of the universe, by caring responsibly for the natural world (including animals and the environment), and by guarding their own biological integrity. (art. 61)† The place of humanity in the created universe is â€Å"front and center. Not because the human being is placed in charge of creation as some older cosmological explanations might assert, but because we are intimately related both in matter and being with the universe. â₠¬Å"Human persons are one with the universe because they and the universe are held through the ongoing act of creation, not merely in the abstraction â€Å"in being†; they exist in a universe â€Å"located† in the secret recesses of the mystery of Trinitarian communion. Human persons and the universe are one, since together they are eschatologically â€Å"one body† in Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit. † In Conclusion In the age of the Industrial Revolution at the turn of the twentieth century, humanity had come to view our natural resources and ecological systems as being at the service of humankind. Indiscriminate consumption and depletion of the earth’s resources without regard for long-term consequences to the environment or the moral implications of the misuse of natural resources has placed the planet and the future of humanity in great jeopardy. Belief in human supremacy on the planet and unchecked attempts to dominate and dissect our habitats and ecological systems has produced catastrophic results. Moltmann believes that â€Å"the ecological crisis has reached nothing less than apocalyptic proportions. † In viewing the universe as a community in which we live and participate, humanity can begin to relate to creation with regard to maintaining integrity of persons and systems. Aldo Leopold, the famous conservationist once said, â€Å"We abuse the land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect. Retrieving a Trinitarian theology based upon the economy of salvation and within the framework of an ecological cosmology, will allow â€Å"the restoration of communion among persons and all creatures living together in a common household. The articulation of this vision is the triumph of the doctrine of the Trinity. † God’s divine self-giving love expressed in creation, revealed within the human through the power of the Holy Spirit and embodied in the Incarnate Word allows us to see a way of being persons in complete communion with other humans, with creation and with God. The Trinity is no longer an irrelevant exercise in scholastic theological debate but a living reality that communicates God-self to us and empowers us to image that communion of being, sacramentally, ecclesially, socially and ecologically. The essence of the Trinity is all about relationship. Love poured out freely and shared unconditionally. â€Å"At this time of â€Å"taking stock† at the beginning of the new millennium, there is a challenge to recover the delicate ecology of the human soul along with the fragile ecosystems of the earth. † What is the greater mystery, the Creator or the Creation? They are in fact inextricable. We only can begin to imagine the immensity of the mystery of God revealing God-self to us. But this mystery continues to unfold in time and space. Reflecting on the contemplative implications of this new understanding of cosmology, the human being and the nature of God, Beatrice Bruteau concludes in her book God’s Ecstasy, â€Å"You are a participant in the Trinitarian Life Cycle, for you are doing the incarnating and the creating and the realizing and the rejoicing. God’s ecstasy creates the world, and the world’s ecstasy realizes God. And you are right in the midst of it all. † Bibliography Boff, Leonardo. Holy Trinity, Perfect Community. Maryknoll, New York: Orbis Books, 2000. Bruteau, Beatrice. God’s Ecstasy: The Creation of a Self-Creating World. New York: The Crossroads Publishing Company, 1997. Christiansen, Drew, S. J. and Graze, Walter, ed.. â€Å"And God Saw That It Was Good†: Catholic Theology And The Environment. Washington, D. C. : United States Catholic Conference, 1996. Downey, Michael. Altogether Gift: A Trinitarian Spirituality. Maryknoll, New York: Orbis Books, 2000. Edwards, Denis, ed. Earth Revealing, Earth Healing: Ecology and Christian Theology. Collegeville, Minnesota: The Liturgical Press, 2002. ______. The God Of Evolution. New York: Paulist Press, 1999. Fatula, Mary Ann, OP. The Triune God of Christian Faith. Collegeville, Minnesota: Herder and Herder, 1970. ________. The Holy Spirit: Unbounded Gift of Joy. Collegeville, Minnesota: The Liturgical Press, 1998. Foley, Edward and Schreiter, Robert, ed. The Wisdom Of Creation. Collegeville, Minnesota: Liturgical Press, 2004. Gottlieb, Roger S. ed. , This Sacred Earth: Religion, Culture, Environment. New York: Routledge, 1996. Hunt, Ann. What Are They Saying About The Trinity? New York: Paulist Press, 1998. Johnson, Elizabeth A. She Who Is. New York: Crossroad, 1992. LaCugna, Catherine Mowry, ed. Freeing Theology: The Essentials of Theology In Feminist Perspective. San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 1993. ________. God For Us: The Trinity Christian Life. San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 1973. McFague, Sallie. The Body Of God. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1993. Metzger, Bruce M. and Murphy, Roland E. editors. The New Oxford Annotated Bible. New York: Oxford University Press, 1994. O’Collins, Gerald, S. J. The Tripersonal God: Understanding and Interpreting the Trinity. New York: Paulist Press, 1999. Rahner, Karl, S. J. The Trinity. Translated by Joseph Donceel. New York: Herder And The Liturgical Press, 1990. ________. Opportunities For Faith: Elements of a Modern Spirituality. Translated by Edward Quinn. New York: The Seabury Press, 1970. ________. The Christian Commitment: Essays in Pastoral Theology. Translated by Cecily Hastings. New York: Sheed And Ward, 1963. Ratzinger, Joseph, ed. International Theological Commission, â€Å"Communion and Stewardship: Human Persons Created in the Image of God. † Rome: 20002 vatican. va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/cit_documents/rc_con_cfaith_docu/ Streeter, Carla Mae. Foundations in Spirituality: A Systematic Approach. Preliminary Text, 2003 Zizioulas, John. â€Å"Communion and Otherness† (a lecture given at the European Orthodox Congress given in October, 1993. ) Reprinted from Orthodox Peace Fellowship’s Occasional Paper nr. 19, summer 1994. incommunion. org/Met-john. html/

Term Schools Papers about Gospel Music

Term Schools Papers about Gospel Music Term Schools Papers about Gospel Music Term Schools Papers about Gospel Music Gospel music is inspirational. Writing term schools papers about gospel music you may explore the inspirational effect of the gospel music or research the history of the gospel music. This page has a good sample term paper about gospel music. It is short but you may find some good ideas to start writing your own term paper. unites professional writers and students from all over the world.You may try our free paper blog with detailed tips on term paper writing, check our term paper samples, or try our custom paper writing services. Sample Term Papers: Gospel Music Literate, urban blacks increasingly depended on rehearsed music sung by choirs or smaller vocal groups, indebted in style to arrangements of spirituals popularized by the various jubilee singing groups of the day. Congregational support came as hand clapping and supportive ejaculations, not as singing. Modern black gospel music derives from this stage, though its history is difficult to trace because of the virtual absence of written or recorded documentation. A handful of phonograph discs made by the Dinwiddie Colored Quartet and other groups in the first years of the present century confirm that the harmonically based jubilee style had spread to other areas of black vocal music; field recordings made in the rural South and in Southern prisons in the 1930s and '40s tell us that triadic, tonal vocalizing had extended to orally disseminated music and that the male quartet (usually featuring one or two exceptionally high tenor voices) had become a popular medium; commercial recordings made in the 1920s of both sacred and secular music document the vocal and rhythmic viruosity which had become part of these traditions. A flood of recordings by black male gospel quartets in the 1930s and '40s, by the Golden Gate Jubilee Quartet, the Famous Blue Jay Singers, the Kings of Harmony, the Soul Stirrers, and many others, preserve some of the most complex music for small vocal ensemble ever performed, while underlining the successful integration of harmonic and formal aspects of white music into the expression of intensely black religious and musical expression. Other recordings from the same period inform us of the early utilization of instruments in black religious music. The modern era of gospel music, taken by most scholars to begin with the compositions of C. A. Tindley and Thomas A. Dorsey, falls outside the scope of the present chapter. However, its most important musical impulses were surely derived from spirituals and jubilee songs of the decades leading up to Wor ld War I.It has been said that the blues "represent the full racial expression of the Negro, the expression of the emotional life of a race. This solo secular vocal form took shape at just the time the spiritual was emerging in the postwar South, and like the latter it reflects aspects of African style and expression modified by circumstances of black life in America: (The) intensely personal nature of blues-singing is the result of what can be called the Negro's "American experience." African songs dealt, as did the songs of a great many of the preliterate or classical civilizations, with the exploits of the social unit, usually the tribe.

International Political Economy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

International Political Economy - Essay Example This report stresses that growth with inequity is a disadvantage to globalization. There are many opportunities found across borders which always tend to have a great amount of danger of a high economic growth that is surrounded with a lot of inequalities. The inequality is the fact that the wealthy people in the society are normally placed to have access to these opportunities. The economy appears tighter for most of the countries that experience exploitation of labor. This paper makes a conclusion that it is rare for operational definitions to communicate their scope when it comes to the dealing of a topic such as political economy. The definition of globalization is seen as the growth economy of interdependent countries through the increase of volume and variety of the cross-border transactions in goods. There is also the growth of international capital flows and the widespread of technology. The political economy, however, does not sufficiently convey to globalization. However, in future, the global economy will resemble the golden straitjacket. As a result, there are two things that will be a cause of the country putting on the Golden Straitjacket. One of them is that the country’s economy will grow, and its politics will shrink. The Golden Straitjacket tightens the economic and political policy choices of the ones in power to comparatively strong and tight parameters.

Humanities Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 5

Humanities - Essay Example The main aim of building this amphitheater was for conducting gladiator fights where slaves fought against each other and against cruel animals like the tigers. The romans came to view and cheer these fights which ended with the death of a slave (gladiator) or the animal (in the fights with the animals). This was a cruelty that was unheard of and especially the fact that people came to watch the arena and even made bets. The floor of the arena in the Colosseum was constantly covered with blood and in order to ask this, red soil was poured on regular basis (Connolly 106). This mammoth building was constructed by the emperor Vespasian and finished by his two sons: Titus and Domitian during their separate reign. It was built in the city center indicating how much power it held. Even after the main purpose of the building was done, years later, the Christians specifically the Roman Catholic Church took up the building and constantly uses it and especially during good Fridays where the Pope starts the way of the cross procession there (Hopkins 164). The Pope is powerful and hence his use of this building continues to indicate its powerful importance both historically and

John smith Essay Example for Free

John smith Essay Re: Agriculture, Food Safety, and Inspection Officer. (Or Deportation Officer). (Or Criminal Investigator) Opening (Job ID#: Hr 899), advertised on Monster Dear Hiring Manager: Your advertised opening for a Agriculture, Food Safety, and Inspection Officer. (Or Deportation Officer). (Or Criminal Investigator) is a precise fit to my career aspirations. If you are seeking a dedicated professional who will provide exemplary performance, I believe we should meet. I am seeking a career in this industry where I can maximize my security-related, customer service and organizational skills to further business goal and bottom-line objectives. In my candidacy, you will find: A team oriented professional with a positive work ethic and deep commitment to providing excellent results A track record of excellent performance as an employee The proven ability to build genuine rapport. Your review of my enclosed resume to explore a possible match between your needs and my skills is much appreciated. I would welcome the opportunity to meet with you in person to learn more about your business and to explore employment possibilities. You may reach me at (XXX) XXX-XXXX or via email at [emailprotected] net. Thank you for your time, and I look forward to hearing from you soon. Sincerely, John Smith Enclosure.

Free Henry IV Essays: The Reign of a Tyrant :: Henry IV Henry V Essays

Henry IV:   The Reign of a Tyrant  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚      Although the blame for the fall of Richard II and the rise of Henry IV can be shared by them both, Henry IV having established the precedence of usurpation finds England wracked with civil strife after only one year on the throne. Henry IV discovers the impossible situation of a monarch who in making any choice or decision must face the opposition of those who disagree with him and support the other side of the issue.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Henry IV has desired to lead a Crusade perhaps as penance for the death of Richard. However, civil problems prevent his actions at every turn. The Percys with young Hotspur's recent victory against the Scots find themselves with many nobles among the prisoners. They refuse to surrender these prisoners to Henry IV but elect to use them for their own purposes. Amongst themselves the Percys reveal their desire to be free of Henry and their sorrow that they ever turned from Richard. One of their relatives should be king instead of Henry since Richard II had named Mortimer as his heir. All their discontent, ambition to have a king in their family, and doubts about Henry IV's right to be king combine to bring them to a point of uniting the various centers of rebellion against Henry IV into one united effort to usurp the throne and restore it to Mortimer, Richard's heir.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Perhaps even more distressing for Henry IV is the behavior of Prince Hal. Henry desires a son who will mirror all his strengths. Instead he finds in Hal a mirror of his weaknesses. Hal is consorting with thieves learning to steal even as his father stole a crown. Just as his father courted the affections of the common people before he became king, Hal spends his time with common people and the low pursuits of drinking, whoring, and stealing.

Business Law and Ethics Essay

Dealing with government regulation in business is an integral part of a manager’s responsibilities. Recognizing what actions might violate particular consumer protection regulations is crucial to protecting the company and to insuring its profitable operation. Government regulation is found every day in the operation of businesses large and small, and once understood, it allows managers to make good decisions regarding business practices. When you have completed this topic, you will be able to: †¢list the common types of regulations designed to protect consumers, †¢identify types of illegal consumer credit practices, †¢describe the warranty protection provided to consumers, and †¢describe the purpose and role of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in consumer protection. Read Chapter 40, â€Å"Consumer Law† Read the following chapter in Business Law and the Legal Environment: †¢chapter 40 (â€Å"Consumer Law†) Then respond to the following points in your notebook: †¢What is the role of the FTC? †¢Describe prohibited sales activities under the FTC Act. †¢How is consumer credit regulated? †¢What is the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act? †¢What government regulations apply to consumer product safety? Consumer Law-statutes that protect consumers from the unscrupulous. Federal Trade Commission (FTC)=Created by congress in 1915 to regulate business. Most important agency enforcing consumer law. Prohibits unfair deceptive practices. FTC options for enforcing the law: 1. Voluntary Compliance When the FTC determines that a business has violated the law, it first asks the offender to sign a voluntary compliance affidavit promising to stop 2. Administrative hearing and appeals If the company refuses to stop voluntarily, the FTC takes the case to an administrative law judge (ALJ) within the agency. The violator may settle the case at this point by signing a consent order. 3.Penalties FTC can impose a fine for each violation of a voluntary compliance affidavit, a consent order, a cease and desist order, and an FTC rule. Section 5 of FTC Act- Prohibits unfair or deceptive sales practices. deceptive sales practices=An advertisement is deceptive if it contains an important misrepresentation or omission that is likely to mislead a reasonable consumer. Unfair acts or practices must meet 3 tests to considered unfair acts or practices: 1. It causes a substantial consumer injury 2. Harm of injury outweighs any benefit 3. The consumer could not reasonably avoid the injury FTC can find unfair if violates public policy w/o meeting tests Bait and switch advertisement= Merchant may not advertise a product and say bad things about it in order to sell a different item. Telemarketing= prohibits telemarketers from calling anyone on the do-not-call registry. And they cannot block their names and telephone number. Do not call registry= prohibits telemarketers from calling telephone numbers listed on the Do not call registry Mail or Telephone Order Merchandise has the following guidelines: Must ship an item within the time stated or within 30 days after the receipt of order; if it can’t ship by that time, they must send the customer a new ship date or the right to cancel order. *unordered merchandise received in the mail Consumers may keep as a gift Door to Door Rules- Salesperson is required to notify the buyer that the she has the right to cancel the transaction prior to midnight of the third business day thereafter Consumer Credit Regulations TILA Truth in Lending Act- requires lenders to disclose the terms of a loan in an understandable and complete manner. disclosures must be clear and meaningful.. Must disclose the finance charge and APR. TILA applies when: 1. It’s a consumer loan 2. The loan has a finance charge and will be repaid in more than four installments 3. The loan is less than $25,000 or secured by a mortgage 4. The loan is made by someone in the business of offering credit. High rate Home equity loans- lender must notify consumer at least 3 business days before closing that 1. He does not have to go through with the loan 2. He could lose his house if he fails to make payments Home Equity Loans-Rescission- Can rescind for up to 3 days after signing and after 3 years if the mortgage lender didn’t comply with TILA. Right to Rescind= Consumers have the right to rescind a 2nd mortgage for three business days after the signing. If the lender did not comply w/ TILA may rescind for up to 3 yrs. Credit card unauthorized charges- under TILA if consumer reports card stolen w/in 2 days only responsible for $50, after 2 days bank will only reimburse for losses over $500. Wait more than 60 days to report bank is not liable at all open end credit(credit card)= credit transaction in which lender makes a series of loans that can be re-payed at once or in installments. open ended credit required disclosures 1. the amount owed at the beginning of the billing cycle   2. amounts and dates of all purchases, credits and payments; finance charges and late fees 3. the date by which a bill must be paid to avoid these charges 4. either the consequences of making the monthly minimum payment or a toll free number at which to obtain such information. Close end credit(car loan)= One loan, borrower knows the amount and the payment schedule in advance subprime loans For subprime loans, a lender: (1) Must verify the borrower’s ability to repay the loan from income and assets other than the home’s value (2) May not charge a prepayment penalty if monthly payments can change in the first four years of the loan (3) Must collect property taxes and homeowner’s insurance for all first mortgages Home equity Loans Home Equity Loans-Enforcement= FTC generally has the right to enforce Truth in Lending Act and Consumers have a right to file suit. TILA provides additional consumer safe guards if: 1. APR is more than 10% higher than Treasury securities 2. Consumer pays fees and points at closing more than 8% 3. Loans that are less than 5 yrs cannot have balloon payments Advertising= Statute requires lenders to advertise their rates accurately. Can’t bait and switch. Bait and Switch= a merchant may not advertise a product and then disparage it to consumer in an effort to sell a different item and they must have enough items in stock to meet reasonable demand. Truth in Lending Act (TILA)= passed to ensure that consumers were adequately informed about the credit terms before entering into a loan and can compare the cost of the credit. TILA enforcement *FTC generally has the right to enforce TILA. TILA requires disclosures: Must be clear and in meaningful sequence, The lender must disclose the finance charge, and the creditor must also disclose the annual percentage rate. TILA advertisements- Under TILA lenders cannot advertise a loan as â€Å"fixed† if in fact its rate or payments will change In the event of a dispute between the customer and and a merchant the credit card company cannot bill the customer if: 1. customer makes a good faith effort to resolve dispute 2. the dispute is for more than $50 3. the merchant is in the same state or is within 100 miles of their home Fair Credit Bill Act (FCBA)- Under FCBA a credit card company must promptly investigate and respond to any consumer complaints about a credit card bill *provides additional protection for credit card holders. It allows a customer to dispute an item on their billing statement and demands that the company respond to your dispute. Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA)- helps to ensure that consumer credit reports are accurate and regulates the reporting agencies. Under FCRA: 1. A consumer report can be used only for a legitimate business need 2. A consumer reporting agency cannot report obsolete information 3. An employer cannot request a consumer report on any current or potential employee w/o the employees permission 4. Anyone who makes an adverse decision against a consumer because of a credit report must reveal the name and address of the reporting agency that supplied the negative info Fair and accurate credit reporting Act (FACTA)- created to reduce identity theft by providing consumers with one free credit report per year and making companies update their information. *Permits consumers to obtain 1 free credit report every year from each of the 3 major reporting agencies Fair Debt Collections Practices Act (FDCPA)= a collector must send the debtor a written notice containing the amount of debt, the name of the creditor to whom the debt is owed, and a statement that if the debtor disputes the debt (in writing), the collector will cease all collection efforts until it has sent evidence of the debt. *Debt collectors may not harass or abuse debtors Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA)= Prohibits any creditor from discriminating against against a borrower on the basis of race, color, age, religion, national origin, sex or marital status or because the borrower is receiving welfare. Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act= Requires any supplier that offers a written warranty on a consumer product costing more than $15 to disclose the terms of the warranty in simple and readily understandable language before sale. *Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act does not require manufacturers or sellers to provide a warranty on their products. Consumer product safety Commission= Evaluates consumer products and develops safety standards. Consumer Product Safety Act (CPSA)= the goal is to prevent injuries from products. Consumer Leasing Act (CLA)= protects a person when leasing a car. Makes sure that the company discloses all important information in writing, so that the borrower knows what the payments, interest, penalties, rights, and warranties are. Debit Card= This item works like a check because money is taken directly from your account so their is no bill. Rules of a Debit Card: If you report it stolen before any purchases are made, you are not responsible for any amount. If you report it stolen with in two days, you are responsible for $50. If you report it stolen after two days, you are responsible for $500. Chapter Conclusion Virtually no one will go through life without reading an advertisement, ordering from a catalog, borrowing money, needing a credit report, or using a consumer product. It is important to know your rights. Chapter Review 1. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) prohibits â€Å"unfair and deceptive acts or practices.† A practice is unfair if it meets the following three tests: †¢ It causes a substantial consumer injury. †¢ The harm of the injury outweighs any countervailing benefit. †¢ The consumer could not reasonably avoid the injury. 2. The FTC considers an advertisement to be deceptive if it contains an important misrepresentation or omission that is likely to mislead a reasonable consumer. 3. FTC rules prohibit bait and switch advertisements. A merchant may not advertise a product and then disparage it to consumers in an effort to sell a different item. 4. The FTC prohibits telemarketers from calling telephone numbers listed on its do-not-call registry. 5. Consumers may keep as a gift any unordered merchandise that they receive in the mail. 6. Under the FTC door-to-door rules, a salesperson is required to notify the buyer that she has the right to cancel the transaction prior to midnight of the third business day thereafter. 7. In all loans regulated by the Truth in Lending Act (TILA), the disclosure must be clear and in meaningful sequence. The lender must disclose the finance charge and the annual percentage rate. 8. In the case of a high-rate home equity loan, the lender must notify the consumer at least three business days before the closing that (1) he does not have to go through with the loan (even if he has signed the loan agreement) and (2) he could lose his house if he fails to make payments. If the duration of a high-rate home equity loan is less than five years, it may not contain balloon payments. 9. Under TILA, consumers have the right to rescind a mortgage (other than a first mortgage) for three business days after the signing. If the lender does not comply with the disclosure provisions of TILA, the consumer may rescind for up to three years from the date of the mortgage. 10. Under TILA, a credit card holder is liable only for the first $50 in unauthorized charges made before the credit card company is notified that the card was stolen. If, however, you wait more than two days to report the loss of a debit card, your bank will only reimburse you for losses in excess of $500. If you fail to report the lost debit card within 60 days of receipt of your bank statement, the bank is not liable at all. 11. In the event of a dispute between a customer and a merchant, the credit card company cannot bill the customer if: †¢ She makes a good faith effort to resolve the dispute †¢ The dispute is for more than $50, and †¢ The merchant is in the same state where she lives or is within 100 miles of her house. 12. Under the Fair Credit Billing Act, a credit card company must promptly investigate and respond to any consumer complaints about a credit card bill. 13. Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act: †¢ A consumer report can be used only for a legitimate business need †¢ A consumer reporting agency cannot report obsolete information †¢ An employer cannot request a consumer report on any current or potential employee without the employee’s permission, and †¢ Anyone who makes an adverse decision against a consumer because of a credit report must reveal the name and address of the reporting agency that supplied the negative information. The Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act requires manufacturers or sellers to provide at least a limited warranty on all products. (False) Answer:The Act does not require a warranty, but it does require that any supplier that offers a written warranty on a consumer product that costs more than $15 to disclose the terms of the warranty in simple, understandable language. The federal consumer protection laws are meant to protect consumers from the consequences of bad business decisions. (False) Answer: These statutes were passed by Congress and state legislatures to protect consumers from unscrupulous merchants. Under the Truth-in-Lending Act, the consumer is liable for the use of a credit card by unauthorized persons up to $500. (False) Answer: The Act makes a consumer liable for only $50. When a borrower uses his home as security for a second mortgage, the borrower has the right to rescind for: 3 business days. Answer: The TILA gives the consumer this right for up to 3 days after the signing. A commercial for basketball shoes included a testimonial from a famous basketball player. If the player does not use the basketball shoes in the ad:the ad is deceptive. Answer: Under the FTC Act, an advertisement is deceptive if it contains an important misrepresentation that is likely to mislead a reasonable consumer. The Consumer Leasing Act requires a lessor to disclose which of the following? The consumer’s right to terminate a lease early. Answer: Any right to early termination must be disclosed before a lease is signed.

ICT resources to aid childrens learning Essay

During this report I will be giving a general overview of the types of resources used to aid a specific area of 3-5 year old children’s’ learning and development. The area chosen is numeracy. During the report, software, hardware and online resources will be discussed and their importance within the area will be explained. General Many aspects of ICT will be found in many schools across the country; whether it be a PC or Laptop, to Roma’s to electronic cash registers. All items of ICT (Software, hardware and online resources) can be effective when educating children in numeracy. – Software Software can be an effective way to educate children. Around today are many types of software/programmes that can be used to aid all areas of a child’s development. There are two types of software available; Content Free software and Content Rich software; both of which will be explained below. – Content Free software is software that provides a blank canvas of which can be worked on. This can be used within the curriculum as a teaching tool. It relates to the early learning goals as one of them is: – â€Å"Using own methods to solve a problem† (Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage pg 76) Content free software/programmes such as an art-based programme can be used in several ways. Symbols can be used to signify numbers, counting, matching, measuring, shape and space as well as other areas within numeracy. Illustrations and simple games created using software such as an art based one or a content-free program (such as TextEase), can be used to promote and challenge most areas within numeracy. – Content Rich software for children is software, which has been designed to provide scaffolding for and educate children on certain areas of the curriculum, for example; numbers or colours (mathematical) or new words, nouns, adjectives etc (English). This software requires little input from the child but enough to enable them to learn effectively and efficiently. An example of this type of software is a program called Tizzy’s First Tools. Within Tizzy’s First Tools there is a Word Processor, Paint and chart Programs. These can be used across the curriculum. In the paint section of the program, a simple game could be devised in the form of a number line in which a counter could be placed over a number and the children must guess the missing number. This is an effective way to use this tool as it can be adapted and used with all ages and can be adapted to meet individual needs of children and a class of children with diverse abilities. – Hardware Hardware is: â€Å"The physical equipment of computing and computer-directed activities† (www. ncsa. uiuc. edu/UserInfo/Resources/Hardware – 23/11/06). There are many types of hardware that can be used to promote education. Cameras, scanners, tape recorders, telephones, video recorders, Cds and CD-ROMs are just a few examples. â€Å"Pupils should be given opportunities to apply and develop their ICT capability through the use of ICT tools to support their learning in all subjects† (www. nc. ac. uk. net/nc_resources) The Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage states practitioners should â€Å"Provide a wide range of opportunities to motivate, support and develop children and help them to be involved, concentrate and learn effectively†. (Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage pg 17) By using many different resources and pieces of hardware, this learning outcome can be achieved. Different pieces of hardware can promote different areas of learning. One useful resource is the following: The â€Å"Maths Mat Challenge Game† The Maths Mat Challenge Game â€Å"Children listen to the equation, do the maths, and then step on the right answer† (http://www. rm. com/Primary/Products/Product. asp? cref=PD539109 – 22/11/06) There are several games that you can play and use with this mat. Simple games can achieve simple milestones of the curriculum. For example, the Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage states children of 3-5 years should â€Å"Recognise numerals 1-9†, â€Å"Count reliably up to 10 everyday objects† and â€Å"Select the correct numeral to represent 1-5, then 1-9, objects† (Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage). The children can step on the correct number when the teacher says a particular number, the child can cover up a number and get a classmate to recite to him the numbers he is covering. This would aid number recognition and number sequencing. Participating in this activity and using this Maths Mat can cover most aspects of mathematics. This mat is also good to support and adapt for the diversity we now see in society. Within classrooms today, each child is individual. Some are more able, some children are of average/able ability and some children are less able than others. Because of the structure of the learning environment, activities now have to be adapted and have to be able to be used in many situations with many diverse abilities. – Online Resources Online resources are now used widely to educate. They are defined as: â€Å"Sources that are available in an electronic medium, most commonly on the Internet. These resources include CD-ROMs, discs, and the Internet. † (www. somervillepubliclibrary. org) One particular website that is useful when educating mathematics to children in the Foundation Stage is the Birmingham Grid For Learning’s website or www. bgfl. org. On this site there are many different resources that can aid many different branches of mathematical development.

Politics of Air essays

Politics of Air essays Air pollution isnt really something that the residents of Portland really think about; everyone seems to think that air pollution is something that only affects cities such as Los Angeles and New York something that wont affect Portland. But the truth is that if Portland doesnt continue to improve is transit systems, and monitor the air quality, Portland could turn into another LA. The figure below indicates the huge changes which have been made over the past 25 years and indicates just how far we have come in such a relatively short time. As a little history, one must keep in mind; these emission regulations for diesel engines are relatively in their infancy compared to the industry in general. Engine emission regulations started for automobiles in 1970, diesels only started being regulated in 1974 and then really only for smoke until 1978. Real emission testing didnt take effect until the advent of steady state transient testing that was instituted in 1979, since then we have come a long way. Using unregulated engines of the 70s as a base, which would blow black soot out the tail pipe all over your car if you were following a transit bus back then. Now we have the clean diesel engines of today, which have reduced NOx by over 75% and particulate by over 95%. (See EPA figure 1.) Controlling these pollutants is important to all that live in this environment that is why there are standards and regulations set to control these pollutants. A company called Cummins has had an inguinal part in building engines that meet and exceed the standards set for all these elements of regulated and non-regulated pollutants. This company works on the engines that run the Tri-Met busses. They have been able to improve the engines by improving the cylinder & piston, increased turbo charging technology, better electronic fuel injection and variable timing, along with improvements in engine fuels and oil technologie...

6 Gift Ideas for Teachers

6 Gift Ideas for Teachers Schools have different policies about teacher gifts. In some schools, the parents association collects money and buys each teacher a gift, while in other schools, parents can give what they wish to teachers, administrators or to other staff. Some schools provide guidelines for parents to follow, while others leave this completely up to the students and their families. While there are urban legends (some of them true) about parents providing teachers with lavish presents and, more commonly, providing  college guidance officers with expensive gifts throughout the year, it is generally more suitable for parents to buy teachers gifts either during the winter holidays, during National Teacher Appreciation Week (which takes place in early May)  or at the end of the school year. While some families pride themselves on finding the perfect gift that suits a teachers personality, others opt for homemade gifts or treats, while others look for gifts that help the teachers in the classroom. Looking for some inspiration? Check out these teacher gift ideas:   Gift Cards If youre not sure what your teacher needs or wants as a gift, opt for a gift card. General gift cards to places like Amazon.com or Barnes Noble can be perfect. If you know your teachers favorite coffee shop, grab a gift card to his or her favorite shop. Dont fret over the amount, either, its the thought that counts. Books and Materials for the Classroom While many private schools are fortunate enough to have well-stocked libraries, teachers often compile lists of the books, DVDs, programs, or technology that they need in their classrooms that go above and beyond the annual budget. It may be a good idea to start with your schools librarian when looking to buy a teacher a gift, as the librarian may keep a list of what the teacher needs, including not only titles that relate to the teachers curriculum but also magazine subscriptions or DVDs that can support their teaching; you can also give gifts to the library to thank the deserving librarians. A technology teacher can let you know if your childs teacher or the tech department have specific requests for their classrooms. Well-Loved Books You can never go wrong with an extra hard-copy edition of an inspirational book or one that the teacher uses in the classroom. If you are looking for titles, you can start with the ten most commonly read books in private high schools, which often appear on school reading lists.   Movies About Teachers and Schools There are a number of movies about private schools that make good teacher gifts, including The Dead Poets Society (1989), The Emperors Club (2002), and the classic Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1939). Another great film about an English prep school is The History Boys (2006), based on a play by Alan Bennett. Its about a group of bright, outspoken boys at a provincial British high school who are coached to pass the written exams to get into Cambridge and Oxford by a set of eccentric faculty members. Though the movie takes place in Britain, the students and classroom discussions are similar to those at American private schools. Dessert and a Card Keep in mind that a cookie and a note go a long way. The best gifts I ever received as a teacher were thoughtful notes written by my students and their parents. I keep every single one of them, as do many of the teachers and faculty I know. One administrator I met even tacked every single thank-you note he had ever received to his bulletin board. He would look at these thoughtful notes on bad days. These notes are wonderful pick-me-ups and reminders to teachers why they do the hard work that they do all year. You can accompany the note with a coffee mug customized to the teachers interests (for example, featuring a writer or a mathematician), or you can use this baking website to make some cookies to go along with the note; nothing will be sweeter. Make a Donation to the School's Annual Fund This can be a great way for a family to show their appreciation for a teacher while benefitting the schools annual fund. Make a donation of any amount that you are able to make, and you can designate the gift to be in honor of one or more teachers. The development office will usually send a note to the teachers letting them know that a gift was made in their honor, but you can also send a note stating that youve done this simple act. Your gift to the Annual Fund will be put towards the general budget which benefits all aspects of the school, enhancing the experience for your child and his or her teachers.

Apple Company Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Apple Company - Research Paper Example The Company is also engaged in a variety of stock exchange portfolios such as financial securities; Company shares, debentures and traded bonds. The ticker tape, AAPL: NASDAQ GS drives the Company’s financial and exchange markets with the highest stock price noted on February 18th, 2014 at 555.19 billion dollars. The Company’s trading period ends every September 28th with the September 2013 net income hitting 37.04 billion dollars as 225.18 dollars noted as 2013 assets value. The paper will focus on iPhone products with respects to its demand and supply. With respect to the demand of the iPhone products, the paper will showcase how iPhone products have an ever-increasing demand based on the sales of the products ranging from iPhone 5, iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S. The focus will be based on iPhone 5 that was ushered and launched September 21, 2012. During the same day, it is noted that over 2 million purchase was attached to first pre-ordering. This in comparison to iPhone 4 launched in October 2010, 1. 4 million purchase was recorded as the increase in first pre-ordering. On the other hand, iPhone 4S attracted over 4 million purchases in the first three days following its launch. In a snapshot, a robust demand for iPhone products is looming based on the promising purchases indicated. Surprisingly, an opening-weekend sale of iPhone 5 has dealt the Company’s image and reputation a blow based on the demand and supply of this product despite its massive upgraded features. Shortage in supply of iPhone 5 opened avenues for company’s critiques leading to its downgrading. This is supported by Apple chief Tim Cook on his apology as quoted, ‘While we have sold out of our initial supply, stores continue to receive iPhone 5 shipments regularly and customers can continue to order online and receive an estimated delivery date.