In 1826 John Stuart Mill experienced depression that launched him into a search for a cure. He discovered the cure within the poetry of Wordsworth and his use of the rural where Mill learned to feel again. A Utilitarian education expounded by Jeremy Bentham had ignored the need for even basic spiritual cultivation. While Mill Read More… »
Author Archive
» The Influence of Baal On YWHW
By studying biblical tradition and modern day archaeological evidence we can see the influence of Baal on Yahweh. Through the age of the patriarchs to Moses and beyond, the people of Israel and the Canaanites were linked historically and culturally. Due to Israel`s faith being based upon a people and not a place like the Read More… »
» Teddy Bears: Why We Need Them
Teddy Bears have proven to be a comfort since their beginning in 1902 when Morris Michton and his wife displayed the first stuffed creation in their storefront window. Inspired by Theodore Roosevelt’s refusal to shoot a tethered bear, the Teddy Bear has become a worldwide phenomena. Since its inception it has soothed and consoled millions. Read More… »
» Ghosts or Apparitions?
Is it a ghost or an apparition? The scientist and the lay person would disagree on the term used. The word ‘ghost’ suggests a disembodied spirit and is often used by the lay person, whereas the science community prefers ‘apparition’ which includes living entities. The electronic equipment used today to prove or disprove the presence Read More… »
» Shakespeare and Milton: Love and Loss
The true value and meaning of love is explored through its loss in Milton’s epic poem “Paradise Lost” and Shakespeare’s play “King Lear”. While the characters Lear, Adam, and Eve experience tragedy they eventually undergo a more profound understanding of a concept they initially took for granted as rightfully theirs. In order to be fully Read More… »
» Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice and Marriage
Jane Austen gives us an insightful and entertaining view of several different marriages in her novel “Pride and Prejudice”. We find folly in the Wickham marriage, and a dark type of humour within the marriages of the Bennets and Collins. Only through one couple, the Gardiners, do we find a marriage which can be considered Read More… »
» Chorus Manipulation in King Henry V
The Chorus in Henry V serves several functions, but the most intriguing is how he pulls the play and audience together into a personal relationship which allows the audience to connect to a deeper experience. Unlike its Greek template which uses a chorus of many, Shakespeare fuses his Chorus into a single personality and establishes a Read More… »
» Sinai Covenant: A Nation Begins
Thou shalt have no other gods before me (Ex. 20:3) Thus begins the covenant that would unite a nation. From semi-nomadic traditions, a disparate people became conscious of their unity through the Sinai Covenant. These tentative beginnings would prove to be the bond which held them together through the millennia. Read the rest
» Beowulf and Gawain
Both Beowulf and Gawain are heroic figures, yet there are decided differences in their methodology and reasoning. Over time, influences of different invaders, changing values and attitudes, and religion all contribute to this evolution. Along with the inevitable change that results from the passing of time, similarities between the two eras of heroism also remain. Read More… »