Divine

Dante Gabriel Rossetti once dug up his wife’s grave to retrieve his lost poems; that is adumbrative of his dedication to writing and art. In London, England on May 12th, 1828, an Italian teacher gave birth to one of the best literary minds of all time, Dante Rossetti born Gabriel Charles Dante Rossetti, his father, an Italian political refugee, and college professor(Riggs, 1998). Born into a family of talent, Dante was the second of four children in the Rossetti family, all four of which would…

In Dante’s Inferno, contrapasso, or the law of retribution, is very present as each circle of Hell contains different types of punishments for each type of sinner. Iconic historical figures are found throughout Hell suffering retribution for their sins. This is important as Dante specifically wanted to show no one is above God no matter how important they were in life. The idea of contrapasso isn’t unique to Dante as the law of an eye for an eye is found in the Old Testament. However, Dante’s…

In order to find one specific idea within the many themes and symbols found in Dante Alighieri’s “Inferno”, I had to look past the obvious themes such as justice, evil, man’s place in the natural world and religious beliefs. Instead I wanted to focus on a theme that occurs in almost every story known to man. The theme I chose is the “journey”, or the concept of importance within a journey. A theme that I feel is mostly overlooked because the audience and character(s) are too focused on the…

The concept of Hell, to many world religions, refers to either an existential condition or a symbolic or literal place of damnation where the most evil and disgusting are eternally punished for their wrongdoings. Although the exact description of hell varies, the idea and concept of hell alone is known in many religions. Hell is mostly known and described as a disturbing fiery place filled with every fear imaginable, some say it’s located in the middle of earth and some believe it’s another…

people were not allowed to question the ruler’s motives. Given that the Bible was at the basis of everything, it was considered sinful to disobey the ruling family and citizens were told that they will be going to Hell in case of doubt. Known as the Divine Right of Kings theory, this way of thinking stems from the fact that God chooses all Kings, meaning if anyone disobeys the King, they disobey God. Fear of death and sinning is what made the citizens genuinely obey. However, with time and…

another factor that helps people find meaning in life. “A sense of divine involvement can influence sense of meaning in life in a positive way for a number of reasons”. In Jong Jung’s article “Sense of Divine Involvement and Sense of Meaning in Life: Religious Tradition as a Contingency”, he states that people seek for God’s comfort to find meaning in life. Jung says that people seek “an ongoing, intimate relationship with divine figures through a variety of means such as prayer and rituals.”…

Japanese American’s lives changed in an instant due to a different country's actions. In the middle chapters of When an Emperor Was Divine, it showcases the struggles all families went through when realizing where they will be living until the end of the war. Otsuka highlights the hardships the characters go to through inside and outside of the internment camp, reminding us of the struggles Japanese Americans went through during WWII to overcome the public's trepidation. As the girl and her…

Divine Appointments The most humbling and awesome experiences a person can have is that of being a friend, making a friend, and introducing that friend into a living relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. It’s not about any ability on our part but rather our availability to God and what He wants to do. Often these Divine Appointments will happen at the most unexpected times and places. God’s time is always now, and I have been privileged to share many times over the years in these precious…

I have a divine calling on my life. It is to convincingly communicate the truth of God to all people. I do not claim the ability to define just how God calls any man or woman, nonetheless, in the very heart of my soul, I hear God’s still, small voice wooing me to commission. I am burdened with the plight of humankind without God. This call was initiated at my conversion and further confirmed through a mission experience in Mexico, during the first eighteen months of confessing Christ as my Lord…

Josephine Park in her article gives her critical argument about Julie Otsuka’s When the Emperor Was Divine. Her article, “Alien Enemies in Julie Otsuka’s When the Emperor Was Divine”, published at spring 2013 in MFS Modern Fiction Studies. She explores how the family in the novel transform into “alien” and “treacherous beings” from a normal American family because of “racialized enmity” (137.) This exploration leads her other argument of continuing distinctions between minority groups in the…