Under the Banner of Heaven

The texts Daodejing by Laozi and Inferno by Dante both provide a powerful definition and illustration of virtue, which determines the future of an individual. Under Daodejing, virtue is defined as the power intrinsic in each thing in its natural state and the force that allows humans to reach their full potential. To achieve this power, one must follow the natural way of being uncorrupted, and ultimately it will reach their goals. The Inferno talks about a number of virtues as well as sins that…

Hundred Years War was a battle of ownership for the French throne between the English and the French. But the more specific reasons were the ambition of French monarchy to expand their land, which contradicts England’s ambition to keep French land under their control because it used to belong to their king, and the province of Flanders (now known as Belgium) wanting to secede from France. Though France was a lot stronger at the start of the war, King Edward III…

were a series of political and religious wars fought by European countries in order to gain control of the Holy Land. The first call for a crusade was made by Pope Urban II in order to send aid to the Christian Byzantine Empire, which found itself under attack during this period from Muslim Turks. This first crusade lasted from 1096-1102, with the Christian knights taking control of Jerusalem in 1099. In response to the Christian invasions and their occupation of the Holy City, the Muslim’s…

Mother Jones Mary Harris Jones, also known is “Mother Jones” was an Irish-American union labor activist. Mary “Mother” Jones was born August 1, 1837 in County Cork, Ireland to Helen Cotter and Richard Harris, however, Mary claimed an unconventional birthdate of May 1, 1830. The Harrises were a family of 7. Mary had four siblings, two brothers and two sisters. Her father was forced to flee to North America with her family in 1835 to due to the Irish famine. Mary lived and grew up in Toronto,…

“The darkest places in hell are reserved for those who maintain their neutrality in times of moral crisis.” by Dante Alighieri. This shows a little into Dante’s thinking as he ranked moral failures through his structure of hell. In Dante’s Inferno there are nine different circle or levels of hell. In these circle there are different punishments for the different sins people commit throughout their life. The worst the sin is that you commit, the lower in hell you go and the worst your punishment…

Joan of Arc was a remarkable woman who had lived up to her legacy that had impacted many of those that believed in the Christian faith. Joan taught that with God and under his power that all things were possible. From her childhood, to her death, Joan lived a daring life that not many can say they've experienced. Joan was born in sometime in January of 1412 in Domremy, a small French village located in Lorraine. Her family were Christians that supported the Dauphin. The Dauphin…

Day 6: Koblenz, Germany I will spare you the tedious travel details and go directly into the one sight we saw today, Marksburg Castle, high in the hills. It looked like something out of a children’s book, with a yellow facade and tall towers trimmed with red. It wasn’t originally built for residence, but for defence. It turned residencial unexpectedly, so consequently it hadn’t the tradition comforts. The rooms were tiny and lacked significant decor. Most of the rooms were dedicated to arms, or…

Renaissance Patronage: A Study of Motivations in Artwork Commissioning Gombrich says in his famous book The Story of Art that art is not a work of artists but that of patrons. This statement emphasizes the significant role that patrons played in the fifteen- century arts. Patronage was not simply the case of the patrons’ paying on their orders. The commercial relationship between artists and their clients in Renaissance was different from that in contemporary art market, where artists paint…

and value the things we are a part of. This pride can lead to the delusion that the country we live in is far superior and even divine in contrast to other countries. The belief that the United States is divine is widespread but subtle; the words “under God” are frequently used whether it be on the United States Dollar, the Pledge, or something else. American pride, on the other hand, is much more…

things whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you, do it even so unto them…” (76). Through his explanation Snyder then states, “Now, to suit this rule to your particular circumstances, suppose you were masters and mistresses, and had servants under you, would you not desire that your servants should do their business faithfully and honestly…” (76). Throughout this sermon, Brown demonstrates the irony of using religious teachings to keep slaves in the chains of slavery. In one final…