Comprehensive essay sample: Question: Compare the basic principles of Judaism and Christianity. Why, in spite of its humble beginnings, did Christianity achieve the status of a world religion? Although early Christians were persecuted, specific socio-economic and political circumstances forced Roman Emperors to embrace the new creed as a crucial universal bond that helped them solidify their rule and hold together the multicultural and multiethnic Roman Empire. Judaism and Christianity are two related world religions. Judaism was founded by Abraham as a monotheistic religion – that is the belief in one, universal god. According to Judaist teachings, God and Abraham struck an agreement – the Covenant – according to which ancient Jews would believe and revere only one God. In exchange, God would love and protect Jews as the chosen people (I/34-35). The second important premise of Judaism is that God’s love to Jews is contingent upon their belief in him. If they stop following his guide, they will be punished. The oral traditions of Judaism were written down in the series of books called the Old Testament roughly between 500 and 300BC (II/143). Christianity took its roots from Judaism, and also is a monotheistic religion. Yet, despite their close relationship, Christianity and Judaism took a different path of development eventually became hostile to each other. The point of rupture between the two religions was teachings of Jesus Christ, who defied the Jewish traditional religious establishment, and whose appeal to the masses won him a significant popular backing (I/46-47).

The founder of Christianity is believed to have been a man named Jesus The founder of Christianity is believed to have been a man named Jesus. Born about 4AD in a Jewish family in Bethlehem, Palestine, Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist and followed his preaching of the coming of heaven and washed off his sins in the Jordan River. Jesus began preaching to the poor and sick in Judea – then a Roman province -- and convinced them to follow the teachings of God (II/173). The major tenet of this new religion -- called Christianity due to the Greek word Christos (the Messiah) – is the belief in one universal God, who loves and protects the human kind. Salvation and the kingdom of heaven are attainable by everyone who puts his/her trust in the All Mighty. Around 32AD, Jesus was apprehended by the Jewish leadership alarmed by his growing popularity among the masses, Fearful of Roman reprisals, Jewish elders handed Jesus over to the Romans, who crucified him. While Christianity started as a small religious group, it gradually attained wide following. Several reasons contributed to its growth. After Jesus’ death, his work was continued by charismatic leaders such as Peter and Paul, who gained popularity in Europe, especially Greece and Italy. Christianity offered salvation to everybody, regardless of social status and wealth – poor and rich, sick and healthy, princes and slaves. Therefore, it became especially popular with common people. The charismatic work carried out by Christian priests, and their dedication to the cause contributed to the fact that many affluent people supported and financed Christian institutions (II/189-191). While in the Roman Empire the Christians suffered persecution, the decline of the Empire compelled emperors to seek a device that would unify the diverse imperial population. Such a device was a single religion, and Christianity seemed to be popular enough to serve this purpose. In 313AD it was declared state religion, and from that moment on Christianity would eventually gain the status of world religion since the Roman Empire ruled on three continents, and thus Christianity affected many people of different cultures, languages, and histories (I/211-214). In spite of its humble beginnings, a strange creed preached by a Palestinian Jew named Jesus has become the most popular (numerically) religion of the world. Although Christianity evolved from Judaism, this affiliation was conveniently forgotten as the Christian Church turned against the Jews in the Middle Ages. The relation between the two religions remains strained until this very day.

Bibliography: I. K. H. Sorensen, Christians and Jews (1972) II Bibliography: I. K.H. Sorensen, Christians and Jews (1972) II. Leo Ramkin, Revolutionary Ideas in the Ancient World (1998)

In-class essay will be evaluated by the following criteria: Thesis – 20% Does the introduction contain a clearly defined thesis stating an arguable point? Does the introduction provide 2-3 general points that will be offered as proof to be defended in the body of the essay? Organization - 20% Does the essay read as a comprehensive story with smooth transition points or do the component parts stand on their own disconnected from one another? Analysis – 60 % Does the essay analyze (rather than narrate) the topic, making good use of evidence drawn from the text book (cite page numbers) and lectures?

Home assignments are evaluated by the following criteria: Thesis – 20% Does the introduction contain a clearly defined thesis stating an arguable point? Does the introduction provide 2-3 general points that will be offered as proof to be defended in the body of the essay? Body - 55% Do the body paragraphs take the 2-3 points mentioned in the introduction and analyze (rather than narrate) the topic, making good use of evidence drawn from the text book (cite page numbers) and lectures? Sentence structure, grammar, style – 25% While the content and structure of the essay form the basis of the grade, poor handwriting and gross spelling errors will have a negative impact on your grade.

Question: Why did the Bolsheviks win the Civil War? Thesis: your personal opinion in response to a question or statement (20%) During the Civil War, the Bolsheviks two key advantages over their opponents: determined and ruthless leadership and control of main industrial centers. Combined with the disunity among the enemies of the Bolsheviks, these factors proved decisive. Argument 1: a strong argument or illustration, corroborating the 1st point of your thesis (25%) The Bolsheviks were extremely fortunate in the quality of their leadership, particularly in Vladimir Lenin and Leo Trotsky. Throughout the Civil War, Lenin provided the energy and drive needed to inspire success (34-36). At all times, he held definite objectives and a sense of purpose, inspiring his followers. Trotsky was a brilliant organizer, who created the Red Army from scratch, imposing a tough system of discipline and control and promoting those who showed initiative and courage (41-42). Argument 2: a strong argument or illustration, corroborating the 2nd point of your thesis (25%) From the start of the Civil War, the Bolsheviks controlled the key industrial and railway areas in Russia - between Petrograd and Moscow (57-58). Therefore, they were able to keep the Red Army supplied and equipped with weapons, ammunition and supplies and made communication between the various battlefronts much easier. The large population of central Russia was also a key human resource for the Red Army (65-67). Argument 3: a strong argument or illustration, corroborating the 3d point of your thesis (25%) In contrast to the Bolsheviks, their enemies never had a unified command. The White Armies were geographically separated from each other, while their commanders failed to coordinate their efforts (91-93). The “single and undivided Russia” ideology of the White leaders effectively prevented them to attract various anti-Bolshevik nationalist and peasant armies (99-101). As a result, all these groups waged their own wars and were eventually destroyed by the Red Army. Conclusion: a summary of the three main points from your essay (5%) The Bolsheviks held several key advantages over their enemies: determination, ruthlessness, and control of the key industrial and railroad sites. It was, therefore, only a matter of time before the Bolsheviks used these advantages to achieve ultimate victory.

Identification essay provides information about an individual, a place, or a historical event on the basis of the following questions: Who or What? When? Where? What significant role did this individual/place/event play in history? Sample: Mohammed The founder of Islam, Mohammed (Mahomet) was born about 570AD in Mecca in what today is Saudi Arabia. When he was 40 years old, outside of Mecca he had visions of the angel Gabriel calling him to “recite” in the name of God the creator. He received revelations that were to become the first part of the Koran (Qua’ran) – the holy book of Islam. The Koran teaches faith in God, the coming judgment against unbelief, and the ideas of heaven and hell; it also describes duties appropriate to marriage, the family, and social life. Mohammed’s followers were called Muslims (Moslems) – “surrendered men,” since they had “surrendered” or submitted to one God (Allah). By 630AD, Mohammed had raised a powerful army and had captured Mecca. After the death of Mohammed in 632, his successors were able to conquer all of the Arabian Peninsula, the Middle East, and North Africa, and Spain establishing one of the greatest empires of the Middle Ages. Although the empire soon fell apart, Islam has continued its victorious rise in the Middle East and Asia and becoming the fastest growing religion in the world with about one billion followers.

GUIDELINES FOR WRITING FILM RESPONSE PAPERS (1) The point of any good movie is not the action, but the message. Hence, do not just summarize the film. If there is no analysis involved, then you have not responded, only regurgitated. If the movie is based on true events, you should evaluate the level of analogy and either justify or criticize any differences the movie exhibits with respect to the original story it is based on. (II) Do not try to be a film critic. Do not worry about the actors’ performances (except insofar as they might be relevant in evaluating the film’s success in making its point) or the subtleties of direction and editing. Your target is a particular theme, not filmmaking. (III) Your first paragraph should be an introduction to your topic—that is, the issue or issues on which you are going to focus. It should be a brief paragraph—maybe four or five sentences. Be sure to say which aspect of the movie, specifically, will be discussed in the paper. If you want to emphasize and discuss issues that are secondary in the movie, still try to mention the movie’s central theme or themes. (IV) The main body of your essay should be the exploration of your theme or themes, using characters, scenes, symbols, and situations in the movie to show how the movie supports or contradicts your understanding of a particular topic. It should be composed of two-three distinct paragraphs – each of them discussing your impressions and thoughts as related to the film in question. (V) Pay close attention to basics like grammar and punctuation. Proofread your essays. (VI) Your conclusion should contain a short summary of all points comprised in your argumentation.  

Your response paper will be evaluated by the following criteria: 1. Introduction – 10% Does the introduction contain a clearly defined thesis stating an arguable point? Does the introduction provide 2-3 general points that will be offered as proof to be defended in the body of the essay? 2. Body - 40% Do the body paragraphs take the 2 -3 points mentioned in the introduction and analyze (rather than narrate) them, making good use of reasons and evidence drawn from the text book as well as other research sources? Are sources (at least 2) properly quoted? 3. Structure, grammar, style – 40% (while the content and structure of the essay form the basis of the grade, mistakes such as spelling errors and faulty punctuation can and will have a negative impact on the grade of the essay exam). 4. Conclusion – 10% Does the conclusion restate the thesis, summing up the essay in a clear and concise way?

Sample Battle of Neretva is a 1969 a Yugoslav partisan film. The film was directed by Veljko Bulajić and depicts a massive Axis offensive against the Yugoslav Partisans in 1943. The offensive was also known as the “Fourth Enemy Offensive” and occurred in the area of the Neretva-River in Bosnia-Herzegovina (I/146-147). The film is based on the true events of World War II although it conveys the impression that the Partisans as well as their enemies were ideologically motivated. In reality, the bulk of the population in wartime Yugoslavia held no rigid political loyalties. Instead, they were forced to survive as best they could and their allegiances shifted according to the situation. For example, the Chetniks, who are portrayed as the inveterate enemies of the Partisans, were not a single unified force, but initially fought alongside the Partisans against the Germans and then joined the Germans against the Partisans (I/45-51). Bosnia-Herzegovina especially represented a contentious mix of political ideologies, ethnicities, and religious beliefs – including nationalism and communism, and Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Muslim denominations – and consequently, the war there was particularly cruel (II/13-18). The film crafts a fascinating narrative of rival radical ideologies, particularly between the multinational vision of the Communist Partisans versus the xenophobic nationalism of the Serbian Chetniks and the Croatian Ustaše. Although the film emphasizes the battle between the Partisans and the Axis powers, Bulajić stresses its local dimension – the conflict between the citizens of the former Yugoslavia. As Commissar Stole says “hatred between the same people is the most vicious.’”

The film correctly shows that the Partisans fought for much more than mere survival – from the beginning Tito envisioned the war against the Axis powers mutating into a revolutionary struggle and turning Yugoslavia into a communist state (II/64-68). Although most Serbs initially joined the Partisans to survive the Ustaše genocide, the Partisan leadership from the beginning emphasized the importance of social revolution that would change the country’s political and socio-economic landscape. In other words, the unique conditions of the Axis occupation and the bitter ethnic and ideological conflicts engendered the revolutionary movement united in its primary objectives. To sum up, the Partisans never viewed the armed struggle against the Axis powers from a purely military prospective, but were determined to transform this struggle into a political battle to create a “genuinely multinational socialist society.” This fact alone helps explain why the Partisans were much better organized than the Chetniks, particularly in creating the so-called “free zones” – the Neretva basin was but one – in which they set up the small replicas of revolutionary society, later superimposed upon the entire Yugoslavia (II-221-223).

Sources: I. Jozo Tomasevich Sources: I. Jozo Tomasevich. War and Revolution in Yugoslavia, 1941-1945: The Chetniks. Stanford, California: Stanford University Press, 1975. II. John K. Cox, The History of Serbia. Westport, Connecticut and London: Greenwood Press, 2002.

François-Raoul Larche Loie Fuller

Alfonse Mucha, Maude Adams as Joan of Arc (poster)

Bruno Möhring, German pavilion (Art Nouveau interior at the 1900 Paris Universal Exhibition)

Aubrey Beardsley, Salome and John

Antoni Gaudi, La Sagrada Familia

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Two Women Waltzing