Preview

Peace Within Two Religious Traditions Essay Example

Better Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1168 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Peace Within Two Religious Traditions Essay Example
“Explain how the understanding of peace is expressed through the sacred texts of two religious traditions.”

The term of non-religious ‘peace’ refers to an absence of hostility or aggression. For the nations of the world to cooperate harmoniously would be an example of this. It is a very provocative theory which has been inaccurately referred to of recent times, such as one world leader who while piling up sophisticated nuclear war weapons, said it was being done in order to preserve peace in the world… It seems that the definition of such a concept has been used in extremely different contexts over the years simply because we who live on Earth have not experienced the entirety of it. While these non-religious dilemmas are thrown around, another highly argumentative topic in itself is religion, let alone peace being obtained through religion. The definition of peace within religion can entirely relate to inner peace. Inner peace is a state of being mentally and spiritually at peace, with enough knowledge and understanding to remain strong in the face of unfriendliness or stress. In this essay I will discuss the belief of peace within two traditions: Islam and Christianity. And I will be doing this by giving examples from both beliefs’ sacred texts.

I will first examine the Christian way of peace as spoken through passages of The New Testament. The New Testament is the customary text that all Christians follow. It declares the focus of peace within the Christian tradition, all of which began with the submissive teachings of Jesus Christ. Christians are taught to live harmoniously with all humans and the belief of an apparent god. As documented in the Gospels and other writings of The New Testament, Jesus Christ taught peace and pacifism to his advocates. This was at the time that Romans were the dominant force of the world, which ultimately would have made peacemaking difficult to uphold as the Romans often intimidated the Jewish people of Jerusalem.

“Let

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    At the beginning of Chapter 11, Gene has come back from Vermont and wants to see Finny. He becomes part of a snowball fight that Finny organized. Later, Gene tells Finny and Brinker that Leper was Absent Without Leave. Brinker reacts by saying that “poor old Leper” couldn’t handle life in the army. He guesses that Leper must be crazy and Gene confirms his suspicions. Later, Brinker tells Gene that things won't be normal unless people start acting natural about what happened to Finny.…

    • 340 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    "In peace-making, we are childlike, both in our care for those around us and because we inspire that same behaviour in others, and so we are welcomed into the Father's house with open arms" says Megan Barzaq. Jesus' words continue to challenge us today, however peace-making isn't about solving global conflict, it is simply about restoring broken relationships and being the best person we can be. This is unfortunately all we have for you tonight. See you next time on Religion and the…

    • 772 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    An individual in a difficult situation may act in an impulsive way that allows them to feel more in control of their circumstances. These unpremeditated decisions are often made when the individual does not consider the possible consequences of their actions. This means that they generally regret what they have done, but by then it is often too late to make amends. An individual’s circumstance can directly affect their ability to make good decisions. This is perceptively shown in the novel A Separate Peace by John Knowles; as the main character Gene Forrester makes an instinctive decision that ends up costing him his best friend’s life.…

    • 846 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Essay On A Separate Peace

    • 548 Words
    • 3 Pages

    To enhance and create a short movie previewing the novel, A Separate Peace, music, colors, pictures, and words were utilized. The colors and music relate to the characters and their feelings. On the other hand, the pictures make it more pleasing to watch and allow viewers to connect the words and ponder. Additionally, the phrases assist in understanding the pictures and allow for a smoother transition. Together the factors build upon one another to compose the short film.…

    • 548 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the book A Separate Peace written by John Knowles the main character attends an all boys school. The book is set during World War One and explains how life and how the boys at the school are effected. There are two main themes in the book and they are jealousy and friendship. The two themes are actually mainly between two friends that attend Devon. The two themes show up several times throughout the entire book. The two boys both experience the to themes and both have to over come their jealousy and keep their friendship…

    • 729 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Betrayal, one of the most horrible things you could do to anyone your family, a friend anyone. To me it’s one of my all time most hated things a person could do and it’s almost unforgivable. In this book A Separate Peace by John Knowles two boys Phineas and Gene who are best friends at a boarding school in New Hampshire experience some of the worst kinds of Betrayal you could think of. Gene commits a very bad betrayal when he jousts the tree limb they are both standing on ending up with Finny falling and badly breaking his leg. This was no accident because Gene can’t stand the guilt.…

    • 1011 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In many relationships, there is an extrovert and an introvert; the extrovert being the more likeable and outgoing person, while the introvert being the quiet and less noticed person. This relationship many times causes tension between the two friends, but many times the tension is only felt by one person; usually the introvert, thus jealousy becomes prominent. In A Separate Peace, by John Knowles, this is the case between best friends Finny (the extrovert), and Gene (the introvert). Both boys attend The Devon School, an upscale boys boarding school in the Northeast part of the United States. This jealousy exists between both boys, but only affects Gene, because he thinks about it constantly, and Finny doesn’t realize it. Many journeys are constantly impacted by jealousy, and the potential for evil that humanity possesses is revealed.…

    • 998 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    A Separate Peace Essay

    • 962 Words
    • 3 Pages

    One of the most questioning events in the book was when Finny "fell" out of the tree and the night of the day it happened Gene had thoughts that a friend shouldn't have. "Holding firmly to the limb I took a step toward him, and then my knees bent and I jounced the limb" (Knowles60). "That night I slept easily... I was confronted with myself, and what I had done to Finny" (Knowles62) Each of the quotes say that he done something to Finny, that it was his fault, and he did it most likely out of jealousy and anger. The first quote is the…

    • 962 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Separate Peace Essay

    • 400 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Places, usually known as nouns, but combined with time they create setting. Setting is one of the most important things in any written piece of art, it tells the reader what, and when; two of the six most important questions in writing. In A Separate Peace setting is very important and also greatly used. Not only does it contrast with thematic content, but it also complements thematic content. Setting also discusses, it discusses importance of certain scenes and people.…

    • 400 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    A Separate Peace Essay

    • 514 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The fictional novel, “A Separate Peace,” by John Knowles portrays the battle between friendship and envy within the minds of two teenage boys. Finny and Gene’s friendship is put to the test throughout their stay at Devon Academy. The setting reveals the characters of Finny and Gene by how the military school appeals to Finny’s talents, how athletic ability at Devon Academy relates to how students are treaded, and how Finny’s athletic successes at Devon Academy fuel Gene’s jealousy.…

    • 514 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    In John Knowle's A Separate Peace, symbols are used to develop and advance the themes of the novel. One theme is the lack of an awareness of the real world among the students who attend the Devon Academy. The war is a symbol of the "real world", from which the boys exclude themselves. It is as if the boys are in their own little world or bubble secluded from the outside world and everyone else. Along with their friends, Gene and Finny play games and joke about the war instead of taking it seriously and preparing for it. Finny organizes the Winter Carnival, invents the game of Blitz Ball, and encourages his friends to have a snowball fight. When Gene looks back on that day of the Winter Carnival, he says, "---it was this liberation we had torn from the gray encroachments of 1943, the escape we had concocted, this afternoon of momentary, illusory, special and separate peace" (Knowles, 832). As he watches the snowball fight, Gene thinks to himself, "There they all were now, the cream of the school, the lights and leaders of the senior class, with their high IQs and expensive shoes, as Brinker had said, pasting each other with snowballs"(843).…

    • 1642 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    A Separate Peace Essay

    • 473 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Gene, the narrator of A Separate Peace, is full of concerns and insecurities. Gene is trying to define his character. In the beginning, he is very jealous of Finny; he wants to be just like Finny. In chapter 2, on page 25, Gene says, “It was hypnotism. I was beginning to see that Phineas could get away with anything. I couldn’t help envying him that a little, which was perfectly normal. There was no harm in envying even your best friend a little.” This shows that Gene is jealous of Finny and the fact that Finny can get away with anything that he does wrong. Gene is jealous of Finny because he was the best athlete in school. Gene says, “He had unconsciously invented a game which brought his own athletic gifts to their highest pitch” (39). This quote shows that Gene recognizes the athletic power and magnetic personality that makes people drawn to him. He is also jealous of him because Finny had a magnetic personality and so Gene acted like a partner.…

    • 473 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    A Separate Peace Essay

    • 954 Words
    • 4 Pages

    In essence, a thing is characterized as an object having both physical and physiological components. As cliché as it seems, a picture has a thousand words. Although a person’s eyes tend to produce the same image over and over again, he or she will see things in a different perspective every time. In time, a person’s perspective on certain things will change overtime no matter how set in stone the status-quo is. Personal experiences play a large role in shaping someone’s outlook on things. In John Knowles’ novel, A Separate Peace, Gene states, “So the more things remain the same, the more they change after all” (Knowles 6). This quote is being used as much older and mature Gene returns to Devon and reflects upon his childhood at the school. Although Devon looks physically the same to Gene as it did 15 years ago, he comes to realization that his view of the school and the things inside of it have changed.…

    • 954 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Religion has and always will be one of the major forces that drives and has constantly shaped our world. Throughout the centuries wars have been fought, laws have been created, countries and towns have been built and demolished all to protect or to make known a religion. In this paper I will examine the characteristics of the three major Western religions of the world including Judaism, Islam, and Christianity. The origin of all three religions will be covered as well as there view of God and several conflicts they have. Several beliefs such as judgment and the trinity will also be examined..…

    • 2938 Words
    • 84 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    The rudimentary statement of modern Christians is that was it rarely justified and should be avoided, with the exception of the Just War conditions being met (Just War: introduction, 2014). Although Christianity generally and strongly promotes peace it also believes that there will be times where war might be the only road to peace. Although this can be the only way at times it is deviating from Jesus’s beliefs and no longer adhering to the Christianity beliefs. The understanding of Christianity in today’s era is far from what it used to be and it doesn’t preach about peace as strongly as it used…

    • 842 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays