Best source of funding for research organization Essay

There are a number of ways of funding research programs to help medical clinics; we may have an aspect where the government lends a hand or seeking the indulgence of the pharmaceutical companies. (NCSL, 2014) The above stated are two of those ways. Acceptance of offers to carry out research depends on the wishes of beneficiaries; they get to choose whom they perceive to be their best options. (U.S. Congress, 2006) Grants by the federal government may be defined as the assistance in monetary terms offered by the American government. (NIST, 2014)The government assistance has to conform to the laws and regulations set about by the federal agencies. (USA Government, n.d.)Grants offered by the pharmaceutical companies; to conduct clinical research is one of the common ways of sourcing for money to carry out research activities for clinics. (Canadian Business Network, n.d) Pharmaceutical companies are private entities which may not be put under tight regulations as compared to public insti tutions. (Federal Grants, n.d)The financing pharmaceutical company may fund a research project they deem to be in line with what they find necessary for them. (D.o.J., 1998) Advantages of using government grants to fund research projects Government or federal grants are a good way of sourcing for funds; even though the central government may impose very strict measures to go about using the cash. (Cornell University, n.d.) Once a government agency has given the nod for one to conduct the research alongside the funds allocation; a research organization is left to conduct its affairs in the required time they find ample. (UCONN, n.d.) Pharmaceutical companies may impose timelines so that they launch their products for commercial gains. (The Arc, n.d.)Pharmaceutical companies may continue funding a project based on interests to be fulfilled; some may be under pressure to churn out products that cause a buzz within markets. (Grant Space, n.d.)Another risk involved with pharmaceuticals funding projects would be purely to spite their competitors and caress enormous egos of company executives and owners. (TGCI, n.d.) Government does not engage in competition; but their mandate is to look out for the welfare of their citizen s. (The White House, n.d.)It’s with the above stated reasons that governmental funding looks more appealing as compared to funding from private entities. (Homeland Security, n.d.)There would not be conflicts or interests as well as undue pressure. (FELDESMAN+TUCKER+LEIFER+FIDELL, n.d.) References NCSL. (2014). NCSL. Retrieved from http://www.ncsl.org/research/health/american-health-benefit-exchanges.aspxU.S. Congress. (2006, October). Research and Development in the Pharmaceutical Industry. Retrieved from https://cbo.gov/sites/†¦/10-02-drugr-d.pdfCanadian Business Network. (n.d.). Canadian Business Network. Retrieved from http://www.canadabusiness.ca/eng/page/2740/National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), United States Department of Commerce (DoC). (2014, February 25). ANNOUNCEMENT OF FEDERAL FUNDING OPPORTUNITY (FFO) Measurement Science and Engineering (MSE) Research Grant Programs. Retrieved from www.nist.gov/†¦/grants/USA Government. (n.d.). Benefits, Grants, and Loans. Retrieved from http://www.usa.gov/Citizen/Topics/Benefits.shtmlFederal Grants. (n.d.). Federal Grants. Retrieved from http://www.federalgrants.com/D.o.J. (1998, September). The United States Department of Justice. Retrieved from http://www.justice.gov/crt/grants_statutes/legalman.phpC ornell University. (n.d.). Cornell University. Retrieved from http://www.irb.cornell.edu/faq/UCONN. (n.d.). University of Connecticut. Retrieved from http://research.uconn.edu/The Arc. (n.d.). Public Policy. Retrieved from http://www.thearc.org/what-we-do/public-policy/know-your-rights/federal-lawsGrant Space. (n.d.). Knowledge Base. Retrieved from http://grantspace.org/tools/knowledge-base/Funding-Resources/Government-Funders/government-grantsTGCI. (n.d.). Thw Grantsmanship Center. Retrieved from http://www.tgci.com/training/competing-federal-grants-5-dayThe White House. (n.d.). Office of Mnagement and Budget. Retrieved from http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants_defaultHomeland Security. (n.d.). Title VI Overview for Recipients of DHS Financial Assistance. Retrieved from http://www.dhs.gov/title-vi-overview-recipients-dhs-financial-assistanceFELDESMAN+TUCKER+LEIFER+FIDELL. (n.d.). Federal Grants. Retrieved from http://www.feldesmantucker.com/federal-grants/ Source document

It is hard to define the words true American Essay

It is hard to define the words true American. There are many different qualities in an American that don’t always make them a good person. Good people are loving and caring. There not always concerned about if they are going to be rich and famous. Good people care about others and accept people for who they are not based upon race gender or class. A true American possesses none of these qualities. Although not all of the qualities in a true American are bad many of the qualities are not favorable for a person looking to be a good all around person. True Americans are greedy, class conscious people, and have a vary large amount of self confidence. Confidence is a large part of American culture and many true Americans pride them selves on the ability to block out fear. Having little or no fear can only improve the lifestyle of a true American. A true American is a hero. An American hero is someone that saves lives and makes the world a safer place. There are types of jobs that can make one a hero, such as a lawman and a soldier. To become a hero, one must face his or her problems head on. It is not easy for anyone to face there fears head on. Not very many people can face them. Then again, it’s not easy to become or be a true American. True Americans are hard to come by and have rare heroic qualities like putting others in front of themselves. Although being a true American takes no fear, most real Americans have a taste for money. True Americans are entrepreneurs. True Americans are entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs are go-getters in American society. They are looked upon as great people with great ideas. Entrepreneurs are people who want to be famous and or make a lot of money. Entrepreneurs take full advantage of being an American. They never take no for an answer, and always try to get what they desire. Entrepreneurs grasp and fully embrace the concept of what it means to be an American. Entrepreneurs are key to being an American, but being an entrepreneur also means you must be one thing, greedy. Greed is something people face every day. Everyday people can choose to either embrace greed, or people can fight it. In American culture it is widely accepted to fully embarrass greed as a part of your life. It is also normal for a person to choose work over play, and let money be more important than family. Money is more than just a type of currency in America. Currency is a symbol, a symbol of what a person is. If someone has a fast car, a big house, a boat, and still wants more he or she is a true American. If they have the drive to keep working to get what they want they are a true American. Although greed is a main part of American culture its importance is trumped by the way society works. The use of classes in peoples everyday life. Most Americans are very aware of class. Class is a very important part of the U. S. society. It is hard to escape society’s rules, so most people just let society run their lives. Suburban women have never been able to get away from society running their lives. TV, books, magazines, and movies show that women are supposed to marry a rich guy and have a nice kitchen. If a woman does not have a nice kitchen or look like a woman on TV, she is not living the American dream. Although being class conscious can help define you as a true American. Having some sort of relationship with God and being religious is key to being a true American. Many people who call themselves true American’s say they have a good up-standing relationship with God. God plays a very large part in American’s lives. God runs peoples lives, affecting a person’s decision on a day to day basis. God makes Americans seem more proud about there country. People have bumper sticks and flags saying god bless America. Every president in the history of the United States has openly stated that he believes in God. Important Americans always seem to connect with God somehow, or at least say they do. God has always played a large role in American history. People always seem to gravitate towards people that have religion be a large part of there life. God always offers people with a set of mostly good morals and values but that doesn’t necessarily make you a true American. In conclusion, it is very difficult to really define a true American with just one trait. People may never be able to define the words true American. A true American is a collaboration of many different things. Being a true American doesn’t exactly make anyone a good person, but being a patriot in any country will always have its positive and negatives. It is good to be proud of a country but some people seem to take it over board. If anyone wants to be called and viewed as a true American they have to take it overboard. To be a good person you don’t need to have money. In America the whole goal of existence is to become rich, not further your growth as a person. Americans are also very aware of what other people think of them and often wonder how they are viewed. There are problems with the way social structure is set up in the United States. People are more concerned with moving up in social status than helping out people that need help. Being a true American isn’t all bad at all. There is a great deal of American heroes that have done wonderful feats not just for the country but for the whole world. The idea of spreading democracy around the world was wonderful idea. I don’t agree with the way it was spread, but it needed to be done. Americans have many bad qualities but they also have many good qualities. It is hard to become a true American and figure out if those traits are something you posses. If people don’t people have to dig deep down and over come many things in life. People have to become a hero, people have to matter to there country if they want be a true patriot. A lot of people have had wonderful lives being true Americans, some not so much. True American are in many places in the United States and will continue to turn up because this is America.

Discourse Community Paper

Analyzing Discourse Communities Then and Now As students grow older in life and in school their written as well as, their oral communication will mature and become more sophisticated. I will be informing you of how my written and spoken communication skills have gotten better throughout my years in high school and how they have improved being in college. I will first do this by talking about how my communication was in high school football and how it compares in college. Secondly, I will focus on my current major of communications and how my public speaking has changed over the years.Lastly, I will talk about the oral and written communication within the real estate profession. Communication in football has to be the most important aspect on the field. If a team desires to be successful they must be great communicators. Players need to communicate effectively with each other to play well as a team. Communication not only means simply talking to each other, but non verbal communicatio n plays a vital part in being a successful team. Being able to direct teammates using hand signals is a very important factor.Using verbal and non verbal communication together can be effective in completing a pass, a tackle, or kicking a game winning field goal. Playing football without communicating is impossible and would make winning extremely difficult. Communication does not only have to do with getting the plays from player to player, it also has to do with motivating the team and being a positive leader on and off the field. If a captain is discouraging or belittling to teammates they are not going to put in the effort for practice or games.I had a lot of trouble with this in high school with teammates putting down other players and it resulted in the same effect. They didn’t want to be at practice and it lead to some of my teammates to quitting. Now that I play at the college level the camaraderie and attitudes have turned a complete 180. As a whole, we have the same mentality and the best intentions by wanting to get better each and every day. Along with spoken and non verbal communication in football, believe it or not, we actually have written communication as well. A football play is nly a bunch of X’s and O’s until written down. Teams may have hundreds of plays and will remember all of these by constantly writing them down. We also have to write in our playbooks the blocking schemes for the week, depending on who the opponent is. Additionally, every player is required to take a class about coaching and football. We write out our own practice schedules and at the end of the year we complete a one page essay describing what we have learned about being in the coaches shoes. As for my major of communications, there is a great deal of writing along with plenty of oral speeches.When writing or preparing a speech in high school I would procrastinate more often than not and wing it at the last minute. I would be extremely nervous whe n talking in front of people. In comparison, now that I am older and have communications as my area of study I have taken it a lot more seriously. I now take the necessary time and pride in planning out what I have to say in an outline and utilize brainstorming sessions. I feel I have grown in both my written and spoken communication as a public speaker from high school to now being in college.Orally when talking about communications that’s mainly all there is, but like I stated before there are outlines and brainstorming ideas that students use. When it comes to public speaking our speech is all about how well we present it. There are many different factors that go into how well students can orally present their speech. Some of which include; confidence when presenting in front of a large crowd and how well a student prepared for this topic. With that said, I have also learned to relax and control how nervous I get by ensuring that I am confident about the material and well prepared for the presentation.Finally I will be talking about written communication in real estate. When my dad first started in real estate it was all done at a kitchen table or at an office desk. Today it can be done virtually. Realtors can check all their email, faxes, contracts and more by using a phone. The industries future is mobile. For example, some agents today use DOC U SIGN and/or Digital Ink which enables Agents and clients both to electronically sign required documents from anywhere in the world. Therefore, written communication is now taking out the human factor in real estate and having o verbally communicate to a client is becoming less and less important. Yes, verbal communication still takes place, but it is becoming not as much of a factor. It now has less to do with your personal appearance because most of everything done today is digital. Clear communication is more essential because real estate agents need to be able to convince possible clients to work with t hem. And when agents don’t have the opportunity to work with clients face to face they need to make a great first impression.With everything that has been said throughout my essay I do agree that spoken communication is a vital part in communicating effectively. However at the same time I feel that written communication in anything today is becoming the new normal. Whether it is in your discourse community of football, the area of study such as communications, or in my future career path of real estate, communication being verbal or written will always be there. It will also determine and be an important factor in how successful you are in life.

The Downside of Diversity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Downside of Diversity - Essay Example Diversity produces lower civic health, which is a detriment to society. Robert Putnam, a Harvard political scientist, conducted in-depth interviews with 30,000 people across the United States (Jonas, 2007). What Putnam found was that neighbors in diverse communities trust each other roughly half as much as they do in communities that are made up of one predominant culture. This is due to the cultural differences that exist between members of diverse communities. Further research found that diversity makes us feel uncomfortable in social settings; however, diversity can thrive in the work environment. This is because a wider range of thoughts can strengthen a plan or objective because all the weaknesses are covered. Putnam’s research also supports that of some of his contemporaries, who argue that people in diverse communities do not contribute to common needs and goals of the community. Diversity results in a decline in social capital, a term first coined by Putnam himself in some of his previous studies. Social capital refers to friendships, religious institutions, and community associations, which are more likely to suffer when diversity is present in the community (Jonas, 2007). This is because people feel disenfranchised from the very societal groups that are set up to help them. Putnam claims that high social capital makes a community a better place to live, neighborhoods are safer, people are healthier, and more citizens vote (Jonas, 2007). Putnam’s survey, which was conducted in a number of diverse communities across the United States, questioned many ethic groups (black, white, Hispanic, and Asian) about how they felt about their neighbors, community, and local government. Putnam’s results showed that most people did not engage politically or socially with members of other cultures (Jonas, 2007). Finally, living in diverse communities brings out the turtle in all of us. What

James Madison Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

James Madison - Essay Example Madison firmly believed in the strong unification of the country. Origin The fourth President of United States, James Madison (16th March, 1751- 28th June, 1886) made a massive contribution towards building the foundation of the nation. This great leader was born at Belle Grove Plantation situated near Port Conway, Virginia. His father, James Madison Senior was the largest landowner (with 5000 acres of land) and a leading citizen of the Orange Country. His mother, Nelly Conway Madison was the daughter of a prominent planter 2 and tobacco merchant. Thus, Madison was born in quite a prosperous family and as the oldest of 12 children was given suitable education at each step of his life. Both his parents had a considerable influence on him and his career. James Madison attended Princeton College (previously named College of New Jersey) and graduated in 1771. On 15th September, 1794, James married a widow, Dolley Payne Todd (20th May, 1768) and adopted her son, John Payne Todd. Dolley wa s the sister of Lucy Payne who married one of President Washington’s nephews, George Steptoe Washington. Dolley was expelled from the Society of Friends for marrying a non-Quaker. Ratification of Constitution Madison greatly contributed towards the ratification of Constitution by writing several Federal essays along with John Jay and Alexander Hamilton. Madison had extensively studied the ancient and modern confederacies and he understood that the republic would perish if it did not have a strong central government. He contributed twenty nine out of eighty five articles that were published in various newspapers. At 1787 Constitutional Convention, Madison’s draft of Virginia Plan and his revolutionary three-branch federal system became the basis for the American Constitution of Today. Afterwards when addressed as the â€Å"Father of the 3 Constitution†, Madison deliberately played it down by saying that the document was not â€Å"the off-spring of a single brain †, but â€Å"the work of many heads and many hands.† Political Views James was very much a liberal politically. He believed that as the governments were formed after a formal election and by popular choice of people, hence if that government failed and became oppressive then people should have the full right to cause a revolt and overthrow that government. James respected privatization in the form of properties and religious liberties. James Madison had helped to write the Federalists Papers. According to him, the national government should be empowered to act directly on persons while safeguarding the integrity of the State Sovereignty. Hence, this also makes him Federalist in a political way. James was a republic too. His life was devoted to the cause of self government. Dislike of Slavery James Madison regarded slavery as a form of cruelty where one person was treated as a property of another individual and traded in the same way as human does. In a letter to Robert J. Evans, Madison writes, â€Å"[I]f slavery, as a national evil, is to be abolished, and it be just that it be done at the national expense, the amount of the expense is not a paramount consideration.† 4 James Madison appealed to the public to abolish slavery and to treat the slaves as human beings and not merely as property. Favored Congress Over State Legislature James Madison favored the Congress over the

Globalization Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Globalization - Research Paper Example The research swill discuss in depth the pros and cons of the phenomenon of McDonaldization. In this study, the researcher is going to analyze the effects McDonaldization has on the society. From the research, a person is able to judge whether the phenomenon is to expected, accepted, rejected, or if it is inevitable. The study will explain why the term McDonaldization was used as a concept of bureaucracy in the early days. The phenomenon was an organizational structure aimed at rationalizing and standardizing the society’s products and services, and the processes involved in producing them. However, from the study, it will be evident that the concept differs from bureaucracy. The concept concerns itself with five points that the paper shall discuss. They include efficiency, calculability, predictability, and control. The study aims at explaining the concept of McDonaldization. In addition, the study will help the people understand to what extent the concept has influenced the employees of the 21st century. It shall discuss the possible consequences for theories of human motivation. Users of this study will understand whether the concept of McDonaldization applies equally to all the jobs. The journal by Kellner described McDonaldization as a process by which the principles of the fast food outlets has taken over majority of the American’s and the rest of the world’s sectors. The author explains how the concept has affected nearly every aspect of today’s society. Nevertheless, the author predicts the concept shall influence the aspects of the future’s society (Kellner 1). In the interview, Ritzer argued that the concept serves the world as a directing force. From his own words, Ritzer implies that the human beings adapt to every turn that the world makes. Definitely, change is good, and McDonaldization is one of the changes the world is adopting. Many companies that follow the concept have achieved immense success. For

Nonverbal Communication in Dating Relationships Essay

Nonverbal Communication in Dating Relationships - Essay Example Through studies of communications between individuals, for example, researchers have discovered a correlation in six specific motives for interpersonal communications, pleasure, affection, inclusion, escape, relaxation, and control, (Myers, 2001). Individuals will direct their interpersonal communications, both verbal and nonverbal, to satisfy one or more of these motives. During interpersonal communications it is most often what is not said that concerns individuals rather than what is said. A wife may wonder more about what is implied by the flat tone of her husband's voice than by what he has stated verbally. An employee may begin to distrust his boss if during private conversations the boss avoids eye contact with the employee (Le Poire, 2002). Researchers generally agree that all communications having both verbal and nonverbal elements comprise two levels of meaning and that both have a report and a command function. "The report aspect is the content and is concerned with what i s verbalized. The command aspect is synonymous with the relational message and is concerned with what the entire message implies about the relationship: how communicators feel about their partner, about themselves in the relationship, and about the relationship in general." (Le Poire, 2002) The lack of understanding regarding nonverbal messages is partiall... Direct eye contact, for example, can mean to imply intimacy as well as anger. What determines the meaning of this behavior is the host of nonverbal cues displayed at the same time. No one nonverbal cue can be interpreted without considering the additional nonverbal behaviors. By example then the message implied by direct eye contact can only be determined by observing the proximity of the communicator, body orientation, other facial expressions, and the behavior of the communicator's hands and arms. If the communicator is standing close, smiling, and touching gently they are communicating intimacy. If they are grimacing while pointing a finger at the other's chest, they are communicating anger (Le Poire, 2002). Research regarding communication and nonverbal immediacy behaviors between marital partners has only recently started to receive serious attention (Hinkle, 1999). Some of the research indicates that an important nonverbal immediacy behavior required to sustain a relationship is the partners liking one another (Hinkle, 1999). "Liking performs an important function in relational maintenance. However, it is not clear exactly what behaviors married partners use to maintain their relationships" (Hinkle, 1999). Additional research suggests that partners engaging in nonverbally immediate behaviors view each other in a more positive way than those who do not engage in nonverbally immediate behaviors (Richmond, 2003). While much research has started to accumulate regarding nonverbal and verbal communications between married partners and the use of nonverbal immediacy behaviors to maintain these marital relationships, research regarding how these communication methods influences the early stages of a pre-marital relationship is only now beginning to

Nutrition Facts Label Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Nutrition Facts Label - Coursework Example The rise of science and food technology have forced many multinational companies in most States in the U.S. to take advantage of American people as well as worldwide at large hence providing subsidized food substances in regards to profit maximization as an aspect of business. Many grocery stores provides processed food that has additives such as corns which has ingredients like cellulose, saccharin, polydextrose, and xanthan that are known to be harmful and a threat to the health of human beings. According to the movie, one of the scientist suggested that many of the processed food has either corns or soybean ingredients which helps many of the processed food staffs to stay long in grocery stores. In the regulations of food, security by international bodies suggests that, these multinational companies as well as some governments have overlooked these regulations by providing cheap food regardless to negative consequences it has over the nation. The author of the trailer goes further on analyzing side effects of science and technology on the facet of global food supply affected by lack of biodiversity, which in turns the author believes that can be changed by providing demand side of a specific equation. However, it is known that 70% of processed food has been genetically

Microeconomics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Microeconomics - Essay Example The price of a one carrot diamond is $10,000, while the price of 100 gallons of tap water is $0.50 (Textbook, 2007). The diamond – water paradox proves that the utility of a resource does not necessarily affect its price. The economical explanation of the diamond – water paradox is based on the law of demand and supply. The application of this law implies the reason the prices of diamonds are so high is based on the short supply of diamonds across the world (Varian, 2003). The prices of purified water sold in 20 ounce bottle units follow to certain extend same logic as the diamond – tap water paradox. Bottle water’s price is much higher than the water that comes into people’s home through its pluming system. To put the price in perspective with 100 gallons of water a company could prepare 640 twenty once bottles of water which retails at $1 a piece implying the market value of purified bottle water is 1040 times than the value of tap water. The quality of the product, its positive health benefit, its good refreshing taste and the formula that provides drinkable water at its optimum state of quality it can be to be consumed by humans. The marginal utility of bottle water is very suspect in comparison to tap water. The water in bottles has a market value which makes it an item that can only be used to be drank by a person, on the other hand tap water can used consumed orally by humans as well as a variety of other uses such as fro c leaning, to run machinery as a cooling agent, and many other uses. Tap water is way cheaper and has more used than bottle water. Water is a valuable liquid that is generally available at very low prices for most of the world’s population. In the continent of Africa in general water is not readily available for many villages across the African nation. The utility and value of water for a community is tremendous. If water is in a state of scarcity in a region the social political system is destroyed and a chaotic

Issue in Sports Essay Example for Free

Issue in Sports Essay Introduction The element of well-being is a natural concern for the whole of mankind. It involves the maintenance of a balance, within him or her, with his or her fellow being and with the environment. The integral role of the individual’s health however is of extreme importance. The spectator of health care verses medical care. Health care refers to the prevention, remedy and handling of illness and the upholding of mental and physical stature through the services of the allied institutions include social insurance, which is a government undertaking for the underprivileged, injured, aged or even jobless citizenry. A pool of contributions from employers and also government income funds social insurance. Health care also includes medical aid, and is a federal state funded program that avails health care form the needy. Primary health care is the aspect of professional health care availed to the patients or distressed at first contact with the health care system. Medical care or Medicare is an insurance section of health care for the aged, focusing on the age 65 and over, that is funded and managed by the federal system. Whereas medical care is dedicated to serving a given age, health care is a broad section (that also includes medical care). The relationship between Health care, and the roots of our cultural convictions; Cultural convictions, existing as ethical and social values dictate the context within which systems function. Civil values like the special stewardship for safeguarding the sacredness of life and the Hippocratic oath influence health care immensely. The relationship of health care and other society demands creates another set of values i. e.availing consumers their respect, high quality service, provision and good value for money whereas consuming employee safely, fairness and a sensitive system (to their plight) they can be proud of. † Religion; essentially spirituality counts more so in matters of health care. Take the example of the Salvation Army movement on the blood transfusion debate. Some other religions will not allow the grafting of tissue from other individuals other than the patient. Constraining health care outreach to the desired of subject, as doctors and nurses refuse to perform medical procedures due to their personal beliefs. Dr. Saha Somnath in the study of the â€Å"Relevance of Cultural Distance between Patients and Physicians to Racial Disparities in Health care† portends that; â€Å"patients reported better relationship when seeing physicians of their own ethnicity or race. † explains the cultural racial disparities in health care. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY As addressed to the health care forum, in May 1998 by Daniel Yankelovich† Americans have embraced an expanding pluralism of groups, ways of thinking, points of view, subcultures and values. † That as the world changes and newer systems are embraced its necessary that our social values which concurrently impact on the economy and spiritual (belief) beings be on a balance with the health policy we pursue. References 1. Harold G. , A cross cultural Dialogue On Healthcare Ethics, Wilfrid Laurier University Press, 1999, USA. 2. Lee G. , A Cross Cultural Analysis of Values and Political Economy Issues. Greenwood/Praeger 1994, USA. 3. Susan H. , Religions, Culture and Healthcare: A practical handbook for use in Healthcare Enviroments, Radcliffe Publishing, 2006.

Why did the Reformation Matter to Ecclesiology?

Why did the Reformation Matter to Ecclesiology? By Carmel Gittens This presentation is to be delivered to our weekly Youth Group in our village hall. This is a group of young people aged 16-18. They have poor attention and love film especially Star Wars! So; the opening slide is to grab their attention, but there is no attempt to equate Star Wars with the Christian faith. The purpose of the presentation is to help them understand the significance of the Reformation and the impact it had on the Anglican church to which they belong. Also, to help them understand why the reformation is not a relic of the past but that the faith we share is dynamic, constantly reforming, and is as important today as it was then. There is often a misconception, especially amongst young people who have just studied Tudor history in school, that the reformation was all about Henry VIII wanting to divorce and remarry. They erroneously believe that he was responsible for the split of the Protestant movement from the Catholic church in Rome. As far back as the 5th century Augustine in his book The City Of God had declared that Mans commitment wasnt to Rome but to Jesus Christ. However the British monk Pelagius, while reading Augustines autobiography, was struck by this prayer: Grant what Thou commandest, and then command what Thou wilt. In other words, fallen man is utterly dependent upon Gods grace for salvation. No one, for example, can practice the self-control God commands unless God gives him grace to do so. These words made Pelagius uncomfortable. He believed human beings could be saved by their own efforts. This great theological controversy engulfed the church. To refute Pelagianism, Augustine turned to the great Pauline doctrines of grace, such as original sin, fallen mans total depravity and inability to save himself, the efficacy of the atoning death of Christ, and the necessity of faith in Him for salvation. The enormous biblical learning and perseverance of Augustine won the day against Pelagiuss teaching in the church. In the hundreds of years that followed, the Christian faith took many twists and turns, with Rome rising and falling in its domination, and Papal power being established. However the influence of the seventh century figure Pope Gregory who endeavoured to bring the whole world into the Christian faith and succeeded in bringing Kings and Rulers to the church, was weakened by the fact that the type of Christian faith that was produced was very superficial. A kind of faith that the church still struggles with today. The Synod of Whitby 648 was a gathering of bishops preoccupied with the significant issues of the day such as the shape and style of vestments worn by clergy and the date of Easter. This historical example showed how sometimes the church can completely forget its mission. Disagreements over the use of icons during the next century began to split east and west, coming to a great climax in 787 when the Iconoclastic controversy hit the second council of Nicaea. Although the church eventually allowed the use of icons, it was only under the insistence that they were not worshipped but used for instruction only. However, over the years this line again became blurred and images were given an even more important place in public worship. Whilst empires began to crumble, power was shifting towards the church, and this power was often achieved by corrupt means. Educational standards were falling; often the clergy were more ignorant of Gods word than those they were preaching to and standards of spiritual direction fell. The influence of Eastern traditions and beliefs isolated the Western church, and the popes of Rome were now able to take more power, unchallenged as they were by any degree of accountability to a higher power on earth. They began to acquire land and used the revenues from them to dominate the wider church with their corruptions. Many began to recognize the corruption between state and church and this led to disagreement over who should be able to elect clergy, the state or the church? More and more of the higher offices of clergy seeing the need to gain power began to raise funds with which to grow their dynasty and spiritual wellbeing gave way to fundraising and the selling of indulgences. It was in this climate that many began to voice their concerns, and the reformation movement really began to gather momentum. Whilst this is very important to the deeper understanding of the roots of the reformation, for the needs of the target group of my presentation, I have begun in the 14th century with the introduction of Wycliffe and his translation of the bible into English. Whilst a brief introduction that sets the scene is necessary, the amount of preceding information would be too much for the group to take in at one go, and may require a separate session. However, such in-depth detail may only be needed by those wishing to continue studying reformation history, rather than just a basic understanding of where this fits in to the development of the faith of the Anglican church. I decided by way of brief introduction to discuss the discontent with Rome and the political power wielded by the papacy, the use of Latin in both the Catholic Mass and the Bible as a way of controlling the information the populations were given, and the selling of indulgences by the clergy as a supposed way of gaining forgiveness and a sure way to enter heaven. To help the students understand just how early this discontent began, two slides about Wycliffe and Hus have been included, with the link to Luther coming from the slide about Hus prophecy regarding another man 100 years on, who would be proclaiming the same discontent and proposed reforms. Whilst I have maintained a little of the Star Wars theme, I did not wish this to become confused with the focus of the presentation and so after using a little picture to retain their interest I then left this until the last slide to finish the theme. Luther is introduced, with a brief history of his life and how he came to disagree with the traditional Catholic biblical teachings and the corruption of Rome. Then follows an explanation of his 95 theses and the controversy its publication caused. I believe that the importance of the printing press on the spread of the ideals of the reformers should not be underestimated. It is often debated that without it perhaps Luthers influence would not have been so far reaching. The students need to understand this and so the slide regarding this was introduced. The following information regarding the main concerns of Luther has been simplified as much as possible to aid students understanding of a very complex topic which contains a lot of historical information. It is important though that the main facts and chronology are established. Luthers theses that expressed his concerns about certain Church practices largely the sale of indulgences, and his deeper concerns with Church doctrine are explained. And how Luther could not reconcile this practice with his beliefs. When Pope Leo X began allowing indulgences to be sold it was to raise money for the rebuilding of St. Peters Basilica in Rome. Johann Tetzel, a monk began selling them not far from Wittenberg, where Luther was Professor of Theology. Luther could not find any scriptural evidence that this practice was of God. The students are now shown how Martin Luthers personal faith journey evolved from being a devout Catholic to hating the vengeful God he found in the bible. He concluded that no matter how good he tried to be, he could never earn his way to heaven. Luther re-read St. Paul, who wrote The just shall live by faith (Romans 1:17). Luther had a eureka moment and began to understand that those who go to heaven will get there by faith alone not by doing good works. In other words, Gods grace is something freely given to human beings, not something we can earn. This belief was not shared by the Catholic Church. Luther and other reformers also disagreed regarding the transubstantiation of the Eucharist. Luther thereby challenged one of the central sacraments of the Catholic Church, one of its central miracles, and thereby one of the ways that human beings can achieve grace with God, or salvation. Luther was excommunicated by Pope Leo X when he refused to recant his theses and other works at the diet of Worms. There needs to be balance in any teaching session and it is important to look at the churchs response; which was called the Counter-Reformation. The slides include information about the 1545 Council of Trent and its discussions to deal with the issues raised by Luther. This is important as it shows that the Catholic church attempted reconciliation and although many of its former practices and traditions were upheld, there was some attempt to stamp out the corruption that had in many ways led to the reformation. This and the later values of the Oxford movement are discussed. It is only then that the involvement of Henry VIII and his daughter Elizabeth are brought into the session. The influence of religion upon the political world and the wars and persecution that happened then; and is still happening today, are addressed. The Reformation was a very violent period in Europe. Each side, both Catholics and Protestants, were certain that they were in the right. Bibliography Ferguson, Sinclair B.; Beeke, Joel R.; Haykin, Michael A. G.. Church History 101: The Highlights of Twenty Centuries. Reformation Heritage Books. Spencer, Stephen Anglicanism:SCM Studyguide. 1 Jun 2010 Reeves, M and Chester, T: Why the Reformation Still Matters, Inter-Varsity press 2016.