S/P/306. "The key to happiness is to have as few desires as possible". Discuss

The paper examines the understanding of happiness in the historical and philosophical context ranging from Greek philosophers to modern religious leaders, with the focus on Epicurus, Plato, and John Stuart Mill, discussing why mankind is not universally happy.

S/P/307. Is Hinduism Monotheistic or Polytheistic?

The paper examines whether Hinduism can be considered a Pantheistic religion with the belief in the absolute God along with the belief in the images of Hindu deities. Hindu understanding of Brahman and Avataras is explored describing the beliefs in Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva as the three main deities and manifestations of Brahman, and the myths about Hindu gods and goddesses.

S/LI/228. Why was the New Testament Written? What factors led to the formation of the New Testament writings, and what functions did individual writings (or parts thereof) perform in Christian communities?

The paper examines the origins of the New Testament seeking to investigate why and when it was written, the role of the Apostles, the relation of the New Testament to the Old Testament Law, the formation of the Church tradition, etc.

C/P/74. What is the spiritual significance of the land of Canaan?

This assignment focuses on the concept of understanding the significance of the land of Canaan, examining its roots in Jewish history, culture and community.

S/P/178. 'God himself has only been his own simulacrum' (NATC, 1735). Elaborate on Baudrillard's position with reference to Rushdie's short story 'The Prophet's Hair'.

The paper examines the concept of simulacrum deliberating on the difference between a simulation of the real and a representation of the real and approaching this problem from the perspective of Jean Baudrillard's theory and the ideas of Salman Rushdie related to the 'signs of God'.

C/P/61. Israel - religion and national self determination

This essay takes a considerable look at the connection between religion and national self determination in Israel. This entails considering how religious issues affect the way Israel is governed and organised. It notes that Israel is unusual amongst democracies in having a specifically religious origin. Then considers how this operates in practice amongst the diverse mixtures of different types of Jews within Israel itself.

S/P/163. In what ways is religion important today?

The paper offers a review of opinions about the relevance of religion in the modern world discussing religious movements, social and economic aspects of religion, the concept of Civil religion, etc.

S/P/162. How far have the spiritualities covered in Belief beyond boundaries "been constructed to meet a range of contemporary needs" (Meek, 2002, p274)?

The paper reviews the ideas expressed in Belief beyond boundaries focusing on modern approaches to Neo-Paganism and Celtic Spirituality, and analysing the roots of converting to Paganism, the surge of interest in Celtic Spirituality during the 1980s, the growing disillusionment with traditional churches, etc.

S/P/229. Philosophical Debate on Suicide

The paper argues whether or not it is acceptable for a person to take their own lives; the problem is considered from the perspective of the free will approach and the religious approach. Definitions of suicide are reviewed reflecting on the concepts of egoism, self-interest, divine rule and virtue ethics.

S/S/107. Abortion: Catholic Church's belief vs. Government's belief

The paper addresses the problem of abortion arguing whether it should be legalized. The ways of ending pregnancy are described presenting abortion as an immoral act and a sin against the Fifth Commandment.

S/P/201. Hinduism

The paper examines the political and religious features of Hinduism discussing the concepts of karma, yoga, spiritual awareness, tantras, etc.

S/P/195. History of Canon Law

The paper analyses Canon law also known as 'ecclesiastical law' of the Christian organization offering an insight into its history and examining the evolution of the office of Bishop, the origin of the Christian writings, the development of Councils, the relationship between the papacy, the emperor, and canon law, etc.

S/P/164. Compare and contrast the development of Evangelical / Pentecostal Christianity

The paper examines the history and development of Evangelicalism describing the revival of the Evangelical movement in the UK and the USA, the rise of Pentecostalism in Latin America, etc.

S/P/161. How and why has modernisation been associated with both secularisation and increased levels of religiosity?

The paper examines the factors behind the decrease of religiosity known as secularisation and the implications of religions' spread around the world due to globalisation. Changes in the structure of societies are discussed with reference to scholars' opinions about social differentiation, the decline in church life, the increase in converts to Paganism, the influence of Islam, etc.

S/P/166. Why, according to secularization theory, do modernity and secularization "go hand in hand"? What does the evidence from this extract, suggest about the relationship between them?

The paper reviews the main ideas of secularization theory (ST) arguing whether religion is undermined by the process of modernization. Criticism of ST is cited discussing the role of religion in modern Eastern and Western society.

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