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Free SOR Essay Marking!
jamonwindeyer:
--- Quote from: mjorfian on May 09, 2017, 12:54:41 pm ---Hiya! It's me again. Would you guys mind giving me a bit of advice on how to answer this essay question? I'm not quite sure what it's asking for. I understand I have to address sacred writings, but would I have to bring in bioethics in it as well? How would you go about structuring it? Last time, my essay feedback from my teachers were that I didn't quite address jewish beliefs as the overarching argument, and that I would pretty much have to do it for every essay but I'm still lost on how to link it seemlessly. Here's the question:
“Sacred writings draw on the wisdom of the past even as they give voice to the issues and concerns of the present.” (Anon.)
Explain how Judaism draws on the wisdom of the past to guide the lives of adherents today.
--- End quote ---
Hey! ;D I don't think there is a set right/wrong way to approach this question, definitely many ways to tackle the structure and arguments!
I think Bioethics is the most natural choice. So, your argument would be how principles of Jewish ethics (particularly those with grounds in sacred texts) guide the adherents response to bioethical issues (EG - abortion). How are principles applied to issues?
If you wanted to incorporate beliefs, you would explore how the ethical principles are reflective of the key beliefs of Judaism. You'd probably structure your paragraphs in this way - So one paragraph per belief, going "This is the belief, these are the principles that reflect this belief, and this is how they are applied to guide the adherent in responding to bioethical issues." Rinse and repeat :) this is a tough structure but it can work incredibly well if done correctly!
I go into more detail here if you fancy a 5 minute read! :)
mjorfian:
--- Quote from: jamonwindeyer on May 09, 2017, 01:54:33 pm ---Hey! ;D I don't think there is a set right/wrong way to approach this question, definitely many ways to tackle the structure and arguments!
I think Bioethics is the most natural choice. So, your argument would be how principles of Jewish ethics (particularly those with grounds in sacred texts) guide the adherents response to bioethical issues (EG - abortion). How are principles applied to issues?
If you wanted to incorporate beliefs, you would explore how the ethical principles are reflective of the key beliefs of Judaism. You'd probably structure your paragraphs in this way - So one paragraph per belief, going "This is the belief, these are the principles that reflect this belief, and this is how they are applied to guide the adherent in responding to bioethical issues." Rinse and repeat :) this is a tough structure but it can work incredibly well if done correctly!
I go into more detail here if you fancy a 5 minute read! :)
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Oh okay!! I just haven't quite figured out the flexibility of SOR essays just yet so I was a bit sceptical with my perspective on it!. So thank you Jamon, I'll give that a go :)
Snew:
Hope its ok just to post an introduction ;D thanks legends.
How do the ethical teachings of Christianity guide adherents to live lives that are not selfish, but that are based on God’s wisdom? In your response, refer to bioethics
The ethical teachings of the Christian tradition guide adherents in living selflessly, and centre all aspects of living on the wisdom of Christ. These ethical teachings are drawn from sources of authority in the tradition, and can then be applied to contemporary issues of contention, such as bioethical issues. Bioethics incorporates the medical, scientific and theological aspects of actions related to the beginning and ending of life, and Christian adherents seek to consciously address what is taught in the Christian tradition in order to fulfill their beliefs. Thus, a Christian’s response enables them to continue living a life based on the wisdom of God, in accordance with the ethical teachings of the tradition.
really struggled with beefing this out! I'm finding it hard to write just an essay on just ethics :o
jamonwindeyer:
--- Quote from: Snew on May 11, 2017, 10:14:28 pm ---Hope its ok just to post an introduction ;D thanks legends.
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Hey Snew! Sorry mate, this totally flew under the radar, but definitely okay to post an intro! (doesn't count towards post requirement obvs)
SpoilerHow do the ethical teachings of Christianity guide adherents to live lives that are not selfish, but that are based on God’s wisdom? In your response, refer to bioethics
The ethical teachings of the Christian tradition guide adherents in living selflessly, and centre all aspects of living on the wisdom of Christ. How? This is basically a restatement of the question - Which is good, but not the most sophisticated approach. These ethical teachings are drawn from sources of authority in the tradition, and can then be applied to contemporary issues of contention, such as bioethical issues. Nice link/segueway into the specific area you will deal with. Bioethics incorporates the medical, scientific and theological aspects of actions related to the beginning and ending of life, and Christian adherents seek to consciously address what is taught in the Christian tradition in order to fulfill their beliefs. How? This seems a little vague. Thus, a Christian’s response enables them to continue living a life based on the wisdom of God, in accordance with the ethical teachings of the tradition.
I think this intro does the job, but a few things to consider:
How exactly do the ethical teachings guide adherents? You've said they do, and you've argued they are applied to contemporary bioethical issues, but I'm not quite getting HOW they guide the adherent to address these issues. I always found the easiest way to argue this is beliefs - Ethical teachings guide the adherent in APPLYING THEIR BELIEFS to the bioethical issues. All Christian ethical principles are based on beliefs in some way, shape or form - The teachings are then the guidelines of how to apply these beliefs and principles to real situations. This could be a thread for your essay structure too - Basing your paragraphs around the different beliefs :) I wrote a guide on this structure if you'd like a read!
You could also include the idea of dynamic/living religious tradition - That the application of principles to contemporary bioethical issues allows the beliefs/principles of the tradition to remain relevant!
I just think the Intro right now is very much just giving the question right back to the marker, without too much further development or evaluation. Including some of the ideas above will elevate it a little more, and may give you a stronger argument throughout the response too! :)
mjorfian:
Hey, I'm back! Hope it's okay for you to have a look at this intro for me. Thanks!
Assess the contributions of ONE significant person (other than Abraham and Moses) to the development and expression of Jewish beliefs and practices.
The prophet Isaiah has had a significant impact on the development and expression of Jewish beliefs and practices both in his time and centuries through the contemporary society. He was a prophet from Judah who began his ministry in 740 BC during the turbulent period of Assyrian expansion and the subsequent decline of Israel in the north. Known for his long ministry, Isaiah achieved the considerable status of ‘the prince of the prophets’ through his many significant contributions to the development and expression of Jewish beliefs and practices. Some of which are his oracles of the messiah, his warnings about punishment and salvation, his role as a political leader, and his passionate advocacy for social justice. Thus, it can be seen his contributions were undeniably significant to the development and expression of Jewish beliefs and practices.
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