Reformation 101 - The Protestant Reformation in Europe

The Reformation was a split in the Latin Christian church instigated by Luther in 1517 and evolved by many others over the next decade—a campaign which created and introduced a new approach to Christian faith called Protestantism. This split has never been healed and doesnt look likely to, but dont think of the church as divided between older Catholics and new Protestantism, because there is a huge range of Protestant ideas and offshoots. The Pre-Reformation Latin Church In the early 16th century, western and central Europe followed the Latin Church, headed by the pope. While religion permeated the lives of everyone in Europe—even if the poor focused on religion as a way to improve day to day issues and the rich on improving the afterlife—there was widespread dissatisfaction with many aspects of the church: at its bloated bureaucracy, perceived arrogance, avarice, and abuses of power. There was also widespread agreement that the church needed to be reformed, to restore it to a purer and more accurate form. While the church was certainly vulnerable to change, there was little agreement on what should be done. A massively fragmented reform movement, with attempts from the pope at the top to priests at the bottom, was ongoing, but attacks tended to focus on only one aspect at a time, not the whole church, and the local nature led only to local success. Perhaps the main bar to change was the belief that the church still offered the only route to salvation. What was needed for mass change was a theologian/argument which could convince a mass of both people and priests that they did not need the established church to save them, allowing reform to run unchecked by previous loyalties. Martin Luther presented just such a challenge. Luther and the German Reformation In 1517 Luther, a Professor of Theology grew angry at the selling of indulgences and produced 95 theses against them. He sent them privately to friends and opponents and may, as legend has it, have nailed them to a church door, a common method of starting debate. These theses were soon published and the Dominicans, who sold lots of indulgences, called for sanctions against Luther. As the papacy sat in judgment and later condemned him, Luther produced a powerful body of work, falling back on scripture to challenge the existing papal authority and rethinking the nature of the entire church. Luther’s ideas and style of preaching in person soon spread, partly among people who believed in him and partly among people who just liked his opposition to the church. Many clever and gifted preachers across Germany took on the new ideas, teaching and adding to them faster and more successfully than the church could keep up with. Never before had so many clergies switched to a new creed which was so different, and over time they challenged and replaced every major element of the old church. Shortly after Luther, a Swiss preacher called Zwingli produced similar ideas, beginning the related Swiss Reformation. Brief Summary of Reformation Changes Souls were saved without the cycle of penitence and confession (which was now sinful), but by faith, learning, and the grace of God.Scripture was the sole authority, to be taught in the vernacular (the local languages of the poor).A new church structure: a community of believers, focused around a preacher, needing no central hierarchy.The two sacraments mentioned in the scriptures were kept, albeit altered, but the other five were downgraded. In short, the elaborate, costly, organized church with often absent priests was replaced by austere prayer, worship, and local preaching, striking a chord with laypeople and theologians like. Reformed Churches Form The reformation movement was adopted by laypeople and powers, merging with their political and social aspirations to produce sweeping changes on everything from the personal level—people converting—to the highest reaches of government, where towns, provinces, and whole kingdoms officially and centrally introduced the new church. Government action was needed as the reformed churches had no central authority to disband the old church and instill the new order. The process was haphazard—with much regional variation—and carried out over decades. Historians still debate the reasons why people, and the governments who reacted to their wishes, took up the ‘Protestant’ cause (as the reformers became known), but a combination is likely, involving seizing land and power from the old church, genuine belief in the new message, ‘flattery’ by laypeople at being involved in religious debate for the first time and in their language, deflecting dissent onto the church, and freedom from old church restrictions. The Reformation did not occur bloodlessly. There was military conflict in the Empire before a settlement allowing old church and Protestant worship was passed, while France was riven by the ‘Wars of Religion,’ killing tens of thousands. Even in England, where a Protestant church was established, both sides were persecuted as the old church Queen Mary ruled in between Protestant monarchs. The Reformers Argue The consensus which led to theologians and laity forming reformed churches soon broke down as differences between all parties emerged, some reformers growing ever more extreme and apart from society (such as Anabaptists), leading to their persecution, to the political side developing away from theology and onto defending the new order. As ideas of what a reformed church should be evolved, so they clashed with what rulers wanted and with each other: the mass of reformers all producing their own ideas led to a range of different creeds which often contradicted each other, causing more conflict. One of these was Calvinism, a different interpretation of Protestant thought to that of Luther, which replaced the ‘old’ thinking in many places in the middle to late sixteenth century. This has been dubbed the ‘Second Reformation. Aftermath Despite the wishes and actions of some old church governments and the pope, Protestantism established itself permanently in Europe. People were affected at both a deeply personal, and spiritual level, finding a new faith, as well as the socio-political one, as an entirely new layer division was added to the established order. The consequences, and troubles, of the Reformation remain to this day.

Beowulf and Siegfried - 1462 Words

The only similarity between Beowulf and Siegfried is the letter e—that is until you actually start reading the stories. Within the early moments of Beowulf and the Nibelungenlied significant amounts of correlations steadfastly intertwined a web of parallelism between the two heroic characters. Both glory-seeking and nigh invincible warriors from noble origins, the two warriors blasted through adversities in pursuit of their ultimate goals. While both eventually fulfilled their desires, Siegfried’s satisfaction was cut short by an untimely death. Although Beowulf also eventually met his end whilst in combat with a dragon, evidence suggests that this played well into Beowulf’s plans and as such only Siegfried truly met a downfall. The†¦show more content†¦Likewise, upon Beowulf’s arrival at Hrothgar’s hall he was immediately recognized as well. King Hrothgar remarked on Beowulf’s legendary reputation claiming that â€Å"[Beowulf] has thirty men’s heft of grasp in the gripe of his hand, the bold-in-battle.† (325-326) The two men have plenty in common, at least physically: overwhelming strength that is enough to overpower dozens of powerful warriors. Even more than a pure physical resemblance, both Siegfried and Beowulf had reputations that preceded them. Hagen and Hrothgar recounted stories of Siegfried and Beowulf’s conquests respectively, portraying them as valiant knights stopping at nothing to achieve success. Shortly after these initial introductions, the stories of fame begin to accelerate, and numerous similarities continue to appear. Beowulf journeyed to Heorot seeking glory by helping Hrothgar defeat the dreaded Grendel. He pledged his loyalties to Hrothgar and promised to fight off the demon to protect Hrothgar’s people. â€Å"To thy lord and liege in loyal mood we hasten hither, to Healfdene’s son, people-protector: be pleased to advise us!† â€Å"Siegmund’s son yearned to [Kriemhild] with true love. And [Siegfried and his] fearless band [of knights] drew towards Worms on the Rhine†¦ as Siegfried the hero and his following rode into Gunther’s country to the court† Similarly, Siegfried traveled to a foreign land toShow MoreRelatedSiegfried vs Beowulf Essay examples1635 Words   |  7 Pagesheroes, Beowulf and Siegfried, who differ wildly in character and temperament. Siegfried desires to establish and preserve relationships while Beowulf is out for his own glory. Though Siegfried’s modification of the definition ultimately exposes him to betrayal, his inclination to create and sustain relationships aids in solidifying his immortality on earth post-death. At first glance, the two characters presented in Beowulf and The Nibelungenlied share similar qualities of a hero: both Beowulf andRead MoreComparison Of Nibelungenlied Savagery And Good Manners1309 Words   |  6 Pagesstrategical advantage. When Siegfried first ventures to Burgundy, he immediately rushes into kingdom and challenges king Gunther. Instead of participating in war, Gunther decides that appeasing Siegfried and making an ally of him would be significantly more productive than battling him and risk losing the lives of many of his men. Gunther appeases Siegfried by being well-mannered and gracious towards him. Gunther offered â€Å"The best possible quarters†¦for Siegfried’s squires†¦Siegfried was a most welcome guestRead MoreEssay on Heroes of Celtic and Germanic Mythology3702 Words   |  15 Pagesheroes of Beowulf, the Nibelungenlied, and the Tain Bo Cuailnge. Some of the most striking of these parallels are: the noble and divine lineage of the he ro; the hero’s increased endurance and his exceptional combat abilities (including the use of powerful weapons and berserker behavior); the hero’s ability to attain victory against seemingly insurmountable odds or indestructible creatures; and the ritual practices of the taking of heads and the giving of rings. The epic poem Beowulf may be consideredRead MoreBeowulf Monster Vs Hero Essay1557 Words   |  7 Pagesheroic, does that cancel out their villainy? And vice versa? While Beowulf exhibits a multitude of heroic attributes, his undermining beast like qualities are hard to miss, and essentially pose the question to the reader: What is the relationship between monster and hero, and is there an overlap? The epic Beowulf blurs the lines between what it means to be a hero and villain through the manifestation of an â€Å"evil twin† story between Beowulf and Grendel. Word choice plays a large role in regards to howRead MoreSophocles Oedipus Rex: The Epic and Tragic Hero in Myth and Culture2021 Words   |  8 Pagesintentions, dedication and pursuit of noble ideas, the personal cost often becomes so great that tragedy ensues. However, it is just this struggle that causes the tragic hero to appeal to a modern audience. After all, try as we might, we are not all Siegfried, Beowulf, or Achilles. In fact, it is through the flaws that we can often most identify in our own struggle to use these archetypal stories. Certainly, the oedipal myth has formed numerous permutations in culture and psychology that are common termsRead MoreLiterary Group in British Poetry5631 Words   |  23 Pagespoetry The first page of Beowulf The earliest known English poem is a hymn on the creation; Bede attributes this to Cà ¦dmon (fl. 658–680), who was, according to legend, an illiterate herdsman who produced extemporaneous poetry at a monastery at Whitby.[1] This is generally taken as marking the beginning of Anglo-Saxon poetry. Much of the poetry of the period is difficult to date, or even to arrange chronologically; for example, estimates for the date of the great epic Beowulf range from AD 608 rightRead MoreThe Origin Of The Dragon2970 Words   |  12 Pageshero who has to â€Å"slay† the dragon (Unerman 94). In many works this is by the knight in shining armor or the wizard who must avoid its fiery blast. By the Middle Ages, dragons slaying had become an accepted occupation and saw such heroes like Siegfried, Beowulf, King Arthur, and King Lodbrok of Denmark according to Livo (Livo 567-68). American authors will usually present a dragon as not too intellectual but likeable, thereby giving young readers a sense of superiority over the dragon (Petersen 4)

Legal Pressure on Ethical Issues for Galleon Group- myassignmenthelp

Question: Evaluate the implications of the legal pressure for ethical behavior in organizations. Answer: Due to the legal pressure upon the organizational framework, the organization projected it was working within the ethical framework to its stakeholders, but in turn, the Galleon Group was projecting false pictures. It was during its investors, shareholders and the various stakeholders. The company Galleon group came into the wrong spotlight when it was doing insider trading which as per the U.S. SEC 1934 act is considered as fraudulent and misconduct. The company management was involved in such activities. The Raj Rajaratnam who attracted various investors such as the Goldman Sach, ING etc were cheating by acting on their information. Ethics has everything to do because of management. It is a decision to be taken by the individual from their concessions (Ferrell). The main idea, behind implementing the ethical framework with the legal components is a pressure to bear responsibility and accountability due to other peoples wrongdoing. For example, recently the Galleon Group which was t he largest hedge fund, was caught in the insider trading. The stakeholders and the investors were duped. The company was sued along with the management as it had a series of non-public information which was gained by the contacts. Such piece of information was timely acted, due to which the company was able to thrive. He used to provide consultation based on the materialistic and nonpublic information received. The SEC charged 14 counts of securities fraud and taking steps in the conspiracy along with its investors. The employees didnt realize while conducting the fraud, that it will have a serious repercussion effects on the company, community and the various stakeholders due to which the company has grown. The employes and the various stakeholders had to bear the brunt of the management unethical nature. There was a scandal due to the unethical nature of the management. The management has indeed compromised with their consciousness. But in conducting frauds, they didn't evaluate t he legal pressure and consequences. Due to the legal framework of the constitution where the company existed, it got shut and management was put behind the bars. They fined and given a huge penalty. All these legal actions proved detrimental for more companies to create similar fraud. Therefore, a legal pressure has implications on the ethical nature of the organization to exist and grow. The legal framework works in the protection, exposing and make the organization avoid any illegal acts. The laws protect the interests of the investors and the stakeholders. To make sure a clear communication is established, there should be a strict chain of command, strong work culture, and individual identities and there should be ambitious priorities. The organization should have a moral quality circle and the ethics advocates who can make the ethical framework to avoid any legal implications co-exist. It has been seen that the unethical business practices involve the tacit, cooperation and a reflection, values, attribution and the predefined behavioral patterns which can make the organization ethical operating culture (Huhtala). Often the organization that constitutes the poor and the failed leadership constitute the major part of the corporate misdeeds. The leaders must contribute significantly; by acting fairly and unbiasedly creating examples t make sure that the ethical framework of the organization is maintained. This strengthens the ethical framework and avoids any legal pitfalls and consequences. The executives ignore the ethical implications and work as per their on risk f personal and corporate liability makes the organization accountable for the wrongdoing. The fine and penalties based on the unlawful conduct are deemed for the organization as well, as because of their environment the executives took such steps. An organization is encouraged to have a tough ethical and c ompliance framework for the people to co-exist without breaching any lawful conduct (Roeck). Conclusion The Galleon group organization was the biggest fraud due to which, twenty-six people were charged with fraud and conspiracy. Had the Galleon Group worked within the ethical and legal framework, it would not have fallen into the trap. The Galleon group managementbreached numerous protocols and did corporate misconducts, which lead organizations to suffer heavy penalties and fines(Culiberg). The Galleon organization had a failed leadership and the mismanagement; which eventually lead to serious consequences on the organization reputation and the executives. If the Galleon organization would have avoided the use of non-public information and would not have entered into the insider trading, it would have been an advantage for the company to thrive and gain respect from the investors. The management tried to earn millions through the non-public information that it had. The organization never worked on the basis of the ethics and the compliance framework. Due to the series of frauds, which lead to the close out of all operations of the company, the investors withdrew their entire money. It greatly affected the financial status of the company and crashed the stock prices. Any misconduct or unlawful act of mismanagement is deemed impropriate should be fined and penalized to stop; else, it would have legal consequences and can lead to a shutdown. The Galleon group was using wiretaps and by convicting the twenty-six, it will deter the future breach of misconduct(Caroll). In connection, Rajat Gupta, who also earned on account of the insider trading conducting fraud along with Rajaratnam, was convicted and charged. It is evident, that the management can cheat and dupe various investors unethically by choosing the alternative paths, but in the end, the law would be able to trace them and they have the severe repercussion effects. Unlawful insider trading and conducting white collar crimes through various means, such as the wiretap, is purely acting out of the conscious. Th e conscious to cheat and dupe investors to gain undue benefits from it but it certainly cannot evade from the eyes of the legal consequences. By convicting the Galleon management and Rajat Gupta of the insider trading, the legal framework has set as an example and has helped in deterring the legal consequences. References Bucholtz, C., and A. B. Carroll. "Business and society: ethics and stakeholder management."Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning(2012). Culiberg, Barbara, and Katarina Katja Miheli?. "Three ethical frames of reference: insights into Millennials' ethical judgments and intentions in the workplace." Business Ethics: A European Review25.1 (2016): 94-111. De Roeck, Kenneth, et al. "Understanding employees' responses to corporate social responsibility: mediating roles of overall justice and organizational identification." The International Journal of Human Resource Management25.1 (2014): 91-112. Dibie, Robert A., and Josephine Dibie. "Theories 2 of Business and Government Relations."Business and Government Relations in Africa(2017): 40. Huhtala, Mari, et al. "Ethical organizational culture as a context for managers' personal work goals." Journal of Business Ethics114.2 (2013): 265-282.