Saturday, November 2, 2019

Ethical and moral dilemmas in regards Ebola Research Paper

Ethical and moral dilemmas in regards Ebola - Research Paper Example Here in this study ethical and moral dilemmas of the disease around the world will be analysed. The study will include research question or objective, methodology and findings and analysis. Research question is significantly important and an integral part of any research paper. Research question helps the researcher to build a whole research report. It poses lots of questions that other people care about. According to Bordage and Dawson, research question is one of the most important components of any research paper. It provides a clear picture about the research topic. Research question guides the research outcome. Without the help of research question a research paper cannot find the proper direction. Here in this case the research question is whether the world is facing ethical and moral dilemmas related with Ebola. According to Enemark & Selgelid, (2012), ethical and moral dilemmas are quite evident in the cases of various infectious diseases. They have stated that ethical and moral dilemmas are not new factors as far as the infectious diseases are concerned. It is an age old issue that the global fraternity is facing since long. The authors have categorically stated that nurses and doctors are also human being. They have the equal chances of being impacted by the infectious diseases. But on the other hand healing patients is the fundamental objective for the doctors and nurses. So there is a huge scope of ethical and moral dilemmas. According to them these kinds of ethical and moral dilemmas are common and automatic in nature. There is nothing astonishing into it. It is often being noticed that patients affected by the infectious diseases are generally being kept at the isolation chambers where entry and exists are restricted. The authors have stated that doctors and nurses take extra precaut ions before entering into those isolation chambers. But still there remains a sense of moral and ethical dilemma. Doctors and nurses feel

Thursday, October 31, 2019

20th century arts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

20th century arts - Essay Example Both in quantity and quality, Picasso’s art – paintings, sculptures, etchings and ceramics – were revolutionary, introducing innovations and breaking established traditions in art. (Walther 2000, p. 7) For instance, it was he who founded cubism in art. It is for these reasons why Picasso became a tremendous influence in the subsequent generation of artists in various visual media in the modern time. The Beatles is often described as the most astonishing thing to happen in the world’s rock ‘n’ roll. Perhaps this is true with the hysteria this band bank elicited from its fans and with its defining role in the contemporary music industry. Also, their recording innovations and showmanship transformed the music scene into emotionally intense, media event. According to Wiley Lee Umphlett (2006), their influence â€Å"was strong enough to direct music toward a future of varied stylistic interpretations, as seen in the wave of other innovative†¦ groups that appeared, each striving to be more audacious than the others.† (p. 113) Just like The Beatles, succeeding performers would henceforth capitalize on the fruits of recording experimentations and in promotional gimmickry of antifashion or flamboyant dress that transformed the way the audience and the fans embraced music. In the history of world cinema – of what became of it, its far-reaching influence on the masses and society as a whole – it was Marlon Brando’s legacy that is mostly evident. He infused a new vitality to the theater, film and the entertainment industry. Starting from his starring role in the play, A Streetcar Named Desire, Marlon Brando went to represent our period’s portrait of the mass man – in effect changing our attitude and standards towards film, performance and entertainment. As with The Beatles, he epitomized the rebel icon which helped define not just the American but the world’s pop culture. (Marshall and Stilwell, p. 86) No other

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

An Introduction to the Cold War Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

An Introduction to the Cold War - Assignment Example Countries in Western Europe also had some really dangerous weapons, these weapons included long-range missiles, bombs, guns so on and so forth. The countries did not want to take any risk as they were all recovering from the damage caused by the Second World War and another war at that time would have literary wiped them off the map. To conclude it is very fair to say that the countries were afraid of each other because they had some really dangerous weapons which were already used in the Second World War, United States, for instance, had Atom Bombs which caused damage beyond repair in Japan. The world got divided into several different parts after the World Wars; these World Wars caused damage beyond repair. Cold war began after the end of the Second World War, the Second World War ended in the year 1945, The US and the Soviet Union were the ones directly involved in the cold war. The cold war was a situation in which countries did not fight directly; instead, they choose to fight indirectly with each other. â€Å"Do note that USSR in 1945 was Russia post-1917 and included all the various countries that now exist individually (Ukraine, Georgia etc) but after the war, they were part of this huge country up until the collapse of the Soviet Union (the other name for the USSR).† (What was the Cold War?) The US and the Soviet Union were the strongest countries once the Second World War ended and both wanted to dominate each other. To match each other stride for stride they started fighting indirectly. This indirect war had several repercussions upon the other countries and it also affected the US and the Soviet Union. Weapons weren’t used in this cold war, words were used as weapons and the main enemies involved in this war consistently tried to make each other look foolish. The leaders involved in the cold war consistently kept changing but the war still continued, this goes to show the desire to dominate each other and most of the wars occur because of this domination of one country over another.  Ã‚  

Sunday, October 27, 2019

The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka | Analysis

The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka | Analysis The Metamorphosis written by a German man by the name of Franz Kafka is a prime example of a modernist story. The writing takes on many different aspects of the modern era, with topics on psychoanalysis; breaking down the components of Gregors thoughts, physics, and it also has some what of a political issue on what is the modern world. Gregor Samsas dilemma unfolds very abruptly. The first sentence of the story tells you that he had been changed into a monstrous verminous bug. The breakdown and psychoanalysis of Gregors realization that he is now a bug is very strange in the fact that he almost doesnt seem to think it is much of an issue. When he awakes to find himself in the form of a giant insect he wonders Whats happened to me but then his attention is drifted to the picture on the wall and from that to the loud audible rain coming from outside. At this point in his dilemma you would think that his mind would be full of insanity, but not Gregor Samsa he thinks of it as all foolishness and even considers going back to sleep. In going back to sleep Gregors problem isnt the horrid fact that hes now a bug it is instead that in this bug form it is hard for him to sleep on his side, which is the side that he is comfortable with. The dynamics of physics is added to the book in describing his now bug body. It describes his armor-hard back, his arched abdomen that is now divided into bow-like sections. It also goes on to tell about his many leg and how they compare to his massive bug body. All the descriptions give a vivid imagery of the physics of a horrid insect. In a modern world of money and politics where there is a breadwinner of the household Gregor realizes that he has missed his train making getting to work improbable. His income is the means by which the household stays a household. In the apartment with Gregor is his younger sister Grete, his father and his sick mother of which their names are not announced. In this political world Gregor Samsa is basically forced to work a job he hates at a business he hates even more with a terrible boss. After the collapse of Gregors fathers business Gregor had to take up the responsibility of paying off his fathers debts to his boss. Gregors father is very upset with the fact that he doesnt work and feels ashamed for not being the provider as he feels the father should be. Once the realization that Gregor as a giant insect can hardly have or hold down a job sets in the father again gets to step back into the lime light as the breadwinner and provider. Gregor begins to become useless to his family in his present form. The psychological effect that Gregor has on his family is one of fear and disgust. His younger sister Grete tries to help at first by feeding him everyday and showing sympathy but after a while it just become too much for Grete to handle. Gregors appearance does not help with his mothers health and this sometimes excites fits of violence in his father. In one instance his father become irate and pelts Gregor with fruit injuring and making it hard for him to walk. Grete and Gregors fathers feelings over the effect that Gregors mother, her only son that is now an insect is making her health worse and worse and leaves Grete and her father to resent Gregor. As days go on and pass he is more and more separated and isolated from his family because of what he has become. Sometimes the family would leave his door ajar to make it seem like he was closer and in some way in the other room with them. After the wounds given to Gregor by his father the family begins to neglect him. The family takes in three loggers and use the room Gregor is in as a storage space adding insult to injury as if he wasnt there and was already gone. Gregor stays in his room in crippling pain wasting away day by day wishing he had some way to express the feeling and emotions of being a bug and the things like how he wants to encourage his younger sister Gretes violin talents. Later in the story even more of his human interests coincide with the giant bug of a man that he has become. When the rhythm of the music being played on a violin in the parlor by Grete he becomes very excited. The music coming from the parlor sways him from his room and he cannot help but to dance his way into the parlor. When the loggers catch site of him the family cannot handle it any longer and in that is the breaking point for the family. After the incident in the parlor Grete conveys to the rest of the family that there is no longer a Gregor but now just an insect. She suggests that they give up on the i dea of Gregor ever being human again and with remorse they all agree. Later that night abandoned Gregor creeps back into his room where he dies with the mind of a human and the physical body of a disgusting insect. The book The Metamorphosis is a classic modernist/postmodernist story with examples found in all aspects of the genera and era. Conveying topics such as the mind of a man who to no ones reasoning wakes up as a bug, and the analysis of his psyche. Along with the modern world and its problems with debts, and the politics behind them. German man Franz Kafka was able to link the world of modernism/postmodernism as examples from the book being of psychoanalysis, physics, and politics through the life and death of a bug-man.

Friday, October 25, 2019

Living Machines, Constructed Wetlands and Sustainable Water Resources E

Living Machines, Constructed Wetlands and Sustainable Water Resources Thesis: Conventional waste treatment plants, Living Machines and constructed wetlands can all be used for water purification, but only living machines and constructed wetlands will provide the human race with a sustainable future. Introduction Our liquid planet glows like a soft blue sapphire in the hard edged darkness of space. There is nothing else like it in the solar system. It is because of water (Miller 311). - John Todd Water is the most important resource on the planet. Absolutely no life could exist with out the presence of water. Humans use water to cook, clean, bathe and drink. However it seems that humans as a race have extremely little respect for this resource. Humans continually pollute and damage the health of our aquatic ecosystems using irresponsible agricultural practices and improper disposal of our wastes. These issues must be examined because the way humans interact with the earth have strong moral and ethical implications. As the scarcity of potable water continues to increase the value of water will continue to rise. In many places throughout the world clean water sources cause mass immigration and emigration of people so adequate water resources can be accessed (Homer 73). This causes large-scale political and ethnic upheaval. In the future water shortages have the potential for invoking war between ethnic groups as well as nations. It is the best interest of the human race to pres erve and restore the health of our aquatic ecosystems since they have such large implications for human societies and cultures. One of the major sources of water pollution throughout the world is human sewage. Understanding how to properly dea... ...tific America, February, 1993. Kerezman, Jim. Personal Interview. Assistant Superintendent Goshen Utilities, 9-28-99. Lerner, Steve. Eco-Pioneers. Cambridge: MIT Press, 1998. Lyle, John Tillman. Regenerative Design for Sustainable Development. New York: John Wiley & Sons INC. 1994. Miller, G. Tyler. Living in the Environment: Principles, Connections, and Solutions. Pacific Grove: Brooks/Cole Publishing Company, 2000. Schueler, Thomas. Design of Stormwater Wetland Systems: Guidelines for Creating Diverse and Effective Storm water Wetland in the mid-Atlantic Region. Washington D. C.: Anacostia Restoration Team, 1992. Todd, John and Jack Todd, Nancy. From Eco-Cities to Living Machines: Principles of Ecological Design. Berkeley: North Atlantic Books, 1994. Umble, Art. Concepts of Treatment of Municipal Wastewaters. Elkhart: City Press, 1999. Living Machines, Constructed Wetlands and Sustainable Water Resources E Living Machines, Constructed Wetlands and Sustainable Water Resources Thesis: Conventional waste treatment plants, Living Machines and constructed wetlands can all be used for water purification, but only living machines and constructed wetlands will provide the human race with a sustainable future. Introduction Our liquid planet glows like a soft blue sapphire in the hard edged darkness of space. There is nothing else like it in the solar system. It is because of water (Miller 311). - John Todd Water is the most important resource on the planet. Absolutely no life could exist with out the presence of water. Humans use water to cook, clean, bathe and drink. However it seems that humans as a race have extremely little respect for this resource. Humans continually pollute and damage the health of our aquatic ecosystems using irresponsible agricultural practices and improper disposal of our wastes. These issues must be examined because the way humans interact with the earth have strong moral and ethical implications. As the scarcity of potable water continues to increase the value of water will continue to rise. In many places throughout the world clean water sources cause mass immigration and emigration of people so adequate water resources can be accessed (Homer 73). This causes large-scale political and ethnic upheaval. In the future water shortages have the potential for invoking war between ethnic groups as well as nations. It is the best interest of the human race to pres erve and restore the health of our aquatic ecosystems since they have such large implications for human societies and cultures. One of the major sources of water pollution throughout the world is human sewage. Understanding how to properly dea... ...tific America, February, 1993. Kerezman, Jim. Personal Interview. Assistant Superintendent Goshen Utilities, 9-28-99. Lerner, Steve. Eco-Pioneers. Cambridge: MIT Press, 1998. Lyle, John Tillman. Regenerative Design for Sustainable Development. New York: John Wiley & Sons INC. 1994. Miller, G. Tyler. Living in the Environment: Principles, Connections, and Solutions. Pacific Grove: Brooks/Cole Publishing Company, 2000. Schueler, Thomas. Design of Stormwater Wetland Systems: Guidelines for Creating Diverse and Effective Storm water Wetland in the mid-Atlantic Region. Washington D. C.: Anacostia Restoration Team, 1992. Todd, John and Jack Todd, Nancy. From Eco-Cities to Living Machines: Principles of Ecological Design. Berkeley: North Atlantic Books, 1994. Umble, Art. Concepts of Treatment of Municipal Wastewaters. Elkhart: City Press, 1999.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Living Together

People all over the U. S struggle in deciding whether they should or should not move in together before marriage. I believe that especially young people moving in together before marriage cannot be helpful because they become unsatisfied with marriage; they can have a higher risk of divorce, and they can also have frequent arguments and disagreements. People can become unsatisfied with marriage because they are living together before marriage. Living together seems reasonable, but then marriage does not seem like it is anything special or anything that needs to happen.They become satisfied with what they share and compromise themselves to what they are already sharing. Marriage may not seem like a significant thing it may seem like an ordinary thing. In reality marriage is a very important and significant thing and it is something that should viewed as something special and not just seemed as something that does not matter. Moving in with someone is a very important commitment that i s being made with one another and should be very a well-thought decision to make.Unmarried people that move in together run a higher risk of divorce, because they have experienced what it is to be living with one another without commitments and actually knowing what it is to have an actual stable home. Unmarried people living together have different expectations of what it is to live together, such as: doing whatever they want and their stuff belongs to them, rather than in a marriage it is a thing called â€Å"team work† something that they have not experienced because they are so accustomed to what they already had coming and going as you please.In my personal opinion divorce is not an option and moving in with someone before marriage should be very carefully thought and discussed there is a lot in between may seem like there is not but there is. Frequent arguments and disagreements can start to occur. Men and women who have lived together before marriage are likely to beco me more disrespectful and verbally aggressive; they can become less supportive of one another also have more arguments about one another and also arguments about finances. They become to have lower levels of fairness and happiness with their relationship.Rather then if they would wait to move in together before marriage they would be a lot more capable to manage these situations and have something more stable and avoiding all these conflicts. Living together does not produce healthy and happier lives on the contrary. Love is built on maturity and security of knowing that your love is exclusive and permanent. Couples that are living together think that marriage is nothing and if they did get married it would be exactly the same, but what they don’t understand is what marriage does to a couple both positively and negatively.In my opinion the chance of divorce after living together are huge, and much higher than couples that have not lived together. Unmarried people living toget her say that they first want to see what it is to live with each other before that, well then they really weren’t committed to each other. In other words, you wanted to see what married life was going to be like before making a commitment of marriage. I believe that marriage adds a whole different dimension to your relationship and that people take that for granted.Moving in with someone before marriage should not be the determining factor of your relationship there is plenty of time to figure out if you are compatible with one another. Habits are hard to break and couples that live together get in to the habit of not willing to make a lifetime commitment to each other they have compromised with what they already have. So many problems that people struggle with all over the U. S could be avoided if people would really think it through and not just move in together before marriage.Disagreements would minimize a lot more because they would be on the same page. I am not saying w e are perfect but saying that it would be held with maturity. They would not be part of that statistics of divorce rates and be able to have a stable home. Also not becoming unsatisfied with your marriage but working together to produce a safe and productive environment. Maturity is held to be able to take this step and should not be disvalued.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

The View of Scholar on the Kingdom of God

by David W. Baker. It is posted with permission from the author. I. Introduction The Kingdom of God has been one of the dominant topics of New Testament study in this century. The reason is obvious. Many scholars, both conservative and critical, regard the kingdom of God as â€Å"the central theme† of Jesus’ public proclamation. 1 In fact, a plethora of monographs has poured forth since Johannes Weiss and Albert Schweitzer made the case that Jesus’ teaching was profoundly Jewish, drenched in intense eschatological hope. This new view contended against nineteenth century views, which moralized the kingdom and made it palatable to modern taste by arguing it was merely an expression of ethical sensitivity raised up in the hearts of men. In contrast, Weiss and Schweitzer argued that Jesus’ claim for the kingdom anticipated God’s stark intervention in the very near future that would reshape the creation. The view became known as â€Å"consistent,† â€Å"thorough-going† or â€Å"imminent† eschatology.For Weiss, the kingdom was purely religious, not ethical; purely future, not present in any way. The Kingdom would be God’s final miracle with Jesus functioning in his current ministry as Messias designatus. 3 For Weiss, Jesus believed that he would one day become the Son of Man. At first, Jesus believed that this would occur during his lifetime, and later in his ministry, he anticipated it to come shortly after His death. 4 It is a heritage that Jesus believed he possessed, though he had not yet entered into it.For Schweitzer, Jesus expected the end to come at first in his ministry. As he sent out the twelve in mission (Matthew 10:23), he believed that before they finished their tour of the cities of Israel, the Son of Man would come and bring the kingdom. Its appearance would mean the end of the present age, and he would be transformed into the Son of Man. When the disciples returned from their mission with out this taking place, Jesus’ hopes of the end changed. It would take suffering, his own suffering, for the Kingdom to come. His death would bring the Kingdom. Though very different than Schweitzer, the oldest dispensationalists also stressed the Jewish roots of kingdom hope and placed its ultimate expression, as originally expressed through the hope of Israel’s scriptures, strictly in the future, what they referred to as the â€Å"kingdom of heaven. † Whatever relationship Jesus’ work in the present had to the kingdom, it was part of a previously unrevealed â€Å"mystery† that made its current expression something istinct from what had been promised to Israel and distinct from what was to come one day in fulfillment. This distinction between what would happen for Israel one day and what happens to the church today was a major element in the traditional dispensational distinction between Israel and the church in the plan of God. However, in the mid dle of this century, that clear distinction was somewhat blurred, though how it worked precisely was never agreed to or clearly set forth as four separate views were espoused. Unlike Schweitzer, these dispensationalists, saw no â€Å"error† or â€Å"change† in Jesus’ understanding, but like him they regarded the promise of the future to be so rooted in Jewish hope and so grand in its scale that nothing Jesus did currently could be seen as the fulfillment of that great promise of old. For both classical and revised dispensationalists, the mystery introduced into the kingdom program, conceived in various ways in this century, represented an â€Å"intercalation† in the kingdom program of God, distinct from the hope given to Israel.So throughout this century, the idea that kingdom hope was richly Jewish and pointed strongly, if not exclusively, to the future has been prominent in New Testament theology, whether conservative or not. 7 As we shall see, this emp hasis on the future form of the kingdom is well grounded in biblical hope. Other views also have emerged in this century. Two approaches were like the nineteenth century â€Å"romanticized† efforts to redefine the kingdom in ways moderns could embrace.So efforts were made to demyhtologize Jesus’ image of the apocalyptic Kingdom into either an existential claim for a crisis decision (Bultmann) or to turn kingdom language into a mere metaphorical symbol of hope and transformation (Wilder and the later Perrin). 8 Both of these attempts, representing more liberal readings of Scripture, tried to redeem the kingdom concept by redefining it. However, two other approaches seriously sought to engage the biblical text and assess the model Weiss and Schweitzer introduced.These two other main views of the kingdom in this century have reacted to the â€Å"strictly future† model of the kingdom in two very diverse ways. One view, associated with C. H. Dodd, opted for a reading that the Kingdom hope was totally realized in Jesus’ ministry. 9 This became known as â€Å"realized† eschatology. The other, rooted in the work of Werner Kummel, R. H. Fuller, and Joachim Jeremias, argued that the view of the kingdom had both present and future elements. 10 This became known as the â€Å"already/not yet† view of the kingdom or eschatology in the process of realization. † In fact, Jeremias in his conclusion to his volume on the parables closes this way, â€Å"In attempting to recover the original significance of the parables, one thing above all becomes evident: it is that all the parables of Jesus compel his hearers to come to a decision about his person and mission. For they all are full of ‘the secret of the Kingdom of God’ (Mark 4. 11), that is to say, the recognition of ‘an eschatology in the process of realization. The hour of fulfillment is come, that is the urgent note that sounds through them all. †11 Th is view was made famous in evangelical circles by George Ladd. 12 It is probably the most prominent view currently in New Testament circles at large, both conservative and critical. It is known as â€Å"inaugurated† eschatology. 13 The kingdom was inaugurated or was dawning in Jesus’ words and deeds, but its consummation was yet future. As we shall see, there are also good reasons why this view is held.I lay out this â€Å"map† of views at the start, because the issue of what the kingdom is, when it begins, and how it proceeds have been the key questions in this century. But treating the theology of the kingdom involves far more than these questions, as we hope to show and survey. In fact, I hope to consider a series of issues tied to the kingdom. They include: (1) Linguistics and the Kingdom in Jewish Expectation: A Static or Tensive Symbol; (2) Kingdom as Apocalyptic (Imminence; Remaking of This World Into The Age to Come or Renewing This World in This History or Both); (3) Kingdom: Present, Future, or Both? (4) Defining the Kingdom: â€Å"Dynamic†Ã¢â‚¬â€œGod’s Powerful Presence in Rule (God in Strength) or â€Å"Realm† (Church, Israel, World, or â€Å"Eschatological†) or All the Above; (5) The Kingdom and Ethics; (6) Beyond the Term Kingdom (Messiah, Spirit, Son of Man, Salvation, Gospel, Overcoming Satan and Sin); (7) Kingdom outside the Gospels (Why Is The Term Less Prevalent? ); and (8) So What? : The Kingdom and Today. So not only is the kingdom theme an important New Testament concept generating a rich history of discussion, it is also one of the most complex topics in Scripture. II.The Kingdom, Jesus, the Hebrew Scriptures, and Second Temple Jewish Kingdom Hope: A Static or Tensive Symbol? When Jesus used the expression â€Å"kingdom of God,† how much of its meaning can we assume he and his audience shared? This becomes an important question because the expression itself, surprisingly, is totally absent in the Hebrew Scriptures. 14 Here is a case where the study of an idea has to move past a study of the set phrase to get anywhere. The idea, however, is more frequent. 15 Yahweh is King (1 Sam 12:12; Ps. 24:10; Is. 33:22; Zeph. 3:15; Zech. 14:16-17). He rules over Israel (Exod. 15:18; Num. 23:21; Deut. 33:5; Is. 43:15).He rules over the earth or the creation (2 Kings 19:15; Is. 6:5; Jer. 46:18; Ps. 29:10; 47:2; 93; 96:10; 145:11, 13). He possesses a royal throne (Ps. 9:4; 45:6; 47:8; Is. 6:1; 66:1; Ezek 1:26). His reign is ongoing (Ps. 10:16; 146:10; Is. 24:23). Rule or kingship is His (Ps. 22:28). It is primarily God’s special relationship to Israel that is in view here as the Son of David is said to sit on Yahweh’s throne (1 Chron 17:14; 28:5; 29:23; 2 Chron 9:8; 13:8). When Israel was overrun by the nations, a longing existed that one day God would reestablish his rule on behalf of his people and show his comprehensive sovereignty to all humanity.After all, God had committed himself to David concerning a dynasty of duration (2 Sam. 7:13). It is here that the hope of a future kingdom of God, made not with hands, came to be contrasted with the kingdoms of men in Daniel 2 and 7. It is in the context of such expectation that Jesus used the term â€Å"kingdom of God. † What was hoped for was something that had existed in the past, but only as a mere glimpse of what had been promised–a rule to come involving total peace for God’s people. In sum, Kingdom hope by the time of the Babylonian captivity is driven forward by the vision of the fullness of God’s rule showing up one day.It was to this hope that Jesus preached. Such a hope had been nurtured in some circles of second temple Judaism. 16 The kingdom became linked (sometimes) to the messianic hope, but (always) to judgment of the nations, and vindication of the saints. Some Jewish documents, content with the current arrangement, do not reflect any such hope. The concept is expressed with some variety, but central to its expression is that God will assert his comprehensive rule (1 Enoch 9:4-5; 12:3; 25; 27:3; 81:3).God’s powerful presence will involve the removal of Satan’s influence (Assumption of Moses 7–10). He will destroy his enemies and free his people. These enemies are described in both earthly terms, like the Romans in Psalms of Solomon 17–18 and 2 Baruch 36-40, and in spiritual terms, where Belial stands among the evil forces who will be defeated (1QS 3–4). Often the coming of the kingdom was seen as preceded by a period of intense upheaval and tribulation (Sib. Or. 3:796-808; 2 Bar. 70:2-8; 4 Ezra 6:24; 9:1-12; 13:29-31; 1QM 12:9; 19:1-2). The cry of the prayer of 2 Macc. :24-29 summarizes well the hope of deliverance. The call was for God to deliver and vindicate his people. The text of Psalms of Solomon 17–18 gives the most detailed expression of messianic hope in all the texts, though the idea of kingdom in this period of Judaism did not always entail a messianic hope. 17 In fact, sometimes the Messiah is seen in very earthly terms as in the Psalms of Solomon, while in other texts, he clearly possesses a more transcendent power (1 Enoch 37–71) or has a seeming mix of the two (4 Ezra 7:28-29; 12:32-34; 13:26).Thus, associated with the consistent idea of God’s coming comprehensive and vindicating rule for his people is a complex and varying array of sub-themes tied to the kingdom’s coming. In Judaism, there was no unified view of the kingdom beyond the hope of God’s powerful coming and vindication. It is important to appreciate that it is into this somewhat confused backdrop that Jesus preached this hope. This complex background raises the question could Jesus use the phrase and really be understood? More importantly, in presenting his understanding of the idea represented in the kingdom could he assume an understanding of the term by hi s audience?Given the paucity of Old Testament use of the phrase and the variety of details attached to the hope within Judaism, Jesus needed to explain his usage in order to be clear. It is this complexity that raises the issue of whether Jesus’ use of the term was â€Å"static† (steno) or â€Å"tensive. † 18 Norman Perrin posed two options. Did Jesus use the term one way all the time with a fixed referent (steno)? Or was his use of the term something that he used with symbolic force but that could not be contained in one referent alone (tensive)?We opt for a third possibility, did Jesus’ use operate within a fixed parameter, which he filled with a variety of detail because of the richness of the base concept he was defining and detailing (tensive yet with a steno-like base)? 19 How one approaches Jesus’ terminology will impact how one reads it. Four factors favor this third option. First, the number of and variety within the gospel kingdom sayings placed alongside the paucity of older references in the Hebrew Scriptures suggests that Jesus is developing the concept along additional lines from what the Old Testament taught.However, Jesus’ respect for that revelation means that he is not altering the concept, but developing and complementing it. We hope to show the variety within his teaching that validates this point. Second, the very consistency of the fundamental image within Judaism means that a basic understanding of kingdom did exist on which Jesus could build. It is God’s kingdom and rule that is presented as the hope. The sheer number of texts that discuss judgment and vindication under this theme both in Scripture and in later Judaism show that Jesus works with a given understanding at its base.Reflection taking place within Second Temple Judaism represented attempts to put the hope of Scripture together in terms of the details. Jesus both accepts and rejects elements of these reflections. Third, this id ea that Jesus works with a rarely used Old Testament term and yet develops it using larger categories of scriptural teaching has precedent elsewhere in his own use. Jesus does the same type of thing with the Son of Man concept. That description of a human invested with eschatological authority appears in Daniel 7 (note the conceptual overlap with the kingdom theme–Dan. is a key kingdom text). Jesus takes this one image and uses it as a collection point for his christology. In the same way, Jesus takes the kingdom concept and uses it as a collection point for both soteriology and eschatology. 20 Fourth, the very confusion of detail within Judaism of Jesus’ time demanded that he take this type of approach to the concept. Here was a phrase that basically did not exist in the Old Testament. However, by Jesus’ time, multiple concepts swirled around it, even though its basic meaning was well established.The phrase clearly sought to summarize a major strand of Jewish h ope, yet it needed defining. Its absence in the Old Testament gave Jesus room to make it a helpful synthesizing concept. Its familiarity and importance within Judaism, because of the hope it encapsulated, made it a key term to nail down. The very diversity in its contemporary usage required that Jesus explain and develop the term. Thus, as we turn to Jesus’ use, we can expect that on the one hand he was referring to a hope his audience understood in its most basic terms, but something that also needed more detail and development.