Kent Harufs Plainsong is an inspiring novel centered around seven characters and their battles with isolation and hopelessness. Through different accounts in each chapter, you hear of seven people’s day to day struggles and the effects it has on their lives. One character who really embodied the theme of the book, was Victoria Roubideaux, or Vicky for short. Vicky, a pregnant 17-year-old girl, wasn’t able to hide the fact that she was pregnant, and was thrown out of her house by her mom. To make things worse, the father of her baby abandoned her as well.…
Sidra Zimmerman Ministry Project The People and the Situation As was first mentioned in my ministry group project proposal, the group I chose was my own small group. When the project first started, it consisted of roughly 10 men and women, most members of my Southern Baptist church who meet weekly to suss through the week’s sermon together. Interestingly enough, most of us had been raised in some semblance of a Christian home, though our experience within that “Christian” community varied.…
Closeness to God is heavily emphasized in the Catholic Church. In John Patrick Shanley’s play Doubt, this relationship is mentioned in Sister Aloysius’ comment to Sister James: “In the pursuit of wrongdoing, one steps away from God. Of course, there’s a price” (58). Often when one strives to prevent misbehavior, they undermine their own morality in the process, leading to deep repercussions. Still, the question remains, is it worth it?…
Everybody has a different opinion on what it means to be in pain. The Hunger Artists, in Franz Kafka’s “The Hunger Artist” is famous for his forty-day fasts, but is his hunger his source of misery? Shepherd in Flannery O’Connor’s “The Lame Shall Enter First” believes that Rufus Johnson’s clubfoot is the cause of Rufus’s suffering, and his son’s is selfishness, but is this true? Both short stories explore what it means to suffer, and what may be the cause of such discontent. Kafka and O’Connor seem to make a particular point in relative suffering to want.…
One of humanities most nagging questions is: “What is the purpose of suffering?” In Moira Crone’s short story, “Pecos Bill”, she does not directly answer this perplexing question, but she highlights an outcome of suffering. Grace. Perhaps pain and hardship serves as a conduit through which grace is granted. Grace, throughout the narrative of “Pecos Bill”, is depicted through selfless acts which serve to alleviate the suffering of an undeserving character, Celeste.…
All famous painters have one thing in common; an element makes the painting come alive. Whether it is a pose, a color, lighting, or brush stroke, without it the painting is dull and uninteresting. The author likens compassion as that element in healing. “To be compassionate is to be moved in our guts, to mysteriously experience another's pain.” (p. 197) Murren says the church may be a poor place for addicts and hurting people to seek help.…
The very beginning of Their Eyes Were Watching God is a powerful statement which signifies the control that women have over their dreams and fantasies. More importantly, it empowers women by stating that they have the capability to act accordingly and make those dreams come true, whereas men have their fantasies “mocked to death by Time” (1). The importance of this quote relies on its foreshadowing of Janie’s constant, passionate struggle to have her most desired fantasy fulfilled – a fantasy of having a romantic partner which allows for a mutual relationship. Janie’s dream relationship is modeled after the harmonious state of nature underneath the pair tree she often visits. Nature also represents God for Janie as she seeks to become one with…
The two chapters for this week’s readings explored two of the five major views on the integration of Christianity and psychology. The Levels-of-Explanation approach is presented by Thomas G. Plante, and the Integration approach is explained by Mark R. McMinn. It seems that the two authors have quite distinct approaches when it comes to reconciling the relationship between psychology and theology in clinical practice. Plante (2012) appears to see theology as a supportive supplement to psychology. In that sense, he appears to prioritize psychology over theology when it comes to his clinical work, evident in his frequent reference to the importance evidenced-based practice interventions.…
In James Baldwin’s short story, “Sonny’s Blues,” the narrator gets to redeem himself for the neglect of his younger brother. His younger brother, Sonny, found himself battling an addiction to heroin. The short story occurs in the 1950’s in Harlem. Due to the realness of the setting, the reader can apply historical context to the short story. Although “Sonny’s Blues” is not a religious story, the author, James Baldwin, uses Christian symbolism to represent the fall and redemption which the narrator withstands.…
Throughout the play, the characters of Tony Kushners’ Angels in America struggle with self-acceptance and cultural normativity, resulting in the mutual and tragic flaw of shame in oneself directly negatively affecting their relationships, communities and ____. Through the use of dramatic irony, Kushner emphasizes how shame, resulting in suppression of emotion inevitably tears apart relationships. Likewise, by developing characters in sets of foils, such as Louis and Joe, and Roy and Prior, Kushner highlights how shame can reach all members in a community and subsequently bring it down. Additionally, the negative effects of shame within each character is highlighted through the use of telling soliloquies that emphasize the inner turmoil the…
The goals used for counseling Mary's case used psychoanalytic and Adlerian treatment to help build Mary emotional state. By using the psychoanalytic treatment to increase adaptive functioning help to reduces Mary’s anxiety and depression. Also, use therapeutic methods dealing with the unconscious and conscious to strengthen Mary ego so her behavior is in reality. The counselor role with the client Mary would be the blank approach and transference relationship. This will allow client Mary to free association by expressing her feelings, experiences, association, memories and fantasies.…
Everybody goes through at least one traumatic experience in their lifetime. Katherine Philips, the writer of “On the Death of My First and Dearest Child, Hector Philips”, and Frances Burney, the writer of “Mastectomy” are no exceptions. One way to deal with the grief that comes along with such traumatic experiences is to write about it. Philips deals with the grief of losing her son through writing a poem. Burney also deals with her grief, but by writing about her mastectomy in the form of a short story.…
Book Review for Hawkins & Clinton 's The New Christian Counselor The book, The New Christian Counselor: A Fresh and Biblical and Transformational Approach, was authored by Dr. Ron Hawkins and Dr. Tim Clinton. The book is an excellent guide for Christian Counselor 's seeking to integrate the bible and psychology, and to help clients through a Christian transformational approach to counseling. Summary There are numerous important concepts in The New Christian Counselor book.…
In times of deepening political strife, Etty Hillesum found God. She found this spirit inside of her that protected her mind and heart, and helped her filter out despair she could have easily succumbed to. Etty looked for God in nature, found peace in companionship and caring for her fellow man, and turned to prayer, connecting with God deep in herself. This personal journey undertaken in her diaries helped her find an inner peace to deal with uncertainty and violence, and to face her future with strength; her faith-finding process serves a map to find the strength to deal with difficult times for anyone, especially in changing political landscapes.…
Description and Analysis The Philippines have 7,000 islands total (it is an archipelago) and consists of regions with different dialects. Many beliefs and traditions are similar to Spanish ancestors since the Philippines were colonized by the Spaniards for 300 years. Despite the Western influences like buildings, food, medicine, music, and fashion, some provinces like the Negro Occidental still practice some traditional healing methods due to their cultural beliefs and lack of access to Western medicine (due to no health insurance, poverty, or lack of financial help or too far from a clinic or hospital). From a young age, Mrs. Suzette De Jesus was raised in a rural area (farm) “Malingin”, which is 15 miles on a rugged dirt road to the closest…