(1) Context for Research: Provide background information about the controversy within your field of study that you intend to investigate. Address the ollowing questions:
• What is the current controversy you aim to explore?
• Who is your target audience, and why have you chosen them?
• What is your specific research question?
• Why is this research question important to your chosen audience?

(2) Researcher Intentions & Positionality: Share why this research question personally interests you and your motivations for pursuing it this semester.
Consider the following:
• Who are you, and what is your positionality?
• Share relevant Identity markers (race, ethnicity, nationality, age, ability, economic dass, education level, sexuality, gender, religion).
• Share personal experiences or stories that explain your connection to the research.

(3) Importance/Significance of Conducting this Research: Articulate the importance of your research, not only to yourself but to potential groups like students or future researchers. Reflect on the significance of contributing to the ongoing conversation through conversational inquiry.

 

 

 

Sample solution

Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell. 

In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.

God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.

Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.

To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.

 

References

Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.

Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies4(8), 487.

Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.

Sample Answer

Sample Answer

 

Context for Research

(1) The current controversy I aim to explore revolves around the historical significance of Ottoman Mecca and the Indian Ocean Hajj. There is ongoing debate and discourse within the field of Ottoman and Islamic studies regarding the role of Mecca as a transit point for pilgrims from the Indian Ocean region during the late Ottoman Empire. My research seeks to delve deeper into this topic and shed light on the multifaceted connections between the Ottoman Empire, Mecca, and the pilgrims who traveled there.

My target audience for this research includes scholars and students in the fields of Ottoman history, Islamic studies, and Indian Ocean studies. I have chosen this audience because they are already engaged in the conversation surrounding these topics and would benefit from further insights and analysis. Additionally, this research may also be of interest to individuals interested in the history of pilgrimage, transregional connections, and the dynamics of power in the late Ottoman Empire.

The specific research question I aim to address is: What were the political, social, and economic implications of Mecca’s role as a transit point for pilgrims from the Indian Ocean region during the late Ottoman Empire?

This research question is important to my chosen audience because it fills a gap in our understanding of the historical connections between Mecca and the Indian Ocean region. By examining the implications of the Indian Ocean Hajj, we can gain insights into the broader dynamics of the late Ottoman Empire, including its efforts to exert control over Mecca, its engagement with diverse pilgrims, and the impact of these interactions on political, social, and economic networks.

(2) As a researcher, I am an individual with a background in history and a deep interest in the historical connections between different regions and cultures. My positionality includes being a student of history and a person who values the importance of understanding diverse historical perspectives. While my personal experiences may not directly relate to the research question at hand, my motivation stems from a curiosity to explore and contribute to conversations that shed light on lesser-known aspects of history.

(3) The importance of conducting this research extends beyond my personal interest. By delving into the significance of Ottoman Mecca and the Indian Ocean Hajj, this research contributes to the ongoing conversation within academic circles. It adds nuance and depth to our understanding of the late Ottoman Empire, Mecca’s role as a center of pilgrimage, and the connections between different regions in the Indian Ocean world. This research also has the potential to inspire future scholars to further explore this topic and contribute to our collective knowledge of history. By engaging in conversational inquiry, we can continue to uncover hidden narratives, challenge existing interpretations, and foster a deeper understanding of historical complexities.

 

 

 

 

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