Now that you have identified those components of a biblically healthy woman, you can flesh them out.
Provide a minimum of two academic/scholarly sources.
Visit the following website for more research material: The Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood https://cbmw.org/
Write a 3-4 page paper describing the fundamentals of biblical womanhood from a research perspective.
Ensure the following points are addressed:
What components would you list? Explain why. Please be as specific and as thorough as possible.
What does Scripture say about your essential components?
How would those components contrast with current popular thought regarding womanhood?
How do these components compare with your own present reality if you are a woman, or what you desire in a woman if you are a man?
Ensure that you use the Paper Writing rubric to guide your efforts and support your work with scholarly academic resources using APA format.
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 Studies, 4(8), 487.
Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.
Sample Answer
Sample Answer
The Fundamentals of Biblical Womanhood: A Research Perspective
Introduction
The concept of biblical womanhood is a topic of significant interest and debate within Christian circles. In this paper, we will explore the fundamentals of biblical womanhood from a research perspective, drawing on academic and scholarly sources to provide a comprehensive understanding of this topic. We will address the components of biblical womanhood, examine what Scripture says about these essential components, contrast them with current popular thought regarding womanhood, and reflect on their relevance to our present reality.
Components of Biblical Womanhood
When considering the components of biblical womanhood, several key aspects come to light. These components provide a framework for understanding the roles, characteristics, and virtues that define a biblically healthy woman. The following components are worth considering:
Submission: Submission is often a controversial topic when discussing biblical womanhood. However, from a research perspective, it is essential to recognize that biblical submission does not imply inferiority or oppression. Instead, it emphasizes a voluntary, loving, and respectful submission to God-ordained authority structures, such as within marriage and the church.
Nurture and Care: Biblical womanhood emphasizes the role of women in nurturing and caring for others. This includes caring for one’s family, being compassionate toward others, and serving the community. The biblical model encourages women to use their gifts and talents to support and uplift those around them.
Wisdom and Discernment: Scripture highlights the importance of wisdom and discernment for women. Proverbs 31:26 states, “She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.” This component emphasizes the development of wisdom, knowledge, and discernment to make wise decisions and provide guidance.
Virtuous Character: Biblical womanhood places great emphasis on cultivating virtuous character traits such as humility, integrity, faithfulness, and self-control. These qualities are seen as essential for women to reflect the character of Christ and positively impact their relationships and communities.
Faith and Devotion: A vital component of biblical womanhood is a deep faith and devotion to God. Women are called to pursue a personal relationship with God, grow in spiritual maturity, and engage in disciplines such as prayer, studying Scripture, and participating in corporate worship.
Scriptural Support for Essential Components
The essential components of biblical womanhood find their foundation in Scripture. Throughout the Bible, we find numerous passages that affirm and support these components. For example:
Ephesians 5:22-24 instructs wives to submit to their husbands as to the Lord, emphasizing the voluntary nature of this submission and its alignment with Christ’s relationship with the church.
Titus 2:3-5 encourages older women to teach and train younger women in virtuous character, emphasizing the importance of nurturing and caring for others.
Proverbs 31 provides a beautiful picture of a woman who demonstrates wisdom, virtue, and faithfulness in her various roles and responsibilities.
These are just a few examples of the scriptural support for the essential components of biblical womanhood. A thorough examination of Scripture reveals a consistent emphasis on these aspects, providing a solid foundation for understanding the biblical perspective on womanhood.
Contrast with Current Popular Thought
The components of biblical womanhood often contrast with current popular thought regarding womanhood. In contemporary society, there is a strong emphasis on individualism, self-fulfillment, and the pursuit of personal desires and ambitions. This can lead to a devaluation of traditional gender roles and a rejection of biblical principles regarding submission, nurture, and care.
Additionally, popular culture often promotes a distorted view of femininity, emphasizing external appearance, sexuality, and material success. This can undermine the importance of virtuous character, wisdom, and faithfulness, which are central components of biblical womanhood.
It is important to note that these contrasts do not mean that women cannot pursue personal aspirations, career goals, or individual fulfillment. Rather, it highlights the need for a balanced perspective that integrates biblical principles with personal aspirations.
Comparison with Present Reality
When comparing the components of biblical womanhood with our present reality, it is important to acknowledge that no one perfectly embodies these ideals. We all fall short in various ways. However, the components provide a standard to aspire to and a guide for personal growth and development.
For women, reflecting on these components can serve as a reminder of the biblical call to live out their unique roles and responsibilities with wisdom, virtue, and faithfulness. It can also provide encouragement to pursue personal growth in areas such as submission, nurturing, wisdom, and character development.
For men, understanding and appreciating the components of biblical womanhood can help shape their expectations and desires for a partner. It can guide them to seek qualities such as virtue, wisdom, and faithfulness in a potential spouse, rather than being solely focused on external appearances or worldly success.
Conclusion
In conclusion, a research perspective on the fundamentals of biblical womanhood reveals several essential components that define a biblically healthy woman. These components include submission, nurture and care, wisdom and discernment, virtuous character, and faith and devotion. Scripture provides ample support for these components, emphasizing their importance in the lives of women. However, these components often contrast with current popular thought regarding womanhood, which emphasizes individualism and rejects traditional gender roles. When comparing these components with our present reality, we must strive to align our lives with biblical principles while recognizing our imperfections. By embracing the components of biblical womanhood, women can grow in their roles, and men can appreciate and seek qualities that reflect God’s design for women.
