Robinson Crusoe has been known for his adventures on a deserted Island, but not many know of the spiritual journey he went through during his time on the island. Robinson Crusoe starts to rethink...Show moreRobinson Crusoe has been known for his adventures on a deserted Island, but not many know of the spiritual journey he went through during his time on the island. Robinson Crusoe starts to rethink his relationship with God and he starts to base his life's purpose on divine providence. After analyzing his conversion I come to find his attitude towards God and religion has not changed as much as one would like to think after reading about his isolation.Show less
Jonathan Edwards’ “Personal Narrative” is a chronological, retrospective account of Edwards’ spiritual life interposed with comments and reflections on his experiences with the Divine. He describes...Show moreJonathan Edwards’ “Personal Narrative” is a chronological, retrospective account of Edwards’ spiritual life interposed with comments and reflections on his experiences with the Divine. He describes multiple powerful, highly emotional encounters as he recounts his religious development from his childhood to the present. It stands as a central text of eighteenth-century spirituality, a touchstone of religious thinking in this period. This thesis argues that concerns with the fallibility of language are central to Jonathan Edwards’ “Personal Narrative” (c.1740), as he struggles adequately to describe spiritual experience in words even as that experience is said to go beyond language, including in its emotional and bodily effects.Show less
Commonly, Jewish Broadway plays are described in superficial readings as kitsch. However, this thesis claims that the theatre had a crucial role for the Jewish community between 1880 and 1930. By...Show moreCommonly, Jewish Broadway plays are described in superficial readings as kitsch. However, this thesis claims that the theatre had a crucial role for the Jewish community between 1880 and 1930. By engaging in the academic debate of memory studies, this thesis argues that memory had three main functions in Jewish Broadway plays: (1) the healing of traumatic memory through the interaction in performance,(2) the creation of a community bond and identity as well as (3) the facilitation of transcultural and intergenerational understanding. Therefore, this thesis illustrates how an artistic environment can facilitate the integration process of immigrants by connecting the old with the new homeland.Show less
