Document analysis: Extract from Bernt Engelmann’s autobiographical memoir, In Hitler’s Germany, (1986), pp.1-4 While political violence during the reign of the Third Reich is copiously documented, the intimidation and oppression in the lead up to Nazi capture of power is less well known. Bernt Engelmann’s autobiographical memoir In Hitler’s Germany, written half a century after…
Category: History
The Journey of Man by Spencer Wells (Documentary): Summary & Analysis
The Journey of Man, presented by Dr. Spencer Wells, is a very important documentary film that sends out a message of human solidarity. As Dr. Wells says in the introduction, it is the retracing of the all routes of human migration out of Africa in the last 50,000 years. It is a fascinating story constructed…
Asian American Woman before 1950s
It is fair to state that the status of Asian American women before 1950s was not any better than that suffered by minorities from any racial-ethnic group during this period. This is amply attested by first-hand accounts of discrimination and maltreatment by early immigrants. We also have copious legal indictments handing penalties, jail sentences and…
The Origins of Negro Slavery by Eric Williams
1. In sum, what is the Williams thesis? What is his main point and central argument? Eric Williams is an important black intellectual who witnessed, documented and analyzed African slavery in America firsthand. His main argument is that multiple factors were behind the origins of Negro slavery. The powerful papacy of the Roman Catholic Church,…
Ah Q and Hsiang Tzu: Two Symbols of a Society in Transition
It is fair to claim that the first half of the twentieth century was the most turbulent in modern Chinese history. The revolutionary fervor, mixed with the wave of Western cultural influences, created a national identity crisis in these decades. The two characters in question transcend their fiction and represent the society at large during…
St. Augustine’s spiritual journey of divine reverence as evidenced in his Confessions
Although Augustine of Hippo’s early life was disordered and undisciplined, his adult life is marked by maturity and spiritual searching. His steadfast spiritual journey – one identified with penance and dedication – will lead him to a profound understanding of the message of Christ. He attains a refined reverence for the omnipotent will of God. …
How might a theological anthropology enable Christians to resist ideologies of racial oppression in church and society?
Introduction Despite Christian doctrine’s claims of all men being created in the image of God, the Church has historically been guilty of racial discrimination. The very notion of slavery goes against Christian theology. Western Christianity has especially failed to adequately interfere with this social malice in the centuries past. In contrast, among cultures of the…
Critique of President Barack Obama’s inauguration speech delivered on January 21, 2013
Barack Obama has a reputation as a skilful and fluent public speaker. His address to the nation on the occasion of the inauguration of his second term in Presidency underscores this reputation. But style is one thing and substance is another. The crux of his message was for American people to expect no radical changes…
Africa: A Voyage of Discovery with Basil Davidson
Episode 1: Different But Equal n the first episode of the documentary series titled ‘Africa: A Voyage of Discovery with Basil Davidson’, a historical-colonial perspective of Africa and its people is given. The title ‘Different But Equal’ hints at how African people were treated to the contrary by Westerner colonialists. Although early travelers to ancient…
Message to the Grassroots by Malcolm X: Summary & Response
This is a public speech by the militant black leader Malcolm X, calling upon men of his race to unite in their efforts to fight white oppression. The speech is reminiscent of the more famous counterpart delivered by Martin Luther King Jr. But the methods advocated by the two speakers are contrasting. While the philosophy…