Athanasius
Discipline: – Theology
Type of service: Essay
Spacing: Double spacing
Paper format: MLA
Number of pages: 5 pages
Number of sources: 1 source
Paper details:
Make sure to cover the entire document in your essay (Chapters 1-9 sections 1-57). Here is the online link: (http://www.ccel.org/ccel/athanasius/incarnation)
The essay should be 5-6 pages (approximately 1600-1900 words) in length, 12 point Times New Roman Font, and double-spaced with one exception: quotations occupying more than two lines should be indented five spaces and single-spaced.
When citing the primary document itself, simply put in parentheses at the end of the sentence the page number from which you are citing, and include the author’s name and/or an abbreviation of the document title (underlined or in italics) if either is unclear.
Your analytical essays should contain three main sections: The first section is the shortest (generally just the opening paragraph), but in many ways is the most important. In this section you must state clearly and define fully your essay’s thesis, or the main idea for which you are arguing. Your thesis should take into account the theme of the document you are analyzing (but notice that the two are different!), along with the main points that you are trying to make about that theme. In the second section (approximately one-third of the total length of the essay) summarize the author’s line of thought, focusing on the main points and turning points in the argument. This summary ought not to include every point made in the document, but only the central issues which indicate the structure and meaning of the document. Finally, in the third section (approximately two-thirds of the essay) offer an extended analysis of the document. This analysis should incorporate a consideration of the following types of questions (not all of them need be addressed — focus on those most applicable to the document that you are analyzing): In what ways does the historical context of the document shed light on its meaning? What influence do biographical details about the author’s life have on your interpretation of the document? (These first two questions — about historical context and biographical detail — are probably the most important for the purposes of this assignment, so I recommend dealing with them at length). Who is the audience to which the document is addressed, and how does considering this audience help in arriving at a proper understanding of the document? Does recognizing the genre of the document help to arrive at a proper understanding of it? What message did the author intend to convey to his/her audience? What are the author’s key presuppositions? Does the author provide evidence and arguments sufficient to defend adequately his/her thesis? Why did the author believe it was important to make the argument that he/she makes? In what ways does the author’s argument shed light on future theological controversies that the author was involved in? What was the doctrinal importance of the document at the time it was written? Does this doctrinal importance continue today, or is there some other way in which it has theological significance in the present?
Although grades are given primarily for content – for ability to define and analyze a theme – stylistic considerations will always influence a grade.
