Beowulf and the Koran
In some sense, both Beowulf and the Koran can be understood as adaptations of standard Judeo-Christian scripture to specific culture contexts: each text actually relies upon the previously existing text of the Bible to establish its own bona fides. Yet it is unclear in both cases to what extent this relation bears. In the case of Beowulf, some scholars have argued that the Christian-themed passages in the poem are a later insertion. In the case of the Koran, obviously many of the central tenets of Christianity and Judaism are overturned completely. But in both cases what we are witnessing is an attempt to create a culturally-specific text that can approach the subject of the purpose and meaning of life, while adapting elements of the central western religious tradition and scripture in order to establish the seriousness of the newer text.
In Beowulf, presumably, an older pagan song -- which celebrates the deeds of a warrior who battles and defeats monsters -- is being adapted to the Christian tradition. Thus traditional warrior virtues, such as loyalty to a monarch and valor in physical combat, are made to serve a moral purpose. And this moral purpose is established by essentially making the antagonistic monster Grendel into a character out of Biblical fan-fiction:
So times were pleasant for the people there
Until finally one, a fiend out of hell,
Began...
Koran and Genesis A Comparison of the Joseph Narrative in Genesis and in the Koran Both Genesis and the Koran give a history of the story of Joseph, who was betrayed by his brothers and taken into slavery. While the story appeared first in the Book of Genesis, the Koran offers a kind of commentary on the Hebrew history. This paper will compare and contrast the two versions of the story of
.. therefore the child to be born will be called holy" (Luke 1:34). In the corresponding story within the Qur'an, "She said: 'How can I have a son, O Lord, when no man has touched me?' He said: 'That is how God creates what He wills... And he will be Apostle to the children of Israel" (3:47-49). In this case, the books tell the same story. However, even in the
Why would alcohol benefit the heart? The Mayo Clinic (http://www.mayoclinic.com) explains that a moderate amount of alcohol helps raise the "good" cholesterol in the body. A moderate amount of alcohol also lowers the blood pressure and "inhibits the formation of blood clots." Also, red wine in particular helps the heart (more than any other type of alcoholic drink), according to the research in the Mayo Clinic. This is interesting because
In the Koran, Muhammad is advising some who want to join the war against the pagans to stay by their mothers and go on in taking care of them, assuring them that it is as worthy in God's eyes as fighting for Him in a battle. By the time Muhammad had his first revelations, Islam came as a tool of God imposing social justice in a world that was divided
We learn from Genesis that God was roaming in the garden and had to call out for Adam and Eve while they were hiding behind the trees. However in the Koran, God is instrinctively aware of what Adam and Eve had done and there is no calling out and looking around for them because God knows where they are. We have always been told that God is aware of what
Who would say that "drinking the blood of the slain" is what God's people do. The people of Midian together with Moab began to interact with the people of Israel. "Israel was staying in *****tim when the people began to behave immorally with the Moabite girls. [the girls] invited the people to their religious sacrifices, and the people ate, and worshipped the [Moabite] gods. "Numbers 25:1-2 For these transgressions, the Midianites
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