Information in Religion from the Dossier Fragments in Egypt
Prompt: In the attached dossier are fragments of a cache of documents discovered in Egypt by archaeologists. The documents were written in Coptic and dated (tentatively) by the archaeologists to sometime in Late Antiquity (ranging from 200-400 CE). They were part of a codex, an ancient form of a modern book. The codex was found in an ancient garbage pile outside the modern city of Beni Suef, along the Nile River. The remains of the codex indicate that the writings were associated with a previously unknown author named Frontinus. As scholars tasked with interpreting this new discovery, you will familiarize yourself with Frontinus’ archive. Read through it several times and try to understand Frontinus’ theology, style, and argumentation. You’ll want to read the texts critically, asking the kinds of questions that we have asked this semester. Look for themes and ideas that appear throughout the archive. As your paper, you will write up your findings in the form of an analytic essay.
Your paper will require: 1) a clear and concise thesis; 2) a clear and well-developed argument that backs up your thesis; 3) citation of evidence directly from the sources in the dossier. Your thesis and argument can explore any theme, issue, or idea that you find within Frontinus’ archive.
Details: Papers should be double-spaced with a minimum of 1200 words. You will include the final word count at the end of the paper. What we are looking for is cogent and well-reasoned analysis based on your close reading of these ancient texts. We expect you to develop a thesis and to back up that thesis with a carefully-reasoned argument. Please do not consult any other secondary research, though you may make use of any materials that we have read this semester. Make sure that you specifically cite evidence for your argument from the text itself. You are obliged to adhere to the USC honor code as part of writing this paper.
A couple of tips:
1. Do not waste space in your introduction with broad discussions of Judaism, Christianity, the Bible, and/or western society. State your thesis and get into the details as quickly as possible.
2. Make sure that you are citing evidence from the text and discussing the details. Get specific! We expect you to cite the text as evidence in your papers. If you say something like "I believe..." that means you are not working with the details.
3. If your argument relies on “tone” or “feeling” as part of its thesis, think about how you might use a different concept to organize your thoughts. These things are too subjective and vague to allow you to use them to organize your analysis
4. Proofread, proofread, proofread. Read your paper over several times before you submit it. Check your spelling and your grammar. Have someone else look at it. Go to the Writing Center and ask them to read and comment on your paper. Take this as an exercise for when you send a memo to your boss at [Insert Corporation Name] and take care of grammatical errors and run-on sentences. If your paper has too many errors of grammar, spelling, or syntax, it may not be accepted and your grade will be affected.
Your paper will be evaluated based on:
1. Following guidelines (page length, formatting, use of sources)
2. A clear and specific thesis backed up by an organized argument
3. Evidence of a sustained, careful, and detailed use of the primary and secondary sources
4. Grammar, spelling, and proper citation of sources
Religion Paper
Author’s Name:
Institution of Affiliation:
Course Name:
Instructor’s Name:
Date:
Religion Paper
Even though there are various sources of religion, dossier fragments discovered in Egypt by archeologists are one of the oldest since they date back from 200-400CE. These fragments play a part as one of the credible information in religion. The theme of redemption is evident through these fragments since they show God's plan to save humanity after humanity sinned against him by giving out His Son to die while restoring the broken relationship.
The second fragment highlights that there is only one way that the person can be good: through the manifestation of his Son since only God is good. This text shows that humanity is not pure in its natural status (“Final Paper Religion 132,” 2023). The main reason is the natural status; many spirits prevent a living human heart from being pure. Similarly, people have improper desires that prompt them to commit actions that trigger impurity. This text shows that people on their natural status are weak and evil since they would obey their evil desires. These evil desires were triggered when Adam disobeyed God and was chased from the Garden of Eden, which gave the demons power. As the text highlights, the human heart is impure as a result of being habitation of demons. The text highlights that this nature of the heart can only be solved if it is cared for. Only the Father can make the heart holy and fill it with light after visiting it since He is the only one who is good.
One of the fragmented points in the major literary work is that it was important for the Father to help humanity. It highlights that the people who received the Father of truth and the gift of knowing through Logos power had outstanding joy. The Father was referred to as "the Savior" since His work was to perform redemption for the people who have not known Him. The text highlights that this process was performed through the gospel since it manifested hope since it is through it that the people who did not know Him had the opportunity to know Him.
The text also shows that it was important for the Father to bring salvation since ignorance of the Father was bringing terror and fear. This information shows that people who do not understand the Father are likely to be fearful when terror and other hardships face them. The main reason is that the terror was becoming as dense as a fog, making a person struggle since terror turned out to be too strong. The only way these individuals could be saved is through having the truth they can only know by understanding the Father. Since the Father understood that forgetfulness would negatively affect people's lives, He offered the knowledge in Him, destroying forgetfulness since it resulted from people not knowing Him. This progress has been evident since the pe