PULSE Final

Allegorical

Reading the scriptures in a way that looks for a higher meaning beyond the literal text

Anagogical

spiritual interpretation that reads texts as pointing to heavenly realities/our ultimate destiny

interprets texts based on what is to come, such as the afterlife

Canon

a group of books that gathered into our scriptures

Covenant

A solemn agreement between God and a human being in which mutual commitments are made.

eschatology

study of the end times/life after life

Ethical

reading texts as a model for how to live life/for morals and values

Ethical Monotheism

The belief in one god as the sole source of morality/god demands that humanity behave ethically according to divine guidelines

Hermeneutics

how we interpret scriptures-can be literal, allegorical, ethical, anagogical

Immanent

view from below-G-d is more physically involved in creations-in chapter 2 of Genesis-G-d is inherent/fully present within the universe

Literal

interpreting the scriptures through plain meaning-seeks the most direct/explicit meaning and avoids hidden or spiritual interpretations

Omnipotent

almighty, having unlimited power or authority

Omniscient

knowing everything; having unlimited awareness or understanding

Patriarchs

A name to describe "fathers of the faith"

Primeval history

stories about the mystical beginnings/origins of the earth, humans, and other creatures-in first 11 chapters of genesis going from creation to the introduction of Abraham

Prophets/prophecy

People who are said to receive messages from God to be taught to others, prophecy is a message that reveals G-d's will/predicts future events

Repentance

sincere regret or remorse for your past conduct

Revelation

divine/G-d reveals themselves to us-can be through sacred writings

Tanakh

-1st canon for Jewish people

-includes Torah, Nevi'im(about prophets), and Ketuvim(writings that teach us how to live)

Theodicy

-means vindication of God

-argument in the philosophy of religion that attempts to resolve the problem of evil, which arises from the contradiction btw an all knowing/powerful/perfect God and the existence of evil

Theophany

manifestation of G-d in a sensible form

Torah

The first five books of the Jewish scripture, known as penteteuch to Christians

Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy

First/oldest holy scriptures

supposedly written by Moses, but starts/ends outside of his lifespan

Transcendent

View from above

divine realm is separate from the world

first account of creation

transcendant view

formal structured six day process-finishes w/ humans created as male and female together

second account of creation

immanent view-G-d is more involved physically in creation

-hands on approach-creates man first, then woman from the man's rib

first three days of creation

day 1-light

day 2-heavens/sky, sea

day 3-land and vegetation

the 4-6 are connected to the 1-3: sun/moon make light, sea creatures/birds are in the sky/sea, living creatures live in land/vegetation

seventh day of creation

G-d rests on the seventh day-sets an example for human behavior

model for humanity of a life with a rhythm of work and rest

Why is woman created at the end of creation(second account)?

G-d states that it's not good for the man to be alone-creates the woman as a helper

Account of the fall

-in genesis 3-G-d plants a tree of the knowledge of good and evil and wants to test obedience of Adam and Eve by telling them not to eat the fruits

-serpent tempts them to eat the apple and Eve eats it and gives Adam the apple

-this sin introduces sin, death, and suffering into the world

What are some interpretations of the account of the fall

-some blame women for the fall of society

-some analyze it as Eve seducing Adam by giving him the apple

-some think of it as the origin of sin/its consequences for humanity

Punishments after the fall

-expels Adam and Eve from the garden of Eden

-serpent-cursed to crawl on its belly and eat dust

-Eve-pain during childbirth

-Adam-cursing the ground-labor/sweat to eat a living from it, with death at the end

Does God show mercy in Adam/Eve's expulsion

-death-God's mercy(end of suffering)

-clothes Adam and Eve with animal skins-symbolic of sacrifice that is to come

Cain and Abel story

-sons of Adam and Eve

-as a sacrifice, Cain offers wheat but learns G-d is more pleased w/ Abel's offering of a first born sheep

-Cain murders Abel out of rage/jealousy

-G-d prefers Abel's offering-he gives his best/it's given with greater faith and sincerity

Consequences of Abel's death

-G-d immediately confronts Cain and exiles him, but he allows him to live and declares that if anyone tries to kill Cain they will suffer vengeance 7 times

Flood narrative

-G-d thinks there is too much evil in the world and decides to make a flood that destroys the world

-he tells Noah to bring his family and build an ark with pairs of every animal to save them from the flood

What is the covenant with Noah

-After flood promises never to destroy all life with a flood

-rainbow appears-visible sign of the promise

What happens with Noah and his sons after the flood?

-Noah planted a vineyard, gets drunk and is naked

-two of his sons cover him up respectfully but one, Ham, sees him naked

-Noah curses Ham's son Canaan to be a slave to his brothers and blesses Japheth and Shem(his other sons)

-Ham is the darker skinned brother-people believe the curse is G-d's approval of enslavement of darker skinned individuals-mentioned in US slavery

Tower of Babel story

-people build a tower w/ bricks to reach G-d

-G-d comes down because people are disobeying the promise to spread out and fill the earth

-G-d in turn tries to make things more difficult for humans/limit their potential to stop evil-made many languages, etc.

Who is Abram/Abraham

-descendant of Noah

-G-d calls him establish a covenant and to leave and found a great nation/bless all the families of the earth through the nation

What does G-d tell Abraham his descendants will be like

-as numerous as stars in the sky

-that at first they would live as foreigners/be enslaved but eventually come out great

What 3 people visit Abraham

-3 divine visitors come and tell them that Sarah will have a baby and discuss fate of Sodom

What happens to Sodom/why?

-the divine visitors reveal that they will destroy it-Abraham argues against this/negotiates trying to protect the righteous

-visitors go to Abraham's nephew Lot's house-he invites them in/insists that they stay over

-people from Sodom come at night and want to rape the visitors, Lot offers his virgin daughters instead

-G-d tells Lot/his family to run and not look back-Lot's wife looks back and turns into a pillar of salt

Why does Sarah laugh when she is told she will have a son?

-she is old/long past menopause

Who is Hagar and her son Ishmael

-Sarah's slave girl

-when Sarah can't have children Hagar is supposed to be a surrogate-her son with Abraham is Ishmael

-Ishmael is important in Islam

How is Hagar treated by Sarah/Abraham

-badly-Sarah gets jealous and drives Hagar out to the desert

-when Isaac is born she sends him back to the desert again

What does G-d say to Hagar?

-comforts her/gives her water, showing that he cares about the marginalized/vulnerable

-G-d saves Hagar and Ishmael and recognizes them as people born in his image

What does Hagar name G-d?

-G-d who sees me(El-Roi)

What is the external sign of the covenant btw G-d and Abraham?

-circumcision-commands Abraham to circumcise all the men in his household as a physical marker of the agreement

Story of the binding of Isaac

-G-d tells Abraham to give Isaac as an offering and he is ready-angel calls to him and stops him since Abraham shows that he fears G-d

-real connection btw humanity and divine is faith

"Justice in the Bible" Clifford

-G-d is the standard of justice

-3 points in Christian scriptures show justice

-creation-G-d is giving/likes righteous behavior, Exodus-G-d's power and generosity in freeing slaves in Egypt, and Jesus having solidarity w the oppressed-G-d librates ppl from oppressors

"Justice in the Bible" Nolan

-Justice is an overarching term for all of morality

-love and justice are coterminous/help us understand G-d-love thy neighbor

-overarching theme-essence of G-d is justice

Which story from the Hebrew Scriptures has stuck with you? What insights does it give about what it means to be human

-story of tower of Babel is interesting-didn't realize how this story looks at humanity's rebellious nature

-smart that G-d makes many languages to confuse ppl/make them spread around the world

-suggests that G-d has overall sovereignty over humans

Narrative of historical progress Judaism has given to Western culture

-gives linear history rather than older cyclical views of time

-clear beginning and purposeful endpoint

How does Atencio address dichotomous language of the creation narrative in genesis? which examples stand out most strongly?

(Atencio)

-addresses that many of G-d's examples include extreme binaries, such as day and night or male and female

-notes that this doesn't exclude the possibility of more

-example of penguin stands out the most strongly-god uses broad extremes of winged birds and sea monsters to show the wide variety of creatures within, including a niche animal like a penguin that can't even fly

How does trible reread the creation and fall narrative?

(Trible)

-many feminists think genesis 2/3 legitimates male supremacy/read it to reject this

-ex: when men are made first/women last, it could constitute a ring compoisition where the two characters are parallel

-Trible says we need to recognize that the narrative teaches us who we are(creatures of equality and mutuality) and who we have become(creatures of oppression), opening possibilities for change/female and male to repent

-reads that the word helper connotes equality/woman being a counterpart to man, not someone inferior

Why does Hagar run away to the desert? Why does G-d tell Hagar to return to them/what does he promise her? How does G-d help her see when she returns to the desert?

-Sarah acts unjustly/violently and Hagar runs away to the desert for relief

-G-d tells her to go back since she is pregnant and it would be bad to give birth in the wilderness-he assures her that he hears her pain and that her descendants will be numerous

-he helps her see later on when she closes her eyes since she can't look at Ishmael dying of thirst and G-d tells her he hears her and empowers her to make the right decision-and right then she sees water

Differences of Abraham in Jud/Christ/Islam(Levenson)

-Judaism-Abraham is spiritual and biological patriarch and the binding of Isaac highlights Abraham's willingness to obey G-d

-Christianity-Abraham is a spiritual father but less of a national patriarch; story of Jesus echos the binding in a way

-Islam-Abraham's significance is more prophetic than patriarchical, binding of Isaac story is a shorter version in Islam that doesn't mention his name

Why are appeals to Abrahamic faiths a limited strategy for interreligious harmony?(Levenson)

-people who absolutize religion and don't look to other viewpoints won't buy this interreligious conversations and radically change their views because of it.

Why do you think this episode is titled "Mississippi: Is This America?" How were the challenges in Mississippi similar to those in other Southern states? How did the situation in Mississippi highlight the racial barriers and attitudes faced by the nation as a whole? 

-shows contrast between America's promotion of liberty and justice for all and the great injustices and racism in Mississippi

-the issues in Mississippi are mirrored throughout the South and highlights racial barriers and racist attitudes pervasive in the US

What was the purpose/impact of the White Citizens' Council in Mississippi?

-maintain segregation/white supremacy through economic and social pressure

-impacted African American civil rights efforts

Why did activists focus on voter registration in their efforts to dismantle segregation in the South?

-to help black americans gain political power

-obstacles: literacy tests, poll taxes, intimidation tactics

What was the significance of Medgar Ever's killing?

-underscored racial violence/resistance to racial equality

-also helped spur support for civil rights legislation

Role of white activists in movement that focused on black freedom/what leverage did they bring?

-participated in direct action

-provided political/financial/organizational support

-educated white communities

-leverage came from bridging racial divides and bringing media attention and funds

-mixed feelings about this-good to bridge racial divide but some say this overshadows Black voices

What were reactions to the deaths of Chaney, Goodman, and Schwerner?

-Johnson condemned the violence

-FBI director Hoover expressed indifference

-students organized rallies demanding for justice

What strategies were employed during Freedom Summer to reverse segregation/intimidation/discrimination in Mississippi? How did components of the program connect?

-voter registration drives+educational programs

-various components were interconnected to maximize impact

What tensions/conflicts in the mid-twentieth century democratic process did MFDP expose in its struggle for recognition by the Democratic party?

-MFDP exposed tensions in Democratic process

-challenged exclusionary practices and demanded representation/recognition for African Americans

What did you make of Stevenson's first meeting with the death row inmate, Henry

-tackles stereotypes about death row inmates being scary, dangerous, etc.

-they end up having similar backgrounds and talking for hours

-at the end, Henry sings a religious hymn

-shows humanity of people on death row

Stevenson's grandmother tells him, "You can't understand most of the important things from a distance, Bryan. You have to get close." How do we see Stevenson getting close to issues of punishment and mass incarceration?

-he is literally going to the prisons and talking to the people on death row/people who are a part of mass incarceration

What does Stevenson mean when he says, "Each of us is more than the worst thing we've done?" Do you think that's true?

-he means that people can make mistakes that don't define them

-also, people can change

-I definitely think this is true and also not everyone is perfect but doing 1 bad thing doesn't make you a terrible person

Stevenson concludes that the opposite of poverty is not wealth; the opposite of poverty is justice. What does he mean by this? Do you agree with him?

-Poverty is not just the lack of money and instead is systemic injustice, unequal opportunity and

deprived resources

so, opposite would be fairness, equality

and justice.

-I agree with this

What do you think of Harper Lee's novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, being set in Monroe County, AL? How relevant is it to Just Mercy?

-ironic how people in the town praise the book which is about confronting racial injustice, while many racial issues exists in the present day Monroe County

Why does McMillian's affair with Karen Kelly turn out to be so disastrous for him? What events and people are involved in this problem?

-she is a white woman-controversial

-custody battle with Kelly's Husband

-then, Kelly becomes involved with Ralph Meyers

-Ronda Morrison and Vickie Pittman are murdered; Ralph Meyers and Karen Kelly were implicated, and Ralph testifies that Walter was involved as well

Why did the Monroe County police department consider Ralph Myers a trustworthy witness? How did Bill Hooks support his testimony?

-Meyers was a white man

-would help them make an arrest to appeal to the angry and fearful community

-Bill Hooks said he saw Walter's truck at the crime scene

Stevenson wished he had been more assertive with the police while they were illegally searching his car. Do you think that would have been effective?

-would have made police more angry/suspicious

-based on stories of police brutality, needed to be very careful

How did the senior citizen attending Stevenson's lecture at a church earn his "medals of honor"?

-earned these "medals"(scars) by participating in civil rights movement campaigns

What does it mean to "beat the drum for justice"?

-fight for/persistently advocate for justice

-challenge injustice

Who were Walter's allies? How does his arrest and conviction affect them?

-his family/community, Bryan Stevenson

-they felt frustrated and silenced because people would not listen to the fact that they were physically with Walter at the fish fry on the day of the murder

Walter was poor and black. Would his story have been different if he had been a wealthy black man? A poor white man?

-yes-if wealthy and black, could have afforded a fancy lawyer

-if poor white, likely would not be framed for the murder, or would have more credibility against a nearly all white jury

Describe the 1989 Supreme Court ruling related to death penalty appeals. What impact did that have across the country?

-people who were 16/17 year olds at the time of the crime could still be executed

-disabilities could be considered mitigating factors when considering the death penalty

-overall so many executions for Stevenson to fight

Richardson was a US war veteran with tremendous mental trauma from serving our nation. How should that be factored in his defense?

-should be explained to judge/a key factor introduced in the case, especially based on severity of his PTSD and how much that undermined his ability to manage his behavior

-also, he had no intent to kill

-should thoroughly explain to the judge the effects of mental trauma on behavior

Richardson remarks on frequent offers to help from the prison staff during his final day-what do you make of these offers?

-they felt guilty and only comforted him just as execution was near

-shows system's superficial humanity

-ironic how terribly they treated Richardson at first and suddenly they are nice right before they kill him

What is the origin of "Of the Coming of John"

-Chapter from WEB Du Bois' book

-in book, black man is sent off by his community to study to be a teacher-ends up being killed for disrupting the racial order

-in a way, Stevenson relates to this story, seeing himself as the hope of a marginalized community

While Stevenson is meeting Walter's family, do you think he is confident Walter will be free? How would you act in this situation?

-Being hopeful but not trying to make false hope

-I think he is probably trying to be confident but also be realistic and recognize the systemic racism that exists

-I would show the family how much I want to fight for Walter but wouldn't want to give false hope and have them get crushed in the end

In what ways has the judicial system failed to protect Charlie?

-put him in adult prison where he is raped

-prosecutor convinced judge that he should be tried as an adult at 14

What special circumstances of the murder victim lead to greater struggles for Charlie? Does this seem fair?

-not fair-no matter what, he was still horrible and abusive to Charlie's mother

-victim was a respected police officer

How does Stevenson finally convince Charlie to speak with him?

-puts his arm around him and Charlie starts to shake and cry and tell Stevenson he is being raped in the prison

Why do you think the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals rejected the appeal at the start of the chapter?

-it was easier to falsely accuse Walter than admit to so much corruption in the court

Does Myers seem any more relaible now than when he was put on the stand against Walter?

-a bit more reliable

-still sketchy and I was always worried he would change his mind or go back to accusing Walter

Who were supposed super predators? What evidence did criminologists have in 1991 to support this theory? What role did race play? What do we now know about the validity?

-Super predators are children

-theorists sometimes focused expressly on black/brown childrens, saying soon the elementary kids would bring guns to school instead of lunches

-made this theory based on increasing youth violence as their evidence

-know this is invalid-juvenile population increased and juvenile crime rate declined later

Describe life for Trina, Ian, and Antonio before they were arrested-should that understanding of their backgrounds make a difference in their sentencing?

-Trina-suffered from abuse, impoverished, had intellectual disability, ran away with siblings

-Ian-13, lived on the streets without proper parental supervision

-Antonio-grew up in LA neighborhood plagued with gang violence, abused by father and neglected by mother

-should absolutely consider background-intent, history of abuse/neglect, disability, etc.

-kid should never be put in adult prison, get death penalty, etc

Is justice being served when children are sentenced to die in prison?

-absolutely not

-children's brains have great potential to change/rehabilitate-why make them die in prison?

-for example, in Trina's case she had no intent to kill or anything but her life was ruined-she was even raped and impregnated and that messed up her sons life as well

Does it seem like the judge now believes Ralph Myers

-seems to believe Myers/be engaged and concerned with the situation

What is your impression of Mrs. Williams

-seems very strong and resilient

-upsetting when guard dog brought back painful memories for her and sad to relieve that

-proud when her later attempt to enter courtroom worked

Stevenson remarks on several physical actions he takes during the trial-what are they/why are they effective?

-carefully watches judge's reactions and makes sure he is engaged

-reviews notes as not to forget anything

-takes long pauses to make sure judge is paying attention/words are sinking in

Recount the story of George Daniel/list examples of how he may have been treated unfairly

-mentally ill man who suffered brain damage in car accident that impacted his behavior-hallucinations, erratic behavior, etc.

-police called when he was roaming people's homes, they wrestled him to the ground when the gun discharged and shot the officer

-charged with capital murder

-fraud doctor said he was faking symptoms

-lawyers appointed fought over money for out of court time rather than protecting their client

-prison staff saw him becoming acutely psychotic, eating his own feces, etc. and didn't fight for George

If you were the prison warden where Avery Jenkins was held, would you allow staff to proactively declare political opinions?

-definitely not

-staff should do their jobs and not let political opinions get in the way/impact how they treat inmates

-should treat inmates without bias and not openly show their biases

Who is Dorothea Dix and why is she important to this chapter?

-activist who led successful campaign to get mentally ill out of prison and into mental health facilities to get proper care

-important-chapter highlights rising rates of people with mental illness in jail-unfortunately her work was largely reversed through deinstitutionalization

Did the judge's ruling surprise you?

-yes-based on other cases in the book I was not super hopeful for Walter but I was overjoyed to hear that Walter would be freed

Do you think the 60 Minutes segment hurt or helped Walter's case?

-helped by allowing people to hear the truth instead of assuming Walter was guilty/a murderer

-hurt because local officials discredited the piece, local writers worried it would make people think Walter was innocent, etc.

Walter's unfair incarceration took a permanent toll on his family. Can you relate to Walter's wife's reaction?

-yes-I have sympathy for her

-even the affair would have been enough for me

-hard to go back to normal marriage after so much has changed

-case can turn a person's life upside down