APA Essay Format †Most Commonly Used Citations

APA Essay Format – Most Commonly Used Citations Full APA Referencing and Formatting Guide for College StudentsWhat is APA Referencing Style using APA Essay Format?The APA referencing style refers to the American Psychological Association format that is used in colleges and universities around the worlds for writing essays, dissertations, and coursework. It is more common college writing formats in nursing colleges, business-related, or social sciences courses. The latest guide of APA essay format is the 6th edition, and has strict rules on citing a research paper sources, formatting reference lists, and creating chapters, sub chapters, and figures. Below, you will learn how to format your APA essay format using 6th edition and list your sources.General Rules of APA 6th StyleThe main parts of your APA paper are: Title page Abstract (if required) Body of the essay References List of figures (if required) List of tables (of required) Appendices (if required)Title Page in APA Referencing StyleIn APA style, you will need to include a title page that includes the following APA headings section: Title of the paper The author’s name Institution On the title page, you will need to format your header differently than the rest of the paper as follows: â€Å"Running head: TITLE OF YOUR PAPER† on the top right corner of the page. On the rest of the paper, you will only have to include the title, without the â€Å"Running head†.For additional details, you can review a title page template right here:What is an abstract page and how to write good Abstract APAAPA Essay FormatThe abstract of your essay needs to include the page header, and the keywords along with a short synopsis of the essay, in 150-250 words.How to Format Your APA Paper – Essay BodyThe main body of the APA paper has to include headings to correctly format the content. Level 1 headings are centred, bold, and title case. Level 2 headings are aligned left and bold. Level 3 headings are bold, indented, and lowercase, with a full stop at the end. Indent all new paragraphs when introducing a new idea. Do not add extra space between paragraphs.References: APA Bibliography FormatYou always have to include your references in your APA style paper. The general rules of referencing are as follows: Reference all authors consulted writing the paper. List your sources in an alphabetical order Use the following format:APA in text Citation – Referencing StyleGeneral APA referencing rules Provide the page number for all direct quotes, and use quotation marks If direct quotations are longer than 40 words, use a ? inch indentation for the entire quote If you are paraphrasing a statement made by an author, always include the page number. If there are no page numbers as you are citing a website, use the paragraph number instead in the following format: â€Å"para. 1†. Citing more than one source If you would like ot know how to cite more than one source in a sentence apa then remember that you shoudl list all the sources separated by â€Å";†. Referencing work with one author When referencing a work with one author, you simply use their surname. For two authors, connect the two names with a â€Å"&† sign. Referencing multiple authors When mentioning the work of three to five authors, mention all of their surnames the first time, and only write the first author’s name when you mention the same work again, followed by the â€Å"et al.† abbreviation. Make sure that you do not put a period after the â€Å"et†. For six or more authors, always use â€Å"et al.† after the first author’s name from the first instance. Referencing an unkown author When referencing a work from an unknown author, use the title of the paper instead. If the paper is written by an author identified as â€Å"Anonymous†, use this instead of the surname. Referecning personal communication If you are referring to personal communication, reference it with the name, followed by â€Å"personal communication†, and the exact date.Reference Page APA 6th Referencing GuideWhen writing your reference page, make sure you keep an alphabetical order based on the last name of the authors. If you quote multiple sources from the same author, list the references in chronological order. The name of the authors in APA 6th referencing is inverted, therefore, you list the surname first, and the first name second. Use a hanging indentation for each reference, with no indent on the first line and indentation for the following lines that belong to the same source. See an some APA citation examples and reference list below:Listing Special SourcesMotion Pictures APA Referencing List the name of the directors and producers followed by â€Å"(director)† and â€Å"(producer)†, followed by the production date. the title of the movie in Italics, and the location of the file, DVD, online resource, or tape. Music Recordings APA Citation Use the songwriter’s and the singer’s name followed by the year and title, format, and location of the recording. If the recording has a publisher, list this, as well as the city where the music was publisted, Online Periodicals APA Essay format Use the same APA Essay format for listing the source as normal journal articles, however, if there is a DOI assigned, this is required in the reference. If there is no DOI, you must list the url where the article is available, after adding â€Å"Retrieved from†.Word of Caution when Using APA Bibliography FormatWhen citing longer works, such as journals or books, use italics for the title. Do not use quotes for titles, or italicise the title of shorter works. Never abbreviate the name of the journal: always list it as full, with title case. In APA Essay Format 6th edition, not all online journal articles need a URL address, and if you can locate the DOI number, you need to use this instead. Make sure that when you list unpublished manuscripts, you state this in your APA reference list. Check the special requirements for each paper before starting to write your APA paper.Where to Get More Help on How to Write an APA essay?There are so many resources on the web that goes into a lot of detail about APA format. We feel that students struggle the most with time or in the case of dissertation writing, they struggle with coming up with Dissertation Topics. From that point onwards, students can either manage OR for more precise help they can reach out to one of our site qualified writers. Just to give you an example Owl at purdue and their writing lab has done a lot of work to provide good resources. You can check it out by reviewing Owl at Purdue link provided here. In some cases, APA referencing and formatting can be challenging for students, and they come across sources they are not sure how to reference. While Cite This for Me is a good tool, it does not include all types of APA references. our site has several qualified and experienced academic writers, researchers, and guides who are happy to answer your questions. Submit your query on the our site website and get help with APA referencing and formatting. Our friendly writers and support staff are happy to assist you. Related Articles – https://our site.com/journal/2013/03/how-to-use-references-in-your-essays/Do you need help writing your Dissertation? Order Dissertation Today OR Call Now 855-997-2158Summary Article Name APA Essay Format Description Learn how to use APA style to reference using most commonly used sources. Author Laura our site Admin Publisher Name our site Publisher Logo

Field of Social Work in Child Practice

Field of Social Work Practice in Child Welfare Definition of the Field The Encyclopedia Britannica defines child welfare as services and institutions concerned with the physical, social and psychological well-being of children, particularly children suffering from the effects of poverty or lacking normal parental care and supervision (Child Welfare, 2010). Working with children and families is the second largest area of practice for social workers, and it is most popular with those who have a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) Degree (Berg-Weger, 2010).National Organizations Addressing Child Welfare Practice A brief description of The Child Welfare System helps to better understand the role of social workers in this field. Under the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA), The Child Welfare system emerged. Primarily state and local regulated, this system encompasses the primary responsibility of implementing, overseeing and enforcing laws and policies aligned to protect the welfa re of children.Services provided under the child welfare system include the following: †¢ Support or coordinate service to prevent child abuse and neglect †¢ Provide services to families that need help protecting and caring for their children †¢ Oversee the investigation of reports of possible child abuse and neglect †¢ Oversee temporary and foster care of children when safety cannot be assured at home †¢ Support the well-being of children living with relatives or foster families, including ensuring their educational needs are addressed †¢ Oversee family reunification, adoption or other permanent family connections for children and youth leaving foster care Although each state has a public child welfare agency, the child welfare system is not a single entity. Public child welfare agencies often collaborate with private child welfare agencies, community-based organizations and other public agencies to ensure that abused or neglected children receive the services they need. The Children’s Bureau (CB), another national organization, is the first federal agency within the United States (U. S. ) overnment to focus exclusively on the improving the lives of children and families. The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) is a professional organization created specifically for the social work profession and serves to provide information and education to the profession and advocate on behalf of social work professionals (Berg-Weger, 2010). The Social Work Policy Institution (SWPI) is a unit within the NASW whose primary responsibility is to examine issues that relate to social workers and perform research to gather empirical data and statistics that directly and indirectly impact how public agencies and other structures deliver health and human services.The mission of SWPI is to strengthen the voice of social workers in public policy deliberations, inform policymakers through collection and dissemination of information on so cial work effectiveness, and to create a forum to examine current and future issues in health care and social service delivery (Social Work Policy Institute,2012 ). The Role of Child Welfare Social Workers The role of the social worker in the field of child welfare involves a wide variety of settings within the child welfare system which includes direct involvement with an array of external professions and agencies (e. g. courts, law enforcement, psychiatrists, psychologists and other health care delivery team professionals). This collaboration is necessary to better ensure a holistic and efficient resolution approach for clients such that the safety and best interest of the child is always first and foremost; while working toward the goal of family reunification when feasible.The role of the child welfare social worker entails: †¢ On-going follow-ups and investigation of reports of possible child abuse and/or neglect †¢ Meticulous assessments / detailed reports, and recom mendations to courts and other services within the child welfare system †¢ Coordination of supportive child care, parenting classes, and in-home family preservation services †¢ On-going follow-ups, monitoring child and family progress and evaluations of planned outcomes †¢ When applicable, coordination and follow-up of mental health services, counseling and substance abuse treatment †¢ A liaison between client(s)and other multi-collaborative team members In addition, one of the most significant roles of the child welfare social worker is the mandated reporting of child abuse. Social workers have a legal responsibility to report suspicion of any form of child abuse and/or exploitation regardless to whether the information is based on direct or indirect knowledge of incidents.The social worker works closely with local law enforcement agencies and family court systems that rely heavily on the high quality assessments as well as other recommendations from the social worker in order to implement immediate safeguards and/or take immediate action when necessary to remove a child from a harmful or potentially harmful environment. Family preservation and implementing measures that safeguard the child, and acting in the best interest of the child is always the overall goal collectively within the child welfare system and individually for the social worker when making decisions, recommendations and referrals on behalf of a child. Social Problems in the Field Although the field of child welfare encompasses a variety of issues within the practice settings of family services, adoption programs and elementary and secondary school settings, child abuse is one of the most serious issues facing social workers in this field (Berg-Weger, 2010).This issue alone, reported by the SWPI, has created an emotional toll on social workers in the field of child welfare along with a steady increase in caseloads ranging from ten to one hundred and ten cases per social wor ker (The Social Work Career Center, 2012). This makes recruitment and retention in this field an on-going challenge. As front-line workers in the protection of children, social workers in this field are at high risk of becoming victims of violence as they are not usually accompanied by law enforcement during the initial follow-up on reports of abuse. Another area within the child welfare system that creates a social dilemma is the costs associated with child abuse and neglect mainly including hospital care and foster care.The social and economic consequences and costs of child abuse and neglect impact our society both directly and indirectly. The greatest cost being the displacement and offense against children. Professions that Compete with the Field of Child Welfare Political conservations and government cut backs on social reform, media and societal oppositions continue to be a constant challenge to the field of social work in general. Particularly in the field of child welfare, and despite the fortitude of those who remain committed to the client goal of finding families more quickly through safe reunification, adoption, and legal guardianship, the difficult and challenging daily tasks of child welfare social workers are seldom publicly acknowledged unless under scrutiny.Moreover, due to the complexities of the child welfare system, one hundred percent safety for all children is a goal to be achieved, but is rarely attained. Child welfare is a field of practice that is identified by the public as being primarily a social work domain. However, less than thirty percent of child welfare workers have a professional social work degree (BSW or Master of Social Work (MSW)). In some states the number of professional social workers in public child welfare is as low as three percent, with fewer than fifteen percent of states requiring a BSW or MSW degree for any child welfare position (Social Work Policy Institute,2012).In addition, there is a high turnover with the highest turnover rates from those who are hired with the least educational background and training (Social Work Policy Institute,2012). This dilemma creates a higher caseload and workload on those who hold the longest record of remaining in the field. That is, the degreed professionals (Social Work Policy Institute,2012). Job Opportunities According to the U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the number of children under the age of 18 in the U. S. has grown from forty-seven million since 1950 to seventy-three point five million. By the year 2030, this number is expected to grow to eighty-five point seven million.The BLS also estimates the need for 595,000 social workers, with an expected growth of twenty percent employment of child welfare social workers. The average growth rate for all occupations is fourteen percent. The demand for child and family social workers should continue to grow because they will be needed to investigate child abuse cases and to place children in foste r care and with adoptive families. However, growth in this occupation is subject to limited budget constraints at all levels of government which will have impact on closing the gap on the shortage of social workers in this field and overall job opportunities. Salaries vary depending on location, experience and benefits offered.However, the median annual wage as reported by BLS is $40,210 annually (Bureau of Labor and Statistics, 2012). Important Trends The CB reported that in any given year an estimation of one million children come to the attention of the child welfare system. In 2010 an estimated 701,158 children were determined to be victims of abuse and neglect and an estimated 1,537 children died related to child abuse or neglect. As the NASW Center for Workforce Studies states, child abuse and neglect occur in all segments of society, within families from all walks of life, at all income levels, all religious denominations and all racial and cultural backgrounds.These facts in dicate that child welfare requires knowledge and skills in assessment, active engagement, intervention, the use of authority, and an expert ability to negotiate and manage appropriate community resources for an immeasurable client base. This further indicates a need for more comprehensive strategies that target both the recruitment and education of the next generation of professional social workers, and the training of current practitioners. The NASW reports that currently, hiring requirements for social workers in child welfare vary. Targets for action as reported by the SWPI include influencing social work education as a requirement to practice in the field, expanding use of data and research, influencing service delivery, and strengthening policy and practice linkages.The NASW continues to advocate for measures to decrease the shortage of social workers in the field of child welfare social work and to ensure consumers have access to qualified professionals. One such measure to re cruit more degreed child welfare social workers is promoting student loan forgiveness for social work college graduates. For example, while The Higher Education Act has been authorized by Congress to offer loan forgiveness, they have yet to allocate the funds toward this program to pay-off student loans (The Social Work Career Center, 2012). However, the NASW remains vocal on behalf of social workers to get funds appropriated for this program. These are just a few examples of the on-going work to improve working conditions, salaries and other benefits for members of the profession.Other sources include the College Cost Reduction Act of 2007 that also offers a loan forgiveness program that will discharge any remaining educational debt after ten years of full-time employment in public service. These shifts mark significant trends toward improved support of social workers particularly in the field of child welfare, and even more promising employment opportunities for social work gradua tes who are interested in child welfare. Summary A unique aspect in the area of child welfare is working closely and diligently to combat one of the most sensitive issues of our society, that is, the abuse and/or neglect of children. This aspect alone makes the decision to pursue a career in child welfare a most rewarding one but challenging at the same time.The field of child welfare is professionally, emotionally, and personally taxing, and often misunderstood and under-supported. With the reported rates of child population growth and the alarming rates of reported child abuse, the need for well trained and educated social workers is critical to this field of social work in particular. In order to provide adequate and improved support for social workers and the children and families who encompass this field, supportive efforts on the part of state and federal levels, and other organizations like NASW and SWPI helps to offer a more promising outlook and outcomes for all who remain committed to achieve a most difficult task of one hundred percent safety of all children.

Morality, Meet Brave New World Essay

â€Å"The books that the world calls immoral are books that show the world its own shame.†1 Concerning Aldous Huxley’s dystopian novel, Brave New World, readers find themselves thinking the theme of the novel is not of proper conduct and it would not take place in their current world. Brave New World follows a futuristic society, the World State, where citizens are mass-produced and conditioned to suit the ways of the government and the society as a whole. Everyone is born to fit in certain classes and they crave pleasure, order and conformity. John the Savage, the protagonist, is of strict Christian moral codes and is shocked by the government’s control over citizens and their behavior. He rejects their mentality and tries to go against it, with no avail. The citizens’ sexual freedom, conditioning, risky use of drugs, dissolution of families and manipulation of religion to accommodate the society irritates many a moral critic. â€Å"Moral education, which ought never, in any circumstances, to be rational,† is said by a director (Huxley 32). It implies that the leaders do believe in moral education. However, without God or sense, it is they who make the morals. Huxley warns readers of how technology and power in the hands of the government can cause the downfall of man. With the concept of socialist morality in mind, the World State’s power is absolute and citizens follow societal codes and morals whether they like it or not, without a fight. Babies are born and nurtured in the community for the purpose of becoming productive members of the society. Citizens are conditioned to think that everyone is equal and they are made useful for the good of the society and the government. They satisfy themselves through food, sex, clothes, drugs and other entertainment promoting fun and consumption. This ensures the State’s stability. Hypnopaedic (sleep-teaching) messages such as â€Å"Every one works for every one else. We can’t do without anyone†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Huxley 66), and â€Å"Ending is better than mending. The more stitches, the less riches†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Huxley 50) promote the part of socialism where every member of the society must work in a way that benefits the community. The second part promotes  consumerism; people must throw away old possessions and buy newer ones. The State’s ability to satisfy these desires of the people promises economic growth and affluence. Humans are just devices in this social and scientific world, manipulated and controlled by the World State for the good of the community. â€Å"Wheels must turn steadily, but cannot turn untended. There must be men to tend them, men as steady as the wheels upon their axles, sane men, obedient men, stable in contentment,† reasons Mustapha Mond, the World Controller (Huxley 44). This quote entails that this dictatorial government knows what is best for the society, not individuals, and that is why the leaders have set the moral standards. The State maintains power through technology and medical operations which allows citizens to feel so happy, they do not care about personal freedom, thoughts or choices. At the beginning, the Director says, â€Å"Bokanovsky’s Process is one of the major instruments of social stability!† (Huxley 18) The Bokanovsky’s Process is a biological version of Henry Ford’s assembly line. It is a means of churning out test tube babies, who will live and work in a predetermined society. The populace, the social castes and the mental processes of embryos are easier to control due to this process. There is also a lack of individuality with the concept of the assembly line where everyone is indistinguishable and managed by the government to maximize efficiency and profit. Individuality does not represent community to them and therefore, is not beneficial. With the World State’s control over birth, life and death of its citizens, it is able to achieve community amity. Effective people are needed for an effective society. To accomplish this task, definite stability is needed. Progress and science allows the State to create a happy and a superficial world. World Controllers, the leaders of the society, are careful with the use of science and technology. The use of soma, which clouds present reality and makes people experience happy hallucinations, ‘feelies’, hypnopaedia and conditioning machines are tools to promote social stability. It is to keep citizens busy with work and entertainment. In the novel, citizens must go through different kinds of conditioning. â€Å"All conditioning aims at that; making people like their inescapable social destiny,† (Huxley 24) says the Director of Central London Hatchery and Conditioning Centre, where test tube babies, called â€Å"bottle  babies†, are decanted. Members of the society are taught to never be unsatisfied with their jobs, which eliminates individuals going against their â €˜destinies’. In turn, stability is created. Citizens learn through slogans, rhymes and hynopaedic messages to use soma and have sex with countless members of society. The Director shouts triumphantly, â€Å"Till at last the child’s mind is these suggestions and the sum of the suggestions is the child’s mind. And not the child’s mind only. The adult’s mind too – all his life long. The mind that judges and desires and decides is made up of these suggestions. But these suggestions are our suggestions†¦suggestions from the State.† (Huxley 34) They do not realize this but individual thoughts are done away with in the novel. Humans are just followers for the governments who can’t think for themselves because they’ve been conditioned to become that way. Elimination of emotion, families, history and literature also plays a significant part in achieving stability. Mond explains to boys touring the Hatchery, â€Å"Mother, monogamy, romance†¦ What with mothers and lovers, what with the prohibitions they were not conditioned to obey, what with the temptations and the lonely remorses, what with all the diseases and the endless isolating pain, what with the uncertainties and the poverty-they were forced to feel strongly. And feeling strongly and strongly, what was more, in solitude, in hopelessly individual isolation, how could they be stable?† (Huxley 43) Mond says by doing away with things such as mother, monogamy, â€Å"feeling strongly† and other things mentioned in the quote is how stability and harmony is gained in a society. This quote also shows the viewpoint of the World State that all humans must conduct themselves in one way. In the system, members must always remain happy for the sake of social stability. A recent report in Psychology Today concluded, â€Å"The most significant predictor of a person’s moral behavior may be religious commitment.†2 Huxley uses Christian morality to further illustrate the socialist morality of the plot. The religious conviction in man has been evident throughout the ages. The World State recognizes this urge and manipulates it toward the relevance of supporting and indulging society. The State in Brave New World creates a single religion for its people based on Henry Ford, his teachings and his representation of an assembly-line society than based on a Christ, his  teachings and a spiritual God with whom people may communicate by themselves. The services are government-funded and are mandatory, such as, the Solidarity Service, which is a parody and a substitution of the Christian Communion Service. The song of the service goes like this, â€Å"Ford, we are twelve; oh, make us one, Like, drops within the Social River; Oh, make us now together run†¦Orgy-porgy gives release.† (Huxley 74) This gives readers an idea about of the control the government has on religion and sexual practices. Though trivial, it is an example of a religion the World State forms to keep citizens in line and in accord. The phrase, â€Å"Ford, we are twelve; oh, make us one†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Huxley 74) summons Ford and reinforces the lack of individuality where humans are the same as items on the assembly line. Twelve members are the same as one, without any difference. This service gives release of emotions, a human nature the World State had not been able to stop through conditioning. It is advantageous as it does not pose a threat to power and control of the State. Karl Marx is quoted to have said, â€Å"Religion is the opiate of the people.†3 He means to say that religions are organized to relieve people’s anxieties about their personal responsibilities for the unfairness in life. In the novel, it is soma that is substituted for religion. Mond refers soma as, â€Å"Christianity without tears†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Huxley 185) Soma allows the public to feel at ease than the sadness and guilt caused by Christianity. Their act of prayer is taking in soma and they feel fulfilled and happy. In Brave New World Revisited, Huxley states that soma is the religion of the people.4 It can be said that the citizens of the World State are very religious in adhering to moral standards organized by the government for themselves. With the caste system strict and firm, authority in the World State is not questioned nor challenged. As a group, members fear and respect the government and would never go against it. Members may feel dissatisfied with their way of living. When the Director asks Bernard, â€Å"†¦ can you show any reason why I should not now execute the judgment passed upon you?’, Bernard answers with a confident â€Å"Yes, I can.† (Huxley 121) He proceeds to present the Director his son, John. Having a son goes against all the social morals taught by the World State. Although Bernard did not act in an anarchist fashion, he took a small step towards being disrespectful to and humiliating  a man of authority. John the Savage does not like what he sees. With â€Å"O brave new world† resonating in his head, John cries out for people at the Park Lane Hospital of Dying to stop taking the soma rations. He attempts to throw out the soma through the window and asks the people to choose freedom (Huxley 168). John hadn’t been able to go against the government. Although chaos doesn’t fully place take and seeds of confusion have been planted in the society, the government is still in control. The goals of morality, as described by C.S. Lewis, are to ensure fair play and harmony between individuals, help form good people to have a good society and keep them in a good relationship with the power that is responsible for creating them. By their motto of â€Å"Community, Stability, Identity† (Huxley 18), the Brave New World achieves these goals, given through questionable methods. The State’s ability to satisfy needs and wants of the public through entertainment, work and consumption leads to stability and economic growth for society. The government’s different conditioning techniques, intentional drug use, manipulation of religion and view that everyone belongs to and works for everyone else are used to benefit society in creating useful citizens. The consequences are a loss of dignity, values and emotions – in short, a loss of humanity. This is the idea of extreme socialist morality that takes place in the book. This version of society reflects the current society’s economic values – individual happiness is the satisfaction of his or her needs and success of growth and prosperity. The social moral codes of Brave New World create a superior society where people cooperate instead of compete. Although some critics and readers may think this is accomplished through wrong conduct, this may be what our current society strives for. WORKS CITED 1. Oscar Wilde. â€Å"Oscar Wilde Quotes†. Thinkexist.com. 2006. Thinkexist.com. 2. Morality By Design. Allaboutphilosophy.org 3. Religion: An Opaite of People?† www.ancientdays.net 4. Brave New World Revisited 5. atheism.about.com Brave New World by Aldous Huxley â€Å"Moral Criticism of Brave New World.† Associated Content. News, 2007

Christianity and Islam Essay

A few months ago, when a Vatican official announced that Catholicism was surpassed by Islam as the world’s largest faith, many news agencies around the world carried what seemed to have been a largely unnoticed issue for this present generation – religion. At least for some time, renewed debates about whether or not one should indeed consider Islam as a religion that commands world’s largest followers surfaced one after another. The issue many people think should not be dismissed is the fact that Christianity – a religion which combines an array of all its offshoots namely Roman Catholicism, Orthodox, Protestantism, Anglicanism, Evangelicals, among others – still has the largest adherents compared to any other religion, including Islam. Even if Christianity may be broken down into some larger or other smaller denominations, many people subscribe to idea that since all Christians root their belief in Christ, one must take them as belonging to a singular religion, the largest in the world to be exact. To consider Christianity as a single religion involves rounds of new separate debates. Surely, when the differences between the mainstream Christian blocks and the thousand of other minor denominations are brought into the fore, their respective beliefs will manifest diversity, resemblance, opposition, and even contradiction. Tedious as this process may appear, one may not yet consider the fact that even in the Islam religion itself there are further classifications of membership that must be taken into careful account. Again, it is legitimate to inquire whether it is proper to take Islam as a unitary religion, or they too must be broken down into their finer types. As one may correctly observe, inner divisions within the world’s largest religions – Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, etc. – appear to be a fundamentally given fact. One can perhaps inquire whether it is possible to identify a major religion with millions, if not a billion of adherents, which does not have any, or have not suffered from any inner rift at any given point of its history. It may be interesting to ask therefore, what accounts for the eventual internal fall out of world religions in history? Better yet, how must we attempt to understand what happens in a religion that has been divided into smaller aggregate types in the course of history? II. Rationale and Scope This brief study presents a case for divisions transpiring within world religions. But since the scope of studying the issue is broad (considering that there are many major world religions to cite), this research shall be restricted at tackling Christianity and Islam as chosen types. Specifically, the study shall describe the events that transpired during the Catholic-Protestant divide of the mid 1500’s for Christianity, and the Shiite-Sunni divide for Islam. To be sure, there are other identifiable divisions which can be noted in the history of Christianity. While there are small schisms involving â€Å"heretics† who refuse to accept fundamental Christian teachings, Christianity is said to have been divided into two major blocks during the 11th century. It produced the dichotomization between the Roman Catholics and the Eastern Orthodox, which until the present still exists. For the purposes of limiting this study, the Christian division which shall be discussed in this study shall dwell on the Luther-led Reformation of the 1500’s. Meanwhile, it is also insightful to note even in the Islam religion, there have been various types of smaller divisions and schisms. For the purposes of this study too, the rift between the Shiites and the Sunnis that was created in the early years of Islam religion shall be the one in focus. A short analysis and interpretation of the sample religions used shall comprise the conclusion of this study. III. Discussion Proper a. Nature of Religion Before relating the events defining the divisions that were experienced both by Christianity and Islam, it will be helpful to cite some theories to help explain the dynamics of religion. This is important since it shall provide a working perspective which is to be used later on in the analysis. Religion is a phenomenon which may be understood in many ways. Basically speaking, it refers to the common innate feeling or â€Å"belief in a Supreme Being† (McCutcheon, 2007, p. 22). Religion obviously stems from a belief that there is a higher being that must be worshiped or adored. But religion does not pertain to kind of personal belief alone. It also describes how a believer finds the need to belong to a community which shares the same belief, and thus obey a given set of rules within it. Thus, another definition for religion may also be expressed as a â€Å"unified system of belief and practices relative to sacred things† which â€Å"unites (believers) into one single moral community† (McCutcheon, 2007, p. 22). Combing both definitions enable one to fully appreciate the fact that religion pertains to both a personal ascent to God, and a commitment to a community, a set of rules and a specific set rituals. When seen under the lenses of scientific inquiry (e. g. anthropology, sociology, philosophy, etc. ) religion reveals patterns and dynamism consistent with human belief system, knowledge, interest and relationships. This means that religion is molded into the belief system of the believers. For instance, if Christians hold that Christ in his lifetime was compassionate to the poor, it follows that they too, since they follow Christ, must do something good for their less fortunate brethren. Or if Moslems take Mohammad as their example, and Mohammad was a deeply spiritual man, they too must not take spirituality lightly in their lives. Religious mindset is committed to certain courses of action (Slater, 1978, p. 6); and these actions are meaningful only because believers draw their identities from a person or a belief system they embrace – be it the Lordship of Christ, or the greatness of the Prophet Muhammad (Slater, 1978, p. 82). This is one of the primary reasons why religions possess their â€Å"continuing identities† (Slater, 1978, p. 82). So long as a group of Christians identify themselves to the teachings of their religion, say Catholic Church, they will remain to be Catholics. As indeed, so long as a group of Moslems identify themselves to the teachings of their religion, say Shiite group, they will remain to be identified with it. What explains the shift in a belief system is when one cannot anymore identify either with a teaching, or specific religious structures. It is a general rule that key to a religion’s perpetuity is establishing an identity. When people start to feel alienated with what they used to hold or believe it, it can explain why a group of believers create their own groups to accommodate their otherwise alienated belief system. To help establish the point, it may be good to lay down two glaring examples. b. The Shiite-Sunnis Divide Islam was born at least five hundred years after Christianity was already an institutionalized religion. But what started out only as a small community following Muhammad, Islam grew in exponential proportion in just a short span of time. Within the rapid growth came bitter disputes and eventual breakaways. Although Islam is a religion which does not readily recognize that there are divisions within them, scholars are almost unanimous in agreeing that some factions already broke from within the Moslem community dating back to the days when the religion itself was merely beginning to be established. In a sense, Islam is a religion broken down into at least two major divisions even before it got to be formally established as a religious phenomenon. It all started when a certain man named Muhammad, who by the way was born in 570 to a very poor family, begun to attract followers after experiencing visions and revelations (Renard, 1998, p. 7). His reputation spread in neighboring places, and soon found himself at odds with ruling empires for the large number of followers he had gathered. After this increasingly expanding community finally settled in Mecca in 630, Muhammad would die two years after (Renard, 1998, p. 7). His death would then see his community figure in a prolonged tug-of-war for rightful succession, and would officially begin the drift within the newly established religious community. One group claimed that Muhammad chose his rightful successor in the person of his son named Ali before he died. The other group contested the claim and said, no instructions were made by the Prophet whatsoever. Instead, they held that it was appropriate for to appoint leaders themselves, and eventually chose Abu Bakr, Muhammad’s father-in-law, as the first of the four caliphs (meaning head), to rule the Islam community. Those who embraced the leadership of Ali were eventually known as the Shiites, while the followers who believed Abu Bakr’s caliphate eventually came to be known as Sunnis. As such, the neat separation within the just-emerging Islamic religion has been established. Since it exists up until today, it can be described as the â€Å"largest institutional division within the Muslim community† so far (Renard, 1998, p. 13; Ayoub, 2004, 72). c. The Catholic-Protestant Divide The era that colored the Catholic-Protestant divide was a Church marred with controversies, silent disenchantment and an ever growing discontent among Christian faithful. As history would show, it was through and because of Martin Luther – and his whole ebb generating protests against the Church – that the radical break from Catholicism was to be established. But hundreds of years before the supposed break, there had already been numerous events that point to the restlessness within the membership of the Church which it tried to quell. What were the controversies about? As early as the 1300’s, roughly two hundred years before Luther was born, an ordained priest by the name of John Wycliffe started to publish series of attacks against some of the major teachings and traditions of the Church. In 1372, he was summoned and reprimanded by Church authorities for his teachings that dwelled on the following: his denial of the doctrine of transubstantiation (a belief that the bread and wine used in celebrating the Eucharist is transformed into the real body and blood of Christ), attacks on the authority of the Pope as the head of the Church, corrupt practices within the Church, and emphasis on preaching and the use of Scriptures for teaching the doctrines of the Church (Cook, 2008, p. 95). Wycliffe probably represented the first courageous voices which tried to confront what’s wrong with the Church. In fact, he did try to raise legitimate concerns about both the divisive doctrines and lamentable discipline which the Church at that time practiced. Years after, Luther would pick up from where his predecessors had left out. In 1517, he released his Ninety-Five Theses to the public – a collection of ninety-five protests against many Church teachings – both doctrinal and moral – and Church practices, such as indulgences (spiritual merits obtained in return for monetary donations), celibacy (the promise for priests not to marry), Eucharist, among others (Cook, 2008, p. 100). Since the general religious atmosphere at that time was already ripe for reforms, his ninety-five theses were easily duplicated and spread throughout the German empire – a testament, as it were, to a huge popular support he enjoyed for the risks he took. Luther’s break from the Church was formally established when he burned the Papal bull Exsurge Domine (a decree which threatened him of excommunication if he did not recant his protests) in front of many people in a public square (Cook, 2008, 101). After which, he did subsequently ask the authorities of the German kingdom to support his cause for Church reform. Luther is remembered as a man who broke the Catholic Church apart. True enough, even before he died, he already saw the far reaching effects of his call for reforms he perhaps initially did not intended to jumpstart. Thanks to Luther, Christianity would never be the same again. The â€Å"Germany after (the) Reformation† movement in the mid 1500’s became a home to a new breed of Christians who came to be branded as Lutherans, Calvinist, Reformers, or even Protestants (Pennock, 2007, p. 168). In principle, Luther earned the reputation of being an agent of division within the Christian religion. IV. Conclusion To be sure, Christianity and Islam are not the only major religions in the world which had suffered a kind of break-up from within. Religious divisions are commonplace, and that variations sprouting from within large communities may be brought about by various factors. When divisions occur, one normally observes that differences pertaining to a host of issues including (but not limited to) doctrines, practices, or even recognized leadership become patent. As earlier mentioned, the dynamics of religion may help explain why a feeling of alienation (or a loss of identity) can push a believer or a group to break-away from mainstream religion to form their own set of practices and norms independently. Christianity and Islam were taken as exemplifications. In the points that were developed, it was seen that they share a history with lots of bitter disputes, which in turn led to an eventual division. But both religions suffered from internal rifts quite differently as well. Islam’s division was more political in nature, as two major factions with their respective claims to rightful succession to their now-dead Prophet-leader tore the emerging community apart – thus, the Sunnis and the Shiites. Christianity on the other hand, after experiencing many breakaway groups in the course of history, had to suffer yet another major blow from internal disputes led by Martin Luther in the 1500’s on account of doctrine and practices. What followed was a Christian religion torn once again, which ushered the creation of a big faction named Protestants. Religious divisions can be put under rigorous inquiry. There are viewpoints that consider these divisions as something that separate one group after another, while there are those who propose to see the same divisions as something that merely distinguish (but not separate). While the two viewpoints may be valid in their respective senses, this study places much interest not on their â€Å"distinguishability† or â€Å"separability†, but on the fact that, truly, religious divisions from within happen. References Ayoub, M. (2004). Islam. Faith and History. Oxford: Oneworld. Cook, C.. (2008) The Routledge Companion to Christian History. New York: Routledge. McCutcheon, R. (2007). Studying Religion. An Introduction. London: Equinox. Pennock, M. (2007) This is Our Church. A History of Catholicism. Notre Dame, Indiana: Ave Maria Press. Renard, J. (1998)101 Questions and Answers on Islam. New York: Paulist Press. Slater, P. (1978). The Dynamics of Religion. Meaning and Change in Religious Traditions. San Francisco: Harper and Row. (Also consulted) http://ca. news. yahoo. com/s/capress/080330/world/vatican_muslims

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