Did Mary, Mother of Jesus, Really Exist

Most first-century Jewish women got little notice in historical accounts. One Jewish woman—the Virgin Mary—who allegedly lived in the first century, is remembered in the New Testament for her obedience to God. Yet no historical account answers the essential question: Did Mary, the mother of Jesus, really exist? The only record is the New Testament of the Christian Bible, which says that Mary was betrothed to Joseph, a carpenter in Nazareth, a small town in the Galilee region of Judea when she conceived Jesus through the action of Gods Holy Spirit (Matthew 1:18-20, Luke 1:35). No Records of the Virgin Mary Its not surprising that there is no historical record of Mary as the mother of Jesus. Given her residence in a hamlet in Judeas farming region, she was not likely from a wealthy or influential urban family with the means to record their ancestry. However, scholars today think that Marys ancestry may be surreptitiously recorded in the genealogy given for Jesus in Luke 3: 23-38, mainly because the Lukan account doesnt match Josephs heritage listed in Matthew 1:2-16. Furthermore, Mary was a Jew, a member of a society subjugated under Roman rule. Their records show that Romans generally didnt care to record the lives of the peoples they conquered, although they took great care to document their own exploits. Finally, Mary was a woman from a patriarchal society under the power of a patriarchal empire. Although certain archetypal female figures are celebrated in Jewish tradition, such as the virtuous woman of Proverbs 31:10-31, individual women had no expectation of being remembered unless they had status, wealth or performed heroic deeds in the service of men. As a Jewish girl from the country, Mary had none of the advantages that would have made it compelling to record her life in historical texts. The Lives of Jewish Women According to Jewish law, women in Marys time were thoroughly under the control of men, first of their fathers and then of their husbands. Women werent second-class citizens: they werent citizens at all and had few legal rights. One of a few recorded rights occurred in the context of marriage: If a husband availed himself of his biblical right to multiple wives, he was required to pay his first wife the ketubah, or the alimony that would be due her if they were to divorce. Although they lacked legal rights, Jewish women had significant duties related to family and faith in Marys time. They were responsible for keeping the religious dietary laws of kashrut (kosher); they began the weekly Sabbath observance by praying over candles, and they were responsible for propagating the Jewish faith in their children. Thus they exerted great informal influence over society despite their lack of citizenship. Mary Risked Being Charged With Adultery Scientific records estimate that women in Marys day achieved menarche somewhere around age 14, according to National Geographics newly published atlas, The Biblical World. Thus Jewish women often were married as soon as they became able to bear children in order to protect the purity of their bloodline, even though early pregnancy resulted in high rates of infant and maternal mortality. A woman found not to be a virgin on her wedding night, signified by the absence of hymeneal blood on the wedding sheets, was cast out as an adulteress with fatal results. Against this historical background, Marys willingness to be the earthly mother of Jesus was an act of courage as well as faithfulness. As Josephs betrothed, Mary risked being charged with adultery for agreeing to conceive Jesus when she legally could have been stoned to death. Only Josephs kindness to marry her and legally accept her child as his own (Matthew 1:18-20) saved Mary from an adulteress fate. Theotokos or Christokos In A.D. 431, the Third Ecumenical Council was convened in Ephesus, Turkey to determine a theological status for Mary. Nestorius, bishop of Constantinople, claimed Marys title of Theotokos or God-bearer, used by theologians since the mid-second century, erred because it was impossible for a human to give birth to God. Nestorius asserted Mary should be called Christokos or Christ-bearer because she was the mother only of Jesus human nature, not his divine identity. The church fathers at Ephesus would have none of Nestorius theology. They saw his reasoning as destroying Jesus unified divine and human nature, which in turn negated the Incarnation and thus human salvation. They affirmed Mary as Theotokos, a title still used for her today by Christians of Orthodox and Eastern-rite Catholic traditions. The creative solutions of the Ephesus council redressed Marys reputation and theological standing but did nothing to confirm her actual existence. Nonetheless, she remains a pivotal Christian figure revered by millions of believers around the world. Sources The New Oxford Annotated Bible with the Apocrypha, New Revised Standard Version (Oxford University Press 1994).The Jewish Study Bible (Oxford University Press, 2004).Mary (mother of Jesus) (2009, December 19), New World Encyclopedia. Retrieved 20:02, November 20, 2010. http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Mary_%28mother_of_Jesus%29?oldid946411.The Biblical World, An Illustrated Atlas, edited by Jean-Pierre Isbouts (National Geographic 2007).The Jewish People in the First Century, edited by S. Safrai and M. Stern (Van Gorcum Fortress Press 1988).

Unilever s Strategy For Sustainable Growth - 912 Words

â€Å"The future depends on what we do in the present ~Mahatma Ghandi†, states Paul Polman, CEO of Unilever. In 2010 Unilever unveiled its very ambitious Unilever Sustainable Living Plan in an effort to â€Å"create a blueprint for sustainable growth† (Unilever.com). Looking forward to an achievable long range plan for growth, Unilever is approaching the plan with hopes of doubling sales through the increased efforts in sustainability. Paul Polman has been quoted stating in 2014, that in three years the company will experience a simultaneous increase in sustainability and profit growth. Profiting off of sustainability could be seen as a controversial issue. Unilever has been accused of profiting off of those less fortunate in an effort to improve the bottom line. Can Unilever’s approach to environmental improvements be seen as a strategic plan for increased sales, corporate social responsibility or both? Acceptable for a for-profit company to profit from proverty? 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Change Management in Blue Marina-Free-Samples-Myassignmenthelp.com

Question: You are required to step into the shoes of the consultant hired by The Blue Marina. Your first task is to write a report addressing the key change issues that can have a significant impact on the implementation of its new business strategy. Answer: Introduction Change management is an important aspect for most organisations as it is the most consistent form of a factor that exists in HR (Attfield 2015). The assignment states the importance of change management and the context in which the changes are made. The type of changes and the reactions of the employees on the changes are analysed. For the purpose of the assignment, a case study is followed that outlines the reasons for maintaining changes in the organisation. The case study focuses on the Blue Marina a family owned restaurant in Italy. The assignment analyses the factors that contribute to the implementation of the changes in the organisation and the manner in which the analysis needs to take place. The analysis is done by considering the external as well as the internal factors that affect the changes in an organisation. In the case of Blue Marina, the external sources for the occurrence of change are analysed. The internal sources are analysed by conducting a SWOT analysis. The na ture of change that is to be implemented in the restaurant is the overall change in the structure of the restaurant. Recommendations are provided that signify the change process required to be undertaken by the manager of Blue Marina to implement the changes. Analysis of the change context The change that is to be undertaken by the mangers of Blue Marina needs to be done by taking into consideration the internal and external factors of the company. To do so it is necessary that a PEST analysis is conducted for analysing the external factors that affect the organisation. The case study provides evidence that Blue Marina has lost a great deal of finance have contributed to a negative point for the organisation. This is mainly because of the lack of quality service provided by the restaurant. The political factor of Italy does not provide any restriction to the entry and establishment of the new restaurant as long as it maintains a sustainable business (Doppelt 2017). Hence, the opening of similar restaurants and a pub have posed a huge threat for Blue Marina. Apart from this, the other negative factor that has contributed to the occurrence of poor profitability within the restaurant is the economic crisis of the country. The emergence of similar business has prompted the restaurant to make changes that can help it to gain recognition and increase the profitability of the business. However, keeping the external analysis in mind it can be said that internal factors also need to be considered before the implementation of changes in the restaurant. According to Cameron and Green (2015), the internal analysis can be done by conducting a SWOT analysis of the company. The analysis shows that the strength of the restaurant lies in the fact that the restaurant can be accessed easily. It is considered as one of the most important aspects that provide a marketing advantage for the restaurant. Apart from this, the restaurant also provides quality service by providing the ordered food within 15 minutes. The menu is fuss-free and diversity is present that helps in the consistent inflow of customers. However, the weakness of the restaurant recently has been its service. This is mainly because of the lack of employees. The restaurant employs relief workers and part-timers that work in double shifts during the weekends. Another weakness is the fact that it has problems in maximising the efficiency and in the reduction of turnover. The biggest threat to the restaurant is the establishment of other similar restaurants in the mall. The economi c fluctuation in the country also is the reason for the loss of profitability. Having analysed this it can be said that proper changes and management can help the restaurant maximise its standards and increase the number of suppliers. Opportunities may emergence to form a joint potential alliance and potential partnership operating in the same industry can be formed (Refer to appendix). Analysis of the nature of change in the Blue Marina Grant (2016) stated that one of the effective ways to ensure that organisational success is attained is by enforcing changes. Change is one of the essential factors that are consistent in the business environment. Changes are made to ensure that the internal and external threats are mitigated and that an organisation can have a successful business. In this regard, it can be said that the nature of change that needs to be implemented varies depending on the situation. As stated by Huang and Bae (2018) the nature of change may be in the form of adopting a new method of doing work or in the introduction of a new product or process. Wyllie (2017) stated that the changes could be in the form of organisational structure wherein, an organisation changes the hierarchy of the work pattern. Changes in personnel policy and in the benefits provided to the employees also play an important role in identifying the nature of changes in an organisation. In this regard, it can be said that the analysis of the case study of Blue Marina signify that the nature of change needs to be in the form of doing the work. It has been seen that the restaurant has witnessed a significant loss of profit due to the unavailability of employees, low economy and threat from the competitors. With the managerial reigns being handed over to Marcel, the restaurant can have significant changes that can help it to mitigate the weakness and the threat it can have. However, the biggest challenge of Marcel is going to be while trying to convince the employees about the changes. As stated by Hayes (2014) the opposition provided by the employees is an important challenge that needs to be faced by the managers. Critically examination the reactions of the employees Kuipers et al. (2014) stated that employees form a united voice to resist changes in an organisation. This is mainly because of the fact that the changes brought about by the management may have contrasting reactions from the employees. The possible reactions that may be seen from the employees working in the Blue Marina are analysed: Fear: As stated by Lozano, Ceulemans and Seatter (2015) fear is one of the most common reactions to changes in an organisation. The thought that changes may bring about a threat to the job security of the employees brings about a sense of fear among them. This may result in the loss of organisations, as the employees cannot provide their full effort while thinking about the changes and its impact on them. In the case of the Blue Marina, one such change that needs to be undertaken is the introduction of new systems. The introduction of the new systems may pose problems to the employees, as they may not have the expertise to use the systems. Anger: Changes that result in the status quo of employees may cause anger among them. This is because the employability of the employees may be at stake and the benefits that are received by them may be stopped because of the anger. The anger of the employees may be visible with the outburst of the employees and the call for strikes and quitting of jobs. The anger of the employees may result in the questioning of the leaders of the company. This can affect the reputation of the organisations (Hornstein 2015). The employees of Blue Marina may show anger with the transferring from one branch to another. Although the seniors are said to have a bigger responsibility in the new branches, the fact that training may be provided to them may create anger. Doubt: Another reaction that may be shown by the employees is that of a doubt. According to Verhulst and Lambrechts (2015), doubts over the managers are cast during changes. This is because the process and policies that are included in the change management mechanism need to be addressed after analysis various sources. The employees lay their doubts based on the resources and capabilities of the organisation. The reason for the implementation of the changes is mostly doubted by the employees as the new set up may pose problems in the smooth functioning of the organisation. In the case of Blue Marina, the employees have doubts over their new manager and the policy adopted by him. As evidenced by the case study, failure of the changes adopted by Marcello may have a negative influence on the restaurant and may degrade it. Enthusiasm: This can be considered as a counter-reaction of the members of the restaurant. The enthusiasm is a form of positive response in which the employees vest their interests in the application of changes in an organisation (Cummings, Bridgman and Brown 2016). The employees may feel the opening of opportunities to improve in the organisation. The changes implemented may help the organisation to increase its productivity and improve its reputation. Employees may also have the opportunity to improve their salary, position and job responsibility. For Blue Marina, the restaurant needs to ensure that the employees are motivated so that the changes can be implemented successfully. The development of a strong brand image can help the employees to remain enthusiast in the organisation. Recommendation According to Worley and Mohrman (2014), the application of Lewins change model is one of the most effective manners in which change can be implemented in an organisation. It is a three-stage model that provides a simplified method of the application of changes in organisations. In the case of the Blue Marina, the three stages that can be used to plan and execute the proposed changes include: According to Lines et al (2015), at the unfreezing stage, an organisation needs to accept the necessity of the change. The employees in Blue Marina need to implement the changes based on the situation of the restaurant. The analysis of the PEST and SWOT signify that the weakness and threats of the restaurant may create huge problems for the restaurant. The freezing stage is usually referred as the uncertainty stage in which the employees remain sceptical about the changes that are implemented. Thus, the employees need to be convinced about the requirement of changes by motivating them and providing them with the assurance that the changes implemented in the restaurant are for the betterment of professional lives of the employees. With the implementation of the change in the restaurant, the managers of Blue Marina can look to provide a new direction towards the happiness of the employees. According to Hussain et al. (2016), such transition cannot be made overnight and require convincing from the part of the managers. The common assumptions that are made by employees need to be mitigated so that the employees can accept the changes as it is meant to be implied. However, it is required that the changes be monitored at all level. The application of the change needs to be such that positive results are received by the restaurant. Burnes (2017) states that the unfreezing stage of Lewin's change model talks about the importance of enforcing the change for a long period of time. T hus, the managers of Blue Marina need to ensure that such monitoring process can be implemented by employing department heads in every branch of the restaurant. Conclusion After the analysis of the assignment and the condition of Blue Marina from the case study, it can be said that the restaurant needs to undergo the proposed changes. In the competitive world, the existence of competitions can pose a huge threat to organisations. Hence, it is necessary that every organisation undertake change at regular intervals to stay ahead of the competitors in the market. In the case of Blue Marina, the restaurant needs to ensure that the application of the change management process has a positive effect on the restaurant. The application of Lewins change management can help the restaurant to implement the changes in a proper manner and ensure that the reactions of the employees are made to be the enthusiast in accepting the changes. References Attfield, R. 2015.Ethics of the global environment. Edinburgh University Press. Burnes, B. 2017. Kurt Lewin: 18901947: The Practical Theorist.The Palgrave Handbook of Organizational Change Thinkers, pp.1-15. Cameron, E., and Green, M. 2015.Making sense of change management: A complete guide to the models, tools and techniques of organizational change. Kogan Page Publishers. Cummings, S., Bridgman, T., and Brown, K. G. 2016. Unfreezing change as three steps: Rethinking Kurt Lewins legacy for change management.human relations,69(1), pp.33-60. Doppelt, B. 2017.Leading change toward sustainability: A change-management guide for business, government and civil society. Routledge. Grant, R. M. 2016.Contemporary strategy analysis: Text and cases edition. John Wiley and Sons. Hayes, J. 2014.The theory and practice of change management. Palgrave Macmillan. Hornstein, H. A. 2015. The integration of project management and organizational change management is now a necessity.International Journal of Project Management,33(2), 291-298. Huang, L., and Bae, Y. 2018. Chaotic Dynamics of the Fractional-Love Model with an External Environment.Entropy,20(1), p.53. Hussain, S. T., Lei, S., Akram, T., Haider, M. J., Hussain, S. H., and Ali, M. 2016. Kurt Lewin's change model: A critical review of the role of leadership and employee involvement in organizational change.Journal of Innovation and Knowledge. Kuipers, B. S., Higgs, M., Kickert, W., Tummers, L., Grandia, J., and Van der Voet, J. 2014. The management of change in public organizations: A literature review.Public administration,92(1), pp.1-20. Lines, B. C., Sullivan, K. T., Smithwick, J. B., and Mischung, J. 2015. Overcoming resistance to change in engineering and construction: Change management factors for owner organizations.International Journal of Project Management,33(5), pp.1170-1179. Lozano, R., Ceulemans, K., and Seatter, C. S. 2015. Teaching organisational change management for sustainability: designing and delivering a course at the University of Leeds to better prepare future sustainability change agents.Journal of Cleaner Production,106, pp.205-215. Verhulst, E., and Lambrechts, W. 2015. Fostering the incorporation of sustainable development in higher education. Lessons learned from a change management perspective.Journal of Cleaner Production,106, pp.189-204. Worley, C. G., and Mohrman, S. A. 2014. Is change management obsolete?.Organizational Dynamics,43(3), pp.214-224. Wyllie, J. H. 2017.European security in the new political environment. Routledge.