Cultural myth in once upon a Quinceaera by Julia Alvarez Assignment

Cultural myth in once upon a Quinceaera by Julia Alvarez - Assignment Example Just as the cultural myth of gender roles is describe in the article â€Å"True Women and Real Men† in the book Rereading America, Alvarez explores the categories of gender as they are constructed by the society. She uses social research, the quinceanera story of a girl named Monica, her personal experience and history to explore the cultural myth of gender roles. This paper will describe how the cultural myth of gender roles is presented as one that enforces the differences between women and men in Once Upon a Quinceanera: Coming of Age in the USA. Ideally, Once Upon a Quinceanera: Coming of Age in the USA pushes readers to question the cultural perceptions of gender as embedded in rites of passage rituals. Having left the Dominican Republic at the time she would have had her own quinceanera, Alvarez examines how gender is perceived among girls who are not sure themselves of the significance of the ritual. The cultural myth of gender roles is deeply entangled with the identities of individuals as determined by the cultural values they have internalized from infancy. In her book, Alvarez neither presents arguments for gender superiority nor inferiority but, rather, presents the case as typically perceived by the Latina community. The clear message embodied in the quinceanera concept as opined in Alvarez’s book is that the Latina girl is expected to get married, devote herself to her husband and have children. In the US, as Alvarez implies, a quince (or Latina girl coming of age) is exceedingly dramatized and the scenario often entails the parents overspending in what seems to be advertising their daughter for marriage. Symbolically, during the ceremony, the young girl is dressed much like a bride. Then her father changes her flat shoes with high heels, claims the first waltz and passes her on to an uncle, brother or grandfather and finally an escort. Ideally, it is a wedding rehearsal just short of a

Development of Artificial Sweat Experiment

Development of Artificial Sweat Experiment 3.0 Literature Review : 3.1 Biosensor The terminology for biosensor is usually used for equipment or devices used to monitor the metabolic system or element of biomocules. In addition, the particular term used, is referring to a sensor that uses a biological element, such as enzymes, antibodies, DNA, microorganisms or cell. Besides that, based on the IUPAC,it state that biosensor is an integrated equipment that have the capability to give a good analytical data and information in terms of qualitative and quantitative by using the element of biological recognition that interact with the transducer. Figure 1.1 and 1.2 show the schematic diagram. Gambar Rajah dalam buku 3.1.1 Structural Component of Biodetection The partition in a biosensor that can operate with optimum condition consists of 3 components which are, (a) Bio-recognition elements, where the biomolecules are being placed and integrated which normally known as the immobilization on the surface of sensor, (b) Transducer or Detector devices, where the electrochemical and optical transduction occurs, (c) Processing Signal. Gambar rajah dalam buku 3.1.2 Immobilization Bioreceptor In the development of biosensors, the bioreceptors or biomolecules are important in selectively and add with the sensitivity to certain analytes, to ensure that they need to be situated and connected with a transducer in order to achieve the effectiveness of the biosensor in detecting certain analyte. The immobilization bioreceptor’s techniques involves, Adsorption, Microencapsulation, Entrapment, Covalent Attachment and also Cross-Linking. (gambar rajah dalam buku) 3.1.3 Performance of Biosensor In the development of biosensors, things that should be emphasized is the operated performance of the biosensor in detecting analytes. The biosensor performance covers the aspects of the selectivity, sensitivity, accuracy, solution conditions, the â€Å"responds time† ( tr), the â€Å"delay time† (td) and also the â€Å"lifetimes†. 3.1.4 Application Related to Smart Wearable of Biosensor For Sweat Sensor There are various types of application in sensors that already applicable in the market, such as Smart Bra, Thick-film textile-based amperometic sensors and biosensors, Global Positioning System, Wireless Hands-free Communication, Smart Shirt and the most important sensor, is Smart Sensor that will be discussed in this research. (gambar smart patch) 3.2 Sweat Generally, we know that sweat is excreted by sweat glands while the other term in this review, define the term for human sweat as nonexercise-induced eccrine (thermoregulatory) sweat which is secreted by healthy person and but not focusing on the Apocrine. A person, body region, diet, season, degree of acclimation, activity level ,race ,gender ,and also the sampling techniques can give high possibility affect to the variety in the composition of sweat between an individual. (Buckley and Lewis, 1960; Shirreffs and Maughan, 1997; Patterson et al., 2000, 2002; Hayden et al., 2004; Morgan et al., 2004; Shirreffs and Maughan, 1997; Jacobi et al., 2005; Robinson and Robinson, 1954). 3.2.1 Composition of Sweat : Human sweat is composed of highly variable amounts of primary electrolytes, ionic constituents, organic acids and carbohydrates, amino acids, nitrogenous substances, and vitamins and miscellaneous constituents (Fig. 1). Sweat is 99.0–99.5% water and 0.5–1.0% solids (half inorganic and half organic), with specific gravity of 1.001– 1.008 (Robinson and Robinson, 1954; Rothman, 1954; Spector, 1956; Geigy, 1970, 1981; Altman and Dittmer, 1974; Agache and Candas, 2004). Nevertheless, this research report only focusing in the electrolyte, organic acids and carbohydrates and also pH. 3.2.1.1 Electrolytes In general, concentrations of electrolytes in sweat were highly changeable and can assume to be countless. The major constituents of electrolyte were Na and Cl, and the minority amounts were consists of Ca, K, and PO4 (Robinson and Robinson, 1954; Rothman, 1954).In addition, there was reported in a journal that stated, the concentrations of primary electrolytes in the 45 formulations of artificial SSFL which were generally within ranges for human sweat. Unfortunately, median value were not be equivalentl to human sweat.There was lot of formulations lacked of many of the electrolytes present in human sweat (Fig. 1a). In such a case, some are as minimal as a solution of Na and Cl ions (Chiba et al., 1997; Mawn et al., 2005) while there was also occurred among the 45 formulations of artificial SSFL, 7 lacked Na ,8 lacked Cl, 41 lacked Ca, 38 lacked K, 44 lacked Mg, 34 lacked PO4, and all lacked HCO3 (Table 1). 3.2.1.2 Organic acids and carbohydrates The summary in Fig. 1c was shown the measurement of the concentrations of organic acids and carbohydrates which was reported in human sweat. (Mickelsen and Keys, 1943; Robinson and Robinson, 1954; Rothman, 1954; Kuno, 1956; Spector, 1956; Elze and Oelsner, 1957b; Reed, 1969; Geigy, 1970, 1981; Altman and Dittmer, 1974; Kaiser et al., 1974; Stu ¨ttgen and Schaefer, 1974; Goldsmith, 1999; Guyton and Hall, 2000; Agache and Candas, 2004).However, Lactic acid was plentiful of these constituents and its average constitutes was 0.28% of sweat (Spector, 1956; Altman and Dittmer, 1974). Besides that, by reffering to the published Journal of SSFL, acidity of SSFL was due to the high concentrations of both lactic acid and pyruvic acid (Agache and Candas, 2004). The concentrations of organic acids and carbohydrates in 45 artificial SSFL formulations are also summarized in Fig. 1c. The concentration of lactic acid and glucose in artificial SSFL formulations were generally within ranges outlined for human SSFL. 3.2.1.3 pH The measurement of pH values for whole body are summarized in Table 2 (median = 5.3). Values of whole body sweat in Table 2, are from a very acidic pH 2.1 (Haudrechy et al., 1997) to an alkaline pH 8.2 (Altman and Dittmer, 1974). There was might be a variety of sweat pH during a period of sweating, either it become less acidic or more acidic (Robinson and Robinson, 1954) and by body region (Collins, 1957). In order to analyze the effects of alkaline sweat, an investigation had been done by using the pH greater than 7. (Jordinson, 1941; Collins, 1957; Brown et al., 1982; Emmett et al., 1988, 1994; Wainman et al., 1994; Schimper and Bechtold, 2005.Due to the various in sweat pH, many investigators have studied dissolution of a test article over a range of pH values (Gallay and Tapp, 1941; Collins, 1957; Brown et al., 1982; Hemingway and Molokhia, 1987). 3.2.2 Physiology of sweat There are two main types of sweat gland, apocrine and eccrine. Apocrine glands are the largest and they produce a viscous sweat containing lipids, cholesterol and steroids [12,13]. Eccrine glands operate almost the whole body and its amount between 2 and 4 million glands in adult skin. Thermoregulation is regulated by the eccrine sweat glands that helps in maintaining a constant body temperature, and hypothalamus become the centre in controlling the physiological sweat with normal rate of secretion ranging from 0.5 to 1mL/min. The characteristics of sweat is a clear hypotonic, and odourless fluid which consists of sodium, chloride, urea, lactate, organic and non-organic compounds [16]. The acidic nature of the excreted sweat is due to transportation and reabsorbing processes, which are relied on the physiological conditions that occur in the duct [17]. For instance, Patterson et al. has proven that the increased blood and sweat pH through the ingestion of sodium bicarbonate is caused by the induction of metabolic alkalosis. However, it is thought and assumed, this is because of the reduced sweat acidification in the reabsorbtive duct of the sweat glands. Furthermore, the relationship of sweat pH to sweat rate [9,15] and even for relationship of pH and sodium (Na+) levels in isolated sweat glands shown that they are directly proportional to each other. It is known that induce active sweating in human beings will give affect to the heat, mental stimuli, muscular exercise and carbon dioxide [20,21] as the sweating is continued to occur as long as the stimulation lasts and subsides quickly after it ends.. 3.2.3 Sweat collection and analysis The characteristics of sweat sampling and the special samples it requires deserve discussion separated from analysis that can be either different or similar to that in other biofluids. Nowadays, the purposes of sweat analysis are used even in optimizing the performance of athletes by studying the effects of dehydration but in the diagnosis of disease, detection of drug abuse, a method for testing deodorants .In addition, there are a lot of availability of different methods for the purposes of sweat collection and testing. However, the original method to test the components of sweat after exercise was revealed by using the whole bodywash down technique. Hence, all fluids lost during the aerobics are being stored for analysis [18].The following method was, sweat collection devices consisted of an occlusive bandage formed by one-to-three layers of filter paper, gauze or towel [5]. However, this kind of patch was time-consuming to apply, uncomfortably large, prone to detachment and yielded a small volume of sweat for analysis. In addition, it was found to alter the steady-state pH of the skin, the types of bacteria that colonize the skin and the transport characteristi cs of the skin, producing skin irritation [6]. To overcome these difficulties, non-occlusive sweat collection devices were developed, consisting of an adhesive layer on a thin transparent film of surgical dressing to which a absorbent pad and the overall being attached to the arm radial region. The transparent film just allow oxygen, water and carbon dioxide to pass through the patch, leaving healthy the underneath skin and prevents from the penetration of the non-volatile substances from the environment [5] .During wearing of the patch, sweat saturates the pad and slowly concentrates it, sweat components are retained, while water evaporates from the patch, thus misleading results of chloride concentration. Hence, its design does not allow to quantatize the concentrations of analytes in sweat, since the whole volume of secreted sweat is unknown. However, there is a commercial devices for sweat sampling are usually linked to subsequent determination of a given analyte by a dedicated instrument into which the sampler is inserted, as is the case with sweat collection for diagnosis of CF [10]. A recent, no validated sampler for a given application that circumvents sweat-volume related problems and fulfills the present trend to microdevices is a microstrip impregnated with a dye pH indicator [11]. A key aspect of sweat sampling is its noninvasive character, crucial in dealing with people such as hemophiliacs, blood sampling of whom is an either difficult or dangerous task. Sweat sampling can avoids risk of infections to patients who need daily analysis, rather than compared with urine, sweat sample preparation is less complex. Therefore, the use of sweat for commonly frequent analysis practices such as drug control in athletesis preferable. In short, sweat as clinical sample is almost free from impurities or interferents and sample preparation is simple and fast step is quite enough. The main limitations of sweat as clinical sample are the difficulty to produce enough sweat for analysis, sample evaporation, lack of appropriate sampling devices, need for a trained staff, and errors in the results owing to the presence of pilocarpine. In dealing with quantitative measurements, the main drawback is normalization of the sampled volume. Later on, the method has been discovered within the framework to produce results with a high coefficient of variation, which has lead to the development of sweat collection patches or capsules [22]. For instance, a disposable sweat collector developed by Brisson et al. that consisted of capsule created inside a flexible adhesive membrane pasted onto the skin [23]. After that, these collected samples are then stored at low temperatures for later analysis in a laboratory. Now, the pH of sweat can only be determined when the subject has already finished exercise and does not give any changes in the results which might occur between the beginning and end of an exercise session. Therefore, it can be validate that a real-time, wearable method of gathering and analysing sweat is preferable and in demand. Generally, this paper explains about the Development of Smart Patch with On-line Sweat Analysis .Besides that, artificial sweat has been chosen as it is an easily accessible fluid sample. The expected applications of this system for the personal health and sports performance and training. 3.2.3.1 Sweat analysis Sweating is naturally increased by nervousness, exercise, stress and nausea, and decreased by cold. Sweat excretion is also affected by other factors, such as ambient temperature, relative humidity, body location, hormonal imbalances, overactive thyroid gland and the sympathetic nervous system, and certain foods and medications A potential, general personal use of sweat is the recently developed smartphone application for in situ colorimetric detection, in prepared microchips, of pH changes in sweat correlated with chloride concentration and sweat rate which, during physical exercise, can indicate to users the proper time for hydratation [11]. 3.2.3 Artificial Sweat : 3.2.3.1 Historical of Artificial Sweat : The term artificial sweat is used throughout this review and encompasses historically used terms such as ‘‘artificial sweat,’’ ‘‘acidic artificial sweat,’’ ‘‘artificial perspiration,’’ ‘‘synthetic perspiration,’’ ‘‘synthetic sweat,’’ ‘‘sweat simulant,’’ and ‘‘simulated sweat.’’. 3.2.3.2 Benefits of a comprehensive artificial sweat Historical formulations of artificial sweat do not appear to have been characterized and often lacked many constituents present in human sweat. However, only four artificial formulations included more than one amino acid. No vitamins were included in any previous formulation of artificial sweat. Among all historical formulations, one of the most chemically comprehensive recipes was developed by Boman et al. (1983) but contains only select electrolytes, ionic constituents, organic acids, and amino acids. The novel formulation presented herein contains the known human sweat constituents at physiologically relevant levels which provides for a more accurate representation of human than previous artificial sweat models. Our novel artificial sweat formulation with composition that matches human is a chemically complex solvent. Preparation of this artificial sweat requires time and costs not associated with simpler formulations containing only the main constituents of sweat. However, caution must be used when excluding constituents. 3.2.3.3 Comparison to human sweat During formulation, we first balanced all ionic constituents and electrolytes except sodium and chloride. Additionally, concentrations of many human sweat constituents vary widely due to factors such as age, diet, season, degree of acclimation, and gender, making it difficult to design an artificial sweat solution that is universally valid. The artificial sweat formulation described in this paper is chemically more comprehensive than any of the 45 previously identified artificial sweat formulations and contains constituents that are nearly all present in concentrations that match median values in human sweat. However, in our review (Stefaniak and Harvey, 2006), we provided estimates of human sweat constituent concentration ranges, pH, and temperature variability that could be used to guide investigations of the relative importance of sweat factors on interactions with materials. In summary, our artificial sweat, represents a novel comprehensive artificial sweat at median constituent concentrations which equivalent to humans. (Stefaniak et al., in press),

george gershwin :: essays research papers

In 1910, the Gershwins had acquired a piano for Ira's music lessons, but George took over, successfully playing by ear. He tried out various piano teachers for two years, then was introduced to Charles Hambitzer, who acted as George's mentor until Hambitzer's death in 1918. Hambitzer taught George conventional piano technique, introduced him to the music of the European masters, and encouraged him to attend orchestral concerts. (At home following such concerts, young George would attempt to reproduce at the keyboard the music he had heard). He later studied with classical composer Rubin Goldmark. His 1916 novelty rag "Rialto Ripples" was a commercial success, and in 1918 he scored his first big national hit with his song "Swanee". In 1924, George and Ira collaborated on a musical comedy, Lady Be Good. It included standards as "Fascinating Rhythm" and "The Man I Love." This was followed by Oh, Kay! (1926); Funny Face in (1927); Strike Up the Band (1927 & 1930); Girl Crazy (1930), which introduced the standard "I Got Rhythm"; and Of Thee I Sing (1931), the first musical comedy to win a Pulitzer Prize. It was in Hollywood, while working on the score of The Goldwyn Follies, that George Gershwin collapsed and, on July 11, 1937, died of a brain tumour. He was interred in the Westchester Hills Cemetery, Hastings-on-Hudson, New York. Gershwin had a ten-year affair with composer Kay Swift. Swift was a frequent consult of Gershwin; he named the musical Oh, Kay after her. Posthumously, Swift arranged some of his music, transcribed some of his recordings, and collaborated with Ira on several projects. Gershwin died intestate and all his property passed to his father.

Sustainability and Waste Management

Waste Management Sustainability is very important when it comes to our environment and the removal of our waste. Why should we remove our waste properly and what are the benefits of removing of it properly? For starters leaving waste in the environment can seriously damage wildlife kill major ecosystems and so on, not to mention the unsightliness of it and smell in our homes and neighborhoods. There are also great benefits to removing waste properly like cost to an individual it can help you save a lot of money.It will keep are environment clean and full of life and leave the earth better for future generation. There are three simple ways that most companies use to help decrease the amount of waste we put out in the world and they are reducing, reuse, and recycle. These are three simple ways to better help our environment. Reducing is very simple if we reduce the amount of trash we use there will be less to throw away like using reseal able bags and containers that can be used again or finding ways to not use waste in the first place.Reusing is also simple like I stated above using thing over and over again will cut down on the waste we put out. Recycling is something that may be more difficult for most people to do but can help tons in waste management recycling is the simple act of taking something that was used and making it into another product that is usable for someone else. When it comes to not disposing of our waste properly and hurting wildlife most people underestimate how much throwing a piece of trash on the ground is really hurting our environment.Most people believe that if I throw this on the ground it should dissolve in a few days but that is not the case it takes up to thirty years for a piece of plastic to dissolve in the ground and over fifty years for a simple six pack holder. Disposing of waste on the ground also brings around critters that are not wanted in our environment like rats and raccoons.So just think about that for a second if the re was no such thing as waste management and people simple just discarded of trash in their yards it would take many years for any of that to go away and would probably kill most of what it sits on and be harmful to any animals that come across this stuff not to mention the damage it does to trees and other plants. Leaving trash around also spreads unwanted disuses and can cause personal injury to anyone that comes into contact with it. There are also some major benefits to discarding of waste properly.The more people that recycle the cheaper it gets, also it is much cheaper to recycle than it is to remove waste and start more landfills and add to the ones we already have. When it comes to saving you some money or leaving the earth better than it was when we got here. Recycling also creates 1. 1 million jobs and grossed 236 billion dollars annually. Every time you recycle you are creating four jobs so the more people who do it create more jobs and pump more money into our economy.Wh en we use recycled paper we saving money by buying cheaper paper and not having to cut down more trees, which everyone knows, are very important for the survival of any life. Also recycling steel can provide energy for millions of households around the globe. But also this creates jobs and improves living conditions for everyone. There really are not too many skeptics when it comes to not removing of waste properly but those we don’t really know the effects of adding improper waste to our environment.But with a little education on the issue almost everyone would be pro choice on recycling. This issue is a great one because we are talking about our future and need to keep our earth in shape for our future residents and through the act of removing waste properly we can see to it that this happens. There are many ways we can educate the youth and our population on why we should continue to use waste management Work Cited page National Recycling Coalition. Waste Management. † Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 10 Aug. 2011. . Work Cited page Citation added: â€Å"Waste Management. † Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. 22 Jan. 2008. Web. 10 Aug. 2011. . Braungart, Michael. â€Å"Waste Management. † Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 10 Aug. 2011. .

Christian worldview Essay

Theologians from different ages attempted to answer this question by pointing to the primacy of the Bible and the laws of the Church as the foremost guide to Christian living. Thomas Aquinas, for example, noted that a Christian worldview is Christocentric from the very beginning. that is, the creation was a manifestation of the Word of God. Hence, the Christian is obliged to recognize that the word â€Å"creation† is a partial manifestation of Christ (partial, since the mystery of the Trinity is yet to be revealed to humanity). Hence, every human being is expected by the Creator to be stewards of His creation. This role of stewardship should be characterized by respect for creation, responsible leadership, and brotherhood. Thus, for Aquinas, the Christian worldview is tantamount to recognition of the Christocentric origin of creation and its manifestations (the role of stewardship) in the actions of men. The Concept of Worldview: A Background In Creation Regained : Biblical Basics for a Reformation Worldview , Albert Wolters answers the question by pointing that â€Å"living consciously to the teachings of the Bible and understanding its meaning† is grounded on what he calls â€Å"framework. † This framework is equivalent to the term â€Å"worldview† (in German, Weltanschauung). Worldview literally means a framework of beliefs which functions as a guide to life. The author sees that the elements of a Christian worldview were first derived from the Bible and expounded by the Protestant Reformation. Hence, Wolters exposition of a Christian worldview had its roots from Protestant theology, although the basic elements of a Christian worldview are almost identical. In the book, Wolters created a framework for understanding the teaching of the scripture by expounding three concepts: creation, fall, and redemption. The author notes that the creation was formed out of God’s goodness. this goodness flow from the Divine will to the physical world. It can be said that the physical world to which man is located has that share of Divine Essence. Added to that, when God created man, he set forth creation as man’s purpose. God bestowed on man the role of stewards of creation. Creation serves as the means of man to attain his full development. Thus, it can be said that the â€Å"creation was created for man, and man for creation. † This mutual relationship between creation and man can be exhibited in the book of Genesis. The scope of such relationship became, however, limited because of the fall of humanity. However, the incarnation of the Word to this world became the grounding point for the restoration of creation. Hence, Christ’s redemption of humanity served as the climax for that restoration. God’s Grace as Restoration Here we can argue that God’s grace is not a concept far removed from the physical world. It is neither supra-creational nor anti-creational. God’s grace is restorative in value. God intended to restore the original goodness and meaning of creation to which sin has severely damaged. Wolters argues that because of the expansive scope of God’s redeeming work, Christians are invited to participate in his work in all parts of the world. Thus, the author notes that redemption is tantamount to the fulfillment of God’s will in this world. The afterlife serves as the final test of man’s love for God. The term â€Å"redemption† though is only a subset of God’s grace (since God’s grace is the totality of God’s loving actions towards the history of man). Redemption is viewed as the restoration of man’s relationship with God, which had been severely impaired by the fall. This restoration though, cannot be attained if God is viewed by man as a distant entity. God therefore willed that He must be a participant in the redemption of man, because â€Å"He alone is capable of giving grace to man. † This was manifested in the incarnation of the Word. The incarnation serves as God’s medium to communicate his â€Å"grace† to man. Wolters notes that the baptism of Jesus Christ was the first act to which God made clear His intention of reaching the humanity. This â€Å"reaching† though must be viewed as an act of love. undeterred by the dualist distinction of the divine and the physical. Needless to say, it was also a means of God to show that His preeminence is unbounded by time, space, and matter. that although He is distinct from the three dimensions of the physical world, He is Lord. Concepts of Structure and Direction The relationship among the three concepts can be explained using two terms: structure and direction. Structure refers â€Å"to the order of creation† , that is, it is the unchangeable and objective reality established by God. This establishment of objective reality was basically derived from the Divine Essence, yet distinct from God Himself. This method of ascribing the nature of creation to God is stressed in the work of Catholic and Protestant theologians. According to this method, we assume that God’s nature is translated into another nature by virtue of creation. However, we can never equalize God’s nature with that of creation. The reality expressed in God is different from the reality manifested in creation. Thus, God’s preeminence in terms of nature is recognition of the Divine origin of creation. Thus, the â€Å"order of creation† is derived from the will of God, and yet distinct from His nature. Direction, on the other hand, is about the evil in the world and its corresponding cure. The evil was first manifested in the fall of humanity. the cure in the salvific actions of the incarnated Word. Thus, the author argues that structure and direction comprised the â€Å"worldview. † This worldview though differs from philosophy and theology by virtue of being pre-theoretical. This pre-theoretical notion of worldview is compounded on the will of God. Thus, the author notes that the order of creation (structure) is something derived from God which can be utilized for or against the kingdom of God (direction). The Idea of Creation The idea of creation is expounded in the book of Wolters. Wolters defines it as â€Å"the correlation of the sovereign activity of the Creator and the created order. † This created order is governed by God’s acts called â€Å"laws. † Here, Wolters arrives at a definition of law: â€Å"the totality of God’s ordaining acts toward the cosmos. † Law is a translation of God’s will into actions comprehensible by the human mind. Translation is necessary in order for men to obey the will of God and participate in God’s work (stewardship of creation). Added to that, law is also recognition of the subordinate nature of creation to the will of God. This subordination though does not impede the capacity of creation to reach full development. The law serves as the focal point of development of all creatures since the â€Å"history of creation† is guided by the salvific actions of the Most High. The Conception of Divine Law Nonetheless, the law is foremost the recognition of the sovereignty of the Absolute and Perfect God and of the individuality of the creation. Anything beyond the grasp of God’s ordaining acts does not exist. Development separate from the hands of God will not mature. Thus, it can be said that the law serves as the driving force for the maintenance of the â€Å"order of creation† and its corresponding development. Here Wolters makes a distinction between the law ordained by God and the laws established by man. The law ordained by God serves first as a means for humanity to achieve full development. Humanity from the very beginning is special to God. Among the creatures of the earth, God chose man as his representation. When God said, â€Å"Let us create man in our own image†, God bestows on man the authority to shape the world. Thus, when God established the â€Å"Law†, He intends for obedience to become a point of development. that is, development in accordance to the will of God. As what had been argued earlier, development outside the scope of God’s authority does not exist. Second, God’s law functions as a test to humanity. For example, the laws of nature were established in order to test the efficacy of man’s genuine efforts to reach the Almighty. God wants humanity to discover and reach Him through its own efforts. By the laws of nature, man realizes that a Power exists beyond what he perceives. This Power is the manifested in the powers of nature: the capability to create and destroy. Thus, God intended the law to be a salvific force for man’s redemption. Human law, on the other hand, tends to be brutal and blind in scope. For the most, laws in society protect the strong and promote injustice. Rather than catering to the needs of the weak and the poor, these laws maintain the paramount interests of the ruling class. The consequence: the laws established by society become contradictory to the true purpose of the Higher Law. Rather than viewing these â€Å"secular laws† as an extension of the Law of God, it is perceived by the oppressed as an instrument of injustice and evil. Wolters then argues that because of the inclination of the laws of society to dispense evil and injustice, it becomes an â€Å"enemy of God’s ordained purpose. † Secular and Religious Domains of the Law Wolters argues that the world is divided into â€Å"secular† and â€Å"religious† domains (based from the distinction of human and divine law). The religious domain is that which concerns the private approach to scripture removed from the rudiments of â€Å"public† or â€Å"secular† affairs such as politics, science, art, and scholarship. He argues that the â€Å"religious† domain focuses on the personal ascription of an individual to the nature of the Divine. that is, the world outside the grasp of the human mind. The â€Å"secular† domain is the one derived from God and made meaningful by man. â€Å"Meaningful† here does not connote the imperfection of God in establishing an â€Å"order†, rather God gave man the capability of creating an order to which he may achieve his full potential. Components of Worldview Here, Wolters correlates â€Å"worldview† with the cognitive dimension of humanity as the medium to which man may live faithfully in accordance to the Divine Essence. He notes that if man would rearrange his mental structure to embody the teachings of the Bible, then man’s life would reflect the will of the Divine. Needless to say, man’s life would be renewed and somehow â€Å"restored† to its true purpose. Thus, Wolters argues that a one-way subordinate relationship exists between beliefs and practices. Practices are derived from beliefs. Beliefs are derived from God’s revelation to man (which reached its climax in the redemptive act of Jesus Christ). In this dualism, the inner aspect of worldview is equivalent to beliefs. the outer to practices. These two aspects of dualism though are not mutually exclusive. Man’s beliefs influence his actions. His actions, in turn, reinforce those beliefs. Here, Wolters presents a discussion of consecration and sanctification. Sanctification refers `to the renewal from the inside out. † Consecration, on the other hand, refers â€Å"to external and superficial renewal. † The distinction between these two concepts can be grasped from a substantial understanding of the dualist conception of worldview. Before an individual is renewed superficially, there is a need to rearrange his beliefs. The rearrangement should be based from Biblical precepts declared to be essential to man’s future relationship with God. This rearrangement is termed â€Å"internal reorientation. † When beliefs are properly renewed (consequently worldview is changed), this results to a total reorientation of man’s lives and his activities. Because practices constitute man’s life, reforming becomes a way to enrich that life, and to an extent, to give meaning to its true purpose. It should be noted that this â€Å"new life† is Christocentric in orientation. Faith becomes a manifestation of the Divine Will and transforms into actions contributing to its fulfillment. Here, we can assume that an `internal reorientation† of the inner aspect of worldview is a prerequisite in the total reformation of man’s life. Form of Biblical Worldview The form of Biblical Worldview which Wolters presents in his book can be summarized as follows: The form itself is ordained by God after the fall of man. The fall of humanity destroyed the bridge between God and man, and thus made necessary the proliferation of sin in the world. Because the primary purpose of creation is man, and of man is creation, there was a need to establish a structure and direction that would characterize man’s worldview. Direction though is a manifestation that God gave man freewill. that is, the freedom to choose between good and evil. God though continues to guide humanity throughout history as a Force of salvation and grace. God’s establishment of the Divine Law serves as a means for man to attain his true purpose. This true purpose can only be found in the realm of the Divine. Hence, the law as what Jesus Christ said â€Å"is made for man, not man for the law. † And, worldview is made up of two components: consecration and sanctification. Sanctification is a prerequisite for consecration. A reorientation of man’s belief is necessary for a total transformation of his life. This transformation though must be Christocentric and derived from freewill. Only when these requirements are fulfilled that man reaches the mind of the Divine. The will of God then becomes manifested in the actions of man. Man then is restored to his true purpose (which was damaged by the fall). Personal Understanding of Christianity: Changes Personally, the redemption of Christ serves only as the restoration of God’s infinite love to humanity. This is not the case in Wolters’ book. God’s infinite love had been from the very beginning directed to the nature of man. God intended man to be his close associate, greater than the angels, and receiver of His Divine grace. No point in history that God’s love for humanity diminished. God’s love for humanity is perfect and without bound. Even if the physical world ends, God’s love will flow. This is the ultimate fact of Christianity. Nonetheless, the view (personal) that the restoration of man to his true nature is limited by time and space is also contradictory to the thesis of Wolters. He argues that the restoration or the redemption of humanity through Christ is continuous. that is, the Divine grace moves history towards the full attainment of that restoration. Hence, the righteous is called to participate in this redemptive act so that the â€Å"sinners† would be enlightened of the true purpose of God’s reign. Personally, there are only two events in human history which can be described as salient to Christian faith: fall and redemption. This is though not the case in Wolters’ thesis. From the very beginning (creation), God intended man to live with Himself to attain his potentialities. This was damaged by sin: the element that disrupted (and continues to disrupt) man’s true nature. Man became far from God. Although God tried to reach man, man became (and continues to become) ignorant of himself. Man was blinded by the authority given by God over His creation. He became selfish and ignorant of God’s will. Thus, God willed that man be restored to himself. that is, God wants man to be reconciled to his true nature: a nature that recognizes its Divine origin. Bibliography Aquinas, Thomas. Whether temporal goods fall under merit? † in Summa Theologica (Calvin College, Christian Classics Ethereal Library, 2005). Retrieved on 28 October 2007 from http://www. ccel. org/ccel/aquinas/summa. FS_Q114_A10. html. Luther, Martin. â€Å"The Necessity of Knowing God and His Power† in De Servo Arbitrio (On the Enslaved Will. (Calvin College, Christian Classics Ethereal Library, 2007). Retrieved on 28 October 2007 from http://www. ccel. org/ccel/luther/bondage. viii. html.