Instructions: write a 2,500 word, thesis-driven essay on the following topic:

Contrast the West’s “pagan” worldviews (i.e., the Archaic and Classical Greek, as well as the Roman) with its Hebrew, Christian, and Islamic wordviews. Which cluster of traditions has a greater cultural and intellectual inheritance/influence for the West?

II. Format:

• Papers must be proofread, written in grammatical English, and argue a thesis.

• Do not title your paper and DO NOT USE ANY OUTSIDE SOURCE.

• Papers must have quotes from and references to at least 20 quotes from at least 5 different assigned primary texts. (i.e., 4 quotes from 5 of the original historical documents you select in RAEH(Readings to accompany Experience Humaities). Use the most important quotes from each text. DO NOT QUOTE THE EDITORS’ INTRODUCTIONS TO THE PRIMARY TEXTS IN RAEH. DO NOT USE MORE THAN ONE QUOTE FROM EH per paragraph.
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Books:
-Readings to accompany Experience Humaities: Volume 1 Beginnings through the Renaissance. (4 quotes from each of the 5 historical texts required)

20 quotes total

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III. Tips for doing well:

• Select the quotes you want to use from RAEH before you start writing.

• Organize your ideas. Think through comparisons and contrasts before you start writing.

• Keep the length of quotes down to the fewest number of words needed to support or convey the relevant idea.

• Monitor your paragraph length. No paper should have a page-long paragraph.

• Make sure your paper has a thesis. A thesis is your answer to the essay question; it is a true or false statement. It must be specific and defended in your paper’s discussion of the issue. (In this case: X is more influential/has a greater inheritance than Y because of Z.)

• Your introductory paragraph should do three things: First, state the topic. Second, suggest how your discussion of the topic will proceed. Third, state your thesis on the topic or issue.

• Good paragraphs take the following form: First, good paragraphs have a precise topic sentence that makes a supporting point for the paper’s thesis. Next is a relevant quote that supports the idea in the topic sentence. Finally, there is an explanation, analysis, or interpretation of the association made between the topic sentence and the supporting quote.