Theology Paper

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General Guidelines: Write a letter as an Epicurean responding to Lady Philosophy (as represented in the Consolation) on the topic of happiness, especially as it pertains to God/the gods (or religion in general). Observe the following: • Do not merely state agreements or disagreements between the two systems of thought (Lady Philosophy has read Epicurus and Lucretius, so there is no need to educate her by an exposition of their views), though rehearsing Epicurean positions in the service of making a point is legitimate. • Rather, engage Lady Philosophy with argumentation (for clarification, see the document entitled “Arguments” on Blackboard/Assignments) focusing on the issue or issues you find most salient. It doesn’t matter whether you personally endorse the positions you espouse in the letter; the assignment is designed merely to demonstrate the depth of your familiarity with the two systems of thought. Grading rubric: on happiness (20%), pertaining to religion (20%), accurate representation of Lady Philosophy (20%), accurate representation of Epicureanism (20%), compelling argumentation (20%). Technical Details: Length: 1000 words, +/– 250 (i.e., 750 – 1250 words). For those unaccustomed to measuring the length of a paper by word count, 1000 words is about three pages in double-spaced Times New Roman 12 pt. font. Language: • Use correct spelling, grammar, and diction (observing gender neutral or inclusive language).1 • Use coherent paragraphs to organize the flow of thought within and between topics. • Use academic style: be clear and concise, avoiding both colloquialism and grandiloquence. NB: Typos happen, but egregious language failures (more than five errors of any sort, or any appearance of incomplete sentences, run-on sentences, or comma splices) will be considered to stem from negligence. Citation: • Use only primary sources (do not, for example, cite the introductions to the textbooks). • Use citation to indicate the source both for quotations and for summaries in your own words. • Use parenthetical in-text citation (NB: parentheses belong inside of final punctuation). o Example for citing The Consolation, book 3, prose 9, section 32: (CP 3.P9.32). o Example for citing The Consolation, book 3, meter 9, lines 31-40: (CP 3.M9.31-40). o Example for citing The Epicurus Reader, text 4, section 123: (ER 4.123). o Example for citing On the Nature of Things, book 1, lines 61-79: (NT 1.61-79). • Use quotations sparingly: only to validate particularly contentious points, or to express particularly pithy or precise points; otherwise, provide a summary in your own words. NB: The suspicion of plagiarism or use of AI will be met with appropriate measures (see Syllabus). Submission: • The assignment is due by the beginning of class on the date specified in the course schedule. • Submit your assignment to me electronically as a PDF on Blackboard (under Assignments). NB: Prior permission in writing must be obtained from the instructor for any extension of the deadline. These details are part of the assignment! If the paper is brilliant, but fails to conform to any one of the itemized points above, it will suffer the penalty of a 10% grade reduction. Use these points as a checklist. Revision and resubmission of the assignment is permitted, but only with a full letter grade penalty! 1 It is now common practice in theological studies to avoid pronouns entirely for God (unless referring to a character that is clearly gendered). In other words, write “God” every time one might once have written He or Him, “God’s” every time one might once have written His, and “Godself” every time one might once have written Himself.

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