Writing Religious Studies Essays

Context: Ideas in traditions develop over time. How do they develop? What factors are important?

1. Writings and people that become authoritative

2. Events that prove pivotal

3. What happens to alternative ideas?

Apostolic Succession or Authority

1. Time period: when did this develop?

2. Who develops it?

3. What events were pivotal for its development?

4. Were there alternative means of authority?

Grace, the Eucharist, the Trinity

1. Where does this idea come from? Who is associated with it?

2. How does it develop as a concept over time?

3. What writings or people are associated with this idea and when?

4. What events prove pivotal in understanding this concept?

5. Were there alternative ideas?

6. How does apostolic authority fit into the developing understandings of these concepts?