Thursday, October 31, 2019
Controversies Behind Accounting and Audit Profession Essay
Controversies Behind Accounting and Audit Profession - Essay Example To prevent accounting fraud, many literature states that it is common for the body of institutional investors to act as the company's monitors. (Chen, Harford, & Li, 2007; Chung, Firth, & Kim, 2002) Therefore, it is possible that fraud firms have a low level of institutional investment before committing fraud due to the fact that these companies lack effective accounting monitoring.For this study, the researcher will compare and contrast the management's responsibility for an entity's financial statements with the auditors' responsibility for detecting fraud and error follow by evaluating the most recent suggestions made by the Audit profession in respect with the auditors responsibility in detecting fraud. The researcher will also discuss about the audit expectation gap as well as the factors that contributes to the increase of the audit expectation gap. The researcher will also examine whether the audit expectation gap is similar to the accounting expectation gap. Prior to the main discussion, the researcher will provide some strategic ways on how auditors could reduce the gap on audit expectations. Compare and Contrast Management's Responsibility for an Entity's Financial Statements with the Auditors' Responsibility for Detecting Fraud and Error Using the generally accepted accounting principles in UK, the top management behind a company is responsible for the preparation of financial statement based on the highest integrity, objectivity and clarity. (Price, 2002) As part of the management's responsibility in developing an accurate financial statement, the top management should ensure that the company hires and trains qualified employees to work behind the establishment and communication of the company's accounting policies and procedures. Since businesses are more concerned with the company's profitability, there is a higher chance for top management to manipulate the company's financial statement. In order to lessen the incidence of accounting fraud and misrepresentation of the accounting figures, there is a strong need for each company to hire the service of an external auditor to perform the auditing of the company's financial statements. The main responsibility of the auditors is to ensure that each company submits an accurate financial statement1 by detecting any possible accounting fraud or errors based on the current United Kingdom Law and Accounting Standards known as the United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice. (Ernst and Young LLP, 2007) In relation to determining whether the company practices accounting procedures, auditors are responsible to follow the relevant legal
Tuesday, October 29, 2019
Policy of Containment Essay Example for Free
Policy of Containment Essay Americans believe that if Franklin D. Roosevelt would have lived longer, that he would have been able to stem the tide of tensions between the Soviet Union and the United States. His successor lacked greatly the Talent of FDR. The new president, who was more comfortable with machine politicians than with polished New Dealers, liked to talk tough and act defiantly. Truman complained that the U.S. Negotiations had been a one way street just ten days after he took office. He then vowed to not baby the Soviet no longer. A crisis in the Mediterranean prompted President Truman to show his colors. On February 21, 1947, amid a civil war in Greece, Great Britain informed the U.S. State Department that it could no longer afford to prop up the anti-Communist government there and announced its intention to withdraw all aid. Truman concluded, Greece, Turkey, and perhaps the entire oil-rich Middle East would fall under Soviet control, without U.S. Intervention. On March 12, 1947, the President made his argument before Congress in bold terms: At the present moment in world history, nearly every nation must choose between alternative ways of life One way of life is based upon the will of the majority, and is distinguished be free institutionsand freedom from political oppression. The second way of life is based upon the will of a minority forcibly imposed on the majority And the suppression of personal freedoms. Never mentioning the Soviet Union by name, he appealed for all-out resistance to a certain ideology wherever it appeared in the world. The preservation of peace and the freedom of all Americans depended, the president insisted, on containing communism. Congress approved a $400 million appropriation in aid for Greece and Turkey, which helped the monarchy and right-wing military crush the rebel movement. Trumans victory buoyed his popularity for the upcoming 1948 election. It also helped to generate popular support for a campaign against communism, both at home and abroad. The significance of what became known as the Truman Doctrine far outlastedà the events in the Mediterranean: the United States had declared its right to intervene to save other nations from communism. As early as February 1946, foreign-policy adviser George F. Kennan had sent an 8,000-word long telegram to the State Department insisting that Soviet fanaticism made cooperation impossible. The USSR intended to extend its realm not by military means alone, he explained, but by subversion within free nations. The Truman Doctrine described the differences between the United States and the Soviet Union as absolute and irreconcilable, as an ideological breach that resonated far beyond foreign policy. It was now the responsibility of the United States, Truman insisted to safeguard the Free World by diplomatic, economic, and, if necessary, military means. He had, in sum, fused anti communism and internationalism into an aggressive foreign policy. The Truman Doctrine complemented the European Recovery Program, commonly known as the Marshall Plan. On June 5, 1947 the plan was introduced in a commencement speech at Harvard University by secretary of state and former army chief of staff George C. Marshall. The plan sought to reduce hunger, poverty, desperation, and chaos and to restore the confidence of the European people in the economic future of their own countries and of Europe as a whole. Although Marshall added that our policy is directed not against any country or doctrine, the plan that bore his name additionally aimed to turn back both socialist and Communist electoral bids for power in northern and western Europe while promoting democracy through an economic renewal. The most successful postwar U.S. Diplomatic venture, the Marshall Plan supplemented the Bretton Woods agreements by further improving the climate for a viable capitalist economy, in western Europe and in effect bringing recipients of aid into a bilateral agreement with the United States. Western Europe nations, seventeen in all, ratified the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), which reduced commercial barriers among member nations and opened all to U.S. Trade and investment. The plan was costly to Americans, in its initial year taking 12 percent of the federal budget, but effective. Industrial production in the European nations covered by the plan rose byà 200 percent between 1947 and 1952. Although deflationary programs cut wages and increased unemployment, profits soared and the standard of living improved. Supplemented by a multimedia propaganda campaign, the Marshall Plan introduced many Europeans to American consumer goods and lifestyles. The Marshall Plan drove a deeper wedge between the United States and the Soviet Union. Stalin was invited to participate but he denounced the plan for what it was, an American scheme to rebuild Germany and to incorporate it into and anti-Soviet bloc that encompassed all western Europe. The president readily acknowledged that the Marshall Plan and the Truman Doctrine were two halves of the same walnut. The policy of containment depended on the ability of the United States to back up its commitments through military means, and Truman invested his faith in the U.S. Monopoly of atomic weapons. The U.S began to build atomic stockpiles and to conduct tests on the Bikini Islands in the Pacific. By 1950, as a scientific adviser observed, the U.S. Has a stockpile capable of somewhat more than reproducing World War II in a single day. The U.S. Military analysts estimated it would take the Soviet Union three to ten years to produce an atomic bomb. In August 1949, the Soviet Union proved them wrong by testing its own atomic bomb. There is only one thing worse than one nation having the atomic bomb, Noble prize-winning scientist Harold C. Urey said, thats two nations having it. The United States and Soviet Union were now firmly locked into the Cold War. The nuclear arms race imperiled their futures, diverted their economies, and fostered fears of impending doom. Prospects for global peace had dissipated, and despite the Allied victory in World War II, the world had again divided into hostile camps.
Sunday, October 27, 2019
Social democracy as a force in contemporary britain
Social democracy as a force in contemporary britain In this essay I will attempt to firstly define Social Democracy and what advantages and disadvantages it brings to a state. Then I will move on to showing how Social Democracy is still existent within contemporary Britain through the means of public spending on education and benefits. I will explore Labours contemporary policies to show that Socialism is still present in Labour. However I will then explain how the Labour Party, which has its foundations in Socialism, has changed and moved towards the Third Party or New Labour which also values Capitalist aims. I will then argue that Britain is becoming more of a Capitalist state under New Labour and how globalisation has affected this. Giddens described social democracy as: Social Democracy moderate, parliamentary socialism built upon consolidating the welfare state. (Giddens. A, 1998, p4) He recognised how Social Democracy differed to Marxism. Social Democracy saw free market capitalism as producing many of the problematic effects Marx diagnosed, but believed these can be muted or overcome by state intervention. (Giddens. A, 1998, p8) The advantage of Social Democracy is that Socialism uses the welfare state to abolish exploitation within the market system and destroy the division of society in class groups. They aim to remove all inequalities whether its economic or political using state intervention when needed. (Przeworski. A, 1985, p29) This gives everyone an equal start in life. Giddens told of the state intervention as government intervening in family or individual life when needed. Social democracy saw that there was a vital need for state benefits to help those who are unable to fend for themselves. (Giddens. A, 1998, p9) The advantage of this is that it closes the income gap between the different classes. However Giddens coined the main disadvantage of a Social Democratic state. The economic theory of Socialism was always inadequate, underestimating the capacity of Capitalism to innovate, adapt and generate increasing productivity. Socialism failed to grasp the significance of markets as informational devices, providing essential data for buyers and sellers. (Giddens. A, 1998, p4-5) In the Labour revolution of 1945-1951 Britain was a planned economy, nationalised industry and expanded welfare state, a Social Democratic state. (Reitan.E.A, 2003, p27) However toward the 1970s Britain faced lowest productivity within the major industrial states, high unemployment and inflation. There was unwillingness of workers to move around to find employment. Managers were also slow in introducing technology that would improve productivity. (Reitan. E.A, 2003, p141) this shows that at that time the British state was unable to keep up with the market changes and generate increased productivity backing up Giddens claim that Socialism is unable to increase productivity and adapt to the market. (Giddens. A, 1998, p4-5) There are characteristics of the welfare state within contemporary Britain. We see the state still providing free education. Just recently there are reports saying that there have been increased spending on education. The figures showed that the spending has been increasing for more than 50 years. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/8562405.stm The graph below shows the figures of increased public spending on education. Education spending (Derived from http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/8562405.stm) The graph shows how in the U.K. the state is spending money on education has increased from 50% to almost 140% in 2005-2006. Spending money on education in the UK will giving everyone an equal start in life and removing inequalities which are characteristics of a social democracy. (Przeworski. A, 1985, p29) Another demonstration of a Social Democracy within contemporary Britain is the benefit system. The British government provide benefits for those who are disabled, low income, unemployed, have dependent children, aged over 60, pregnant or recently had a child and those who are caring for another. http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/BenefitsTaxCreditsAndOtherSupport/index.htm This is a clear indicator of Socialist practise as they are using the welfare state to eliminate the inequalities within a state. (Przeworski. A, 1985, p29) By providing people who are less off with benefits it closes the gap that Capitalism has created for them. (Giddens. A, 1998, p8) Britains current government Labour still has policies that are indicators of Social Democracy. We want to rebuild trust in politicsà ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦put more power in the hands of individual citizens so that they can influence the decisions which affect themselves, their families and local communities http://www.labour.org.uk/democracy_and_citizenship This aims to equal chances to voice individual opinions. This ensures that power isnt just given to a certain class and that it is equally distributed between the classes. http://www.labour.org.uk/democracy_and_citizenship There are also ways of creating equality between genders. Introduced the National Minimum Wage two thirds of the beneficiaries are women and it has played a substantial part in narrowing the gender pay gap. http://www.labour.org.uk/Equalities Labour believes everyone is entitled to equality. They aim to be fair to those regardless of gender, disability, sexual orientation, age, race, religion or belief. http://www.labour.org.uk/Equalities This demonstrates Social Democracys existence within contemporary Britain. But there are clear indicators that the British state is moving away from Socialism. Currently Britain is under the Labour Party governance. Social Democracy essentially underpins the British Labour Party with the Labour Parties motto A future fair for all. http://www.labour.org.uk/future-fair-for-all This clearly indicates that their main aim is for equality within the British state. However there has been speculation. The evidence shows that labour has become split into two clearly differentiated constituencies: those with secure employment (insiders) and those without (outsiders). http://www.oxfordscholarship.com/oso/public/content/politicalscience/9780199216352/toc.html?q= There has been speculation that theres a new labour party. This was seen arising when Blair was in power. The new labour seemed to embrace capitalism and abandoned classical social democracy for the third way revised social democracy. (Driver. S, Martell. L, 2006, p26) The Third Way was used to mark out Labours departure from the politics of the Social Democratic state, signifying a reconfiguration of relationships between the economy and state. (Newman. J, 2001, p40) The Third Way is in favour of growth, entrepreneurship, and enterprise and wealth creation. It also values social justice. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/458626.stm However we see how the Labour Party who once was based on Social Democracy edge away and heading towards Capitalism. However does contemporary Britain still value social justice over Capitalism under the Third Way? In recent times we see lowered public spending. Weve already spent à £4bn less on unemployment benefits and income support for the unemployed than was anticipated. Comment Alistair Darling to the BBC. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8406670.stm We see lowered welfare spending which raises questions about Labours a fair future for all. However New Labour sees this less as a social right and more about personal responsibility and social duty. http://www.oxfordscholarship.com/oso/public/content/politicalscience/9780199266722/acprof-9780199266722-chapter-2.html?q=#acprof-9780199266722-chapter-2 This clearly shows how the Third Way governance is prioritising economic issues over social issues. The contemporary British state however has many characteristics of a Capitalist state. Globalisation has also contributed to the breakdown of welfare state in contemporary Britain. We see now that due to globalisation instead of business fighting over market share but now we see states fighting. States remain interested in survival at the very least, and pursuing power at the most. (Aydinli. E, Rosenau. J.N, 2005, p127) Globalisation is described as the denationalisation of politics (Aydinli. E, Rosenau. J.N, 2005, p127) which essentially means that states are no longer deciding policies that benefit them but in fact they make policies that suit globalisation. The emergence of a global market economy and the need for global competitiveness have handed neo liberalism a powerful new weapon with which to contain and neutralise the counter pressures of domestic politics. (Mishra. R, 1999, p3) There is also the belief of the hyperglobalisation thesis where states believe that if their state does not increase incentives for businesses to invest in their state businesses will go elsewhere. States are constantly competing for foreign investment. Therefore they lower corporation tax to increase the incentive. (Ravenhill. J, 2008, p343) So now we see states producing policies that are business friendly. State aims are to lower inflation and a steady currency which is argued to attract businesses as lower inflation would mean lower raw materials for businesses and steady currency means there is less of a risk for the business to be exposed to fluctuations in exchange rates. (Mishra. R, 1999, p5) States constantly fighting over investment has caused them to jeopardise domestic policies. The incremental tightening of domestic environmental policies has sometimes been delayed or blocked for the fear of incurring economic competitive disadvantages. (Holden. B, 2000, p186) This shows that states are more concerned about economic growth and not about equality within the social classes. Not surprisingly a higher level of insecurity, poverty and equality has become accepted in many countriesà ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦the retreat from the mixed economy and the welfare state is visible everywhere with the Anglo Saxon countries leading the way. (Mishra. R, 1999, p3) A good demonstration of the British state favouring Capitalism over Socialism is recently to the bank crisis. We see the state pouring money into the financial sector instead of using it to close the gap of inequality. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7666570.stm It could also be argued that the states increase spending in education http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/8562405.stm is purely for Capitalist reasons. Better-educated workers are likely to be more productive at their own jobs; they may, at the same time, raise the productivity of their colleaguesà ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦their importance has valuable implications for the role of public financing as well as for the organisation of education. (Miles. D, Myles. G.D, Preston. I, 2003, p121) States invest in human capital to make their domestic workforce more productive. They also benefit an increase in technological progress. States with high economic activity are generally those with a state financed education system. (Miles. D, Myles. G.D, Preston. I, 2003, p121) This can be used to argue that Britains public spending on education is purely for Capitalist reasons and not Socialist. Therefore indicating Britains welfare system is Capitalist based. In conclusion I think the British state still had characteristics of a social democracy but with the changes in the economy due to globalisation states has started to prioritise the market over social equality. The contemporary British state produces too many policies that are Capitalist friendly and they have became even clearer with the recent recession. We see Britain moving away from a Social Democratic state towards a more market driven Capitalist state.
Friday, October 25, 2019
Twelfth Night Essay -- Literature, Shakespeare
In Shakespeareââ¬â¢s Twelfth Night and in Molià ¨reââ¬â¢s The Imaginary Invalid, two ladies are presented, that are not necessarily the leading protagonist, but they help unravel the playsââ¬â¢ plots into something amazing. Twelfth Night features Maria, the lady in waiting to Olivia. At first Maria comes off as a dilettante, later on we find out thatââ¬â¢s not the case at all. Meanwhile, in The Imaginary Invalid, there is the disputatious Toinette, who is the maidservant and nurse to the imaginary invalid himself, Argan. Maria and Toinette are two strong women characters, their strength and wit is depicted through Maria and Toinetteââ¬â¢s deceiving schemes to make their plays more stimulating as well as their objectivity throughout all the chaos in their respective play. In addition, Maria plays the role of the lady in waiting who essentially doesnââ¬â¢t do anything for herself except take orders. Later on the reader soon realizes that, Maria is a strong witty character that takes matters in to her own hands. Maria developes a strategy, first she goes for the messed up drunken Sir Toby and her goal is to straighten him out. Maria confronts Sir Toby about his drunkenness, ââ¬Å"That quaffing and drinking will undo you: I heard my lady talk of it yesterdayâ⬠(1.3.128). Sir Toby begins to take notice in Maria. Maria begins to plot with Toby to bring down Malvolio (the condescending butler) as a practical joke. Through the process of plotting against Malvolio with Toby, Maria develops a back bone something she was not known for with Olivia. Maria took the lead in the plotting and Toby starts taking her orders, ââ¬Å"Observe him, for the love of mockery, for I know this letter will make a contemplative idiot of himâ⬠(2.5.18-19) As a resul t of the jokes success, Mari... ...was depicted through her persistence to help aid Toby and eventually gain his approval as well as becoming his equal. Meanwhile, Toinetteââ¬â¢s dependability is depicted through her selfless; as Arganââ¬â¢s nurse/maidservant and confidant to his daughter. And her quick wit that in the end allowed her to come up with a plan that would ultimately make that play the quirky comedy it is today. Thus, concluding that both Maria and Toinette are similar, because they are both strong character and quite witty, witty enough to change the total outcome of their respective plays. Works Cited Molià ¨re. The Imaginary Invalid. A Dozen French Farces: Medieval to Modern. Ed. and Trans. Albert Bremel. New York: Limelight, 1997.13-64. Print. Shakespeare, William. Twelfth Night. Ed. Barbara A. Mowat and Paul Werstine. New York: Washington Square Press, 2005. Print
Thursday, October 24, 2019
Template Dairy
Dairy Farming Project Report Index (to be elaborated) 1. GENERAL i) Nature and objectives of the proposed scheme ii) Details of proposed investments iii) Specification of the project area iv) Name of the financing bank branch v) Status of beneficiary ðŸ⢠individual/Partnership/Company/Corporation/Co-operative Society / Others) vi) Details of borrowers profile (a) Capability (b) Experience (c) Financial Soundness (d) Technical/Other special Qualifications (e) Technical/Managerial Staff and adequacy thereof 2. TECHNICAL ASPECTS: a) Location, Land and Land Development : i) Location details of the project i) Total Area of land and its cost iii) Site map iv) Particulars of land development, fencing, gates, etc. b) Civil Structures: Detailed cost estimates along with measurements of various civil structures ââ¬â Sheds ââ¬â Store room ââ¬â Milk room ââ¬â Quarters, etc. c) Equipment/Plant and Machinery: i) Chaff cutter ii) Silo pit iii) Milking machine iv) Feed grinder and mixer v) Milking pails/milk cans vi) Biogas plant vii) Bulk coolers viii)Equipment for manufacture of products ix) Truck/van (price quotations for the above equipments) d) Housing : i) Type of housing ii) Area requirement Adults ââ¬â Heifers (1-3 years) ââ¬â Calves (less than 1 year) e) Animals : i) Proposed species ii) Proposed breed iii) Source of purchase iv) Place of purchase v) Distance (km. ) vi) Cost of animal (Rs. ) f) Production parameters : i) Order of lactation ii) Milk yield (ltrs. per day) iii) Lactation days iv) Dry days v) Conception rate vi) Mortality(%) ââ¬â Adults ââ¬â Young stock g) Herd projection (with all assumptions) : h) Feeding : i) Source of fodder and feed ââ¬â Green fodder ââ¬â Dry fodder ââ¬â Concentrates ii) Fodder crop rotations ââ¬â Kharif ââ¬â Rabi ââ¬â Summer iii) Fodder cultivation expenses v) Requirement and costs : Quantity required (kg. /day) | |Cost(rs/kg) |Lactation |Dry Period |Young Stock | |Green Fodder | | | | | |Dry Fodder | | | | | |Concentrats | | | | | I) Breeding Facilities : i) Source : ii) Location : iii) Distance (km. ) : iv) Availability of semen : v) Availability of staff : vi) Expenditure per animal/year J) Veterinary Aid : i) Source ii) Location iii) Distance (km. ) iv) Availability of labour and other staff v) Types of facilities available vi) If own arrangements are made a) Employed a veterinary doctor/stockman/consultant b) Periodicity of visit c) Amount paid/visit (Rs. ) vii)Expenditure per animal per year (Rs. ) k) Electricity : i) Source ii) Approval from Bihar State electricity Board ii) Connected load iv) Problems of power failure v) Arrangements for generator l) Water : i) Source ii) Quality of water iii) Availability of sufficient quantity for drinking, cleaning and fodder production iv) If investment has to be made, type of structure, design and cost m) Marketing of milk : i) Source of sales ii) Place of disposal iii) Distance (km. ) iv) Price realised ââ¬â (Rs. per liter of milk) v) Basis of payment vi) Peri odicity of payment n) Marketing of other products : i) Animal ââ¬â age ââ¬â place of sale ââ¬â price expected ii) Manure Qty. /animal ââ¬â Price/unit (Rs. ) iii) Empty gunny bags ââ¬â Number ââ¬â Cost/bag (Rs. ) O) Beneficiary's experience : P) Comments on technical feasibility : Q) Government restrictions, if any : 3. FINANCIAL ASPECTS : i) Project Cost |Sr No |Item |Physical Unit & Specification |Cost Rs | | | | | | ii) Down payment/margin/subsidy (Indicate source & extent of subsidy): ii) Financial viability (comment on the cash flow projection on a farm model/unit and enclose the same. ) à Particulars : a) Internal Rate of Return (IRR) : b) Benefit Cost Ratio (BCR) : c) Net Present Worth (NPW) : iv) Financial position of the borrowers (to be furnished in case of corporate bodies/partnership firms) à a) Profitability Ratio : i) GP Ratio ii) NP Ratio b) Debt Equity Ratio : c) Whether Income Tax & other tax obligations are paid upto date : d) Whether aud it is upto date (enclose copies of audited financial statements for the last three years) v) Lending Terms : i) Rate of Interest : i) Grace Period : iii) Repayment Period : iv) Nature of Security : v) Availability of Government guarantee wherever necessary : 4. INFRASTRUCTURAL FACILITIES : a) Availability of technical staff with bank/implementing authority for monitoring b) Details of ââ¬â i) technical guidance ii) training facilities iii) Govt. support /extension support c) Tie-up arrangements with marketing agencies for loan recovery d) Insurance ââ¬â ââ¬â Type of policy ââ¬â Periodicity ââ¬â Rate of premium e) Whether any subsidy is available, if so amount per unit f) Arrangements for supply of green fodder and cattle feed
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
St. Augustineââ¬â¢s Confessions
During his time, St. Augustine wrote thirteen autobiographical books entitled ââ¬Å"Confessionsâ⬠. The book tells how St. Augustine life was changed from living a sinful life to his conversion to Christianity. After studying the Confessions by St. Augustine, several parallelisms can be seen between the said autobiography and the Old and New Testament of the Christian Bible. Parallelisms do not appear only within the text but as well as in structure and format. One of the major parallelisms that can be seen between Augustineââ¬â¢s Confession and the Bible is the pattern or way of developing each stage or part of each one. The Bible started by the creation of everything perceivable by the human senses. On the other hand, Augustineââ¬â¢s Confession started by telling the story of Augustineââ¬â¢s childhood, his birth. Thus, Augustineââ¬â¢s birth symbolizes the creation in the first of book of the Bible, in the book of Genesis. The development of Augustineââ¬â¢s Confessions also followed the same trend as the Bible. The first eight books of the Confessions told the story of Augustineââ¬â¢s life from infancy to living in sin and then, finding his way to God. The story of Augustineââ¬â¢s infancy can be related to the story of Adam and Eve in the Old Testament. As an infant, Augustine knows nothing of sin, innocent as Adam and Eve were in the beginning. Then, Augustine was exposed to the world along with its sinful desires that causes Augustine to live a life afar from God, just as Adam and Eve after eating the fruit of knowledge of good and evil. Augustine continues to live his life following the desires of the flesh until he sees hopelessness without God. This part of Augustineââ¬â¢s life somehow reflects the Old Testament. The Israelites continued to sin causing them to reach the promise land in a lot longer time. The later part of the Confessions can also be linked to the New Testament. Augustine was Christianized that also symbolizes rebirth, rebirth in his attitudes and views of life just as the New Testament signifies the birth of Christ, the one who is to save the people. The dark ages in Augustineââ¬â¢s life can be viewed as the Old Testament wherein the people lived in sin. On the other hand, Augustineââ¬â¢s conversion can be viewed as the New Testament wherein God provided salvation and a new birth. Thus, it can be noticed that the transition of events in the two books are also similar to each other: the conversion of Augustine to Christianity and the incarnation of Jesus Christ. Consequently, it can be said that the first part of the Confessions, like the Old Testament speaks of past events: the birth and early life of Augustine and the creation in the Old Testament. The last parts of the two books are also connected; they both speak of future events. The last part of Augustineââ¬â¢s Confessions stated the eagerness of Augustine to interpret the inner meanings and messages of the Bible. He ended the Confessions by referring to the Sabbath, the seventh day when God rested. Augustine refers to the Sabbath figuratively that can also be interpreted as the final rest of the soul in the presence of God, the eternal life. In the same way, the Revelation or the last book of the New Testament speaks of things to come in a metaphorical sense. Thus, it can be concluded that both the last part of the two books are to be viewed in a metaphorical way in order to understand its true meaning. The Revelation was full of symbolisms in the same way as the last book of the Confessions. Both leaves the readers time to reflect and to search for the true meanings and essence of the text in their own way. Both in the Old and New Testament of the Bible, God reveals himself to man through angels, visions and others because of the inability of man to reach Him. In the same way, Augustine sees God through the life of his mother: through her actions and advice. Both show the inability of man to reach to God in their own way and thus, it was God providing man the means of understanding and obeying Him. Another similarity is that the Bible was comprised of different books (67 books in all) that also include several chapters. In the same way, Augustine wrote several books of which each were named by their order, that is, Book 1 to 13. Each book of The Confessions is also divided in to chapters that are similar to the chapters of the books in the Bible. Thus, it can be said that parallelisms indeed occur between the Holy Bible of Christianity and the Confessions by St. Augustine both within and outside of the text. It can also be said that most Christian literatures of the contemporary time follows the same format as the Confessions in which the original pattern can be rooted to the Bible of Christianity.
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