Thesis Researching...

As I move closer to having my thesis chosen by the Faculty here at NSA, I'll try to keep this blog updated with the research that I'm currently doing. This week we had to write a paper regarding the three topics which we would like pursue. Here are mine:

Main Topic: The Legacy of Sir Walter Scott

“One hour of life, crowded to the full with glorious action, and filled with noble risks, is worth whole years of those mean observances of paltry decorum, in which men steal through existence, like sluggish waters through a marsh, without either honor or observation.”
– Sir Walter Scott

I’m a literature nerd. I enjoy reading good books with sophisticated plots and interesting characters. I like novels with people I admire and desire to emulate, as well as relate to. Finding authors who compose good books with such characteristics is a difficult task these days. However, thanks to a series of lectures I listened to by Dr. George Grant during my junior year in high school, I found out about Sir Walter Scott, author of The Waverly Novels. Because of a lecture that was completely devoted to describing the effect of Scott on the society of England and the literature that closely followed on the heels of the Waverly Novels, my interest has steadily grown over the past couple of years. It has been said that Scott was the first author of the “romantic novel” and that the only reason we have any knowledge of Scottish history is mostly because of his History of Scotland. Additionally, Scott’s novels were so well-written and contained such an overwhelming theme of chivalry and nobility that he, in the words of Dr. Grant, “nearly single-handedly saved England” through his impact on the society.

In John Buchan’s biography of Sir Walter Scott, he writes:

Scott completed what the eighteenth-century philosophers had begun and gave her her own Renaissance. He is, with Burns, her great liberator and reconciler. He saved his land from the narrow rootless gentility and the barren utilitarianism of the illuminates; he gave her confidence by reopening to her the past; and he blended into one living tradition many things which the shallow had despised and the dull had forgotten. Gently he led her back to nature and the old simplicities. His mission was that of Hosea the prophet: -- “Behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her. And I will give her vineyards from thence, and the valley of Achor for a door of hope; and she shall sing there as in the days of her youth.

What was it about Scott that made John Buchan respect him so? Why does George Grant consider him to be so influential to Scottish and English society? How did a man who was plagued for a large portion of his life by sickness and poverty still write novels and poetry that preached such Christian virtues as nobility and chivalry? Why did the talented and humorous Mark Twain, a nihilist, abhor Scott’s ideals and writings with such passion? These are all questions which I hope someday to answer through my study of Sir Walter Scott’s life and work.
My research for this topic would involve a lot of reading through Scott’s main works (whichever ones I consider most important) and then dealing with criticism, both good and bad, of which there is plenty to be found even in our own library. I would also want a fair amount of knowledge on the history of England at the time, that way I can show the “before and after” affect that Scott had. There are several great biographies of Scott, including one by his son-in-law, but the best is by John Buchan. I would probably end up purchasing Buchan’s biography, and add it to my Scott collection, which already includes all of his history, poetry and novels, and a couple of secondary books. Finally, if I were able to do this topic for my thesis, I would love to schedule a trip to Edinburgh, Scotland, over the course of next summer for some studying at the library there and to just see where Scott’s old stomping grounds were.

In this thesis, I would study a few select novels by Sir Walter Scott, noting the main themes that he puts forth and explain the impact that those ideals and themes had on the culture and society. If Scott affected his country, it was through his novels. By showing how Scott impacted his nation, I can show how we can resurrect the culture and society of the United States through proper story-telling and the worldviews which we instill in our stories.

Secondary Topic: President Ronald Reagan – An American Hero

“You and I have a rendezvous with destiny. We will preserve for our children this, the last best hope of man on earth, or we will sentence them to take the first step into a thousand years of darkness. If we fail, at least let our children and our children's children say of us we justified our brief moment here. We did all that could be done.”
-- President Ronald Reagan

My second choice for a thesis topic would be regarding a man who I consider to be the greatest President our country has had, and a man I would call the quintessential “American Hero.” Many of my peers have laughed at me for my infatuation with President Ronald Reagan, for even though I haven’t read many books about him, I’ve always harbored a deep respect for the man who I believed saved our country from communism, and together with Margaret Thatcher ended the Cold War without firing a shot. However, I believe this is because my generation has forgotten what it means to be a hero and what the qualifications include. Our heroes consist of actors in movies, or pop stars – cultural icons – never the real-life leaders, those who actually hold positions of authority, such as our political leaders. Our government has deteriorated greatly over the last 20 years, especially since President Reagan left the Oval office. President Reagan had principles, he had a charisma that won the heart of our nation, and he was not afraid to stand up for what he believed. With confidence and faith in God and the values upon which our country was founded, he succeeded in putting a halt to communism, as well as ending the Cold War without a shot being fired.

Of course, President Reagan did have his faults, and he certainly was not perfect, but I still hold that President Ronald Reagan was an American Hero. He was the man of the hour… and he led this country as he promised he would, holding to one of the charges that he made early in his presidency: “Let us be sure that those who come after, will say of us in our time, that in our time we did everything that could be done; we finished the race, we kept them free, we kept the faith.”

My thesis would first define what I mean by “hero”, taking other examples from history and pointing out the qualities that make them real leaders and “heroes”. I believe we have plenty of resources in our own library and at the University of Idaho to be able do this. I would then focus on Reagan’s life and point out the highlights of his years as an American leader, stressing the ways in which he fit the status of a “hero.” This information could be found quite easily between the books that I or my Dad have on Reagan or contemporary leaders. Finally, I would show why he is more worthy of such a title than other American leaders, such as Thomas Jefferson, Teddy Roosevelt, or Davy Crockett. All of these men have a place in our history, and possibly on our mantle, but who deserves the centerpiece? Who is the true “American hero”? I believe that man is our 40th President: Ronald Wilson Reagan.

Tertiary Topic: The Knights of St. John

Since the time of Abraham and Ishmael, the Turks have strained against the Jews – God’s people – calling themselves God’s Chosen. My third and final thesis idea discusses the importance of the Knights of St. John. During the Middle Ages, Islam spread like a wildfire and wrought havoc on Christendom. In defense, the pope appointed one group of knights to defend Europe against the infidels – the Knights of St. John. He gave them the island of Rhodes, from which they based their galleys and plagued the Muslims. But they were finally attacked by the Turks, and made to split up for a time. However, they banded together once again, and took a stand against the Turks at Malta. On this “island of rock” in the middle of the Mediterranean, they prepared for the forces of Soleyman the Magnificent to invade, knowing that he desired to rid the sea of these “Christian pirates.” The invasion came, and 40,000 Muslims came to wipe out some 10,000 knights and slaves. For 3 months the Knights held out, and in the end, the Turks had to fall back and return to Constantinople.

Today, as Islam once again makes its voice heard around the world, we must realize that this is our fight. This is the challenge which is facing our generation. Just as the Knights of St. John stood up to the tremendous force which was raised against them, so must we stand up to the enemies of Christ and His Kingdom today. We must unabashedly raise the banner of the Cross, which marked the defeat of Satan and his henchmen, and proclaim the Gospel to the heathen, praying that God would save those whom He will, and crush those who defy Him. Our God and King has triumphed over His enemies, and is continuing to do so. And as His people and disciples we, like Paul, should put on the armor of God and prepare for battle.


This thesis would look back to the time of the Knights and specifically at the battles of Malta and Lepanto as a defense of why we must be prepared to take a militant stand against the Muslim nations, fighting with both the sword and the Gospel. Are we as Christians supposed to be passive regarding unbelievers, or are we called to physically defend the Gospel? God calls upon us to lead quiet and peaceable lives, but that does not mean that we need to lay low when the descendants of Ishmael are quickly spreading around the world, proclaiming the truth of “Allah” and promising punishment for all of those who oppose them. So are we in the same situation as the Knights of St. John? What do we do? How should we change our methods of fighting Muslims? Which way is the right way? God gave us backbones, and it is time for us as Christians to rediscover them and make use of them. We must stem the tide and ride boldly out to face the enemy, bringing the good news of the Gospel to the Muslims, and overthrowing Mohammed, the Koran, and its followers. Christ is on His throne, and His enemies will become His footstool.

Naturally, this thesis would be the hardest to research, as there are not many books written on the Knights of Malta or St. John. Ernle Bradford has written an excellent book on the subject, which I own, and I also own about 3 other works on the Knights and their activities around Malta, Rhodes, and Lepanto. However, in order to thoroughly research the topic, I think a trip to Italy and Malta might be necessary, to do some research on site, which would surely be more revealing than anything around here.