Principles of Marketing: Bentley Motors

Principles of Marketing: Bentley Motors Marketing strategy with details of the 4 P’s with justification (Bentley Motors): Bentley Motors limited is a British luxury automaker and a wholly owned subsidiary of the Volkswagen AG. Designing, engineering, manufacturing and distribution of luxury motors are the major activities of Bentley Motors. Bentley Motors was established in the year 1919 by W. O. Bentley. This company was founded in Cricklewood near London. Rolls-Royce Motors had acquired this company in the year 1931 and in the year 1998 this company had purchased by Volkswagen AG. Since then this company has been the wholly owned subsidiary of Volkswagen AG (Stephanie, 2013). The marketing strategy of Bentley Motors had been so formulated that the company sells the models of the automobiles through the franchised dealer all over the world. This company had been producing the motors which are considered to be the luxury motors in the global market. The strategic management of the company makes the company to successfully market the models of the cars all over the world. The marketing strategy of Bentley with the 4Ps is as follow; Products: The luxury automobiles of the company satisfy the needs of the customers. The cars models of 4.5 liters became much popular as the vehicle of choice of the population. The luxury cars of this company are designed as per the needs and the demands of the customers. The racing cars designed by this company are also much popular. The Bentley Continental fastback coupe was designed by this company to cater the domestic demands. These models were manufactured with the compilation of many important standardized components. Standard steel saloon, continental models, S-Series, T-series models are some of the well known and popular models of the company (Georges, 2014). Place: The company sells the cars models through the franchised dealers all over the world. China has been a very good market for this company’s cars. The company tries to enter into many emerging markets scattered across the world. After Rolls Royce had purchased Bentley Motors, the later could compete with other competitive and expensive car producing companies in the international market. Price: The cars of this company are of high quality and thus the prices are higher compared to regular use cars. The company focuses on the satisfaction of the customers and tries to cater best quality racing cars and luxury cars. The company could not compromise with the quality and standard of the motors. The high end cars are designed and engineered with the use of technology. The company targets rich section of the society those who consider the quality of the cars with their prices. Promotion: The company implements ethical marketing strategies compromising of effective marketing tools to market the cars in the international market. Proper advertisements, campaigns, promotional schemes and other promotional schemes are practiced to make the product well known to the customers of the world. The logo of the company is a symbol of status and prestige for the customers (milesperhr, 2012). Briefly discuss about the Integrated Marketing Communion (IMC) to become more competitive: Integrated Marketing Communication or IMC is the tool to understand the marketing communication strategies in the light of innovation and innovative strategies. IMC helps to formulate such strategies which could solve different types of the business issues through the collaboration with the international companies and the rivals in the market. The IMC strategies help the companies to become more competitive in the market and to make them cost effective in the competitive world. The companies could implement the IMC strategies in both the conventional and non conventional marketing media. The companies could implement these strategies in making the promotional methods to make them more effective and efficient towards successful achievement of the organizational goals. There had been several changes in the modes of communicating with the customers. These continuous changes have been possible because of the consistent conduction of the research and development in the field of marketing strategies (bentleymotors, 2014). There had been various positive shifts from the conventional marketing strategies to interactive marketing, from Mass Media to some kinds of Specialized Media, from Low Accountability in marketing to high Accountability in marketing spend, from limited connectivity to persuasive connectedness. These shifts had made the Integrated Marketing Communication so much effective to make the goal of customer orientation possible by the companies. The various components of IMC which are implemented in the marketing strategies of different companies are the following: Organizational culture The mission, vision, goal and objectives together build the organizational culture. Four Cs in Marketing Mix- Consumer, Cost, Convenience, Communication The most important components of the marketing strategies are described here. The consumers are the target segment; cost and convenience decide the price of the products and the distribution channels to be formulated. Finally the communication is the important tool of intimating the customers about the products. Advertising: The advertising includes various media like broadcasting, commercial ads, outdoor advertising, online advertisement which is also gaining much popularity now a days. The companies can put advertisements in different auction sites, social networking sites and classified ads are also there in the newsletters etc. Direct marketing: Another important tool of communicating is direct marketing where the customers could be interacted directly through different channels like direct mails, telemarketing, shopping channels, internet sites, websites, mobile messages, outdoor advertising etc. The seller could come into direct connection with the buyers through direct marketing (Panerai, 2015). E-Commerce: E-Commerce includes Search engine optimization, Mobile marketing, content marketing, social media like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc. The components of E-Commerce are making the marketing more effective and useful. Public Relations: The companies could interact with the target segment through creating an effective public relation strategy. The companies could communicate through special events, interviews, conferences, charity involvement etc. Promotions: There are various promotional tools which are to be implemented by the companies. The promotional schemes include contests, coupons. Product samples, prizes etc (milesperhr, 2012). Corporate volunteering: Now a day the companies are getting engaged in donations, volunteering and many other charitable actions. References: bentleymotors. (2014, August 28). Bentley Looks to the Future with new Skills Programme. Retrieved from bentleymotors: http://www.bentleymotors.com/en/world-of-bentley/our-story/news/2014/bentley-new-skills-programme.html Georges, C. (2014, September 09). In Conversation With Christophe Georges, President CEO, Bentley Motors Inc. Retrieved from luxurysociety: http://luxurysociety.com/articles/2014/09/in-conversation-with-christophe-georges-president-ceo-bentley-motors-inc milesperhr. (2012, March 01). Bentley Motors Campaign Plan. Retrieved from milesperhr: http://www.milesperhr.com/tag/bentley-marketing/ Panerai, F. (2015, February 18). Bentley motors. Retrieved from slideshare: http://www.slideshare.net/FiammaPanerai/bentley-motors-art Stephanie, A. (2013, October 02). Bentley company case. Retrieved from slideshare: http://www.slideshare.net/aguness/bentley-company-case

The Economic and Political Motives of the American Constitution vs. the

The Economic and Political Motives of the American Constitution vs. the Articles of Confederation Introduction The Constitution of the United States of America is often revered and thought of as the basis for all democracies around the world. However, when it is used as an example of the perfect democracy, the facts and history behind its creation are often left out. While it is a fascinating document, it is not the pinnacle of perfection that we often hold it up to be. It had a stumbling start, full of problems and arguments, instead of the immaculate conception that is often described. Its beginnings were much humbler, and they started with the Articles of Confederation. It is somewhat strange that the American people know so little of the fundamental nature of their system of government. Their acquaintance with it extends only to its outward form and rarely includes a knowledge of the political philosophy upon which it rests. The sources of information upon which the average man relies do not furnish the data for a correct understanding of the Constitution. (Smith, Allen, 1965: 30) What I propose to show is that the Constitution of the United States is not necessarily the best form of government for the United States, but that a reworking of the Articles of Confederation would have been sufficient. The motives I would like to call into question are those of the Framers of the Constitution, but also those of the Framers of the Articles of Confederation. The Articles of Confederation are often historically overlooked, but they play a major role in the creation of the Constitution. By examining the creation of the Articles of Confederation and its demise, I hope to shed some light on why the Constitution was created an... ...an Company, 1936. Bourgin, Frank. The Great Challenge: The Myth of Laissez-Faire in the Early Republic. New York: George Braziller, 1989. Campbell, R.H. and A.S. Skinner, eds. An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations. Glasgow edition of the works and correspondence of Adam Smith. Indianapolis: Liberty Classics, 1981. Jensen, Merrill. Articles of Confederation: An Interpretation of the Social-Constitutional History of the American Revolution, 1774-1781. University of Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin Press, 1940. Kenyon, Cecelia. The Antifederalists. New York: Bobbs-Merrill Co. Inc., 1966. McDonald, Forrest. We the People: The Economic Origins of the Constitution. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1958. Smith, J. Allen. The Spirit of American Government. Cambridge, Mass.: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 1965.

Phonological and Writing Systems of English and Thai

In the second language and foreign language (FL) classroom literature, it has been claimed that several variables related to the interface between L1 and L2/ FL, i. e. psychological aspects, contribute to language learners’ perception and production of a foreign language. A study of these variables could have important implications for the teaching of foreign languages. More recently, the role of spoken and written L2 input (e. g. Bassetti, 2008; Moyer, 2009) has been studied in greater detail, and there is an abundance of such studies.In this chapter, the relevant literature will be illustrated and critiqued, with particular attention to the works on phonological systems and writing systems across languages and the interaction between the two systems. In addition, the influence of affective factors on the productive skills of Thai learners is reviewed. The first section of the chapter is a discussion of the relevant literature on the differences between phonological and writi ng systems across languages and the resulting language learner output, followed by a review of the framework to be used in this study.The final section is a review of the effects of the affective factors on the learners’ language achievement and language performance as well as on language learning. 1. The related literature The findings reported in the literature that the majority of Thai learners of English demonstrate a low degree of proficiency, especially in the productive skills (speaking and writing) reflect the fact that â€Å"English language pedagogy in Thailand †¦ is still in its infancy† (Wongsothorn, A. , Hiranburana, K. & Chinnawongs, S. 2002; Laopongharn & Sercombe, 2009, among others). As reported in the national survey (1999) conducted by the Office of Educational Testing of the Department of Curriculum and Instruction (in Khamkhien, 2010), â€Å"high school sstudents’ productive skills were generally below 50 per cent, i. e. below average, leading to the recommendation in the report for immediate improvements of writing ability in all educational institutions in the country† (Wongsothorn et al. , 2002: 112). There are several factors that could prevent Thai learners of English from aining a sthrong command of productive skills in English. In terms of the phonological system, Yangklang (2006) investigated the improvement in pronunciation of English final [l] in 40 Thai sstudents in Matthayom Suksa 4 at Assumption Convent Lamnarai School who had used the Computer-Assisted Instruction (CAI) programme she was testing. The CAI in the study, as described by Yangklang: â€Å"contained drill and practice exercises. Drill and practice activities aimed to provide learners with adequate practices and also to review items that were new to learners.The goal of the drill and practice activities was to teach sstudents to pronounce words with final /-l/ accurately and automatically. † These practices and exercises were, therefore, provided by the computer programme as part of the post-lesson activities. The participants were divided into two groups according to their competence of pronunciation of English, one with good pronunciation and the other with poor ability. Prior to the experimental task, each participant had taken a placement test to classify their pronunciation competence.Subsequently, they all took three pronunciation post-tests every week for three weeks. It was found that both groups of sstudents improved their pronunciation significantly after they used the CAI programme. In general, both groups had positive reactions to the use of the CAI programme for improving their pronunciation. Obviously, the programme helped the participants improve their pronunciation, given that they had intensive training on pronunciation practice of specific English consonant sounds, and the post-test of pronouncing the sound was administered immediately after the programme training.As Graham (1997) and M acaro (2006), among others, have pointed out, effective language learning is about mastering communicative skills, i. e. speaking, writing, listening, and reading. This indicates that the more learners practise, the better their communicative performance in a language. In line with this, the results did not show anything unexpected. The point at issue, which I shall leave for future study, is how can accurate pronunciation, e. g. of the /l/ sound, be maintained after short-term, intensive training?In Yangklang’s findings, the English consonant sound /l/ which constitutes the coda, i. e. word-final ending in /l/, (see Figure 1 below) could be realised as [l], [n], and [w] by the participants. The participants with good pronunciation appeared to produce the [l], whilst the participants from the poorer group appeared to generate [n] and [w] instead of [l] or [? ]. The [n] was produced more frequently than [w] by these participants, however. Yangklang did not discuss why [n] and [w] constitute allophones of /l/.In the study, it was the poorer group who produced such allophones, and it was reported from interviews that the participants had not yet been exposed to an environment where English is used as a medium of communication. In the word list, part of the research instrument which consisted of pronunciation tests contained words like ‘ball’, ‘mile’, etc. which are English loanwords. I assume that there is some force of segmental alternation with regard to English loanwords.As /l/ is not available at coda position, the notion of final consonant phoneme alternation appears plausible. That is to say, [n] and [w] appear to be alternatives. Paradis (1996) in Kentowicz & Suchato (2006), claimed that the location of such segments in feature geometry and prosodic structure was relevant in dealing with segmental alternation in loanwords. Based on the data, /l/ and /n/ fall into the same natural class, in that both of them are sonorant con sonants, which can be represented by the feature matrices

Sales forecast Essay Example

Sales forecast Essay Example Sales forecast Essay Sales forecast Essay When deciding on our sales forecast for our car valeting business and car sales business we have based the figures on the previous two years business also keeping in mind that we are growing rapidly.In the following forecast you will see a considerable drop in business during month four. This we have identified is due to people going away from London for Easter holidays as well as it tend to be a rainy season. However there is a significant increase in month five this is mainly because the new number plates come out in this month, and thus car sales boom. People with new cars pay more attention to keeping their car looking good initially hence a increase in business during this month. By the month six this tends to come back to normal business.Our sales forecast for car valeting products is based on research on how much valeting product is sold through retail stores. Another factor considered in the promise by BP to buy our product at certain quantities over the first year. We have a lso used sales figures from luxury car valeters such as Jaguar to come up with our final sales figures.Our commission per car sold will remain at à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½1500.Our valeting service charge is à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½70 per carEach package consisting of valeting products will be sold at à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½40Month-1Car valeting;15 cars per week day = 75 per week20 cars per weekend day = 40 per weekTotal 115 cars per week à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½32 20010 cars sold during month à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½15 000Valeting products;Sales to BP 250 unitsSales to other car valeting services 125 unitsSales through outlets and other sources 75Total sold 450 units à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½18 000Total sales revenue for month 1 à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½65 200Month -2We have calculated that sales revenue from car valeting and sales will remain as same as month one during this monthValeting productSales to BP 500 unitsSales to other car valeting services 150 unitsSales through other outlets and other sources 90 unitsTotal units sold 740 à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ 29 600Total sales revenue for month 2 = à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ 76 800Month 3Car valeting;18 cars per week day = 9020 per weekend day = 40Total cars valeted = 130 per weekTotal sales revenue for valeting = à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ 36 400Cars sold during this month= 15Total revenue from car sales = à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ 22500Valeting products;Sales to BP = 750 unitsCar valeters =180 unitsSales through other out lets and other sources = 108 unitsTotal units sold during this month= 1038Total revenue for valeting products = à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½41 520Total sales revenue for month 3=à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½100 420Month 4Car valeting;15 cars per week day= 7525 cars per weekend day= 50Total cars valeted per week = 125Sales revenue of car valeting for the month=à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½35 000Cars sold = 17Sales revenue of car sales = à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½25 500Valeting productsSales to BP= 750 unitsSales to car valeters= 216 unitsSales through other out lets and sources= 130 unitsTotal sales for the month= 1096 unitsTotal sales revenue from product sales for the month=à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ 43 824Total revenue for the month 4 =à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½104 324Month 5Car valeting;20 per week day= 10025 per weekend day= 50Cars valeted per week= 150Total revenue from car valeting = à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½42 000Cars sold= 5Sales revenue from car sales =à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ 7500Valeting products;During this month we are projecting the business on product sales to remain as same as month 4Total sales revenue for month 5 -à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½93 324Month 6Car valeting;15 cars valeted per week day= 7525 cars valeted per weekend day= 50Total cars valeted per week = 125Sales revenue from car valeting for the month =à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½35 000Cars sold = 8Revenue from car sales = à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ 12000Valeting products;Units sold to BP=750Units sold to car valeters= 259Units sold through other outlets and sources=156Total units sold for the month = 1165Sales revenue for valeting products= à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½46 589Sales revenue for the month= à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½93 589

Luther man between God and the Devil

Luther man between God and the Devil Introduction The preface to Luther by Heiko A. Oberman gives the reader a sneak preview of what to expect while reading the book. In his opening sentence however, Oberman warns the reader that discovering Luther is something that cannot fit within the confine of scholarship exposition. To understand Luther however, Oberman notes that people must be ready to leave behind their views about the world and life.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on Luther: man between God and the Devil specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This is because Luther’s world was different from what the contemporary man knows; the church had so much power that it was equated to heaven, while the emperor’s represented the â€Å"powers of heaven† (xix). Reading through the book, one gets the impression that Oberman shares in the religious and spiritual issues that he documents about Luther having gone through. He relates the Luther experiences and discoveries both in terms of emotional and physical struggles as the same as what people in the contemporary society face. In the preface, one gets the impression that Oberman does not give religion or the state of the society as much weight as a factor that affected Luther’s life. This is made clear by the phrase, â€Å"It is not the Catholic, protestant or modern Luther we are looking for†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (xix). He however acknowledges that â€Å"we† will encounter religions and society’s state in the course of reading the book. The use of â€Å"we† in preface gives the reader the impression that he/she is not alone in discovering Luther. Oberman makes himself part of the journey too. The dying scene The main body of Oberman’s books starts with the dying scene where Luther is being attended by the â€Å"Reverend father†. It was February 18, 1546 when Luther Died. Before his death, Luther went through some final testin g where witnesses were summoned by his friend Justus Jonas just to confirm that Luther had â€Å"died steadfast in Christ and the doctrines that he had preached† (3). Oberman notes that Luther had always prayed that he would always be able to resist the devil to the very end believing that resisting Satan, who is branded as the ultimate and bitterest enemy to human kind would be his ultimate liberation from the tyranny posed by sin. Oberman also notes that Luther believed that a trust in God convinced him that the agony that he suffered in his life would be nothing more than brief blow upon his death (3).Advertising Looking for critical writing on religion theology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Liberal thinking Oberman further succeeds in portraying Luther as a person who had his own way of thinking. As indicated in the book, the author narrates that Luther adjusted his time with benchmarks rather than tol erance, enlightenment, modernity or progress to determine time. In order to understand Luther therefore, Oberman suggests that â€Å"we† need to read Luther’s history with a non-conventional perspective (12). Luther’s influence on the politics of the day seems to have been known to him more than anyone else. In one scene for example, Oberman states that Luther knew he posed a risk to the policy in Saxony. Since he did not want to break the sovereign’s freedoms that would be contained in political actions, he made the Saxony’s elector an attractive proposal that if accepted would have seen him leave the land (22). In a bid to stop Luther from leaving, the elector summoned him and promised to take a neutral position, while granting Luther the academic freedoms necessary to discuss scriptural questions with his students without any hindrances. Yet, Luther’s affair with the law was not always smooth. In 1520 for example, Pope Leo announced a con ditional excommunication to Luther based on his works, which the pope defined as â€Å"heretical, offensive and false† (Oberman 22). The pope however gave Luther 60 days to submit a response. Luther however could do nothing like that and finally in 1521, the Pope signed the excommunication letter, hoping that it had finally settled the troubles that arose from Luther. Luther’s supporters argued that the excommunication was motivated by the fact that the church could not stand reformation, yet a time for the same in the church was long overdue (Oberman 24). Reformist, teacher, doctor or preacher? Oberman’s book further notes that Luther’s influence on reformation would have ended sooner were it not for the death of Emperor Maximilian I in 1519. Before the death of the emperor, the Elector Cajetan in Saxon had done a lot to protect Luther. However, his protection of Luther stood no chance of surviving a final decision by the Papacy in Rome. Luckily however, the death of the emperor created a political upheaval in succession, which for a fair amount of time shifted attention from the Luther question.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on Luther: man between God and the Devil specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The controversy between the Germans and the Papacy regarding Luther was clear as one end held that no one could be placed under a ban without being accorded a suitable hearing, while the other side maintained that Luther was under an automatic ban due to his incorrigible and notorious heretics (Oberman 36). While the Papal attracted critics, Oberman portrays Luther as having gained more public support especially from his writings which criticized how cases were â€Å"nipped in the bud† when they were tried in the imperial, papal or local courts (36). Having argued that no one deserved being banned without being given fair hearing, the Germans succeeded i n convincing the Papacy to grant Luther a hearing. In 1521 therefore, Luther appeared before the Bishop’s court sought to find the reality about the accusations of heretics placed on Luther. During the hearing, Oberman portrays Luther as a tactical and knowledgeable person who refused to answer non-specific questions. Asked whether he recognized the books written in his name as his own work, Luther sought to have the books mentioned individually (38). According to Oberman, the mentioning of the books served to dispense the notion that Luther was a â€Å"stupid monk† to anyone in the court room who may have held that idea. Asked whether he could recant, Luther requested the court to give him time to think. On his return the following day, his answer was an indirect one. He said that his books were neither polemical nor sharp. He stated that his writing addressed the Christian faith and life as directed by the gospel. To this end, he stated that not even the opponents wo uld find anything objectionable in the books. About the books that addressed the Papacy, Luther told the court that he had addressed how the papal office had ruined the church, weighed the human conscience down and oppressed the empire. He therefore argued that he could not renounce anything he had written in his books because by doing so, he would be encouraging tyranny.Advertising Looking for critical writing on religion theology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More By recounting this episode, Oberman portrays Luther as a person who stood steadfast with what he believed in regardless of whether he had the support from others or not. In a documented recounting of the proceeding that took place in the hearing, Luther is portrayed as a watchful person who not only realized that the hearing was not intended to gather information, but rather to accept the anticipated recantation by Luther or uphold the ban. Since the hearing was made of Germans, Luther argued that instead of acting independently, the Germans had acted childishly, allowing themselves to be fooled by the Romans. Oberman observes that though Luther’s evaluation of how the interrogation was conducted was indeed valid, he (Luther) was wrong about the Germans acting childishly. Oberman argues that no where in western Christendom would people find it politically viable to protect a seemingly rebellious monk against extradition from Rome. More so, obtaining a public hearing like what the Germans did for Luther who was perceived by Rome as a notorious heretic was also unusual. According to Oberman therefore, the same Germans who Luther has termed â€Å"follies† had kept his issue alive in such a long time such that the ban imposed by Rome was stifled (Oberman 40). Oberman’s book gives a clear picture of Luther’s attack on Rome and the papacy and gives the reader the actions that made Luther such a bitter person against the actions of Rome. At some point in the book, Luther is quoted saying that every person in Rome had gone crazy and â€Å"†¦had become inane fools and the devils† (Oberman 43). His reason for such strong wording about Romans was the fact that they had accepted the information passed by the church in Rome in that time, which Luther referred to as lies, which were being passed on as truths. According to Luther, Rome was the devil’s gateway to the church, yet, Christ sought representation through people who we re willing to work, preach, suffer and die. Instead however, the office of the Pope which was supposed to act as the servant of Christ leading the way for the church followers had become the â€Å"ruler of rulers† (Oberman 43). Reading this book however, one not only identifies the character of Luther, but also Oberman’s character as well. For instance, by making the devil a central agenda in his biography of Luther, one gets the impression that Oberman shared the convictions that Luther had about good and evil. One also gets the impression that not only does Oberman find the justification for a faith in Christianity, but he also finds â€Å"a new belief in the devil† (104). Surprisingly, Luther and Oberman are from different centuries. Luther was from the middle ages, while Oberman just wrote the book in the 19th century. Yet Oberman’s writing succeeds in portraying the devil not as a medieval residue, but an astonishingly modern reality. Oberman specifi cally portrays Luther’s role giving the reader a new understanding of Satan’s role in a person’s life. Through Luther’s believes and discoveries regarding Satan, Oberman gives the reader a few insights about how Satan allegedly operates. For example, as opposed to what many people may think; holiness and sanctity does not necessarily mean that the devil is absent. According to Luther, acts of Christianity which include preaching the gospels, people gathering to hear God’s word and other things that Christians do in order to strengthen their faiths provoke Satan to attack Christians even more. Luther also notes that in an attempt to ‘mislead’ Christians, the devil ties people down to religiosity. To this, Oberman adds that one is entangle in self devout analysis. He thus concluded that the ideals of divinization, perfection and holiness are Satan’s way of misleading the Christian faithful. Unlike a person who seeks Christ because he or she is â€Å"filthy and sinful†, Oberman notes that those who think they are divine, perfect or holy do not see the need to do so. Oberman is also successful in drawing a distinction between modern Protestantism and what Luther believed. Most notably, Oberman documents the high regard that Luther had for the sacraments. Despite his protests against the act of the Catholic Church and the papacy, Luther is quoted as having said â€Å"I am undeserving, but I rely on the faith of the church- or of another believer. Whatever my situation, O Lord, I must be obedient to your church, which bids me to go to communion. If I bring you nothing else, at least I bring you this Obedience† (Oberman 242). Further distinction between modern Protestantism and what Luther believed is portrayed by Oberman as his demand that Christians go to confession at least once annually. To this, Luther stated that instead of people approaching the sacraments with fear and humility, they should have faith and be confident when taking part in the sacraments. Through abandoning humility and fear and embracing faith and confidence, Luther argued that people would stop seeking worthiness, since no one could be worthy before God. Luther’s stand about the sacrament did not go unchallenged. Oberman notes that the Swiss for example questioned the profit that people got from assuming that Christ’s flesh was represented in the Holy Communion, while Christ himself had dismissed the flesh as having no profit. Further the Swiss questioned Luther how obedience can replace insufficient faith. With no clear answers from Luther regarding these questions, the Swiss branded Luther a neo-papist and a captive of the middle ages (Oberman 242). As a reformist, Oberman portrays Luther as a person who attracted more foes in high ranking positions than was prudent to do at that day and age. For example, he challenged the supremacy of the papacy and the mandate given to councils. Thoug h he acknowledged that the pope deserved respect as the bishop of Rome, while the papacy deserved being held in high regard especially because it was an institution created by agreeing people, he said that neither the pope nor the papacy deserved to serve as the standard of obedience. Instead, the Gospel should be used as the measure of obedience (Oberman 246). Oberman once again portrays Luther as a person who had a firm believe in himself and the things he did. For example, while his friends tried to dissuade him from publicly questioning the authority that the pope and the papacy office had on Christianity, Luther rendered an account based of St. Peter who the pope is modeled after. To this, he said that though Peter had a prime and honorary position among other apostles, his position did not give him any legal supremacy or authority to â€Å"make, send, govern or ordain other apostles† (Oberman 247). Oberman also portrays Luther as a man who believed that the institutions in the church should have been formed under the guidance of the Gospel. This he suggested should have been the case if people adhered to the gospel adequately instead of depending on heresy. According to Oberman, Luther insisted that the unwavering theology of the cross of Christ could not support either catholic-subjectivism or the protestant individualism. Rather, true theology would further unity in Christianity regardless of the denominations and would thus succeed in letting people know the need to heed God’s commandments. A reoccurring image of Luther throughout the book is that of unwavering and often fearless man. One gets the impression that Luther knew the possible implications of his words and actions but still chose to criticize or point out the evils that bedeviled the society mainly because the church then refused to play its rightful role and instead chose to engage in power games and governance. In 1519 for example when his ties with Rome were still intact, O berman observes that Luther said that the church â€Å"was an accumulation if schisms† (249). When the church in Rome finally excommunicated him, he burned the canon law and the bull of the pope to show his rapprochement. This was seen by some as the final act of revolt that Luther had started in 1517. Oberman notes that attempts by those opposed to Luther’s action to brand him a Hussite failed. Hussites had previously waged war against the Catholic Church and labeling Luther as one would no doubt would have cost him some support. Luther is however portrayed as a person who would have cared less about the labels that his opponents gave him. Luther is also portrayed as a person who attached meaning to his dreams. In Oberman’s account, it is stated that Luther had Utopian and devilish dreams, which he quickly recognized as traps set by Satan. In his interpretation, Satan conjured up images of purity for people and then encouraged them to understand the evil contai ned in their words, actions or thoughts (64-66). The reformation Oberman starts the chapter on reformation breakthrough by creating the Luther that people would have expected to see. Having become a doctor of theology, Oberman states that Luther was now in the same ranks as some stupid monks who spent their time arguing about nothing in specific. The monks perceived themselves as guardians of the proper doctrine and piety, yet, they were barely able to â€Å"count their own toes† (151). Oberman therefore portrays Luther as a truth seeker therefore contradicts public expectation of what the learned theologians of his time were used to doing. Oberman credits the reformist ideas of Luther to the fact that he (Luther) encouraged people not only to agree to the idea that God is just, but rather seek him with their entire beings, which included their thoughts and actions; bodies and souls; and suffering and love. Oberman also observes that the search for salvation as championed by Luther suggested that all people; whether educated or not could engage in the same exercise. Still, Oberman portrays Luther who did not allow his understanding of theology to alter his perspective or raise his voice to critique the medieval theologians who were regarded as authorities at that point in history. Central to the reformist ideas of Luther as noted by Oberman was Vicar General Staupitz. The latter is credited by Luther for â€Å"first of all being my father in this doctrine, and having given birth [to me] in Christ† (Oberman 152). Having introduced Luther into the doctrine, Oberman’s book indicates that Staupitz gave him a longing to seek the reality of the principles therein from the scripture. Still, not everything in the scriptures made perfect sense to Luther. More specifically, Oberman quotes Romans 1:17, as a scripture written by the St. Paul as an obstacle that Luther struggled with. The scripture reads: â€Å"For therein [in the gospel] is the right eousness of God revealed† (Oberman 152). During his study of the scriptures however, Luther appear to have come as one thing as the absolute truth; that God’s righteousness is the eternal law through which all men and women will be judged on doomsday. According to Oberman, the righteousness of God is not distributed to humankind like talents; rather, it put men who are willing to abide by God’s teaching in a position where they can attain righteousness. Luther’s discovery about God righteousness however suggests that it is united with Christ’s righteousness, further confirming that Jesus Christ and God the father are one. According to Oberman, Luther’s ability to think originally gave him the reformist qualities. More so, he was willing to test the discoveries he made while studying the scriptures against the prevailing laws used by the church. Luther’s discovert about the righteousness of God was unheard of during his time. He used it to discredit the doctrine of good works as championed by the church and to human action; he discredits the reward and merit ideals which were at the time the main motivators for human action (156). According to Oberman, tribulations and struggles make the true life of a theologian as opposed to speculation or philosophizing. Notably however, Luther’s experiences as a reformist reduce the fears, hopes, successes and struggles to two stages: 1) a desperate monk; and 2) the self-confident reformer. Oberman however notes that Luther astounds scholars because his works seems to have taken some form of systemic research, from which drew conclusions and finally delved into the world of reform. Accordingly, Luther’s reformist ideas were drawn from lesson from St. Augustine and St. Paul. After seeking a deep understanding of the scripture, he indulged in conflict with the pontifical church through logical accusations and arguments. Luther’s reformist role is not only co vered by Oberman alone. Other writers like Levi et al (259-284) have included Luther among the reformers who contributed schismatic solutions towards the renaissance and reformation. Luther’s Death Oberman gives the reader the impression that Luther’s death was not only waited by Luther himself, but his adversaries too. Most notably was Johannes Cochlaeus who first wrote about Luther. Unlike Oberman however, Cochlaeus did not have any kind words for Luther. He instead denounced him as the devil’s spawn that is portrayed in the Bible as the seven-headed dragon. What no one could not establish beyond Luther’s death however was whether his soul was taken by the devil or whether God rewarded it by taking it to everlasting happiness as Luther all along wished for in his life. Their books takes special note of the role that the reformist idea played in Germany at a time when Rome had taken the reigns of power in Europe through the office of the papacy and the p ope as the power figure. In this book however, one gets the idea that Luther’s ideas only set ablaze the feelings about Rome that had simmering in Europe and especially Germany. In an effort to solve the mystery of who between God and the Devil took Luther’s soul, Oberman’s book (3) gives an account of how simple believers and people in the academic world sought to establish the truth. The not-so-informed believers simply imagined that whoever was fast would snatch Luther’s soul first. The academic scholars on the other hand argued that a descent into hell could be easily diagnosed medically. According to their argument, Luther’s death would have been abrupt if the devil took his soul because, â€Å"the devil [would have] snipped the thread of life†¦, thus leaving the church unable to render its last assistance† (Oberman 3). As such, they argued that Luther’s slow death meant that he had commended his soul into the hands of God. Initially, Oberman (4) succeeds in portraying Luther as a patient, understanding and cheerful man who understood the reality of death in such a way that many men would have difficulties doing. More specifically, he describes how Luther knowing his death was imminent chose to spend his last days in his birth place in Eisleben where he mediated a protracted battle between two brothers. Weeks before his death, Luther is portrayed as a patient man who despite his despise for lawyers, spent hours sitting between the two parties trying to mediate them. Oberman also succeeds in portraying Luther as a man who had the nerve to accept that the inevitable death was eventually going to catch up with him. He even seems to have made fun of the fact that in death, he â€Å"would lie down in [his] coffin and give the worms a fat doctor to feast to on.†(5). Oberman also portray Luther as a man who had a firm believes in life after death although he did not state it as a fact. Rather, he said that â€Å"it was very likely† that people’s spirits in heaven would be renewed. He however stated that it was also likely that man’s spirit and body would remain undetached for people who would end up in hell (5). How closely Luther’s friends associated him with a man of God is evident when the news were first broken to his friend Melanchthon. Struggling for control and struggling to get the right words to break the news about Luther’s death to his students, Melanchthon used a phrase used to describe Prophet Elijah’s death. He told his students that the â€Å"charioteer of Israel has fallen† (Oberman 6). Having been the personality behind the evangelical movement and the reformation, Luther left a gap that had no immediate successor. To this end, Oberman manages to bring out the difference in tact between Prophet Elijah and Luther. Unlike Elija who had picked Elisha to be his successor, Luther had refrained from such a thing believin g that the Gospel would be strong enough to charge its own way (Oberman 7). Unfortunately, not every one shared in the Pope’s opinion. Conclusion Overall, reading about Luther gives one the impression that he was an argumentative, single-minded person, who hard an enormous amount of self confidence and believe. This characteristic mainly comes across because he did not waiver even when he faced opposition for his writings or spoken word. Being branded a heretic meant that he could face death by fire. Yet, even with controversies regarding his 95 theses raging, he could not renounce any of his written works or apologize for the same (Cep 5). He strongly believed that he had written the right thing and that apologizing for pinpointing the evils in the society would only lead to more tyranny. His writings and actions however led to his excommunication from the Catholic Church by Pope Leo and since Luther knew he could not reform the church from outside, he began the process of b uilding a new church (Cep 14). This marked the beginning of the protestant church, which was based on the concepts of freedom and liberty. According to Oberman, Luther never referred himself as the reformer; rather, he used the titles professor, preacher or doctor because he believed his role in Christendom was proclaiming the good works which were necessary for the survival of the real religion on the threatened world. Yet, Luther did not fail to have a fair share of shortcomings. Oberman notes that Luther, the ex-monk at some tome adopted the role of a new layman who was eager for the joys and pleasures that come with secular jobs. According to Brady, the new form of apocalypticism and worldliness that overtook Luther at some point meant that he became an alien to reformation (41). The progressive reformation that was as a result of Luther’s actions was far from his initial intention. Reading through Oberman’s account of Luther, it is clear that though Luther imagine d a world where the devil was forever pursuing God’s children, he adopted a sober view of Christianity and hence adopted a reformist role. Brady, Thomas. The work of Heiko A. Oberman: papers from the symposium on his seventieth birthday. PA Netherlands: Brill Publishers, 2003. Print Cep, Casey. â€Å"The ecstasy is real†. The Harvard Book Review. Dec. 2008. Web. Levi, et al. Renaissance and Reformation: The Intellectual Genesis. New Haven, CT: Yale University press, 2004. Print. Oberman, Heiko. Luther: man between God and the Devil. California: The Doubleday Religious Publishing Group, 1992. Print.

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