Previous investigations suggest that ataxia is common and often one of the most reliable warning signs of high altitude cerebral edema(HACE). The aim of this study was to investigate the diagnostic role of ataxia in a...Previous investigations suggest that ataxia is common and often one of the most reliable warning signs of high altitude cerebral edema(HACE). The aim of this study was to investigate the diagnostic role of ataxia in acute mountain sickness(AMS)and HACE among mountain rescuers on the quake areas,and in approaching the relation between AMS and HACE. After the earthquake on April 14,2010,approximately 24 080 lowland rescuers were rapidly transported from sea level or lowlands to the mountainous rescue sites at 3 750 ~ 4 568 m,and extremely hardly worked for an emergency treatment after arrival. Assessments of acute altitude illness on the quake areas were using the Lake Louise Scoring System. 73 % of the rescuers were found to be developed AMS. The incidence of high altitude pulmonary edema(HAPE)and HACE was 0.73 % and 0.26 %,respectively,on the second to third day at altitude. Ataxia sign was measured by simple tests of coordination including a modified Romberg test. The clinical features of 62 patients with HACE were analyzed. It was found that the most frequent,serious neurological symptoms and signs were altered mental status(50/62,80.6 %)and truncal ataxia(47/62,75.8 %). Mental status change was rated slightly higher than ataxia,but ataxia occurred earlier than mental status change and other symptoms. The earliest sign of ataxia was a vague unsteadiness of gait,which may be present alone in association with or without AMS. Advanced ataxia was correlated with the AMS scores,but mild ataxia did not correlate with AMS scores at altitudes of 3 750~4 568 m. Of them,14 patients were further examined by computerized tomographic scanning of the brain and cerebral magnetic resonance imagines were examined in another 15 cases. These imaging studies indicated that the presence of the cerebral edema was in 97 % of cases who were clinically diagnosed as HACE(28/29). Ataxia seems to be a reliable sign of advanced AMS or HACE,so does altered mental status.展开更多
Our voluntary project ran in different groups of adults (healthy, depressed, schizophrenic, and clients with anxiety disorders). The study is based on analysis of personal counseling experience, where literature was...Our voluntary project ran in different groups of adults (healthy, depressed, schizophrenic, and clients with anxiety disorders). The study is based on analysis of personal counseling experience, where literature was used as a tool to disclose client's personal meanings. During our sessions, clients were observed phenomenologically, and their speach was written down. Reflecting on the qualitative data of transformative learning in language arts, we developed techniques for facilitation and disclosure of personal meanings. Grounded theory was used for data generalization: Personal educational insights and its comparison with other researchers' theoretical insights were the basis to develop the methodical system for psychological guidance and counseling and to explain it. We revealed that focus on personally important meanings during discussion after literature reading has influence on the mental state of personality and deepens the interactions with the literature art, so we suggest a spiral model to explain the methodical system of our method. Transformative learning in language arts as a method of guidance and counseling can be understood as spiritual motion by spirale. It has three levels: (1) art level (interaction with the literature); (2) psychology level (counseling); and (3) art level (interaction with the same peace of literature as in the beginning of the session, poetic summary of the session). Levels (1) and (3) mean interaction with literature art, but at the third level, this interaction has new quality, because personality has better perception of Self and more ability to connect personal meanings and literature wisdom. At the first level, we have direction from literature to Personality. At the third level, we have direction from the Self (Speaking from Within) to literature. Disclosure of personally important meanings is a key to self-understanding and poetical thinking; our developed methodical system reduces emotional tension and strengthens interconnectedness between inner and outer world and improves poetical understanding. In this paper, the methodical system of transformative learning and guidance is discussed.展开更多
AIM:To explore age-related changes in symptoms and quality of life(QoL) of women with irritable bowel syndrome(IBS).METHODS:Two-hundred and fifty-four female adult outpatients with IBS attending the Department of Gast...AIM:To explore age-related changes in symptoms and quality of life(QoL) of women with irritable bowel syndrome(IBS).METHODS:Two-hundred and fifty-four female adult outpatients with IBS attending the Department of Gastroenterology at the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University between January,2008 and October,2008 were approached.Patients with a history of abdominal surgery,mental illness or those who had recently taken psychotropic drugs were excluded.A physician obtained demographic and abdominal symptom data.All patients were asked to complete the Zung Self-Rated Anxiety and Depression Scale(SDS/SAS) and the IBS-specific QoL questionnaire.The patients were divided into six groups according to age,in 10-year increments:18-27 years,28-37 years,38-47 years,48-57 years,58-67 years and 68-75 years(maximum 75 years).Age-related differences of abdominal pain or discomfort were analyzed using ranksum tests.Differences in SDS/SAS and IBS-QoL scores between age groups were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance.Pearson's correlations evaluated potential associations between IBS symptoms,psychological factors and QoL in each age group.RESULTS:There were no differences in the distribution of IBS subtypes between age groups(χ2 = 20.516,P = 0.153).Differences in the severity of abdominal pain/discomfort with age were statistically significant(χ2 = 25.638,P < 0.001);patients aged 48-57 years,58-67 years or 68-75 years had milder abdominal pain/discomfort than those in the younger age groups.The severity of anxiety or depressive symptoms did not differ between age groups(SDS,χ2 = 390.845,P = 0.110;SAS,χ 2 = 360.071,P = 0.220).Differences of IBSQoL scores were statistically significant between age groups(χ2 = 1098.458,P = 0.011).The scores of patients in the 48-57-year group were lower than those in the 18-27-year and 28-37-year groups(48-57-year group vs 18-27-year group,74.88 ± 8.76 vs 79.76 ± 8.63,P = 0.021;48-57-year group vs 28-37-year group,74.88 ± 8.76 vs 79.04 ± 8.32,P = 0.014).The scores in the 68-75-year group were lower than those in the 18-27-year,28-37-year and 38-47-year groups(68-75-year group vs 18-27-year group,71.98 ± 9.83 vs 79.76 ± 8.63,P = 0.003;68-75-year group vs 28-37-year group,71.98 ± 9.83 vs 79.04 ± 8.32,P = 0.002;68-75-year group vs 38-47-year group,71.98 ± 9.83 vs 76.44 ± 8.15,P = 0.039).Anxiety and depression were negatively correlated with QoL in all age groups(SDS and QoL:18-27-year group,r =-0.562,P = 0.005;28-37-year group,r =-0.540,P < 0.001;38-47-year group,r =-0.775,P < 0.001;48-57-year group,r =-0.445,P = 0.001;58-67-year group,r =-0.692,P < 0.001;68-75-year group,r =-0.732,P < 0.001.SAS and QoL:18-27-year group,r =-0.600,P = 0.002;28-37-year group,r =-0.511,P < 0.001;38-47-year group,r =-0.675,P < 0.001;48-57-year group,r =-0.558,58-67-year group,P = 0.001;r =-0.588,P < 0.001;68-75-year group,r =-0.811,P < 0.001).A negative correlation between abdominal pain severity and QoL was found in patients aged more than 58 years(58-67-year group,r =-0.366,P = 0.017;68-75-year group,r =-0.448,P = 0.048),but not in younger patients(18-27-year group,r = 0.080,P = 0.716;28-37-year group,r =-0.063,P = 0.679;38-47-year group,r =-0.029,P = 0.812;48-57-year group,r =-0.022,P = 0.876).CONCLUSION:Factors affecting QoL should always be treated in IBS,especially emotional problems in young adults.Even mild abdominal pain should be controlled in elderly patients.展开更多
Objectives:First-year college students had exposure to unhealthy lifestyle behaviors that correlate with a high prevalence of anxiety and depression.Regarding to the modifiable lifestyle behaviors factors,this study i...Objectives:First-year college students had exposure to unhealthy lifestyle behaviors that correlate with a high prevalence of anxiety and depression.Regarding to the modifiable lifestyle behaviors factors,this study investigated the prevalence and correlation of multiple lifestyle behaviors,anxiety and depression in a sample of Chinese first-year college students.Methods:Cross-sectional data were extracted from Residents eHealth app of health lifestyle behaviors survey from September to October 2019.Anxiety,depression,eating regular meals,consumption of snacks in-between meals,consumption of fruit,dessert and sugar-sweetened beverages,smoking and secondhand smoke exposure,consuming alcohol,physical activity,sedentary time were assessed by self-report.Socio-demographic including age,gender,education,family income,religion,and health condition were captured.Logistic regression was used to explore the association of multiple lifestyle behaviors,anxiety and depression.Results:Totally 1,017 participants were included in the study.The prevalence of anxiety and depression(from mild to severe) were 40.3% and 45.3%,respectively.In multivariable analyses,religion (believe in Buddhism,OR =2.438,95%CI:1.097-5.421;believe in Christian,OR =5.886,95%CI:1.604-21.597),gender (Female,OR =1.405,95%CI:1.001-1.971),secondhand smoke exposure (OR =1.089,95%CI:1.001-1.184),and eating regular meals (OR =0.513,95%C1:0.346-0.759) were associated with anxiety.Family income (OR =0.732,95%CI:0.596-0.898),eating regular meals (OR =0.641,95%CI:0.415-0.990),frequency of breakfast (OR =0.813,95%CI:0.690-0.959),with a chronic disease (OR =1.902,95%CI:1.335-2.712),and consumption of nocturnal snack (OR =1.337,95%CI:1.108-1.612) were associated with depression.Conclusions:These results highlighted the need for early lifestyle behavior intervention,especially modifying diet patterns considering the background of religion,health condition,and social-economic status in first-year college students to improve their mental health.展开更多
This paper presents an original interpretation of the Upanishads that the inner self is located in the embryo brain region of the brain. This is the part of the brain already present in the embryo and consists of the ...This paper presents an original interpretation of the Upanishads that the inner self is located in the embryo brain region of the brain. This is the part of the brain already present in the embryo and consists of the brainstem, hypothalamus, thalamus, and midbrain. It is also the part of the brain that operates during dreaming and deep sleep and causes the transition from sleeping to waking states, and the Upanishads state unequivocally that the self is responsible for these mental states. With the self located in the embryo brain region, an entirely new interpretation of Aristotle's De Anima is presented which parallels the Upanishads in every respect; the inner self and Aristotle's "soul" have identical functions and attributes. An Aristotelian First Principle is presented: Biology is the source of Consciousness; DNA is the source of Biology; Ergo DNA is the source of Consciousness.展开更多
The human face consists of three dimensions: (1) the visible, static sur-face, (2) the mobile dimension, which communicates thoughts, emotions, and states of mind, and (3) the invisible dimension, the face aspa...The human face consists of three dimensions: (1) the visible, static sur-face, (2) the mobile dimension, which communicates thoughts, emotions, and states of mind, and (3) the invisible dimension, the face aspars-pro-toto for the whole person who owns the face. In this latter sense, the human face is at the center of Emmanuel Levinas' theory of ethics: We encounter each other face-to-face, he argues, and it is the other's face that calls for my ethical response to the holiness of his/her wholeness and essence. The primary ethical imperative is: "Thou shalt not kill." When we encounter a facially disfigured person, we usually fail to respond ethically because we concentrate on the disfigurement. The second dimension, as a result of the disfigurement, is often impaired and thus incapable of communicating in such a way that we can "read" the face. With our gaze fixed on the disfigured part of the face, we lose sight of the person as a whole. Metaphorically speaking, we could even say that we "kill" the person. Levinas conceives of the other's face not in its plastic manifestation. But the encounter with the other does at first take place as embodiment. According to Merleau-Ponty, this encounter is by definition interactive and dialogical. In Willa Cather's short story "The Profile," young beautiful Virginia marries a portrait painter after he has finished her portrait in profile. The left side of her face is severely disfigured because of a burn. Her husband is waiting impatiently for her to talk about "it" and the suffering it must cause her in order to "heal" her with his love, but she behaves as if it did not exist and even likes to dress extravagantly. In the following analysis of the short story, it will be illustrated how the husband fails to respond to his wife's face's invitation to interact with it and get in touch with the wholeness of her person that it stands for. Instead, he reduces her to the disfigurement. When he finally names the scar, he metaphorically "kills" her, as well as their marriage.展开更多
This paper describes and analyzes Martin Luther's views on marriage and family primarily from his own writings. Luther elevated marriage and family life to a place of respect and honor in the church and society at a ...This paper describes and analyzes Martin Luther's views on marriage and family primarily from his own writings. Luther elevated marriage and family life to a place of respect and honor in the church and society at a time when singleness and celibacy were celebrated as ways of reaching a higher state of spirituality. Martin Luther's teachings were so radically different from the traditional Catholic views of his days that the church became furious with him and tried almost everything in their power to silence him. Although Luther is known primarily for his views on Justification, but it is his teachings on marriage and family that has been more consequential. Many in the West who have never heard the name of Martin Luther, today enjoy a more biblical view on marriage and family because of his influence. He advocated divorce according to biblical principles, at a time when divorce was almost impossible; he encouraged priests to marry by showing that there was no conflict between their calling and marriage; he denounced celibacy, blaming it for encouraging lust rather than aiding chastity; he restored marriage and family life back to the arena of spirituality and respectability in society. Luther lived out his own advice by getting married and living an exemplary married life. What made Luther so effective was the passionate intensity with which he advocated these reforms. He wrote and spoke with such power and backed up his words with such a bold and courageous life, although living in the shadow of constant threats, that centuries after his death, the power and conviction of his ideas still resonate.展开更多
基金"973"National Key Basic Research and Development Program(No.2012CB518202)Project of Qinghai Development of Science and Technology(No.2011-N-150)
文摘Previous investigations suggest that ataxia is common and often one of the most reliable warning signs of high altitude cerebral edema(HACE). The aim of this study was to investigate the diagnostic role of ataxia in acute mountain sickness(AMS)and HACE among mountain rescuers on the quake areas,and in approaching the relation between AMS and HACE. After the earthquake on April 14,2010,approximately 24 080 lowland rescuers were rapidly transported from sea level or lowlands to the mountainous rescue sites at 3 750 ~ 4 568 m,and extremely hardly worked for an emergency treatment after arrival. Assessments of acute altitude illness on the quake areas were using the Lake Louise Scoring System. 73 % of the rescuers were found to be developed AMS. The incidence of high altitude pulmonary edema(HAPE)and HACE was 0.73 % and 0.26 %,respectively,on the second to third day at altitude. Ataxia sign was measured by simple tests of coordination including a modified Romberg test. The clinical features of 62 patients with HACE were analyzed. It was found that the most frequent,serious neurological symptoms and signs were altered mental status(50/62,80.6 %)and truncal ataxia(47/62,75.8 %). Mental status change was rated slightly higher than ataxia,but ataxia occurred earlier than mental status change and other symptoms. The earliest sign of ataxia was a vague unsteadiness of gait,which may be present alone in association with or without AMS. Advanced ataxia was correlated with the AMS scores,but mild ataxia did not correlate with AMS scores at altitudes of 3 750~4 568 m. Of them,14 patients were further examined by computerized tomographic scanning of the brain and cerebral magnetic resonance imagines were examined in another 15 cases. These imaging studies indicated that the presence of the cerebral edema was in 97 % of cases who were clinically diagnosed as HACE(28/29). Ataxia seems to be a reliable sign of advanced AMS or HACE,so does altered mental status.
文摘Our voluntary project ran in different groups of adults (healthy, depressed, schizophrenic, and clients with anxiety disorders). The study is based on analysis of personal counseling experience, where literature was used as a tool to disclose client's personal meanings. During our sessions, clients were observed phenomenologically, and their speach was written down. Reflecting on the qualitative data of transformative learning in language arts, we developed techniques for facilitation and disclosure of personal meanings. Grounded theory was used for data generalization: Personal educational insights and its comparison with other researchers' theoretical insights were the basis to develop the methodical system for psychological guidance and counseling and to explain it. We revealed that focus on personally important meanings during discussion after literature reading has influence on the mental state of personality and deepens the interactions with the literature art, so we suggest a spiral model to explain the methodical system of our method. Transformative learning in language arts as a method of guidance and counseling can be understood as spiritual motion by spirale. It has three levels: (1) art level (interaction with the literature); (2) psychology level (counseling); and (3) art level (interaction with the same peace of literature as in the beginning of the session, poetic summary of the session). Levels (1) and (3) mean interaction with literature art, but at the third level, this interaction has new quality, because personality has better perception of Self and more ability to connect personal meanings and literature wisdom. At the first level, we have direction from literature to Personality. At the third level, we have direction from the Self (Speaking from Within) to literature. Disclosure of personally important meanings is a key to self-understanding and poetical thinking; our developed methodical system reduces emotional tension and strengthens interconnectedness between inner and outer world and improves poetical understanding. In this paper, the methodical system of transformative learning and guidance is discussed.
基金Supported by Open Project Program of the Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular and Functional Imaging,No. PYZX 2011016the Medical Science and Technology Development Foundation of Nanjing Department of Health,No. YKK11199
文摘AIM:To explore age-related changes in symptoms and quality of life(QoL) of women with irritable bowel syndrome(IBS).METHODS:Two-hundred and fifty-four female adult outpatients with IBS attending the Department of Gastroenterology at the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University between January,2008 and October,2008 were approached.Patients with a history of abdominal surgery,mental illness or those who had recently taken psychotropic drugs were excluded.A physician obtained demographic and abdominal symptom data.All patients were asked to complete the Zung Self-Rated Anxiety and Depression Scale(SDS/SAS) and the IBS-specific QoL questionnaire.The patients were divided into six groups according to age,in 10-year increments:18-27 years,28-37 years,38-47 years,48-57 years,58-67 years and 68-75 years(maximum 75 years).Age-related differences of abdominal pain or discomfort were analyzed using ranksum tests.Differences in SDS/SAS and IBS-QoL scores between age groups were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance.Pearson's correlations evaluated potential associations between IBS symptoms,psychological factors and QoL in each age group.RESULTS:There were no differences in the distribution of IBS subtypes between age groups(χ2 = 20.516,P = 0.153).Differences in the severity of abdominal pain/discomfort with age were statistically significant(χ2 = 25.638,P < 0.001);patients aged 48-57 years,58-67 years or 68-75 years had milder abdominal pain/discomfort than those in the younger age groups.The severity of anxiety or depressive symptoms did not differ between age groups(SDS,χ2 = 390.845,P = 0.110;SAS,χ 2 = 360.071,P = 0.220).Differences of IBSQoL scores were statistically significant between age groups(χ2 = 1098.458,P = 0.011).The scores of patients in the 48-57-year group were lower than those in the 18-27-year and 28-37-year groups(48-57-year group vs 18-27-year group,74.88 ± 8.76 vs 79.76 ± 8.63,P = 0.021;48-57-year group vs 28-37-year group,74.88 ± 8.76 vs 79.04 ± 8.32,P = 0.014).The scores in the 68-75-year group were lower than those in the 18-27-year,28-37-year and 38-47-year groups(68-75-year group vs 18-27-year group,71.98 ± 9.83 vs 79.76 ± 8.63,P = 0.003;68-75-year group vs 28-37-year group,71.98 ± 9.83 vs 79.04 ± 8.32,P = 0.002;68-75-year group vs 38-47-year group,71.98 ± 9.83 vs 76.44 ± 8.15,P = 0.039).Anxiety and depression were negatively correlated with QoL in all age groups(SDS and QoL:18-27-year group,r =-0.562,P = 0.005;28-37-year group,r =-0.540,P < 0.001;38-47-year group,r =-0.775,P < 0.001;48-57-year group,r =-0.445,P = 0.001;58-67-year group,r =-0.692,P < 0.001;68-75-year group,r =-0.732,P < 0.001.SAS and QoL:18-27-year group,r =-0.600,P = 0.002;28-37-year group,r =-0.511,P < 0.001;38-47-year group,r =-0.675,P < 0.001;48-57-year group,r =-0.558,58-67-year group,P = 0.001;r =-0.588,P < 0.001;68-75-year group,r =-0.811,P < 0.001).A negative correlation between abdominal pain severity and QoL was found in patients aged more than 58 years(58-67-year group,r =-0.366,P = 0.017;68-75-year group,r =-0.448,P = 0.048),but not in younger patients(18-27-year group,r = 0.080,P = 0.716;28-37-year group,r =-0.063,P = 0.679;38-47-year group,r =-0.029,P = 0.812;48-57-year group,r =-0.022,P = 0.876).CONCLUSION:Factors affecting QoL should always be treated in IBS,especially emotional problems in young adults.Even mild abdominal pain should be controlled in elderly patients.
基金This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public,commercial,or not-for-profit sectors.
文摘Objectives:First-year college students had exposure to unhealthy lifestyle behaviors that correlate with a high prevalence of anxiety and depression.Regarding to the modifiable lifestyle behaviors factors,this study investigated the prevalence and correlation of multiple lifestyle behaviors,anxiety and depression in a sample of Chinese first-year college students.Methods:Cross-sectional data were extracted from Residents eHealth app of health lifestyle behaviors survey from September to October 2019.Anxiety,depression,eating regular meals,consumption of snacks in-between meals,consumption of fruit,dessert and sugar-sweetened beverages,smoking and secondhand smoke exposure,consuming alcohol,physical activity,sedentary time were assessed by self-report.Socio-demographic including age,gender,education,family income,religion,and health condition were captured.Logistic regression was used to explore the association of multiple lifestyle behaviors,anxiety and depression.Results:Totally 1,017 participants were included in the study.The prevalence of anxiety and depression(from mild to severe) were 40.3% and 45.3%,respectively.In multivariable analyses,religion (believe in Buddhism,OR =2.438,95%CI:1.097-5.421;believe in Christian,OR =5.886,95%CI:1.604-21.597),gender (Female,OR =1.405,95%CI:1.001-1.971),secondhand smoke exposure (OR =1.089,95%CI:1.001-1.184),and eating regular meals (OR =0.513,95%C1:0.346-0.759) were associated with anxiety.Family income (OR =0.732,95%CI:0.596-0.898),eating regular meals (OR =0.641,95%CI:0.415-0.990),frequency of breakfast (OR =0.813,95%CI:0.690-0.959),with a chronic disease (OR =1.902,95%CI:1.335-2.712),and consumption of nocturnal snack (OR =1.337,95%CI:1.108-1.612) were associated with depression.Conclusions:These results highlighted the need for early lifestyle behavior intervention,especially modifying diet patterns considering the background of religion,health condition,and social-economic status in first-year college students to improve their mental health.
文摘This paper presents an original interpretation of the Upanishads that the inner self is located in the embryo brain region of the brain. This is the part of the brain already present in the embryo and consists of the brainstem, hypothalamus, thalamus, and midbrain. It is also the part of the brain that operates during dreaming and deep sleep and causes the transition from sleeping to waking states, and the Upanishads state unequivocally that the self is responsible for these mental states. With the self located in the embryo brain region, an entirely new interpretation of Aristotle's De Anima is presented which parallels the Upanishads in every respect; the inner self and Aristotle's "soul" have identical functions and attributes. An Aristotelian First Principle is presented: Biology is the source of Consciousness; DNA is the source of Biology; Ergo DNA is the source of Consciousness.
文摘The human face consists of three dimensions: (1) the visible, static sur-face, (2) the mobile dimension, which communicates thoughts, emotions, and states of mind, and (3) the invisible dimension, the face aspars-pro-toto for the whole person who owns the face. In this latter sense, the human face is at the center of Emmanuel Levinas' theory of ethics: We encounter each other face-to-face, he argues, and it is the other's face that calls for my ethical response to the holiness of his/her wholeness and essence. The primary ethical imperative is: "Thou shalt not kill." When we encounter a facially disfigured person, we usually fail to respond ethically because we concentrate on the disfigurement. The second dimension, as a result of the disfigurement, is often impaired and thus incapable of communicating in such a way that we can "read" the face. With our gaze fixed on the disfigured part of the face, we lose sight of the person as a whole. Metaphorically speaking, we could even say that we "kill" the person. Levinas conceives of the other's face not in its plastic manifestation. But the encounter with the other does at first take place as embodiment. According to Merleau-Ponty, this encounter is by definition interactive and dialogical. In Willa Cather's short story "The Profile," young beautiful Virginia marries a portrait painter after he has finished her portrait in profile. The left side of her face is severely disfigured because of a burn. Her husband is waiting impatiently for her to talk about "it" and the suffering it must cause her in order to "heal" her with his love, but she behaves as if it did not exist and even likes to dress extravagantly. In the following analysis of the short story, it will be illustrated how the husband fails to respond to his wife's face's invitation to interact with it and get in touch with the wholeness of her person that it stands for. Instead, he reduces her to the disfigurement. When he finally names the scar, he metaphorically "kills" her, as well as their marriage.
文摘This paper describes and analyzes Martin Luther's views on marriage and family primarily from his own writings. Luther elevated marriage and family life to a place of respect and honor in the church and society at a time when singleness and celibacy were celebrated as ways of reaching a higher state of spirituality. Martin Luther's teachings were so radically different from the traditional Catholic views of his days that the church became furious with him and tried almost everything in their power to silence him. Although Luther is known primarily for his views on Justification, but it is his teachings on marriage and family that has been more consequential. Many in the West who have never heard the name of Martin Luther, today enjoy a more biblical view on marriage and family because of his influence. He advocated divorce according to biblical principles, at a time when divorce was almost impossible; he encouraged priests to marry by showing that there was no conflict between their calling and marriage; he denounced celibacy, blaming it for encouraging lust rather than aiding chastity; he restored marriage and family life back to the arena of spirituality and respectability in society. Luther lived out his own advice by getting married and living an exemplary married life. What made Luther so effective was the passionate intensity with which he advocated these reforms. He wrote and spoke with such power and backed up his words with such a bold and courageous life, although living in the shadow of constant threats, that centuries after his death, the power and conviction of his ideas still resonate.