Writing a 10-Page Thesis Paper For Worldview: “Be bold, be bold, but not too bold!

”
“Genius without study is like a force without a lever, Mademoiselle. It is the soul which cannot express its interior song,
save in a rough and raucous voice. It is the musician with an out of tune piano, who cannot offer the world the sweet
melodies he hears within.” – The Secret Diaries of Charlotte Brontë, Syrie James (200-201)

In my experience as a teacher and student, writing a thesis paper does not come naturally. But just as with learning to
tie a shoe or drive stick-shift, the three-phase process of crafting a thesis (1. research, 2. formulation, and 3.
presentation) can become second nature. This is the goal. But the hard truth is that you cannot learn to write well
unless you honestly move through the process several times. Becoming a good writer is about understanding through
doing. By the time you leave Covenant, you should have moved through this process on varying levels at least 8 times.
Unless you do it, you will not learn it.

For many, the greatest difficulty is the paradigm shift. It is a different way of interacting with the material. It is a
different way of thinking. In elementary school, we learn to give a report. In middle school, we begin to interpret the
facts. Both are vital in preparing you for the requirements of thesis work. In high school, we are pushed toward
originality so that in college, especially at the master’s or doctorate levels, we can answer the call in adding to
knowledge through discovery. This is what you are being asked to do: explore and create!

The target idea of “discovery” necessarily emphasizes the importance of the thesis. According to Aquinas (13th c.
philosopher-theologian), “nature lies between two intellects: God’s creating mind and our discovering what he has
conceived and made.”1

O Eternal God, bless all schools, colleges, and universities, that they may be lively centers for sound
learning, new discovery, and the pursuit of wisdom; and grant that those who teach and those who
learn may find you to be the source of all truth; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.2

Phase 1: Moving From Topic Research to Provisional Thesis

In the first of three distinct phases, we simply begin by declaring a topic and doing some preliminary research. This is
the appropriate time to use an encyclopedia, if needed. Quickly identify and obtain important resources. Read. Focus.
Take good notes. I advise keeping a “reading log” that tracks and records your path of research. This will save time
later. This phase requires discipline and concentration. Through fair and broad research (looking at the issue from
different perspectives) and linking with other issues, you will narrow your interest (i.e. a controlling idea) and then
begin to see an original idea emerge. As this becomes clearer, you should become more and more selective in the
materials that you are drawing from.

After considerable reading, discussion, diagramming, writing (i.e. putting the ideas in dialogue), you will reach a
tentative conclusion based on an intuitive spark. This is your provisional thesis which provides you impetus and focus.
For this reason, at this stage I favor a specific and clear statement that expresses your essential claim. Later you might
add detail to your thesis that will clarify the scope and substance of your argument. I encourage students to write
their provisional thesis on a 3x5 card and use it as a bookmark during research.

Typically, a thesis statement is either positional (taking either a positive or negative side on an issue) or expository (in
which the researcher makes an original interpretive claim, beyond observation). Whatever sort of thesis you set out
to “prove,” it must be something you arrived at through genuine and sound research. It is an idea that you feel you
can defend adequately; something that you can prove through a preponderance of evidence.

1
Dubay, The Evidential Power of Beauty, 320
2
Prayer for schools from The Book of Common Prayer
Phase 2: Moving From Provisional Thesis to Thesis Argument (i.e. Outline w/ Working Thesis)

Once you have established your provisional thesis, you enter a different phase in the research process. Now you are
looking to develop your specific claim and create an argument. It is normal in this phase for your thesis statement to
go through modifications and sometimes greater revision. As your information grows, your thesis should become
more sophisticated--but never at the expense of clarity and direction. You may want to add detail that provides scope
and substance (see underlined below). For example, here is a possible progression of an “expository” thesis:

Topic(s): The history of war and philosophy (existentialism)

Controlling Idea: The impact of WWI on philosophical thought and therefore social thought.
Provisional Thesis (i.e. hypothesis): WWI was the beginning of the loss of chivalry in western society.
Working Thesis: The loss of chivalry in WWI contributed to the secularization and subjectivism of 21st century
western culture.

As you think about your argument, consider audience and authority. This is why thinking in terms of a syllogism can
be helpful. This is linking a growing argument through 2 simple premises and a conclusion. In other words:

Working Thesis: The loss of chivalry in WWI is a major root-system of secularization and subjectivism that has
come to dominate contemporary western culture.
Premise 1: The growing existential philosophy at the end of the 19th century attached to the new realities of
warfare experienced in WWI.
Premise 2: This new “philosophical experience” replaced an old chivalric model of life for western society.
Conclusion: The new post WWI reality for western society was perceived as no longer guided by providential
grace, but understood as a series of random events that we must make sense of.

This sort of structure is helpful because it forces the writer to think in terms of persuading a specific audience through
a progression of thought. You are searching for the natural order of your argument, avoiding forced logic. How can we
move the reader from their basic assumptions and knowledge to accepting the thesis as true? Through an analysis of
this “syllogism,” I am able to identify any assumptive gaps that can be addressed when building my outline. A
syllogism will likely provide clarity on what your 2-3 movements need to look like.

When building your outline, if premise 1, premise 2, and your conclusion become my major movements (I-III). These
are essentially sub-claims. Then, at the next level of my outline (A-C), I am looking to develop each sub-claim claim.
This means that the first two levels of an outline provide logical cohesion. As I alluded to in the previous paragraph,
the best way to develop this second level of your outline is to think of gaps. Consider where the objections would
come from by a thoughtful-skeptical reader. Make sure that your terms are specific and clear. When you “step back”
you should see that your argument comprises one growing argument.

In my opinion, at the third level of an outline (this is optional for your Worldview outline) you provide support for
your argument. These supporting elements do not make up the logical spine of your argument. They are brought in as
support it. Please make this distinction. An argument that goes unsupported will fall flat and begin to quickly frustrate
the reader. The more integral a point, or the more complex an idea or sentence, the more it needs explanation or
illustration. Beyond explication, here are some typical ways of supporting your argument:
1. Multiple historical, cultural, or literary examples create consensus. Single isolated examples can be easily
brushed aside as anomalous. Counterexamples can help in providing greater clarity.
2. Analogy reframes an idea. Though tricky, this can often serve as one of the most powerful ways of
supporting your case. On its own, the idea of “education as essential for the quality of human life” is
sterile. It does not excite the imagination. But, with the analogy of education as a set of garden tools we
grow the idea of education as helping us cultivate fruit in our lives.
3. Drawing out the logical implications of ideas powerfully displays the practical nature and validity of an
idea.
4. Quotations (or summary of thought) from an authoritative source adds significance and weight.
Phase 3: Moving From Thesis Argument (Outline) to Thesis Paper

Writing is the marriage of style and substance. After you have a firm grasp of your thesis and argument, begin to craft
the body of your paper with an initial draft where you are not focused on sentence-to-sentence thinking but are
instead thinking paragraph-to-paragraph. In other words, dig into one of your arguments and develop the logical case,
identify the gaps, and seek support for your paper. So, initially you are seeking clarity on a larger scale. You are
bringing your substantive argumentation (i.e. outline) into a rough form. You are paying more attention to the
strength of the parts. Once you feel that your paper “works,” it is time to draw out that shape and “movement”
through a cohesion of the whole argument. Ideally you will be done with this part of the process a week or two
before you have to submit your paper. When you are able to lay it aside for a considerable amount of time, you are
then able to gain objectivity on your own work. At this point you are ready for a micro edit. This is where you
fine-tune the language (not so much the argument because that was concluded in the previous step). Now you are
ready to turn it in! In the final form, the reader will ask questions like: “Can this author be trusted?” “Is the author
informed?” “Is the author capable of leading me in thought on this subject?” Through this process, so much of what
you are trying to do is not undermine your authority through common mistakes while simultaneously building up
your authority through quality writing:

1. Lack of Clarity: Let’s be honest--if your reader struggles to understand what you’re saying, then you have
already lost the battle and the war. Do not burden your writing with complexity and obscurity. Be direct. This
is priority number one.
2. Wrong Context (Audience, Tone, Language): Pay attention to the environment you are entering as a writer.
Ask, “To whom am I writing?” Only then will you understand the expectations placed on you as the writer.
Once you understand appropriate tone (academic, devotional, narrative, analytical, etc.), you will add force to
your writing (i.e. the compelling content). If you get this wrong, little else matters.
3. Overstatement/Assumptive Claims: We do this in the attempt to fabricate interest, but it usually indicates a
lack of substance or conviction. You ought to seek a fair representation of the content. Never say, “Since the
beginning of time people have been searching for meaning” if you don’t have a way of supporting the claim in
some way. Along the same lines, do not say, “Obviously, Paul was a Calvinist” when it is not obvious. That is in
fact why you are writing your paper: it is not obvious.
4. Word Choice: Throw away the thesaurus–or at the very least put it away until a later stage in the writing
process. Your goal is to select the right word, not the “fanciest” word. Never use a word if you are not familiar
with its connotations. Though lexophilia is not necessarily a bad thing, pretense most certainly is. Study
words. Enjoy them. Expand your vocabulary and become a powerful communicator.
5. Abruptness: Transitional phrases are crucial for a thesis paper (not to be overused and should feel natural) in
order to keep your reader engaged in your argument and developing ideas. These lines mark the horizon for
your reader. They collect thought and send your reader off with a sense of confidence, helping the reader
identify where they have been and where they are going.
6. Redundancy / Restatement: There is a fine line between development and redundancy. The former is building
an idea, the latter is pointing at the same idea ten times. So often, we “develop” a point by quoting a passage
and then restating what the passage means, saying it in a different way, and then summarizing the point.
7. Lack of Focus: As Quiller-Couch advises, “murder your darlings.” This demands intense focus. Writers must
often sacrifice the things they love most–especially that amazing, astronomically avant-garde,
artistic-appearing alliteration. If a lack of focus does not eventually bore your reader, it will leave them with
the wrong idea, which is worse. Only madness and absolute genius are given room to play at the audience’s
expense–genius only for a short time and madness only for amusement.Focus on your argument not the idea
or topic.
8. Competing Thoughts: Do not insert arguments that run counter to your purpose, otherwise they become
distracting. The thesis should determine the scope and substance of your paper.
9. Misused Source/Bad Source/Factual Error: This one is avoidable. Be a good researcher. Please look into the
intent and context of the passages you use. Do not fall into the shameful habit of using quote web-sites
 (unless you are willing to go back and study the original document). Also, keep in mind that a source can work
against you. Interact with published authors that are taken seriously on the subject by your general audience.
10. Strained Logic: This, I’m afraid, just takes time. Become a good thinker by engaging in challenging
conversation, reading books that you may disagree with, or simply taking the time to play out your ideas in
your head (playing chess against yourself).
11. Mechanics: Let’s be honest. This is not exciting for most of us. But, nonetheless, it is important. These
mistakes nag at the reader and become vexing. So, please put the period after the parenthetical citation
(except in a “block” quotation). However, include question marks before the parentheses while still adding
the period after the citation. Also, quotations of 4 or more lines should be indented 1” from the margin (total
of 2”). Those are just a few of the common mistakes.

The conclusion is your last opportunity to leave an impression on the reader about the relevance and impact of your
thought. It is not normally the place to summarize your thesis and arguments. With a good paper, that is not needed.
The reader should have a sense of that already. Rather, a conclusion draws the argument together and sends the
reader off with confirmation and encouragement to view things in light of your argument, seeing the implications of
your thought on the world. As your introduction is trying to bring your reader into your world (i.e. your argument) by
offering context for how your thesis fits in the broader conversation, your conclusion helps the reader re-enter their
world by taking your ideas back into life.

Your introduction is important. This is where you are attempting to draw your reader into your world. In general, an
introduction should be about 7-10% of the entire paper. Most ten-page papers should begin with a ¾ page (maybe a
full page) introduction. Not to be overly formulaic, but an introduction of this length should offer context toward the
thesis in a first paragraph and offer information that justifies and establishes the importance of the issue. The second
paragraph brings fresh perspective into the conversation and builds toward your claim. By the time the reader arrives
at your thesis, there is breadth of understanding. I advise you to write your introduction last. It is difficult to introduce
a paper without total perspective.

Miscellaneous advice:

You have to arrive at your thesis. If you do not, then you will not know how to defend it. Though we research
inductively, we argue deductively. In other words, we take in all kinds of information to arrive at an original claim.
Then we persuade by providing a series of premises that we logically connect, drawing heavily on our previous
research.

The academic virtues most on display in the thesis process are courage and charity. The student must boldly assert
their vision but do so with patience, humility, and love.

Do not start a paragraph with a quotation. This confuses your audience. Generally speaking, the purpose of a topical
sentence is to introduce a new idea. It is difficult to do this through a quotation. Plus, a quotation gives the wrong
impression. It says, I am going to unpack this quotation. It feels more disruptive. When you state a direction it is much
clearer and helpful to your reader. You are able to provide that important shape we previously talked about.

Do not quote a dictionary as a way of defining your terms. What is meant by defining your terms is clarifying how you
are using abstract or complicated words. It should be clear what assumptions you are making, what limitations you
are imposing, and the precise idea you are talking about. For example, in arguing that the apple is the greatest
conversation food, one would need to offer definition to the concept of conversation. This cannot be achieved
through Webster’s technical definition, “an informal exchange of words and ideas.” Rather, I would need to develop
(or integrate) the idea of “intimate connections between people, and people with ideas.” This sets up a kind of criteria
for evaluating the apple against other foods.

What it really comes down to is your level of investment. I do not think there are shortcuts to great writing. Though
the finished product should look effortless, it is often a drudgery, a process where “the hair often falls out and the
teeth decay.”3 On a larger scale, becoming a great writer beyond this assignment is about how we organize our life:
turn off the TV; take on multiple interests; become a conversationalist (listen); read books multiple times; create a
habit of writing regularly (even informally) so that you are comfortable with words and your voice; read out loud; take
on contemplative hobbies (gardening, drawing, walking, etc.); use a dictionary; experience moments fully and draw
them out with the imagination and memory.

Thesis papers are deductive by nature. Your reader should not arrive at your conclusion as you did, inductively. When
you research, you take in a lot of information in search for an idea. After discovering a thesis, your continued research
becomes more selective and sharpens your idea to a finer and finer point. When reading a thesis paper, one has the
opposite experience. The idea is offered immediately. This is followed by a focused, logical argument that snowballs in
force and weight.

Here are some helpful thoughts on writing by CS Lewis:

From Letters to Children (p. 64):

Always try to use the language so as to make quite clear what you mean and make sure your sentence
couldn’t mean anything else.
Always prefer the plain direct word to the long, vague one. Don’t implement promises, but keep them.
Never use abstract nouns when concrete ones will do. If you mean “More people died” don’t say
“Mortality rose.”
In writing, don’t use adjectives which merely tell us how you want us to feel about the things you are
describing. I mean, instead of telling us the thing is “terrible,” describe it so that we’ll be terrified.
Don’t say it was “delightful”; make us say “delightful” when we’ve read the description. You see, all
those words (horrifying, wonderful, hideous, exquisite) are only like saying to your readers “Please,
will you do my job for me?”.
Don’t use words too big for the subject. Don’t say “infinitely” when you mean “very”; otherwise you’ll
have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite.

From “Cross-Examination,” C.S. Lewis: Essay Collection and Other Short Pieces:

I sometimes think that writing is like driving sheep down a road. If there is any gate open to the left or
the right the readers will most certainly go into it.

God’s world is amazing, full of undiscovered beauties. It is an honor and pleasure to come alongside you in this
project.

God is good.

3
Flannery O’Connor, Mystery and Manners, --