Maintaining an Objective Tone

When writing about religion, it is easy to include personal views whether or not these views are pertinent to the argument.

Keith Hjortshoj, author of The Transition to College Writing, explains that "personal bias, animosity, and investment in a position should not appear to be relevant to an academic argument, and emotional reactions to an issue are usually veiled" (82).

As a writer you should remain objective. Present your opinion through a logical argument with a clear thesis; remember to support this argument with sufficient evidence from appropriate sources.

You should also be open to contending arguments by working an "although" clause into your thesis statement: "Although some scholars contend that x is true, it can be seen that y provides a more convincing interpretation of the passage."

This is called a tension thesis. By acknowledging the other side you will appear to be friendly to other arguments.