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Scholar David Hawkes refers to John Milton as a "Hero of Our Time." Milton's written works, including his poetry and political treatises, contain cultural and theological insight applicable not only to his 17th Century English culture, but 21st Century American culture as well. As homosexuality continues to enter the public sphere in Western society, many scholars are uncovering past insights about how sexuality has evolved. Milton's literary texts provide insight into his own sexual orientation and how people viewed human sexuality post-English Renaissance. Homosexuality is a broad topic, but Milton's works give insight into three main areas—homosexual sex, sexual orientation, and gay marriage. In his own Protestant Puritan life, Milton believed that the physical act of homosexual sex was sinful; during his life, the government stigmatized the act as a crime punishable by death. While some scholars argue that Milton had a homoerotic relationship with his close friend Charles Diodati, an analysis of their letters to each other and Milton's elegy to Diodati after his death prove counter. In early modern England, philosophers highly valued male love in Platonic terms, similar to the contemporary idea of a bromance; Milton and Diodati's relationship was not sexual or romantic. However, Milton's views about divorce and his political tracts leave room to include the legality of gay marriage. Milton believed that the government should not interfere with marriage, that gender roles should be egalitarian, and that the goal of marriage should be an intellectual union of two people to glorify God. Therefore, his arguments, set in a contemporary context, allow for the legalization of gay marriage. Milton had an extreme influence on poetry, literature, theology, politics, and thinking in his day, and his wisdom continues to envelop current ideology. It is the duty of twenty-first century scholars to learn from the past and apply it to the present in all social issues.

Obesity is a global epidemic affecting all age groups, populations and income levels across continents. The causes of obesity are complex and are routed in health behaviours, environmental factors, government policy and the cultural and built environment. Consequently, a Whole System Approach (WSA) which considers the many causes of obesity and shifts the focus away from individuals as points of intervention and puts an emphasis on understanding and improving the system in which people live in is required. This protocol describes a programme of research that will: critically evaluate the evidence for WSAs; assess longitudinally the implementation of a WSA to diet and healthy weight to explore the range of levers (drivers) and opportunities to influence relevant partnerships and interventions to target obesity in East Scotland. The programme consists of four workstreams within a mixed methods framework: 1) Systematic review of reviews of WSAs to diet and healthy weight; 2) Longitudinal qualitative process evaluation of implementing two WSAs in Scotland; 3) Quantitative and Qualitative momentary analysis evaluation of a WSA; and 4) the application of System Dynamics Modelling (SDM) methodology to two council areas in Scotland. A Public Involvement in Research group (PIRg) have informed each stage of the research process. The research programme's breadth and its novel nature, mean that it will provide valuable findings for the increasing numbers who commission, deliver, support and evaluate WSAs to diet and healthy weight nationally and internationally.