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Religion As A Chinese Cultural Component: Culture In The Chinese Taoist Association And Confucius Institute, John D. Abercrombie

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This thesis examines the role of the cultural discourse on the indigenous religious traditions of China and their place within an officially sanctioned construction of Chinese culture. It starts by examining the concept of culture as it developed in the modern era, its place within the construction of national identities, and the marginalizing effects this has on certain members of national populations. Next it turns to the development of the cultural discourse within China from the mid-1800s to the Cultural Revolution, highlighting the social and legal transformations as they restricted and reframed the practice and articulation of religious traditions in …

The Creation Of Daoism, Paul Fischer

Philosophy & Religion Faculty Publications

This paper examines the creation of Daoism in its earliest, pre-Eastern Han period. After an examination of the critical terms "scholar/master" and "author/ school", I argue that, given the paucity of evidence, Sima Tan and Liu Xin should be credited with creating this tradition. The body of this article considers the definitions of Daoism given by these two scholars and all of the extant texts that Liu Xin classified as "Daoist." Based on these texts, I then suggest an amended definition of Daoism. In the conclusion, I address the recent claim that the daojia /daijiao dichotomy is false, speculating that …

Shinto: An Experience Of Being At Home In The World With Nature And With Others, Marcus Evans

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This study discloses Shinto’s experiential and existential significance and aims to articulate Shinto’s sacred objective. It shows that Shinto, by way of experience, communicates being in the world with nature and with others as a sacred objective. This suggests that Shinto, in communicating its objective, appeals to the emotions more so than to the intellect; and that Shinto’s sacred objective does not transcend the natural world of both nature and everyday affairs. This study pursues this goal by showing the experiential and existential dimensions of the three primary features of Shinto: it shows how kami (or kami-ness) is thought of …

Intertextuality In Early Chinese Masters-Texts: Shared Narratives In Shi Zi, Paul Fischer

Philosophy & Religion Faculty Publications

(Introduction) Prior to Chinese unification in 221 bc and the beginning of imperial history, there was a “golden age” of philosophical debate among various scholars about the best way to live life, construct a social contract, and act in harmony with heaven and earth. The most influential of these scholars, collectively called the “various masters,” or zhu zi 諸子, attracted disciples who recorded the teachings of their “masters” and passed these teachings on. These texts, collectively called “masters- texts” (zi shu 子書), became the bedrock of Chinese intellectual history.

A Journey Into The Land Of No Return: Death Attitudes And Perceptions Of Death And Afterlife In Ancient Near Eastern Literature, Leah Whitehead Craig

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Using Adrian Tomer and Grafton Eliason's Comprehensive Model of Death Anxiety, this paper analyzes literature of the Ancient Near East in order to discover death attitudes of the authors and the culture. This paper will examine works from four languages of the Ancient Near East, and therefore four cultures: Sumerian, Akkadian, Ugaritic, and Hebrew language groups. Texts are examined in English translation, with the exception of some passages in the Hebrew chapter. Images of death and afterlife, particularly regarding the underworld, are described. Tomer and Eliason's model is used to analyze the images to determine death attitudes of the authors …

Ua35/11 Student Honors Research Bulletin, Wku Honors Program

WKU Archives Records

Papers representative of the variety of scholarly research conducted at WKU.

• Adams, Kathy. The Appalachian Language
• Barnett, Philip. A Study of Deviant Behavior of XYY Individuals in Regard to Environment and Genotype
• Bell, Brooks. Loving, Loyal Linda Loman: An Interpretive Note
• Danhauer, Janice. Motivating Workers Through Job Design
• Davis, Barbara. The Transformation of a Man into a Man of Understanding in Murinbata Society
• Davis, Diane. The Argot of the Homosexual
• Jewell, Teresa. The Life Story of the Hero of World War I - Sergeant Alvin C. York
• Lanham, Wayne. Das Knarrenschiff and a Ship of Fools: A Study in Influence …