Digital Commons Network^™

Reshaping Identity Politics: Capitalising On Shari‘A Debate In The Sudan, Musa Adam Abdul-Jalil

The Journal of Social Encounters

The relationship between religious identity, ethnic identity, and politics has always been a problematic one, especially in plural societies like Sudan. This article is an attempt to understand the reasons behind the insistence of the popular parties of the Muslim majority in Northern Sudan on establishing shar’ia law as the law of the land. By using secondary data on party programmes, public opinion, and an analysis of political events, I reconstruct the evolution of the debate in order to identify its prime movers. My conclusion is that this debate emerged as a result of the quest for a national identity …

Healing A Broken Spirit: A Look Into Institutional Trauma And Spiritual Resilience, Christian Cederstrom

Master of Arts in Human Services

This paper focused on the relationship between spirituality, therapy, and those who are affected and traumatized by religious institutions. It sought to cover the hypothesis that exposure to positive spirituality can help those who have been affected by religious institutional trauma to recover. Studies have shown a positive correlation between religiosity and recovery from traumatic experiences and that therapy can also increase one spirituality and relationship with God or other higher powers. This article sought to highlight that this strength of a spiritual coping mechanism may be increased by a person’s education in the field of theology and spirituality meaning …

Contention Within The Family: Environmental Justice And Religion In Indonesia, Husnul Khitam

Masters Theses

The religious dimensions concerning environmental justice have been neglected in scholarly conversation despite the fact that religious organizations were initially part of environmental justice activism and movements. To fill this gap, scholars have begun to scrutinize the role of religious institutions in relation to various environmental harms that disproportionately affect marginalized people and people of color. Pellow and Guo (2017) have identified three main ways in which religion shapes environmental justice. First, religion is used to legitimize environmental injustices. Second, religion can be used as a means of resisting environmental injustices. Third, environmental injustices can negatively impact religious or spiritual …

The Blessed Assembly: Irreplaceable Physical Co-Presence In Worship And Healthy Hybridity Reimagined After The Pandemic In The Digital Age, Yvette, Ying Wai Lau

Doctor of Pastoral Music Projects and Theses

Because of the unprecedented and unexpected force of the pandemic since 2020, most churches around the world have experienced some online worship during the lockdown of their cities or the mandated closure of the church buildings. For many people, online worship seems to be an equivalent, if not better, alternative for gathering together—a physical co-presence in worship—even after the pandemic has ended. As necessary and vital as online worship experiences have been for Christians during the pandemic, the witness of the church from Pentecost throughout Christian history indicates that gathered worship in physical spaces is irreplaceable for faith formation and …

Does Endogamous Marriage Impact Women's Fertility Gaps In India?, Natalya Francis Schafer

Master's Theses

This study aimed to measure the possible impact endogamous (within-family) marriage practices could have on women's fertility gaps in India. Fertility gap in this study is defined as the difference between the ideal number of children a woman desires and the total number of children born to a woman at time of interview. In many developing countries ,such as India, it is common for women to be overachieving their fertility - having more children than desired. Data from the CIA.gov (2024) shows total fertility rates to be highest in developing areas across Sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, and India. The …

Taking The Bang Out Of The Gang: The Impact Of Catholic Schools On Gang Homicides In El Salvador, Ann Jillian Villanueva Adona

Master's Theses

This study explores the impact of Catholic presence on homicide rates in El Salvador, specifically focusing on the role of Catholic schools in reducing violence in gang-afflicted municipalities. Analyzing municipality-level data from various years, I used Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) and Instrumental Variable (IV) regressions to study the association between school enrollment and homicide rates. Results show that higher enrollment in Catholic schools is linked to a reduction in homicide rates in gang-affected areas, contrasting with an increase in homicides for non-religious schools. This research sheds light on the importance of investing in Catholic education as a strategy for violence …

Gangism: An 'Elementary Form Of Religious Life', Robert Northman

Student Research Symposium

This study is intended to examine the question: could gangs be a form of religion? The study will examine Steven Cureton's ethnographic case study of a street gang as found in his work titled Hoover Crips (2008), where I will then analyze the findings within the sociological framework of Emile Durkheim’s theory of religion as set forth in his classic book titled Elementary Forms of Religious Life (1912).

This exploration faces challenges as the terms “gang” and “religion” are both hotly contested, and discussions on each have largely occurred independently, leaving a significant gap for this research to address. This …

Seeing Is Believing: Religious Views, Perceptions Of Pollution, And Environmental Attitudes, Katelynn (Sage) Shadoan

Department of Sociology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This study explores the intersection of religious beliefs, perceptions of pollution, and environmental attitudes among Americans. Drawing upon Lynn White's seminal argument regarding Christian theology and its implications for environmental stewardship, this research investigates the role of biblical literalism in shaping environmental attitudes, particularly among conservative Christians. Using nationally representative survey data and logistic regression models, the study examines how the perceptions of pollution moderate the effects of views of the Bible on environmental concern. The findings reveal that while perceived pollution exposure is strongly associated with environmental attitudes, it does not moderate the association between biblical literalism and environmental …

Reviving “Cult”: A Qualitative Analysis Of A Female-Led Cultic Sect, Olivia Summers

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research analyzes the Word of Faith Fellowship (WOF), a female-led Evangelical church that social scientists have not yet studied. My thesis explores how a female leader operates within a patriarchal space and why WOF owns a Holocaust Museum. I conducted content analysis of the church and museum websites, Google reviews, and visited the museum in person. My research highlights the limitations of current taxonomies of religion in sociology. I address this oversight, argue for the re-introduction of “cult” as an analytical term, and propose a rubric for cult identification. I suggest that WOF is a sectarian cult with similar …

"I'Ll Stay Where You Want Me To Stay": How Latter-Day Saints Navigate Conflicting Social Values While Remaining Committed To Their Faith, Venice Jardine

Theses and Dissertations

While recent efforts in religious studies have focused on why many Americans seem to be leaving religion entirely, much less is understood about why many others choose to remain committed to their faith--especially when they hold many of the same social values, doubts, or divergent opinions that others cite for leaving. Within a Latter-day Saint context especially, very little research has been done to explore the experiences of those navigating the complexities of competing ethical affordances while remaining committed to their faith. Through ethnographic research in both Salt Lake County and New York City, I document the patterns and processes …

The Impact Of Religiosity On Students’ Experience At The University Of South Dakota, Emmalee J. Bosma

Honors Thesis

College can be a shocking and exciting experience for many young people, but at times can lead to crisis or hardship when they must choose what to believe. Some students may seek out a religious belief in something greater than themselves to quell their longing for meaning while in college, and others may continue the beliefs they have known. This research surveyed students to examine how college students’ level of religiosity influences their academic performance, mental health, sense of purpose and identity, and feelings of belonging and connection at the University of South Dakota (USD). Secondly, through interviewing members of …

The Spirit Of Change: Pentecostals And Political Engagement In The Post-Dictatorial Southern Cone In South America, Thiago Camacho

Soc­iology Senior Capstone

The Pentecostal movement is the fastest growing religious movement in the world. It is an evolutive expression of Protestantism that places an emphasis on the Holy Spirit and spiritual solutions to life’s turmoils. This movement has been especially flourishing in the Global South with 86% of believers residing there. As the Western world becomes more secular the future of global Christianity is in the Pentecostal movement. The topic of this research will focus on a specific vein of the Pentecostal movement in Latin America. The Catholic Church has long dominated Latin America, and this move away from Catholicism in favor …

Accounting For The Gift: Theology And Ethics In Accounting, Daniel Sebastian

Religious Studies Theses and Dissertations

Accounting is often assumed to be a neutral presentation of the facts of economic activities and actions. Its double-entry system means that it is always in balance and comports to the rigor of mathematical formulas, and it is taken to be a matter of empirical counting that lends it certainty as well. The dissertation argues that this description of accounting is inadequate. Accounting is better seen as a political tool and technology for producing trust that can help resolve social conflicts. As such, accounting is not value-neutral but carries within it a particular sociality that has moral implications. These moral …

Differentiating Magic: A Call For A Differential Approach, Weston L. Wright

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This paper seeks to propose an alternative approach for studying magic. It is often the case inacademia, when studying magic, scholars use an understanding of modernity which favors a scientific perspective. When doing so, some scholars have concluded magic has become extinct in our modern society; despite recent research suggesting magical practice is thriving. Likewise, this scholarship promotes an idea of magic grounded in fear, ignorance, superstition, and fraudulence. The goal of this paper is two-fold. First, I seek to advocate for an approach to magic that allows for a plurality of perspectives to be acknowledged, not just a scientific …

An Internal And External Contextual Autoethnography Of A Single Mother's Experience As It Intersects With Misogyny, Patriarchy, And Hegemonic Masculinity, Heidi Sampson

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This dissertation is a contextual autoethnography of my lived experience with stigmatization, stereotypes, and institutional obstructions as a divorced single mother who previously experienced intimate partner violence and was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. The purpose of the study is to shed light on the complexity of the single motherhood experience, both internally and externally. From 2009 to 2019, the institutions I accessed for assistance as a single mother and those I interacted with for my children, my job, my health, and even within the church were unnecessarily burdensome financially, physically, and emotionally. This dissertation takes a contextual look at …

Law, Society, And Religion: Islam And The West, Paolo Davide Farah

Book Chapters

Law and religion are present in almost every society, where the predominance of one over the other can greatly vary, and, in some cases, they both contend for authority over the citizenry. From a historical standpoint, this resulted in a constant change in the relationship between law and religion. Globalization also had a role in this regard. In some instances, globalization exacerbates differences between religions instead of encouraging mediation; it seeks to fill the gap left by the diminishing role of religion in the West. Globalization also competes with religion; both are looking for ways to regulate conduct and push …

The Female Force: Gender Salience And Political Interests In The 2011 Tunisian Revolution, Katherine Meagor

Scripps Senior Theses

To acknowledge the role of women and their rights in Tunisian society, the 2011 Tunisian Revolution offers a case study for the multi-faceted dimensions of political movements that affect civil society. With the understanding that women exercised political agency differently and were affected by the changing political opportunity structure, this study aims to address the following questions: how did women navigate their female gender identity and political interests during the 2011 Tunisian Revolution? How did gender identity affect female participation during the Revolution? How did the Revolution prompt activism among women? How did the intersection of various identities contribute to …

Ghanaian Values In Motion: A Content Analysis Of Slogans On Commercial Vehicles In Accra, Abraham Kenin, Vivian Dzokoto, Annabella Osei-Tutu, Kwabena Asamoah-Gyadu

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Slogans on commercial vehicles are a common sight in Ghana. These material artefacts can provide insight into beliefs and values about the sociocultural, spiritual, and political experiences of life in the contemporary Ghanaian context. In this study, we collected and analysed a total of 438 commercial vehicles’ slogans from 5 main transportation terminals in the Accra metropolitan area. Our thematic analysis of these slogans shows a major emphasis on religious and spiritual values to the extent that most of the recorded slogans serve as positive affirmations of religious values and sources of spiritual encouragement. The dominance of religious references in …

The Prevalence And Determinants Of Substance Use Disorders Among Sexual Minority Adults In The United States, Katheryn Olmos

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Substance Use Disorders (SUD) continue to be a significant public health concern as drug use reaches a worldwide high. Research has consistently shown that lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) individuals are at a heightened risk of having an SUD than their heterosexual counterparts. While notable work has been done to understand the factors contributing to SUD among LGB populations, there is a substantial gap in research regarding the intersection of race/ethnicity and sexual identity. This study aims to address this gap by investigating the disparities in SUD among sexual minorities across different racial/ethnic and sex groups and the determinants that …

A Brief History Of The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints With Emphasis On The Charismatic Roots Of The Race-Based Priesthood Denial, Wayne A. Denton

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation provides an overview of the history of race relations and the evolution of authority in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS). It traces the early charismatic leadership of Joseph Smith and his liberal racial views, which increased tension between the LDS church and broader American society. After Smith's death, Brigham Young instituted racist policies like slavery in Utah and a priesthood ban for black members to reduce tensions. In the Progressive Era, LDS scholars theologically entrenched the priesthood ban despite their progressive leanings. A push towards correlation and centralized control of doctrine in the twentieth …

The Religious Landscape Of Uruguay In The Third Millennium: Present Piety As A Product Of The Past?, Brandon Kriplean

Honors Theses

Of all Latin American countries, Uruguay enjoys both the lowest percentage of Catholics and the highest percentage of religiously unaffiliated. The central aim of this thesis is to explore the extent to which historical secularization processes and laicidad are responsible for the low number of Catholics and the large number of religiously unaffiliated. With regards to the former, the historical evidence suggests that the small Catholic population is not a result of laicidad but is instead a product of internal issues within the Uruguayan Catholic Church. Part 1 of this thesis will explore the factors that have weakened the Uruguayan …

Exodus: The Cost Of Leaving High-Control Religion And Life After Breaking Free, Hannah-Kathryn Valles

Capstones

There are many names for those who leave their faith community—apostate, heretic, dissenter. While there is no singular path to parting with one’s religious beliefs, the experience can be fraught and intensely painful. For those in high-control religious environments, the price of leaving is even steeper.

When identity, social connections, finances, and family structures are dependent on conforming to strict religious and ideological norms, the decision to leave can have far-reaching consequences. For those who do make the bold decision to leave, it’s hardly the end of the road. In many ways, leaving is just the first step toward finding …

What Discrimination? Christian Microaggression Rhetoric Against Nontheists, Nicole Dolfi Hall

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Theories of microaggressions have been used in the last decade as a framework for studying subtle forms of discrimination against racial minorities and other marginalized groups. However, there is a dearth of research on the scope and types of microaggressions nontheists face. This qualitative study examines microaggressions against nontheists by interviewing 16 religious Christians on their experiences and opinions of the discrimination Christians and nontheists face. The narratives were analyzed for thematic patterns between the rhetoric used and the type of microaggressions employed. The study revealed nine categories of microaggressions. The findings also showed how experiences of discrimination, political viewpoint, …

How Science Education Impacts The Religious Beliefs Of Students, Sahithi Kunisetty, Alexa Neal, Benjamin Ravas

Content presented at the Roesch Social Sciences Symposium

This is a literature review exploring the conflict between science and religion. It seeks to understand how a science education influences a student's level of religious beliefs. Furthermore, it provides reasons as to why one would have less access to a science education, and how religion can restrict one from learning about science.

From Patriarchal Stereotypes To Matriarchal Pleasures Of Hybridity: Representation Of A Muslim Family In Berlin, Rahime Özgün Kehya Dr

Journal of Religion & Film

Sinan Çetin’s blockbuster Berlin in Berlin (1993) is a Turkish-German co-production. In contrast to certain representational tendencies with German orientalism or Turkish occidentalism, it deconstructs the intersectional structures of migration, religion, and gender. The portrayal of religion in films about Turkish-German labour migration is a kind of cultural narcissism often projected into national cinema by denigrating the faith of the other and glorifying one’s own religion. However, perspectives at such intersections are critical and require sensitivity in filmmaking, as films can create prejudice or help build peaceful relationships around these sensitive issues. The paper employs discourse analysis in linking Derrida’s …

Missionary Of Faith: Uniting And Educating Catholic Youth Under God, Joshua Ryan Mcgarvie

IPS/BAS 495 Undergraduate Capstone Projects

Religion, as discussed further in the following research, is clearly not the focus of many people’s lives in our society today. In my opinion, younger generations should be taught Catholicism to develop a solid moral foundation at a young age. For my capstone project, I volunteered to teach a Religious Education (RE) class to 6th-8th graders in my local parish. Through the development of a more robust and engaging curriculum, specifically designed to teach the most profound concepts of the Church, I was able to further the cause of bringing Catholicism to these younger members of society. As a leader …

“In A Religious Celebration”? The Religious Defense Of Lgbt Rights In U.S. Federal Courts, Kelsy Burke, Emily Kazyak, Maia Behrendt

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

This article advances scholarship on the relationship between sexuality, religion, and the law within the United States by analyzing case summaries and court opinions of the federal appellate cases decided between 1990 and 2020 that involve a religion-based claim being used to advance or defend gay and lesbian rights. Contrary to dominant public narratives that position religion uniformly in opposition to progressive sexual values, these cases show how Americans’ religious beliefs and practices include diverse sexual identities. We find that the courts’ reactions to such cases, however, illustrate the tension within legal discourse and hesitancy for the courts to equate …

Digital Media, Ageing And Faith: Older Sri Lankan Migrants In Australia And Their Digital Articulations Of Transnational Religion, Shashini Gamage, Raelene Wilding, Loretta Baldassar

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

To date, older adults have received little attention in the newly emerging technological narratives of transnational religion. This is surprising, given the strong association of later life with spiritual and religious engagement, but it likely reflects the ongoing assumption that older adults are technophobic or technologically incompetent. Drawing on ethnographic interviews with older Sinhalese Buddhist migrants from Sri Lanka, living in Melbourne, this paper explores the digital articulations of transnational religion that arise from older migrants’ uses of digital media. We focus on how engagements with digital media enable older Sinhalese to respond to an urgent need to accumulate merit …

The Impact Of Changes In Religion On Health Among Sexual Minority Mormons, G. Tyler Lefevor, Samuel J. Skidmore, Kiet D. Huynh, James S. Mcgraw

Psychology Faculty Publications

The current study presents data from the first longitudinal examination of sexual minority (SM) Mormons (n = 132). Over the course of 2 years, SM Mormons reported decreased psychological (e.g., orthodox beliefs), behavioral (e.g., service attendance), and social (interpersonal religious commitment) religiousness. Analyses revealed that, at baseline, service attendance was related to lower levels of meaning in life and higher levels of depression at time 2, while interpersonal religious commitment at baseline was related to higher levels of meaning in life and lower levels of depression. Latent change scores of religiousness suggested that decreases in interpersonal religious commitment over …

Lgbtqia+ People And Religious Trauma, Cira Abiseid

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Many lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (or questioning), intersex, and asexual people (LGBTQIA+) experience religious trauma caused by the harmful messaging often aimed at sexual and gender minorities. Identity dissonance can be created when LGBTQIA+ people find their religious and sexual or gender minority identities at odds with each other. A review of existing literature revealed themes of identity erasure, internalized homophobia, and resilience, but there was limited research involving this population. This qualitative study centers the voices of those who have experienced religious trauma based on their identities and works to understand their healing journeys. Fifteen LGBTQIA+ individuals participated …