Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
- Institution
-
- Loyola University Chicago (7)
- Selected Works (5)
- Brigham Young University (4)
- Chapman University (4)
- College of the Holy Cross (4)
-
- Florida International University (4)
- SelectedWorks (4)
- University of Nebraska - Lincoln (4)
- City University of New York (CUNY) (3)
- East Tennessee State University (3)
- Liberty University (3)
- Portland State University (3)
- Technological University Dublin (3)
- The University of San Francisco (3)
- California Institute of Integral Studies (2)
- Illinois Wesleyan University (2)
- Louisiana State University (2)
- Marshall University (2)
- Nova Southeastern University (2)
- SIT Graduate Institute/SIT Study Abroad (2)
- University of Arkansas, Fayetteville (2)
- University of Mississippi (2)
- University of South Florida (2)
- American University in Cairo (1)
- Andrews University (1)
- Bowling Green State University (1)
- Butler University (1)
- Clark University (1)
- Colby College (1)
- College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University (1)
- Keyword
-
- Religion (14)
- Christianity (7)
- Identity (5)
- Psychism (4)
- Spirituality (4)
-
- Buddhism (3)
- Church (3)
- Cults (3)
- Ethnography (3)
- Social movements (3)
- Terrorism (3)
- Activism (2)
- Affect (2)
- Africa (2)
- Al Qaeda (2)
- Charismatic (2)
- China (2)
- Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (2)
- Colombia (2)
- Conflict (2)
- Congregations (2)
- Cosmopolitanism (2)
- Cult (2)
- Culture and Religion (2)
- David Bigler (2)
- Gender (2)
- Generation Y (2)
- Globalization (2)
- God (2)
- Immigration (2)
- Publication Year
- Publication
-
- Dissertations (5)
- Electronic Theses and Dissertations (5)
- FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations (4)
- Journal of Global Catholicism (4)
- Theses and Dissertations (4)
-
- Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications (3)
- Honors Theses (3)
- International Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Conferences (3)
- Sociology Faculty Articles and Research (3)
- Dissertations and Theses (2)
- Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects (2)
- Graduate Theses and Dissertations (2)
- Honors Projects (2)
- Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection (2)
- Lester R. Kurtz (2)
- Marty Laubach (2)
- Master's Theses (2)
- Sociology and Anthropology Faculty Research (2)
- Sociology: Faculty Publications and Other Works (2)
- The Qualitative Report (2)
- Ahmed E SOUAIAIA (1)
- All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023 (1)
- All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects (1)
- Anthropology Department: Theses (1)
- Articles (1)
- Articles, Book Chapters, & Popular Press (1)
- Chancellor’s Honors Program Projects (1)
- Comparative Civilizations Review (1)
- Denison Journal of Religion (1)
- Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses (1)
Articles 1 - 30 of 106
Full-Text Articles in Entire DC Network
Reviving “Cult”: A Qualitative Analysis Of A Female-Led Cultic Sect, Olivia Summers
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 …
The Blurry Line Between Corporation And Cult: A Retrospective Autoethnographic Study, Ernst Graamans
The Blurry Line Between Corporation And Cult: A Retrospective Autoethnographic Study, Ernst Graamans
The Qualitative Report
In popular management literature corporations are sometimes loosely compared to cults. The comparison is a severe allegation as it implies the transgression of subordinate employees’ integrity. This paper explores to what extent such comparisons with cults are warranted as well as the implications this has for the practice of corporate culture management. On grounds of the author’s unique, first-hand experience in both corporate and cultic environments a retrospective autoethnographic (RAE) approach was chosen to further explore the supposed resemblance. The comparison is structured along Lifton’s eight criteria of thought reform and reveals that although akin to cults in all aspects …
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
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 …
An Application Of The Coercive Control Framework To Cults, Sarah E. Feliciano
An Application Of The Coercive Control Framework To Cults, Sarah E. Feliciano
Student Theses
The present study utilized the coercive control framework to systematically assess coercion in cults. Former cult members (N=52) of various groups (e.g., psychological & self-help related) were interviewed via telephone for 1.5 to 3 hours. The sample was 67.31% female, 67.31% Caucasian, and 63.46% American; age ranged from 24-68 years old. An existing codebook was used by multiple coders with high intercoder reliability (89.66%). Coercive control tactics were present in all 52 narratives. Manipulation, intimidation, and microregulation were the tactics most frequently utilized. Sexual coercion/abuse, deprivation, and degradation were used least. Data also provided coercive subtactics specific to cults but …
The Fall And Rise Of Bengali Muslim Conciousness: Conceptualising The Identity Of The Bangla Universal, Habib Khan
The Fall And Rise Of Bengali Muslim Conciousness: Conceptualising The Identity Of The Bangla Universal, Habib Khan
Theses and Dissertations
The emergence of modern-nation states saw the end of the empirical era of exploitation and exercise of inherent racist tendencies towards the 'other'. However, the effect of that colonial system is still ever-present in the creation and governance of these newly independent states. While every new state aims to be 'modern', they adopt the international legal framework of the West as their own - a system they had initially wanted to escape. The concept of Muslim universality in the form of the ummah should have freed Pakistan from the shackles of its former colonial masters. Instead, this phenomenon was replaced …
Pop Spirituality In The Context Of Nepal, Kalinda Benson
Pop Spirituality In The Context Of Nepal, Kalinda Benson
Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection
In this research report, Pop Spirituality in the Context of Nepal, I look to add clarity to what it means to be “spiritual” and how that has been applied historically in context of Nepal. This paper focuses on what has led up to our modern day perceptions on spirituality. In the first section of the paper, I briefly describe what I mean when I say, “pop spirituality” or a “modern spirituality.” I define spirituality and how it differs from religion, a religion, and what secularization is. I want to acknowledge that there are many types of spirituality that exist of …
Mai Bhago And Amrita Devi Bishnoi: Women Of Strength, Sowmya Ayyar
Mai Bhago And Amrita Devi Bishnoi: Women Of Strength, Sowmya Ayyar
Monsoon: South Asian Studies Association Journal
Mai Bhago (1670-1720), also known as Bhag Kaur, distinguished herself on the battlefield to defend the Sikh faith. Amrita Devi Bishnoi (d. 1730) is said to have sacrificed her life with 362 others to protect the Khejari trees in the Rajasthan desert. Both women continue to inspire social justice and ecological activism.
Religious Exemption, Lgbt Rights, And The Social Construction Of Harm And Freedom, Emily Kazyak, Kelsy Burke, Maia Behrendt, Marissa Oliver
Religious Exemption, Lgbt Rights, And The Social Construction Of Harm And Freedom, Emily Kazyak, Kelsy Burke, Maia Behrendt, Marissa Oliver
Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications
In this article, we examine how courts make decisions in religious exemption cases that implicate LGBT rights in a wide range of contexts including education, employment, and medical care. Through an in-depth qualitative analysis of 50 federal cases decided between 1990 and 2020, we demonstrate a shift in how anti-LGBT sentiment is expressed by parties bringing religion-based claims—from a broad condemnation of LGBT identity to a narrow condemnation of same-sex marriage—and find that courts are more likely to rule in favor of the latter. We show how courts construct competing understandings of harm and religious freedom depending on the context …
Making The Case: Examining Outcomes Of Religious‑Based Claims In Federal Litigation Involving Lgbt Rights, Emily Kazyak, Kelsy Burke, Marissa Oliver, Maia Behrendt
Making The Case: Examining Outcomes Of Religious‑Based Claims In Federal Litigation Involving Lgbt Rights, Emily Kazyak, Kelsy Burke, Marissa Oliver, Maia Behrendt
Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications
Introduction In this manuscript, we analyze 62 US federal cases from 1990 to 2020 that implicate the issue of religious freedom and LGBT rights. Popular and scholarly commentary on the advancement of LGBT rights in the twenty-first century has speculated a rise in religious exemption litigation as a strategy to oppose such rights. Yet, we lack empirical data to confirm or reject this assumption and to understand patterns and trends within such cases.
Methods We perform bivariate analyses to examine trends with regard to how the court rules on these cases.
Results Our findings show that religious litigants are not …
Raj Karega Khalsa! - The Evolution Of The Sikh Identity, Vineet Mehmi
Raj Karega Khalsa! - The Evolution Of The Sikh Identity, Vineet Mehmi
Undergraduate Honors Theses
Generally, religion has served as a method of creating a unique identity and history for many groups across history. This concept is especially true for the Sikh community, to the point that they have carved their own niche across the different places they inhabit in the world, whether that be their homeland of Panjab or their extensive population in places like Canada or the United Kingdom. However, this expansion and development of their culture did not come without a cost, formed through countless battles, martyrdom, and revolutions. Chardi Kala, a foundational idea in Sikhi that refers to eternal optimism even …
How Spirituality Intensifies Sustainability: A Case Study Of Ananda Valley In Northern Portugal, Mia Handler
How Spirituality Intensifies Sustainability: A Case Study Of Ananda Valley In Northern Portugal, Mia Handler
Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection
The religious affiliations of citizens in the West are currently shifting away from the fundamentalist, traditional structures of the past towards more alternative spiritualities. Furthermore, as a result of the climate crisis, ecovillages are becoming increasingly popular. Ecovillages are intentional, “sustainable” communities that seek to reduce consumption, live in harmony with nature, and create strong social bonds. They are characterized by varying levels of spiritual involvement (Greenberg, 2014, p. 274). As such, the objective of this paper is to study the relationship between spirituality and environmentally-friendly practices and attitudes, using the ecovillage Ananda Valley – an Ananda Marga Master Unit …
The Politics Of The Self: Psychedelic Assemblages, Psilocybin, And Subjectivity In The Anthropocene, Joshua Falcon
The Politics Of The Self: Psychedelic Assemblages, Psilocybin, And Subjectivity In The Anthropocene, Joshua Falcon
FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations
This dissertation examines how psychedelic substances become drawn into particular sociohistorical and political arrangements, and how psychedelic experiences with psilocybin ‘magic mushrooms’ are used as tools of subjectivation. Guided by literatures in philosophy, critical theory, and the social sciences that focus on subjectivity, assemblage theory, and critical posthumanism, I argue that psychedelics are drawn into variegated assemblages, each of which conceptualizes the nature of psychedelics in highly specific ways that reflect implicit conceptions of the world and the self. In developing the concept of psychedelic assemblages, this research provides a window onto the politics of the self in the Anthropocene. …
Identity Formation And Powerful Narrative: What The Church Can Learn From Disney, Janie Fisher
Identity Formation And Powerful Narrative: What The Church Can Learn From Disney, Janie Fisher
Master of Art Theology Thesis
This thesis explores a phenomenon I first observed while working for The Walt Disney Company in Florida. Many people seem to be dedicated to Disney in a distinctly religious way, giving the company their time, money, abilities, and heart. Disney is one of the most successful organizations in America, and they have mastered the art of storytelling in their films and theme parks. These stories can be used for identity formation, as they teach people who they are, what the world is like, and how they ought to live. Disney uses religious means to help their fans feel as if …
Satanists’ Sexual Self-Concept, Samuel Danielson
Satanists’ Sexual Self-Concept, Samuel Danielson
All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects
The present study examines sexuality within an international sample (n = 908) of modern Satanists. Sociodemographic and religious data from this sample are provided. Frequencies of Satanists’ engagement in different sexual behaviors are also explored. Furthermore, two aspects of Satanists’ sexual self-concept, sexual self-esteem and sexual anxiety, are assessed along with these variables’ relationships with the strength of Satanists’ group identity and the length of time identifying as a Satanist. Results indicate that the strength of Satanists’ identity impacts both their sexual self-esteem and sexual anxiety. Limitations and directions for future research on Satanism and sexuality are discussed.
Hierarchy And Responsibility In Media: Cults, Culpability, And Culture, Max Hargett
Hierarchy And Responsibility In Media: Cults, Culpability, And Culture, Max Hargett
Online Theses and Dissertations
This is a descriptive research project that investigates how popular entertainment media portrays cults. My intention is to see how the selected films and television shows portray issues of hierarchy and culpability within the cult and to explore how the genre and theme of the content was utilized in order to evoke certain reactions and sentiments in the audience. The selected films were The Sacrament, Martha Marcy May Marlene, and Midsommar. The selected television shows were Waco and American Horror Story: Cult. Each film and series is given its own analysis. Findings indicate that a common theme of the rigid …
Religion In The News On An Ordinary Day: Methodology, Choices, And Bias, David H. Michels, Christopher Helland
Religion In The News On An Ordinary Day: Methodology, Choices, And Bias, David H. Michels, Christopher Helland
Articles, Book Chapters, & Popular Press
In this article we explore the Religion on an Ordinary Day (RoD) methodology in detail. The RoD project collected news stories published on September 17 over the period of three years (2013, 2014, 2015) in Australia, Canada, Finland, and the United Kingdom. We consider our decisions regarding the variability of language, researcher bias, and intercoder reliability in data collection and coding and the implications of those decisions. We offer a case study that analyzes references to New Religious Movements in the news. We considered the intentional choices, unintentional choices in the forms of accidents and misunderstandings, as well as unconsidered …
The Emergence Of The Legitimacy Of Religious Healing Knowledge In Taiwan, Wei-Cheng Chiu
The Emergence Of The Legitimacy Of Religious Healing Knowledge In Taiwan, Wei-Cheng Chiu
LSU Doctoral Dissertations
This dissertation investigates how religious healing knowledge has been defined and used by scholars, physicians, and New Agers and how religious healing knowledge emerged as a legitimate area of knowledge in Taiwan. The key position of religious healing knowledge within the entanglement between religion and spirituality is also examined. After the martial law was lifted in 1987, Taiwan’s society had rapidly diversified, and its religions were at the transition point between the old and the new. Meanwhile, the new spirituality culture was introduced into Taiwan in the 1980s and got popular in the 1990s, and it inherited the trend of …
Editor's Introduction, Marc Roscoe Loustau
Editor's Introduction, Marc Roscoe Loustau
Journal of Global Catholicism
No abstract provided.
Placing God: Defining “Post-Christianity” For Contemporary Japanese Christians, Leryan Anthony Burrey
Placing God: Defining “Post-Christianity” For Contemporary Japanese Christians, Leryan Anthony Burrey
Master's Projects and Capstones
This work suggests that we consider a new, working definition of post-Christianity. This new paradigm is in response to Western Christian thought being too dominant a force that fails to take into enough account other global experiences— like those of Japanese Christians. These reflections are based on scholarly opinions claiming that Christianity is a “global culture,” and ultimately argues for more international inclusivity in Western Christian thought and institutions, especially regarding the Asia-Pacific. Moreover, this paper illuminates how iitoko dori allows Christian thought to peacefully coexist in Japan’s greater society. The research also explores specific Japanese cultural practices that make …
Perpetuating The Stereotype: Dramatization And The Portrayal Of Cults In Fictional Media, Hannah Lynn Willmore
Perpetuating The Stereotype: Dramatization And The Portrayal Of Cults In Fictional Media, Hannah Lynn Willmore
Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection
This research examines major themes presented in fictional portrayals of cults in popular American television from 2010-2019. Prior research suggests that the manner in which cults are portrayed in fictional media, specifically those relying on sensationalized stereotypes, could influence public perception. This study utilizes qualitative content analysis of one episode from each of the 11 television shows that include cult storylines and examines the portrayal of cults in fictional media. This study draws upon sociological literature such as Weber’s idea of charismatic authority to develop a deeper understanding of how cult portrayal in media influences public perception of cults.
'Here We Start And In Jerusalem We Meet:' The Motivational And Organizational Influences Of Israel's Statehood Ontransnational Salafi Jihad, Charlotte Armistead
'Here We Start And In Jerusalem We Meet:' The Motivational And Organizational Influences Of Israel's Statehood Ontransnational Salafi Jihad, Charlotte Armistead
Honors Theses
The Israeli occupation of Palestine and its impact on the proliferation and longevity of transnational Salafi jihad is largely underestimated in current literature. In this thesis, I argue that Palestine, defined as both the nation and physical borders before the Balfour Declaration, largely contributed to the twentieth century revival of transnational Salafi jihad and is used by both Al Qaeda and ISIS as liberation and annihilation movements, respectively. In order to assess the motivational and organizational influences of the Israeli occupation of Palestine on transnational Salafi jihad, I examine the works of Abdullah Azzam, a selection of Osama Bin Laden’s …
State Secrecy: A Literature Review, Stephane Lefebvre
State Secrecy: A Literature Review, Stephane Lefebvre
Secrecy and Society
What is secrecy? What is a state secret? Which state secrets deserve protection from disclosures? How are state secrets protected from disclosure? In this review, I use these questions as an organizing framework to review the richness of a very disparate, largely US-centric, but also multidisciplinary literature. In doing so, I highlight the social nature of secrecy - that it is a social construct with social effects and consequences - and the need for further research to unveil those rationalities that specific discourses on state secrecy put forward to legitimize the nondisclosure of state secrets.
Losing Yourself: Cults, Greeks, And Sociological Theories Of Self And Identity, Emma Morgan
Losing Yourself: Cults, Greeks, And Sociological Theories Of Self And Identity, Emma Morgan
Honors Program Theses
This thesis is theoretical in nature. It is an exploration of sociological theory using cults and greek life as case studies for examining the construction of the self in the context of powerful social groups.
Religion, Place, And Identity At The Intersection Of Cultural Bricolage: The Miami Santo Daime Church Revisited, Alfonso Matas
Religion, Place, And Identity At The Intersection Of Cultural Bricolage: The Miami Santo Daime Church Revisited, Alfonso Matas
FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations
This dissertation is an exploration of the Santo Daime Church in Miami, focusing on the challenges of balancing institutional stability with continual growth and innovation. Santo Daime—whose central ritual entails the consumption of the mind-altering ayahuasca brew—is a new religious movement that amalgamates indigenous Amazonian, Afro-Brazilian, and popular Catholic traditions. Between June 2016 and December 2018, I employed participant observation, semi-structured interviews, exegesis of sacred songs, and document analysis to investigate the meanings and lived experiences of church leaders and adherents as they relate to their religious identity and agency. Specifically, this study asks three research questions: What global processes …
Talk This Way: A Look At The Historical Conversation Between Hip-Hop And Christianity, Joshua Swanson
Talk This Way: A Look At The Historical Conversation Between Hip-Hop And Christianity, Joshua Swanson
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Christianity and Hip-Hop culture are often said to be at odds with one another. One is said to promote a lifestyle of righteousness and love, while the other is said to promote drugs, violence, and pride. As a result, the public has portrayed these two institutions as conflicting with no willingness to resolve their perceived differences. This paper will argue that there has always been a healthy conversation between Hip-Hop and Christianity since Hip-Hop’s inception. Using sources like Hip-Hop lyrics, theologians, historians, autobiographies, sermons, and articles that range from Ma$e to Tipper Gore, this paper will look at the conversation …
“Deserting The Broad And Easy Way”: Southern Methodist Women, The Social Gospel, And The New Deal State, 1909-1939, Chelsea Hodge
“Deserting The Broad And Easy Way”: Southern Methodist Women, The Social Gospel, And The New Deal State, 1909-1939, Chelsea Hodge
Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Over the course of three decades, white southern Methodist women took on issues of labor and poverty through their national women’s organization, the Woman’s Missionary Council (WMC). Between 1909 and 1939, the WMC focused their work on five groups of people they viewed as in need of their help: women, children, black southerners, immigrants, and rural people. Motivated by the Social Gospel and an intense belief that their faith led them to effect real change in the American South, the WMC intervened in people’s lives, pursuing reform that could at times be maternalistic and condescending but at other times radical …
Investigation Of The "Cultural Appropriation" Of Yoga, Olivia Bartholomew
Investigation Of The "Cultural Appropriation" Of Yoga, Olivia Bartholomew
Honors Projects
With our world becoming increasingly globalized and cosmopolitan, practices that were once very traditional and spiritual are much different when they confront Western societies. Many yoga instructors and practitioners around the world are concerned about the issue of cultural appropriation within their practice. The researcher defines cultural appropriation to mean the process of a dominant culture manipulating aspects of a marginalized culture for its benefit. Traditionally, yoga comes from India, but it has become popularized throughout the world in our recent human history. Through interviews with nine yoga instructors, each from different yogic traditions, who teach in a variety of …
Lay Latitude: Latter-Day Saint Women's Agency In Northwest Arkansas, Andrew Tompkins
Lay Latitude: Latter-Day Saint Women's Agency In Northwest Arkansas, Andrew Tompkins
Graduate Theses and Dissertations
The question of women’s agency in gender-traditional religions has been the subject of much scholarly attention over the past four decades, but little research has been done focusing specifically on Latter-day Saint women and their identities and roles within the structure and practice of the Church. In popular media representations, Latter-Day Saint women are often depicted as submissive or surviving, either powerless pawns or resistant warriors. However, many Latter-day Saint women find fulfillment and empowerment within and because of, rather than outside or in spite of, the institutional Church. In this thesis, I explore women’s agency in Northwest Arkansas’ Greendale …
Winning “Americans” For Jesus?: Second-Generation, Racial Ideology, And The Future Of The Brazilian Evangelical Church In The U.S., Rodrigo Otavio Serrao Santana De Jesus
Winning “Americans” For Jesus?: Second-Generation, Racial Ideology, And The Future Of The Brazilian Evangelical Church In The U.S., Rodrigo Otavio Serrao Santana De Jesus
USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Beginning in the mid-1980s, a significant number of Brazilians began to leave their country due to economic stagnation, affecting the population and the middle class in particular. This event became known as the “Brazilian Diaspora” and was characterized by a type of labor diaspora that made scholars identify Brazilian immigrants as economic refugees. In the United States, churches have been one of the most important institutions to receive and socialize Brazilians. Considering that a new generation of U.S. born Brazilian Americans emerged, this dissertation provides one of the first studies to investigate the dynamics of a second-generation Brazilian church. In …
Rockin' The Church: Vernacular Catholic Musical Practices, Kinga Povedak
Rockin' The Church: Vernacular Catholic Musical Practices, Kinga Povedak
Journal of Global Catholicism
This article focuses on the unique dimensions of lived or vernacular Catholicism through the analysis of contemporary congregational music in Hungary. Looking at the musical lives of Hungarian Roman Catholics from the late 1960s to contemporary times can provide us with new understandings of the theological contents and aesthetics, as well as the vernacular religiosity of the community. Christian popular music appeared behind the Iron Curtain relatively early, in 1967 when the first “beat mass” was created and introduced at Budapest. The early Christian popular music sounded astonishingly similar to the songs of the American Folk Mass Movement of the …