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Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

2010

Religion

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A Leap Of Faith: *Scale, Critical Realism And *Emergence In The Geography Of Religion, Michael P. Ferber May 2010

A Leap Of Faith: *Scale, Critical Realism And *Emergence In The Geography Of Religion, Michael P. Ferber

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

This dissertation explores the role of scale in human geography through a study involving a critical realist investigation of the geography of religious adherence. Using the contributions of a critical realist framework of stratification, emergence, and pluralistic methodologies, religious adherence is studied at the scales of the individual adherent, the church, and within local associations of churches. Analysis was performed through a study of two denominational congregations and an independent congregation in Harrison County, West Virginia and used a combination of surveys and in-depth interviews with religious adherents, pastors and local denominational leaders. The conceptual framework of this dissertation stands …


From Bigfoot In The Backyard To Ghosts In The Attic: Predictors Of Paranormal Belief, Jeff Tranguch May 2010

From Bigfoot In The Backyard To Ghosts In The Attic: Predictors Of Paranormal Belief, Jeff Tranguch

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Previous research on the social predictors of paranormal belief is contradictive and unclear. Depending on which author you read, one theory is better at explaining why individuals accept belief in paranormal phenomena. This problem most likely is the result of weak sample sizes and an inconsistency in defining and measuring the paranormal. This thesis incorporates data from the 2005 Baylor Religion Survey which is one of the largest, most recent data sets assessing paranormal belief. Three predominant theories within the literature are tested. Findings lend support to the marginalization theory claiming that individuals who are marginalized from society tend to …


Religiousness, Future Time Perspective, And Death Anxiety Among Adults, James A. Henrie Jan 2010

Religiousness, Future Time Perspective, And Death Anxiety Among Adults, James A. Henrie

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

The present study examined relations of death anxiety to age, gender, trait anxiety, future time perspective, religiousness, spirituality, and religious doubt. The primary goals of the investigation were to test for a curvilinear relation between religious meaning and death anxiety and to test whether the relations of age and gender with death anxiety were mediated by trait anxiety, future time perspective, religiousness, spirituality, and religious doubt. Participants were adults (18 to 89 years of age, M = 38.28 years, SD = 19.30, 79.1% female, 93.8% Caucasian) who completed the pertinent questionnaires online. Results indicated that there was indeed a curvilinear …