Arts and Humanities Commons^™

A Qualitative Analysis Of Discipleship In The Seventh-Day Adventist Church: Responses To A Global And Regional Survey, Sherry J. Hattingh, Lindsay Morton, Rick Ferret, Kevin Petrie, Julie-Anne Heise, Kayle De Waal

Julie-Anne Heise

Nationally and Internationally

Christian Ethics : Moral Dilemmas Or Something More?, Tom Ryan

Tom Ryan

No abstract provided.

Children Of A Lesser God: Truth As Bodiliness And Forgiveness, Glenn J. Morrison

Glenn J Morrison

The article aims in two parts to develop a sense of truth as bodiliness and forgiveness. In bodiliness, we suffer by the suffering of the other and in forgiveness there arises an existential journey of sensibility and feelings. Together, bodiliness and forgiveness provide a relational horizon to journey towards truth. Part I of the article sets out to establish a theoretical background for Part II to engage theology with the study of the film, Children of a Lesser God (1986). Given that films today are popular mediums for encountering revelation and the sacred, the application of film to theology provides …

Good Teaching, Spirituality And The Philosophy Of Emmanuel Levinas, Glenn J. Morrison

Glenn J Morrison

The essay aims to show that nurturing a spirituality of good teaching could provide a more committed and responsible attitude towards education. Spirituality speaks of relationships, the search for meaning and, in Levinasian terms, having a heart for another. Students demand that teachers should be many things such as passionate, engaging, intelligent, fun, challenging, fair and creative. The more we can develop meaning and a spirituality in teaching, the more we may meet these demands and also attend to the students’ enthusiasm, frustration, uncertainty, impatience, fears and dreams. Part I of the essay will explore some Levinasian-inspired ways how spirituality …

Grapes, Olives And Yams: Towards A Theology Of The Garden In Oceania, Glenn J. Morrison

Glenn J Morrison

Pursuing a theology of the garden in Oceania, the article develops Ilaitia Tuwere’s Fijian theological perspectives with Emmanuel Levinas’ philosophy and Talmudic readings. The defining experience in the Oceanic garden is mercy. Through the bodiliness and otherness of Jesus, the chief Gardener, an immemorial truth emerges: the land (vanua) testifies to the mercy (maternity) of God, revealing a garden (were) of justice, repentance, peace, healing and the forgiveness of sins. Indeed, our hope for the reign of God is not useless and for nothing, for it becomes the very source of the fecundity of time and the positive value of …

Spiritual Discipline And Psychological Dream-Work: Some Distinctions, Philip Novak

Philip Novak

"The world's great religious traditions and spiritualities commonly contain two essential elements. The first doctrine, a distinction between the Real and the unreal; the second is method, a way for human consciousness to concentrate upon the Real. 'Prayer' and 'yoga' are probably the two most inclusive generic terms coming under what I here designate as method. they are ways that human beings, in their living consciousness, endeavor to lessen the existential 'distance' between themselves and ultimate Reality. For the purpose of this essay, let us group those psychotransformative strategies known to religious traditions under the common heading of 'contemplative discipline.''' …

Search For Nothing: The Life Of St. John Of The Cross By Richard P. Hardy, Philip Novak

Philip Novak

"A new biography of such a seminal figure could hardly be anything but welcome. Yet I can only recommend Hardy's book with reservations. Though written lovingly by a professor of spirituality who seems to share John of the Cross' contemplative sensibilities, and who, moreover, has done his homework, the book remains curiously one-dimensional. In a word it lacks, depth." ~ from the article

Search For Nothing: The Life Of St. John Of The Cross By Richard P. Hardy, Philip Novak

Philip Novak

"A new biography of such a seminal figure could hardly be anything but welcome. Yet I can only recommend Hardy's book with reservations. Though written lovingly by a professor of spirituality who seems to share John of the Cross' contemplative sensibilities, and who, moreover, has done his homework, the book remains curiously one-dimensional. In a word it lacks, depth." ~ from the article

Towards A New Mysticism By Ursula King, Philip Novak

Philip Novak

"Toward a New Mysticism is, in sum, a chronologically-oriented study of the development of Teilhard's new and evolutionist mysticism, with special attention given to surmises about the roles which Teilhard's years in the East and his readings in Asian philosophy and religion played in that development." ~ from the article

Fullness Of Life: Historical Foundations For A New Mysticism By Margaret R. Miles, Philip Novak

Philip Novak

"When in his poem 'Among School Children' W. B. Yeats spoke of that place where 'the body is not bruised to pleasure soul,' he unwittingly pointed to a task that has lately engaged the energies of a number of scholars of Christianity: how to revalorize the body in the Christian tradition and rescue it from its status as the spiritually detrimental half of human being. Margaret Miles, a professor of historical theology at Harvard Divinity School, has responded to this task with scholarship, style and insight." ~ from the article

Attention, Philip Novak

Philip Novak

"The subject of attention has until recently been largely confined to the domain of experimental psychology. Researchers have sought to measure and explain such things as the selective capacity of attention, its range and span, the number of objects that it can appreciate simultaneously, and the muscle contractions associated with attentional efforts. Such work has been carried on amid considerable disagreement over basic definitions of the phenomenon of attention itself." ~ from the article

The Visible Church In A Visual Culture, Susan Trollinger

Susan L. Trollinger

We live in a visual culture. To say that is to say, in the most obvious sense, that we live in a culture that is saturated by images. They are everywhere. We see them in the expected places: on our television and computer screens, in newspapers and magazines, on billboards, in our scrapbooks and photo albums, in picture frames and coffee table books. Increasingly, we see them in unexpected places. They show up on the floors of grocery stores, the backs of ATM receipts, the sides of tractor trailers and school buses, and even on the otherwise bare stomachs of …

The Chun-Tzu, Philip Novak

Philip Novak

The question of personal immortality-life after death-has haunted us ever since human beings realized a basic fact of existence: everything that lives is going to die. Filippo Liverziani considers evidence for life after death; from the out-of-body journeys of mystics to the near-death experiences of ordinary people who reached the threshhold of the other side and returned to tell the tale. Compelling reading for anyone who has asked that timeless question: What happens when I die?

The Practice Of Attention, Philip Novak

Philip Novak

"Practices that strengthen the capacity for concentration or attention play a role in most great religious traditions. The importance of developing attention is most readily seen in the great traditions that arose in India, namely Hinduism and Buddhism." ~ from the article

Wisconsin Shooting Rampage Isn't Just A Sikh Issue, Harpreet Singh, Simran Singh

Simran Jeet Singh

The recent massacre in Wisconsin has brought about a mix of emotions for the Sikh community in San Antonio. While we have been deeply saddened by the loss, we have been touched by the support of our neighbors.

These acts of kindness remind us that this is not just a Sikh issue. The shooter violated basic human dignity and fundamental civil rights, and we must respond as a united community.

Our responses should be guided by our ideals, and our Sikhi tradition offers a few basic messages that inform a Sikh response to the massacre.

World Religions: Sikhs, Seventh-Day Adventists And Mennonites, Simran Singh

Simran Jeet Singh

No abstract provided.

The Texas That I Love Has No Place For Bigotry, Simran Singh

Simran Jeet Singh

I grew up watching the Dallas Cowboys, eating barbecue and tubing down the Guadalupe River. My childhood in Texas is one that many can relate to, but for the fact that I'm Sikh. I wear a turban, and I have witnessed discrimination throughout my life simply because I look different. While I left Texas to pursue a career in academics and interfaith work 10 years ago, my heart has never left the state in which my family's American dream was born. Through my work, I have seen minority communities struggle with being the unwarranted targets of misguided bigotry and prejudice …

We're Not Doing Enough To End Hate Among Our Children, Simran Singh

Simran Jeet Singh

If we don't fix prejudice when our kids are young, the next generation has no hope of a better country.

Last week, a middle school student from Georgia recorded some of his classmates calling him a “terrorist” and posted it online. Presumably, the kids on his bus tormented him because of his Sikh turban.

The family changed the video’s settings to private, but not before users around the world had already copied the video and reposted it. The video has since gone viral, gaining more than a million combined views from people all over the globe.

Why The Wisconsin Tragedy Matters To New Yorkers, Gunisha Kaur, Simran Singh

Simran Jeet Singh

Since the massacre of Sikhs in Wisconsin Sunday, we have been moved by the outpouring of support from our fellow New Yorkers. Even strangers have come up to us on the streets of Manhattan to offer flowers, hugs and encouragement. We are incredibly thankful to everyone for reaching out to us. At the same time, we are deeply disturbed that this violence fits into a pattern of hate crimes against Sikhs and Muslims in America. And although we like to think of ourselves as being the most diverse, cosmopolitan and tolerant place on Earth, hate crimes have been rampant here …

The Rise Of Hate Crimes Can Be Tied Directly To Hateful Speech, Hansdeep Singh, Simran Singh

Simran Jeet Singh

Attorney General Eric Holder described the recent massacre of Sikhs in Oak Creek, Wisconsin as “an act of terrorism, an act of hatred, a hate crime.” Four days later, anti-Semitic graffiti was found at Brooklyn Holocaust Memorial Park, and throughout the month of August, a number of mosques have been attacked and desecrated around the country. Official statistics on hate crimes evidence a steady rise of violence against religious communities over the past five years. Although there are flaws in the FBI’s method of tracking and monitoring hate crimes, their statistics provide a consistent framework to analyze trends. For example, …

Sikh Leadership: Establised Ideals And Diasporic Reality, Harinder Singh, Simran Singh

Simran Jeet Singh

As established in the Sikh scriptural canon, ideal leaders internalize qualities of self-sovereignty, intentional servitude, integrative creativity, authentic compassion, and perhaps most significant of all, Divine inspiration. Models of communal decision-making can also be derived from the lives of the Gurū-Prophets (1469–1708 C.E.) and the institutions they established. Though the faith recognizes no clergy class, graduates of historical seminaries often emerge as significant leaders for the Sikh nation. The community outside of the homeland, however, has experienced a lesser effort in the cultivation of leadership. With a primary focus on education, religious centers, youth camps, and retreats have played a …

Let Sikhs Serve In The U.S. Military, Prabhjot Singh, Simran Singh

Simran Jeet Singh

While the raising of awareness was one positive development to come out of such a horrific incident, it begged the question: why is it that this distinctly visible minority group – of driven entrepreneurs, successful professionals, family-oriented citizens -- have only been noted and praised in tragedy? And further, why is it that Sikhs do not appear to be part of the American fabric? A central part of the problem is that Sikhs have not been allowed to contribute to one of the most powerful forces that binds Americans as a people: shared sacrifice in an all-volunteer military that works …

Revisiting The Victim Narrative, Simran Singh

Simran Jeet Singh

After a white supremacist opened fire at a Sikh gurdwara in Oak Creek in August, significant media resources have been devoted to describing, analyzing and attempting to explain the event. A few of the prominent themes have included buzzwords such as "unprecedented," "victimization" and "suffering" endured by Sikhs in America. Although these buzzwords rightfully point to the challenges faced by Sikh Americans, they fail to aptly capture the spirit and attitude with which Sikhs have embraced such challenges throughout history.

10 Things I Wish Everyone Knew About Sikhism, Simran Singh

Simran Jeet Singh

Despite being one of the world’s largest world religions, Sikhism remains one of the most unknown traditions in America. The lack of understanding has led to serious consequences, including discriminatory policies, bigoted stereotypes, traumatic school bullying and violent hate crimes.

Here is a list of 10 things that the global community ought to know about its Sikh neighbors.

Conversations, Simran Singh

Simran Jeet Singh

Oak Creek Wisconsin: yet another tragic shooting, yet another mass murder, yet another horrific scene played out in the American landscape. But something sets this one apart: this one happened at a Sikh Temple. How are local Sikhs processing the tragedy?

How Hate Gets Counted, Simran Singh, Prabhjot Singh

Simran Jeet Singh

Do American Sikhs count?

The horrific shooting at a Sikh temple in suburban Milwaukee on Aug. 5, in which a white supremacist, Wade M. Page, killed six people before fatally shooting himself, elicited an outpouring of sympathy from American leaders and a greater understanding of the role Sikhs have played in American life.

But there are two disturbing aspects of the response to the shooting that deserve wider public attention.

First is the notion of “mistaken identity” — the assumption that Mr. Page, who had long-established ties to radical right-wing groups, mistook Sikhs for Muslims, his presumed target. The second …

Islamophobia, Sikhophobia And Media Profiling, Simran Singh

Simran Jeet Singh

On Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks shook the American nation to its core. Nineteen individuals associated with al Qaeda coordinated to hijack four passenger jets and use them as weapons of mass destruction. The terrorist attacks of 9/11 claimed approximately 3,000 lives, including all 256 passengers on the four planes, 125 people at the Pentagon and more than 2,600 people at the World Trade Center.

The global community watched the destruction and devastation with horror. Law enforcement agencies focused attention on detecting and preventing further terrorism on American soil, while news media scrambled to collect, synthesize and present an enormous …

Ins And Outs Of Queens. Richmond Hill, Shabana Sharif, Simran Singh

Simran Jeet Singh

The streets of Richmond Hill, Queens are known for their vibrant and flavorful customs. Richmond Hill is home to many different communities including the largest Indo-Caribbean community in the United States, and a growing Punjabi community. Come and join to learn more about Richmond Hill.

Mysticism, Enlightenment, And Morality, Philip Novak

Philip Novak

"Our outspoken anthropologist friend, Dr. A. Bharati, once remarked that if someone is a stinker before a mystical experience, he'll be a stinker afterwards .¹ The swami's observation stemmed from years spent among the holy men of India and , no doubt, from considerable personal experience. It is an exaggeration , of course, but we cannot dismiss his crucial point: it is quite possible to be a mystic and a stinker. If we refuse to take Bharati's word for it, we need only to examine the numerous recent accounts of the oafish behavior displayed by acclaimed mystic-teachers. Or we …

Changing Churches, Mickey Mattox, A. Roeber

Mickey L Mattox

Sharp controversies -- about biblical authority, the ordination of women, evangelical "worship styles," and the struggle for homosexual "inclusion" -- have rocked the Lutheran church in recent decades. In Changing Churches two men who once communed at the same Lutheran Eucharistic table explain their similar but different decisions to leave the Lutheran faith tradition -- one for Orthodoxy, the other for Roman Catholicism. Here Mickey L. Mattox and A. G. Roeber address the most difficult questions Protestants face when considering such a conversion, including views on justification, grace, divinization, the church and its authority, women and ministry, papal infallibility, the …