Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Environmental Stewardship And The Fate Of The Brazilian Amazon : A Case Study Of The Madeira Complex, Karyna Do Monte

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The present paper analyzes a case study of the Madeira Complex, which plans to build two massive dams on the Amazon River's largest tributary, to identify religious discourse in ecological debates. Three sides of the debate are investigated in order to analyze the various perspectives of proper human relations with the rest of nature that emerge. The Brazilian government and large corporations support the project as a necessary step to meet future national energy needs, the indigenous groups settled in federal territories that are directly affected by the environmental impact of the project and have mixed opinions, and environmentalist organizations …

Buddha And Moses As Primordial Saints: A New Typology Of Parallel Sainthoods Derived From Pali Buddhism And Judaism, Upananda Thero Dedunupitiye

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Comparative studies in sainthood in world religions, especially Pali Buddhism and Judaism has been a substantial component of my academic interests. Constructed out of my research findings the new typology of sainthood lays emphasis on the fact the two religions have a common universal pattern of sainthood, hence parallel sainthoods.

My research concludes that Siddhartha the Buddha and Moses the Prophet as primordial saints, as saintliness as a human quality in Pali Buddhism and Judaism originates from these personalities. Any other successive types of sainthood in the said religious traditions are derived from the main type, the primordial sainthood.

Identity Formation And Public Perception In The History Of American Mormonism, Jaquelinne M. Biver

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study inquires into the institutional identity of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since its founding in 1830. The study takes a historical stance in discussing the relationship between American public perceptions and the Church's developing internal identity, tracing these changes through three distinct historical stages. Building on the works of historians and sociologists such as Jan Shipps, Armand Mauss, and Terryl Givens, this study hopes to contribute to the understanding of new religious movements and the progression from sect to church.

The study finds that Mormon identity and American perceptions of Mormons have had an inter-influential …