Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
- Discipline
Articles 1 - 14 of 14
Full-Text Articles in Arts and Humanities
A Sacred People: Roman Identity In The Age Of Augustus, Edwin M. Bevens
A Sacred People: Roman Identity In The Age Of Augustus, Edwin M. Bevens
History Theses
The Romans redefined the nature of their collective identity to be centered on religion and the connection between the Roman people and their gods during the Augustan age, spanning Augustus’ dominance of Roman politics from the late 30s BC until AD 14. This sacral identity was presented through a comprehensive reimagining of Roman history, from the age of myth through the founding of the city and up to the present day, explaining the failures and successes of the city in history. According to Augustan writers, the chaos of the late Republic was due to a decline in piety. They connected …
Fish From Deep Water, Monica R. Burchfield
Fish From Deep Water, Monica R. Burchfield
English Theses
These poems are lyrical narratives dealing primarily with the joys and sufferings of familial relationships in present and past generations, and how one is influenced and haunted by these interactions. There is a particular emphasis placed on the relationship between parent and child. Other poems deal with passion, both in the tangible and spiritual realms. The poems aim to use vivid figurative language to explore complex and sometimes distressing situations and emotions.
Catholicism And Community: American Political Culture And The Conservative Catholic Social Justice Tradition, 1890-1960, Jayna C. Hoffacker
Catholicism And Community: American Political Culture And The Conservative Catholic Social Justice Tradition, 1890-1960, Jayna C. Hoffacker
History Theses
The prevailing trend in the historiography of American Catholicism has been an implicit acceptance of the traditional liberal narrative as formulated by scholars like Louis Hartz. American Catholic historians like Jay Dolan and John McGreevy have incorporated this narrative into their studies and argue that America was inherently liberal and that the conservative Catholics who rejected liberalism were thus fundamentally anti-American. This has simplified nuanced and complex relationships into a story of simple opposition. Further, the social justice doctrine of the Catholic Church, although based on undeniably illiberal foundations, led conservatives to come to the same conclusions about social and …
The Audacity Of Faith: A Study Of Barack Obama's Religious Views And How They Could Shape His United States Presidency, Zachary Ross
The Audacity Of Faith: A Study Of Barack Obama's Religious Views And How They Could Shape His United States Presidency, Zachary Ross
Religious Studies Theses
During the 2008 Presidential election, questions concerning Barack Obama’s religious views arose. Specifically, the controversy surrounding Obama’s former pastor, Jeremiah Wright, caused some people to wonder how Wright’s theology may have influenced Obama. This project investigates Obama’s religious views and examines several forces, including Wright, which influenced his theological perspective. Wright bases his theological perspective on the works of James Cone, a significant figure in Black Liberation Theology and a mentor to Wright. This thesis compares and contrasts Obama’s religious perspective with that of James Cone.
In The Name Of God, Sharon Mccusker
In The Name Of God, Sharon Mccusker
Art and Design Theses
This exhibition is a direct response to my own religious upbringing. I chose to explore the oppression upon women, gays and people of color by religious intolerance. The Church dictates social and political mores that affect our society and culture and the way we are treated and governed. The use of the bible and conservative belief structures to defend the ill manner in which we are treated should not be ordained in today’s social construct. In the Name of god addresses issues from the Inquisition to the current war for control over women’s bodies and our reproductive systems. By revisiting …
On The Viability Of A Pluralistic Bioethics, Christopher Durante
On The Viability Of A Pluralistic Bioethics, Christopher Durante
Religious Studies Theses
In an attempt to promote in-depth dialogue amongst bioethicists coming from distinct disciplinary and religious backgrounds this thesis offers an overview of the current state of bioethics and a critical analysis of a number of the leading methods of addressing pluralism in bioethics. Exploring the critiques and methodological proposals coming from the social sciences, the contract theorists, and the pragmatists, this study describes the problems which arise when confronting moral and religious diversity in a bioethical context and examines the ability of these various methodologies to adequately resolve these matters. Finally, after a discussion of the benefits and the potential …
The Spectacle Of The Sotah: A Rabbinic Perspective On Justice And Punishment, Andrew Durdin
The Spectacle Of The Sotah: A Rabbinic Perspective On Justice And Punishment, Andrew Durdin
Religious Studies Theses
The first chapter of Mishnah tractate Sotah (m. Sot) records rabbinic elaboration and interpretation on the sotah ritual contained in the Hebrew Bible, Numbers 5:11-31. Specifically, the nine mishnayoth that compose m. Sot 1 discuss the circumstances for invoking the trial of the “bitter waters” and the overall treatment of the suspected wife during the trial. This paper argues that, when read together, m. Sot 1 describes an entire economy of justice and punishment that must be imposed on a wife who is merely suspected of adultery, quite apart from whether she is—or is not—guilty of adultery. Through a close …
Loose Canon On Deck: How Contemporary Christians React To Media Portrayals Of Faith, Beliefs, And Rituals, Mitchell L. Leopard
Loose Canon On Deck: How Contemporary Christians React To Media Portrayals Of Faith, Beliefs, And Rituals, Mitchell L. Leopard
Religious Studies Theses
Throughout much of Christian history, the church had predominant control over religious ritual and belief. As early as the 1st Century, institutions representing "orthodoxy" were banning, forbidding or destroying the "heretical", separating it from what eventually would become canon and religious practice. The 21st Century provides new ways for spiritual knowledge to spread, bypassing traditional methods. Modern Martin Luthers can nail a manifesto to an internet door while the media's obsession with non-canonical texts provides no shortage of material for movies and television. A multi-media barrage challenges orthodox concepts and scriptural definition, often blurring the line between religion and entertainment. …
A Queer Miracle In Georgia: The Origins Of Gay-Affirming Religion In The South, Jodie Talley
A Queer Miracle In Georgia: The Origins Of Gay-Affirming Religion In The South, Jodie Talley
History Theses
The intersection of homosexuality and faith values, a very controversial topic in the United States, has generated both social accommodation as well as “culture war.” In the past forty years this nation has witnessed the establishment of predominantly gay congregations, gay “welcoming” and “affirming” mainstream congregations, as well as virulently anti-gay religious organizations. This study investigates the origins and evolving history of gay and gay-affirming religious traditions in America with an emphasis on Atlanta and Georgia. Primarily an oral history, this project draws from eighty-two interviews as well as primary and secondary documents to construct this history. Several conclusions unfold: …
Wittgenstein And Religion, Daniel Patrick Corrigan
Wittgenstein And Religion, Daniel Patrick Corrigan
Philosophy Theses
This thesis considers the implications of Wittgenstein’s early and later philosophy for the issue of religious belief, as well as the relation of religion to Wittgenstein’s thought. In the first chapter I provide an overview of the Tractatus and discuss the place of religion within the Tractarian framework. I then provide an overview of Philosophical Investigations. In the second chapter I consider interpretations by Norman Malcolm and Peter Winch of Wittgenstein’s later philosophy in relation to religion, as well as Kai Nielsen’s famous critique of ‘Wittgensteinian Fideism.’ The third and final chapter takes up the issue of construing religious belief …
Cuban Refugees In Atlanta: 1950-1980, Charlotte A. Bayala
Cuban Refugees In Atlanta: 1950-1980, Charlotte A. Bayala
History Theses
This thesis examines the lives of Cuban refugees who entered Atlanta, Georgia between 1950 and 1980. It explores early trans-national ties between the two areas. and how Cuban refugees relied on this relationship when they left the island. It shows the process they went through from finding aid and shelter to becoming a strong active community. It explains the role religious institutions had in settling refugees and shows how the state had to work to become equipped to provide resources to a large influx of Spanish-speakers. Through this thesis one will learn of the beginnings of an important Latino community …
Walter M. Miller, Jr.'S A Canticle For Leibowitz: A Study Of Apocalyptic Cycles, Religion And Science, Religious Ethics And Secular Ethics, Sin And Redemption, And Myth And Preternatural Innocence, Cynthia M. Smith
English Theses
Walter M. Miller, Jr.’s A Canticle for Leibowitz is a timeless story about apocalyptic cycles, conflicts and similarities between religion and science, religious ethics and secular ethics, sin and redemption, myth and preternatural innocence. Canticle is a very religious story about a monastery dedicated to preserving scientific knowledge from the time before nuclear war which devastated the world and reduced humanity to a pre-technological civilization. The Catholic Church and this monastery are portrayed as a bastion of civilization amidst barbarians and a light of faith amidst atheism. Unfortunately, humanity destroys the Earth once again, but Miller ends with two beacons …
Can Religion Help? Using John Howard Yoder And Mohandas Gandhi To Conceptualize New Approaches To Intractable Social And Political Problems Such As Violence And War, Gregory T. Keeter
Can Religion Help? Using John Howard Yoder And Mohandas Gandhi To Conceptualize New Approaches To Intractable Social And Political Problems Such As Violence And War, Gregory T. Keeter
Religious Studies Theses
Religious Studies is making possible a scholarly study of many aspects of human religious traditions and practices, but the field has yet to articulate fully the ability of such study to affect the creation of new approaches to intractable social and political problems. Many of these problems have as their basis religious justifications, yet the rigor of academic thought has only barely begun to clarify the underlying religious reasoning. Through this essay I intend to provide clarity to some of the underlying religious justifications for war and violence by examining the religious writings of two widely recognized theologians that firmly …
Reclaiming The Human Self: Redemptive Suffering And Spiritual Service In The Works Of James Baldwin, Francine Larue Allen
Reclaiming The Human Self: Redemptive Suffering And Spiritual Service In The Works Of James Baldwin, Francine Larue Allen
English Dissertations
James Arthur Baldwin argues that the issue of humanity—what it means to be human and whether or not all people bear the same measure of human worth—supersedes all issues, including socially popular ones such as race and religion. As a former child preacher, Baldwin claims, like others shaped by both the African-American faith tradition and Judeo-Christianity, that human equality stands as a divinely mandated and philosophically sound concept. As a literary artist and social commentator, Baldwin argues that truth in any narrative text, whether fictional or non-fictional, lies in its embrace or rejection of human equality. Truth-telling narrative texts uphold …