History Commons^™

The Failure Of The Anabaptist Kingdom Of Münster, Sonja Cutts

Young Historians Conference

In February 1534, after rebelling against the authority of their Catholic prince-bishop, the German town of Münster fell under Anabaptist rule. During the next sixteen months, the city’s religious leaders would advocate in favor of Münster becoming a “community of goods,” in which all goods are shared in common. However, their egalitarian dream never fully materialized. This paper examines how the hidden motives of Münster’s political leaders both helped the Anabaptist Kingdom of Münster come into being and prevented the accomplishment of its economic goals.

Qur’An And Constitutions: Sharia In Modern Muslim Democracies, Adrian N. Vasquez

Young Historians Conference

In contemporary society there has seen a gradual shift in the politics of the Muslim world toward more democratic constitutions. This shift can be seen in the aftermath of successful uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt during the Arab Spring as well as isolated cases in other countries. The change echoes those that resulted from the Protestant Reformation’s challenge of the Catholic Church’s authority in 16th century European politics. By looking at the ideas of early constitutionalism in Europe that supported liberalism, it is possible to compare those with the goals of constitutions of new Muslim democracies. Though in many cases …

Session 2: Panel 1: Presenter 1 (Paper) -- The Struggle Of The Soul Medieval Women Mystics And The Constraints Of The Orthodoxy, Kasaundra A. Bonanno

Young Historians Conference

First Corinthians 14:34 tells us, “let your women keep silence in the churches for it is not permitted unto them to speak.” But what happened when medieval women in the 12-15th centuries did speak, and what techniques did they apply to gain credibility? This paper explores the various methods (along with cultural aspects such as the appearance of piousness) women mystics utilized to gain power within the Church in a time when their voices were silenced, and the factors that allowed individuals such as Catherine of Siena to gain incredible influence where individuals like Joan of Arc were burned at …

The Knights Templar: The Course Of God And Gold, Aaron Wozniak

Young Historians Conference

The creation and expansion of the Knights Templar exemplifies the power of religious organizations during the time of the Crusades. However, it is the dissolution of the Templars that makes the order’s existence stand out among other knight orders. While the legal accounts of King Philip IV condemn the Templars for heresy, modern scholars and the political context suggest the possibility of exploiting the order for its significant financial holdings. This paper follows the history of the Templar order, from its creation to its demise, to evaluate how the Templars drifted far enough from their initial mission to provide royals …

When The Courts Were Tripping: An Analysis Of Employment Division V Smith And Its Impact On Oregon Law, Lucy C. Adams

Young Historians Conference

A member of the Native American Church named Al Smith was fired from his job for using Peyote during a religious ceremony. He sued, and Employment Division of Oregon v. Smith was opened. Surprisingly, when the Supreme Court heard the case, they abandoned precedent for determining whether religious actions were permissible and ruled in favor of the state. The ruling was a setback for religious freedom, and particularly harmed minority religions. Other agencies stepped in to prevent Smith from decimating religious rights, but the Oregon Supreme Court officially accepted the Supreme Court’s ruling on the case, despite having ruled in …

Translation Wars: The Influence Of Semantics And Translation On The More-Tyndale Polemic, Annika H. Marshall

Young Historians Conference

The More-Tyndale polemic was one of many debates during the Protestant Reformation, a time of great religious change and conflict. Because of this, many scholars who examine the lengthy debate view it as a pure reflection of the typical Reformation arguments of the century, and assume it to be a debate of ubiquitous opposing religious ideals. This paper, however, argues that while many of these Reformation topics were present, the polemic was primarily fueled by clash over semantics and the topic of Biblical translation. Through this unique approach to a classic debate, one may better understand Christian theology’s inherent struggle …

Gothic Cathedrals: A Shift In Christians' Relationship With God, Matthew D. Latham

Young Historians Conference

The emergence of Gothic cathedrals marked a revolutionary shift from previous architectural styles. Designers, such as Villard de Honnecourt, sought to represent Christian ideas in the architecture of Gothic cathedrals. Secular rulers, like King Henry III, personally led the construction of religious buildings. Laypeople contributed voluntary donations to help finance the building of Gothic cathedrals. The ability for individuals to personally contribute to their religion marks a shift in Christians’ perceived relationship to God. The development of Gothic cathedrals reflects the idea of individualism, a theme typically credited to the Renaissance time period. Examining Gothic cathedrals through the lens of …

From Mantra To Prose: The Influence Of The Mundaka Upanishad On Western Poetry And Writing, Walter B. Greene

Young Historians Conference

Written sometime between 300 and 100 BCE, the Indian text known as the Mundaka Upanishad contains some of the earliest philosophical inquiries into the concepts of suffering, the self, rebirth, and humanity’s place in the universe. This paper examines the influence of the Mundaka Upanishad and argues for the value of its study, addressing how the text offers historians a valuable opportunity to look into some of the most influential ideas behind Hinduism, Buddhism, and other Indian schools of thought. This paper also examines the cross-cultural influence of the text, tracing its diffusion from India and its influence on contemporary …

Visions Of Indecency: The Intersection Between The Church And Prostitution In Augsburg, Rome, And Southwark From The Twelfth To Seventeenth Century Ce, Samantha Leahy

Young Historians Conference

The following research paper endeavors to present and enhance knowledge on the relationship between the Roman Catholic Church and prostitution across Italy, England, and Germany from the 12th to the 17th century CE. The paper traces the Church’s opinion of reluctant tolerance prostitution to openly condemning it and argues that this ecclesiastical shift can be traced to various syphilitic breakouts that occurred in association with the Columbian Exchange and the growing popularity of Prostitute Reform Houses. The paper argues that these aspects of European history, in conjunction with the increased influence of Protestant Reformers in the 16th century, expedited the …

Impure Blood: The Menstrual Taboo In The Christian Church During The Thirteenth Century, Madeleine F. Ott

Young Historians Conference

The Curse of Eve—or the menstrual process—was a topic widely stigmatized and perpetuated in the thirteenth century. With the publication and translation of classic Greek and Roman texts, the misconceptions and stereotypes were influenced by not only the publications of historical texts, but also the authoritarian rule of the Roman Catholic Church. The social position of European women in the thirteenth century dictated that women were physically and emotionally handicapped by the menstrual cycle. The discrimination against women in the medieval church was largely dictated by the perception of female menstrual blood compared to the “purity” and cleanliness of the …

The Saint Of Orléans: Her Legacy, Riona K. O'Donnell

Young Historians Conference

Often referred to as Joan of Arc in the anglophone tradition, Jeanne d’Arc – the saint who fought to liberate France during the Hundred-Years War, the convicted heretic who was burned at the stake – never existed outside of history books. These images only superficially resemble the historical figure of Jeanne. Still, Jeanne’s image as an ancient warrior hero, an example of Divine will, or a symbol of French nationalism permeates today’s culture across the western world. How did this historical dynamism manifest in a young woman who was in the public eye for a short two years? This paper …

The Supreme And Fiery Force Of A Poor Little Form Of A Woman: The Development Of The Prophetic Voice Of Hildegard Of Bingen, Maeve Nagel-Frazel

Young Historians Conference

The first women granted Papal permission to teach and preach on theological matters, Hildegard of Bingen (AD 1098-1179) was a revered spiritual teacher who accumulated a sphere of influence far beyond most medieval women. However, Hildegard’s power derived from a paradox: the only way in which Hildegard was able to gain power was by deliberately diminishing herself as a paupercula femina forma (a poor little form of a woman). This paper explores the paradoxical cultivation of Hildegard's self-image, of a weak woman unwillingly receiving the word of God through debilitating visions, as a means to authenticate Hildegard's work and gain …

The Edict Of Milan And The Early Roots Of Christianity In The Roman Empire, Christopher J. Chow

Young Historians Conference

With the Christian religion becoming so widely accepted and dominant today in the Western world, it is easy to forget the journey that the religion went through to reach its current state. It was once a heavily persecuted religion, yet it took the Roman Empire by storm and became the backbone to the Catholic Church. Christianity's spread was no accident. This paper will examine some of the factors regarding Christianity's early roots to identify what led up to its success in a heavily dominated Pagan culture.

The Influence Of Hellenism On The Literary Style Of 1 And 2 Maccabees, Dimitra S. Fellman

Young Historians Conference

The Jewish people living within Hellenistic Greece experienced great freedoms, and many assimilated into the non-Jewish societies around them. Yet, under the Seleucid King Antiochus IV in the 2nd century BCE, the Jewish people experienced oppression and persecution, which has been chronicled in the books 1 Maccabees and 2 Maccabees. At a glance, these books appear opposed to the blending of Hellenistic culture and society into surrounding Jewish communities, but a deeper analysis of both texts reveals that the authors depended on Hellenistic constructs to effectively tell their story. This paper explores the degree to which the authors of 1 …

An Examination Of Franz Edmund Creffield And The Holy Rollers, 1900-1907, Sophie Koh

Young Historians Conference

This paper outlines the story of a religious cult from Corvallis referred to as the “Holy Rollers” and led by Franz Edmund Creffield. I researched the causes for his followers’ behavior from 1900 to 1907, relating the investigation to the press, people, and social roles surrounding the sect. Because his following was dominantly female, hysteria was the popular argument during the early twentieth century. To explore these claims, I researched the possibility of insanity in these women and why they may have agreed to all of Creffield’s ridiculous demands, as well as why the public responded the way they did.

Cultural Bias In The European Translations Of Thomas More's Utopia, Alisa M. Folen

Young Historians Conference

Throughout history, the translators of Thomas More’s Utopia have altered the text to align with their religious, political, or national beliefs. This paper explores how cultural bias influenced the translations and paratexts of Utopia using examples from England, Germany, and Poland from the seventeenth century to the twentieth century. It examines the similarities and differences between the original text and the translated text by considering the social, political, and economic context of both. This paper demonstrates how Utopia is a powerful unit of analysis to study European cultures during the modern age.

The Divine Viscera: Medicine And Religion In The Islamic Golden Age, Isabella A. Pua

Young Historians Conference

Islamic medicine is largely ignored in Western tradition, but in an era when Western European medical practice relied more on mysticism than science and had lost the advances made by Classical Greece, the Islamic Empire entered a golden age of scientific thought. The impetus for the Golden Age medicine that developed can be partially attributed to the Islamic religion itself. This paper explores the role of Islam as both a unifying force and a set of broad cultural values in creating that atmosphere that allowed for the study of medicine, within the context of the scientific-religious duality that characterized discovery …

The Dichotomy Of Pudicitia, Amber L. Harvey

Young Historians Conference

The lives of women in the Roman Republic were incredibly restricted and controlled by their male counterparts, yet key counters to this restriction are often overlooked, mainly that of a woman’s pudicitia. Pudicitia was a defining moral quality that encompassed state, familial, sexual, and other duties, a woman held in society. These qualities, are shown in the mythical Rape of the Sabines, and allow female participation in the Conflict of the Orders and the defiance of the Vestal Virgins. These allowances are countered by aspects of pudicitia that restricted rights and participation, ultimately yielding a system that paradoxically encouraged …

Christianity's Influence On Attitudes Toward Homosexuality In The Roman Empire, Jennie Jiang

Young Historians Conference

Attitudes towards sexuality are deeply influenced by the intricate interplay between religion and social values. How do polytheistic and monotheistic societies differ in how they view sexuality? In the pre-Christian days of the early Roman Empire, polytheism fostered a remarkable tolerance toward both same-sex relations and various expressions of sexuality, as evident in social expectations, literature, and written law. In contrast, a closer examination of the Roman Empire’s transition from a polytheistic to Christian society in the 4^th and 5^th centuries reveals that the rise of Christianity corresponded with, and likely contributed to, increasingly strict attitudes towards homosexuality.

An Investigation Into Zionism’S Inner Leadership, Zia L. Klocke

Young Historians Conference

This is a thorough investigation of Zionism’s inner leadership and specifically Herzl’s leadership and success or failure as a political leader. Zionism is a well known and widespread movement that speaks volumes to many people but the leadership during many time periods has been quite lacking. Thus the motivation to further delve into the historical problems with the Zionist movement but even more of a narrow spectrum in respects to Theodor Herzl himself. Through his whole political career, this investigation will inspect what went wrong.

To assess this character and his politics, this paper will go through the general and …

The Most Godless Region Of The World: Atheism In East Germany, Sophie L. Goddyn

Young Historians Conference

With a population of 52.1% presently identifying as atheists, East Germany ranks as the most atheistic region of the world. This anomaly can be explained through the economic lenses of supply-side theory and demand-side theory when analyzing the changes instated by the Communist Party during the life of the German Democratic Republic, from 1945 to 1989. Through a process of secularization and religious oppression, the Communist Party lessened the supply of religious goods in East Germany. On the other hand, it also minimized religious demand by providing secular alternatives to traditional religious practices, and institutionalizing anti-religious sentiment. These actions combined …

The Catholic Church: Shaping The Roles Of Medieval Women, Ashley N. Just

Young Historians Conference

The paradoxical modern expectation for women to remain virgins while simultaneously being sexual objects for men to enjoy as they please is a result of the ideology of the Catholic Church in Medieval Europe. Christian doctrine at this time presented an image of women as inherently weak and prone to sexual sin as a result of Eve's Original Sin. This weakness then led to the expectation that women would remain chaste and subservient, which in turn inhibited the power and influence women possessed Medieval society. Many of the issues modern feminism fights to remedy result from these historical Christian ideas.

The Anatomical Renaissance, Chloe Zimmerman

Young Historians Conference

The mystical element of the human cadaver has long determined how people interact with it. Ancient cultures often feared the wrath of a higher power arising from an investigation into the sanctity of the human corpse, a fear that for the most part stemmed from religious traditions. Despite the taboos associated with this practice, the dawn of the Italian Renaissance saw a gradual shift in this traditional perspective that allowed for scholars, particularly those in Northern Italy, to explore the subject of anatomy with greater freedom. This paper explores the factors that contributed to the proliferation of anatomical dissection throughout …