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Full Issue 2024 (Volume 2), Taylor University

Lux et Fides: A Journal for Undergraduate Christian Scholars

This open-access journal endeavors to showcase the excellent academic inquiry of Taylor University students. The content within this issue represents multiple academic disciplines within the humanities, natural and applied sciences, and social sciences, and demonstrates the “Light and Faith” mentality that is so central Taylor University’s educational philosophy. We are grateful to all who submitted articles, our faculty reviewers, and the editorial board.

For the first time, Lux et Fides contains both Research Briefs and articles. Research Briefs are abstract-length summaries of grant-funded faculty-mentored student research projects conducted during the summer of 2023 and allow students to articulate to our …

Kantian Reason & Epistemic Humility, Elias Seeman

Lux et Fides: A Journal for Undergraduate Christian Scholars

Immanuel Kant continues to be one of the most influential thinkers in the history of philosophy. His thought shapes much of contemporary culture and has dramatically influenced Christian philosophy and theology. While some of this influence is beneficial, there are components of Kantian thought – especially as it pertains to the capabilities of human reason to arrive at true knowledge of God – that are decidedly problematic. In this paper, two different readings on Kant’s work on this subject are presented, followed by a brief overview of key insights and shortcomings. The final section charts a positive way forward for …

Hymns Of Babel: A Song Cycle Fmus Composition Project, Reed Spencer, Steven Day

Lux et Fides: A Journal for Undergraduate Christian Scholars

Hymns of Babel Research Brief

Over the course of the eight-week faculty mentorship undergraduate scholarship period, Dr. Reed Spencer and senior Steven Day composed a twelve-song cycle on the theme of Generation Z’s interaction with social media. This piece sought to articulate the thoughts, emotions, responses, and impulses that accompany the virtual world. Many of the songs explored where we find God in our social media age, as well as how we create gods, try to act as a god, and pretend there is no God. The collaborative process began by creating a rough lyrical structure and purpose, followed by …

Examining The Aggregate Economic Impacts Of Criminal Record Expungement In Marion County, Indiana, Zane Callison

Lux et Fides: A Journal for Undergraduate Christian Scholars

This article investigates the individual economic effects of criminal record expungement identified in a previous article as they appear in the aggregate, particularly rates of unemployment and wages. As interest around the effects of overincarceration increases, criminal record expungement offers a possible solution to the economic woes faced by justice-involved individuals. To that end, this article examines unemployment rates and per capita personal income in Marion County, Indiana, where implementation of the state of Indiana’s criminal record expungement statute has been exceptionally effective. After an analysis, we find that criminal record expungement bears only a light or unclear causal relationship …

Computational Analysis Of O6-Methylated Guanine And Thioguanine Complexes, Kirsten Stinson, Michael Bowman

Lux et Fides: A Journal for Undergraduate Christian Scholars

DNA methylation occurring on the O⁶ position of guanine has been linked to the formation of cancer. DNA complexes with O⁶-methylated guanine have been studied experimentally, yet questions remain concerning the carcinogenic properties of O⁶-methylguanine. This present research explored the interaction between O⁶-methylguanine and its potential nucleobase pairs of cytosine and adenine in hopes of elucidating the mutagenic characteristics of O⁶-methylguanine. A variety of computational methods including Density Functional Theory (DFT), Symmetry Adapted Perturbation Theory (SAPT), Noncovalent Interaction (NCI) analysis, and Natural Bond Orbital (NBO) analysis were employed to comprehensively probe …

A Study And Critique Of Sexual Violence Against Disabled Individuals In Sub-Saharan Africa: Implications For Policy And Practice Of Trauma-Informed Care, Kaeley Sells

Lux et Fides: A Journal for Undergraduate Christian Scholars

This paper examines and critiques current sexual violence against disabled individuals in Sub-Saharan Africa by evaluating the social and cultural stigma present that perpetuates cycles of vulnerabilities. Currently, women and girls with disabilities are disproportionally at risk for sexual violence as economic, cultural, and political structures in many Sub-Saharan African countries fail to recognize and adequately protect those with disabilities. Incorporating evidence from journals, books, reviews, and studies, this paper demonstrates the need for non-government and government actors to recognize the need to provide protection and trauma-informed care for disabled individuals.

Whole Genome Sequencing Of The Whipple Azalea Garden, Afia Asamoah, Elizabeth Toth, Amy Vasudevan, Sarah Justice, Elizabeth D. Hasenmyer

Lux et Fides: A Journal for Undergraduate Christian Scholars

Taylor University houses a large collection of North American azaleas. Deciduous azalea species, like those found on campus, are vastly understudied. This project aims to provide publicly available genomic data which will be used to study the genetic basis behind their physical characteristics and their relatedness to other species.

Water Filtration System For Hospital In Bangladesh, David E. Mitchell

Lux et Fides: A Journal for Undergraduate Christian Scholars

The Chadraghona Christian Hospital serves the people of Bangladesh in a Christ-centered way, providing quality care for the people of the region. The hospital has several significant infrastructure needs, including a source of clean water. Currently, the hospital does not have a filtration system and draws its water directly from an adjacent river that is polluted and often cloudy with particulates. Prior work on this project, performed during the summer of 2022, began the design of the filtration system for the hospital. The work performed this summer focused on improving and extending last summer’s work. Improvements in the system design …