With Love, ; An Interdisciplinary And Intersectional Look At Why Creativity Is Essential, 2024 Whittier College
With Love, ; An Interdisciplinary And Intersectional Look At Why Creativity Is Essential, Theo Starr Gardner
Whittier Scholars Program
My Whittier Scholars Program self-designed major, Teaching Creativity, is a mixture of Art, Literature, and Education classes. My research and praxis classes have been focused on the ‘how?’s and 'why?’s of creativity, so it felt only right that my project should be a constructivist, generative project. The project I have been working on throughout my time at Whittier, and that has just fully come to fruition on April 11th, 2024, was a solo art gallery/open mic event entitled ‘With Love,’. With Love, was conceptually inspired by the research I’ve conducted on creativity and creative arts education over the past few …
Mussar And Esotericism In Revolutionary Russia, 2024 Portland State University
Mussar And Esotericism In Revolutionary Russia, Martin Zwick
Systems Science Faculty Publications and Presentations
This paper is an introductory comparative look at teachings of two spiritual figures in pre-revolutionary and revolutionary Russia: Rav Yoseph Yozel (Horowitz) and George Gurdjieff. Yozel founded the Novarodok school of Mussar; Gurdjieff founded the spiritual tradition known as “the Work” or “Fourth Way.” There are of course great differences between the Jewish tradition of Mussar, whose literature dates back to the Mishnah but which as a social movement was launched by Rabbi Israel Salantar in the late 19th century, and the Work, with its affinities to Eastern Christianity, Buddhism, and Sufism but with no apparent connection to Judaism. …
Words With God, 2024 California State University, San Bernardino
Words With God, Krista Fassett
Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations
As a studio artist using multiple media, I investigate subjectivity of the female body as depicted within the context of evangelical doctrines and traditions. I explore misogyny and the absence of bodily autonomy in the bible, which designates women as property to be owned, purchased, and sold. Some overlapping themes include religious trauma, domestication, submission, and virginity. The intertwining of topics allows me to share my lived experience, and ignite conversation into certain religious doctrines that simultaneously live among cultural and political lines.
Emphasizing ‘holy’ scripture, my art varies through domestic materiality and includes crocheted textiles, oil paintings, installation with …
The Co-Dependent Arising Of Liberation: An Exploration Of Buddhist Thought And Social Justice Models, 2024 Loyola Marymount University
The Co-Dependent Arising Of Liberation: An Exploration Of Buddhist Thought And Social Justice Models, Emily Ward
Say Something Theological: The Student Journal of Theological Studies
The language of liberation is prevalent in both spiritual and activist communities: the intersection of these practices, of liberating ourselves on the planes of embodied existence and beyond, interests me deeply. While the limitations of language are frequently expounded in Buddhism, the similarities between Buddhist and social justice terminology are what initially piqued my interest in exploring how key ideas from each field could be enhanced by mutual understanding. While much work has already been done in the field of Socially Engaged Buddhism, I hope to contribute to it by examining two models I have found useful in teaching racial …
“How Are We Refocusing Our Lives On God?”: Implementing The Lenten Vision Of Sacrosanctum Concilium On A High School Campus, 2024 Loyola Marymount University
“How Are We Refocusing Our Lives On God?”: Implementing The Lenten Vision Of Sacrosanctum Concilium On A High School Campus, Michael Ashley-Mennis
Say Something Theological: The Student Journal of Theological Studies
In many Catholic high schools, students discuss Lent with a focus on their actions associated with penance, fasting and almsgiving as a self-denial Olympics without understanding the true purpose. This causes students to robotically move through the motions of Lent instead of internalizing it as a period of preparation for Baptism and penance. This paper will propose a program, for the Catholic high school setting, on how to implement the Second Vatican Council’s vision of Lent, as outlined in Sacrosanctum Concilium. The paper begins by exploring the history and development of Lent throughout the centuries. It then examines the …
Mystical Life And Altered Consciousness: Comparing The Subtle Paths And Trance States Of St. Teresa And Patañjali, 2024 Loyola Marymount University
Mystical Life And Altered Consciousness: Comparing The Subtle Paths And Trance States Of St. Teresa And Patañjali, Dana Tarasavage
Say Something Theological: The Student Journal of Theological Studies
The study of mysticism is said to be the study of the ineffable, and thus by its nature, difficult to define. Yet the structured paths and trance states described by St. Teresa of Ávila in Interior Castle and Patañjali in the Yoga Sūtra demonstrate meticulous and thoughtful explanation of mystical practices and phenomena. This paper situates these texts, mystic guidebooks in their respective traditions, in conversation, examining and comparing the path towards, experience within, and the effect of mystical trances. It employs a balanced approach to essentialism and highlights the shared features of mystical life as a vantage point from …
Prison Parts: The Theological-Ethical Problem Of Using Prisoners As Living Organ Donors, 2024 Loyola Marymount University
Prison Parts: The Theological-Ethical Problem Of Using Prisoners As Living Organ Donors, Eryn Reyes Leong
Say Something Theological: The Student Journal of Theological Studies
This paper is a theological and ethical reflection of Massachusetts House Bill 2333, which would reduce prison sentences on the condition that state prisoners donate bone marrow or an organ. Looking specifically at agency and bodily integrity as the two facets of imago Dei that are implicated by House Bill 2333, I address the crucial question: Does House Bill 2333 distort the dignity of prisoners as imago Dei by incentivizing living prisoners to donate their body parts in exchange for freedom? Using Margaret A. Farley’s justice framework articulated in Just Love: A Framework for Christian Sexual Ethics (2006), this paper: …
Short-Term Missions And Their Ethical Shortcomings, 2024 Ouachita Baptist University
Short-Term Missions And Their Ethical Shortcomings, Breanna Watson
Scholars Day Conference
I wrote on "Short-Term Missions..." for my Christian Ethics class last semester. Short-Term Missions (STMs), while aiming to fulfill the Great Commission, often prioritize quick results over genuine relationship-building, diverting significant financial resources from sustainable solutions. They perpetuate power imbalances and fail to foster mutual understanding between "goers" and "receivers." STMs lack the long-term, selfless, culturally adaptive nature of true mission work, exemplified by early missionaries like Paul the Apostle. To mitigate their damaging effects, prospective participants should engage in informed cultural study, prioritize relational connections over task completion, and reconsider the economic impact of their involvement, seeking more ethical …
Spare The Rod, Spoil The Child?: The Christian Ethics Of Corporal Punishment, 2024 Ouachita Baptist University
Spare The Rod, Spoil The Child?: The Christian Ethics Of Corporal Punishment, Brooke Wright
Scholars Day Conference
This paper seeks to answer the question of whether or not Christians should spank their children according to what the Bible and research says about a parent's duty to their children, the long term effects of spanking, and the efficacy of the practice.
Review Of Oneness Pentecostalism: Race, Gender, And Culture. Edited By Lloyd D. Barba, Andrea S. Johnson, And Daniel Ramírez, 2024 Oral Roberts University
Review Of Oneness Pentecostalism: Race, Gender, And Culture. Edited By Lloyd D. Barba, Andrea S. Johnson, And Daniel Ramírez, Peter Althouse
Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology
Reviews | 143 Oneness Pentecostalism: Race, Gender, and Culture. Edited by Lloyd D. Barba, Andrea S. Johnson, and Daniel Ramírez. University Park, PA: The Pennsylvania University Press, 2023. 282 pp.
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Peter Althouse
A Pneumatology Of Race In The Gospel Of John: An Ethnocritical Study. By Rodolfo Estrada Galvan, Iii., 2024 Oral Roberts University
A Pneumatology Of Race In The Gospel Of John: An Ethnocritical Study. By Rodolfo Estrada Galvan, Iii., Harold A. Gutierrez
Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology
A Pneumatology of Race in the Gospel of John: An Ethnocritical Study. By Rodolfo Estrada Galvan, III. Eugene, OR: Pickwick, 2019. 362 pp.
by
Harold Gutierrez (hgutier2@oru.edu) is a PhD student in Contextual Theology at Oral Roberts University, Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA. He currently serves as intercultural ministries director for the BC/Yukon District of PAOC and is an adjunct faculty member at Summit Pacific College in Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada.
Review Of Tongues Of Fire: A Systematic Theology Of The Christian Faith. By Frank Macchia., 2024 Southeastern University - Lakeland
Review Of Tongues Of Fire: A Systematic Theology Of The Christian Faith. By Frank Macchia., Michael D. Young
Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology
Tongues of Fire: A Systematic Theology of the Christian Faith. By Frank Macchia. Eugene: OR: Cascade Books, 2023. 478 pp.
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Michael Young (mdyoung@seu.edu) currently serves as an adjunct professor at Pacific Rim University in Honolulu, Hawaii, USA.
Review Of Pentecostal Orthodoxy: Toward An Ecumenism Of The Spirit. By Emilio Alvarez., 2024 Oral Roberts University
Review Of Pentecostal Orthodoxy: Toward An Ecumenism Of The Spirit. By Emilio Alvarez., Samuel Hogan
Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology
Pentecostal Orthodoxy: Toward an Ecumenism of the Spirit. By Emilio Alvarez. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2022. xiv + 174 pp.
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S. Slade Hogan (slade111s@oru.edu) is a PhD student in Contextual Theology at Oral Roberts University, Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA, and Pastor of the Community Church of Milton, Milton, New Hampshire, USA.
Covid-19 And Church Attendance Behavior Trends: Evidence From Ghanaian Pentecostal-Charismatic Churches, 2024 Pentecost University
Covid-19 And Church Attendance Behavior Trends: Evidence From Ghanaian Pentecostal-Charismatic Churches, Justice A. Arthur, Lydia Andoh-Quainoo
Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology
The concept of religious economy views churches as corporate entities, pastors as marketers offering a range of products, and church members as consumers whose preferences shape the goods and services provided by ministers. Within this framework, church members react quickly to changing economic, social, and cultural conditions. The COVID-19 pandemic has not only had an economic impact, with job losses and financial struggles, but has also brought about social and cultural changes that have affected consumer behavior in many areas of life worldwide. For instance, during the pandemic, church gatherings were restricted or prohibited, socializing was replaced with social distancing, …
Pentecostalism And Current Development In West Africa: Reimagining The Pentecostal Landscape, Politics, And Vision, 2024 University of Roehampton, London
Pentecostalism And Current Development In West Africa: Reimagining The Pentecostal Landscape, Politics, And Vision, Fred Cudjoe Adadey, Yisa Barnabas
Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology
A growing body of literature on African Pentecostals in sub-Saharan Africa is highlighted in this article, highlighting a more defined contribution of African Pentecostals to the development landscape. Until recently, the African Pentecostal development landscape recorded little visibility at the national level, on the assumption that their experience only highlights cultural and theological relevance. However, this emerging visibility has identified, as a conceptual category, an imaginary social space with practical ramification. Based on a critical analytical review of literature, this article examines the shift from traditional Pentecostal theology to a more focused attention on the social transformation created by a …
Managing Financial Sector Crisis: Do “Faith” And “Leave It To God” Matter?, 2024 Oral Roberts University
Managing Financial Sector Crisis: Do “Faith” And “Leave It To God” Matter?, Rebecca Attah, Christine Avortri, Emmanuel Appah, Alexander Preko
Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology
The purpose of this study is twofold: first, to elucidate the understanding of two religious concepts related to the financial sector clean-up among bank customers; and second, to explore how these concepts have been employed as strategies to mitigate the impact of financial sector clean-up shocks in Ghana. This qualitative research is anchored in the theory of belief and meaning-making theory, utilizing purposive and snowball sampling methods, with twenty-eight in-depth interviews for data gathering. The findings of this study revealed that financial sector clean-up customers understood religious faith as “aggressive faith,” “passive faith,” and “offensive faith,” which were found to …
Holiness As Wholeness In Afro- Pentecostal Tradition: A Theological Perspective, 2024 Oral Roberts University
Holiness As Wholeness In Afro- Pentecostal Tradition: A Theological Perspective, Ivan L. Hartsfield Dr
Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology
Using the Church of God in Christ (COGIC) as the exemplar, I explore the theological rationale that undergirds the COGIC priority of holiness as a prescription for human wholeness. By wholeness, I mean human flourishing of the total person. For the COGIC, “Salvation is a deliverance from dangers and enemies.” Through the democratization of what was historically reserved for spiritual heroes, namely the designation of “saint,” common people of little means were immediately uplifted. They grabbed ahold of this moniker, which redefined them and identified their new place of spiritual residence in Zion. By faith, they expected to experience a …
The Prayer Tongue And The Jesus Prayer: The Witness Of Abbot David Geraets, 2024 Fellowship of the Name
The Prayer Tongue And The Jesus Prayer: The Witness Of Abbot David Geraets, Clyde Glandon
Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology
To my knowledge Abbot David Geraets (1935–2012) of the Pecos Benedictine Monastery has been the only Christian witness and writer, past or present, to join the practice of the ancient Jesus Prayer and the prayer tongue. He simply says that “repeating the name of Jesus can become a masterful art of glossolalia prayer.” Abbot David’s statement is not found as such in the centuries of Eastern Orthodox literature about the Jesus Prayer. Nor is such a joining found among classical Pentecostal Christians who, while fully familiar with the prayer tongue and with life and power in Jesus’ name, commonly have …
A Proposed Pentecostal Quadrilectic: Explorations For Asian Pentecostal Hermeneutics, 2024 Asia Pacific Theological Seminary
A Proposed Pentecostal Quadrilectic: Explorations For Asian Pentecostal Hermeneutics, Lora Angeline E. Timenia
Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology
Developing a general framework for Asian Pentecostal hermeneutics is necessary for a continent where the Holy Bible is “Scripture among scriptures.” Although Pentecostal Christianity in Asia is growing, interpreting Scripture in a manner relevant to local contextual realities is necessary to propagate grassroots theologies. As such, the current Pentecostal hermeneutical triad of Spirit-Scripture-Community (Archer) or Spirit-Word-Community (Yong) needs further articulations of a reader’s tradition and cultural/ethnic contexts. The concept of an interpretive “Pentecostal community” needs clarification in the Asian setting where multiple interpretative communities exist. This study proposes a framework that recognizes the dialectical role of the text’s context and …
“Study To Show Thyself Approved”: An Analysis Of Oral Roberts’ Personal Copy Of The Commentary On Exodus By Umberto Cassuto, 2024 Oral Roberts University
“Study To Show Thyself Approved”: An Analysis Of Oral Roberts’ Personal Copy Of The Commentary On Exodus By Umberto Cassuto, Daniel D. Bunn Jr
Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology
Having happened upon what was previously Oral Roberts’ personal copy of the commentary on Exodus by Umberto Cassuto, I observed his active interaction with the volume by way of notes and underlines. I determined to analyze his interaction with it. This essay shares the results of the analysis of that book. It begins with a brief overview of his personal life during the time in which he possessed the commentary. Then, it makes observations about his interaction, showing specific examples. Finally, it will look more intently at a sermon in which his use of the commentary is made explicit.