Catholic Studies Commons^™

Just War, Pacifism, And Inevitability Of Conflict: Tolkien’S Changing Attitudes To War, Alexander Retakh

Journal of Tolkien Research

Tolkien’s approach to war is often considered through the lens of “just war” theory. Its main principles are the necessity of a just cause for war, proper conduct in battle, and the use of proper weapons; if possible, war should be avoided. The Lord of the Rings suggests an ethical framework inspired by this theory; however, the earlier Legendarium is more accepting of military conflicts and their harsh reality. Tolkien's attitude to war appears to shift in the mid-late 1930s, the time of intense debates about just war and pacifism among British Catholics. This paper discusses the evolution of his …

Women Deacons In The Catholic Church: Servants To The Servant, Elizabeth A. Screnock

Master of Theological Studies Honors Theses

Even as recently as this past fall at the 16th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, the question of women serving as deacons in the Catholic Church is being internationally studied and discussed. This thesis repudiates arguments against women deacons and provides historical and Biblical evidence that support the argument to include women in the diaconate. A theology of the Holy Spirit is examined, presenting a way to perceive of the Sacrament of Holy Orders by including the Virgin Mary. It concludes that women discerning the “call” to be “servants to the Servant” should be ordained deacons. …

Inherited Fervor: Maternal Archive, Maria Angela Talavera Tejeda

Theses and Dissertations

Inherited Fervor: Maternal Archive investigates the deconstruction of the non-verbal language of Catholic ecstasy rituals to develop a choreographic language. Through the piece Doves Don’t Fly at Night, it explores the expansion of dancers’ physical range, positioning the body as an archive that embodies memories and mirrors the audience’s humanity.

Hemispheres Of Faith: Mapping The Global Journey Of An Ivory Rosary Bead At The Metropolitan Museum Of Art, Mary M. Thompson

Theses and Dissertations

Hemispheres of Faith reattributes a carved ivory rosary bead in the Metropolitan Museum of Art to the Quito School in 18th-century Ecuador. Through examining the trade history of the Manila Galleons, material analysis, and iconographic study, Hemispheres of Faith challenges the bead's European origins and reveals the object as a product of global exchange, devotional practice, and colonial artistic collaboration within the Spanish Empire.

How Can The Enneagram Shed Light On Sin And Spiritual Abuse To Bring Healing To The Catholic Church?, Connie Burianek

Religious & Theological Studies Student Work

When critically approached and combined with modern understanding of brain function asymmetry, the Enneagram can shed much-needed light on how humanity attempts to evade a unique and intimate relationship with God through forms of self-deception, personally and collectively, regarding sins and virtues. The more profound understanding of personal human nature, which results from awareness of this self-deception, can shed light on the paradoxical truths of Christianity and what the universal call to holiness means for the world. Without this understanding, Christianity is often reduced to an ideology unable to match the challenges and realities of our modern world. This narrow …

Recollections Of A Tejana Life, Carolina Yáñez

Art Theses and Dissertations

This thesis encompasses the life of a young woman navigating life in Texas through various political and social barriers. My interdisciplinary practice analyzes the historical context of Mexicans in Texas from its Revolutionary period into current injustices. Through fiber, printmaking, and photography I create a visual diary to illustrate what the political has made personal. These works display the beauty of Tejano culture, but also the power struggles that threaten communities I care for, as well as my own existence that persists against far-right wing agendas.

Current politics and government leadership in Texas have inspired me to make artwork calling …

Pedro Aceves Mfa Thesis, Pedro M. Aceves

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

My Work is about looking at Cruising through a queer decolonial lens. Using multiple mediums such as photo, glass, Augmented reality, and film, I explore these queer histories and aesthetics through not just an anthropological approach but also an artistic epistemological approach weaving together narratives of prehispanic and modern queer Latinidad.

The Impact Of Islam In The History Of Catholic Evangelization In Northwest Nigeria, Shichet Nache

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Abstract

Today, Nigeria is home for both Christians and Muslims. Before the arrival of Christianity and Islam in Nigeria, there was the indigenous African Traditional Religion (ATR). The different cultures, tribes, or ethnic groups in Nigeria had different modes of worship and religious practices in the light of this African Traditional Religion. Today, many Nigerians are either Muslims or Christians. Christianity and Islam have now dominated African Traditional Religion. Trade played a significant role in the transportation and establishment of Islam and Christianity in Nigeria. Northern Nigeria began to have contact with Islam between the ninth and eleventh centuries, while …

“The Atmosphere That Supports Life On Earth”: An Ecocritical Approach To Tolkien’S Arda, Elizabeth Anne Turello

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Ecocriticism speaks to the relationship between the environment and literature, a progressively vital topic of discussion. What is often overlooked, however, is the necessity of the theory’s applicability to stories of speculative fiction; that is, ones existing outside the realm of the real world or, as is the case with the father of modern-day fantasy J.R.R. Tolkien, a mythology set in the ancient days of our world (“Arda”). At first, it may seem contradictory to learn about our surroundings through fictionalized ones seemingly irrelevant to Earth’s own; this apparent contradiction is not valid, though, as the relationship between humans and …

The Icarian Dilemma: The Battle Of Faith Versus Identity Addressed With Scenic Design, Allistar G. Barrett

Senior Honors Theses

American Christians and the LGBTQ+ community have long been in a cultural war with one another. However, queer Christians – individuals who are both LGBTQ+ and Christian – have rarely found solace in either community, instead being shunned and ostracized for their beliefs and identities. Using the transformative art of theatre to address cultural divides, a theatrical scenic design was developed for Joe Calarco’s Shakespeare’s R & J, a retelling of the traditional Romeo and Juliet script through the lives of four Catholic school girls. This design uses the Greek mythology of Icarus, Catholic culture, the original Romeo and Juliet, …

In Memoriam: Pope Francis

The International Journal of Ecopsychology (IJE)

No abstract provided.

Conclave, William L. Blizek

Journal of Religion & Film

This is a film review of Conclave (2024), directed by Edward Berger.

Music In The Catholic Church: An Analysis Of Hymns And Congregational Singing In Roman Catholic Churches In The United States, Andrew T. Medrick

Senior Theses

This thesis examines the musical dilemma in the American Catholic Church, highlighting issues such as inappropriate musical selections for the Mass and a profound lack of congregational singing. Through a literature review of Vatican documents, expert opinions, and hymns, I analyze the criteria for music used in the Mass, identify common failures of musical selections presented in many Catholic churches, and offer practical guidance to improve sacred music in parishes and dioceses. I conclude that music used in the Mass must be sourced primarily from Sacred Scripture, in full conformity to the doctrines of the Roman Catholic Church, and easy …

Cultural And Religious Perspectives On Suicide And Healing, Arielle Friedman

be Still

This essay is built off of a paper I wrote in a college global health course on culture and mental illness. I have always been fascinated by cultural interpretations of illness & believe that as a future physician, it is my responsibility to educate myself and others on the complex interplay between religious ideologies & recognition/management of biological disease in order to provide appropriate patient-centered care.

Evelyn Waugh And The Problems Of Representing Conversion, Alec J. Miller

Department of English: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Evelyn Waugh’s conversion to Catholicism in 1930 raised the question of how his writing would change. The satires he wrote before his conversion, Decline and Fall (1928) and Vile Bodies (1930), are hilarious but have no spiritual vision. Critics attacked his second novel after his conversion, A Handful of Dust (1934), for not being fitting for a Catholic writer to have made. Yet, Waugh makes a religious point in A Handful of Dust, exploring the wages of spiritual apathy without showing a path out. Later in Waugh’s career, he makes his finest attempt in the Sword of Honour trilogy …

Joyful Accompaniment: Student And Alumni Spiritual Leadership Development Within An Immersive Service Trip, Michelle Grace Martin

Theses & Dissertations

This ethnographic action research case study illustrates how undergraduate student and alum participants in a week-long service trip describe their development of spiritual leadership skills. From a mission-focused spiritual leadership perspective, there are inherent problems with the current definition of student leadership in higher education. Currently, student leadership emphasizes positional authority and action-oriented goals, neglecting deeper dimensions of leadership which include service, humility, and moral integrity. For this study, I will be redefining leadership as justice-oriented accompaniment and adapting the Spiritual Leadership theory to better suit a Catholic Dominican mission-focused leadership model. This adaptation creates a shift from productivity-focused behaviors …

Black And Catholic: Leadership Lessons From The Saintly Six, Sr. Nicole Trahan

Black History at St. Mary's University - 2025 Collection

Finding your voice as a Black Catholic in the United States today can be challenging in many ways. This workshop explored the lessons for leadership and empowerment we can learn from Venerable Pierre Toussaint, Servant of God Mother Mary Elizabeth Lange, Venerable Henriette DeLille, Servant of God Julia Greeley, Venerable Augustus Tolton, and Servant of God Thea Bowman – the six Black Americans in the official process of being recognized as Saints by the Catholic Church.

Catholic Church Involvement Across Different Cultures, Lucia Martinez

Posters - 2025

There is a widespread religious deconversion in Western culture (Hardy & Taylor, 2024).

• Data from The Unites States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) shows that 29.7 million US Hispanics identify as Catholic, which translates to approximately 59% of the Hispanic population in the Unites States (U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, n.d.).

• This study examined the difference between Catholic church involvement in predominantly Hispanic cities versus predominantly Caucasian cities.

Silent Holy Spirit, January-March, 2025

Silent Holy Spirit

A newsletter published for Deaf Catholics in St. Louis, MO

Silent Holy Spirit Finding Aid

Review Of Peacebuilding And Catholic Social Teaching, Peter R. Gathje

The Journal of Social Encounters

No abstract provided.