Slavic Languages and Societies Commons^™

From Source And Summit To Parish Practice: A Qualitative Analysis Of Eucharist And Social Outreach, Erik Sorensen S.J.

Journal of Global Catholicism

A small-scale qualitative study in a Catholic parish situated in Ottawa, Canada,

offers insights into the complex relationship between that community’s worship

and its commitment to social justice. This article brings the lived theology of

this community into dialogue with the academic and magisterial perspectives

on the Eucharist as the source and summit of Christian life. The dialogue is

framed by the Theological Action Research Network’s four voices of theology:

operant, espoused, formal, and normative. This framework helps to center the

marginalized theology of the faithful in the pews. In this case, the parish of-

fered a dynamic theology of …

“Ite Missa Est”: How Can The Altar Alter Attitudes And Actions?, Ebenezer Akesseh

Journal of Global Catholicism

This paper brings into focus the relationship between personal agency and so-

cial structure, demonstrating that what we celebrate on the altar forms within

us the proper dispositions that can help prevent the occurrence of corruption.

The first part examines corruption from a socio-cultural perspective and ex-

plains the incidence and effects of corruption. The second part discusses the

relationship between worship and the formation of actions and attitudes. It

highlights the need to embody the social implications of our celebrations. Using

responses from interviewees, the third part illustrates that the celebration of the

Eucharist shapes the commitments and conduct …

The Lived Liturgical Experience Of Non-Catholic Participants In The Roman Catholic Mass: Tactical Ecumenism In Overlapping Ritual Systems, Sarah Johnson

Journal of Global Catholicism

In religiously diverse social contexts, liturgical practices anchored in one reli-

gious tradition often gather diverse communities. In such contexts, it is wise to

assume that people who are not Catholic may be present at any Roman Cath-

olic Mass. This article explores the lived liturgical experience of non-Catholic

Christians who participate routinely in the Roman Catholic Mass through a

mixed-methods study of a religiously diverse treble vocal ensemble that sings

weekly at Mass on a Catholic university campus. It describes how Catholic and

non-Catholic Christian singers interpret practices surrounding the eucharistic

meal in contrasting ways: non-Catholic Christians experience the …

La Santa Muerte And The Characteristic Damage Of Canonization, Ellen Webber

Journal of Global Catholicism

Devotion to La Santa Muerte, a Mexican folk saint who personifies Death, has

been condemned by the Catholic Church for its affiliation with Mexican drug

cartels. This article challenges mainstream interpretations of La Santa Muerte

devotion using the theological framework of characteristic damage, as defined

by Lauren Winner and Paul J. Griffiths. This framework understands liturgy

as celebrated by sinners in a damaged world, and therefore necessarily damaged

itself. As much as liturgy and Christian practice form us for good, they also per-

petuate damage. I argue that the sins present in La Santa Muerte veneration are

an expression of …

Negotiating Plurality: Korean Catholic Funerals As Lived Religion, Jieun Han

Journal of Global Catholicism

This article examines Korean Catholic funeral rites through the lenses of ritual

guidebooks and lived religion, arguing that Catholic funerary practice in Korea

has emerged through sustained engagement with Confucian and Buddhist tradi-

tions as well as modern nationalism. Focusing on Catholic manuals such as the

Sangjang yesik [Rites for Mourning and Funerals] and related texts, it traces how

officially sanctioned liturgical forms coexist with, accommodate, and reinterpret

indigenous ritual logics surrounding mourning, burial, ancestor veneration, and

care for the dead. Rather than viewing Korean Catholic funerals as a simple

localization of Roman rites, the article conceptualizes them as a …

Editor's Introduction, Brent H. Otto S.J.

Journal of Global Catholicism

No abstract provided.

From Osbcurity To The Stage: A Stylistic And Pedagogical Exploration Of The Four Concert Etudes By Mikhail Bukinik, Luis Bernardo Castro

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This research examines Mikhail Bukinik’s 4 Konzertetüden (concert etudes) for solo cello through both a stylistic performance and pedagogical approach. Despite Bukinik’s historical presence as a cellist and composer, these specific works have fallen into obscurity and remain largely absent from the standard pedagogical and performance canon. The research has two primary objectives. The first is to reintroduce these works to the modern repertoire, focusing on dissemination and performance practice. This involves a stylistic analysis of the four etudes, culminating in a recorded live performance during the lecture recital and the creation of a professional studio recording to serve as …

Folk Narratives Of “The Wandering Jew” (Atu 777) In Latvian Folklore, Svetlana Pogodina

Jewish Folklore and Ethnology

This essay reports field-collected texts of “The Wandering Jew” (ATU 777) recorded in the twentieth century in Latvia to determine if they are distinctive within the global tradition of the folk narrative. The Archives of Latvian Folklore (Latviešu folkloras krātuve) collection contains versions of the narrative recorded in the 1920s and 1930s. These texts have not previously been published in English translation. An interpretation is made that the narratives borrow elements from Jewish stereotypes that exist in a local folklore tradition. Comparing the Latvian material to the European and Slavic versions of the story of the Eternal Jew, a major …

Hindu Poetry And The Project Of An Inter-Spiritual Catholic Theology, Francis X. Clooney

Journal of Global Catholicism

This article engages the work of the Indian south Indian Tamil-language Vaiṣṇava poet saints known as the Alvārs. The article specifically focuses the First HundredHoly Linked verses of Poykai Ālvār to argue for inter-spiritual learning between Catholics and Hindus. The article concludes with personal reflections on this encounter within the context of the global Catholic Church

Universal Rules Of The Russian Sound Verbs’ Synthesis: Representation In A Matrix Of Forms, Irina V. Ivliyeva

Arts, Languages and Philosophy Faculty Research & Creative Works

English Abstract:

The article is devoted to the construction of a system of universal rules for the synthesis of modified verbs of the Russian language and ways of presenting them in a matrix table of forms. The aim of the study is to identify parameters of the sound process relevant for predicting the composition of modified sound verbs’ nests, and in developing a system of rules of word-formation synthesis. The research material consisted of 152 base verbs of sound in the Russian language and their 880 modified derivatives.

Methods of lexical-semantic, word-formation (WF) and component analysis are used in the …

Small Nations, Big Debates: Empowering The Slovenes As A Subject Of World History In The Critical 1930s, Marko Juvan

CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture

The article looks at how Slovene intellectuals and writers in the 1930s attempted to redefine the role of a small nation within the world-system in the face of global economic crisis, authoritarianism, imperialism, and the threat of fascist expansion. Three central interventions are examined in detail: firstly, Josip Vidmar’s culturalist defense of Slovenia as a nation defined by its intellectual and artistic achievements, which is contrasted with Edvard Kardelj’s Marxist reinterpretation of the Slovene national question as part of a broader anti-imperialist struggle; secondly, Anton Ocvirk’s peripheral model of comparative literary history, which emphasizes the creative contribution of small literatures …

Navigating The Future: Language Learning, Career Readiness, And Professional Identity, Maria Shardakova, Rebecca Cravens

Russian Language Journal

The decline in Russian language enrollments reflects a broader trend of diminishing confidence in higher education, particularly in the humanities and language studies. Many Americans question whether an undergraduate degree effectively prepares students for meaningful careers, fueling skepticism about the value of language programs. Meanwhile, the job market has undergone significant shifts, with fewer lifelong careers and more frequent job transitions. In this evolving landscape, graduates must develop not only professional skills but also career management skills, including the ability to envision career paths, articulate their qualifications to employers, and construct compelling professional narratives.This longitudinal study examines the effectiveness of …

An Integrative Approach To Professionalizing Russian Language Learning And Teaching, Victoria Hasko, Olga Thomason, Alexandra Shapiro

Russian Language Journal

This article proposes an integrative framework for embedding career readiness into advanced Russian language teaching. Drawing on the experience of a U.S. Russian Flagship Program, the authors argue that career readiness requires deliberate programmatic choices: a proficiency level sufficient for meaningful disciplinary engagement and study abroad immersion; a flexible open-architecture curriculum that admits interdisciplinarity into the core of the program; faculty preparation that makes embedded career advising possible; and institutional partnerships that give language work standing in professional contexts. Framed through the Connections standard of the World-Readiness Standards for Learning Languages, the article positions interdisciplinary engagement not as an enrichment …

Redesigning Our Curricula To Foster Career Readiness, Benjamin Rifkin

Russian Language Journal

Undergraduate majors are not engraved in stone; curricula have been adjusted and changed over the course of the history of higher education and now is the time to change our curricula once again. This article proposes a reconceptualization of the undergraduate major in Russian away from the framework of “coverage of the humanistic canon” to a framework focusing on the development of transferable or durable skills, i.e., skills that can be deployed in numerous employment contexts throughout an individual’s career trajectory to support career-readiness, in accordance with powerful frameworks offered by prominent educational organizations. This approach helps us support the …

Workforce Readiness And The Humanities: Building Internship Pathways In Slavic And East European Studies, Ani Kokobobo

Russian Language Journal

As workforce readiness becomes an increasingly central metric for evaluating academic programs, humanities disciplines, particularly small language and area studies fields such as Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies (SEEES), face growing pressure to demonstrate measurable employment outcomes. Drawing on national and state-level workforce policy frameworks, employer competency data, and the author’s administrative experience as Dean of Liberal Arts, this article argues that SEEES programs are uniquely positioned to meet contemporary career readiness mandates without compromising their intellectual and civic missions. The article reframes SEEES not as an at-risk humanities field, but as a high-value incubator of precisely the competencies …

Russian As A Lingua Franca In A Security Cooperation Context: Designing Career-Oriented Language Training Programs, Daniel Medford

Russian Language Journal

As Slavic language programs seek to align their curricula with workforce needs, the role of Russian and other Slavic languages in military and government service presents unique challenges and opportunities. This paper examines how linguistic training, particularly in Russian, can be better structured for students at American universities and colleges who wish to pursue government and security-related careers. Drawing on 30 interviews with native and non-native Russian speakers serving in the U.S. Army, this study explores the implications of using Russian as a lingua franca for U.S. military cooperation with former Soviet states. Given the political sensitivities surrounding the Russian …

Russian Language In An Interdisciplinary Setting: A Case Study, Foreign Area Studies At The United States Naval Academy, Joan Chevalier

Russian Language Journal

Russian language enrollments have been dropping in recent years at colleges and universities in the United States. In contrast to this national trend, the number of students studying Russian language at the United States Naval Academy (USNA) has remained robust over the past decade and is poised to increase in the near future as a relatively new interdisciplinary major, Foreign Area Studies (FAS), is expanded and revised. This paper traces recent developments at USNA that have led to the development and expansion of Foreign Area Studies, integrating language study into an interdisciplinary curriculum featuring courses related to nations and cultures …

Building An Alumni Network: Strategies And Benefits, Emily Johnson, Elena Carmichael

Russian Language Journal

This article explains how to build an alumni network and describes the benefits of such initiatives. Echoing the 2024 “Report on English Majors’ Career Preparation and Outcomes” prepared by the ADE Ad Hoc Committee on English Majors’ Career Preparation and Outcomes, it argues that providing students with regular opportunities to hear from and interact with program alumni offers tangible benefits in terms of career preparation. By attending Zoom and in-person alumni career talks, students can learn about the diverse range of jobs where language and literature majors can achieve success. The chance to speak one-on-one with an alumnus/alumna with similar …

Spotlight: Resources For Listening Proficiency In Russian, Molly Godwin-Jones

Russian Language Journal

The Digital Resources Corner (DRC) offers reviews of new digital resources that could be beneficial in the teaching and/or learning of Slavic languages. It is intended for instructors looking for or evaluating different materials to use in the classroom.

Book Review: Dynamic Teaching Of Russian: Games And Gamification Of Learning., Olesia Hubrich

Russian Language Journal

This review examines Dynamic Teaching of Russian: Games and Gamification of Learning, a collection of empirically grounded case studies on integrating games and creative activities into tertiary-level L2 Russian language instruction. The volume highlights the pedagogical value of gamified, student-centered approaches in enhancing linguistic proficiency and affective factors such as motivation, confidence, and engagement. While offering a wide range of innovative teaching practices, the volume also identifies gaps in research, particularly regarding game-based learning and diverse learner populations. Overall, the book is presented as a valuable resource for instructors and researchers seeking to incorporate play and gamification into Russian as …