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Powerful Pulpits: Black Preachers As Cultish Leaders In The Axman Murders, 1909-1912, Lauren N. Henley

Interdisciplinary Journal of Leadership Studies

Southwestern Louisiana and southeastern Texas experienced a series of disturbingly similar ax murders from November 1909 to August 1912. In nearly every case, a black family living within a mile of the Sunset Limited line of the Southern Pacific Railroad was brutally slaughtered in their own home, victims of a surreptitious assailant. Eventually, a young black woman would take credit for some of the crimes, ushering in the language of “religious fanaticism” as a potential motive. This confession sparked an intense period of criminalization of black male preachers, with a particular focus on Pentecostal leaders in southwestern Louisiana. This article …

The Violent Take It By Force: The Christian Movement That Is Threatening Our Democracy, By Matthew D. Taylor. Broadleaf Books, 2024. 292 Pages. $32.99. Isbn 978-1506497785, Jefferson Calico

Journal of Hate Studies

Jefferson Calico, a scholar of religion, reviews Matthew D. Taylor’s The Violent Take It by Force: The Christian Movement That Is Threatening Our Democracy, an analysis of how the apostolic and prophetic movement within American Protestantism is reshaping religious politics. Charismatic, both theologically and personally, religious entrepreneurs like Paula White, C. Peter Wagner, Cindy Jacobs, Sean Feucht, and Dutch Sheets lead market-driven faith-based efforts to undermine democracy. With their emphasis on spectacular displays of spiritual gifts, they often embarrass other Christian nationalists, while the leadership of women and people of color in the movement scandalizes them—yet they are, in …

Proclaiming The Suppressed Truth: Romans 1:16-25, Michael D. Royster

Sermon Studies

When Paul wrote about “suppressing the truth,” he remembered the tactics used on those who proclaimed the Word of God. Before Paul’s conversion, he approved of Stephen’s public execution by stoning. After Paul’s conversion, he on more than one occasion fled the scene to escape persecution and attempted murder. Like Stephen, Paul became a proclaimer of the truth and faced an imminent threat of violence to further suppress his message. There exist possible homiletical directions the preacher may take and a range of collective illustrations that can bridge the ancient with the modern world concerning matters of the heart and …

Ruins And Remedies: Hospital Site Archaeology In Medieval Southeast Asia, Karen Hill

Classical Mediterranean and Middle East Honors Projects

No abstract provided.

"Dark And Loathsome": The Construction And Persistence Of Racial Theology In The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints, Margaret Phillips

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints banned Black men from holding the priesthood until 1978, a policy many mistake for the whole of the faith's engagement with race. This thesis argues that the priesthood ban was only a symptom of a far deeper theology of race, one built into Mormonism's broader theology from its founding. Two intertwined beliefs anchor this theology: the default whiteness of the human body and soul, and twin curse narratives that mark Black and Indigenous peoples alike as bearers of a divine curse— dark skin read as the visible penalty for their ancestors' sin. …

Goddess In A Trash Can: Religious Ritual Disposal In New York City Public Parks, Zoe Oro-Hahn

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Practitioners of Afro-Caribbean religions, including Santería, Vodou, Espiritismo, and Las 21 Divisiones, utilize the New York City Public Parks system to hold rituals, connect with spirits and ancestors, and dispose of religious remains leftover from trabajos (workings) and brujería (witchcraft). Utilizing photos from Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx, my thesis considers the religious, political, social, and practical rationale behind this phenomenon, explores the rituals occurring, and provides policy suggestions that balance religious needs of practitioners with the safety and wellbeing of New York City’s parks.

Tuning The Neighborhood: Purifying People, Places, And Environments In Suburban Kolkata, Sourav Saha

Yale Journal of Music & Religion

In modern science, disciplines such as physics, mechanical and civil engineering, seismology, and acoustics have conceptualized vibration as a quantifiable mechanical phenomenon, measured through the metrics of frequency, amplitude, and resonance. In contrast, scholarship in anthropology, musicology, and sound studies has approached vibration as a socio-historical, cultural, and political phenomenon. This article examines how vibration (spandan) operates as a metaphysical, sensory, and ethico-affective force that mediates relations among people, places, and environments. Focusing on the practice of satsang adhibesan (devotional congregation), the article demonstrates how members of the Deoghar-Satsang community participate in sonic rituals of prayer, silent chanting, meditation, sacred …

Refuting Ruscism: A Critique From Biblical Social Ontology, Paul Miles

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation argues that the ideology of Ruscism is incompatible with biblical Christianity on the basis of God’s design for the individual, the family, and the country. Indeed, the extent of incompatibility between these two worldviews renders any attempt to syncretize them a significant departure from biblical Christianity. God’s design for society is an absolute standard by which political ideologies may be evaluated, and these three societal units will suffice to demonstrate that Christians must reject Ruscism.

This dissertation will describe these three societal units—the individual, the family, and the country—as they are described in biblical Christianity and contrast their …

Symbolists Beyond The Magic: Appropriation In The Art Of Elihu Vedder And Gustave Moreau, Rebecca B. Shalliker

Art & Art History ETDs

This thesis examines the paintings of Elihu Vedder and Gustave Moreau as examples of how the late nineteenth-century Symbolist movement drew on Eastern regions as aesthetic sources for representing the spiritual. Considering the iconographic and conceptual overlap with the Spiritualist movement, it explores how these groups contributed to constructing an image of the “East” as inherently mystical. While existing scholarship analyzes the Symbolist movement’s engagement with psychoanalytical concepts such as the subconscious and dream state, the role of cultural appropriation in shaping the Symbolist aesthetic has been largely overlooked.

The depiction of Eastern iconography as fantastical will be explored through …

The Seeds Of Empire: Endogenous Influences On The Politics Of Bakumatsu And Meiji Era Japan (1853-1912), Benedict M.D. Talley

History ETDs

In this thesis, I argue the roots of Japanese nationalism, exceptionalism, and imperialism long preceded renewed contact with the West following American Commodore Matthew Perry’s historic 1853 expedition. Rather, late Edo Period (1603-1868) and Meiji Era (1868-1912) intellectuals and political figures looked to and were inspired by endogenous forces, ideologies, and intellectual movements of the Edo Period. Through a synthesis of secondary scholarship and analysis of Bakufu and Meiji Era figures’ writing, I seek to uncover the endogenous influences and de-emphasize western influence on the development of late nineteenth and early twentieth century Japanese nationalism and imperialism.

Review Of Christian Conversion And Mission: A Brief Cultural History. By Andrew F. Walls., Misael Cornelio

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

A review of Christian Conversion and Mission: A Brief Cultural History. By Andrew F. Walls.

Review Of The Kaleidoscopic City: Hong Kong, Mission, And The Evolution Of Global Pentecostalism. By Alex R. Mayfield, Jue Wang

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

A review of The Kaleidoscopic City: Hong Kong, Mission, and the Evolution of Global Pentecostalism. By Alex R. Mayfield

Review Of Trauma And Renewal: Toward Spiritual, Communal, And Holistic Transformation. By Aizaiah G. Yong, Pamela F. Engelbert

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

A review of Trauma and Renewal: Toward Spiritual, Communal, and Holistic Transformation, by Aizaiah G. Yong with contributing authors Amos Yong and Alma Yong.

Review Of A Pentecostal Commentary On Romans By Glen W. Menzies, Jeffrey S. Lamp

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

A review of

A Pentecostal Commentary on Romans: Introduction, Translation, and Commentary. By Glen W. Menzies. Wipf and Stock, 2025. 514 pp.

Review Of Karl Barth And Pentecostal Theology: A Convergence Of The Word And The Spirit, Systematic Pentecostal And Charismatic. By Frank D. Macchia, Terry L. Cross, And Andrew K. Gabriel, Eds., Rick Wadholm Jr

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

A review of Karl Barth and Pentecostal Theology: A Convergence of the Word and the Spirit, Systematic Pentecostal and Charismatic. By Frank D. Macchia, Terry L. Cross, and Andrew K. Gabriel, eds.

The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly: Pentecostal Leaders' Attitudes Towards Pentecostalism., Franklin A. Markow

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

This article reveals the often self-disparaging perceptions Pentecostal leaders have of the movement and the psycho-social strategies they use to position themselves within it. Qualitative and quantitative research conducted among seasoned Pentecostal leaders and renewal-oriented seminary students reveals how these leaders both identify with and distance themselves from Pentecostal identity.

Remembering The Past: The Origins Of The Pentecostal Church In South Travancore, Viju Wilson

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

Early Pentecostals in the Thiruvananthapuram district (South Travancore) of Kerala state, India, embraced the Pentecostal faith in a context where traditional denominations held enormous power, resources, and social recognition. C. Manasseh played a significant role in spreading the Pentecostal faith and establishing the first congregation in the region. This forms an important part of the global Pentecostal heritage. Remembering the life and ministry of Manasseh, as well as the past and present journey of the first congregation, carries significant implications for the witness of Pentecostals today. Remembering the past is both a biblical and theological act, calling believers to participate …

The Modern Shift In The Roman Catholic Understanding Of Speaking In Tongues, John Gresham

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

Over the course of the twentieth century, the Roman Catholic understanding of speaking in tongues shifted from viewing the gift as always and exclusively xenolalia (infused knowledge of foreign languages) to a view of tongues as primarily glossolalia (inspired praise not in any known human language). This theological shift is reflected in standard Catholic reference works and in the ordinary teachings of the Catholic magisterium. This shift was a result of Catholic acceptance of historical-critical study of Scripture, a new understanding of charisms, ecumenical openness to the gifts of other Christian traditions, and most significantly, the rise of the Charismatic …

A Globally Informed Theological Method For Locally Lived Pentecostal Theology: Worship, Witness, And Work, Kenneth J. Archer

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

This article advocates for a globally informed yet locally experienced “Pentecostal theology” rooted in a specific theological approach. This Pentecostal approach shapes and re/shapes lived theology. Lived spirituality-theology is relational, emphasizing proper worship of the living God (orthodoxy), effective witness (orthomartus), and productive work (orthoergon). This represents a lived theology that is both personal and communal. All of this is expressed through labor (orthoergon) and witness (orthomartus), which form our “missional work” with the Lord God for the betterment of all creation. It proposes a method focused on worship, witness, and work, which are organically connected to the spirituality of …

Editorial: A Journal Impacting The “Uttermost Most Bounds” Of The Global Spirit-Empowered Movement, Daniel D. Isgrigg

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

Editorial by Daniel D. Isgrigg for Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology 11, no. 1 (2026).

Front Matter, Spiritus Editors

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

No abstract provided.

Spiritus 11, No. 1 (2026), Spiritus Editors

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

This is the full Spring issue of Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology 11, no. 1 (2026).

Shadowrunning The Human: Harebrained Schemes' Shadowrun Series And Transhumanism, Alexander P. Orelup

English Theses & Dissertations

I argue that Harebrained Schemes’ video game series Shadowrun critiques transhumanism in three distinct yet related ways: in terms of religion, political control, and identity capitalism. In doing so, Shadowrun attempts to counter claims that video games are an inherently transhumanist medium and provides an opportunity for players to resist a potential transhuman future. This further elucidates the trends and perceptions of transhumanism within American culture around the time period. I utilize a variety of methodologies in my argument, ranging from cultural studies, narratology, ludology, and close reading in order to grasp all of the audio-visual and gameplay elements that …

Rethinking Jewish Representation Amid Rising Antisemitism, Dereck Daschke

Journal of Religion & Film

A report on a panel that occurred at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival, "Rethinking Jewish Representation Amid Rising Antisemitism: Leveraging Insights from Our Groundbreaking USC “Jews on Screen” Study to Advance Narrative Change," presented by JITC (Jewish Institute for Television & Cinema) Hollywood Bureau.

Undertone, Dereck Daschke

Journal of Religion & Film

This is a film review of undertone (2026), directed by Ian Tuason.

Theydream, Dereck Daschke

Journal of Religion & Film

This is a film review of TheyDream (2026), directed by William David Caballero.

Levitating (Para Perasuk), Dereck Daschke

Journal of Religion & Film

This is a film review of Levitating (Para Perasuk)  (2026), directed by Wregas Bhanuteja.

Wicker, Dereck Daschke

Journal of Religion & Film

This is a film review of Wicker (2026), directed by Alex Huston Fischer and Eleanor Wilson.

Knife: The Attempted Murder Of Salman Rushdie, Dereck Daschke

Journal of Religion & Film

This is a film review of Knife: The Attempted Murder of Salman Rushdie (2026), directed by Alex Gibney.

Leviticus, Dereck Daschke

Journal of Religion & Film

This is a film review of Leviticus (2026), directed by Adrian Chiarella.