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Religious "Covid Fundamentalism" In Eastern And Central Europe: Challenges And Lessons, Vita Tytarenko, Iryna Bogachevska

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article examines specific religious and social challenges in the context of mass diseases that arose in the past and are present today during the COVID-19 pandemic. The authors explain the concepts that characterize the “new” reality of state-church interactions in the time of COVID-19. The authors consider the arguments of the followers of “Covid Fundamentalism.” An analysis of the reactions of different Christian confessions to the COVID-19 pandemic in Central and Eastern Europe, emphasizing the Ukrainian segment and multiple religious trends, showed that the phenomenon of “COVID fundamentalism” did not become widespread. However, in every religious community some believers …

Religious Epidemics On The Territory Of Ukraine: Historical Parallels And Essential Characteristics, Olena Predko, Denis Predko

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article deals with two religious epidemics that unfolded in Ukraine in a span of one hundred years. The study analyzes the factors influencing the emergence and development of religious epidemics. On this basis, their peculiar algorithm has been singled out, the components of which are, on the one hand, the worldview and crisis of values caused by the rapid turns of history, and—on the other—-choosiness by God, charisma of the leader of a particular organization, which is “fed” by an eschatological idea, syncretic teachings, which are cultivated as an alternative religious model to established traditions. The definition of a …

Shopping For Salvation: A Comparative Appraisal Of The Place Of Worship And Marketplace In South Africa, Rufus Olufemi Adebayo

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Recently South Africa has been experiencing accelerated challenges on a spiritual level relating to ‘place of worship’ and spiritual pilgrimage. This has been one of the biggest challenges facing religious activities in South Africa. Arising from that, this paper examines possible connections between salvation seekers and consumers (in the marketplace). To this end, this paper seeks to understand the assertion of ‘distance to travel not being a limitation in the spiritual realm’ (Adeboye, 2014), where some Christians claim that at a certain place there is a blessing waiting for them and that they cannot find that blessing at any other …

The Impact Of Religious Ritual Initiation On Males, David Mcmillan

Regis University Student Publications (comprehensive collection)

The following paper is focused on revealing the influence that religious ritual initiations/rites of passages have on males from the religions of Islam, Christianity, and Judaism. In the first section of the paper, I explain why it is important that the influence that religious ritual initiations have on males be studied. The second section covers the literature that was used to obtain my research results. The third section explains how the methodologies of content analysis and semiotics were incorporated into my research. In the fourth section, I reveal that practices such as self-control and discipline are common traits in how …

The Reception Of Hagar In The Writings Of Origen, John Chrysostom, And Augustine, Mariah Case

MA in Religion Theses

The premise of this thesis is to explore the reception of the Hagar stories through three prominent early Christian thinkers -Origen, John Chrysostom, and Augustine of Hippo - in order to evaluate the theological significance she had for those particular contexts. Hagar functions predominately as a symbol in contexts where group identity, power, and ideology are contested. The hermeneutical and theological stances of the authors are examined to expose and mitigate the religious conflict occurring in their historical location. The resulting interpretations of Hagar and her story vary from Christianization of the character to outright scorn and rejection of the …

What In Hell Conflicts With God? The Divine Promulgation View Of Hell Confirms The Reality Of Hell Does Not Make God A Moral Monster, Kara Y. Harris

Masters Theses

The aim of this thesis is to demonstrate that God is not morally at fault for humans consigned to eternal punishment in hell. In this work, I contribute to the ongoing conversation of hell in the following ways: (1) I provide an exposition on the words translated as hell in the Bible; (2) I uncover the progressive nature of the doctrine of hell as sin increases and God advances His plan of salvation to rescue humans from such an eternal fate; (3) I argue that Christianity and the biblical doctrine of hell are bound principally as Christ’s work on the …

Democracy Of The Dead? The Relevance Of Majority Opinion In Theology, Isaac Choi

Faculty Publications - George Fox School of Theology

No abstract provided.

"Then What Are We Fighting For": Securitizing Religion In The Ukrainian-Russian Conflict, Viktor Yelenskyi

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

With the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, religion has shifted from a sphere of great importance in inter-state relations to the national security domain, where the sides in the conflict perceive religion as potentially posing the utmost threat and have resorted to extraordinary measures to securitize it. The author argues that at the core of the Ukrainian securitizing move was the struggle for the autocephaly of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, which allowed weakening Russia's influence not only on the Orthodox milieu but also on Ukrainian society as a whole. Russia, viewing the loss of control over Ukraine …

Integration Of The Pochaiv Lavra Into The Structure Of The Russian Orthodox Church Between 1830s And 1860s, Ella Bystrytska, Nadiia Volik

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

A series of imperial decrees during the 1820s contributed to the spread of the autocratic and synodal system of government, and the installation of control over the Greek Uniate Church institutions in the territories of Right Bank Ukraine.1 The Greek Uniate Church was moved in “standby mode” for favorable conditions for the government to rapidly localize its activities. The accusation of the Basilian monks in support of the November Uprising of 1830-1831 in Poland contributed to the liquidation of this order and most of their monasteries. The transfer of the Pochaiv Lavra to the ownership of the Orthodox clergy in …

The Exclusivity Of The Christian Faith: A Case For Christ-Alone In A Culture Of Relativism, Brandon Keith Sinclair

Masters Theses

The proposition of absolute and exclusive truth in a culture permeated by relativism is among the most important discussions of today. The answer to this dilemma is imperative. Relativism has not only taken captive secular society, it has infiltrated the thinking of many professing Christians. The traditional Christian message has always been one of exclusivity and Christ-alone. The challenge for the Christian Apologist in a culture of relativism is three-fold: Establish the existence of absolute and exclusive truth, nullify the arguments presented by relativism as unreasonable, illogical, and fallible, and to make a solid case for the unsurpassable uniqueness of …

Teachings Of Church Leaders On Christ’S Final Seven Statements, John Hilton Iii, Megan Cutler, Emily K. Hyde

Faculty Publications

In 1929 Reverend James Reid wrote about the Savior’s directive from the Sermon on the Mount to “pray for them that despitefully use you” (Matthew 5:44). Although many might feel this is an impossible task, Reid offers a reminder: “Yet the words stand, and challenge us today, because He who spoke them passed His own test, and passed it triumphantly. . . . For, as [Luke] tells us, when they crucified Him, and had done their devilish work on his poor body. . . . His first word [on the cross] was a literal prayer for His enemies, ‘Father, forgive …

Trinity Monotheism And Daniel Howard-Snyder's "Diminished Divinity Problem", Kevin Watson Jr.

The Corinthian

In this paper, I summarize and defend a model of the Trinity proposed by William Lane Craig and J.P. Moreland, which is called trinity monotheism. An important element of this model is that there are two ways to be divine; either one must be a proper part of the Trinity or the Trinity itself. I answer one objection in Daniel Howard-Snyder’s thorough critique of this model. He calls this objection the Diminished Divinity Problem and supposes that if the property of divinity is exemplified in two different ways, either by being a proper part of the Trinity or by being …

Ukraine As A Religious Destination, Olga Borysova, Tetiana Huzik, Liudmyla Fylypovych

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article is devoted to the state, development, and prospects of religious tourism and religious pilgrimage in Ukraine. Based on the interesting and eventful history of this country, and the presence of many sites of spiritual and religious evolution of peoples on its territory, the authors suggest that Ukraine may become a religious destination under certain conditions. The article briefly describes the history of pilgrimage from the ancient Rus' to the modern Ukraine. After 70 years of communist bans on religion and pilgrimage, religious life as well as religious tourism has been restored significantly in independent Ukraine. But this industry …

Architectural Features Of Protestant Churches From The 16th To The 21st Centuries In Ukraine, Valentyna Kuryliak, Petro Kotliarov, Mykhailo Fedorenko

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article discusses the way the creeds of Protestants are reflected in their sacred architecture on Ukrainian lands. It investigates the evolution of the architecture of Protestant churches and religious buildings in Ukraine from the sixteenth to the twenty-first century. Three periods in the formation and development of Protestantism in Ukraine are distinguished: the magisterial reformation, the classical currents of Protestantism (Calvinism, Lutheranism), and late Protestant currents (Baptism, Pentecostalism, Adventism). The article establishes that the church architecture of Protestant denominations in each of these periods was influenced by the particular teachings of the Protestants themselves, the dominant political ideology, and …

Multiple Religious Belonging: Russian Reflections, Elizabete Taivāne

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

Russian experts in Religious Studies are not acquainted with the notion of multiple religious belonging. Gradually, they are becoming more aware of contact and interrelation among different cultures and religious traditions. They question whether new synthetic forms of religiosity, which combine aspects of Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, etc., are possible and what the result of such a synthesis is. A few arguments in favor of exclusivity by prominent Russian experts in religious studies are touched on in this paper. One of the most popular is the incompatibility of different cultural paradigms and anthropological patterns.

Engaging Gen Z: Toward A Paracletic Leadership Framework, Demario Hood

Doctor of Ministry

Today’s church faces a difficult reality: its effectiveness in reaching Generation Z is declining, while prospects of the group’s disaffiliation from the church are rising. In proposing a framework for effective engagement with Generation Z in a post-Christian, postmodern context, this dissertation argues that the generation’s desire for relational and identity-transforming leadership renders current growth- and success-driven leadership models ineffective and invites a new, theologically based, actionable/practical paracletic leadership paradigm.

Chapter 1 outlines the challenges and opportunities facing leaders where Gen Z is concerned. Chapter 2 examines Gen Z’s identity as revealed in its spiritual and social cultures and its …

The Roman Catholic Church In Poland After The Fall Of Communism, Krystyna Górniak-Kocikowska

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

Had I written a paper about the Roman Catholic Church in Poland after the Fall of Communism in 2019, when Paul Mojzes asked me to (thank you, Paul, for your unceasing encouragement!), the writing would have been so much easier than it is now. Not easy, but easier. At that time, the situation of the Roman Catholic Church in Poland, just like life in Poland in general, seemed relatively stable, much more so than throughout most of Poland’s turbulent history or even during those 30 years since the Fall of Communism. The Church, too, seemed to be on the way …

Pentecostalism In Western Ukraine: Historical Development And Current Theological Challenges, Roman Soloviy

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The purpose of this article is twofold: firstly, to examine the origins and historical development of Christians of the Evangelical Faith (Pentecostals) in Western Ukraine from 1920 until today; secondly, to give an account of current theological problems of Western Ukrainian Pentecostalism and to explore its theological renewal, which began after the Revolution of Dignity (2013-2014). In doing so, the socio-political, ethnic, and religious contexts of the birth of Pentecostalism in Western Ukraine will be studied; these include the living conditions of Ukrainians in the Second Polish Republic, religious situation in Western Ukraine between the First and Second World Wars, …

Is This A Christian Nation?: Virtual Symposium September 25, 2020, Roger Williams University School Of Law

School of Law Conferences, Lectures & Events

No abstract provided.

Catholic Conscience And Nuclear Weapons, Joseph J. Fahey

The Journal of Social Encounters

This essay briefly explores the history of Catholic ethics on war and peace. It then discusses Catholic social teaching regarding nuclear weapons, and the movement from conditional acceptance to the position of the unacceptability of even possessing nuclear weapons because they are intrinsically evil. The essay concludes with a discussion of the meaning of this development for policy makers and those who work in the nuclear weapons field as well as for average Catholics.

Inward Baptism: The Theological Origins Of Evangelicalism, Baird L. Tipson

Gettysburg College Faculty Books

Inward Baptism analyses the theological developments that led to the great evangelical revivals of the mid-eighteenth century. Baird Tipson here demonstrates how the rationale for the "new birth," the characteristic and indispensable evangelical experience, developed slowly but inevitably from Luther's critique of late medieval Christianity.

Addressing the great indulgence campaigns of the late fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries, Luther's perspective on sacramental baptism, as well as the confrontation between Lutheran and Reformed theologians who fastened on to different aspects of Luther's teaching, Tipson sheds light on how these disparate historical moments collectively created space for evangelicalism.

This leads to an …

Identifying Risk Factors For And Responding To Religious/Spiritual Distress In Transplant Patient Populations, Amber Nicole Ryman

Masters Theses

Due to the advancement of organ transplant technology, more people are able to receive a second chance at life through organ donation. In 2019, the United States conducted close to 40,000 transplants and this represents close to 40,000 people experiencing various states of healthcare crisis. Chaplains have the opportunity, and responsibility, to care for the religious/spiritual well-being of these transplant patients and their caregivers as they navigate the unique processes and challenges that transplantation entails. It is the argument of this thesis that risk factors for spiritual distress in transplant populations need to be identified as early as possible, in …

Religion In Latvia After The Fall Of The Soviet System: Fragmentation And Postsecularism, Valdis Tēraudkalns

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

"The purpose of this article is to analyze changes that religions in Latvia have experienced since the collapse of the USSR. This is too broad of a topic, therefore I will concentrate on only two aspects, fragmentation of religious groups and postsecularism."

Religious Aspects Of Bilingualism In Azerbaijan, Malahat Veliyeva

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

"The religious aspect of bilingualism in Azerbaijan during the period of the Soviet Union is quite an important issue revealing social, political, linguistic, and religious pressures of the Soviet imperialists on the Azerbaijanis as well as other nationalities with a Muslim background. Its purpose was to maintain their authority, keep nations oppressed, and inhibit the development of theological science and Islamic studies in Azerbaijan."

“Give Me Some Beautiful Holy Images That Are Colorful, Play Music, And Flash!” The Roma Pilgrimage To Csatka, Hungary, István Povedák

Journal of Global Catholicism

This study introduces the Csatka pilgrimage, which is one of the most significant festive events for Roma in Central and Eastern Europe. Csatka, a small and secluded village, became one of the most important pilgrimage sites for Roma since the mid-20th century. Tens of thousands of Roma, entire families from Hungary and the surrounding countries arrive to the feast on Nativity Day at the beginning of September. For them, however, the rite is not only about religious actions, but also about their powerful role in strengthening Roma ethnic identity. Through the analysis of the rite, we can gain a good …

Overview And Acknowledgments, Marc Roscoe Loustau

Journal of Global Catholicism

No abstract provided.

Literacy Sponsorship And Official Paratexts: Promoting Character Literacy Through The For The Strength Of Youth Booklets (1965-2011), Daniel S. Malinconico

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

Literacy sponsors continue to play a dynamic and integral role in acquiring and learning literacy knowledge and skills (fluency) within discourse communities. This thesis examines how a religious literacy sponsor, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, utilizes the For the Strength of Youth (FSOY) publications and official paratexts to actively promote religious literacy and character development in the lives of adolescents. This thesis focuses specifically on the 2011 edition of the FSOY to explore the impact that recent advancements in digital technology have had on the evolution of the main-body text and official paratexts. A textual and paratextual …

Arguments From Evil And The Parenting Style(S) Of God, Kyle Dean Gazlay

Masters Theses

In scholarly debates there are two primary positions on whether a God who is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnibenevolent can coexist with the presence of evil in the world. Atheists claim that God and evil do not coexist, while theists proclaim that God and evil can and do coexist. Atheists have used arguments from evil as a chief weapon against the existence of God and evil. Within arguments from evil, atheists create arguments that take an evidential or probabilistic stance on the matter. These arguments are called evidential arguments from evil. The evidential arguments from evil will use parent analogies to …

Born-Again On Sundays: Exploring Narratives Of Belief And Performances In A Belizean Methodist Church, Katharine Serio

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

If you are only at church services on Sunday and do not actively practice your religious faith every day, are you “born again” every day? Reverend Rebecca Lewis of Wesley Methodist Church in a small town in Belize preaches active participation in the church and encourages her congregation to attend all religious events, pray rigorously, and read the Bible actively, but how does the congregation listen to her and react to her sermons? “Born-Again on Sundays” is an ethnographic account that draws on anthropological theories of belief and vernacular religion, performance and narrative, and poverty and reflexivity to explore the …

Contextualized Songwriting In The Japanese Church, Katie Ann Mcwilliams

Masters Theses

The Christian Church of Japan has very few songs written in their own language and style. Most songs are translated from English or another language. While Japan is a very westernized country, this is a problem because things can get lost in translation and these songs are not always representative of their musical style. Furthermore, they have a unique voice of worship that is currently missing from the global Church. My research project was intended to identify songwriters and encourage songwriting for the local church with the intention of expanding the Japanese voice in the global context and raising awareness …