Digital Commons Network^™

The Psychosocial Experience Of Black Pentecostal Pastors In Western America Post-Pandemic, Isaiah Kelley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted religious institutions, altering how Black pastors provided spiritual leadership, community support, and social connection. Limited research has examined how these disruptions affected the social identity and psychosocial well-being of African American Pentecostal pastors. This qualitative phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of 11 African American Pentecostal pastors in the western United States following COVID-19 church closures. Guided by social identity theory, semi-structured interviews examined changes in participants’ social identity. Data were analyzed using Moustakas’s phenomenological approach: first- and second-cycle coding, member checking, reflective journals, and thematic analysis. Four themes emerged: psychological and emotional burden, social isolation …

Bridging The Abyss: Reclaiming Spirituality In Academic Knowledge Production, Neil Boland

Journal of Contemplative and Holistic Education

Over recent decades, Western academia has shown a growing interest in spirituality, accompanied by methodological innovations and epistemological expansion. Nevertheless, spiritual inquiry continues to be subtly subordinated to scientific rationalism, with Western science often presiding as gatekeeper over what is considered legitimate knowledge. Drawing on Boaventura de Sousa Santos’ concept of abyssal thinking, this article argues that spiritual and experiential forms of knowing remain largely relegated to the far side of an epistemic divide, valued only insofar as they can be reframed within scientific norms. Despite increasing institutional recognition of spirituality in fields such as education, psychology, and medicine, …

Interstellar Faith: A Phenomenological Exploration Of Christian Reconciliation With Uaps And Nonhuman Intelligence, Christian Pedersen

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The researcher examined how Christian leaders interpret, respond to, and navigate questions surrounding Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) and nonhuman intelligence (NHI) within their theological and ministerial contexts. Despite growing cultural and governmental attention to these phenomena, little empirical research has explored how Christian leaders engage these questions pastorally or theologically. Using a transcendental phenomenological design informed by Moustakas (1994), the researcher conducted semi-structured interviews with twelve Christian leaders across multiple traditions. Analysis produced ten major themes organized around three research questions addressing theological interpretation, pastoral ministry, and lived experience. Findings revealed a participant group marked by intellectual humility, theological seriousness, …

Spiritual Abuse: A Qualitative Study On The Lived Experience Of Survivors And Their Attachment To God, Danielle Farra Bingham

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of Christian survivors of spiritual abuse and their relationship with God. The study also examined whether participants described those experiences using language comparable to Attachment Theory. Ten adult Christian survivors participated in semi-structured interviews, which were analyzed using Smith et al.'s (2022) interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) framework. Six Group Experiential Themes (GETs) emerged from the analysis: (a) wondering whether God was safe after sacred harm; (b) keeping God close enough to need Him and distant enough to survive; (c) trying to separate God's heart from the voices …

Switching Sides: A Grounded Theory Study Of Transition From Christian To Atheist, Joel C. Furches

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study developed a data driven, six stage model of deconversion, defined as the transition from publicly identifying as a Christian to publicly identifying as an atheist. Using a Grounded Theory approach for analysis, and an archival approach for data collection, the research analyzed 35 autobiographical accounts of deconversion to identify common psychological, social, and behavioral processes underlying religious-deidentification and atheist identification. The findings revealed six background features characteristic of religious environments with higher likelihood of producing deconverts, four categories of objections that precipitate dissonance, and six coping strategies individuals employ in response to that dissonance. Central to the model …

Broken Promises: The Lived Experiences Of African American Employees Who Interpret The Removal Of Dei Policies As A Breach Of Psychological Contract, Geneva A. Henderson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The publicized murder of George Floyd in 2020 prompted organizations across the United States to affirm their commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Following the 2025 presidential administration, however, many organizations began retracting DEI policies and adopting merit-based initiatives aligned with new federal mandates. For African Americans (AA), this shift echoed a familiar historical pattern of progress followed by withdrawal, requiring them to navigate promises made and promises withdrawn. Despite the significance of these changes, little is known about how AA employees experience the workplace after the removal of a value-laden policy. This interpretative phenomenological analysis study explored the …

The Moral Influences On Non-Denominational Christian Students’ College Major Decision And Future Career Outlook, Makayla Frame

Honors Projects

This is an undergraduate research project for the Honors College. A qualitative research project in the form of case studies was conducted on the influence of Non-Denominational Christian morals and values on how college students decide college major and future career. Non-Denomination students in particular were chosen for this study because of the recent rise in popularity of the Non-Denominational belief in the US, especially among young adults.

The study outlines previous research on the Christian religion, the history of Non-Denominationality, and how typical college students decide their major. The conclusions of the study are that Non-Denominational Christian college students …

Growing Up Muslim In America: Discrimination And Religious Identity In Emerging Adulthood, Samira Saleh

Dissertations

This study examined the impact of depression and discrimination on religious identity development among emerging adult Muslims (ages 18–29) in the United States, with attention to religious visibility and gender. Using a cross-sectional survey design, participants completed validated measures including the Perceived Islamophobia Scale, Everyday Discrimination Scale, Patient Health Questionnaire-9, and Centrality of Religiosity Scale. Grounded in Arnett’s Theory of Emerging Adulthood and Social Identity Theory, the study addresses gaps in research on Muslim mental health and identity within Western sociopolitical contexts. Participants were recruited via university listservs, Muslim Student Associations, social media, and community organizations, and completed a brief …

Emotion Regulation As A Moderator Of The Association Between Stressful Life Events And Changes In Religiosity, Catharine Mann

Senior Theses

Previous research indicates that religion and spirituality can have a beneficial impact on the well-being of individuals, both promoting health and reducing poor mental and physical health outcomes. Religiosity often shifts across the lifespan, but some experiences can predict those changes. For example, stressful life events (SLEs; e.g., loss of a family member, serious illness) are often associated with a decrease in religiosity. Past research has shown that in adults, the experience of SLEs predicts less identification with previously held religious beliefs. This relation could be influenced by a number of factors, but many are likely related to the use …

Enhancing Academic And Religious Values Through Literacy: An Ethnographic Qualitative Study In A Hindu Student Community, Ni Komang Sutriyanti, I Wayan Widiana, Ni Luh Ika Windayani, I Gede Wahyu Suwela Antara

The Qualitative Report

This study explores the influence of Indonesia's school literacy initiative program, also known as the school literacy movement (SLM), on academic achievement and religious character formation among Hindu students at Bali Mandara State High School. The SLM’s effects within Bali’s predominantly Hindu community provide a perspective on how literacy initiatives intersect with cultural and religious education in a largely Muslim country. The objective of the study was to assess the transformative impact of the SLM on both educational outcomes and character development, specifically examining its alignment with Hindu teachings. A qualitative approach was employed, with data collected through semi-structured interviews …

Investigating The Impact Of Childhood Trauma On Marital Satisfaction: A Moderated Multiple Regression Analysis, Clarence Duff

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Childhood trauma and its negative impact on adult life is well documented as a growing global concern and has been a focus of research for many years. A growing body of literature has demonstrated its impact on psychological and physical health, as well as emotional and social well-being. However, research on how it affects marital satisfaction and variables that moderate this relationship is unexplored. Using the Adverse Childhood Experience questionnaire (ACE) and Pearson correlation, the study examined the relationship between childhood trauma and marital satisfaction. Furthermore, a linear multiple linear regression was used to examine whether Experience in Close Relationship …

The Relationship Between Emotional Intelligence And Decision-Making, Nelson Fernandes

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative phenomenological study explores how leaders with high emotional intelligence (EI) experience and describe decision-making in personal, organizational, and leadership contexts. Guided by Rational Choice Theory (RCT), Behavioral Decision Theory (BDT), and Moon’s (2021) emotional intelligence framework, the study integrates psychological perspectives with biblical principles to examine how self-awareness, emotional regulation, and interpersonal awareness contribute to ethical and effective decision-making. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten to fifteen purposively selected participants identified as possessing high levels of emotional intelligence. The findings indicate that leaders with high EI view emotions as informational resources rather than obstacles and intentionally integrate emotional …

Living In A Bubble: How Children And Adults Use Generics To Talk About Social Kinds In Unique Sociocultural Contexts, Ny Vasil, Alejandro Curiel, Tiffany Zhu, Anna Pederneschi, Katherine Ritchie

Philosophy Faculty Publications

Generics like "kids love sugar" convey generalizations. But what is their scope? Are they taken to be global, or can generics communicate regularities restricted to "sociocultural bubbles"? Two studies examined the developing capacity for contextual restriction of generics in 137 4-7-year-olds (63/70/4 female/male/other) and 222 adults (128/89/5 female/male/other). Participants evaluated generics attributing group properties prevalent globally vs. "within-bubbles," with contextual cues that speakers conveyed broad vs. contextually restricted regularities. Both children and adults appreciated that generics can communicate group characteristics occurring within narrow sociocultural contexts. Adults selectively endorsed global or local generics depending on context, but younger children allowed socially …

Resilience In The Wake Of Faith-Based Trauma: Investigating The Role Of Social Support In Complex Posttraumatic Stress And Well-Being After Religious/Spiritual Abuse, Ellen Murphy

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Religious/spiritual (r/s) abuse involves the mistreatment of individuals within religious or spiritual contexts, often resulting in psychological and spiritual harm (Ellis et al., 2022; Johnson & VanVonderen, 1991). Although research examining the potential benefits of religion and spirituality has proliferated, harm stemming from religious/spiritual experiences remains relatively understudied (Ward, 2011). This study investigated associations between r/s abuse severity, complex posttraumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) symptoms, and psychological well-being. To identify potential protective factors, the moderating role of perceived social support in the relationships between r/s abuse and CPTSD and well-being outcomes was examined. Additional exploratory variables included current spirituality and religiosity, …

Personality Theories, Leswin Laubscher

Open Education Materials

Introduction to Personality Theories

Postsecular Coping Mode (Pscm): The Mechanism Of Sacred Meaning Reactivation Under Secular Pressure In Post-Soviet Societies, Aruzhan Akhmetova Aru, Mukhan Issakhan

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

This article introduces the concept of Postsecular Coping Mode (PSCM) to explain the changing psychological dynamics of religiosity in post-Soviet societies. Classical studies of religious coping typically conceptualize religion as a relatively stable strategy or behavioral response. However, under postsecular conditions, religious experience increasingly appears as a context-sensitive, episodically activated meaning-regulation mode. In response, the notion of coping mode is conceptualized as a distinct psychological category analytically differentiated from conventional coping frameworks. The proposed PSCM model describes the selective reactivation of sacred meaning resources under conditions of perceived secular pressure. Its processual architecture unfolds through four stages: (1) the trigger …

Leaving The Fold: Young Adult Disaffiliation From Protestantism In Political And Cultural Context, Kimberly S. Johnson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study investigated the lived experiences of young adults who have disaffiliated from a Protestant church, focusing on political, national, and religious dynamics, including reflections on Christian Nationalism. The study also examines how these meaning-making processes informed participants’ retrospective accounts of disaffiliation. Building on the quantitative research that has dominated prior studies, this study employed interpretative phenomenological analysis to investigate how encounters with Christian Nationalism have shaped perceptions of organized religion. The study’s ten participants ranged in age from 21 to 29 years old and identified as having been part of the Protestant Church prior to disaffiliating from organized religion. …

Religious Security As A Component Of National Security In The Sphere Of Social And Economic Communication, Yevhen Kharkovshchenko, Vitalii Nitsenko, Yevhen Piletskyi, Mariia Nesterova

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

National security is proposed to be viewed as a coordinated open system that, in addition to the religious, also includes military, economic, social, and other components. Considering religion as part of such an open system makes it possible to distinguish two mutually directed vectors of communication within religious communities: from church leaders to the faithful and vice versa. This presupposes feedback communication links that allow a denomination to balance interactions among the actors of church–society relations. The concept of “communication” in the context of religious and national security is thus expanded from a narrow understanding of information exchange to an …

Cultivating Community-Engaged Faculty: The Institution’S Role In Individual Journeys, Eric Malm, Nicholas Rademacher, David Dunbar, Mary Harris, Erin Mclaughlin, Caroline Nielsen

Journal of Community Engagement and Higher Education

Campus-community partnerships are increasingly recognized as important parts of curricula and have become central to the missions of many colleges. Yet while the notion of service is becoming more prominent at the institutional level, the number of faculty who are actually teaching community-engaged courses is alarmingly low. This paper addresses the problem of inadequate faculty participation in campus-community partnerships through the case study analysis of the pathways that brought six faculty members from different backgrounds and disciplines into the world of the engaged classroom. From the stories of individual faculty members, a model of involvement emerged that illustrates a common …

Steiner And Jung On Esoteric Knowledge, Katherine T. Ziemke Mst, Jd, Phd Candidate

Journal of Conscious Evolution

For centuries, humanity has been accumulating complex knowledge, systematically building increasingly intricate mathematical and scientific models by accruing predictable circumstances or facts, often designated as theories or laws. This essay proposes that there is a hidden well-spring of ideas or knowledge beyond the methodical accumulation of such mathematical and scientific knowledge, from whence the source that inspired the basis of this knowledge might have originated. Carl Gustav Jung and Rudolf Steiner believe there is an abundance of such knowledge that lies hidden in plain sight and available for a vast expansion of human awareness. In this essay, I take a …

Delusion Or Faith? Exploring Religious Delusions In Individuals With Schizophrenia Within The Banjar Culture, Nabila Regita Putri Mustafa, Nur’Aulia Maisyarah, Aulia Maulidina, Muhammad Reza Aditya, Muhammad Abdan Shadiqi

Makara Human Behavior Studies in Asia

Schizophrenia is often characterized by delusions and hallucinations, which often appear as manifestations of religious delusions in the Banjar cultural context. This phenomenon can be understood through the hyper-religiosity theory, which explains excessive religious behavior in individuals with schizophrenia. This qualitative case study aims to identify the forms of religious delusion in individuals with hyper-religiosity and the underlying causal factors. Data were collected through in-depth interviews and observations with 10 informants, comprising four individuals with religious delusions selected using purposive sampling based on their experience of studying Tasawwuf and experiencing religious delusions and six significant others. The findings show that …

Spiritual Fitness And Religious Commitment As Predictors Of Hope In Active Duty Deployed Military, David Sidnam

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to examine how spiritual fitness and religious commitment are related to hope in deployed military personnel. Furthermore, the individual components of spiritual fitness (connection to God, belief in service, and purposeful meaning) were examined alongside religious commitment to determine the strongest predictor of hope for deployed military members. The study included 111 deployed, active duty members that were recruited from three deployed sites in the military. The data was assessed in SPSS and revealed that belief in service and purposeful meaning were significantly related to hope. Purposeful meaning was the strongest predictor …

Exploring The Bidirectional Relationship Between Attachment Styles And Spiritual Practices In Protestant Christians: A Qualitative Study, Emily Lauren Pritt

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative study explores the bidirectional relationship between spirituality and attachment among Protestant Christians—a topic with limited empirical focus. Grounded in attachment theory and theological insights, prior research often treats attachment as a static predictor of spiritual development, with little attention to how spiritual engagement may reshape attachment. This study addresses the gap by examining how these relational domains mutually inform each other and affect psychological well-being within a Christian context. The purpose was to explore if adult attachment styles and spiritual practices influence emotional health, relational security, and overall well-being among active Protestant Christians. Twenty-two adults actively engaged in …

Study Of Religious Experience Using The Introspection Method: Case Of Estonia, Siim Nigulas, Tõnu Lehtsaar

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

This article revisits the method of introspection as a valuable tool for studying religious experience in Estonia, where spirituality is often personal, unaffiliated, and deeply introspective. Drawing on the legacy of the Dorpat school—particularly Karl Girgensohn—it highlights how experimental introspection can illuminate the dimensions of faith. Considering Estonia’s post-Soviet religious individualization, the method offers a culturally fitting and academically rigorous approach. The study argues for the revival and adaptation of introspective techniques to explore the inner dynamics of belief in a secular yet spiritually curious society.

Research Proposal: Complex Relationship Of Religious Community, Psychological Health, And Socioeconomic Status Of Spanish Speaking Residents Ages 18-50 In Lynchburg, Va, Faith Park

NEXUS: The Liberty Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies

Previous research has shown a clear quantitative correlation between socioeconomic status and religious gatherings as well as psychological health and religious gatherings. However, there have been few studies on the interconnectedness of mental health, socioeconomic stability, and religious identity and gathering. Research thus has not addressed the personal implications and the benefits of individual perspectives that can be offered through a qualitative methodology. Thus, this research proposes an ethnographic methodology which may provide insights that do not limit the subjectivity of mental health, religious experiences, and socioeconomic struggles.Through an integration of psychology, anthropology, and sociology, the proposed research hopes to …

Voices Of Change: Narratives Of African Americans And Their Recommendations For Reforming Law Enforcement Practices, Tanisha N. Hines-Johnson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The focus of this study was to explore real-life experiences African Americans have with law enforcement to suggest changes that can be put into action to improve interactions, fairness, and accountability. This study, which makes use of a case study technique, examined perceptions of police interactions and engagement from the viewpoints of community members. The study specifically responded to the following two research questions: 1) What is the narrative of individuals in the African American community regarding law enforcement? 2) What changes do participants suggest are needed to improve interactions and establish a better relationship between the African American community …

Caring For Ukrainian Healthcare Professionals In Wartime: Moral Injury And Psycho-Spiritual Intervention, Rodger L. Stenger

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This mixed-methods study examined the prevalence of Moral Injury (MI) among Ukrainian healthcare professionals (UHCPs) and their willingness to engage in evidence-based, psycho-spiritual interventions targeting MI that has resulted from the Russian invasion and the COVID-19 pandemic. MI is a psychological construct resulting from actions that violate an individual’s moral code and can overlap with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms. While MI has been extensively researched in the military, it has gained attention in healthcare settings. Utilizing the Moral Injury Symptom Scale-Healthcare Professional (MISS-HP), this study quantitatively identified a moderate prevalence of MI among doctors and nurses in Ukraine. …

What Is The Meaning Of This? A Proposed Assessment Tool For Exploring Meaning Of Life In The Therapeutic Realm, Logan S. Burris

Psychology Doctoral Specialization Projects

It is likely that since man has first learned to communicate with one another, we have wondered what the meaning of life is. Throughout recorded history, groups of individuals with religious, philosophical, and scientific backgrounds have searched for the answer to this deceptively simple question. Previous research has shown that finding meaning in one’s life can render positive psychological and physiological outcomes for individuals presenting with depressive and anxiety disorders, trauma, chronic and terminal illness, and many more. There have been numerous attempts of creating assessments intended to measure a person’s meaning in life, however most of them either do …

The Ascendance Of Influencers: Saints Of Capitalism In The Digital Age, Riley R. Hourihan

Master of Liberal Studies Theses

This thesis examines the rise of social media influencers as modern-day saints within the cultural and economic framework of late capitalism. Drawing on interdisciplinary scholarship from religious studies, media theory, and cultural criticism, it argues that influencer culture does not replace religion but retools its structures—ritual, authority, devotion, and community—for the digital age. Through detailed case studies ranging from Hailey Bieber and Taylor Swift to Ballerina Farm and MrBeast, the paper explores how influencers shape identity, mediate ethics, and mobilize affect through algorithmic rituals and parasocial relationships. Influencers perform a form of digital sanctity that parallels traditional hagiography, guiding followers …

Psychotherapy And Changes In Adult Attachment: A Systematic Review, Meghan Kussman

Theses and Dissertations

Attachment insecurity is a transdiagnostic vulnerability factor linked to a wide range of emotional and relational difficulties. Although early attachment patterns tend to be relatively stable, research indicates that attachment orientations can change over time, particularly in response to significant relational or therapeutic experiences. This systematic review examined 39 empirical studies published between 2000 and 2024 to determine whether engagement in psychotherapy is associated with changes in adult attachment security. Eligible studies assessed attachment both pre- and post-treatment using validated self-report measures (e.g., Experiences in Close Relationships Scale; ECR) or interview-based measures (e.g., Adult Attachment Interview; AAI), and reported statistically …