Digital Commons Network^™

Normal Is Not Biblical : An Exploratory Study Of Ministry With Developmental Disabilities In The Arkansas Conference Of The United Methodist Church, Stephen E. Waggoner

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Deification Of Body And Soul In Athanasius Of Alexandria : A Present Foretaste Of Resurrection, Peter J. Smith

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Uruly, Chaotic Wind Of God: Imagining A Church And Ministry Stirred Up And Prodded By The Spirit, Brett C. Hoover

Theological Studies Faculty Works

No abstract provided.

Taking Up One's Cross With Hope: A Christian Approach To Suffering, Linda George Debrecht

Theses

The purpose of this study is to encourage a more contemporary understanding of the traditional Christian approach to suffering — the belief that we can experience great goodness and enrich our lives as a result of taking up our cross as Jesus did. This concept of "redemptive suffering" seems to be losing its viability in contemporary life. Instead, advancing support for the Assisted Suicide movement reflects a growing sense that suffering is a "problem" that can be "solved" even if it means taking one's own life. The author contends that a more contemporary understanding of Jesus' suffering — one that …

Integration Of Faith And Health Transformation To Wholeness And Restoration To The Imago Dei, Deborah K. Huckaby

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Open Itineraries : Engaging Charles Taylor In The Evangelical Church, Zachariah Scott Motts

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Toward Freedom From Value, Richard Stith

The Catholic Lawyer

No abstract provided.

The Impersonal Decision Maker: Courts Of Equity And The Right-To-Die Cases, Peter J. Riga

The Catholic Lawyer

No abstract provided.

Origin And Impact Of Government Regulations, George E. Reed

The Catholic Lawyer

No abstract provided.

Believing Mary Karr, Stephanie Rae Guedet

Theses and Dissertations

Believing Mary Karr examines how belief, represented in the memoirs of Mary Karr, works in our contemporary moment. This examination is supported by the argument that our identities and the stories we tell about them are always constructions of belief, and that these beliefs are ultimately relational, enacted in the intersubjective relationship between writers and readers of autobiography. This dissertation provides the fields of both rhetoric and life writing studies not only an awareness of how ideas about belief—how beliefs about belief—have already shaped our scholarly imagination but also the possibilities a rhetoric of belief can offer to future conversations …

Religion And Morality In Tolkien's The Hobbit, Sophia Friedman

Scholarly Undergraduate Research Journal at Clark (SURJ)

Much research has been done on J. R. R. Tolkien's works, but The Hobbit has been overlooked. Because of the time in his life that it was written, this particular novel can give unique insight in the questions of religion in Middle Earth that have been continuously raised. The first half of this essay will seek to answer that question. Though most scholars look for an allegorical representation of the author’s Catholic faith in the novel, it is not there. Instead, Tolkien found spirituality in the process of writing, in creating a believable Secondary World. Rather than trying to convert …

Trends In Church/State Legislation, John F. Market

The Catholic Lawyer

No abstract provided.

Walk Through The Poem: "Believing Green" By Christian Wiman, Shelbi Gesch

Student Work

"There’s magic in the sound and the rhythm of Wiman’s lines."

Posting about ­­­­­­­­Christian Wiman's poetry from In All Things - an online journal for critical reflection on faith, culture, art, and every ordinary-yet-graced square inch of God’s creation.

http://inallthings.org/a-walk-through-the-poem-believing-green-by-christian-wiman/

An Impossible Standard: The Virgin Mary And The Construction Of Southern Womanhood, Dean Symmonds

Undergraduate Research Awards

This paper examines Southern literature about white women in its religious and cultural contexts to illuminate the deeply embedded connections between the figure of the Virgin Mary and the archetypes of the white Southern Belle and Dixie Madonna, and reveal both a complex web of cultural constructions designed to control, critique, and constrain Southern women, and how women use those constructions to free themselves.

Mother Goddesses And Subversive Witches: Competing Narratives Of Gender Essentialism, Heteronormativity, Feminism, And Queerness In Wiccan Theology And Ritual, Carly B. Floyd

Honors Projects

Wicca has typically been viewed as an empowering alternative to institutionalized and patriarchal religions, and women especially have been drawn to this religion because of its inclusion of women as goddesses and priestesses. It is also seen as a sex-positive religion, and many LGBTQ+ people embrace Wicca due to its lack of concepts such as sin and shame, especially around sex and sexuality. This research, however, troubles the claim that Wicca is a feminist, woman-friendly, queer-friendly religion. While women are celebrated and valued, I argue that women’s positive portrayal as mothers, nurturers, emotional, and intuitive portrays women’s nature in a …

The Interconnection Between Law And Christianity In Medieval England, Maria Isabel Caplazi

Young Historians Conference

In England, the influence of Christian morals and beliefs grew rapidly during the medieval era. Religious beliefs were evident in literature, laws, as well as social hierarchy. The extent of religious influence on medieval English law is undeniable, however historians have yet to attain a full understanding of religious reach because of institutionalized relativism -- the concept that varying environments affect how social regulations are established in their area. This paper discusses two of the most prominent ways Christianity influenced medieval English law -- through direct influence on laws themselves as well as religious impact on the individual administrators of …

Quantitative Inference With The Right To Life: Abortion And Irish Law, Mary Mathews

The Catholic Lawyer

No abstract provided.

Resurrection Of Our Lord (Sunrise) One Year Series 2017, Phillip L. Brandt

Sunday's Sermon

No abstract provided.

Resurrection Of Our Lord One Year Series 2017, Phillip L. Brandt

Sunday's Sermon

No abstract provided.

Church Organizations Under The Pension Reform Act, Alvin D. Lurie

The Catholic Lawyer

No abstract provided.

Spirituality: Take Me To A Higher Place, Kane Stanglin, Alexandra Mendez, Laura A. Eads, Kyle Crosslin

Collin College Undergraduate Interdisciplinary Student Research Conference

Panel Chair: Marta Moore

Papers Presented:

"The Acceptance of Fate from a Man of God" by Alexandra Mendez

"Acceptance Is Peace" by Kane Stanglin

"Hindu Beliefs in Bhagavad-Gita" by Laura A Eads

"Analysis of 'The Sovereignty of Goodness of God'" by Kyle Crosslin

Church Lobbying: The Legal Constraints, John D. Aldock

The Catholic Lawyer

No abstract provided.

A Political Theology Of Ecological Action: Liberation Of The Poor Through Democratic Stewardship Of Creation, Zach Snyder

Dialogue & Nexus

In the United States, many popular forms of evangelical Christianity hold a deep skepticism and antipathy toward ecological activism for reasons ranging from political interests to eschatology. In this paper I will present a legitimate model for the role of the Christian faith in ecological action that is developed by considering and synthesizing the work of two theologians, Leonardo Boff and Christopher Southgate. The contributions from each of these authors are centered on the call to care for creation as a response to their respective areas of emphasis: the suffering and striving of the poor and marginalized in the case …

The Gift Of Soul, Cory Holt

Dialogue & Nexus

An evaluation of biblical concepts of the soul in light of neuroscience reveals that it is not something that we possess but is a gift from God. Using the concept of forms, emergence, and supervenience, I will show that Greek concepts of dualism, where the soul is an added entity to a body, are untenable in light of both the biblical witness and neuroscience.

Evolution And The Fall, Andrew Tate

Dialogue & Nexus

Within Christianity, there are a spectrum of beliefs regarding the function and mode of baptism, what constitutes original sin (or in what form it exists), modes of worship, gender roles (or if they even exist). I will argue here that despite varying dogmas and ideologies one consistent position over two millennia is that Jesus, as the Son of God, came to the earth, died on a cross, and was raised from the grave. Following this is the belief that in some way through these actions, either natural or supernatural, he has given humanity the opportunity to be redeemed. Through this …

Palm Sunday One Year Series 2017, Phillip L. Brandt

Sunday's Sermon

No abstract provided.

Palm Sunday Series A 2017, Phillip L. Brandt

Sunday's Sermon

No abstract provided.

The Great Divide: Disbanding The Borders Between Ethical Issues Of Environmentalism, World Hunger And Food Safety, Jennifer Acuff

Dialogue & Nexus

Various groups work toward correcting social injustices including alleviating world hunger. The command to care for Creation as God’s image bearers indicates that humans have a responsibility to restore Earth and its resources at all times. And yet, we must balance this environmental care with compassion for the hungry. Unfortunately, many popular ‘green’ or ‘organic’ methods of doing so may prevent efficiency in feeding the world. In this paper, I will examine world hunger, environmentalism, and the surrounding ethics through a lens of scientific data, practicality, social justice, and Christianity.

Theodicy Through The Lens Of Darwin, Zach Moore

Dialogue & Nexus

Any theodicy is often fraught with difficulties. The two major families identified are Augustinian theodicy and Irenaean theodicy, named after these two early church fathers. These two perspectives are widely accepted accounts of theodicy and represent a general theological approach to the problem of evil. We will explore the insufficiency of these perspectives in light of evolutionary considerations and, in the end, disappointingly, call for an as yet developed theodicy to be offered.

Divine Action And Teleology In An Evolutionary World, Emily Sparks

Dialogue & Nexus

In this paper I explore three possibilities: 1) whether or not there is room for divine action in a dynamic, undetermined, evolutionary world; 2) if divine action is necessary to explain the outcome of creation; and 3) if there is purpose (e.g. teleology) in such a world. I will address the implications of indeterminacy, parts-and-whole behavior (or emergence), and directionality for divine agency. Models of God’s action informed by these trends will be provided. Finally, I will explain the teleological implications of these discoveries and God’s action and conclude with implications to the Christian faith.