Digital Commons Network^™

An Artist Takes Flight, Sarah Moss

The Voice

No abstract provided.

Dr. John Olthoff Reflects On 36 Years At Dordt, Sarah Moss

The Voice

No abstract provided.

Missions Upside Down, Jennifer Vermeer

The Voice

No abstract provided.

“Perfect Hearts And Pure Pages”: The Transmission And Recitation Of The Qur’An In Mamluk Cairo—The Shāṭibiyya As A Case Study, Jonathan Hearn

Theses and Dissertations

The Ḥirz al-Amānī wa-Wajh al-Tahānī of Abū al-Qāsim b. Fīrruh al-Shāṭibī (d. 590/1193) became one of the most widely studied texts associated with the recitation of the Qur’an. A didactic versification of Abū ʿAmr al-Dānī’s (d. 444/1053) Kitāb al-Taysīr fī al-Qirāʾāt al-Sabaʿ, the Shāṭibiyya was composed in Ayyubid Egypt and transformed the discipline of the variant readings (qirāʾāt). Despite its popularity and acknowledged impact upon the discipline, the Shāṭibiyya remains a relatively untapped resource for understanding the Qur’an in its recited form. This thesis studies the recitation of the Qur’an in Mamluk Cairo through the Shāṭibiyya, …

Exploring The Role Of Religious Media In Shaping Public Perceptions Towards Climate Change In Egypt, Hebatullah Ashour Abdel Fatah Ibrahim Ashour

Theses and Dissertations

Climate change poses significant threats globally, with particular vulnerability noted in developing nations like Egypt. While effective communication is crucial for societal engagement, the role of influential actors like religious media within specific cultural contexts remains under-explored. This thesis investigates the role and communication practices of religious media (Islamic and Coptic Christian) concerning climate change in Egypt, a country where religious institutions command significant public trust and influence. Existing literature highlights gaps in understanding how these specific media outlets navigate and frame climate change discourse.

Employing Framing Theory and Communication for Development (DevCom) Theory as a combined framework, this study …

The Not-So Wonderful World Of Disney: How Disney Films Usurp What Is In The Bible, Jacquelyn Irene Cortez

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Disney films are often chosen as entertainment for families and their main target audience is children. While many adults still choose to watch these films, there is a darker side to these films. A majority of these films depict magic and/or witchcraft in them. The ideologies of feminism and toxic masculinity are on display in many of their films. And finally, a lot of these films mock God and what is in the Bible. When looking at popular films such as The Little Mermaid and Frozen, these films are teaching children about magic and making deals with the devil. Disney’s …

Integrating Faith And Academic Administration, Derek Schuurman

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

No abstract provided.

Of Modern Monsters And Scientific Magic: The Design Challenges Of Simulating An Enchanted World In Dungeons And Dragons 5th Edition, Leonid Moyzhes

Journal of Roleplaying Studies and STEAM

This article analyzes the magical system of Dungeons and Dragons 5 edition in the context of an idea of the enchanted world, highlighting controversial relationships between this concept and the rules of the game. On the one hand, D&D’s magic constantly borrows the imagery and ideas from different texts that follow the logic of enchanted world, starting with the idea of magic itself and ending with particular spells being grounded in the fundamental traits of enchanted world like ubiquitous of liminality and the anxiety about agency. On the other hand, broader logic of D&D’s rules inadvertently influences the way those …

"The Divine Light Illuminates The Intellect:" The Role Of Divine Illumination In The Theology Of Meister Eckhart, John Marshall Loving

Dissertations

This dissertation is a study on the epistemological theory of divine illumination in the works of Meister Eckhart (c. 1260 - 1329 CE). Illumination, first asserted by St. Augustine, is the theory that the human intellect is incapable of achieving epistemic certainty regarding what it sensorily receives. To gain this certainty, the mind is reliant upon illumination, wherein the sensed object is known by the mind through the light of that object's divine idea, which also serves as its ontological principle. Divine illumination was the dominant epistemology in Christian thought for centuries until it began to lose its influence in …

Don’T Take St. Anselm For A Marriage Therapist: The Utility Of Substitutionary Atonement Theology In Light Of Feminist Critiques, Abigail Elizabeth Livengood

Honors Projects

In light of feminist critiques from the twentieth and twenty-first century, this paper returns to Anselm’s Cur Deus Homo to examine the earliest expression of the Substitutionary Atonement Model. While acknowledging the harmful rhetoric attached to the model which has been brought to light by feminist theologians, this work examines Anselm's characterization of God, Jesus, and suffering from within his medieval worldview. In addition, this paper utilizes understandings of Christ held by historical women and survivors themselves to provide further context for Anselm’s understanding. Ultimately, this paper asserts that while feminist theologians raise important concerns about the dangers of Substitutionary …

Arts-Based Sustainability: From New York To Malawi, Martha B. Lerski

Publications and Research

Recognizing that libraries serve multiple constituencies and subject areas, this chapter documents and advocates for development of transdisciplinary arts-based research (ABR) and culture-related projects linked to environmental challenges. Libraries contribute collections and spaces, as well as the research of library and information scientists. Libraries are currently among invisible contributors to sustainability planning and services. The chapter will link this invisibility to the value of what visual arts refer to as negative space elements in subjects ranging from traditional ecological knowledge to environmental science. Library collections, projects, and research contribute to education for sustainable development (ESD) as required to achieve the …

75 | Cana Of Galilee: Excavations At Karm Er-Ras 1999–2011, Yardenna Alexandre

IAA Reports—Monograph Series of the Israel Antiquities Authority

This volume describes the results of multiple small-scale salvage excavations that took place at the site of Karm er-Ras in the Lower Galilee between 1999 and 2011. Archaeological remains of ten strata were revealed, dating from Iron Age II to the Byzantine period, including architecture, pottery, glass, coins and special finds. The archaeological data reveals the history of settlement of this site, and its changing ethnic and religious affinities over some 1500 years. Following detailed analysis of the archaeological data and the literary sources, the author argues for the identification of the Roman-period village at Karm er-Ras with ‘Cana of …

Volume 10 Issue 10 (June 1912)

The Soul Winner

No abstract provided.

Why Should We Give Thanks?, Calvin Vandermeyden

Pro Rege

No abstract provided.

Is Slavery Integral To Augustine's Theology?, James K.A. Smith

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

A review essay considering two new books in Augustinian studies: Slaves of God by Toni Alimi (Princeton University Press, 2024) and The Problem of the Christian Master by Matthew Elia (Yale University Press, 2024).

https://www.christiancentury.org/books/slavery-integral-augustine-s-theology

Resilient Church Planting In Global Cities : Identifying Best Practices For Building Resilience In Urban Church Planters, Branden D. Petersen

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Welcome To My Mind Palace: The Power Of Fantastical Thinking, Sadie Levine

Masters Theses

What follows is a record of my efforts to make the magic and horrors of my internal world tangible and shareable. The brain constructs hyper-specific fictional realities from childhood to adulthood, yet the scientific study of the mind often forgoes the subjective and the visual. I offer a complementary exploration of the mind - one that is highly visual and based on my own experiences, yet still contextualized in psychological research. Finding the magic in everyday life, and by extension, retreating into alternate realities, is a conscious choice I make, but I have not always had the option to choose. …

Ecospiritual Entanglement, Ali Vedad Yüner

Masters Theses

Land breeds culture. It gives us the resources to thrive, and in that process we establish a relationship with its constituents. With a multitude of beings inhabiting the land, a complex web of relationships develop. Biology describes these relationships as food webs; the mass entanglement of organisms in a manner that each organism nourishes the other. These webs are not just mere scientific structures but rather an interpretation of existential connections that every organism in the world, humans included, are indebted to. Food webs are the first stepping stone in the formation of culture, as they account for the engagement …

Ib-Adat, Anum Naseer

Masters Theses

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Creativity As A Universal Calling: Exploring The “God As Creator” Motif And Imago Dei As Foundations For Christian Practice And Ministry, Catherine Delanee Belcher

Masters Theses

“I’m just not a creative person.” This phrase is frequently expressed in various contexts, from elementary school art classes to collaborative projects in academic and church settings. It often functions as a convenient explanation for a perceived lack of enthusiasm or participation. Why is this statement so readily accepted as an unchangeable reality rather than challenged as a misconception? There appears to be a widespread belief that creativity is an exclusive attribute, reserved for artists, musicians, or visionaries. This assumption invites a critical theological inquiry: Is creativity an innate ability bestowed upon a select few, or is it a divine …

Life Immediately After Death, William Berger

Masters Theses

The Bible is the believed, canonical, complete message of God. It teaches morals, values, ethics, virtues, righteousness, truths, and salvation. Every part of life can and should be guided by the words of God for the purpose of accomplishing His final goal. God’s goal for his creation is to achieve through salvation and His grace dwelling with Him in His New Earth and New Heavens. To accomplish this, God created people to be immortal. Within this immortality, death plays an integral part. Because God begins His creation with a defining statement of how it all started, God facilitates an understanding …

The Prophet Jeremiah As A Type Of Messiah, Jc Cross

Masters Theses

How did Jesus interpret the prophet Jeremiah? Did Jeremiah function as a typological precursor to the Messiah? These questions warrant a renewed scholarly examination. While the book of Jeremiah has been the subject of extensive academic inquiry, particularly its first chapter, little research has focused on the prophet’s personal experiences as a foreshadowing of the Messiah or the textual allusions within the book to a messianic figure. Jesus repeatedly asserted that those well-versed in the Hebrew Scriptures should recognize the messianic foreshadowing present in the prophetic texts. Jesus’ disciples reinforce this interpretive framework. While a comprehensive analysis of how all …

How The Book Of Genesis Addresses The Problem Of Evil From A Biblical Theological Perspective, Fabio Delgado

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The study focuses on the conventional conception of God, specifically, the question of the problem of evil from a Biblical theological perspective. Theists believe that God is supremely powerful, completely benevolent, and all-knowing. Evil may be found everywhere, as seen in our everyday lives: sickness, natural catastrophes, warfare, a lack of opportunity for advancement, poverty, bigotry, murder, animal abuse, and the list goes on.1 According to conventional beliefs, the problem of evil arises from the apparent contradiction in stating that the Lord, who possesses unlimited power and is kind-hearted, is the origin of all that is good while also acknowledging …

The Nuptial Metaphor From Genesis To Revelation: An Examination Of Yahweh’S Divine Romance With Israel And Mankind In Scripture, Clement Chen

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study demonstrates that the nuptial metaphor is not merely a marginally interesting literary motif but deeply embedded in the meta-narrative of the text of the Bible and hermeneutically significant in providing an interpretive thematic framework for rightly reading the Scriptures. In other words, this study is a literary and thematic biblical theological study, utilizing historical, biblical, grammatical, and canonical theological approaches to the entire biblical text, of the nuptial metaphor found throughout Scripture as a thematic framework that is hermeneutically significant. Contemporary studies of the nuptial metaphor that recognize and value the nuptial metaphor of God marrying His people …

Perspectives Of Korean Christian Worshipers On Spontaneous And Liturgical Dance In Worship Engagement, Young Mee Kim

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

While the Bible recognizes dance as a form of worship and certain cultures have embraced it for its potential to deepen faith, dance has experienced restricted acceptance in numerous societies and denominations and has received minimal scholarly attention, limited to the study of liturgical dance. This study explores ways for Korean Christian worship, predominantly characterized by Oriental conservative principles, to consider dance as a regular form of worship expression. Exploring responses in a context where spontaneous dance is seldom studied contributes to a deeper understanding of this dance form as a worship practice. The study involves in-depth interviews with six …

Exploration Of The Congruence Between Environmental Concerns And Eco-Spirituality Programming At Retreat Centers As Experienced By Participants, Jean Golicz

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this multiple-embedded case study was to explore the role of environmental awareness and concerns in influencing engagement in retreat practices that were organized around the theme of eco-spirituality and the impact on organizational leadership and program development at two retreat centers in the northeastern region of the United States. Roman Catholic retreat centers were the focus of the study as they endeavored to fulfill leadership directives reflected in the papal encyclical Laudato si’. The centers examined offered immersion in nature, reflection on the interdependence of organic systems, and the development of action plans to address environmental issues. …

The Unicorn And Christ – Metamorphosis And Symbology, Luis Mendonça De Carvalho, Francisca Maria Fernandes, Maria Fátima Nunes, Ana Maria Costa, Paula Nozes, Ana Paula Figueira

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

The unicorn is a legendary chimaera that, for centuries, has been present in the mindset of Euro-Mediterranean cultures. Although its morphological description changed, tradition identifies it as an animal like a horse, albeit smaller and with a spiralling horn on its head pointing forward. The unicorn has been known since Antiquity, with references by authors such as Ctesias and Pliny. However, its relevance for medieval Europeans began with the Biblical references to this animal in several Old Testament verses. These verses gave legitimacy to the unicorn, and it was accepted as a tangible animal. During the Middle Ages and early …

Seeing Through The Incense Smoke: Understanding The Meanings Of Ancestral Rites In Vietnam For The Sake Of A Pastoral Approach In Christian Mission, J.P. Cima

Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation

Cima, J.P. “Seeing Through the Incense Smoke: Understanding the Meanings of Ancestral Rites in Vietnam for the Sake of a Pastoral Approach in Christian Mission.” Ph.D. diss., Concordia Seminary, 2025. 285 pp.

The veneration of ancestors at family altars has long been a defining feature of everyday Vietnamese life that poses a critical missiological problem for Christian mission in Vietnam. May Christians participate in ancestral veneration rituals? Current and historical responses to this question, among Protestants and Catholics alike, have not been uniform. Moreover, many responses have been based on assumed or oversimplified understandings of the rites’ meaning which recent …

I Am My Body: Post-Traumatic Embodying And The Unexpected Disinterring Of Childhood Spiritual Neglect, Cathy Rowan

Salubritas: International Journal of Spirit-Empowered Counseling

This autoethnographic paper investigates how an embodying approach (Focusing) unexpectedly impacts the author’s spiritual formation in the undoing of childhood relational trauma, which had resulted in a dissociative embodiment reaction. This enlivening and deepening spiritual formation process is described by means of a five-step metaphor, moving from “no-body” (dissociative disembodiment) to “I am my body” (the experience of the bodily indwelling) as her spiritual formation evolves from just intellectual belief to an embodying, experiential Christian spirituality. This life-long process is viewed through various lenses, including children’s spirituality research, trauma theology, faith development models, the writings of Thomas Merton and the …

Full Issue Salubritas, Editors Salubritas

Salubritas: International Journal of Spirit-Empowered Counseling

No abstract provided.