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Dalit Poetry On The Eve Of Indian Independence: Gurram Jashuva And The Quest For Critical Consciousness And Collective Remembering, Chris Conway

The Journal of Social Encounters

The Dalit Literary movement irrupted on the scene in the early 1970s in the state of Maharashtra, India. Unblinking in its criticism of casteism and unnerving in its depiction of Dalit oppression, the movement sought to concretize the political aims of B.R. Ambedkar (1891-1956) through cultivating a critical Dalit consciousness liberated from caste identity and history. The movement enjoyed success in uniting Dalit groups across the country under this new name. However, fifty years later a new generation of Dalit and Dalit-supporting thinkers have begun to critically examine the implications of Dalit identity focusing particularly on its rootedness in suffering …

The Meaning Of Christian Suffering In Aquinas, Pedro Cardoso Figueiredo Santiago

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

This thesis investigates the theological meaning of Christian suffering in the thought of Thomas Aquinas. While much attention has been given to Aquinas’s treatment of the problem of evil, little has been written on the positive and salvific meaning of suffering as it appears in his Christology, sacramental theology, and moral theology. This study aims to demonstrate that for Aquinas, suffering—when united to Christ—acquires a redemptive value that transforms human pain into a means of configuration to the crucified and risen Lord.

The first chapter develops the Christological foundation of Christian suffering. Drawing primarily from Summa Theologiae III, q. 69, …

Encountering The Sublime: Early Hermit Lifeways, Visual-Spatial Worlds, And The Global Recluse, James Brown

The Ozark Historical Review

This paper will assess the degree to which reclusion in the early period can be labeled a global phenomenon and will examine three key areas, the institutional ambits of reclusion, the visual-spatial world of the eremite, and the enduring cultural canon associated with eremitisms across both geographical and temporal distances. In addition, the author will perform an epistemological and phenomenological exercise in deriving humanistic insight from the experiences of recluses, as gleaned through deep consideration of their environments and cultural products.

Assertions Of Monastic Identity And Power In The Cloister And Nave Of St. Gall, John D. Treat

The Ozark Historical Review

The Carolingian monastery lived in an unresolved tension between the purity of separation from the world and the benefits to be gained from secular engagement. To confront this dilemma, the parts of the monastery received new layers of symbolic meaning, opening some spaces to lay penetration while shielding others more securely. Here I will examine the monastic cloister and the nave of the abbey church as instances of these two tendencies.

Local Identity In The Lives Of The Fathers Of Mérida: When Ethnicity And Religion Aren’T The Point, Erica Buchberger

History Faculty Publications

While scholarship on early medieval Europe often centers ethnicity or religion over other forms of identity, they were not always the most relevant form of identification for contemporaries. In the Lives of the Fathers of Mérida (late sixth-early seventh century), ethnic and religious identity were actually deployed to construct a local identity around the space and people of the city. This article explores how the text did so by closely analyzing terms used and their context, and by applying social scientific theories of boundary construction to illuminate the strategies of identification behind it. It argues that such an approach …

The Female Body In Visual Narratives, Dolly Sharma

Journal of Gender, Ethnic, and Cross-Cultural Studies

When a photographer seeks to capture the culture of a particular place inhabited by a minority group in society, a pertinent question arises as to how one might capture the female body in ways that avoid eroticisation while still conveying the photographer’s intent. The way photographers approach the Himalayan and Indian regions is particularly complex when they must decide whether to ask women to pose themselves in order to frame the multiple narratives that emerge out of a female body—such as motherhood, nurturing an infant, ornamentation and adornment, and the bodily manifestations of patriarchal and prejudicial practices. Photographer Olivier Föllmi, …

Integrated Growth: Developing A Sustainable Continuum Of Whole-Person Discipleship For Cultivating Healthy Leaders, Joyce A. Smith

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Leadership, particularly within ministry contexts, involves complex responsibilities that often lead to chronic stress, burnout, and diminished well-being. These challenges underscore the need for a holistic, sustainable framework that supports leaders in every dimension of life. This Dissertation in Praxis explored a biblically grounded, multidimensional wellness initiative designed to foster integrated health among ministry leaders at The Harvest Church, a nondenominational congregation in North Houston, Texas. Framed by biblical principles of stewardship, wholeness, and relational unity, this study implemented and assessed a structured wellness program addressing four critical domains of a leader’s well-being: emotional resilience, financial stability, physical/nutritional health, and …

Elementary Seeds Of The Creation-Order Theodicy In The Early Christian Apologists, Lori A. Peters

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The problem of evil and suffering is a significant obstacle for people to consider the truth of Christianity. One way to eliminate this barrier is to provide a theologically sound and biblically accurate theodicy. The Creation-Order Theodicy is one such attempt. The purpose of this paper is to examine if the elements of the Creation-Order Theodicy have their roots in the early teachings of the church through the writings of the early Christian apologists through AD 250. Chapter 1 includes the nature of the problem, a review of existing literature, and the research methodology. Chapter 2 will summarize various modern …

A Chaplain-Specific Care Plan For Addressing Moral Injury And Promoting Holistic Well-Being In Nurses That Have Transitioned From Hospital Care To Hospice Care, Franklin Hicks

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This thesis project, “A Chaplain-Specific Care Plan for Addressing Moral Injury and Promoting Holistic Well-Being in Nurses That Have Transitioned from Hospital Care to Hospice Care,” addresses the lack of chaplain-led interventions for nurses suffering from moral injury. Many nurses who transitioned from hospital to hospice care reported ongoing moral residue from ethically distressing events in acute settings. The purpose of this project was to evaluate the effectiveness of a spiritually grounded care plan, developed and facilitated by a board-certified chaplain, to address these moral wounds and promote holistic well-being among hospice nurses.

Twelve hospice nurses in West Tennessee participated …

After His Likeness: The Holy Trinity And Creation Of Humanity, Chris Trevino

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation presents a comprehensive theological and interdisciplinary examination of the Holy Trinity (i.e., Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) and its influence on human creativity, ethical development, and identity, as rooted in the Genesis creation narrative. Employing exegetical analysis of Genesis 1:26-27 alongside systematic theological synthesis, lexical‐theological study of צֶלֶם (ṣélem, image) and דְּמוּת (dəmûth, likeness), and historical‐doctrinal reflection on Chalcedonian definitions of the hypostatic union and kenosis, it develops a triadic framework that aligns the divine mind, heart, and will with human cognition, emotion, and volition. The study reveals that the threefold act of divine creativity (i.e., the Father’s …

Where Is God In Times Of Order And Disorder: A Practical Approach To Life Events With God, Chinedu Festus Onuigbo

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to uncover what six next-generation females in Colorado, USA, encompassing high school through post-college, have experienced as they answer the question, "Where is God in times of order and disorder." Next generation refers to persons currently 25 years and younger. Pew Research (2019) reports, next-generation demographic during the transition from adolescence to adulthood may undergo one or more of the following: fall away from faith, question the existence of God, depression, and identity crisis. This researcher using phenomenology explored his Study Concept, a practical approach to experiencing life events with God using threefold biblical …

Spiritual Music As A Factor Of Religious Identity In Ukrainian Orthodoxy, Oleh Sokolovskyi, Maksym Melnychuk, Sviatoslav Melnychuk

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

This scholarly article explores current challenges and spiritual-cultural trends arising in the context of historical events and civilizational transformations experienced by modern Ukraine. The study focuses on the revival of authentic traditions of sacred musical art within Ukrainian Orthodoxy, regarded as one of the fundamental factors in the formation of national identity. Within an interdisciplinary approach that combines religious studies, philosophy, art history, and cultural studies, the research analyzes the musical sacredness as a phenomenon of numinous experience imbued with transcendental meaning and cathartic energy. It is established that the spiritual music of the Orthodox tradition functions as a form …

The Orthodox Parish And Community: A Reflection On The Post-Totalitarian Model Of Identity In Bulgaria, Presb. Sava (Shtoni) Kokoudev

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article examines parish multifaceted identities and its function as a Eucharistic community, while also exploring its cultural, and historical influences in post-totalitarian context. The study delineates two identities and ecclesiological models—liturgical and institutional—to facilitate comparative analysis. The confusion and mixture of these models has caused a loss of parish community identity and function, which is evident in contemporary post-totalitarian status quo. Important issue is the restoration of the Orthodox Church’s authentic catholic identity (ɫɴɛɨɪɧɨɫɬ). This predicament gives rise to the second challenge of revitalizing liturgical life in parishes and reestablishing communion between bishops, priests, and laypeople. It also necessitates …

The Idea Of A Just Peace In Christian Social Ethics And The Possibility Of Its Implementation In The Context Of The Russian-Ukrainian War, Iryna Fenno

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

This research examines the concept of just peace, which is most often discussed in the public sphere, particularly among political and religious circles, in the context of the Russian-Ukrainian war. After analyzing Christian discourse on war and peace—including extreme pacifism, the idea of a just war, and just peacemaking—the author argues that the idea of a just peace is the most effective response. Through an analysis of sociological surveys, the article reveals Ukrainian society's attitudes toward the idea of just peace and demonstrates a direct correlation between these attitudes and political events on the international stage. Nevertheless, the mechanisms and …

Mollusks From Crusader-Period ‘Akko, The Knights’ Hotel Site, Inbar Ktalav

'Atiqot

This study analyzes mollusk remains collected during the 2007 excavation season at the Knights’ Hotel site in ‘Akko, which was part of a Crusader-period residential neighborhood. A total of 538 shells were identified, including marine shells from the Mediterranean and Red Seas, freshwater shells and land snails. The analysis of these shells sheds light on the lives of the Crusader-period residents of ‘Akko, including their trade connections and use of shells for construction, ornamentation, pigment containers and raw material for the inlay industry.

Middle Bronze Age Human Skeletal Remains From Nahal Rimmonim, Yossi Nagar

'Atiqot

The excavation at Nahal Rimmonim yielded the remains of seven individuals interred in jar burials and a grave dating, respectively, to Middle Bronze Age I–II and III. The MB I–II storage-jar burials were uncovered in a residential area, comprising three infants—a well-documented trait of the period. The MB III remains include the primary burial of four individuals in stone-built graves: three adults and a child aged three–four years.

Nahal Rimmonim: An Intermediate–Middle Bronze Age Village And Pottery Workshop In The Jezreel Valley, Karen Covello-Paran, Yotam Tepper

'Atiqot

The excavations at Naḥal Rimmonim exposed a stratified rural settlement spanning the Intermediate and Middle Bronze Age III. Stratified remains—including domestic structures, installations, a pottery workshop and burials—demonstrate diachronic shifts in site function and organization. The Intermediate Bronze Age strata exhibit substantial domestic activity with evidence of localized adaptation to marshy conditions. In the Middle Bronze Age I–II phases, a specialized potters’ workshop and later domestic structures highlight evolving intrasite spatial planning and craft production, likely tied to economic interactions with nearby Tel Megiddo. Elite tombs with prestige goods from the Middle Bronze Age III, signal socioeconomic ties to urban …

Secondary Use Of Textiles For Wick Production In Light Of The Finds From The Intermediate Bronze Age Cemetery At Newe Efrayim, Naama Sukenik, Yonah Maor, Yaniv Agmon, Yossi Elisha, Gilad Itach

'Atiqot

Three Intermediate Bronze Age wicks discovered in the Newe Efrayim cemetery constitute some of the earliest known archaeological evidence of wick use, an essential object for lighting, yet lacking distinctive features, as it was intended to be burned, making it a rare find. The exceptional preservation of the wicks sheds light on both preservation issues and the technological aspects of wick production in antiquity. The wicks were made from textiles, indicating the maximal reuse of a valuable raw material after it had served its original purpose. These finds offer evidence of material recycling in the ancient world. It is likely …

The Development Of Tin Bronze In The Southern Levant During The Bronze Age, Ilana Peters, Yotam Asscher, Naama Yahalom-Mack

'Atiqot

The paper surveys the development of the use of tin bronze in the Southern Levant, outlining its emergence in the late Early Bronze Age until its eventual predominance in the Late Bronze Age. As there are no tin or arsenical copper sources in the region, the paper discusses the potential sources based on archaeological and textual evidence, including recent analytical data, reflecting a possible correlation between the changes in metal sources and the shift from arsenical copper to tin bronze.

Distributed Sovereignty: Law, Community, And Authority In The Political Theories Of Al-Māwardī, Al-Juwaynī, And Al-Fārābī, Ahmet Çelik

Dissertations - ALL

ABSTRACT This dissertation examines the concept of sovereignty in classical Islamic political thought through a comparative analysis of three major thinkers—al-Māwardī (d. 450/1058), al-Juwaynī (d. 478/1085), and al-Fārābī (d. 339/950)—each representing a distinct epistemic tradition: jurisprudence (fiqh), speculative theology (kalām), and philosophy (falsafa). Employing a conceptual and textual methodology, the study reconstructs a theory of distributed sovereignty in Islamic thought, in which political authority is not centralized in a singular sovereign but dispersed across three interrelated domains: legitimate authority, lawgiving, and governance. Drawing on primary texts—including al-Aḥkām al-Sulṭāniyya, Tashīl al-Naẓar, Ghiyāth al-Umam, al-Madīna al-Fāḍila, al-Siyāsa al-Madanīyya, Kitāb al-Milla, and Iḥṣāʾ …

Fertile, Social, Dangerous, Sacred, Gift, And System: Religion, Salt City Harvest Farm, And The Future Of Human Shit, Sarah Elizabeth Nahar

Dissertations - ALL

Shit, the taboo term for the human excreta that exits the anus, can be understood as sacred. Shitting, the vulgar verb to describe the act of discarding solid excreta, can likewise be understood as religious ritual activity. This counters the Dominant Social Paradigm (DSP) in the United States (US) of the placement of shit as profane, and shitting as unceremonial. An aim of this dissertation is to reclaim the word shit from the realm of what the DSP has rendered invisible and unspeakable, and spark rigorous academic discussion about it in the context of Religion and Environmental Studies. The DSP …

Dragon Guitars And Sexy Zombies: Tracing The Meta-Motion Of The Naga Motif In Northeast Thailand, Aaron Michael Stanley

Dartmouth College Master’s Theses

Abstract

This thesis traces the evolving symbolism of the Naga motif (a mythic water serpent) in Northeast Thailand through a framework I call meta-motion, which maps symbolic persistence of this cultural signifier and boundary marker across four cultural horizons—animist (Z), Hindu–Khmer (B), Buddhist (A), and modern/global (C). Like electrons in quantum super position, symbolic motifs circulate as overlapping “waves” of potential meaning and are concretized into cultural “particles” only when recruited for specific ritual, commercial, or political purposes. I add a bookend extension to Chang’s Hindu-Buddhist (B/A) typology with the addition of Horizons Z and C in order to make …

A Place For Ancient Philosophy In Axial Age Historiography, John R. Shook

Comparative Philosophy

Long-standing debates over historiographical approaches to the Axial Age have distracted the history of philosophy from its own disciplined inquiry into the breadth and depth of ancient thought beyond the Greeks. The philosopher Karl Jaspers offered a vista for seeing commonalities among ancient innovations and discerning continuities along history to modern times. That dual agenda divided Axial historiography with the question of whether axiality reflects creativities of ancient systems or have modern reflections created images of axiality. A singular chronology for humanity encourages a mode of philosophical history open to providential designs, epochal turns, spiritual evolutions, psychological leaps, or cognitive …

Moral And Ethical Nature In Confucian Liang-Zhi And Islamic Fitra: Comparative Perspectives On Innate Morality, Yanrong Shi

Comparative Philosophy

This article offers a comparative philosophical analysis of Confucian liang-zhi (innate moral knowledge) and Islamic fitra(primordial nature), focusing on their accounts of innate morality and moral epistemology. Drawing on classical Confucian sources—especially the praxis-oriented interpretation of Wang Yangming—and foundational Islamic texts and commentary, the study demonstrates that both traditions posit an inborn moral faculty grounding ethical universality and responsibility. Wang Yangming’s liang-zhi is conceived as an innate moral principle that, under the imperative of zhi (to actualize or extend), is continually activated through moral practice. In parallel, fitra is understood as a God-given orientation to truth, cultivated and safeguarded through …

Visio Dei, Vision Pro: Beatific Vision And Technological Singularity, John Paul Arceno

Liberty Theological Review

This paper offers a retrieval of the classical Christian theology of beatific vision. The reason behind this is the challenges posed by the progress of digital technology, including Artificial Intelligence, Virtual Reality, and robotics, which are prevalent today. This rapid progress somehow threatens the classical view of beatific vision with its version of technological singularity. Hence, the retrieval of the beatific vision, which is grounded in divine ontology, is much needed. The paper is divided into three parts: (1) Visio Dei, which discusses the doctrine of beatific vision, (2) Vision Pro, which discusses technological singularity, and (3) conclusion, which …

In Grief We Need Each Other, Derek Schuurman

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

In the face of grief, human connections provide a far deeper comfort than new AI developments.

A Teleoisrael And The Μυστήριον Of Mercy: The Identity Of Πᾶς Ἰσραήλ And The Apocalyptic Realignment Of God’S Covenant People In Romans 9–11, James Matthew Nowotny

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation explores the meaning of Paul's assertion in Romans 11:26 that "all Israel will be saved," situating it within the broader theological and literary context of Romans 9–11. The study addresses the complex question of Israel’s identity in Paul’s writings, arguing that Paul envisions a future eschatological salvation for ethnic Israel that coheres with God’s covenantal promises while incorporating Gentile believers into the redemptive plan through union with Christ. Utilizing exegetical analysis, intertextual engagement with the Old Testament, and investigation of Second Temple Jewish conceptions of Israel, the study proposes a nuanced model termed TeleoIsrael—a theological construct reflecting the …

An Implementation Of Theological Concepts: Bridging The Gap From Childhood To Adult Christian Education, Lajune A. White

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

New Jerusalem Church has the pleasure of teaching Bible stories in the children’s church and Sunday school. However, after the children age out of these spaces, they do not transition to the adult classes; they sit in the hallways. Suppose they continue this practice after aging out of the children’s classification and do not engage with fellow believers in the discipleship process. Will they remain connected to their faith-based community? The problem is whether their behavior is due to the absence of theological content in the Bible curriculum used to teach them in children’s church and Sunday school. The purpose …

Jesus's Theology Of Human Value Through The Use Of Rhetorical Speech In Luke 15, Daniel E. Butler

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study is framed by the concept of Jesus’s theology of human value as articulated through rhetorical speech, with a particular focus on the stories presented in Luke 15. It seeks to examine the narratives of the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the father with his two sons, analyzing the rhetorical strategies employed by Jesus and the discursive constructions crafted by the evangelist Luke. Through this hermeneutical approach, the research explores how these stories convey theological messages concerning human worth, divine compassion, and the redemptive nature of God’s engagement with humanity. Rhetorical analysis, or rhetorical criticism, serves as a …

Voice Of My People: An Expression Of Welcome And Liturgical Justice For Afrodiasporic People In North American Catholicism, Marvand Roger Holland Ii

Doctor of Pastoral Music Projects and Theses

Music has always been central to the lives of Black people. The Black religious experience is even more profound when expressed through music. It is therefore no happenstance that music is of great import as pertains to the spiritual lives of Black people, including Black Catholics. Faith is expressed through culture. It is through culture that the faith is realized and known. In this, is the essence of inculturation.

Anscar Chupungco states that if not inculturated, the liturgy of the local Church will remain at the periphery of people’s cultural experience. For this reason, it is imperative that Afrodiasporic music …