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Joseph B. Keeler, Print Culture, And The Modernization Of Mormonism, 1885-1918, David J. Whittaker

BYU Studies

The years flanking the start of the twentieth century represented a time of transition for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Seventy years old in 1900, the Church and the larger Mormon society in which it resided still displayed much of their traditional character. Although some members congregated in urban densities that edged out along the Wasatch Front from Salt Lake City (Utah’s capital and the Church’s headquarters), most still lived in small, relatively self-contained agricultural communities in the Great Basin’s interior. Wherever they lived, however, they expected charismatic leaders to continue organizing the Church, directing devotional life, …

And I Heard 'Em Say: Listening To The Black Prophetic, Cameron J. Cook

Pomona Senior Theses

This thesis aims to explore how conceptions of the black prophetic tradition, as discussed by thinkers Cornel West and George Shulman, might be expanded into the realm of African American musical traditions and genres. I argue that musical genres like the blues and hip-hop function as an affective discourse that aesthetically, politically and religiously function as sites of resistance to white supremacy and provide alternate pathways to liberation as compared to more canonical instantiations of the black prophetic. In particular I provide close readings of performances and art by Nina Simone and Kanye West.

Being Human: Groundwork For A Theological Anthropology For The 21st Century, Thomas Ryan

Theology Papers and Journal Articles

No abstract provided.

Up From Sea And Earth: Revelation 13:1, 11 In Context, Hugo Antonio Cotro

Dissertations

The wide spectrum of usually unreconcilable ways sea and earth have been interpreted in Revelation 13: 1 and 11, as chapter 2 exposes, prompts questions such as What did John mean in Rev 13:1, 11 by coming up from the sea and the earth or land? What could his original addressees have understood when they heard it for the first time? These are the basic questions this dissertation aims to answer through a reconstruction of the original context shared by John and his first-century Asian audience, and, in that light, of the sources he most probably used to paint his …

A Study On The Influence Of Philosophical Presuppositions Relating To The Notion Of The God-Human Relation Upon The Interpretation Of Exodus, Tiago Arrais

Dissertations

Abstract

No exegesis or act of interpretation is presuppositionless. Accordingly, this study addresses the question of the influence of philosophical presuppositions upon the interpretation of the God-human relation in Exodus.

Chapter 1 provides a brief introduction to why such analysis is necessary. The chapter explores the neglected issue of presuppositions in exegesis and why Exodus is an appropriate platform upon which to evaluate them. This introductory chapter also presents the purpose and methodological approach of this study, namely, the descriptive analysis of the text.

Chapter 2 addresses the philosophical issues behind the conception of the God-human relation, namely the notion …

Cleansing The Common: A Narrative-Intertextual Study Of Mark 7:1-23, Eike Arend Mueller

Dissertations

The conflict story of Mark 7:1–23 between Jesus and the religious leaders over the issue of defilement is the meeting point of a variety of disciplines: Purity studies, Jewish studies, exegetical studies, Historical Jesus studies, and studies on Jesus and the law. The crux of the passage, the meaning of the parable in v. 15 and the ensuing “cleansing” in v. 19, has been interpreted very differently. Scholars doing exegetical studies and studies on the relationship between Jesus and the law have maintained that the Gospel writer correctly reflects in 7:19 the meaning of Jesus’ parable (7:15), abrogating the clean/unclean …

An Analysis And Response To The Fear Of Evil Spiritual Forces Among Kamba Christians In The Light Of Biblical And Ellen G. White Teachings, Joseph Mutune Ndisya

Dissertations

This research aimed to discover whether there are any reasons from the Scriptures and writings of Ellen G. White regarding fear of evil spiritual forces. Thus research aims to understand the historical, cultural and religious reasons Kamba Christians frequently live in fear and dual allegiance. Biblical solutions will be suggested to permanently eliminate that fear. Fear is often so great that born-again Christians carry protective devices and practices which they believe will ward off the invading evil spiritual forces.

The Old Testament writings were examined to see how God wanted His people to relate to any evil power. The Old …

Revelation 6:9-11: An Exegesis Of The Fifth Seal In The Light Of The Problem Of The Eschatological Delay, Patrice Allet

Dissertations

The fifth seal of Revelation has most often been treated from an anthropological perspective that appears to be clearly inadequate to account for the depth of this trigger passage located in a climactic setting. In and around the fifth seal, the text suggests indeed that the persecution of the last days has occurred. Imminence and delay do seem to intersect in the passage, creating a crisis of eschatological proportions which, in turn, raises questions of theodicy.

The purpose of this dissertation is to increase understanding of the fifth seal as a whole through a focused study of its delay motif …

Union With Christ In The Writings Of Ellen G. White, Katrina B. Blue

Dissertations

Building on the work of nineteenth-century theologian Augustus Strong, five historical approaches to union with Christ identified by Bruce Demarest in the late twentieth century include: an ontological union, a sacramental union, a covenantal union, a moral or filial union and an experiential union. Given the identification of multiple approaches to union with Christ, my dissertation attempts to clarify Ellen G. White’s concept of union with Christ using Demarest’s categories as an evaluation tool. I traced the development of her writings on union with Christ from 1860 to 1898 to ask whether White’s approach is best described as an ontological, …

Theology And Ideology Critique, Silas M. Morgan

Dissertations

In modern philosophy, the concept of ideology has been a problem for the relationship of theology to politics. Especially in its Marxist usage, “ideology” refers to a specific effect that theology has in modern society so as to conceal or hide the material facticity that shapes human life and practical activity. This is one of the many reasons why theology, even in its political form, has not taken up “ideology” as a matter inherent to its critical form. The absence of theoretical attention to ideology in theology itself has led to the deficit of immanent critique, especially in political theology. …

Social Justice And Ecological Responsibility: A Moral Case For International Collaborative Action On Environmental Degradation And Climate-Induced Displacement, James Stephen Mastaler

Dissertations

The contemporary ecological crisis, manifest in human-induced climate change, is a powerful form of structural violence against the poorest communities on the planet. As such, my research resides at the nexus of structural poverty, gender disparity, ecological degradation, and climate-induced displacement. The social justice implications emerging from this nexus require responsible moral deliberation and discernment over the international community's role in minimizing the human tragedies accompanying forced displacement and migration. While asserting the interconnectedness and dependency of all life upon mutual flourishing, responsible decision-making expands the range of felt moral concern to include ecological flourishing. Social justice is only possible …

Roman Catholic Teaching On International Debt: Toward A New Methodology For Catholic Social Ethics And Moral Theology, M. Therese Lysaught

Institute of Pastoral Studies: Faculty Publications and Other Works

No abstract provided.

Maurice Blondel: Precursor Of The Second Vatican Council, Peter J. Bernardi Sj

Theology: Faculty Publications and Other Works

The ecclesial renewal promoted by the Second Vatican Council would not have been possible without the intrepid labors of Catholic theologians, philosophers, and pastors in the decades preceding the Council. Among these Catholic visionaries, the French Catholic philosopher Maurice Blonde! (1861-1949) rnerits special recognition. He had a decisive impact on ressourcement theologians who helped to draft the conciliar documents. Blondel's influence is especially evident in their critique of conceptual rationalism that marked the pre-conciliar scholastic manuals, in the articulation of a richer understanding of the Church's tradition, and in the Council's teaching of a unitary human destiny. Blondel's thought contributed …

Seventh-Day Adventist Dissertations And Theses In Religion, Jón Hjörleifur Stefánsson, Terry Dwain Robertson

Faculty Publications

A bibliography of theses and dissertations completed by students at Seventh-day Adventist institutions of Higher Education through 2012. The bibliography is a work in progress, and is not complete. Challenges continue with the representation of non-Roman fonts and diacritics, so authors and titles with these issues may not be listed at this time. It is the goal to include all works in the bibliography.

Profit Maximization And The Death Of God: Theology And Economics In Benedict Xvi's Charity In Truth, D. Stephen Long

Theology Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Towards A More Indigenous African Catholicism: Insights From Lonergan's Notion Of Culture, Joseph Ogbonnaya

Theology Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Catholic Theology And The Enlightenment (1670–1815), Ulrich Lehner

Theology Faculty Research and Publications

This chapter examines the Catholic Church’s engagement with the Enlightenment from 1670–1815. It considers Catholic philosophies of the Enlightenment and new conceptualizations of natural law. The chapter also explores Catholic exegetical discussions during the period, showing how Enlightenment concerns enabled new styles of attention to the Scriptural text, new Patristic scholarship, and the origins of the later liturgical movement. Jansenist and Gallican theologies stimulated reflection on eccelesiology and the papacy, and a variety of thinkers developed new theologies of the state, and of the economy. This period also saw the rise of the Catholic ultramontanism that was to mark Church …

"Return To Your Baptism Daily": Baptism And Christian Life, Susan K. Wood

Theology Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

African Liberative Theologies, Joseph Ogbonnaya

Theology Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Expanding The Horizon Of Kant’S Ethics: Recent Interpretations Of The Foundations Of The Metaphysics Of Morals, Philip J. Rossi

Theology Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Inscrutable Providence: The Doctrine Of Divine Concurrence And The Theology Of Charles Hodge., Nathan J. Archer

CTS PhD Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation will discuss the doctrine of concurrence within the larger doctrine of providence. Although concurrence was once a key component of the doctrine of providence, it was difficult to maintain in a post-enlightenment theological and philosophical context, even for a Reformed thinker such as Charles Hodge. Although Hodge labored to explain the older formulation of this doctrine—especially as articulated by Francis Turretin—Hodge found concurrence problematic and did not commend its use. In addition to shifting philosophical sensibilities, concerns regarding pantheism were a significant reason why some nineteenth-century American Calvinists distanced themselves from concurrence. Nonetheless, Hodge’s theology stands largely in …

Revelation As Primal Sensing: A Theological Investigation Into The Interaction Between Christian Faith And African Religious Traditions., Philip M. Wandawa

CTS PhD Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation fills a gap in African Christian thought regarding the relationship between Christian faith and African traditions. The gap is that—notwithstanding the light shed on the relationship by the debate within the threefold typology (exclusivism, inclusivism, pluralism)—there is ambivalence in African Christian thought regarding the value of African religious traditions for Christian faith. This ambivalence is sometimes expressed in complaints by theologians against what appears to be either “syncretism,” “divided loyalties,” “religious schizophrenia,” or “double-mindedness” in African Christian religious experience and expression. In the view of this dissertation, the ambivalence in African Christian thought stems from the inability of …

A Qualitative Analysis Of Moral Leadership Crises In Kenyan Evangelical Churches As It Relates To Developing Authentic Leaders, Peter N. Mulinge

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This project addressed the moral leadership crises among the evangelical churches of Kenya. Evangelicalism is the fastest growing religious movement in Kenya, a country that already has Africa’s largest percentage of evangelicals overall. This makes it imperative to promote authentic leadership in Kenyan churches. But the concept of leadership development there is overlooked, and as a result churches suffer from a lack of authentic leaders. In this vacuum, Kenyan churches are heavily influenced by traditional African leadership models that can be authoritarian, hereditary, and overwhelmingly corrupt. The latest Corruption Perception Index of 2013, launched by the global agency of Transparency …

Disciplining Yoga: Foucauldian Themes In Sivananda Yoga Practice, Mark E. Eaton

Publications and Research

This paper considers the yoga practices at the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Center as “disciplinary” practices. Yoga has a long history of being interpreted as “discipline”; this paper will consider how it is disciplinary and what is being disciplined. To this end, this paper will frame Sivananda yoga as a discipline from two perspectives: Sarah Strauss’ characterization of yoga as an “oasis regime”; and Michel Foucault’s view of discipline as minute “carceral” elaborations of power. These approaches are contrasted and ultimately, following Foucault, yoga disciplines are understood as being constitutive of the subject. The disciplinary character of yoga at the Sivananda …

Masjids, Ashrams And Mazars: Transnational Sufism And The Bawa Muhaiyaddeen Fellowship, Merin Shobhana Xavier

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The Bawa Muhaiyaddeen Fellowship is a community that formed in relation to the Tamil teacher Muhammad Raheem Bawa Muhaiyaddeen (d. 1986). Bawa’s teachings attracted diverse followers- those with Islamic inclinations, those from Jewish, Hindu and Christian backgrounds, and those seeking to transcend religious creeds. With his passing and no appointed successor, the communities that developed during Bawa Muhaiyaddeen’s lifetime rely now on the institutions and spaces established by him. These include a mosque and burial shrine (mazar) in Pennsylvania and an ashram and shrine in Sri Lanka. This case study of the Bawa Muhaiyaddeen Fellowship and its parallel …

Problems Of Teaching Religion In Public Schools In Bulgaria Today: Retrospective And Prospective, Nonka Bogomilova

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

No abstract provided.

Robot Saints, Christopher B. Swift

Publications and Research

In the Middle Ages, articulating religious figures like wooden Deposition crucifixes and ambulatory saints were tools for devotion, techno-mythological objects that distilled the wonders of engineering and holiness. Robots are gestures toward immortality, created in the face of the undeniable fact and experience of the ongoing decay of our fleshy bodies. Both like and unlike human beings, robots and androids occupy a nebulous perceptual realm between life and death, animation and inanimation. Masahiro Mori called this in-between space the “uncanny valley.” In this essay I argue that unlike a modern person apprehending an android (the uncanny human-like object that resides …

Disrupting "Asian Religious Studies": Knowledge (Re)Production And The Co-Construction Of Religion In Singapore, Lily Kong

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

In this article, I begin with the position that knowledge production and reproduction is partial and situated. Through an examination of academic research on and teaching of religion in Singapore, I demonstrate how scholarly interventions at once re-present and conceal religion as experienced and lived. I posit that the partiality of such interventions is due to the influential official narrative about religion in Singapore, so that what is studied and taught reflects certain dimensions of religious life and religious-secular relations that dominate official discourse. In particular, through academic writing (and to a lesser extent, teaching), religion in Singapore is constructed …

Rebranding Religion, Parker Brown

Capstones

The Mormon church spends millions on focus group, lobby groups, surveys, public relations, and marketing, all to fix a single problem: When Americans are asked what they think of Mormons, fewer than 50% give a positive answer. This is the story of God-vertising, of what happens when the traditions of religion meet the proselyting tools of the modern world.

Into The Red: A Look Into The Reasons Why Refugees Decide To Flee, Settle Or Migrate To And From Morocco, Fadeelah E. Holivay

Master's Theses

This research paper explores some of the main reasons why refugees and asylum seekers, particularly from sub-Saharan African countries, embark on a journey and decide to settle, flee or migrate to and from Morocco. Because of this phenomenon, Morocco has seen a 96% increase of refugees migrating to the borders of Morocco each year for the past three years. Many say that this astonishing increase of migrants choosing Morocco is due to such factors as: wars breaking out regionally across central African and Middle Eastern countries causing them to flee; Morocco being a culturaly diverse francophone country whose laws and …