Digital Commons Network^™

Unique Challenges In State Defense Force Chaplaincy, J. Todd Smith

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

As the impact and effectiveness of traditional ministry wanes in this current culture, the influence of chaplaincy is expanding and making new inroads into numerous fields, including business, sports, health care, and the military. Chaplaincy’s commitment to pluralism and emphasis on spirituality instead of denominationalism makes it the perfect vehicle for ministry to this seemingly secular population still searching for meaning, purpose, and connection. These chaplains must be well trained for these serious moments in time and the lives of individuals. State Defense Forces are the nation’s least-known uniformed service and, therefore, lack the resources and funding of other services …

The Resurrection And The Witness, Michael A. Thomas

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The thesis project aims to educate and equip New Life Christian Church (NLCC) and Eagle View Christian School (EVCS) leaders to use biblically fundamental arguments and theories about Christ’s Resurrection to defend its merits against contemporary cultural objections. The study employed the quantitative design method to gather information through a survey utilizing open and closed-ended questions with a convenient sample of thirty-eight participants from the NLCC and EVCS population. As leaders teach, others become effective witnesses of Christ’s Resurrection, equipping them to implement the teachings of Mathew 28:19-20 and 1 Peter 3:15 in their witness and defense of the gospel’s …

The Therapeutic Church, Isidro Morell

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This project aims to develop Nexus Point Church as a therapeutic environment. The Therapeutic Church environment is a supportive community, one member to another, ministering to each other empathetically, not service dependent or a dispenser of services. It is “Pew Neighbor” supportive and crisis intervention ready. The Therapeutic Church provides a therapeutic environment that heals interactively in spirit, mind, body, and relationship to improve the quality of life for the church member and those seeking help. This project identifies members as “Pew Neighbors” due to the proximity and continual closeness shared with those within the church community. Pew neighbors serve …

Hand In Hand, Winter 2023

Hand in Hand

A newsletter published for Deaf Catholics in Milwaukee, WI

Hand in Hand Finding Aid

The Bible And Normative Experiences Of Queer Marriage In The United States: The Interconnected Influences Of Scripture, Law, And Queer Context, Ross H. Potter Jr.

Theses

This thesis explores the relational influences between scripture, law, and queer context as they drive understandings of queer marriage norms in the United States. Emphasis is placed on the role that particular scriptures play in teasing out meaning from the various lived experiences of queer communities over the last century. These lived experiences, in turn, have influenced both approaches to scriptural interpretation and religious and legal norms surrounding the acceptance of queer people and their marriages within society. By utilizing queer biblical interpretation in dialogue with these influential biblical passages and legal and social norms that have developed in the …

Reevaluating The God-Human Relationship Through The Psychological Origin Of Sin: A Comparative Theology Of Schleiermacher And Kierkegaard On The Doctrine Of Sin, Brandon Tsark

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In his The Concept of Anxiety, Kierkegaard’s decision to have Haufniensis acknowledge Schleiermacher’s contribution to the doctrine of sin continues to raise questions regarding Schleiermacher’s influence on Kierkegaard’s intellectual development. These questions also serve to underscore the general need to locate Kierkegaard properly within the larger context of religious and theological studies in the nineteenth century. Our project here seeks to address these questions with a comparative theology of Schleiermacher and Kierkegaard on the Christian doctrine of sin. I argue that Kierkegaard is right to credit Schleiermacher as a source of inspiration in The Concept of Anxiety because of …

Discursive Struggles Reflected In The Communication Of Conservative Christian Parents And Their Adult Children With Differing Religious Beliefs And Values, Braedon G. Worman

Department of Communication Studies: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Nearly half of American adults no longer believe in their childhood faiths (Pew Research Center, 2015). The steady decline of Christianity could have considerable impacts on family life (Pew Research Center, 2022). From a postmodern critical perspective and guided by Relational Dialectics Theory 2.0, the researcher sought to discern how conservative Christian parents and their adult children with differing religious beliefs and values communicated when they discussed these differences, as well as to identify the discourses that informed and were reflected in their talk and illustrate how these discourses interplayed and animated the meaning of participants’ Christian family identities. The …

Alfred Russel Wallace Notes 28. Wallace's 'Change Of Mind', Revisited, Charles H. Smith

Faculty/Staff Personal Papers

Alfred Russel Wallace (1823−1913) is best known for his work on the theory of evolution by natural selection, and studies on biogeography. This fame has not, however, prevented appraisals of his work that sometimes depart from rational interpretations of his actual words. In this study, the frequently-offered notion that his adoption of spiritualism in late 1866 caused him to reverse himself on the universality of natural selection is taken to task, with arguments linked to his own words on the subject.

Full Issue

Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Hugh Nibley Tapes

Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

In 1954, Hugh Nibley gave a series of KSL radio lectures titled "Time Vindicates the Prophets." Nibley shows consistencies between the LDS Church and the early Christian Church and documents the process whereby early Christianity changed into an institution teaching the learning of men. This set of sixteen hours of taped lectures, which retail at $49.95, is available for a limited time for $29.95.

Friends Of Farms

Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

F.A.R.M.S. is currently organizing the Friends of F.A.R.M.S., a group of serious fund-raisers who will help us increase an endowment for the Foundation. The participants will make a commitment of what they will do each year to help the Foundation, such as raising a specific dollar amount or contacting a certain number of potential donors. F.A.R.M.S. will supply selected materials published each year to the participants to promote the Foundation and to keep for their own use.

Aids To Your Old Testament Study

Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

To help both the student and instructor of the Old Testament, F.A.R.M.S. will make available for a limited time the following works that contain information on biblical history, symbols, narrative, religious festivals and holy days, social institutions, and other related biblical themes.

Depaul Digest

DePaul Magazine

College of Education Professor Jason Goulah fosters hope, happiness and global citizenship through DePaul’s Institute for Daisaku Ikeda Studies in Education. Associate Journalism Professor Jill Hopke shares how to talk about climate change. News briefs from DePaul’s 10 colleges and schools: Occupational Therapy Standardized Patient Program, Financial Planning Certificate program, Business Education in Technology and Analytics Hub, Racial Justice Initiative, Teacher Quality Partnership grant, Intimate Partner Violence and Brain Injury collaboration, School of Music Career Closet, Sports Photojournalism course, DePaul Migration Collaborative’s Solutions Lab, Inclusive Screenwriting courses. New appointments: School of Music Dean John Milbauer, College of Education Dean Jennifer …

Vulnerability In Times Of War: The Necessity Of The Moral Third, Hille Haker

Theology: Faculty Publications and Other Works

Vulnerability as a critique of the one-sidedness of the principle of autonomy is at risk of overemphasizing the positive dimension of vulnerability. Moreover, in the discourse on vulnerability, the threat of dehumanization (or moral vulnerability) has not been scrutinized enough ethically. Therefore, the ethics of vulnerability is insufficient when faced with the force of war that requires the conceptualization of vulnerability for political-ethics. The Russian war in Ukraine demonstrates this weakness in a striking way: the called-for openness to the other as well as an active form of nonviolence, as promoted by Judith Butler, may not be an option in …

Book Review: Disability: Living Into The Diversity Of Christ's Body, Ron Bruner

Discernment: Theology and the Practice of Ministry

Disability: Living into the Diversity of Christ’s Body, by Brian Brock. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic. 180 pages, $21.99.

A Divine Assignment: Church Supports For Caretakers And Children Impacted By Disabilities, Pamela Scretchen

Discernment: Theology and the Practice of Ministry

How can the church provide leadership in the area of inclusion and offer families a place of refuge and support? How does the church care for and teach children with disabilities? As a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst, I have partnered with congregations to start programs for families impacted by disabilities. Here, we show how a family affected by Autism Spectrum Disorder challenged their church to provide a sustainable program. There is hope that the church can lead inclusion efforts and develop special needs support for caretakers. The article reveals one family’s journey in returning to worship with their autistic son and …

The Next Right Step: A Case Study In Listening For Change When Overwhelmed By Reality, Ashley Crisp, Ashley Stirman

Discernment: Theology and the Practice of Ministry

In late 2021, two ministers at Highland Church of Christ began a conversation about accessibility and inclusion, primarily aimed at children’s and student’s ministries. The two ministers knew they were adequately able to serve the children and students at Highland that required additional support, but that it was not a sustainable system. They set out on a year-long process of acquiring information, resources, and fresh ideas, in the hopes that these would provide the answer they had been searching for. In late 2022, the answer to their problem became clear: they needed to listen to the people in front of …

The Spiritual Impact Of Disability On Parents And Caregivers, Grant Azbell

Discernment: Theology and the Practice of Ministry

This study was designed to examine the impact of disability on the faith and faith communities of parents and caregivers of persons experiencing disability. This study proceeded by asking nine parents or caregivers of persons experiencing disability a series of seven questions to evaluate the impact of disability on their faith and on their relationship to their faith community. The interviews were conducted on Zoom and the recordings were transcribed and coded to observe discernable patterns and themes amongst the participants. What emerged from the data is important for ministers, church leaders, and anyone wanting to know more about the …

Full Issue

Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Mormon Studies Center Created In Great Britain

Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

Nottingham University has established a Centre for Mormon Studies, which is a good sign of the Church's increased visibility-and to some extent acceptability-in Great Britain. The Church Educational System has provided them a basic library of Church-related materials, with the logistical support of the local CES coordinator, Brother David Cook.

References To Abraham Found In Two Egyptian Texts, John Gee

Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

After years of going unnoticed, significant references to Abraham have recently surfaced in two Egyptian texts. They provide important links between father Abraham and Facsimiles 1 and 2 in the Pearl of Great Price. The two references are found in papyri catalogued as Leiden 1 383 and I 384. Both texts come from Thebes and date to about the same time as the Joseph Smith papyri.

Full Issue

Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Book News

Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

Those of you who ordered copies of Temple and Cosmos should have received your orders by now. Manufacturing problems experienced by Deseret Book delayed the release of this new volume in the Collected Works of Hugh Nibley, but we think you will agree that the final product was worth the wait. Already we are receiving enthusiastic comments about the quality of the illustrations and the depth of Nibley's analysis. If early trends are any indication, this should be one of the most popular volumes in the series.

Broadcast Of Nibley Book Of Mormon Class Begins In Ca

Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

The Hugh Nibley Book of Mormon class that is being broadcast in Utah by KBYU (channel 11 at 5:00 P.M. on Sundays) is now available in Orange County, California, on Dimension Cable (channel 48 at 8:00 P.M. on Mondays). This public service by Dimension Cable makes available to a new audience a weekly broadcast of Nibley's insights into the Book of Mormon.

Engaging Imaginations: C. S. Lewis And The Need For Stronger Spells, Justin Bailey

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

No abstract provided.

Panikkar On Mysticism As A Middle Way Between Contemplation And Action, Abraham Velez De Cea

EKU Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Panikkar’s philosophy of mysticism is best understood as an attempt to overcome monistic and dualistic ways of thinking about the divine, human beings and the universe. Mysticism, for Panikkar, is irreducible to either monistic experiences of oneness without a second or to dualistic experiences where the divine is seen as wholly other. Rather, mysticism relates to holistic experiences of Reality and Life where the divine, the universe and human consciousness are seen as distinct yet constitutively interrelated. Mysticism has often been based on dualistic views of this life and the next, worldly existence and heavenly existence, the material and the …

The Lion's Country: C.S. Lewis's Theory Of The Real By Charlie W. Starr, Mark-Elliot Finley

Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature

Book review for Charlie Starr's The Lion's Country: C.S. Lewis's Theory of Reality

"It Is 'About' Nothing But Itself": Tolkienian Theology Beyond The Domination Of The Author, Tom Emanuel

Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature

There is a broad stream of Christian interpretation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s fiction, especially The Lord of the Rings, which views it as the intentionally, essentially Christian work of an intentionally, essentially Christian author. This reductive, exclusivist approach does not do justice to the complex, generative interactivity between Tolkien’s faith, the faith of his readers (or lack thereof), and the text itself. Building on work by Veryln Flieger, Michael Drout, and Robin A. Reid, this paper interrogates how Christian Tolkien scholarship drafts Tolkien the human sub-creator to perform Foucault’s author-function by suppressing his contradictions and painting a figure whose life …

Belonging In Unashamed Authenticity, Nathan R. Kitchen

Together We RISE (Making Excellence Inclusive)

In 2020, the UCLA School of Law’s Williams Institute reported that 47% of LGBTQ adults were moderately or highly religious. This equates to 5.3 million religious LGBTQ adults in America. We cannot ignore this population.

When making the transition into young adulthood, many religious LGBTQ youth feel they must make a choice between their spiritual well-being or their queerness. As a university community interested in the success of the rising generation, we can provide support for religious queer young adults through understanding:

1. What is happening in this transition and why,

2. The well-being needs of religious queer young adults …

"It's Good To Doubt Saints, Vladim.": Medieval Constructions Of Sainthood, Their Histories, And Their Cults In Leigh Bardugo's Shadow And Bone, Kacie Barrett

Master's Theses

The Grishaverse is the fictional world created by author Leigh Bardugo that encompasses three separate series and ten different books. First published in 2012, the Shadow and Bone trilogy introduces readers to the world of Ravka, its Grisha, and its saints. The story follows Alina as she moves from orphan and soldier to saint and martyr. Sankta Alina becomes a character of its own – a version of Alina communicated to the people of Ravka as a banner to rally behind. She is made into living saint. The questions raised by Leigh Bardugo are echoed in church history. Sainthood is …