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Concordia Seminary Magazine Fall/Winter 2023, Vicki Biggs

Concordia Seminary Magazine

Sharing the Gospel. Sharing Our Lives.

Table Of Belonging: Exploring Social Reversal At St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Natalie Magnusson

DMin Project Theses

This January 2023 Doctor of Ministry project thesis at Lipscomb University explores the problem of a predominantly white, affluent Episcopal congregation confessing racial justice as a shared value while struggling to embody that conviction. The project pursues the following research question: How might a congregation of the most historically powerful, prominent, and affluent church in the U.S. imagine its life in the Jackson, MI community in light of Luke 14 and encounters with people who experience racial injustice? In the theological chapter, the Tower of Babel narrative in Genesis 11 and the Pentecost narrative in Acts 2 serve as interpretive …

God Games: An Experimental Study Of Uncertainty, Superstition, And Cooperation, Aidin Hajikhameneh, Laurence R. Iannaccone

Economics Faculty Articles and Research

This paper uses a novel lab experiment to test claims about the origins and functions of religion. We modify the standard public goods game, adding a computer-based agent that adjusts earnings in ways that might depend on players' contributions. Our treatments employ three different descriptions of the adjustment process that loosely correspond to monotheistic, atheistic, and agnostic interpretations of the computer's role. The adjustments neither mask players' contributions nor magnify their impact. Yet players in all three adjustment treatments contribute much more than those who play the standard public goods game. Players' contributions and survey responses show that adjustments induce …

Full Issue

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

No abstract provided.

New Book A Milestone In Mormon Studies, Louis C. Midgley

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

Latter-day Saint scholar Terryl L. Givens has recently made two extraordinary contributions to Mormon studies. The first, Viper on the Hearth: Mormons,Myths, and the Construction of Heresy, was published by the prestigious Oxford University Press in 1997 and received virtually uniformly glowing reviews. If one wishes to understand the complex of interests and motivations—pecuniary, personal, and ideological—that fuel both sectarian and secular anti-Mormonism, Viper is the book to consult. The editors at Oxford appreciated the merits of this well-written, informative book and invited Givens to publish again with them. The result is By the Hand of Mormon: The American Scripture …

Religious Community In A Digital World, Gordon A. Jensen

Consensus

No abstract provided.

The Body Of Christ Has Always Been A Virtual Body, Deanna A. Thompson

Consensus

No abstract provided.

Christian Life In Media Culture, Jeffrey H. Mahan

Consensus

No abstract provided.

Identity And Community In Digital Culture, Jeffrey H. Mahan

Consensus

No abstract provided.

Leadership And Authority In Digital Culture, Jeffrey H. Mahan

Consensus

No abstract provided.

The Eucharist Online: Learning From Communications Theory, David Harrison

Consensus

No abstract provided.

Learning From Buddhist Teachings And Ethical Practices In Qualitative Research, Pei-Jung Li

The Qualitative Report

This paper aims at conceptualizing research ethics in qualitative research with Buddhist teachings. As a Buddhist, I first introduce how Buddhism came to be central in my life and eventually influenced me as a qualitative researcher. I exemplify how the concepts of all-beings-are-equal, karma, the five precepts, and repentance might inspire a qualitative practice that centers ethics and informs a researcher’s interactions with participants. I suggest that researchers not only work on reflecting on their body (actions), speech (talk), and mind (thoughts) but more importantly, move beyond just reflection and reflexivity to facing and resolving “unwholesome” moments that may arise …

How Al-Farabi’S Interpretative Method Can Engage With Aristotle’S Method In Cognition And Practical Philosophy, Meysam Shirvani

Comparative Philosophy

Following Aristotle, al-Farabi divides philosophy into theoretical and practical each of which requires some specific methodology both in interpretation and cognition. Based on this division, there may arguably be four methodologies for four parts: 1) cognition of theoretical philosophy 2) interpretation of practical philosophy 3) cognition of practical philosophy 4) interpretation of practical philosophy. This paper focuses on the last one: the methodology of interpreting practical philosophy. Al-Farabi has an undeniably significant contribution to practical philosophy as a commentator on Greek philosophy and as a founder. In this paper, I investigate how al-Farabi (870-950 AD) read classical practical philosophy to …

Àṣẹ After Man: The Rupture Of The Christian-Colonial Project As Decolonial Ceremony, Eden Segbefia

Crossings: Swarthmore Undergraduate Feminist Research Journal

This project is a theoretical exploration of the Yoruba concept of àṣẹ and its role in unsettling the hierarchies imposed by Christian colonialism. Sylvia Wynter's explanation of the ways in which Christian colonialism has affected the very concept of Man proves crucial here. Àṣẹ is an example of a decolonial concept because of its ability to rearrange animacy, especially as it is conceived in Western European epistemology. Wynter and other interlocutors are utilized to support this argument and imagine new possibilities in considering the relationships between Christian colonialism, alterity, plasticity, and animacy.

“The Work We Came Here To Do”: Crossings, An Introduction, José E. Valdivia Heredia , '23

Crossings: Swarthmore Undergraduate Feminist Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Seeing And Unlearning Whiteness: A Mindfulness Workshop For Racial Justice, Emily Haranas

Mindfulness Studies Theses

Racism is a deeply embedded, foundational aspect of American society. However, because the privilege of Whiteness insulates White individuals from the workings of systemic injustice and oppression and enables them to choose the conditions of their accountability in the movement for racial justice, many remain painfully blind to this fact. As such, there is a significant need for those who have been racialized White to develop a critical awareness of the powers and privileges ascribed to their racial identity. The working premise of this thesis is that mindfulness can assist White individuals in unlinking the socialized habits of mind that …

Ethical Leadership: A Phenomenological Study Of Administrators' Principles For Ethical Decision-Making, Janice Marie Holmes

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenology research study was to examine the administrator’s ethical leadership principles and decision-making significance. The desired outcome of the study provided educator leaders in Christian universities and theology seminaries with information to improve their strategies when making ethical decisions and better safeguard their organizations against unethical behavior. The ability of a leader to make sound decision-making is essential to their ability to run any organization. The guiding theory of Kitchener’s five-model ethical leadership paradigm, which served as the basis for this investigation, was relevant based on the four research questions. The study utilized purposeful and …

Pressures Of African American Christian Women Who Serve As Leaders In A Secular Environment, Tania Yvette Cooper

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The pressures of African American Christian women (AACW) who function as leaders in a secular environment are unknown. This qualitative phenomenological study aimed to explore the experiences of AACW who lead in a secular environment in Eastern North Carolina under pressures such as stress and anxiety. Data received from conducting this qualitative study will reveal the perspectives of six AACW who function as leaders in a secular environment. It will reveal the causes for their pressures, their ways of coping with those issues, and their thoughts on ways to lessen stress while serving as an African American Christian (AAC) leader …

The Effects Of Postmodernism On Southern Baptist Churches And Teaching Of Biblical Truth: Quantitative Research Method, Darren Ray Mitchell

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Absolute truth has been denied within the current philosophical ideals as post-modern thought has sought to alter that concept by denying its existence (Siniscalchi, 2011). Post-modern thinking and philosophy have entered and influenced how some churches and denominations are teaching biblical truths and principles (Enns, 2008). The purpose of this phenomenological study is to explore how Southern Baptist pastors perceive any post-modern influences in their churches and its effect on how the church presents and teaches biblical truth. This study looks at post-modern thinking, how it has infiltrated the church, and how it has influenced how the church presents biblical …

Pastoral Counseling: African American Attitudes Toward Mental Healthcare, William Oliver Hansford Jr

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The perspectives of African Americans at the Highway to Heaven Ministry were evaluated using diverse theological concepts in this study. The findings of this study help in deciphering reasons why African Americans primarily choose traditional versus pastoral counseling. The results of the survey were based on the responses of 100 people, all of whom were members of the Highway to Heaven Ministry. Sixty-five women and 35 men, ranging in age from 18 to 88, were enrolled in the study. The data was collected using a well-prepared questionnaire to discover the participants' most heartfelt views regarding pastoral counseling and what motivates …

Generationally Speaking: A Review Of Speaking Across Generations, Todd Zuidema

Staff Work

"Sermons need to be written and delivered with an awareness of the unique cultural characteristics and stage of life needs that reside within the hearts and minds of those who are listening."

Posting about the book Speaking Across Generations 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.

https://inallthings.org/generationally-speaking-a-review-of-speaking-across-generations/

Language Translation In Localizing Religious Musical Practice, John Macinnis, Jeremy Perigo

Books by Dordt Authors

The focus of this Special Issue is language translation in the process of localizing religious musical practice. As an alternative to related concepts (such as contextualization and indigenization), musical localization is presented by ethnomusicologists Monique Ingalls, Muriel Swijghuisen Reigersberg, and Zoe Sherinian in Making Congregational Music Local in Christian Communities Worldwide (Routledge, 2018) as an effective way to account for the complex, diverse, and shifting ways in which religious communities embody what it means to be local through their musical practices: "Musical localization is the process by which Christian communities take a variety of musical practices - some considered 'indigenous, …

Girls’ Education And Child Marriage In Central Africa | Insights From Qualitative Fieldwork Part I: The Democratic Republic Of Congo, Geneviève Bagamboula Mayamona, Jean-Christophe Boungou Bazika, Quentin Wodon

Journal of Global Catholicism

Child marriage is defined as a formal or informal union before the age of 18. As in much of Sub-Saharan Africa, the prevalence of child marriage remains high in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in part because educational attainment for girls is too low. Based on qualitative fieldwork, this article looks at communities’ perceptions of child marriage and girls’ education and their suggestions for programs and policies that could improve outcomes for girls. The article also discusses potential implications for Catholic and other faith-based schools, as well as faith leaders.

The Parish Choir Movement And Generational Festivals In Romania’S Socialist Period: New Community Festivities In Transylvania’S Gheorgheni (Gyergyó) Region, Eszter Kovács

Journal of Global Catholicism

Among the post-1945 East European socialist regimes, Romania and Poland were the only countries where the Catholic Church—despite government interventions, controls, and bans—managed to play a significant social and political role in community life. This case study provides an ethnographic description of the parish choir movement and graduating class reunions, called “generational festivals” in Hungarian, in the Gheorgheni (Hu: Gyergyó) region in the 1970s and 1980s. The gatherings will be analyzed in the context of everyday life, the socialist system’s distinctive shortage economy, and official limits on religious activity that characterized the era. I will first describe the world of …

Overview & Acknowledgments, Marc Roscoe Loustau

Journal of Global Catholicism

No abstract provided.

Discovering The Means To Provide Mentorship For Post-Seminary Pastoral Formation From Apprentice To Craftsman: A Pastoral Journey, Paul Hass

Doctor of Ministry Major Applied Project

This project seeks to produce a distinct process for the discerning of who might best serve as mentors to those newly ordained. The process aims to allow for people in ecclesiastical leadership roles to discern which of the numerous available pastoral mentors might best be suited for fostering a long-term mentoring relationship to a newly ordained pastor. This project uses the results of qualitative research, drawn from interviews, to provide a matrix for evaluating potential mentors through the lens of the Adaptive Leadership model. The resulting evaluation process was ‘tested’ in a truncated format through the Office of the President …

Ghosts Of America's Past, Present, And Future: A Review Of Preparing For War, Scott Culpepper

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

"Despite our theologies of human sinfulness, we somehow thought people would prove better than that. They didn’t. The stakes are too high for complacency."

Posting about the book Preparing for War 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.

https://inallthings.org/ghosts-of-americas-past-present-and-future-a-review-of-preparing-for-war/

Is Biological Death Final? Recomputing The Drake-S Equation For Postmortem Survival Of Consciousness, Adam J. Rock, James Houran, Patrizio E. Tressoldi, Brian Laythe

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies Advance Publication Archive

This participatory team science project extended Laythe and Houran’s (2022) prior application of a famous probabilistic argument known as the ‘Drake equation’ to the question of postmortem survival. Specifically, we evaluated effect sizes from peer-reviewed, empirical studies to determine the maximum average percentage effect that ostensibly supports (i.e., "anomalous effects") or refutes (i.e., "known confounds") the survival hypothesis. But unlike the earlier application, this research included a study-specific estimate of the hypothesized variable of ‘living agent psi’ via a new meta-analysis of empirical studies (N = 17) with exceptional subjects vs participants from the general population. Our updated analysis found …

An Order (Rlte) Of Christian Initiation Of Adults Handbook For Directors, Coordinators And Team Ministers, Patricia M. Dudas

Master of Theological Studies Honors Theses

Vatican II called for a renewal of evangelization, catechesis, and liturgical celebration. The Catholic Church then wrote new rites for the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA). To help OCIA ministers get started with group formation on the journey of faith resulting in conversion and transformation of lives, an OCIA Handbook was written that explains how best to catechize: to discuss the Scripture with a focus on life experiences and Christian responses; to incorporate the Church’s doctrines and precepts; and, to involve more parishioners in the OCIA process to welcome new members and to reinvigorate the parish congregation’s faith.

Holy Heroes! Catholic Comics In Special Collections, Henry M. Handley, Stephanie Shreffler, Jillian M. Ewalt

Roesch Library Faculty Publications

This chapter considers the importance of Catholic comics in special collections and emphasizes their potential as multi-disciplinary research and teaching tools. The legacy of comics as Catholic educational literature, subjects of censorship, and political bellwethers in the United States make these visual texts rich in content for both special collections instruction and student scholarship. This article provides an overview of Catholic comics in special collections at the University of Dayton, a brief survey of the history of Catholic comics in the United States, and illustrates examples of active learning and research in special collections through two case studies. The authors …