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The Intellectual, Ethical, And, Spiritual Dimensions Of The Islamic Thought, Ambreen Sohani

Honors Theses

The intellectual inquiry and acquisition of knowledge have always been integral to Islam, right from the first revelation recorded by the Qur’an. This paper aims to examine how the origin, role, and purpose of intellect have been understood in Islamic thought from its inception and through its subsequent evolution. It further aims to discuss the role and purpose that intellect and ethics ought to serve in the faith and lives of contemporary Muslims. Muslim philosophers based their ideas on teachings of the Qur’an and teachings of Prophet Muhammad. They utilized their intellect to share this significant knowledge with their contemporary …

Central Sacrifice And The Sacrificial Other: A Thematic Comparison Of Anti-Judaic And Anti-Semitic Artwork Emerging In Germany, Madison Elizabeth Tarleton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study finds solace in image(s) more so than in written text(s) and the religious understanding of anti-Judaic and anti-Semitic distinction, rather than a historian's perspective. By utilizing both a religious and artistic lens, the images become the text from which the scholar(s) will study. Focusing exclusively on German image(s) and artwork, this study will span up to eight centuries, twelfth to nineteenth. A contemporary look at Medieval and later images will not explain the thoughts of those who originally saw them, but the images will raise their own set of emotions, understanding, and historical lineage, giving credence and validity …

Peder Borgen’S Bread From Heaven—Midrashic Developments In John 6 As A Case Study In John’S Unity And Disunity (A Foreword To Bread From Heaven), Paul N. Anderson

Faculty Publications - George Fox School of Theology

Among the weighty treatments of the Gospel of John over the last half-century, one of the most incisive has been Bread from Heaven, by Peder Borgen. As the unity and disunity of the Fourth Gospel had been debated extensively among Johannine scholars for the previous half-century, approaching this issue from a text-based comparative standpoint posed a new window through which one could assess key issues and contribute to the larger discussions. Whereas Rudolf Bultmann and Wilhelm Bousset had envisioned the context of John’s composition as Hellenistic Christianity leading into Gnostic trajectories, Borgen focused on particularly Jewish writings as John’s primary …

Sin And Its Place In The Experience Of Suffering: Presenting The Basis For A Sound Theodicy, Roman Wiens

Master's Theses

Topic

One of the most significant issues in theism is the obvious existence of evil and suffering. Thus many philosophers (especially Atheists) propose this fact alone negates the existence of an all-loving, omnipotent, and caring God. This attacks both the integrity of God and the coherence of the scriptural accounts. In response, theologians around the world proposed theodicies to show that the existence of a God, as portrayed in the Bible, is coherent with suffering in this world.

Purpose

The different approaches to this problem are categorized in four categories, outlined, and evaluated in one chapter about the most noteworthy …

Janus Parallelism In The Book Of Job: A Review Of Scott B. Noegel’S Work, Jeff Lindsay

Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship

Janus parallelism is a recently discovered tool evident in ancient Hebrew poetry. Like the two-faced Roman god Janus, Janus parallelism employs a Hebrew word with two meanings that faces two ways. One meaning of the word relates to the preceding text while the other meaning of the word relates to the following text. Examples of such wordplays have been found in many parts of the Old Testament, though the Book of Job appears to be especially rich in these sophisticated puns.1 A valuable tool for exploring the richness of Janus parallelism is Scott B. Noegel’s detailed work, Janus Parallelism in …

Judgment For The Saints: The Justice Of God In Psalms 3–14, Jerome Skinner

Papers

No abstract provided.

The King And The Land: A Geography Of Royal Power In The Biblical World, Stephen C. Russell

Publications and Research

The King and the Land offers an innovative history of space and power in the biblical world. Stephen C. Russell shows how the monarchies in ancient Israel and Judah asserted their power over strategically important spaces such as privately-held lands, religious buildings, collectively-governed towns, and urban water systems. Among the case studies examined are Solomon's use of foreign architecture, David's dedication of land to Yahweh, Jehu's decommissioning of Baal's temple, Absalom's navigation of the collective politics of Levantine towns, and Hezekiah's reshaping of the tunnels that supplied Jerusalem with water.

By treating the full range of archaeological and textual evidence …

Matthew 23:34 And The Discipleship Ideal, Cedric Vine

Journal of Adventist Mission Studies

No abstract provided.

A Study Of Faculty Research Practices In Religious Studies @ Yale University, Graziano Kraetli, Suzanne Estelle-Holmer, Christine Richardson

Library Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

You Shall Know That I Am Yhwh: The Holiness Composition In The Book Of Exodus, Paavo Nataniel Tucker

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Shema Through The Ages: A Pre-Modern History Of Its Interpretation, Esteban J. Hidalgo

Andrews University Seminary Student Journal

This article traces the history of the interpretation of Deuteronomy 6:4 from its original context, through the dawning of early Christianity in the Second Temple period up to the twilight of the late medieval period. The reader will appreciate the persistent centrality of an unchanging doctrine and simultaneously discern fluidity in its meaning and application in both Jewish and Christian perspectives. Proportionally, the focus is placed on how early Christian writers hermeneutically accommodated the doctrine of the Trinity in the oneness of God as stated in the Shema.

Solid Metaphor And Sacred Space: Interpreting The Paradigmatic And Syntagmatic Relations Found At Beth Alpha Synagogue, Evan Carter

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

With the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE, more than an iconic symbol of Jewish identity was destroyed. As the epicenter of religious life for Jews within the land of Israel, the Temple stood as both a symbol for religious hope and as the physical embodiment of Judaism. Yet, in the centuries that would follow synagogue’s like the one found at Beth Alpha would come to fill its absence.

In this thesis I will demonstrate how the use of Christopher Tilley’s theory of the solid metaphor helps us to better understand both the art and architecture of the …

Indices, Studia Antiqua

Studia Antiqua

No abstract provided.

Applying To Graduate School In Religious Studies And Cognate Fields, Daniel Becerra, Stephen Whitaker

Studia Antiqua

No abstract provided.

Onomastic Wordplay On Joseph And Benjamin And Gezera Shawa In The Book Of Mormon, Matthew L. Bowen

Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship

The Book of Mormon contains several quotations from the Hebrew Bible that have been juxtaposed on the basis of shared words or phrases, this for the purpose of interpreting the cited scriptural passages in light of one another. This exegetical technique — one that Jesus himself used — came to be known in later rabbinic times as Gezera Shawa (“equal statute”). In several additional instances, the use of Gezera Shawa converges with onomastic wordplay. Nephi uses a Gezera Shawa involving Isaiah 11:11 and Isaiah 29:14 twice on the basis of the yāsap verb‑forms yôsîp/yôsīp (2 Nephi 25:17 and quoting the …

Perspectives About Pontius Pilate In The Ante-Nicene Fathers, Frank F. Judd Jr.

Studies in the Bible and Antiquity

Whenever a new movie depicts the events associated with the Gospel accounts of Jesus’s passion, it must decide how to portray the Roman governor Pontius Pilate. Was Pilate a pawn in the hands of the Jewish leaders? Was he acting independently according to his own imperium? What responsibility did the Roman governor bear in the trial and condemnation of Jesus? These questions are not new, for early Christians dealt with the same issues and came to a variety of conclusions.

Circumcising The Mouth Of Moses: The Idolatrous Status Of Yahweh's Mediator Among The Idols Of Ancient Mesopotamia, Amy L. Balogh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The thesis of this dissertation is that in the defining moment in which he is transformed from "uncircumcised of lips" to "god to Pharaoh" (Ex 6:28-7:1), Moses is best understood as Yahweh's idol, undergoing a status change akin to the induction ritual for ancient Mesopotamian idols, the Mīs Pȋ ("Washing/Purifying of the Mouth"). To make this point, I argue that Moses and idols be compared with respect to their status as mediator between divine and human realms. With their respective status changes, not only are idols and Moses transformed on an ontological level, but so are their relationships to their …

When Not To "Tie The Knot”: A Study Of Exogamous Marriage In Ezra-Nehemiah Against The Backdrop Of Biblical Legal Tradition, Gerald A. Klingbeil

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Kristallnacht Presentation - Samuel Heider, Samuel Heider, Mark Verman

Comparative Religion Faculty Publications

Samuel Heider tells his experiences as a Holocaust survivor. In 1941, Heider and his family were deported to a small camp outside of Warsaw, Poland. Heider was soon separated from his family and was the only person in his family who was not killed by the Nazis.

This lecture was hosted by Mark Verman and co-sponsored by the Zusman Chair in Judaic Studies, the Department of Religion, Wright State’s Honors Program, the Frydman Educational Resource Center and the Dayton Holocaust Resource Center.

Disillusionment: An Unexpected Friend Of Spiritual Formation, Alicia Britt Chole

Doctor of Ministry

Is spiritual disillusionment a foe or a friend? Avoidable or inevitable? A failure or a teacher? Our answer will greatly impact our spiritual journeys. This dissertation defines spiritual disillusionment as the act (-ment) of removing (dis-) false spiritual ideas (illusions), and explores the origin, substance, and purpose of spiritual disillusionment through the insights of scholars and Christian writings. Far from being a foe, spiritual disillusionment is a welcome, ancient ally of spiritual formation.

Throughout the ages, mystics have viewed disillusionment as a wise mentor toward intimacy with God. By abrasively removing layers of inaccuracy and self- protection, spiritual disillusionment can …

Menorah Review (No. 82, Winter/Spring, 2015)

Menorah Review

Books in Brief -- Conservative Judaism at a Crossroads? -- Franz and Edith Rosenzweig: Hero and Heroine -- Have You Heard This One? -- Judaism in Israel -- Moreshet: Guide for the Perplexed by Moses Maimonides -- My Friend and I -- They Will Revere His Glory in the East (Isaiah 59:19) -- Zachor

Menorah Review (No. 83, Summer/Fall, 2015)

Menorah Review

L’hitraot... -- A Model of Courage -- Books in Brief -- Compassion and Truth Meet (Psalm 85.11) -- Four Poems -- From the Classics -- Judaism and a Heliocentric Universe -- Two Essays by Peter Haas -- Zachor

Mythicism And The Making Of Mark, James F. Mcgrath

Scholarship and Professional Work - LAS

Carrier’s approach allows him to say that every single thing he finds in the relevant sources is “exactly what we’d expect” if mythicism is true – “as symbolic myth, every oddity is explained, and indeed expected.” This is because “they made this up” is compatible with everything that any text says – especially if one excludes in advance the possibility of using traditional critical methods and criteria for determining that some details may reflect actual historical events.

The Function Of 'Hope' As A Lexical And Theological Keyword In The Psalter: A Structural-Theological Study Of Five Psalms (Pss 42-43, 52, 62, 69, 71) Within Their Final Shape Context (Pss 42-72), Christine Maria Vetne

Dissertations

The shape and message of the Psalter has been of central interest for many Old Testament scholars during the last thirty years. At the core of shape scholarship stands the issue of hope. Often this is related to what is commonly considered a major hope-shift in the Psalter, which moves its focus from hoping in the Davidic covenant (Books I-III) to hoping in God (Books IV-V). However, when considering the shape and message of Book II, there is evidence that these two hopes coexist, side by side, as also seen in the introduction to the Psalter (Ps 2).

This dissertation …

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 …

The Influence Of Religion On Attitudes Toward Alcohol Use In Jewish Adolescents, Toby R. Levin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Historically, the Jewish faith has used alcohol in rituals and religious holidays in which adolescents are permitted to fully participate and this exposure to alcohol may influence attitudes and beliefs about underage drinking among Jewish adolescents. The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a relationship between the Jewish religion and attitudes toward alcohol among Jewish adolescents. The theoretical frameworks, on which this study was based, were the social bond theory and the social development theory. Each of these theories indicates that community is important to the individual. Using a cross sectional study design, 160 adolescents participated …

Let's Talk About It: Muslim Journeys, Booth Library

Booth Library Programs

Photo galleries and supporting exhibits can be found on the MUSLIM JOURNEYS exhibit page.

Exhibit Dates

This exhibit was displayed at Booth Library January 29 - April 15, 2014

Menorah Review (No. 81, Summer/Fall, 2014)

Menorah Review

Books in Brief: New and Notable -- candelabra gold -- Education: Yeshivah style -- Moreshet: From the Sources -- Mysteries of the Books of Job: From Elihu to Elie Wiesel -- Two Nations Are In Your Womb (Gen 25:23) -- When Rhetoric Dominates The Message -- Zachor

Menorah Review (No. 80, Winter.Spring, 2014)

Menorah Review

Author's Reflections on Politics in the Bible -- Books in Brief: New and Notable -- Masada -- Nazism and Politics -- night trains -- Salvation Through Transgression -- Shoah: The "First" Day -- The "Jewish" World of Herbert Hoover

'Whence This Evil?' A Critical Assessment Of (Anti)Theodicy And Innocent Suffering In Lamentations 3, Mark P. Stone

Theses and Dissertations

Recent scholarship on Lamentations has focused on the voice of Daughter Zion in chapters 1-2. Arguing that the frank protests constitute an antitheodicy, interpreters have placed these poems in opposition to the voice of the man in Lam 3, specifically 3:21-42. This Wisdom-like, paraenetic section is seen to put forth a theodicy, counseling penitent acceptance of God's righteous judgment. The present study argues instead that, when incorporated into the rhetorical movement of Lam 3 as a whole, 3:21-42 instead constitutes an antitheodicy consonant with Lam 1-2. It is proposed that Lamentations manipulates the expected theodicy solution until it has been …