Digital Commons Network^™

Positive Psychological Transformation: A Mixed Methods Investigation Into Catalysts And Processes Of Meaningful Change, Nick Fortino, Paul Dommert Jr., Nadia Santiago, Jen Smith

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies Advance Publication Archive

This mixed methods study investigated the experience of positive psychological transformation, including its catalysts, dynamics, supportive factors, and outcomes. The first phase of the study was a 13-item survey (N=130) that revealed trends and associations in participants’ experiences of transformation. The most significant correlation was between “expressing myself” and change stabilization (p < .01). Forty-four percent of participants reported trauma or emotional distress as the main catalyst of their transformation. Each of the other three main catalysts (dissonance, adaptation, and inspiration) drew approximately 18% of responses. Connecting with nature (71%), introspection (65%), solitude (63%) and empathy (61%) were commonly reported supportive factors. Common changes related to participants’ way of interacting with others (77%), perception (75%), and emotional patterns (70%). The process of transformation differed substantially depending on multiple factors including the catalyst and demographic categories. Additionally, the survey revealed a trend of moving away from organized religion toward a sense of being spiritual but not religious. The second phase of the study consisted of interviews with a portion of the participants who reported trauma as the main catalyst of their transformation (n = 26) and was focused on the experience of posttraumatic growth. Thematic analysis revealed that transformation is typically initiated by a series of traumatic events and that the process of transformation can involve impaired well-being/functioning before elevated well-being/functioning. The results of thematic analysis were consistent with existing data on posttraumatic growth.

Spirituality Countering Dehumanization: A Cypher On Asian American Hip Hop Flow, Brett J. Esaki

Journal of Hip Hop Studies

Flow—an artistic connection to the beat—is essential to the experience and cultural mix of Hip Hop. “Flow” is also a term from positive psychology that describes a special out-of-body state of consciousness, first articulated by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. When Hip Hop performers get into artistic flow, they sometimes become immersed in psychological flow, and this article examines the combination for Asian American Hip Hop. Based on my national survey of Asian Americans in Hip Hop, I argue that dual flow inspires spiritual transformation and mitigates the dehumanization of social marginalization. However, the combination of terms presents problematic possibilities, given that Hip …

La CampañA «Con Mis Hijos No Te Metas» En CóRdoba, Argentina: Reflexiones Acerca Del Uso Del Espacio PúBlico Por Parte De Iglesias EvangéLicas Conservadoras En La PolíTica Local, Romina Chain

Conexión Queer: Revista Latinoamericana y Caribeña de Teologías Queer

In September 2018, in Cordoba, Argentina, citizens witnessed the launching of a campaign in a public transport line with the inscription «#Con mis hijos no te metas.» It was enacted against the Comprehensive Sex Education Law (ESI) and sponsored by the Christian Church Cita con la Vida. This article analyzes the incidence of conservative evangelical churches in local politics based on this campaign in public. It concludes that in the religious field, conservative evangelical churches dispute the monopoly of the Roman Catholic Church —primarily political and social power— through the use of public space.

«MáS Allá De La Biblia»: Reflexiones CríTicas Sobre Las Aportaciones De Los Estudios Culturales Y Poscoloniales Sobre Las Relaciones Entre Personas Del Mismo Sexo En ÁFrica, Lovemore Togarasei, Ezra Chitando

Conexión Queer: Revista Latinoamericana y Caribeña de Teologías Queer

Except for South Africa, sub-Saharan African countries criminalize same-sex relationships, although the call for acceptance increases. The «pro» and the «anti» -same-sex relationships camps use the Bible. However, investigating the texts shows a selective use of the Bible to entrench one’s already accepted position. The questions addressed in this article are: do Africans resist same-sex relationships purely based on the teaching of the Bible, or are there other factors at play? Several African scholars examining those texts expose the weaknesses inherent in their use to resist same-sex relationships. The analysis critically reflects on the use of the Bible in the …

The Great Commission: An Exegetical And Theological Study Of Matt 28:16-20 In The Northern Nigeria Context, Vincent K. Sebastine

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

ABSTRACT

Scholars refer to the passage on Matthew 28:16-20 as the “Great Commission”. It concludes the last part of the Gospel of Matthew (26:1-28:20), that is, Jesus’ passion, death and resurrection. In the Great Commission scene – on the mountain in Galilee (Matt 28:16), Jesus speaks to his disciples about his authority, commissions them to make disciples - by baptizing and teaching - and gives them an assurance of his abiding presence. This passage contains several themes – mountain, worship, authority and nations – which relate to the Gospel and other text in the Bible. It is pertinent to note …

Defining And Detecting Toxicity On Social Media: Context And Knowledge Are Key, Amit Sheth, Valerie Shalin, Ugur Kursuncu

Publications

As the role of online platforms has become increasingly prominent for communication, toxic behaviors, such as cyberbullying and harassment, have been rampant in the last decade. On the other hand, online toxicity is multi-dimensional and sensitive in nature, which makes its detection challenging. As the impact of exposure to online toxicity can lead to serious implications for individuals and communities, reliable models and algorithms are required for detecting and understanding such communications. In this paper We define toxicity to provide a foundation drawing social theories. Then, we provide an approach that identifies multiple dimensions of toxicity and incorporates explicit knowledge …

A Leap Into Communion: Kierkegaard And Spiritual Practices In _To The Wonder_, Madeleine Hall

Honors Theses

The study of metaethics contains the question of where value comes from. Different theories of goodness encourage tracing goodness back to God, saying that goodness is that which is like God (the resemblance thesis) or that which perfects nature (the perfection thesis). Kierkegaard participates in these questions of goodness, and in Fear and Trembling concludes that the moral absolute of the akedah reveals a good, Divine mystery. Fear and Trembling is a work of Christian existentialism that encourages an internal faith that embraces mystery rather than attempting to conquer it. Rather than trying to understand exactly who God is, Kierkegaard …

Catholics And The 2020 Presidential Election, Corwin E. Smidt

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

This article examines the role of Catholics within the 2020 presidential election in the United States. Although Catholics were once a crucial and dependable component of the Democratic Party's electoral coalition, their vote in more recent years has been much more splintered. Nevertheless, Catholics have been deemed to be an important "swing vote" in American politics today, as in recent presidential elections they have aligned with the national popular vote. This article therefore focuses on the part that Catholics played within the 2020 presidential election process. It addresses the level of political change and continuity within the ranks of Catholics …

Librarian In Islamic Civilization, Muhammad Syafii Antonio, Aam Slamet Rusydiana, Yayat Rahmat Hidayat, Dwi Ratna Kartikawati, Amelia Tri Puspita

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Talking about improving human resources, the library occupies a very urgent role. This is in line with Law Number 43 of 2007 concerning Libraries, especially Article 3, which states that the library functions as a vehicle for education, research, preservation, information, and recreation to increase the intelligence and empowerment of the nation. A librarian, as explained in Article 1 paragraph (8) of Law No. 43 of 2007 on Libraries, is someone who has competence obtained through education and/or training and has duties and responsibilities to carry out library management and services. This study aims to find out the development map …

Vision, Winter 2021

Vision

A newsletter published for Deaf Catholics in USA

VisionFinding Aid

The Luminous Night Of The Soul: The Relationship Between Lucid Dreaming And Spirituality, Tadas Stumbrys

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

Lucid dreams, in which the dreamers are aware that they are dreaming, can be a source of spiritual and mystical experiences. This empirical study aimed to explore the relationship between lucid dreaming and spirituality, taking into account the role of mystical lucid dream experience, in an online sample of 471 respondents, 95% of whom had lucid dream experience and 65% were frequent lucid dreamers. The findings support the relationship between lucid dreaming and spirituality: spiritual transcendence was positively associated with both lucid dream frequency and mystical lucid dream experiences. Thus having recurrent lucid dreams and mystical experiences in them may …

Gospel Impact And Stewardship Tool (Gist): Visual Mapping To Discover Gospel Imperatives For Strategic Ministry Decisions, Martin Edward Lee

Doctor of Ministry Major Applied Project

Lee, Martin Edward “Gospel Impact and Stewardship Tool: Visual Mapping to Discover Gospel Imperatives for Strategic Ministry Decisions.” Doctor of Ministry. Major Applied Project, Concordia Seminary, 2021. 260 pp.

This research project and the resulting Gospel Impact and Stewardship Tool (“GIST”) addresses congregational stewardship deficits from a systems perspective, with a shared-stewardship imperative for all leaders and members of a congregation, instead of focusing stewardship on the individual. The GIST Ministry Map provides a visual picture of how individual ministries are interconnected. This project illustrates how a learning environment, and the GIST visual ministry mapping process, help improve strategic decision-making …

A Christian Response To Modern Extraterrestrialism, Chase Perry Cakmis

Masters Theses

Extraterrestrial beliefs (ET-ism) have become a cultural craze in contemporary times, infatuating many who encounter these ideas. ET-ism has influenced all forms of media, science, and even religion. With ET-ism permeating all facets of society, Christians need to know how to approach this craze and the ideas that sprout from it. Much research has been conducted on this subject both on the individual and scientific level, thrusting these beliefs from fringe views believed only by the paranoid into widely accepted ideas even within the scientific community. While Christian circles have discussed this subject in the past, it is becoming a …

Traversing The Back Door Of The Mind: Directing Imaginative Stories To Generate Meaningful Dialogue About Biblical Truths In A Materialist World, Heather Jean Birkeland

Masters Theses

Ontological materialism hinders evangelistic efforts because it precludes any dialogue about spiritual matters, especially regarding the importance of cultivating an eternal value system. Furthermore, potential meaningful dialogue is inhibited by an audience that routinely rejects overtly Christian materials, which results in failure to develop the correct contextual understanding regarding biblical spiritual truths. The writer provides an overview of the philosophy of ontological materialism and its effects on people, the impact of imaginative storytelling, and the psychology of narrative persuasion. Firstly, the selected thesis topic will explore how non-Christians could potentially approach and engage in biblical truths without hostility through the …

Volunteering Creativity: A Tool For Growing The Church’S Creative Volunteer Base, Landon Joel Benson

Masters Theses

Churches often struggle to identify and recruit talented visual communicators because of a lack of familiarity with visual communication, limited resources, and an inability to recruit to an area of ministry they do not understand. Marketing needs accelerate as fast as technology innovates, and if the church fails to keep up, it will lose its relevance. With each passing day, the importance of having an effective creative team at a church’s disposal grows. Most of the research on this subject focuses on who participates in volunteering and identifying demographic or economic statuses. Few researchers have taken the next step to …

A Christmas Cantata, Garth Andrew Olson

Masters Theses

The purpose of this worship ministry research project was to research, prepare for, and lead a Christmas cantata presentation for two worship services at First United Methodist Church in Georgetown, Texas, on Sunday, December 12, 2021. In this thesis, I identified the worship components and the accompanying potential challenges for successfully leading a vital and converging traditional Christmas Sunday worship in a way that promotes authentic, biblically-centered, Christocentric, and participatory worship services for a church community.” The Christmas cantata was a musical composition set for soprano, alto, tenor, and bass voices (SATB) with instrumental accompaniment including solos, chorus, chamber orchestra, …

Manger Throne: Worshiping Emmanuel At Christmas, Jonathan Mitchell Henderson

Masters Theses

The overwhelming truth of the infinite, Almighty God coming to earth, clothing Himself in flesh in order to begin His grand plan for the redemption of mankind is often lost amid the festive celebrations of the Christmas season. The holidays are a time when joy and sorrow are intensified and people’s hearts are softened, making them more receptive to hear the message of the Gospel and the hope found only in Jesus. The following Worship Ministry Project seeks to elicit the overwhelming truth of God’s love to the unbeliever and to reignite the wonder and worship in the hearts of …

Redemptive Suffering In A Contemporary Context, Allison Magera

Honors Program Theses and Research Projects

Redemptive suffering is a Christian understanding of suffering which holds that the pain and adversities of everyday life can be spiritually united to Christ’s suffering and death on the cross in petition for the needs and salvation of oneself or others. Salvifici Doloris proves to be a foundational document in comprehending the many facets of this concept theologically, but practically, personal prayer in petition is often how one can spiritually “share in the sufferings of Christ.” There is also potential for this theological concept to apply elsewhere in Christianity outside of Catholicism, and in practice this concept should be delivered …

Integrity, Freedom, And Trust – A Comprehensive Understanding Of Corruption And Its Effect On Human Rights, Nelu Burcea, Lucile Sabas, Carlos Biaggi

Faculty Publications

Book of Abstracts, UNEQUAL WORLD Conference Third Edition

Developing An Intentional Disciple Making Strategy For Fathers To Lead Their Families In Spiritual Transformation, Michael Cauthorne

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Do current student ministries produce disciples that can stand the test of the current culture? Has creating a separate ministry worked against God’s plan for making disciples? Statistics from across the Church would suggest the American Church is in decline. Within the Southern Baptist Convention there has been a continual decline in baptisms over the past few years. This project will seek to determine if there is a correlation between how student ministries are led in the modern church to how effectively the church has been in making disciples. With research and data collected from current and former student ministries, …

Intervention: Helping The Rural Baptist Church Identify Areas Of Strength And Weakness For Greater Kingdom Service, Anthony Jerome Baylor

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The rural Baptist Church has historically been a place of tradition, cultural importance, and refuge. It has been led by a wealth of great leaders who have served generations of faithful members. Over time, many rural Baptist Churches have seen a gradual decline, and some are on the verge of extinction. This decline may be a direct result of those churches attempting to continue unnecessary traditions and unproductive ministries. These churches also sacrifice future interests and prospects for institutional practices that do not fulfill the Great Commission and promote destructive practices. To initiate an intervention into the destructive practices of …

Hand In Hand, Winter 2021

Hand in Hand

A newsletter published for Deaf Catholics in Milwaukee, WI

Hand in Hand Finding Aid

The Demands Of Encounter In A Globalized Community Of Scholars: Shedding Light On The Place Of Trust In The Ritual Of Knowledge Creation, Simonmary A. Aihiokhai

Journal of the Black Catholic Theological Symposium

As institutions of learning become more diverse in their members and their curricula offerings, it has become necessary to articulate the demands of encounter. A distinction must be made between meeting and encounter. The former refers to a choreographed proximity of bodies. The latter refers to the totality of what it means to be human – a being intricately linked to other beings through life-giving webs of relationships. Therefore, transformative education must be grounded in the ritual of encounters because such a ritual allows for the possibility for new discourses that lead to knowledge creation. Such discourses allow for a …

Letter From The Editor: Hope, Kimberly Flint-Hamilton

Journal of the Black Catholic Theological Symposium

No abstract provided.

An Exploration Of Military Spouse Mental Health: Religion/Spirituality, Resilience, Social Support, Deployment, And Rank, Sharita Gwen Knobloch

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Military spouses (MLSPs) are a vital component of military readiness and resilience, yet they are highly understudied, particularly within the realm of mental health. This study was grounded in resilience theory, investigating relationship interactions between religion/spirituality (R/S) on mental health through resilience (mediator) conditioned at levels of social support, deployment, and rank (moderators). An online survey was distributed via social media, open to MLSPs of all branches and all components (N = 1079). This quantitative, descriptive, cross-sectional correlational research design utilized PROCESS Model 58, which found that two R/S subscales, Daily Spiritual Experiences and Religious Coping, exerted indirect effects on …

New Urban Liturgy: Making A Lane For Hip-Hop In Multicultural Worship, Caleb Thomas Kudlo

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The urban environments of American cities are home to diverse cultures and subcultures. If God created humanity in His image, and if the gospel of Jesus Christ has transcending power, then urban churches are poised to become worship communities that reflect His creativity and redemption. However, the ideal of unity in diversity strives against the currents of homogenization in American history, church traditions, and human nature. This project brings attention to a subculture that makes its home in the urban environments of American cities but not in its churches: hip-hop should be counted among the diverse cultures that can uniquely …

Understanding Eschatology Leads To A More Fruitful Christian Life, John Michael Mendola

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The evangelical church cannot fulfill its mission to facilitate the return of Jesus unless its membership’s studies eschatology. Too many relegate biblical prophecies to the past without recognizing their fulfillment in the here and now. This study investigates the contemporary belief structure of church members and aims to develop an effective corrective measure in order to improve the spiritual life of its members while advancing the church’s central mission of evangelizing. This study aims to determine what members know about church viewpoints on eschatology and deliver an educational remedy. The 15-person sample received a six-week course on eschatology developed and …

Worship, Culture, And Mission: Ethnomusicology As A Tool For Evangelism In America, Semaj H. Pennix

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Despite many efforts of using evangelism as a tool in the United States, a deficit within the mission field of the unchurched is still very present. Within the scope of the ethnomusicologist, there are both secular and sacred musical fronts and participants that must be presented with the gospel in a form that ministers to them and connects with their own cultural or traditional music. Infiltrating these atmospheres as an ethnomusicologist may be the way to meet these needs. Because music has such a strong potential for changing the hearts of others and fostering acceptance, it is important for the …

Kim's "Analog Church: Why We Need Real People, Places, And Things In The Digital Age" (Book Review), Joshua Strickler

The Christian Librarian

No abstract provided.

Teaching Intentional Discipleship In An Age Of Moral Relativism, David Cruz Martinez

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Teaching Intentional Discipleship in an Age of Moral Relativism is essential to counteracting the downward trend of morality, religious affiliation, and church growth in America. In the church where discipleship and fulfilling the Great Commission is becoming more of an option versus a necessity, the fruit of unintentional discipleship has contributed to the transformation of America into an age of moral relativism with no end in sight unless the church reverts to its first love of the Great Commission. The project will accentuate the statistics that demonstrate the current statistical decline of church attendance in the western world and explain …