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A Narrative Study Of The “Religious Dones” And Their Religious Identity, Relationship To God, And Social Connections, Michelle Suh

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

This qualitative study aims to learn about how religious dones — those who were formerly religious but no longer identify as religious — have constructed their life narratives in light of their religious deidentification, with particular attention on the evolution of religious identity, perceived relationship with God, and social connections across the lifespan. A narrative methodology was employed to capture participants’ experiences in a story format to understand the subjective meaning-making process of their lived experiences, and six young adults between the ages of 23-29 participated in the study. Data collection consisted of a life-story portion of the interview with …

Showing It! Art Matters. But Why? How?, Holly Edwards

Artizein: Arts and Teaching Journal

This article addresses the agency of art with reference to an exhibition entitled “The Nature of Spirit”.  That show appeared in the local public library, resonating strongly with notions of “heartwork”.  My first Artizein publication was written in response to 9/11, and this one maintains comparable urgency, seeking solace in art precisely when the world seems to be sliding into lunacy. The prose explores the powers of art in traumatizing times with words, while the images offer the reader insight and support energetically.

Attending The Way Of The Crane: Centring Our Lives Through Creative-Centred Work, Alexandra Fidyk

Artizein: Arts and Teaching Journal

A dreamscape using pastiche is used for reflecting upon the value of creative-centred practice and research. Attending to the image through reflection and circumambulation offers entry to a centring practice. In holding both, a new image emerged. The dreamscape—an unexpected scene of cranes in joyous dance—unfolds as actual dream and offers a metaphor for understanding an arc within the dreamer’s life. In this condensed yet nuanced rumination, personal and professional, poetic and haptic, participating and witnessing blur. This practice, the way of the Crane, is timely because it introduces relational pedagogy and testimonial teaching for our times—while touching the pulse …

Minimizing The Gap Between Church And Disability In Churches Of Christ, Paris Freeman

Discernment: Theology and the Practice of Ministry

Church members with intellectual and developmental disabilities often experience disconnection from their churches. This qualitative study examined this disconnect in three suburban Church of Christ congregations within the North Texas area. Using an ethnographic approach, data was collected through interviews with ministry leaders, participatory observation, and a literature review. The analysis of the data, in conjunction with family systems theory, was utilized to construct a model for disability ministry which validates personhood and promotes awareness of self and others. The impact of the church growth movement on disability was also examined, but no definitive correlation could be determined. Further research …

Holy Hunger: A Study Of How Spiritually Formative Practices Shape A Faith Community At The Cedar Lane Church Of Christ, David W. Mitchell

DMin Project Theses

I have served in leadership as an elder/shepherd at the Cedar Lane Church of Christ in Tullahoma, Tennessee, since 2011. Before serving in this leadership position, I was in full-time ministry with churches of Christ from 1982 to 2005 (as a youth minister, education minister, and preaching minister). Since 2007, I have been a public educator, first as a High School Civics teacher and now as a Middle School Social Studies teacher. My primary work as an elder includes education, spiritual formation, and community engagement. Another role I have is to assess the spiritual health of the believers I am …

Goddess In A Trash Can: Religious Ritual Disposal In New York City Public Parks, Zoe Oro-Hahn

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Practitioners of Afro-Caribbean religions, including Santería, Vodou, Espiritismo, and Las 21 Divisiones, utilize the New York City Public Parks system to hold rituals, connect with spirits and ancestors, and dispose of religious remains leftover from trabajos (workings) and brujería (witchcraft). Utilizing photos from Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx, my thesis considers the religious, political, social, and practical rationale behind this phenomenon, explores the rituals occurring, and provides policy suggestions that balance religious needs of practitioners with the safety and wellbeing of New York City’s parks.

Beyond Religious Narcissistic Identification: Agnostic And Atheistic Narcissism, Magdalena Żemojtel-Piotrowska, Jarosław Piotrowski, Bartłomiej Nowak, V. Saroglou, John Maltby, Constantine Sedikides, Mladen Adamovic, Nur Amali Aminnuddin, Seth Christopher Yaw Appiah, Rahkman Ardi, Zana Babakr, Einar Baldursson, Sergiu Bălţătescu, M. Bilgehan Aytaç, Li, Norman P., Bruno Bonfá-Araujo, Matthias Burghart, Phatthanakit Chobthamkit, Marilyn Clark, Magali. Clobert

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Agnosticism and atheism are often grouped simply as nonreligious identities, yet emerging research highlights their distinct psychological profiles and social implications. Among these distinctions, collective narcissism—characterized by strong attachment to one’s group, exceptionalism, and grievance for recognition—offers a framework for understanding identity processes in both nonreligious groups. We examined whether agnostics and atheists exhibit collective narcissism and its forms (agentic—focused on exceptional effectiveness; communal—focused on exceptional morality) similarly to believers. We explored crossdenominational variance in agentic and communal collective narcissism levels relying on data from 77 countries (N = 3,570; 1227 agnostics, 2343 atheists). Agnostics and atheists from secular countries …

A Qualitative Exploration Of Spirituality In People Living With Dyspnea And Serious Illness, Leah Mccann Klug

All Poster Presentations

No abstract provided.

Concordia Seminary Magazine Spring 2026, Ken Ohlemeyer

Concordia Seminary Magazine

Shaped for His Service

Does This Story Make Sense?, Wayne Brouwer

Pro Rege

No abstract provided.

Imagination And The Self: A Cross-Cultural And Cross-Disciplinary Study, Qianyi Qin

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This dissertation is an interdisciplinary investigation of the imagination and the self that engages with cognitive science, philosophy of mind, Buddhism, ethical theories, and a variety of perspectives from Asian and Western philosophy. I address the following questions in three interrelated chapters. First, what does it mean for the self to appear in imagination? In Chapter 1, against certain narrow understandings of the self in philosophy of language, I build a multidimensional model of the self in imaginative experiences to capture the rich phenomenology, drawing on empirical findings on memory and imagination. Second, can the self be removed from imagination? …

The Historical Persistence Of Working-Class Culture: How Laborers Created The Ethical Foundation Of Western Civilization, Kenneth Atkinson

Faculty Publications

This article highlights four historical events that shape our present: the world’s first industrial strike in ancient Egypt to protest workers’ health and safety; working-class efforts to improve labor conditions during the Roman Republic and Middle Ages through strikes and the creation of guilds; the social justice activism of the prophets of Western religions (all working-class folks!); and the creation of the selfie and the transition from a culture of character to our present obsession with celebrities and individualism that began during the Renaissance. Each case highlights unique features of working-class culture, working class reactions to societal changes, and the …

Agriculture, Politics, And Knowledge: The Dissemination And Evolution Of The Pictures Of Tilling And Weaving From The Southern Song Dynasty To The Qing Dynasty, Kaiyi Zhu, Ting Chen

Perspectives in the Arts and Humanities Asia

Gengzhitu 耕織圖 (Pictures of Tilling and Weaving) functions as a cultural artifact representative of agrarian civilization and dynastic governance, fulfilling dual roles as a vessel for agricultural knowledge and a motivational tool for farming practices. Over the course of its transmission from the Southern Song Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty, a fascinating relationship emerged between the practical knowledge imparted by the Pictures of Tilling and Weaving and its role as a motivational tool for agricultural practices, creating a dynamic interaction akin to a seesaw effect. The fluctuation between the “form” and the “knowledge” of the Pictures of Tilling and Weaving …

Working Out Your Self-Image: Strength, Self-Esteem, And Human Flourishing, Kingston K. Christie

Honors Projects

This project integrates empirical research in exercise science with theological anthropology to examine the psychological effects of resistance training and the meaning of strength within a Christian framework of human dignity and flourishing. The empirical component investigated the effects of a four-week progressive resistance training intervention on global self-esteem and physical self-concept among undergraduate university students with moderate-to-low baseline self-esteem. Eleven participants (N = 11; 20.15 ± 1.52 yrs) completed the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) and Physical Self-Description Questionnaire Short Form (PSDQ-S) before and after the intervention, with muscular strength assessed via submaximal testing across the squat, bench press, deadlift, …

Bridging Mind And Body In Sports: Performance, Psychology, And Buddhist Tradition, Gavin Jones

Denison Journal of Religion

No abstract provided.

A Psycho-Spiritual Transformation In Covid-19 Crisis Narratives: A Comparative Study In Indonesia And Pakistan, Heru Prakosa, Nurlaela Widyarini, Johanes Seno Aditya Utama, Juan Carlos

Makara Human Behavior Studies in Asia

Although the COVID-19 pandemic ended as a global health emergency, its psychosocial legacy persists in many communities. This study examines how religion and spirituality support recovery in Indonesia and Pakistan by shaping crisis narratives. Faith-based language is treated as psychosocial data and interpreted through its functions in meaning-making, emotion regulation, social connection, value anchoring, and action commitment using Psycho-Spiritual Transformation (PST) as a guiding framework. Open-ended responses were collected from 274 participants via an online survey in July 2021 (Indonesia n = 236; Pakistan n = 38). Across both contexts, narratives typically moved from pressure and inner conflict toward spiritual …

Man's Modern Need For God: A Literary Apologetic, Matthew G. Jones

Masters Theses

This thesis argues that modern man’s attempt to dispense with God inevitably results in psychological, moral, and existential collapse, a reality most powerfully revealed through the literary works of Friedrich Nietzsche, Fyodor Dostoevsky, and Leo Tolstoy. Before Nietzsche proclaimed the death of God and called humanity to transcend traditional morality through the rise of the Übermensch, Dostoevsky and Tolstoy had already responded, not merely with philosophical counterarguments, but with stories that exposed the devastating consequences of life divorced from the divine. Through literary apologetics, this thesis examines the broader cultural and spiritual conversation taking place between these nineteenth-century thinkers and …

Adam, The First Scientist: Unlocking The True Foundation Of Scientific Thinking, Thomas E. Lohman Jr.

Masters Theses

This thesis investigates the complex relationship between scientific thought and theological perspectives, proposing that God breathing life into Adam symbolizes a full divine inspiration for both scientific and theological understanding. The perceived conflict between science and theology arises from a shift in human thinking at the fall, which altered humanity's ability to rightly grasp both realms. After this crucial event, science shifted to a more naturalistic approach, while theology often downplayed God's sovereign power over creation.

The alterations to the original functions and purposes of science and theology have led to a fragile relationship between the two. According to Scripture, …

Linguistic And Cultural Analysis Of Divine Command In 1 Samuel 15: Implications For Biblical Interpretation, Timothy Arnell Dunn

Masters Theses

This thesis argues that ḥērem in 1 Samuel 15 is not a relic of ancient warfare but a sacred act of covenantal devotion that reveals the tension between divine holiness, human obedience, and Israel’s identity as a people set apart for YHWH. Through historical, philological, narrative, and canonical analysis, the study demonstrates that ḥērem functions as a ritualized declaration of divine sovereignty in which destruction becomes consecration and obedience becomes worship. Saul’s partial compliance is therefore not strategic misjudgment but a rupture in covenant fidelity that exposes the costliness of holiness and the danger of selective obedience. Yet the canon …

Refuting Ruscism: A Critique From Biblical Social Ontology, Paul Miles

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation argues that the ideology of Ruscism is incompatible with biblical Christianity on the basis of God’s design for the individual, the family, and the country. Indeed, the extent of incompatibility between these two worldviews renders any attempt to syncretize them a significant departure from biblical Christianity. God’s design for society is an absolute standard by which political ideologies may be evaluated, and these three societal units will suffice to demonstrate that Christians must reject Ruscism.

This dissertation will describe these three societal units—the individual, the family, and the country—as they are described in biblical Christianity and contrast their …

The Procedures And Perceived Impact Of Pastoral Succession In A Family-Led Church: A Case Study, Yvonne H. Hines

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Leadership transitions in any viable organization are inescapable and complex. Pastoral leadership is a challenging task whether one is charged with an astronomical or miniscule calculation of individuals. Pastoral succession, one of the most significant leadership undertakings in the Christian church, encompasses the transfer of authority, an indispensable component to the effectual progression of the church. Churches in the United States are presently confronted with a contemporary dynamic in pastoral leadership, family-led churches. Pulpits traditionally filled by denominational officials or congregational elections are currently impacted by the automatic succession of family members as senior pastors in the family-led church setting. …

Winning Formula: The Life Of Colonel Edward R. Bradley, Lorraine Potter

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Edward R. Bradley was a towering cultural icon of the early twentieth century. He is best known as the owner and breeder of four Kentucky Derby winning horses and as the owner and operator of the longest-running illegal casino in American history. However, Bradley's story has rarely been told, due to both his characteristic humility and the dubious nature of his profession. Bradley worked, lived, and invested in nearly every pivotal American region during the Progressive Era, plying his trade as a highly successful gambler, speculator, and horse breeder. Though his accomplishments were immense, his demeanor remained dignified, plainspoken, and …

Preaching To Those Who Stay, A Preach Model For Spiritual Formation: Action Research Project, Taronda Croutch Hall

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Preaching to Those Who Stay: A Preaching Model for Spiritual Formation, a thesis aimed at providing a preaching model that is intentional in preaching for spiritual formation. It moves away from a topical, sermon-based model delivered by a single male preaching voice toward a series-based team-preaching model that incorporates male and female preaching voices. The action-research preaching model modified the entire Worship Service, making it more sermon-focused. It addresses the needs of a small ministry that has existed for nearly twenty years. Its purpose is to address stagnant spiritual growth among individuals who have remained in one ministry for a …

Faith And Flourishing: Describing The Lived Experiences Of Christian Counselors Who Integrate Christian Faith Into Their Wellness, Angela Joy Stanley

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the lived experience of counselors who integrate Christian faith into their wellness. The basis for this study was rooted in the work of Myers and Sweeney’s (2004) model of the indivisible self and the spiritual framework of coping for optimal health as introduced by Walker et al. (2015). Both models provide a holistic approach to wellness that recognizes the complexities of wellbeing which require the integration of multiple dimensions. Further, each model points to spirituality as an essential part of wellness. The research questions that guided this study were as follows: …

A Critical Examination Of Visions, Dreams, And The Authority Of The Holy Spirit In Biblical Prophecy, Michael Turner-Muhammad

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The Holy Spirit's function as the mediating agent of perceptible prophetic encounter remains underdeveloped in the works surveyed for this study. Scholars in pneumatology, prophetic studies, and divine embodiment have each addressed at least one of these dimensions. Pneumatology explains the Spirit’s role in inspiration but not how revelation becomes perceptible; comparative studies provide context, but not its pneumatological structure; and embodiment scholarship affirms anthropomorphic encounters but does not identify the Spirit as their mediating agent. The result, in the works examined here, is the absence of a unified theological account of how the Spirit mediates perceptible divine communication across …

Technology Idolatry: Daniel’S Fourfold Ancient Antidote To This Modern Problem Facing A Christian Singles Group In Dallas, Kimberlee Bousman

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

With the rise of artificial intelligence and devices like cell phones, humanity is more connected to technology than ever. Increasingly, many people, including Christians, have become addicted to technology, spending hours scrolling. One biblical character who lived in an idolatrous culture yet remained entirely devoted to the Lord was Daniel. Making spiritual disciplines an integral part of his life enabled Daniel to stay obedient to God. This study was conducted to help a singles group that was struggling with spending too much time on technology and making it an idol. This qualitative phenomenological study was designed and implemented over seven …

Grace Within The Holiness Code, Michael B. Bowe

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Leviticus introduces the concept of God’s holiness—his unique, innate, and ontological otherness—and calls his people to reflect that holiness in their own lives. While scholarship has traditionally focused on Israel’s sacrificial cult practices, it has often neglected the theological trajectory of holiness within the broader canonical framework of the Torah. This dissertation seeks to reframe the Holiness Code (Leviticus 17–26) not merely as a set of ritual prescriptions, but as a theological narrative that exposes the limits of human effort and invites reflection on divine grace.

Chapter 1 surveys the history of interpretation and critiques the limitations of historical-critical and …

Spiritual Health Support Groups In The Local Church: Addressing Spiritual Wellbeing In West Virginia’S Eastern Panhandle, Grant Michael Davis

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Mental health services in the Appalachian region of the United States were lacking, both perennially and at the time of writing (Smith & Fisher, 2016). As the needs of this region and the nation continued to climb, the availability of trained, clinical counselors remained stagnant or worse. This lack of socially necessary services created a need that could be addressed in part by the local church. While professional counselors were in short supply and took a great deal of time to educate and train, the repercussions of the then-current mental health crisis needed to have immediate solutions and relief. The …

A Phenomenological Study Exploring The Psychological Impact Of Race And Gender On Black Clergy Women, Quaitra A. Bynum

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to explore the psychological impact race and gender have on Black clergywomen serving in leadership positions in the church. The current research explored how Black clergywomen perceive race and gender in the Black church, how race and gender influence Black women when pursuing senior clergy positions, and how strength and resilience impact Black women who serve in church leadership positions. The theories guiding this study were the Black Feminist Theory, Intersectionality, and the Strong Black Woman Theory. In the early 1980s Black women activists such as Patricia Hill Collins and Kimberlé Crenshaw …

Harmonizing Faith: An Investigation Of The Efficacy Of A Small Group Study On The Theology Of Music For Spiritual Growth, Timothy Davis

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The problem this study addresses is that Trinity Anglican Church in Connersville, Indiana, had not cultivated a theology of music among its congregants to enrich encounters with God through music. The purpose of this DMIN action research project was to implement a small group study on the theology of music to enrich encounters with God through God-honoring, captivating music. The researcher employed a novel approach: Luke 10:27 served as a paradigmatic framework for exploring how music relates to the dimensions of heart (i.e., emotion), soul (i.e., spiritual encounter), strength (i.e., embodied experience), mind (i.e., intellect), and neighbor (i.e., communal and …