Digital Commons Network^™

Exploring Graduated Court Diversion Clients' Experience Of Psychotherapy In Their Community Reintegration, Daniel Oduro Sem

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Court Diversion Program (CDP) seeks to reduce the criminalization and reoffending among people living with mental illness to ensure their community reintegration (Schneider, 2010). The complex nature of achieving this goal calls for a comprehensive strategy, which requires a collaborative effort of legal, health care, and allied professionals including psychotherapists. However, because most CDP clients frequently receive medication treatment, not much is known about how CDP clients find psychotherapy services even though psychotherapy is effective for addressing mental illnesses and offending behaviors (Feingold & Fox, 2018; Feucht & Holt, 2016), To gain more insight into the issue, this study applied …

On The Phenomenon Of Populism And Extremism In The Balkans, Mustafa Cerić

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

This paper is based on my personal experience of war and peace in Bosnia. The basic notion is that it is easier to start a war than to stop it. Thus, postwar recovery or peacebuilding is not easy. But thanks to open-minded people who have been all along against a mythical populism that caused the bloody war against Bosnia and its autochthon people, the peace, although unjust, was reached after all. The focus here is on the idea of pluralism in Bosnia as an opposite to "populism" and "extremism." For a positive narrative like pluralism is a good way to …

The Pattern Of The Transformation Of The Religious Life Of The Armenian Diaspora In Ukraine: Conditions, Causes, Consquences, Iryna Haiuk

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article reveals the role of the Armenian Church in preserving the ethnic identity of Armenians in the diaspora on Ukrainian land. The transgression or adaptation of the religious and ecclesiastical sphere of Armenians to the new environment in Ukraine was a "soft" process, since it was a transition within a Christian society, and therefore not on religious, but on the confessional basis of "Own"/Christians, although "Others." The specifics of the mentality, general algorithms of migration and incorporation into the new socio-cultural environment determined the main aspects of the transition of the religious and ecclesiastical sphere of Armenians into the …

The Adventist Development And Relief Agency In The Conditions Of War In Ukraine, Valentyna Kuryliak

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The study presents two positions of Ukrainian Adventists in relation to volunteer work in the conditions of war. The first position is professional, which involves the provision of charitable assistance to people from the Adventist Relief and Development Agency in Ukraine. Such charitable assistance is based on the principle of charity and is aimed solely at providing the necessary assistance to victims. The second position is to also assist the affected members of the Seventh-day Adventist Churches, as people who do not have professional volunteer training. With the second category of helping Adventists, a number of controversial issues tend to …

The Recognition Of The Authocephaly Of The Macedonian Orthodox Church–Archdiocese Of Ohrid And Reflections By The Public: A Twitter Analysis, Ivan Blazevski Phd, Gjoko Gjorgjevski, Ruzhica Cacanoska, Vesna Zabijakin Chatleska, Phd

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The long-awaited recognition of the Macedonian Orthodox Church – Archdiocese of Ohrid (MOC-OA), initially by the Ecumenical Patriarchate (EP), and later by the Serbian Orthodox Church (SOC), caused numerous reactions in the public. At the same time, the process itself, from the very beginning, was accompanied by ambiguities that resulted from the insufficiently clarified decision of the Ecumenical Patriarchate regarding the Church canons, as well as the confusion regarding the final name under which the Macedonian Orthodox Church will be recognized. All this was accompanied by the frequent use of terms such as Tomos, autocephaly, and the like, the meaning …

Here We Go Again? – Wcc´S Statement On Ukraine, Mio Kivelä

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The aim of this paper is to analyze the statement World Council of Churches, WCC, made on the war in Ukraine as well as the discussion related to the statement at the WCC´s 11^th assembly in 2022. The statement and the discussion around it at the assembly will also open a wider perspective on ecumenical movements. One perspective will be to analyze whether the statement made on Ukraine repeats the problems made in previous ecumenical statements and comments around Second World War, WWII.

Frontmatter (Volume 43, Issue 6), Paul B. Mojzes

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

No abstract provided.

"War In Ukraine: Religious, Geopolitical And Cultural Dimensions Of Value-Worldview Clashes At The Beginning Of The 21st Century": International Theological Conference, Vladyslav Fulmes

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

On June 15, 2023 Volyn Orthodox Theological Academy (Lutsk, Ukraine) held an international theological conference “WAR in UKRAINE: Religious, Geopolitical and Cultural Dimensions of Value-worldview Clashes at the Beginning of the 21st century”. Brief information about this international scientific conference is given.

Semantics Of The Symbol "Z" In The Religious Ideology Of The Russian Federation, Ivan Ostashchuk, Volodymyr Litkevych

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article analyzes for the first time the identification and content of Russian military symbols and their use in Russian Orthodoxy. At the linguistic level, it was found that such word formation Z-Orthodoxy was taken from the publications and public speeches of Archimandrite Kyrylo Govorun. Our study focuses on the proposal to use the neologism Z-Orthodoxy to demonstrate some semantic interpretations in the context of the military aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine and the entire democratic world. As a result of the analysis of the military symbols of the Russian Federation, Russian Orthodoxy found that after February 24, …

Hope Channel Ukraine As "The Spiritual Front": Mediatization Of Religion In The War Against Ukraine, Maksym Balaklytskyi

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

Hope Channel Ukraine (Nadiia TV in Ukrainian) claims to be “the first Christian TV channel in Ukraine.” During the Russian invasion of 2022, its main innovation was the “All-Ukrainian HOPE Marathon” program. It is a live program that is being aired from February 28 to June 22 in morning and evening blocks of one and a half hours. For the first months, the Marathon was broadcast daily without a day off. Since September, it has been aired twice a week under the title “Spiritual Front.” “All-Ukrainian HOPE Marathon ”became the largest live project of Hope Channel Ukraine during its conventional …

Sacralization Of The Image Of The Armed Forces Of Ukraine, Petro Kotliarov, Mariia Ovchar

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

This article offers a multifaceted analysis of the phenomenon of the sacralization of the image of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU), aimed at an in-depth understanding of the influence of the Armed Forces on society and national consciousness in the context of the Russian- Ukrainian war. Sacralization implies the inoculation/infusion of holiness, of a religious or supernatural nature, into institutions or symbols, and in this context, it is studied how this process affects the perception and support of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Ukrainian society. The article analyzes the role of the Armed Forces of Ukraine during military …

Self-Harm: Warning Signs, Risk Factors, And Prevention, Alina M. Baltazar

Faculty Publications

Rates of suicide and self-harm have been increasing in children and adolescents over the last 20 years (CDC, 2022). Suicidality and self-harm are preventable, treatable, and manageable. Parents and those who work with children, teens, and young adults are an important part in addressing this issue. This article reviews the current statistics of suicide and self-harm, role of trauma, risk-factors, causes, prevention, and treatment options. Practical tips and resources are included. The reader will better understand the phenomenon and know how self-harm and suicide can be prevented and treated.

The Theological Method Of Friedrich Schleiermacher, Jordan P. Ballard

Liberty Theological Review

What Friedrich Schleiermacher is most known for is his theological method of deriving doctrine from religious experience. He believed that religious piety is to be found in the “feeling of absolute dependence”, and all subsequent doctrines must be discovered through reflection upon religious experience. Understanding and critiquing Schleiermacher’s theological method requires examining his theological influences, his “feeling of absolute dependence,” and a few examples from his systematic theology. In the end, Schleiermacher’s theological method is ingenious but misguided because it is based on a faulty religious epistemology of human experience. What is needed instead is an objective standard of truth …

A Phenomenological Study Of African-American Students' Spiritual And Identity Development At Predominantly White Institutions, Jeffery Clayton Smith Ii

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study is to document the lived experiences of African American (AA) students attending predominantly White institutions (PWI’s). The importance of capturing these experiences is to better understand how PWIs are properly equipped to serve the needs of their AA students. This study describe how AA students are experiencing spiritual and identity development while they are enrolled at a PWI. The two guiding theories of this study are Fowler’s Faith Development Theory and Erikson’s Identity Development Theory. These guiding theories have been paired together to address students’ spiritual development during their emerging adulthood years. The …

The Final Amen: Designing And Implementing A Christlike System For The Closure Of Waypointe Christian Fellowship, Christopher E. Sherwood

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Like a myriad of other churches across the country, WayPointe Christian Fellowship (WCF) experienced a long decline leading to a critical question: Should the church permanently close? In the case of WCF, the answer was yes, which led to other questions about how to accomplish the task while maximizing God's glory, minimizing the pain felt by those involved, and preparing the congregation to migrate to another body of believers. This thesis project was designed to enable the leaders of WCF and other church leaders to answer these questions. In this pursuit, a comprehensive closure plan was created and implemented at …

The Nature Of Confession For Forgiveness In 1 John 1:5–2:6, Carleton Edward Hafer

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study on 1 John 1:5–2:6 is to examine whether repeated confession of post-salvific sins is required either for additional forgiveness or to maintain fellowship with God. This dissertation argues that John teaches that confession is required for salvation and results in complete forgiveness at the moment of salvation; however, despite what is commonly taught, John never teaches ongoing post-salvific confession for forgiveness or to maintain fellowship with God. While post-salvific confession may benefit a believer on a psychological level, that is not what John taught in 1 John. From God’s standpoint, the relationship is not impaired …

The Worship Leadership Model At Calvary Chapel, Costa Mesa: A Phenomenological Study Of The Lead Pastor And Worship Leader Relationship, 1961–2013, David L. Ream

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

By 2050, it has been estimated that 1 billion people will be Pentecostals in the broadest sense of the term. Today, one person in twelve globally is a part of this fastest-growing segment of Christianity. The ministry model of Calvary Chapel, Costa Mesa as served by Pastor Chuck Smith is a paradigmatic model that houses and stabilizes the ministry of the Holy Spirit as it reproduces. This phenomenological qualitative study explores the experiences of Worship Leaders who led worship during Sunday Morning services from 1985–2013 and sought to discover the essential characteristics of the Lead Pastor and Worship Leader interactions …

Non-Christian, Japanese College Students’ Perspectives Of Engaging With God Through The Participatory Components Of Christian Worship, Jacqueline Leigh Bencke

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study seeks to examine the extent to which non-Christian college students in Japan perceive their engagement with the biblical God while participating in daily chapel services at Kyūshū Lutheran College. The research employs a mixed-methods approach, analyzing survey and focus group data to explore whether a relationship exists between students’ participation in chapel committee activities and their perceived spiritual engagement. Responses to Lynn Underwood’s Daily Spiritual Experience Survey, the Centrality of Religiosity Scale, and the Centrality of Buddhist Religiosity Scale are combined to create a general spiritual profile of respondents. Worship leaders and missionaries who are in positions of …

Understanding The 21st Century Practical Implication Of Chaplaincy Ministry In The City Of Milwaukee, Wi, Jeffrey D. Hayman

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This research project acknowledges that God’s command for Christian hospital chaplains is to serve humanity. Jesus calls a chaplain. He then forms, transforms, and conforms them to His image of oneness. Hospital chaplains like pastors are part of care ministries that extend to various work settings, Christian and secular. The hospital-certified chaplain, by definition, can support the whole workforce in the hospital, including their patients and the patient’s families. The hospital-certified chaplain is the main focus of this research. These hospital chaplains must be qualified, endorsed, licensed, certified, or ordained to be on the frontline in the community. A hospital-certified …

Communicating The Gospel Authentically: Message Transmission Between The Christian Music Artist And The Audience, Lindsey Montez Graham

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study seeks to establish that congruence between the Christian artist and the piece directly affects the process of Message Transmission. Artist authenticity and perceived artist authenticity are central to this study. Authentic expression must be believed in the heart and then confessed with the mouth (Romans 10:9–10; Matthew 12:34; Matthew 15:18). In the secular space there is an expectation for the artist to embody or emulate the performance piece temporarily while performing the song, but to not “be” the piece in life. In the Christian setting, however, the artist is communicating the means by which people should live their …

The Effectiveness Of Praying And Fasting, Vanessa Lynn Estes

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The problem is that members of a small church were not praying and fasting often. When asked to pray in a congregational setting, they were hesitant. Therefore, the researcher invited fourteen God's Chosen Generation Church members to volunteer for a six-week prayer and fasting research study. The study sought to demonstrate that when praying and fasting are applied together, Christians can hear from God and better understand His will for their life. However, three participants decided to leave the research for personal obligations. Those who continued received a prayer and fasting schedule to pray three times a day and information …

Through The Looking Glass: Worship Music With Indigenous Sounds In Los Angeles And Manila, Maria Rica Bartolome Silbol

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Despite the Philippines’ wonderful indigenous music and talents, Manila Baptist and Los Angeles Baptist churches do not utilize indigenous sounds in typical worship practices. This paper contends that the untapped resources of cultural sounds may contribute to a dynamic worship experience that resonates more effectively as Filipino. This study investigates the absence of indigenous sound in two Filipino Baptist churches from Los Angeles and Manila (QC). It analyzes relevant ethnic music components and each church’s response to the fusion of indigenous and traditional music in the worship experience. The explanatory sequential mixed method will focus on an artistic-creative study to …

A Phenomenological Study On Church Leaders' Perspective Of Internet Church As A Biblical Community, Jason Lavon Rankin

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Current events and relatively recent technological developments have caused and significantly increased the use of digital technology in most aspects of life. The digital revolution, as some have termed it, has permeated all organizations, from businesses to institutions of higher learning, including religious institutions. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to determine Christian church leaders’ perspectives on whether the internet church fulfills the biblical and theological definitions of the church or biblical community. At this stage in the research internet church, also known as online church, e-church, virtual church, etc., is defined as a group of people with shared …

Reflections Of A «Recovering Outer Catholic», Jorge A. Aquino Ph.D.

Conexión Queer: Revista Latinoamericana y Caribeña de Teologías Queer

This essay comments on the long-deferred need for Latinx Catholic theologians to resist Roman Catholic teaching on sexuality by taking it out of the margins and integrating it as a co-equal topic of theological reflection. Based on the author’s 2014 presidential address to the Academy of Catholic Hispanic Theologians of the United States (ACHTUS), it reviews the challenges — pastoral, theological, social, and psychological — of confronting homophobia and the exclusion of queer subjects by the Roman Catholic Church.

Textos Islámicos: Una Fuente Para La Aceptación De Las Personas Queer En La Sociedad Musulmana Mayoritaria, Muhsin Hendricks

Conexión Queer: Revista Latinoamericana y Caribeña de Teologías Queer

This article seeks to reveal that Islam, at its core, does not condemn non- heterosexual sexual intimacy. On the contrary, it accepts it as part of a divine plan. In its true sense of peace and justice, Islam accepts a person’s sexual orientation as an intrinsic part of their biological and psychological makeup. He shows that the prohibition of same-sex marriages in Islam does not come from the Koran but from the legal construction of marriage and that sexual relations are both gendered and hierarchical. However, his study does not focus on Qur’anic texts that can be interpreted in support …

Covenant-Apocalyptic Soteriology: N. T. Wright’S Apocalyptic Jesus In Conversation With The Liberationist Critique Of Atonement, Joseph Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation develops a theory of atonement in accordance with N. T. Wright’s covenant-apocalyptic interpretation of the ministry and message of the historical Jesus. A covenant-apocalyptic atonement theory, in opposition to the trajectory of contemporary soteriology, prioritizes divine causality in the means of salvation, because, as is generally expected from an apocalyptic hermeneutic, it peers behind systems of violence and oppression to the intangible powers that underlie them. Unlike other strands of apocalyptic theology, though, a covenant-apocalyptic soteriology can stand up to a liberationist critique of the escapism and the divine sadism of a certain popular form of Christian soteriology, …

Pastoral Care For National Guard And Reserve: Using Bible Study To Equip National Guard And Reserve To Navigate Through The Blessings And Burdens Of Civilian-Military Vocations, David Schleusener

Doctor of Ministry Major Applied Project

Schleusener, David, S. "Pastoral Care for National Guard and Reserve: Using Bible Study to Equip National Guard and Reserve to Navigate through the Blessings and Burdens of Civilian Military Vocations" Doctor of Ministry. Major Applied Project, Concordia Seminary, 2022. 267 pp.

The researcher is a U.S. Navy Reserves chaplain and student at Concordia Seminary in Saint Louis, Missouri, in the Doctor of Ministry program. The researcher focused on the unique challenges, burdens, and significant stress our nation's reserve components face due to dual responsibilities in civilian and military sectors. National Guard and Reserve (NGR) is the term adopted for those …

Scientology's Faq: Sciencing, Tech-Romancing, Simulacra, & Simulation An Estranged Content Analysis, David Scott Morrill

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis examines how the practice of sciencing, tech-romancing, simulacra, and simulation manifests in both the text and symbols used on audiences of the Church of Scientology’s outreach materials. It specifically examines its official FAQ page. Self-framing was observed that satisfied the definition of sciencing and tech-romancing. Under an Estranged approach, Morrill examined selections of the Church’s FAQ pages, coding for instances of sciencing, tech-romancing, simulacra, and simulation. The data indicate that the Church frequently adopts simulacra and engages in simulation. The Church was seen frequently adopting technological and scientific symbols and jargon. The degree of sciencing, tech-romancing, simulacra, and …

Book Review: Worship With Teenagers: Adolescent Spirituality And Congregational Practice, Chelsea Flow Stirman

Discernment: Theology and the Practice of Ministry

Worship with Teenagers: Adolescent Spirituality and Congregational Practice, by Eric Mathis. Baker Academic, 2022. 243 pages, $17.00.

Noted With Honor: Intersections Between Theology, Music Therapy, Psychotherapy, And Original Music Compositions For Hospice Patients, Stanton Nelson

Doctor of Pastoral Music Projects and Theses

This thesis investigates the intersections between theology, music therapy, and psychotherapy when creating a music composition that honors a hospice patient’s walk of faith. A pioneer organization inspiring this thesis is Swan Songs in Austin, Texas, where musical moments are created for the patient and family. However, its model is primarily based on collating previously composed pieces for recitals without a personalized honoring of the patient’s witness of faith. Noted with Honor is an emerging non-profit organization that creates an original work that reflects upon the testimony of the patient and forms a new narrative towards the end of one’s …