Digital Commons Network^™

Tensions In Poland Over Ecumenical Dialogue, Krystyna Gorniak-Kocikowska

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

"If I would use the phrase, ‘the specter of secularization is haunting Poland right now,’ that would be probably a good description of the present mindset of great number of people in Poland. The presently existing tensions are not, I think, inter-religious or inter-church tensions. The inter-religious tensions are marginal due to the dominant position of the Roman Catholic Church on the national level.

The potentially tension-building problem is the issue of secularization. Because the Roman Catholic Church was very strong in Poland even in the times of Communism, secularization was not perceived then as a serious danger, unless people …

Inter-Church And Inter-Religious Tensions In Postcommunist Eastern Europe: The Case Of Albania, Ines Angeli Murzaku

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

No abstract provided.

Household Altars In Contemporary Japan: Rectifying Buddhist "Ancestor Worship" With Home Décor And Consumer Choice, John Nelson

Theology & Religious Studies

In Japan, where organized religion is increasingly viewed with a critical eye, one of the country’s most enduring social and religious traditions—commemorating ancestral spirits—is undergoing rapid change. The highly competitive market for household altars is the source of innovative and sometimes radical concepts that represent a paradigm shift in how families and individuals should interact with ancestral spirits. No longer catering to guidelines from mainstream Buddhist denominations about altar style and function, companies building and marketing contemporary altars (gendai butsudan) present a highly-refined product that not only harmonizes with modern interior designs but also emphasizes individual preferences and spirituality in …

Walking Different Pathways: Coming To Know Our Own Journey Better, Diane Jonte-Pace

Religious Studies

Santa Clara's new Core Curriculum, scheduled for launch in Fall 2009, resonates powerfully with the vision of General Congregation Thirty- Five.

Book Review: Kristina Lacelle-Peterson's Liberating Tradition: Women’S Identity And Vocation In Christian Perspective, Melanie Springer Mock

Faculty Publications - Department of English

Excerpt: "Kristina LaCelle-Peterson’s Liberating Tradition: Women’s Identity and Vocation in Christian Perspective provides such a primer in biblical egalitarianism. LaCelle- Peterson, an associate professor of religion at Houghton College, does a credible job of outlining the important arguments for why Christianity has traditionally excluded women from equality with men and for why women need to be released from the narrow roles in religious institutions where they have for too long been held."

Salve Regina, Mater Misericordiae: Images And Identity, Jayme Hennessy

Mercy Illuminates

No abstract provided.

An Authentic Human Being With A 17th C. Flair: Fenelon Spiritual Letters And Existentialism, Megan Levy

Theology Conference Papers

This is an invitation for the mind and the heart to cross the threshold into another dimension in time and explore the parallels between Existential Psychotherapy concepts and Fenelon’s Christian Spiritual Letters written 300 years ago. Christianity and Existentialism are “individualistic” approaches focused on self-awareness, self-responsibility, and ownership to facilitate personal change; both ask for commitment, and none of them offer easy ways or painless quests. Christian spiritual letters as a personal growth tool are centred on Jesus, a self-actualizer, who fits every characteristic described by Maslow.

Believing And The Practice Of Religion, Catherine Bell

Religious Studies

Annotated draft manuscript of Believing and the Practice of Religion in which the author sought to spur a discussion about belief, a phenomenon that few religious scholars had addressed but that Bell held was central to the study of religion. This is a digital copy of the original manuscript located in the Catherine Bell Papers held by Archives & Special Collections at Santa Clara University.

Buddhism, Apophasis, Truth, Mario D'Amato

Faculty Publications

In this paper I will offer some reflections on one instance of apophasis in a specific Mahāyāna Buddhist doctrinal treatise, known as the Madhyāntavibhāga (“Distinguishing the Middle from the Extremes,” ca. fourth century CE). I will attempt to formally distinguish such apophatic doctrines from doctrines of ineffability, and consider what apophatic doctrines might contribute to the impasse regarding “truth” which characterizes certain approaches to the comparative philosophy of religion. Since this paper is intended as a contribution to the comparative philosophy of religion, I will begin with a few remarks on the nature of that enterprise.

The Legal Cases In The Book Of Mormon, John W. Welch

Maxwell Institute Publications

The Legal Cases in the Book of Mormon begins with a discussion of important background information, including legal practices in the ancient Near East, the ideal of righteous judgment, and the legal cases recorded in the Bible. John W. Welch then devotes a chapter to each of the legal cases in the Book of Mormon—from the formative cases of Sherem and Abinadi to the landmark trials of Nehor and Korihor, the wrenching prosecution of Alma and Amulek, and the politicized proceedings of Paanchi and Seantum.

Eloquent Witness: Nibley On Himself, Others, And The Temple, Hugh Nibley

Maxwell Institute Publications

One of the stunning aspects of Dr. Hugh Nibley's genius was his persistent sense of wonder. That trait induced him to range widely through very disparate subjects of study- all covered in volume 17 of The Collected Works of Hugh Nibley on Himself, Others, and the Temple. In this compilation of materials, most of which have been published previously outside the Collected Works volumes, Nibley explores the ancient Egyptians, the temple, the life sciences, world literature, ancient Judaism, and Joseph Smith and the Restoration. The contents of this volume illustrate the breadth of his interest through autobiographical sketches, interviews, book …

What Does It Mean To Live A Fully Embodied Spiritual Life?, Jorge Ferrer

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

This essay discusses the meaning of embodied spirituality—based on the integration of all

human attributes, including the body and sexuality—and contrasts it with the disembodied

spirituality—based on dissociation and/or sublimation—prevailing in human religious

history. It then describes what it means to approach the body as a living partner with which

to co-create one’s spiritual life, and outlines ten features of a fully embodied spirituality.

The article concludes with some reflections about the past, present, and potential future of

embodied spirituality.

The Buddhist Notion Of Emptiness And Its Potential Contribution To Psychology And Psychotherapy, José M. Tirado

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

A growing number of psychologists now have their practices and theories informed by Buddhist

meditation practices. Th ese practices, however, are themselves deeply informed by the

Buddhist notion of emptiness (śūnyatā). Th is Buddhist concept off ers a rich vein of possibilities

in informing psychology and psychotherapy. Th e present paper examines the development

and potential of this concept for infl uencing these and other areas.

The (Im)Possibilities Of Levinas For Christian Theology, Glenn J. Morrison

Theology Conference Papers

The paper aims to show how Levinas’ philosophy opens up a style of thinking and suggests a vocabulary of expression that can serve Christian theology, especially by opening the possibility of a language of alterity, or radical “otherness”, in theology. Given our paradox of the (im)possibilities of Levinas for Christian theology and, hence, the very risk of falling into the language of onto-theology, the paper will firstly relate my approach to Levinas writings for the benefit of Christian theology.

My special concern for the talk will be to provide an example of doing theology with Levinas. To this end, I …

An Epistle Of The Twelve, March 1842, Josh E. Probert

BYU Studies

On March 20, 1842, ten members of the Twelve Apostles composed a long epistle to the Saints in Europe providing directives for immigration. The document reveals the way the Twelve planned to move converts from Europe to the Nauvoo area and the way resources would be provided for the Nauvoo Temple and Nauvoo House. The document also provides a window into the broader contours of Church governance during this for- mative time and the larger responsibilities of the Twelve after their return from their mission to the British Isles.

Explore, Fall 2008, Vol. 12, No. 1: The 35th General Congregation Of The Society Of Jesus, Its Meaning And Messages, Ignatian Center For Jesuit Education

explore

Contents: The Point and Usefulness of a Jesuit General Congregation; Summaries of Three Decrees From GC35; A Justice of Faith: Kindling New Fires at the Frontiers; Exploring the Decrees of the Jesuit General Congregation 35: A Roundtable Discussion with Santa Clara University Faculty and Staff; Walking Different Pathways: Coming to Know Our Own Journey Better”The œCore Vision of GC35; Engineering at a Jesuit University: Reflections on GC35; Men and Women for Others”Men and Women with Others; Upcoming Events; Next Issue

A Guide To Scholarly Advancement For Graduate And Postgraduate Students, Fredrick J. Long, Mathew P. O'Reilly

The Asbury Journal

No abstract provided.

Journal Of Mormon History Vol. 34, No. 4, 2008

Journal of Mormon History

LETTER

--Correction Dean Hughes, vi

ARTICLES

--“Temple Pro Tempore”: The Salt Lake City Endowment House Lisle G Brown, 1

--“They Shall Be Made Whole”: A History of Baptism for Health Jonathan A. Stapley and Kristine L. Wright, 69

--“Cheat the Asylum of a Victim”: George Albert Smith’s 1909–12 Breakdown Mary Jane Woodger, 113

--Appropriating the Secular: Mormonism and the World Columbia Exposition of 1893 Konden Rich Smith, 153

--Under the Gun at the Smoot Hearings: Joseph F. Smith’s Testimony Michael Harold Paulos, 181

--Buchanan’s Thrust from the Pacific: The Utah War’s Ill-Fated Second Front William P. MacKinnon …

Review Of Making Pilgrimages, Meaning And Practice In Shikoku By Ian Reader, Ronald S. Green

Philosophy and Religious Studies

Ian Reader offers a unique and valuable contribution to the academic study of the Shikoku hachijūhakkasho, a pilgrimage to eighty-eight sacred places of Shikoku in honor of the Japanese Buddhist saint Kōbō Daishi (774-835).

Exploring Interdisciplinary Prayer Research In A Health Context, E. James Baesler

Communication & Theatre Arts Faculty Publications

Communication, Psychology, and Sociology are three leading academic disciplines engaged in the social scientific study of prayer, the spiritual communication between a believer(s) and God, but rarely do these disciplines collaborate in interdisciplinary prayer scholarship. Possibilities for interdisciplinary prayer research in a health context are explored through a review of the literature and academic interviews. Interdisciplinary linkages in the prayer-health context are organized in an integral "all-quadrant" theoretical model, and an assessment of the viability of interdisciplinary prayer-health research is considered.

This-Worldly Explanations For Otherworldly Growth: Vitality In An Ozarks Megachurch, Joseph Lee Dutko

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

James River Assembly, a Pentecostal megachurch in the Missouri Ozarks, grew from forty-two people in 1991 to over nine thousand in 2008. What led to such growth? Using ethnographic research methods such as interviews and twenty months of field observations, this study uses the story of James River Assembly to enter into the debate on congregational vitality. Three reasons emerge for the growth and strength of the church: excitement and optimism, an apocalyptic worldview, and a clear sense of identity embraced as a worthy pursuit by members. Each chapter presents theories of vitality that are useful for understanding growth at …

Some Rudimentary Problems Pertaining To The Construction Of An Ontology And Epistemology Of Shamanic Journeying Imagery, Adam J. Rock, Stanley Krippner

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

Attempts to elucidate the kinds of “thing” or “things” to which the term shamanic journeying

image is referentially linked must grapple with two related questions: what is the fundamental

nature of shamanic journeying images, and how might the origin of a shamanic

journeying image be found? The first question is ontological, concerned with the nature

and essence of shamanic journeying images. In contrast, the second is epistemological and

methodolgical, concerned with how to acquire knowledge of shamanic journeying images.

We demonstrate how inductive and deductive reasoning, the private language argument,

and reification render problematic the resolution of both. Finally, we …

Blake T. Ostler. Exploring Mormon Thought: The Attributes Of God And The Problems Of Theism And The Love Of God., James Mclachlan

BYU Studies

Blake T. Ostler. Exploring Mormon Thought. The Attributes of God. Salt Lake City: Greg Kofford Books, 2001

Blake T. Ostler. Exploring Mormon Thought. The Problems of Theism and the Love of God. Salt Lake City: Greg Kofford Books, 2006

"The Anchor Of The Soul That Enters Within The Veil": The Ascension Of The "Son" In The Letter To The Hebrews, Felix H. Cortez

Faculty Publications

Problem This dissertation studies the nature of Jesus’ ascension to heaven and its role in the argument of Hebrews. Method The study consists of an analysis of those passages in which Jesus’ ascension is referred to directly (Heb 1:6; 4:14-16; 6:19-20; 9:11-14, 24; 10:19-22) and a study of the imagery Hebrews uses to couch its theology, giving special attention to the role of this imagery in the progression of the argument. The study is both exegetical and theological in nature, seeking to provide an analysis of specific passages as well as systematization of their import. Results The six passages that …

A Modern Mohel's Mitzvot, Zachary Rubin

Student Scholarship

Circumcision traditions, modern Jews, United States. Description and analysis of liturgical and folk traditions practiced by families at home-based circumcision ceremonies, and by the mohel who performed the circumcisions for them in both urban and rural Illinois.

Developing A Contextual Theology Of Postcolonial Filipino American Diasporic Identity, Ferdinand C. Llenado

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

"A Uniformity So Complete": Early Mormon Angelology, Benjamin Park

Library Research Grants

No abstract provided.

Rational Supernaturalism: Early Mormonism And Enlightened-Romantic Rhetoric, Benjamin Park

Library Research Grants

No abstract provided.

In The Footsteps Of Orson Hyde: Subsequent Dedications Of The Holy Land, Blair G. Van-Dyke, Lamar C. Berrett

BYU Studies

In October 1841, Orson Hyde traveled to Jerusalem and dedicated the Holy Land for the gathering of Judah. Hyde's dedication was the first of eleven formal dedications performed in the Holy Land in this dispensation, and while each one was given for the purpose of preparing the land for the return of Israel, each dedication also contained unique content. The authors discuss each dedication and the historical and political contexts affecting each prayer. They assert that repetition indicates importance, and no other place has been repeatedly dedicated like the Holy Land.

The Lord And Giver Of Life: The Person And Work Of The Holy Spirit In The Trinitarian Theology Of Colin E Gunton, Michael D. Stringer

Theses

Colin Gunton was one of the leading figures in a late twentieth century movement which sought to rejuvenate interest in systematic and trinitarian theology. Gunton’s theology was heavily influenced by the trinitarian thought of Karl Barth. As his thought matured, however, he was increasingly drawn to resources found in Irenaeus and the Cappadocian Fathers. Drawing from these patristic sources, Gunton sought to develop a trinitarian theology formulated upon personal and relational categories of thought as a corrective to the over-emphasis upon substantialist conceptuality in the Western tradition. He held that a doctrine of God that desires to remain consistent with …