Digital Commons Network^™

Learning To Persevere: The Popular Teachings Of Tendai Ascetics, Stephen G. Covell

Comparative Religion Publications

This paper introduces the teachings of three contemporary practitioners of Tendai Buddhism. I argue that the study of Japanese Buddhism has focused on doctrine and the past to the detriment of our understanding of contemporary teaching. Through an examination of the teachings of contemporary practitioners of austerities, I show that practice is drawn on as a source more than classical doctrine, that conservative values are prized, and that the teachings show strong similarities to the teachings of the new religions, suggesting a broad-based shared worldview.

"Conscience" In The New Testament, Edwin Cook

Journal of the Adventist Theological Society

No abstract provided.

A Brief Look At Mathematics And Theology, Philip J. Davis

Humanistic Mathematics Network Journal

No abstract provided.

Editors' Introduction: Traditional Buddhism In Contemporary Japan, Stephen G. Covell, Mark Rowe

Comparative Religion Publications

First paragrph:

This special issue focuses scholarly attention on various aspects of cctraditional” Buddhism (kisei bukkyd 既成仏教 or dento bukkyd 伝統仏教）in the contemporary period. The articles included here all seek to highlight and challenge certain assumptions about how contemporary Japanese Buddhist doctrine, practice, and teaching are understood. Implicit in this project is the idea that contemporary forms of Buddhism are not degenerations of a pure, original essence, but rather represent a varied and complex tradition in the midst of important challenges.

Folk Practices In Punjab, Daniel Michon, H.S. Bhatti

CMC Faculty Publications and Research

This essay serves as an introduction to the folk practices and beliefs of East Punjab. It argues that although there are clear religious identities established by the major organized religions, this does not preclude participation in other practices which cut across these boundaries. These "folk" practices and beliefs cluster around the anxieties and ambiguities of death, common understandings of societal structure and its relation to work, the relationship of animals and the spirit world, the causes of misfortune, and the causes of and cures for disease. These modes of understanding the world are characterized by persistence and adaptability, that is, …

Kecharitomene (Lk. 1:28) In The Light Of Gen. 18:16-33: A Matter Of Quantity, François Rossier

Marian Studies

No abstract provided.

Defined By Spirituality?, Michael W. Higgins

Mission & Culture Publications

Pierre Elliott Trudeau was a man of intense, intelligent, and reflective faith, and this critical dimension of the man needs to be rightly considered when assessing his role and impact on Canadian society.

The Immaculate Conception In The Ecumenical Dialogue With Orthodoxy: How The Term Theosis Can Inform Convergence, Virginia M. Kimball

Marian Studies

No abstract provided.

With And Without Boundaries: Christian Homemaking Amidst Postmodern Homelessness, Brian J. Walsh, Steven C. Bouma-Prediger

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Praying For Understanding: Reading Anselm Through Wittgenstein, Brad Kallenberg

Theology and Religious Studies Faculty Publications

If Wittgenstein is correct to assert that practice gives words their sense, then it is logically possible that an understanding of the ontological "argument" Anselm presents in Proslogion requires some level of practical participation in prayer. A close inspection of Anselm's historical context shows that the conceptual distance we stand from him may be too great to be overcome by mere spectatorship. Rather, participation in this case likely requires of the modern reader a reproduction of Anselm's conduct in prayer. If so, Anselm's case falsifies, and thus warrants our resistance of, the commonly presumed disconnect between knowledge and practice.

Fresh …

Uses And Cautions Of Marketing As A Church Growth Tool, Darren Cronshaw

Journal of the American Society for Church Growth

Advocates of church marketing assert that every church markets. Sunday newsletters, church signs, church letterheads and visitation of newcomers are all marketing tools. The question is whether such marketing is intentional and likely to be productive, or haphazard and unfocused

The Case Of The Missing Discipline: Finding Buddhist Legal Studies, Rebecca Redwood French

Journal Articles

No abstract provided.

Saving God, Robert Masson

Theology Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

The Metaphysics Of The Sublime: Old Wine, New Wineskin?, Philip J. Rossi

Theology Faculty Research and Publications

John Milbank’s and Phillip Blond’s narratives of modernity’s descent to nihilism identify the “metaphysics of the sublime” as a feature of modernity, assimilated from Kant’s critical project, that is particularly problematic for the robust post-modern Christian theology proposed in Radical Orthodoxy. This essay argues that the sublime is not the concept most fundamental to their account of Kant’s role in modernity. Far more important is the “phenomenon/noumenon” distinction, which Milbank and Blond read as a “two-world” distinction—an understanding that, despite a long history in Kant interpretation, is not Kant’s. It is less important, however, that constructive dialogue between Radical Orthodoxy …

The Faith Factor: New Testament Cosmology In Its Historical Context, Keith A. Burton

Journal of the Adventist Theological Society

No abstract provided.

Faith-Science Issues: An Epistomological Perspective, E. Edward Zinke

Journal of the Adventist Theological Society

No abstract provided.

Shembe, Ancestors, Or Christ?: A Missiological Inquiry Into The Status And Role Of Jesus Christ In The Amnazaretha Church, Kwa Zulu Natal, South Africa, Edley Joseph Moodley

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Cybergnosticism? A Study Of Contemporary Christian Faith Communities In Cyberspace, Graham Hill

Theses

This dissertation explores the research question 'What gnostic-like elements are present within Christian faith communities?' The research methodology is qualitative. It involves the examination of Gnostic documents and secondary scholarly sources on Gnosticism, and the detailed analysis of primary source with texts presented at the seventeen designated online contemporary Christian faith communities.

The Making Of The Virgin: Mary In The 'Protevangelium Of James', Sherry Angela Smith

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The Protevangelium of James is an important early Christian text narrating the birth, childhood and adolescence of Mary, the mother of Jesus. This thesis explores Mary's transformation from a secondary New Testament figure into the embodiment of sacred purity. The image of Mary in the Protevangelium of James is different than other early Christian representations, emphasizing both purity and a recapitulation with Eve. As a means to better understand Mary's purity in the narrative, I explore the theories of three scholars: Jacob Neusner, Beverly Roberts Gaventa and Mary Douglas. I conclude that Douglas's theories make the most sense for comprehending …

Buddhist Values And Ordinary Life Among Members Of The Toronto Zen Buddhist Temple, Patricia Q. Campbell

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This paper considers the relationship between ordinary life and religious commitment among twelve convert Buddhist practitioners who were members of the Zen Buddhist Temple in Toronto, Canada. Their experiences are investigated from the perspective of Charles Taylor's theories on the affirmation of ordinary life. Taylor argues that a tension exists between ordinary life and religious values in North American society. The paper's objective is to discover how interview participants balanced the demands of ordinary life (i.e. those aspects of life relating to family and vocation) and their commitment to a religious tradition that emphasizes renunciation, contemplation and monasticism. The study …

Dialogue 'On The Ground': The Complicated Identities And The Complex Negotiations Of Catholics And Hindus In South India, Selva J. Raj

Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies

Interreligious dialogue is a vital theological concern for the Catholic Church in India. Over the past three decades, church leaders, progressive theologians, and maverick monastics have experimented with various models and forms of interreligious dialogue. Quite distinct from these contrived institutional initiatives is the dynamic of intimate, subtle, and spontaneous ritual exchange and dialogue between ordinary Hindus and Catholics occurring in the arena of popular piety and rituals at the grassroots level - often in opposition to institutional norms and directives - that may be described as "dialogue on the ground." In light of ethnographic research at the shrine of …

A Bibliographic Essay On Hindu And Christian Dalit Religiosity, Mathew N. Schmalz

Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies

In his now classic novel Untouchable, Mulk Raj Anand portrays the life of a sweeper named Bakha. Bakha works cleaning latrines at the Cantonment, imitates the British "tommies" in his attire, and negotiates the differing spaces in which is Untouchability is defined. After an incident during which Bakha inadvertently touches a caste Hindu in the street, Bakha wanders through town. During his wanderings, he first meets a Christian missionary who speaks almost incomprehensibly about Jesus. Bakha then listens to a speech by Mahatma Gandhi and while he finds the Mahatma's vision compelling, his mind turns to reflecting upon how …

Tributes, Edward T. Ulrich

Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies

Tributes to William C. Cenkner and Judson B. Trapnell.

Contributors -- Quaker Religious Thought, Nos. 102, Paul Anderson

Quaker Religious Thought

No abstract provided.

"Secret Combinations": A Legal Analysis, Nathan B. Oman

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

From Vision To System: Finishing The Task Of Adventist Theology Part I: Historical Review, Fernando Canale

Journal of the Adventist Theological Society

No abstract provided.

The Concept Of Salvation In 19-34-Year-Old Seventh-Day Adventists Who Live In The State Of Indiana, Neva Charlotte Regal

Dissertations

Purpose of the Study. The purpose of this study was (a) to describe how the concept of salvation develops among Adventist young adults and (b) to examine the perceived influence of mentors and (c) life experiences, especially traumatic experiences, on the development of the concept of salvation and intrinsic religious motivation.

Method. This cross-sectional developmental study utilized three instruments: (a) the Salvation Concept Interview, (b) the Life Experience Interview, and (c) the Intrinsic/Extrinsic Religious Motivation Scale. Interviews were conducted with 132 individuals, and the data were analyzed descriptively and quantitatively using Spearman rho correlations and Chisquares.

Results and Conclusions. Limited …

Environmental Ethics From The Perspective Of Nepa And Catholic Social Teaching: Ecological Guidance For The 21st Century, Lucia A. Silecchia

Scholarly Articles

Over the years, a substantial body of Catholic social teaching has arisen to offer guidance as to the obligations that humanity has as stewards of creation. With ancient roots in Biblical text, and modern exploration in more recent texts, the connection between religious obligation and ecological responsibility has garnered much attention among Catholic thinkers - as well as among religious leaders of other faiths. This article explores the principles of Catholic social thought with respect to the environment and traces the development of those principles from their Biblical origins through the papacy of Pope John Paul II. In tandem with …

The Longterm Effects Of Television Mediation On Lds Young Single Adults: An Exploratory Study, Jennia Parkin

Theses and Dissertations

This exploratory study examines what Latter-day Saint young single adults remember about their parents mediating the television and its use, and how those recollections contribute to their current attitudes and values toward the media, as well as their media choices. A stratified random sample of 267 LDS young single adults across the United States and outside the state of Utah responded to a cross sectional mail or online survey. The three mediation styles established by Valkenburg, Krcmar, Peeters, and Marseille (1999)—Restrictive, Instructive, and Coviewing—were used as the independent variables while scales assessing television offensiveness levels, attitudes, orientation, and usage were …

The Bodhisattva And Relationship: Thich Nhat Hanh And Rita Gross On The Integration Of Parenting And Buddhist Practice Among Non-Asian, North American Buddhists, Marybeth White

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

One of the key elements in the growth and adaptation of Buddhism in North America is the integration of Buddhist practice and family life (see Farrer-Halls: 2002, 88; Ikeda-Nash: 2000, 297-300; Tsomo: 2000, 327; 1999b, 26; 1995, 12; Gross: 1999b, 105; Nhat Hanh: 1996, 200; Mandell: 1995, 51; Boucher: [1988] 1993). Scholars and practitioners acknowledge the difficulty balancing childcare with a strict meditation practice adopted by many non-Asian North American Buddhists, as well as the long term ramifications of addressing Buddhist practices and what have been issues traditionally associated with the Buddhist realm of samsara rather than nirvana. By appealing …