Digital Commons Network^™

The Coherence Of Navayāna Pragmatism: Ambedkar And The Pragmatist Reconstruction Of Buddhist Philosophy, Danish Hamid

Comparative Philosophy

This paper examines the philosophical coherence of B.R. Ambedkar’s reconstruction of his (Navayāna) Buddhism in relation to John Dewey’s pragmatism. Building on Scott Stroud’s reading of Ambedkar as a Deweyan Pragmatist (2017, 2023), it argues that Dewey’s evolutionary naturalism, his conception of growth, and pragmatic redefinition of concepts provide Ambedkar with the methodological tools for a naturalistic and socially reconstructive reinterpretation of Buddhist doctrines such as anicca (impermanence), dhamma (Buddha’s teaching), nirvāṇa (enlightenment), karuna (compassion), etc. Ambedkar transforms impermanence from a metaphysics of flux into an ethics of progressive growth, and recasts dhamma as a social morality grounded in fraternity …

The Earth Charter As Green Fire, Mary (Joy) Philip

Consensus

No abstract provided.

Learning In/With The Land: Intersectionality, The Earth Charter, And The Trc Calls To Action In Theological Education, Héctor A. Acero Ferrer

Consensus

No abstract provided.

Being A Good Ancestor, John Milloy

Consensus

No abstract provided.

Western Mansions In The Gardens Of Perfect Brightness, Another History Of High Qing Sino-European Exchanges, Nicolas Woreth

Swarthmore Undergraduate History Journal

The Gardens of Perfect Brightness, the favorite residence of Chinese Emperors in the High Qing era (1683-1799), held mysteries that will remain forever concealed from the public eye after French and British imperialist forces looted it and burned it beyond repair during the Second Opium War (1856-1860). Behind the doors of the secret garden, scarcely open to anyone but the emperor, his wives, and servants, worked European artists and scientists. Most of them were Jesuit missionaries who served the emperor in the hope of gaining his favor and support for the spread of Christianity in China.

This paper aims to …

An Empirical Analysis Of Cooperation Among Muslim Countries: The Case Of Indonesia-Pakistan Preferential Trade Agreement, M Jaenudin, Emil Haraki, Aam Slamet Rusydiana

Journal of King Abdulaziz University: Islamic Economics

This study evaluates the impact of the Indonesia–Pakistan Preferential Trade Agreement (IPPTA) on bilateral trade using the gravity model of international trade. Annual time series data from 1990 to 2023 are analysed through unit root testing, bounds testing, and Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) estimation to examine both short- and long-run effects. The model includes four variables: bilateral trade, GDP of Indonesia and Pakistan, geographical distance, and a dummy variable for IPPTA to compare trade performance before and after the agreement’s implementation. The results indicate that Indonesia’s GDP has a positive and statistically significant impact on bilateral trade in both the …

Conundrums In The Realization Of Healthcare And Education Through Waqf In Nigeria, Isa Olawale Solahudeen

Journal of King Abdulaziz University: Islamic Economics

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 3 and 4 emphasize the importance of good health and quality education, respectively. However, based on available progress report released by Nigerian government, implementations of SDGs 3 (Good Health) and 4 (Quality Education) in the country were not promising. The unpleasant situation requires collaborative efforts of private sector. Meanwhile, waqf, an Islamic philanthropic instrument, has the potential to contribute significantly to the realization of these goals in Nigeria. Several conundrums hinder the effective utilization of waqf for healthcare and education. This paper identifies and examines some challenges ranging from lack of awareness, parochialism, religious …

Investigating Factors Influencing Customer Satisfaction To Boost Islamic Mobile Banking Adoption In Indonesia, Abdurrahman Abdurrahman, Mohamad Anton Athaillah, Yadi Janwari, Asti Meiza

Journal of King Abdulaziz University: Islamic Economics

This study examines the factors influencing the adoption of Islamic Mobile Banking (IMB) in Indonesia, focusing on technological, innovative, reputational, and Sharīʿah compliance dimensions. Using a quantitative approach with Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM), data were collected from 312 IMB users to assess both direct and mediating relationships among the variables. The findings reveal that perceived usefulness, firm reputation, innovation, and Sharīʿah compliance significantly and positively influence customer satisfaction, with Sharīʿah compliance emerging as the most dominant factor. Conversely, ease of use, though positively associated, does not significantly affect satisfaction, suggesting that functionality, trust, and ethical conformity outweigh …

A Very Long-Term Analysis Of Cash Awqaf In Eastern Thrace: Capital, Socioeconomic Groups, And Temporal Shifts, 1544-1917, Bora Altay

Journal of King Abdulaziz University: Islamic Economics

This study examines the institutional and financial dynamics of cash Awqaf in the Eastern Thrace region of the Ottoman Empire, presenting a long-term quantitative analysis that extends beyond Istanbul. This analysis aims to clarify the evolution of capital levels, founders’ profiles, and the functions of cash Awqaf from the sixteenth to the early twentieth centuries. To address the paucity of regional data, a novel dataset encompassing cash Awqaf in Edirne, Kırklareli, and Tekirdağ from 1544–1917 was developed. The analysis integrates the longitudinal trends in waqf capital with the socioeconomic characteristics of the founders and the evolving allocation of waqf revenues. …

Foreign Bank Competition And Financial Stability In Dual Banking Systems: Evidence From Islamic And Conventional Banks In Indonesia, Alwahidin La Pade, Alija Avdukic, Husain Insawan, Novita Kusuma Maharani

Journal of King Abdulaziz University: Islamic Economics

This study investigates how foreign bank presence affects financial stability, focusing on the differences between Islamic and conventional banks operating in Indonesia. Using a fixed-effects regression model of panel data of 108 banks over ten years (18 Islamic banks and 90 conventional banks), the Z-score is the dependent variable of stability, and foreign presence is assessed through foreign bank assets (FBA) and foreign bank number (FBN). This research finds that growing foreign bank number (FBN) positively affects stability, while growing foreign bank assets (FBA) negatively affects stability in the short run. In addition, Islamic banks are more stable than conventional …

Sin, Grace, And Conversion In C. S. Lewis’S The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe, Christopher Varga

Sehnsucht: The C. S. Lewis Journal

Was C. S. Lewis Pelagian? While his apologetic works make skillful use of the concept of free will, some worry that he takes the emphasis on free will too far, allowing no room for God's gracious intervention in works such as The Great Divorce and The Problem of Pain. This essay seeks to challenge a Pelagian characterization of Lewis. It argues that there is in Lewis’s theology a dialectic in which the burden for damnation rests solely with the sinner’s own free choice, and yet where God is solely to praise for actively rescuing the saved, resembling a single …

Discovering C. S. Lewis’S Argument From Awe Against Philosophical Naturalism, Piotr Bylica

Sehnsucht: The C. S. Lewis Journal

Although Clive Staples Lewis’s (1898–1963) works on the intersection of philosophy and religion were aimed at a broader readership and are indeed well-known among the general public, they are also valued among professional philosophers and theologians alike, especially those focusing on the relations between theism, atheism, and naturalism. His three most popular arguments against naturalism are the Argument from Reason, the Moral Argument, and the Argument from Desire. In that context, the present article aims to show that Lewis actually made use of a fourth type of argument against philosophical naturalism that has so far escaped identification. Since this argument …

C. S. Lewis And The Argument From Reason, Elijah Mcclanahan

Sehnsucht: The C. S. Lewis Journal

This essay surveys and demonstrates that the "argument from reason" is a dominant methodological theme in the apologetics of C. S. Lewis.

C. S. Lewis And Artificial Intelligence: An Ai Ethics Problem, Justin E. Edgerly

Sehnsucht: The C. S. Lewis Journal

This paper demonstrates that the quest for safe and ethical AI is undermined by much of the philosophy, implicit and explicit, in AI literature and undergirding AI research and development. C. S. Lewis’s writings provide a prescient and penetrating critique of this philosophy and point toward a “regenerate science” that addresses the present need for wisdom in AI development. This paper contributes to the field of AI ethics by presenting several Lewisian concerns about the nature, application, and undergirding philosophy of current and future AI technologies, as well as a Lewisian perspective on the requirements for safe and ethical AI.

Trusting Jesus To The End: How A Christocentric, Inductive, And Canonical Hermeneutic Best Answers Rapture Debates And Reaffirms Perseverance, James G. Davidian

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation compares the four premillennial end-time theories (i.e., the pretribulation, midtribulation, prewrath, and posttribulation views) to answer whether the Bible literally/explicitly describes two future descents of Christ, multiple future resurrections of saints, a pre-wrath timing, a reascent back to heaven, two last trumpets, two peoples of God, and two standards of protection (as proposed by rapture views) or whether the Scriptures describe only a single future coming of Christ for all saints “after the tribulation” (as held by the posttribulation view). By trusting what Jesus taught and relying on what is explicitly written and repeated in the Bible as …

Jesus’S View On Church Unity And Leadership: A Comparative Study Of His Views Against The Old Testament And Pauline Models In Addressing Leadership-Driven Divisions Within The Togolese Assemblies Of God Church, Sidibé-Néwendé Kamassé

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This paper will analyze the lack of alignment between Jesus's view of kingdom-centered unity and the pattern of leadership, and how these differences have affected the rule of the church according to biblical history. The paper further examines the problem of divisions driven by leadership in the modern churches, especially those in the Togolese Assemblies of God Church (TAGC). The thesis argues that Jesus's unique teachings on the Kingdom of God can be viewed as both the key organizational principle defining ecclesial leadership and unity and the final leadership paradigm that wrestles with the Old Testament and Pauline models of …

An Analysis Of The Role Of Women In The Progression Of The Gospel, D'Atra Mcfarland

Masters Theses

This thesis is an analysis of the role women played in the progression of the gospel. It tackles the argument of complementarianism versus egalitarianism. However, it takes on an egalitarian perspective and believes that Jesus showed through his interaction with women at pivotal points in his earthly ministry that women are essential when it comes to spreading the gospel. This thesis also explores the historical background of the Gospels, the gospel message, and relevant biblical, historical, and cultural texts that provide information on women in the first century of the New Testament. It also explores the general relationship that Jesus …

Priestly Christology And Holiness: Christ’S Priesthood And The Sanctification Of Believers, Adriani Rodrigues

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Infinite Line, Infinite Knowledge: The 'Spera' And Organized Chaos In Lambert's Encyclopedia, The 'Liber Floridus', Ava Romano

Theses and Dissertations

The Liber Floridus is a medieval encyclopedia renowned for its program of circular diagrams, or sperae. Inside this manuscript of 190 chapters, these diagrams frame and embody written knowledge, revealing a connection between encyclopedism and life in the Benedictine monastery by creating a coherent visual organization of chapters.

Laila: A Doll Memoir Of 1947 Partition Of India And Pakistan, Maleeha Malik, Maleeha Fatima Malik

Children's Literature (MFA) Theses

This abstract examines a creative and critical work centered on the 1947 Partition of India, which displaced approximately fourteen million people and caused one million deaths. The narrative introduces Laila, an anthropomorphized doll who functions as both witness and archive, embodying the memories and traumas of multiple child survivors. Through Laila’s journey across India, Pakistan, and the diaspora, the text explores themes of identity, belonging, loss, and intergenerational memory.

Blending personal family history with historical analysis, the author situates Laila within lived experiences of migration, silence, and religious marginalization, particularly as part of the Ahmadi Muslim community. The narrative foregrounds …

Appreciating Deacons In The Liturgy: Is Having A Deacon Anything More Than A Decoration?, Thomas O'Loughlin

Pastoral Liturgy

No abstract provided.

Fifth Sunday Of Easter - 3 May 2026, Andrew Doohan

Pastoral Liturgy

No abstract provided.

A Project To Prepare Women As Theological Educators In Papua New Guinea And The Solomon Islands, Jenny O'Brien

Pastoral Liturgy

No abstract provided.

Major Developments Of The Altar And Ritual Movements In The Liturgy From The Early Church To The Immediate Post-Vatican Ii Years, Andy Nguyen Sj

Pastoral Liturgy

No abstract provided.

The Importance Of Mental Health Education In The Black Church: Exploring Mental Health And Trauma Through A Biblical Lens, Navita Kj Johnson-Belcher

Doctor of Ministry

The Black church has historically served as a cornerstone for African American spiritual and communal life yet faces significant challenges in addressing mental health needs rooted in generational trauma and systemic oppression. This dissertation explores the crisis of silence surrounding mental health in Black church contexts, where stigma, pastoral limitations, and historical mistrust of institutional systems create barriers to healing. Through examination of biblical perspectives on suffering, church-based mental health programs, and emerging digital ministry models, this study demonstrates that online platforms can effectively integrate trauma-informed care with theological education.

The research presents a digital, trauma-informed, biblically-based, mental health education …

Finding Meaning And Value In Old Age, Jane Nell Morgan

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This project addressed finding meaning and value in old age. The research conducted explored barriers to achieving meaning and value and how to overcome those obstacles. The research specifically focused on senior adults who reside in a Christian-based assisted living home located in the Twin Cities, Minnesota. In response to this problem, the researcher studied the lives of three older biblical characters, Jacob, the author of Psalm 71, and Anna, and reviewed relevant literature on barriers senior citizens face today. In addition, research included the damaging effects older adults face when they fail to find meaning in their lives and …

A Cause Sprinkled With Blood: The Life Of Owen Lovejoy, Abolitionist, Pastor And Congressman, Owen Bryant Lovejoy

Books

No abstract provided.

A Tribal Hermeneutical Reading Of The Creation Narrative In Genesis 1:26-28, Enolyne Lyngdoh

The Asbury Journal

No abstract provided.

The Discrimination Of Methodist Students At Oxford University, 1768, Nicholas M. Railton

The Asbury Journal

Discrimination and persecution are perennial features of church history. This paper deals with six Oxford students who were expelled from the university for what were called ‘Methodist’ practices and beliefs. Their university trial is analysed as are the support structures within the evangelical network in the eighteenth century. The paper sheds light upon the lives of the students post-exmatriculation.

Announcing The Vennard College Collection, Robert Danielson Ph.D.

The Asbury Journal

No abstract provided.