Digital Commons Network^™

Training The Church To Support Sufferers Of Mental Illness Through Comfort Clinics, Jonathan D. Blankenship

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The problem at Laurel Baptist Church (LBC) is the lack of trained members who are equipped to support those suffering from mental illness. The purpose of this DMIN action research project is to create Comfort Clinics, a structured program to train members to support sufferers of mental illness. Normative-sized churches are often uninformed on the topic of mental illness. Subsequently, in those environments, stigmas are nurtured, sufferers feel unseen, and church members lack the necessary training to provide the comfort and support that mental sufferers need. Building on the ecclesiastical call to “comfort those who are in any affliction” (2 …

Mostly Haunted: A Socio-Spatial Analysis Of Ghost Tourism In England And Wales, Tom Clark, Joseph O. Baker, Christoper D. Bader

Sociology Faculty Articles and Research

There is now a well-established literature on ghost tourism. However, much of this work examines aspects associated with the demand side of the industry, or the motivations and experiences of consumers. There are currently no studies that have sought to explore the supply of ghost tourism and the spatial, social, and economic relationships that exist between these places. Using Lower Tier Local Authorities (LTLAs) in England and Wales as the units of analysis, this study draws on a bespoke range of local government and Census data to examine the prevalence of ghost tourism and explore how these sites are differentiated …

Bot-Theology: Inviting, Prosperous, And (In)Authentic Community, Daniel Jesse

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

The paper analyzes the theology, emotions, and community formation of the bots who post on YouTube and the people who respond to them. The paper finds that the bots’ theology is evangelical, charismatic, and prosperity-oriented. The paper also finds that the people who respond to the bots are sincere, supportive, and expressive, and that they create a virtual community of faith that is joyful, hopeful, and trusting. The paper suggests that virtual gatherings of Christians need more scholarly attention and that more research is needed on the emotional formation and theological implications of these online interactions.

Alfred Russel Wallace Notes 39. What About Wallace's 'Agnosticism'...?, Charles H. Smith

Faculty/Staff Personal Papers

Alfred Russel Wallace (1823−1913) seems to have distinguished his earlier years of agnosticism from his later period as a spiritualist, but a closer look at the situation suggests he actually remained an agnostic all the way through to the end of his life. The confusion is occasioned by a lack of terminology that can be applied to his position, which most closely resembles a Spinozian manner of thinking.

Mermaids In Pools: Ex-Situ Conservation As A Cornerstone For Sirenian Management Worldwide, D. N. Castelblanco-Martínez, E. A. Ramos, A. Alvarez-Alemán, F. L. N. Attademo, L. J. Cabrias-Contreras, D. Caicedo-Herrera, S. S. Landeo-Yauri, F. O. Luna, Miriam Marmontel, J. Sanchez, Carlos J. Silva, Vera Da Silva, Diogo Londero Da Silva, A. A. Mignucci-Giannoni

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Faith's Multiple Meanings: Does The Author Of Hebrews Use "Faith" In The Same Manner As It Is Used In The Rest Of The New Testament?, Wayne Brouwer

Pro Rege

No abstract provided.

"Where Art Thou?" Virtue, Duty, And The Voice Of/In Ethics In Jennifer A. Herdt's Assuming Responsibility: Ecstatic Eudaimonism And The Call To Live Well, Geoffrey Fulkerson

Pro Rege

Reviewed Title: Assuming Responsibility: Ecstatic Eudaimonism and the Call to Live Well by Jennifer A. Herdt. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2022. 267 pp. ISBN: 9780192849205

The Religious Root Of Humanity: Abraham Kuyper's Concept Of The Heart, Steve Bishop

Pro Rege

No abstract provided.

"Not A Textbook, But... ": Political Theory And The Biblical Narrative, Richard Mouw

Pro Rege

No abstract provided.

The Soviet Template And Its Application: Bulgarian State Policy Toward The Bulgarian Orthodox Church After 1944, Ventzislav Gueorgiev Karavaltchev

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article examines the adoption and implementation of Soviet models in Bulgarian state policy toward the Bulgarian Orthodox Church following the communist takeover on September 9, 1944. Situating the Bulgarian case within a broader comparative framework, the study traces key continuities between Soviet church–state relations after the October Revolution of 1917—particularly as was institutionalized during the Stalinist period—and their subsequent application in Bulgaria. Drawing on extensive archival materials from Bulgarian and Russian repositories, the article demonstrates that all major decisions concerning the Church were closely coordinated with, and often directly approved by, Moscow. Beyond repression and legal restriction, the analysis …

Hegemonial Nationalism And The Role Of Religion: A View From The Perspective Of The Western Balkans, Semir Halilović, Tomislav Tadic

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

This paper points to the problem of hegemonic nationalism, with an emphasis on the role of religion, in the context of a social understanding of the situation in the Western Balkans (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, and Croatia). The question of the “Eastern and Western models of nationalism” is articulated, and the social role of religion in their construction is examined. In relation to this framework, the possibilities for applying the thesis of the Eastern model of the nation are considered in light of the current war situation between Russia and Ukraine. The paper highlights some of the theoretical configurations …

Polygyny Between Sharia, Custom And State Law As A Persistent Dilemma In Post-Soviet Kyrgyzstan, Zharkynbai Sebetov, Mairambek Tagaev

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

This article presents a comprehensive study of the century-long historical and legal evolution of state-imposed prohibitions on the institution of polygyny in Kyrgyzstan. The primary objective of the research is to evaluate the outcomes of a hundred years of repressive policies – originally classified as “crimes of daily life” (bytovye prestupleniya) during the early Soviet era–and to uncover the transformed legal paradoxes of this phenomenon today. Drawing on historical archival materials, Communist Party reports, and contemporary regulatory acts, the authors investigate the fundamental reasons why polygyny persists as a resilient “shadow” institution in Kyrgyz society despite its criminalization. Within the …

Countering Wahhabism And Promoting Religious Stability In Kazakhstan: Theological Insights From Qawam Ad-Din Al-Itqani, Rizabek Battaluly, Shamshadin Kerim, Nurlan Anarbayev, Ershat Vice-Rector Ongar

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

Following Kazakhstan’s independence, the expansion of religious freedoms created a societal religious vacuum, which, coupled with the low level of religious literacy among youth, facilitated the spread of radical ideologies. Historical evidence indicates that Wahhabism entered the region through broader Salafi movements, doctrinally grounded in the teachings of Ibn Taymiyya, contributing notably to inter-religious tensions among younger generations. Traditional Islamic frameworks in Central Asia – the Hanafi school of jurisprudence and the Maturidi creed – have historically played a central role in maintaining religious stability. The scholarly works of Qawam ad-Din al-Itqani, a prominent intellectual from the Turkistan region, systematically …

Switching Speed Limits In Electrically Driven Vo2 Structural Mott–Peierls Transition, Henry Navarro, Ivan K. Schuller, Yimei Zhu

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Limitations Of Genetic Testing, Tony N. Jelsma

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

"Knowing about a pathogenic variant may sharpen our awareness of our mortality, but it should not fundamentally change our perspective on life."

Posting about the advantages and disadvantages of genetic screening from In All Things, an online hub that offers insight into maintaining and faithful and orthodox Reformed Christian worldview while fearlessly engaging in every aspect of contemporary life – until all is made new.

Limitations of Genetic Testing

Shifting Focus: Youth Sports And Mental Health, Tara Boer

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

"Ultimately, athletes should be encouraged to develop their identity holistically. They are athletes, but they are first and foremost children of the King."

Posting about protecting mental health while participating in sports from In All Things, an online hub that offers insight into maintaining and faithful and orthodox Reformed Christian worldview while fearlessly engaging in every aspect of contemporary life – until all is made new.

Shifting Focus

Charity Simone, Mark Naison, Anthony Abd-Al Shafi Rosado

Oral Histories

Simone’s path to leadership was inspired by her late mentor, Charles Foster, who encouraged her to be an active voice in their community. After seeing issues with building maintenance and a lack of clear communication, Simone ran for office and was elected Treasurer of her Building Association in 2023. Through this role, she noticed that community work is complex and needs navigating different opinions, yet the experience ultimately reinforced her belief that community is a “verb.” To her, it is an intentional, ongoing action that requires showing up every day to hold the system accountable.

A significant aspect of Simone's …

Living Faithfully In An Economic Revolution, Part Ii: Ai's Impact On Productivity And Labor, Joshua E. Hollinger

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

"AI is unlikely to eliminate human work entirely. But it may radically reshape which skills are valuable, how labor is compensated, and how widely the gains from productivity are shared."

Posting about the influence of AI on labor from In All Things, an online hub that offers insight into maintaining and faithful and orthodox Reformed Christian worldview while fearlessly engaging in every aspect of contemporary life – until all is made new.

Living Faithfully in an Economic Revolution, Part II

Parallel Concepts Found In The Thousand And One Nights And Sufi Hagiography, Walaa Kamal Emam Kamel

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis argues that The Thousand and One Nights functions as more than mere populist entertainment; rather, it constitutes a literary corpus imbued with Sufi mystical epistemologies that reflect the spiritual quests and Sufi concepts evident in hagiographical traditions. Through discourse and intertextual analysis of two Nights stories, “The City of Brass” and “The Porter and the Three Ladies of Baghdad,” alongside Farīd al-Dīn ʿAṭṭār’s Tadhkirat al-awliyāʾ, this study demonstrates how shared rhetorical strategies—specifically David Pinault’s Leitwörter analysis and L.A. Paul’s Transformative Experience concept—reveal a narrative and rhetorical emphasis on the metamorphosis of the self from worldly attachment toward …

The Role Of Forgiveness: Spirituality, Loneliness, And Depression In A Christian University, Elda Botello-Ramirez

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

For university students, loneliness has harmful effects, like depression, but choosing to forgive and embracing spirituality can lead to better mental health. Yet, limited studies have examined these constructs among students enrolled in long-distance learning (LDL) courses. This is important because an increase in loneliness continues, and more students are taking LDL classes. Still, there is a paucity of work on mental health among students in Christian universities. Thus, this quantitative research study examined context-specific or transgression-specific forgiveness (state forgiveness) while considering the role of personality traits (i.e., trait forgiveness) related to forgiveness to investigate its impact on loneliness and …

Leading In The Unexpected: Adaptive Leadership And Time Management, A Phenomenological Study Of The Small Church Pastor, Simorrah J. Majors

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

One of the most challenging obstacles small church pastors face today may be managing their time. This qualitative phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of the use of time management within the scope of church leadership and administration, as perceived through the lens of pastors ages 35 to 80 who are either the senior or sole pastor or elder at small trinitarian Protestant churches in the United States Northeast Region. Time management is generally defined as organizing and planning how to divide time between different activities and functions. The theory guiding this study is Ronald Heifetz's (2009) Adaptive Leadership theory …

Volunteer Leaders Of Young Adult Ministries In Protestant Churches In The Midwest, Usa, Miriam S. Midzi

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Developing and retaining young adult ministry volunteers helps engage young adults and foster church growth. An article in Lifeway Research states that “Two-thirds (66%) of those who attended church regularly in high school dropped out for at least a year as a young adult” (Earls, 2019). Understanding the views and experiences of church ministry volunteers of this age group is essential as these young men and women are integral to reaching, discipling, and retaining them in the church. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of volunteer leaders of young adult ministries in Midwest Protestant …

Fostering Worship In A Countercultural Setting: An Ethnodoxological Approach To Secular Heavy Music, Jacob Lewis Ream

Masters Theses

Despite stylistic musical diversity within the evangelical church, many secular musicians and music fans have little to no desire to participate in corporate worship music. Specifically, those that engage in “countercultural heavy music (CHM);” namely, hard rock, punk rock, and heavy metal. Music that is often played for the purpose of corporate worship in the local church fails to resonate with many musicians in the corresponding local community. In addition, most evangelical worship ministries do not strive to reach the music communities outside of their local church. This study examines the reasons for this disconnectedness. “Worship as missions” is not …

Living Faithfully In An Economic Revolution, Part I: Learning From The Past, Joshua E. Hollinger

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

"Economic progress is a gift of common grace: God allows even fallen humanity to develop knowledge, institutions, and technologies that genuinely improve life."

Posting about past economic developments from In All Things, an online hub that offers insight into maintaining and faithful and orthodox Reformed Christian worldview while fearlessly engaging in every aspect of contemporary life – until all is made new.

Living Faithfully in an Economic Revolution, Part I

Assignment Of Smp And Cmc Vicarages, February 5, 2026, Richard Marrs, Joel Fristche

SMP Call Day

Assignment of SMP and CMC Vicarages, February 5, 2026

Week 6: “I Believe In The Holy Spirit...”, Calvin University

Campus Ministries Resources

No abstract provided.

Week 8: “I Believe In...The Forgiveness Of Sins, The Resurrection Of The Body, And The Life Everlasting. Amen”, Calvin University

Campus Ministries Resources

No abstract provided.

Longevity, Resilience, And Thriving Of Women In Ministry: A Case Study Of Women In Ministry From A United Pentecostal Holiness Church, Eunice Cheryl Feltus Little

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

The problem of ministry attrition caused by burnout is well documented. Research attributes the impact of burnout on the resilience, longevity, and thriving of ministry workers to role-related stress and adversity. High attrition rates throughout religious organizations and a lag in longevity and resilience contribute to a shortage of ministry workers. Some ministry workers leave the vocation because of stress and burnout, yet others persevere. Despite the possible adverse effects, many men and women find a sense of well-being and joy in ministry work. This qualitative distributive case study focused on those who stayed in ministry and the strategies …

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 …

A Different Kind Of Conversation/Christian Unity, Mary (Joy) Philip

Consensus

No abstract provided.