Digital Commons Network^™

Trinitarian Theology As A Resource For The Theology Of Education, Anne Bullock

Master's Theses (2009 -)

The character of Catholic education has been variously described but is often associated with educating the whole person, a statement that is usually inadequately explored. In the first place, this “holistic” approach is often reduced to character education, which is an insufficient explanation of what makes Catholic schools distinctive. Moreover, the approach relies on a dense theological account of the human person, which can make it difficult to integrate into the daily reality of school life. This thesis critiques some insufficient approaches to Catholic education in light of the Church’s vision for education, beginning with Vatican II and Gravissimis Educationis …

Creating A Feminist Religious Counterpublic:Rlds Feminists And Women's Ordination Advocacy In America, 1970–1985, David Howlett, Nancy Ross

Religion: Faculty Publications

The 1970s witnessed an efflorescence of religious feminism in the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, particularly around the issue of women's ordination. We pose a model for understanding this development—the formation of publics/counterpublics—and explore how it illuminates our case study. Drawing upon oral history interviews and archival sources, we document how RLDS women created independent publications, grassroots consciousness-raising groups, feminist classes and conferences, and Women-Church–inspired worship to reimagine priesthood within their church. We conclude that the lens of a counterpublic offers a capacious view of our topic, one capable of integrating both social movement theory and …

The Universality Of God In Amo’S Oracles And Creation: A Historical-Critical Approach Within A Catholic Context, Alexandra Bochte

Master's Theses (2009 -)

In the Old Testament, the Israelite nation is identified as a chosen people of God and in a covenantal relationship with him. This thesis will argue that the Noahide covenantal relationship extends to more than just the Israelites such that all creation is in a covenant with the universal God. This is supported through an exploration of Ancient Near Eastern literature and its similarities with biblical stories. Exegetical analyses of Psalms and prophetic biblical literature will further demonstrate God’s universality and will elucidate what it means to be in a covenantal relationship with God. When there is relationship there must …

Ecumenical Traditions: Byzantine And Franciscan Theology In Dialogue, Gino G. Grivetti

Master's Theses (2009 -)

This thesis investigates the convergences between the Byzantine and Franciscan traditions in the areas of hagiography, mysticism, and dogmatic theology. Historically marginalized in the neo-scholastic synthesis of the nineteenth century, the closeness of Patriarch Bartholomew (b. 1940) and Pope Francis (b. 1936) has symbolized the significance of this dialogue in the modern ecumenical movement. The anonymous bios of St. Nilus of Rossano (d. 1005) and the first vita of St. Francis of Assisi (d. 1226) by Thomas of Celano (d. 1260) are representative of the hagiographical traditions of the Italo-Byzantine monks and the early Franciscans. The traditions came into direct …

Existential Thomism And The Ecstasy Of The Sexed Body, Kathleen Cavender-Mccoy

Dissertations (1934 -)

This dissertation assesses the relevance and significance of Norris Clarke’s existential Thomism to critiques of John Paul II’s theology of the body. I argue that using existential Thomism as a basis for Catholic metaphysics opens the door for an existential theology of the sexed body, a theology of the individual on a unique spiritual journey towards union with God which amends, expands, and nuances the existing theology of the ecstatic body developed by John Paul II. Chapter One situates my thesis within its historical context by tracing philosophical and theological developments which inform the current status of embodied sexual difference …

Social Change Model Of Leadership Development, Sung K. Kwon

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Islamic Political Parties And Election Campaigns In Indonesia, Colm A. Fox, Jeremy Menchik

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Islamist political parties are a structural feature of politics across the Muslim world, raising persisting questions for scholars of democracy. Under what conditions will Islamists moderate to support democracy and pluralism? Under what conditions will they adopt more exclusive behavior? Taking a fresh approach, we focus on electoral competition and the conditions under which Islamic party candidates campaign using either inclusive nationalist appeals or exclusively Islamic appeals. Using a unique data source, we coded the appeals contained on the campaign posters of 572 Islamic party candidates in Indonesia. We found that demographics, urban–rural differences, and the level of government office …

Church Campus Enhancement For Maximum Ministry Effectiveness: Research Project, Denny R. Duron Jr.

Doctor of Ministry (DMin)

The modern church in America needs to recapture the sacredness and significance of its facility to enhance its message, ministry, and mission in the community. The goal of this research study is to explore the benefits of church facilities designed to inspire and influence people to follow Christ. Jesus promised us, “For where two or three gather in my name, I am there with them” (Matt 18:20). In one sense of the word, a church campus is a representation of Christ in the community. Therefore, facilities management is the proper stewardship of our ministry. The mission that Jesus gave the …

Pentecostal Health: The Intentionality Of Being A Spirit-Filled Ministry, Johnny L. Manning

Doctor of Ministry (DMin)

The premise of this research project asserts that a disconnect exists between what Pentecostal churches profess to believe and what is experienced and practiced by their congregations. The purpose of this project was to discover if this disconnect exists. Secular philosopher Franz Brentano popularized the concept of intentionality. Jesus demonstrated intentionality regarding the partnership with the Holy Spirit and his followers, expecting them to be empowered with the Holy Spirit for Christian living and witness. Jesus always intended for his Church to be filled with Pentecostal people. Jesus’ intention can be perceived by observing what He said about the Holy …

Northeast Insulae Project: Context And Analysis (Revised Edition), Mark Schuler

The Final Report

This volume of the Final Report places the excavation of the northeast insulae into its historical and archaeological context and draws interpretive conclusions from the work done. Much of the material presented here is repeated in a second volume which recounts the history of the project sequentially. But the focus in this volume is on interpretation of the material remains in their context.

Christ Our Passover (Pascha Nostrum), Anthony Elia

Bridwell Library Research

Work was originally written for the Congregation of the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer (Irving, TX) in 2021, but not completed till 2023. Given in honor of Canon Victoria Heard's Distinguished Service and Retirement in Spring 2023. (9 pages). [Based off of texts from 1 Corinthians and Romans].

What Do Professors Do All Summer?, David J. Mulder, Mike Janssen, Kayt Frisch, Joshua E. Hollinger, Erin Olson

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

"It’s a time to take a breath, re-energize, and re-center while also reconnecting with friends and family."

Posting about the summer rhythm of life for five professors from In All Things - an online journal for critical reflection on faith, culture, art, and every ordinary-yet-graced square inch of God’s creation.

https://inallthings.org/what-do-educators-do-all-summer/

We Need Faithful Farmers, Dale E. Vos

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

"A faithful farmer who cares is performing worshipful work."

Posting about the calling of agriculture from In All Things - an online journal for critical reflection on faith, culture, art, and every ordinary-yet-graced square inch of God’s creation.

https://inallthings.org/we-need-faithful-farmers/

Of Houses And Raiments – Philosophical Aspects Of Corporality In Arda, Thomas Fornet Ponse

Journal of Tolkien Research

It is well known that theological and philosophical considerations became increasingly important for J.R.R. Tolkien. The publication of The Nature of Middle-earth is a proof of that since this collection of both published and unpublished writings by J.R.R. Tolkien deals with natural aspects, such as the hair or beards of the inhabitants of Arda, as well as metaphysical topics like free will or reincarnation. This publication makes it possible to analyze the interdependence of Tolkien’s thoughts on the operation of time and ageing with the relationship of mind/spirit and body, and thus both the inner consistency and coherence of his …

Review: Christian Intercultural Communication, Andrew J. Ondo

Liberty Theological Review

A Review: Chang, C. Tim, and Ashley E. Chang. Christian Intercultural Communication: Sharing God’s Love with People of Other Cultures. Dubuque, IA: Kendall Hunt Publishing Company, 2021. 277 Pages. $82.11.

Review Of "Come, Lord Jesus", H. Michael Shultz Jr.

Liberty Theological Review

This review examines John Piper's 2023 Come, Lord Jesus. The book is shown to be a valuable contribution to the broader eschatological field, and a particular contribution to the Historic Premillennialist camp.

Approbation: An Annotated Bibliography, Grace Morris

Liberty Theological Review

Annotated Bibliography

The Influence Of The Gospels Of Matthew And Luke On Carl F. H. Henry’S Kingdom Theology, Michael Cunningham

Liberty Theological Review

Carl F.H. Henry was a leading theologian of American Evangelicalism and prominent voice in the Neo Evangelical movement of the twentieth century. His prominent book The Uneasy Conscience of Modern Fundamentalism (1947) persuaded conservative evangelicals to avoid the separatist inclinations of fundamentalism. He, instead, championed a biblically based brand of cultural engagement rooted in the kingdom theology found in the Gospels. Harnessing the “Already, but not yet” view of the kingdom popularized by Herman Ridderbos and George Ladd, Henry effectively engaged culture during a tumultuous twentieth century. This paper will begin with a survey of the historical legacy of Carl …

Platonism’S Influence On The Hermeneutic Of Augustine: Exploring The Philosophical Roots Of Augustine’S Interpretive Approach, Kent T. Maitland

Liberty Theological Review

This paper contends that Augustine was a significant contributor to the “Spiritual Vision Model” of the Christian conception of heaven described by Craig Blaising. This model is premised on the Platonic understanding of perfection in which the soul unites with the Good, and heaven is primarily a cognitive state in which the individual possesses perfect spiritual knowledge. This model also provides a rational basis for favoring a figurative or spiritualized interpretation of Scripture over its literal meaning. Augustine’s early life and conversion reflects a commitment to the SVM’s Platonic ideals, as demonstrated in his deference to Cicero, his journey into …

Moralistic Therapeutic Deism: A Classical Critique, Michael W. Cunningham

Liberty Theological Review

In 2005, American sociologist Christian Smith coined the term “Moralistic Therapeutic Deism” in his book, Soul Searching, The Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers. At the time, this phenomenon was heralded as a new “religion” for emerging generations, yet it ascribes to no formal text, deity, or doctrine. It serves as a self-focused compilation of secular philosophy, politics, culture, and spirituality flavored with fragments from popular religions. While there is no formal MTD doctrine, there are five affirmations: (1) A God exists who created and ordered the world and watches over human life on Earth, (2) God wants …

American Indian Residential Boarding Schools: Historical Trauma And The Role Of Government, Churches, And Tribes In Healing Indigenous Communities, Briana Slaubaugh

Liberty Theological Review

Throughout the 19^th and 20^th centuries, Native Americans and Indigenous tribes in North America faced systematic destruction of their cultures, genocide, and extreme abuse. With wars against Native Americans, forced relocation from their historic lands, and mandatory residential boarding schools where Indigenous children were forcibly separated from their parents, the social fabric of Native American communities was destroyed. These travesties were government sanctioned and enacted by churches. The American Indian Residential Schools serve as the most recent and egregious factories of abuse. The policies and actions enforced against Native Americans left a generation plagued by abuse leaving a …

Practical Understanding And Application Of The Approbation Of Christ, Michelle Russell

Liberty Theological Review

In December 1912, William Borden embarked on a journey halfway around the world to become a missionary to Chinese Muslims. Just four months later, Borden contracted meningitis, which took his life. He was never to serve as a missionary. American newspapers picked up the story, as Borden was the heir to the Borden family fortune. The outcry by some was, "What a waste!" People lamented that a man who had so much to live for had wasted his life by giving it to God and dying before he had a chance to fulfill his calling or collect his fortune. William …

Defending The Call To Preach In Shirley Caesar’S Gospel Autobiography, Angela Nelson

Popular Culture Faculty Publications

Shirley Caesar, a celebrated, multiple award-winning gospel singer and preacher, used and retold stories about three transformative spiritual experiences to build a case for defending her call to preach. These ritualistic spiritual events included chronicling her conversion, spirit baptism, and call experiences. In this discussion, I examine the contexts of Caesar’s familial and religious backgrounds, Christian Protestant preaching culture and gender, Caesar’s “parable” and “prolegomenon” of purpose, and Caesar’s defense of her call to preach. I conclude by exploring the ways in which, as an “outsider within,” Caesar’s “defense case story” negotiated and dissented from theological narratives about the place …

Aural And Oral Culture, Robert Ellison, Larry Sheret

English Faculty Research

Robert Ellison and Larry Sheret were invited to present at “Off the Grid: Folk Culture and Digital Humanities,” a conference held at the College of William & Mary on June 24, 2023. Prof. Sheret began with a discussion of the scholarly research and publication cycle; an introduction to Marshall Digital Scholar (MDS), the Marshall University’s institutional repository; and an overview of the various ways Dr. Ellison has contributed to MDS. In his part of the presentation, entitled “Orality, Aurality, and The Library of Appalachian Preaching,” Ellison mentioned his previous work in orality-literacy theory and sermon studies, followed by a …

Healing For The Soul: Richard Smallwood, The Vamp, And The Gospel Imagination, Horace J. Maxile Jr.

Yale Journal of Music & Religion

A book review is presented for Braxton D. Shelley's Healing for the Soul: Richard Smallwood, the Vamp, and the Gospel Imagination (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2021).

(Special Section) Translating Race: Mission Hymns And The Challenge Of Christian Identity, Philip Burnett

Yale Journal of Music & Religion

“Ye seed of Israel’s chosen race,” “The race that long in darkness pined,” “To heal and save a race undone,” and “Sanctify a ransomed race” are a few examples of many references to “race” that exist in English-language hymnody. Throughout the nineteenth-century, hymns containing lines such as these, were exported from Britain into mission fields where translators had to find new ways to conceptualize notions of race and, in effect, created new group identities. This requires asking critical questions about the implications of what happened when ideas of race, in the Christian sense, interacted with non-religious notions of race in …

Tracking The Harmonium From Christian Missionary Hymns To Sikh Kirtan, Gurminder Kaur Bhogal

Yale Journal of Music & Religion

The harmonium is prominent in Sikh practices of devotional music known as kirtan and yet its significance has barely been addressed in Euro-American scholarship. Following on the heels of a recent ban against using the instrument at the holiest temple of the Sikhs, Harmandir Sahib (popularly known as the Golden Temple), this article explores how the ban seeks to discard this colonial instrument and return to playing traditional string instruments (tanti saz) associated with the courts (darbar) of the Sikh Gurus. This study is the first to examine primary missionary sources from the nineteenth and early …

King Charles' Character Education: His Australian School, Now And Then, Elizabeth Summerfield

The Journal of Values-Based Leadership

As a 17 year old in 1966, the then Prince Charles, spent two terms at Geelong Grammar School in Victoria, Australia. He described the experience as the best part of his secondary schooling, and formative of his character. The School was founded in the 1850s as an educational institution of the Anglican Church. By the twenty-first century it became a leading exponent globally of the Positive Education (PE) movement, which has its foundation in Positive Psychology (PP). Critics of PE have argued that it diminishes, even supersedes, the tenets of the School’s Anglican tradition. This paper tests the School’s assertion …

To Touch God, William Orbih

Obsculta

No abstract provided.

Biraha, Atreyee Majumder

Articles

Excerpt:

'The followers of Swami Shri Haridasji live in the sand-laden compound of Tatiasthan and assemble in song with devotees from the general public every evening. This musical tradition is called samaaj gaayan. They first sing facing the deity and then turn to their teacher, who arrives at the assembly a little later. Mobile phones and other technology are strictly forbidden.

This poem is an out-take from my ongoing ethnographic research in Vrindavan—the sacred geography of Krishna worship in the Bhakti tradition in northern India. This poem came from the evenings spent in the Tatiasthan shrine watching evening musical performances, …