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And I Heard 'Em Say: Listening To The Black Prophetic, Cameron J. Cook

Pomona Senior Theses

This thesis aims to explore how conceptions of the black prophetic tradition, as discussed by thinkers Cornel West and George Shulman, might be expanded into the realm of African American musical traditions and genres. I argue that musical genres like the blues and hip-hop function as an affective discourse that aesthetically, politically and religiously function as sites of resistance to white supremacy and provide alternate pathways to liberation as compared to more canonical instantiations of the black prophetic. In particular I provide close readings of performances and art by Nina Simone and Kanye West.

Americanized Catholicism? A Response To Thomas Schärtl, Dennis M. Doyle

Theology and Religious Studies Faculty Publications

I stand in fundamental agreement with what Thomas Schärtl has said in his article describing recent trends in US Catholicism. I am a lifelong Catholic and a lifelong Democrat. I felt personally distressed and discouraged by the support given to Mitt Romney and the Republicans by some leading US Catholic bishops. Most of this support may have technically passed the legal test of being nonpartisan, but undeniably it functioned in a partisan manner, as did the attacks launched on President Obama in the midst of a campaign to defend religious liberty. Schärtl’s analysis of these trends as reflecting marketing strategies …

Review — Introducing African American Religion, By Anthony B. Pinn, Lareine-Marie Mosely

Journal of the Black Catholic Theological Symposium

No abstract provided.

Review Of Restored To Earth: Christianity, Environmental Ethics, And Ecological Restoration By Gretel Van Wieren, Jame Schaefer

Theology Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Neo-Molinism: A Reappraisal And Defense, Elijah Hess

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the cogency of Gregory Boyd's so-called "neo-Molinist" account of the openness of the future. In particular, it is an investigation into whether Boyd's Square of Opposition for future contingents provides a model of reality for free-will theists that can preserve classical conceptions of (i) omniscience, (ii) logic, and (iii) morally significant freedom. In what follows, I argue that it can.

Jesus And The Ethic Of Love: A Critical Examination Of A New Covenant, Jeffrey Stephen Sabol

LMU Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Phenomenology, The Spirits Of The Age, And The (Religious) Task Of Philosophy, Neal Deroo

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

The presenter states that philosophy in general—and phenomenology in particular—remain predominantly academic endeavors, done by professional philosophers, to professional philosophers, for professional philosophers and that the key to changing this situation and so to recover the public nature of the phenomenological enterprise is to reconceive the task of philosophy as the 2 discernment of the spirits of the age in which we find ourselves. To do this, he highlights two distinct elements of phenomenological methodology that enable it to perform such a task: first, its epistemological claim that the matters to be investigated must be both taken on their own …

The Anonymous Theology Of Modern Family, Conor M. Kelly

Theology Faculty Research and Publications

The popular television show Modern Family follows sitcom conventions and attempts to send a moral message about how relatives can live well together. An examination of the specific content of this message shows that it prioritizes self-giving love for the sake of forgiveness and reconciliation. This creates a recognizable parallel with the Christian conception of agape, and a discussion of this notion in the work of Karl Rahner in conjunction with his idea of the “anonymous Christian” allows for the identification of Modern Family’s moral vision as an anonymous theology of family ripe with theological significance and pedagogical potential.

The One Balm For All Earth’S Wounds: The Priority Of Gospel Proclamation In Charles Haddon Spurgeon’S Missiology, John Sypert

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation explores the relationship between gospel proclamation and mercy ministry in Charles Spurgeon’s ministry. The dissertation argues that Spurgeon’s Pastors College, Stockwell Orphanage, and his multitude of other ministries had one clear goal: the spreading of the gospel and the conversion of the lost. This dissertation uses Spurgeon’s approach to missions as an apologetic for a more biblically precise missiology, namely, one that prioritizes gospel proclamation without neglecting the physical needs of those who suffer. This approach could be called “benevolent prioritism” because it prioritizes the proclamation of the gospel while not neglecting works of love for those suffering.

Revitalizing Missions On The Cusp Of Change : Complex Systems Science Mazeways For Mission Theory Amid Twenty-First Century Realities, Samuel K. Law

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Setting The Captors Free: Soteriology In The Thought And Praxis Of Martin Luther King, Jr., Jacob W. Kines Jr.

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation seeks to illuminate aspects of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s theological legacy that have thus far either gone unnoticed or have been inadequately addressed. In particular I am concerned to unearth King’s soteriological legacy for historically privileged groups, especially those claiming a Christian identity. This project explores the ways in which King’s theological method, doctrine of God, and theological anthropology informed his soteriology. Special attention is given to King’ social location as a fourth generation African American preacher reared in the racially hostile South, and the ways in which his early experiences shaped the questions, tasks, and aims of …

The Rhetoric Of Praise : Prayer And Persuasion In The Psalms, Ryan J. Cook

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Feminist And New Feminist Perspectives On Mary: Renewal Or Retrieval?, Gloria Falcão Dodd

Marian Studies

Combining the idea of a priest’s spiritual marriage to the Church and Pope Paul VI’s title for Mary as Mother of the Church, Pope Francis joked with a group of seminarians: “If you don’t go to Our Lady as Mother, you certainly will have her as a mother-in-law! And this isn’t good.” In the midst of the many changes after Vatican Council II, Paul VI had observed the need to prevent misunderstandings, such as viewing Our Lady as a mother-in-law rather than a mother, or diminishing Marian devotion. Therefore, Paul VI wrote his 1974 encyclical, Marialis Cultus, describing three aspects …

Rising Above A Crippling Hermeneutic, Luke Steven, Carlos, Armando Thompson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Sacred texts authored in antiquity present a challenge for contemporary religious practitioners because there is always a question regarding how to interpret and apply the message today. Prominent Pentecostal theologian and disability theorist Amos Yong faces this challenge concerning the Bible as it relates to disabilities and those who have them. As I argue in this thesis, Yong succeeds in challenging the Pentecostal perceptions of disability without compromising on the over-all Pentecostal view of scripture.

The Hebrew Bible, which, according to Yong, "...serves as the foundation of the Christian scriptures," contains multiple passages that portray disability in a negative light. …

Roosevelt, Boy Scouts, And The Formation Of Muscular Christian Character, Gordon J. Christen

Religious Studies Honors Projects

In the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, many prominent Christians and political leaders saw a degenerative influence in industrializing America. For them, urban culture had eroded gender roles, personal strength, and moral fiber. So-called “Muscular Christians” prescribed physical exertion and wilderness experience to cure these ills. I argue that these values were embodied in idealized characters such as Theodore Roosevelt, Jesus, and the Boy Scout to give a form to cultural remedies. In the process, they became the terms upon which proper Americanism, and proper Christianity, were constructed.

Review Of Deus In Machina: Religion, Technology, And The Things In Between, Jame Schaefer

Theology Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Building Bridges And Crossing Boundaries: Philosophy, Theology, And The Interruptions Of Transcendence, Philip J. Rossi

Theology Faculty Research and Publications

Discussions about theological realism within analytic philosophy of religion, and the larger conversation between analytic and continental styles in philosophy of religion have generated relatively little interest among Catholic philosophers and theologians; conversely, the work of major figures in recent Catholic theology seems to evoke little interest from analytic philosophers of religion. Using the 1998 papal encyclical on faith and reason, Fides et ratio, as a major point of reference, this essay offers a preliminary account of the bases for such seeming mutual indifference and offers some suggestions for future dialogue.

Zen And The Art Of Treason: Radical Buddhism In Meiji Era (1868–1912) Japan, James Mark Shields

Faculty Journal Articles

In the early decades of the twentieth century, as Japanese society became engulfed in war and increasing nationalism, the majority of Buddhist leaders and institutions capitulated to the status quo. At the same time, there was a stream of ‘resistance’ among a few Buddhist figures, both priests and laity. These instances of progressive and ‘radical Buddhism’ had roots in late Edo-period peasant revolts, the lingering discourse of early Meiji period liberalism, trends within Buddhist reform and modernisation and the emergence in the first decade of the twentieth century of radical political thought, including various forms of socialism and anarchism. This …

Trinitarian Theorizing And Mystery As A Way Forward: A Critical Examination Of The Forms Of Trinitarian Hypothesizing, Why They Fail, And Why Mystery Is A Way Forward, Matthew J. Conniry

Seminary Masters Theses

Scholarship reveals that there are at least two primary ways of handling the issue incumbent within Trinitarian theorizing. Most theologians resolve the issue by addressing the inconsistencies, finding various ways to make important distinctions to eliminate apparent contradictions. This is no doubt the most popular route. Among these are social Trinitarians and Latin Trinitarians. A rough distinction can be made here, wherein social Trinitarians start with the Threeness of God and reason from that stance that God is one by an inexorable and eternal loving relationship. Oppositely, Latin Trinitarians start with God as one and reason how God can possibly …

Exegetical Analysis Of Calvin’S View Of The Natural Order, Kyle Dieleman

Pro Rege

No abstract provided.

Menorah Review (No. 81, Summer/Fall, 2014)

Menorah Review

Books in Brief: New and Notable -- candelabra gold -- Education: Yeshivah style -- Moreshet: From the Sources -- Mysteries of the Books of Job: From Elihu to Elie Wiesel -- Two Nations Are In Your Womb (Gen 25:23) -- When Rhetoric Dominates The Message -- Zachor

The Promise "I Am Coming Soon" In Revelation, Rabach Odek

Journal of the Adventist Theological Society

No abstract provided.

Beyond Luther’S Imago Dei: Imagining A Modest Humanity, Allen G. Jorgenson

Luther Faculty Publications

In this article I use a comparative theology—engaging First Nation insights—to explore the imago Dei, and argue that this can only be affirmed by pairing it with the theme of imago mundi. I first review the imago Dei in dialogue with Genesis 1:26-27 before considering modern scholars’ various identifications of it. My point of departure is Luther, who identifies it as being without fear of death and being content with God’s favor, and as unique to homo sapiens. I propose that humans are also created in the image of the world. In concert with Indigenous thinkers, I …

Exposed Heads And Exposed Motives: Coverings As A Means To Unity At Corinth, April M. Hoelke

MA in Religion Theses

This thesis argues that in 1 Corinthians 11:2-16 Paul asserts most centrally that women should wear head coverings while praying and prophesying in the Corinthian Christian assembly. I examine the honor and shame value system of the Greco-Roman world, both generally and in specific reference to head adornment, since head coverings and hairstyles were connected to honor and status. Then I look at Paul's treatment of honor and shame throughout 1 Corinthians, which denounces the worldly value system of status seeking in favor of the value system of the cross. Paul's stance leads him to subject cultural norms to gospel …

Revelation 13 And The Imperial Cult, Chang In Sohn

Beets Paper Contest

No abstract provided.

From The Fathers To Trent: An Examination Into The Patristic Grounds For Transubstantiation, Klaas Walhout

Beets Paper Contest

No abstract provided.

Know Yourself And You Will Be Known: The Gospel Of Thomas And Middle Platonism, Seth A. Clark

CGU Theses & Dissertations

The Gospel of Thomas is a collection of 114 sayings attributed to Jesus and is primarily composed of rhetorical statements that were used to preserve the teachings of itinerant Greek philosophers. These collections were used to persuade individuals to join the philosophical schools represented, much like the early followers of the Jesus movement would use his teachings to convince others to join them as well. However, the theological background for the text is still debated because it contains esoteric and enigmatic references not fully understood by most scholars. This work argues that the theological and philosophical background for the Gospel …

Searching For A Self-Reflexive Theology: Ways Forward For Systematic Theology In Relation To (Non) Religious Thought In Contemporary Western Culture, Colby Dickinson

Theology: Faculty Publications and Other Works

This article aims to draw attention, first, to the need to explore the inner plurality of theological discourse, as such plural discourses serve to promote a certain dynamism and fullness within theology as a field, especially in relation to religious studies today. Second, such a potential fullness is reflected in the modern struggle to characterize the relationship between faith and reason. Comprehending the misunderstandings, often construed as an impasse between faith and reason, could foster new relations between scientific methods and theological imaginations. Third, understanding these tensions from a systematic theological perspective also entails a more precise analysis of the …

The Profanation Of Revelation: On Language And Immanence In The Work Of Giorgio Agamben, Colby Dickinson

Theology: Faculty Publications and Other Works

This essay seeks to articulate the many implications which Giorgio Agamben’s work holds for theology. It aims therefore to examine his (re)conceptualizations of language, in light of particular historical glosses on the ‘name of God’ and the nature of the ‘mystical’, as well as to highlight the political task of profanation, one of his most central concepts, in relation to the logos said to embody humanity’s ‘religious’ quest to find its Voice. As such, we see how he challenges those standard (ontotheological) notions of transcendence which have been consistently aligned with various historical forms of sovereignty. In addition, I intend …

Reference, Mimesis, And Application: An Examination Of Gadamer's Rehabilitation Of Allegory, Evan Weinzierl

MA in Religion Theses

The goal of this thesis is, first and foremost, the presentation of the stance of allegorical interpretation and its potential revaluation in a postmodern context (as argued for by Hans Georg Gadamer), giving special consideration to select pre-critical voices and allegorical methodologies that are becoming relevant to this discussion concerning personal, revelatory Truth or Truths. This goal is enriched by the incorporation of pertinent, contemporary (postmodern) perspectives in literary theory that concern the relationship between the world of a text, the world of the individual or society in which that text is interpreted, and any possible or useful allegorical link …