Digital Commons Network^™

La Santa Muerte And The Characteristic Damage Of Canonization, Ellen Webber

Journal of Global Catholicism

Devotion to La Santa Muerte, a Mexican folk saint who personifies Death, has

been condemned by the Catholic Church for its affiliation with Mexican drug

cartels. This article challenges mainstream interpretations of La Santa Muerte

devotion using the theological framework of characteristic damage, as defined

by Lauren Winner and Paul J. Griffiths. This framework understands liturgy

as celebrated by sinners in a damaged world, and therefore necessarily damaged

itself. As much as liturgy and Christian practice form us for good, they also per-

petuate damage. I argue that the sins present in La Santa Muerte veneration are

an expression of …

Investigating And Re-Imagining Contemporary Religious Leadership, Amy Lawton, Feyza Akova

Sociology Faculty Research and Scholarship

Sociologists, anthropologists, cognitive scientists, and others have shown that religion is a feature of life in every known human society (Bellah 2011). While the cultural contexts, organizing principles, and values of each religion differ greatly – so much so that “religion” is a problematic universal category (Asad 1993) – many religions do share certain characteristics. One of those characteristics – shared among most social groups regardless of their purpose – is leadership, variously defined. Spiritual and religious groups, gatherings, and collectives have specific individuals that they turn to for wisdom, spiritual or moral guidance, fostering community, and/or ritual facilitation. We …

Supporting Parents Of Pre-Adolescents: Equipping Parents Through Focused Instruction On Biblical Parenting Practices, Lillian Michelle Mitchell

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This action research project addresses the problem that parents and grandparents of pre-adolescent children at Mount Moriah Missionary Baptist Church do not receive sufficient intentional spiritual support, biblical guidance, and instruction to teach them how to raise their children using parenting skills grounded in a biblical worldview. The purpose of this research was to equip parents and grandparents of pre-adolescent children with biblically based parenting skills using an eight-week group study. The project examined the results of the Bible study group, which focused on Genesis 1:26, Deuteronomy 6:5-9, Proverbs 22:6, Luke 2:46, Ephesians 6:1-4, and Titus 2:1-8. The study implemented …

From Retaliation To Restoration: Evaluating Norwegian Prison Rehabilitation Models For United States Integration, Lucas I. Abbott

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study evaluates the viability of implementing Norwegian rehabilitative frameworks within the American prison system by gathering the perspectives of formerly incarcerated men in the United States. Using a qualitative phenomenological design, the research sought to understand how American offenders perceive Norwegian normalization techniques, such as single-occupancy rooms, humane architectural environments, respectful inmate-officer relationships, and their potential to promote rehabilitation and reduce recidivism. Fifteen participants who had served a minimum of three weeks in correctional institutions completed open-ended questionnaires analyzed through conceptual content analysis. Findings revealed strong support for individualized rooms, normalized environments, and increased positive human interaction as transformative …

Pure Leadership Model: A Framework For Leaders Desiring To Lead With An Upright Heart, Matome Liphy Ramalepe

The Journal of Values-Based Leadership

Contemporary organisations face intensifying demands for value-driven decision-making, ethical consistency, and service-oriented leadership. These demands underscore the need for frameworks that integrate character formation with organisational performance. In response to these challenges, the Pure Leadership Model conceptualises leadership as a virtue-centred system in which specific virtues function as the mediating link between leadership styles and core organisational values. The model positions the virtues of meekness, compassion, courage, faithfulness, sincerity, and prudence as central mechanisms through which servant, ethical, and authentic leadership translate into the organisational values of service, accountability, and integrity. Through this virtuous mediation, the model ultimately promotes organisational …

The Autonomy Of Bulgarian Theological Scholarship: Institutional Control And Discursive Transformation Under The Communist Regime (1944–1960s), Diana Petrova Tyurkedzhieva

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article examines the autonomy of theological scholarship in Bulgaria under the communist regime as part of the broader problem of academic freedom under authoritarian rule, focusing on 1944 to the 1960s. While existing research has primarily addressed the relationship between the Orthodox Church and the State through institutional restriction and political repression, this study analyses how theological scholarship was transformed institutionally and discursively. It combines historical and institutional analysis with an examination of speeches, public statements, and academic publications in ecclesiastical and theological periodicals. The article argues that the separation of the Faculty of Theology from Sofia University in …

Review Of: Justice After War: Jus Post Bellum In The 21st Century, Jacaranda Turvey Tait

The Journal of Social Encounters

No abstract provided.

Qualitative Analysis Of Chaplains’ Experiences Supporting Military Service Members And Veterans With Moral Injury, Marangely Mesa

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This transcendental phenomenological study explored the frequent themes identified by chaplains while supporting service members and veterans (SM/V) from diverse Christian denominations, such as Catholics, Protestants, and other Christian groups, who have suffered a moral injury. I described the lived experience of chaplains using in-depth surveys as part of a phenomenological approach to data collection. In the qualitative interview, the interest is hearing the chaplains’ thoughts on the nature and manifestations of moral injury in chaplaincy contexts. The study explored chaplains’ observations concerning what service members and veterans have in common when they experience moral injury. This qualitative research approach …

A Raced Theology Of The Human Person: An Expanded Theological Anthropology, Cary W. Dabney

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation focuses on race as a critical, yet largely unaddressed, topic in Catholic theological anthropology. In Catholic colleges and universities that are recognized as members of the Cardinal Newman Society, theological concerns about race are deemed irrelevant for theological education in the faith and are altogether absent from the theology of the human person. As a result, this collection of institutions treats race as a specialty within pastoral theology, one that is significant to groups, but not a part of the fundamental theology of the human person. This ‘un-raced’ theological anthropology results in the institution’s inability to respond effectively …

Immigration Federalism In The United States: Texas Case Studies, Kelly A. Atwell

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to understand the immigration federalism framework for public administrators in Texas border cities. This study aimed to explore the experiences and perspectives of public administration officials in managing immigration challenges and integrating immigrant populations into their communities. The guiding theory is Friedman’s immigration federalism framework, emphasizing state and local actor involvement in developing immigration policies (Friedman, 2022). Friedman’s framework explains why cascading effects of federal level actions are inapplicable at the local level and how a theory meeting communities’ needs is preferential to the removed policies instituted at higher levels of government. …

Review Of Pope John’S Pacem In Terris And The Call For Global Governance, Thomas Massaro

The Journal of Social Encounters

No abstract provided.

The Cowl - V. 88 N. 13 - February 6, 2025

The Cowl

The Cowl - student newspaper of Providence College. Vol. 88 No. 13 - February 6, 2025. 16 pages.

Mindful Of God: Meditation Practices Within Abrahamic Traditions, Jacob Aqua

Mindfulness Studies Theses

Through the exploration of meditation practices within Islam, Judaism, and Christianity, this paper emphasizes the shared intention among practitioners of these Abrahamic traditions to connect with the Divine Presence of God in daily life. In modern America, where religious diversity and secularism coexist, meditation practices have gained traction in spiritual settings, secular spaces, religious communities, and other environments. This paper reviews three key meditation practices: the dhikr practice in Islam, the “Just Being” Shabbat practice in Judaism, and the “Silence as a Door to God” practice in Christianity. Through this review, significant phenomenological parallels emerge: the practices of cultivating stillness …

From The Personal To The Political: Abortion Salience And Women’S Voting Trends Over Three Decades, Danielle N. Myers

Political Science Theses - Archive

Abortion has shaped American politics for decades, yet its long-term impact on women’s political behavior remains under-examined. This study explores how abortion salience and media framing influenced women’s voter turnout between 1990 and 2020. Drawing on a content analysis of major newspaper coverage and voter data from the American National Election Studies (ANES), I test four hypotheses about turnout, belief alignment, party defection, and media framing effects. The results suggest that while Pro-Choice women consistently vote at higher rates and prioritize abortion in candidate selection, media salience alone does not significantly boost turnout or cause widespread party realignment. Additionally, increased …

An Eye For An Eye Makes A Vigilant Society, Liam C. Preyer

Capstone Showcase

Vigilantism is one of the oldest practices of mankind; for as long as there have been moral and legal laws to govern us and live by, there have been individuals who have sought justice outside these systems. Vigilantism is the response to failures in the justice system, and in the United States in particular, we have seen examples from the Western Frontier to the modern-day digital landscape. This paper will explore the nature of vigilante justice through historical, psychological, media-driven, legal, and digital lenses. We will explore how cultural narratives, media influences, government actions, and psychological motivations have shaped the …

Organizing And The Revitalization Of American Catholicism, Richard L. Wood

Sociology Faculty and Staff Publications

American Catholicism today struggles to sustain its longtime character as a truly “public religion”—that is, a religious tradition with a vital presence within the public sphere in the US. Reinvigorating Catholicism in the US will require both internal renewal and new approaches to public life, both of which will require continuity with the deep tradition and significant reorientation of ecclesial dynamics. This paper argues that specific, faith-based community-organizing practices can help renew the public voice of Catholicism. In adopting such practices and inflecting them through Catholic commitment to theologically coherent processes of leadership formation, American Catholicism can reinvigorate parish life …

Biblical Choice Model: A St. Augustine-Inspired Approach To Behavioral Economics, Adebukola Adebayo

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Economics as defined by Lionel Robbins (1932), is a science which studies human behavior as a relationship between ends and scarce means which have alternative uses. While human behavior relates to how wants and desires are coordinated given decision-making mechanisms, social customs and political realities of society, the natural end of individual human actions should be eudaimonia (human flourishing). However, since sin has affected both our emotive and cultural plausibility structures, thereby leading to a distortion in our wants and desires and ability to desire the good, this has led to a generation that is self-ruling, self-creating and self-evaluating. The …

Religious Liberty: Natural Rights Or The Politics Of Conscience, Madeline Nielsen

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Religion Clause jurisprudence in the United States has long been a subject of debate. Vincent Phillip Muñoz and Steven D. Smith, two prominent scholars in the field, offer distinct perspectives on the interpretation and application of the Religion Clauses. Muñoz advocates for a natural rights construction, grounding religious liberty in the Founders' understanding of inalienable rights. In contrast, Smith analyzes the principle of religious liberty through reflecting upon how the Founders’, particularly James Madison, were influenced by the historical, philosophical, and theological development of the principle. This thesis conducts a comparative analysis of their viewpoints, focusing on their interpretations of …

Reconciling Moral Dissonance: A Framework For Re-Integrating Moral Orientation With Life Agency During Warfighters’ Struggles With Military Moral Injury, Jeffrey L. Zust

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation uses case studies to critically examine the Three Mirror Model (TMM) as a framework for understanding the formation and healing of Military Moral Injury (MMI). I adapt the work of Stephen Brookfield and Neal Krause to evaluate using the TMM as a methodology for dealing with the complex issues of MMI within a military deployment cycle (training, warfighting, and healing) (Brookfield 2012, 2017; Krause 2022). Specifically, I use theorists, researchers, healers, and warfighters as key stakeholders to identify and critically examine the intersections of disciplines and the subsets of models where warfighters’ moral orientations and moral agency form …

Inciting Peace From The Inside Out, Stephen G. Adubato, Ebere Bosco Amakwe, Katherine Hinic, Sarita Maldjian, Forrest Pritchett, Jon Radwan, Nicholas Sooy, Chad Thralls

Conferences

Violence and war can be incited, and so can peace. This volume shares select addresses and responses from Seton Hall University’s 2/7/23 conference “Inciting Peace From The Inside Out.” A multi-disciplinary range of scholars each addresses how reconciliation processes grow from spiritual dynamics. Multiple religious traditions teach contemplative praxes that prioritize and nurture personal reflection oriented toward peace. Social conflicts divide, so engaging them with a partisan orientation only serves to escalate harmful rifts. In contrast, bringing personal awareness and sensitivity, spiritual balance, and holistic integral perspective to conflict can transcend divisions and work toward unity. This volume is supported …

Using A Historical Approach To Teach Social Justice: A Classroom Model, Mary L. Troy, Timothy Powers, Emily Lee Chong

Jesuit Higher Education: A Journal

Social Justice epitomizes the Ignatian ideal of “men and women for others”. Utilizing Ignatian pedagogy, faculty at Jesuit colleges and universities can help students explore and understand the link between historical events and current social justice issues. This article demonstrates and applies a six-step model of utilizing history as a tool for social justice. The model can be adapted for any field of study at the undergraduate and graduate levels.

Ethical Considerations Regarding Counselor-Client Discussions Of Political Views And Religion: From A Christian, Conservative, Counselor, Educator Perspective, Michelle Dobson

Journal of Interprofessional Practice and Collaboration

The 2014 ACA Code of Ethics informs counselors of the need to avoid imposing their personal values and beliefs on their clients. There is a general messaging through academics and mental health professional associations of the inherent oppressiveness in Christianity and the conservative political ideology. As a Christian, conservative, counselor, and educator, I have found a need to keep my personal life separate from these professional settings. During the 2020 presidential election cycle I began to question whether I could ethically be in this profession while maintaining my personal values and beliefs. I found clients struggling to have conversations with …

A Phenomenological Study Exploring What Integrating Adolescent Identity Means To Christian Public-School Counselors, Todd Christopher Houchin

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Adolescence is a numinous stage of self-discovery fraught with challenges and obscurities that threaten a healthy trajectory. Religion and spirituality are proven coping resources and school counselors can provide identity and meaning-making resources to aid adolescent development. However, religion and spirituality are often avoided in the public-school setting. Exploring what integrating adolescent identity means to Christian public-school counselors is important toward clarifying roles and ensuring best practices. The purpose of this phenomenological study is to explore what integrating adolescent identity means to Christian public-school counselors. Guiding questions include how Christian school counselors navigate identity and meaning making issues with adolescents, …

Review Of For God And My Country: Catholic Leadership In Modern Uganda, John Ashworth

The Journal of Social Encounters

No abstract provided.

Review Of Playing God: American Catholic Bishops And The Far Right, Daniel R. Dileo

The Journal of Social Encounters

No abstract provided.

Review Essay: Receiving Pope Francis’S Condemnation Of Nuclear Weapons, William J. Collinge

The Journal of Social Encounters

No abstract provided.

Eco-Virtue Ethics And Anthropological Commitments Of Laudato Si’ And Laudate Deum: Towards A Renewed Integral Ecology, Ugochukwu Stophynus Anyanwu

The Journal of Social Encounters

The Fourth Chapter of Laudato Si’ (LS) of Pope Francis deals with the theme of ‘Integral Ecology’ from a religious tradition. This chapter can be interpreted as the fulcrum of the encyclical because of the density of its anthropological and ethical considerations. The theme of this chapter has informed a more emphatic presentation in the apostolic exhortation Laudate Deum (LD) on the climatic challenges confronting humanity. Both documents, with incomparable courage and novelty, offer enriching ethical discourses for advancing social, cultural, and human ecology in consonance with social justice, common good, solidarity, and subsidiarity. They contain the magisterial appeal that …

Intergenerational Factors That Contribute To Millennial Church Engagement, Parker Sanderson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Millennial church attendance has declined since the beginning of the new millennium. Intergenerational ambivalence has been known to contribute to this phenomenon. Through this action research, the researcher sought to determine what intergenerational factors have led to millennials’ continued or discontinued attendance within churches. A phenomenological qualitative approach centered around interviews for this study was used to determine these intergenerational factors. The sample was taken from a 1,100-member church in a major Texas metropolitan area. The goal was to help church leaders decrease relational distancing and reduce ambivalent factors to increase millennial engagement in this local congregation.

Interviews In Global Catholic Studies: Dr. Judith Hahn, Mathew Schmalz

Journal of Global Catholicism

Interview with Judith Chair of Canon Law at the University of Bonn.

The Theology Of The Liturgical Seasons In The Syro-Malabar Church, Ann Mary Madavanakadu Cmc

Journal of Global Catholicism

This paper focuses on the theology of the liturgical seasons in the Syro-Malabar Church. The liturgical year with its liturgical cycles and seasons, is more than just a mere structural framework for the prayer life of the Church. It is a true locus of rich theology. The liturgical year is defined as the yearly plan of spiritual life by the Church, for her children, arranged in different seasons or periods to celebrate the mysteries of Christ in life together with feasts, fasts, and abstinence in order to make Christian life a successful pilgrimage to heaven for attaining salvation. This article …