Digital Commons Network^™

The Philosopher’S Art: The Alchemical And Religious Writings Of Sir Isaac Newton, Caleb J. Stamp

Senior Honors Theses

Sir Isaac Newton is inarguably one of the most famous yet divisive geniuses in human history. His writing touched on a staggering variety of topics, including chemistry, physics, and history, among others. Some of his less well-known works – most notably, his alchemical experiments and his prophetic commentaries – have created wildly conflicting views of both him and his theories. However, Newton’s alchemical and religious writings are crucial to understanding his broader worldview: namely, that the spiritual and natural aspects of the world worked together in a universe created by a supreme God who ordained that reality operates in a …

Analysis Of The At-Risk Mental Health Of Military Children And Proposed Intervention Plans To Be Implemented By Mental Health Professionals, Claire E. Anderson

Senior Honors Theses

Mental health for military children is an unseen life-threatening epidemic that must be brought to the attention of Americans. The statistics surrounding the mental health of the average military child are alarming and saddening. Access and knowledge of mental health resources for military children may significantly decrease the high percentage of military children who experience poor mental health. To raise awareness, increase research findings, and support military children well, it is necessary to have a thorough understanding of the problem both presently and historically, to be aware of current resources in place, to understand current and past policies surrounding the …

A Sacramental Model For Digital Ecclesiology: Theological Retrieval For A Mediated Church, Caleb J. Atha

Senior Honors Theses

The widespread proliferation of digital technologies has opened the door to new ecclesiological questions and challenges for the Christian denominations that have integrated these technologies into their community life and liturgical practices. American evangelicalism is proposed to be especially susceptible to the aforementioned challenges due to its ecclesiological emphases and general posture towards digital media. Using Marshall McLuhan’s seminal insights in media theory, this work argues that the role of digital media in the church shows a significant congruence with Christian sacramental theology. The concept of the digital church is analyzed through McLuhan’s tetrad framework and its weaknesses are highlighted. …

Examining The Economic Impact Of Jesus, Carter F. Slyker

Senior Honors Theses

This thesis examines the economic impact of the person of Jesus and applies economic theory to the historical and biblical accounts of his ministry on earth. The study will consider the social and economic conditions of the first century Roman Empire within the context of Judea and Galilee, while focusing on key issues including poverty, social hierarchy, and taxation. It will explore three primary aspects of Jesus’ ministry to assign economic impact: the crowds he drew, the miracles he performed, and the principles he taught. These acts challenged the societal and economic norms of that culture and positively impacted communities …

The Evolution Of Women's Rights In Iran, Rebecca G. Buis

Senior Honors Theses

Over the past 46 years, Iran has undergone change; substantial change that will impact the lives of women for generations to come. The ones who have been at the forefront of this challenge are women. Islamic extremism and religion have created a substantial shift in the lives of women over the past half century. As time has gone on, more women have protested, leading to an increased resistance. Prior to the Iranian Revolution of 1979, Iranian women experienced increased liberties and freedoms. However, with the rise of Khomeini, their freedoms were increasingly replaced with expectations as to how they should …

The Effects Of Pediatric Cancer On Healthy Siblings: An Integrative Review, Emily Vernon

Senior Honors Theses

Pediatric cancer is an epidemic that fundamentally alters the lives of families all over the world. In both clinical and research settings, it is widely understood that cancer impacts the patient mentally, physically, emotionally, and psychologically. However, the degree of impact on healthy siblings of children with cancer is widely overlooked. Thus, the goal of this research is to highlight the psychological implications of pediatric cancer on healthy siblings, through a developmental perspective, and identify how healthcare workers can better integrate interventions geared towards the entire family. This integrative review identified that siblings psychologically and psychosocially struggle with a lack …

The Impact Of Globalization On Human Resources Policy And Performance, Katherine H. Alford

Senior Honors Theses

Globalization is a rapidly growing phenomenon that impacts individuals, governments, and businesses. Businesses develop and run on polices implemented through HR and employee performance that drives efficiency. Therefore, the relationship between these two topics is vital to understand the adaptations that need to be made and why. Changes can be made on both a macro and micro level addressing each area of concern. Addressing the issue is the first step followed by implementation into HR polices through the employee handbook.

An Analysis Of John’S Use Of Jewish Language In The Book Of Revelation To Argue For Israel’S Distinct Role In The Millennial Kingdom, Carolyn Nethercutt

Senior Honors Theses

A number of theological topicshave been of great interest to the universal church for generations. One of these is the relationship between Israel and the church, and whether or not there are distinct promises for Israel alone. There are many ways to combat this question. One is Israel's role in the millennial kingdom as laid out in the book of Revelation. The book of Revelation is rich with Jewish imagery and references to Old Testament ways of living. An analysis of the Jewish emphasis in the book of Revelation will be helpful in the effort to determine Israel's distinctive role …

The Legal Cybersecurity Crisis: Potential Resolutions And Artificial Intelligence Implications, Ava R. Warrick

Senior Honors Theses

As cybersecurity becomes more relevant in the digital age, law firms have overlooked protections from cyberattacks, and this neglect has led to irreversible client data breaches. This thesis sought to investigate cybersecurity vulnerabilities in law firms and to theorize potential solutions using a literature review methodology. The research questions for this project are: What are the most effective cybersecurity protections for United States law firms, and should those cybersecurity protections utilize AI-based systems? In response, this thesis posits three claims. First, the central factors that contribute to inadequate law firm cybersecurity are as follows: lack of governmental oversight over legal …

A Biblical Response To Radical Islam, Nehemiah J. Auble

Senior Honors Theses

Islam is the second-largest religion in the world and will most likely overtake Christianity by 2030. Jihad is a major idea within Islam and has been used by radical terrorists to invoke fear and violence on the world, especially among Christians. To best respond to this ideology, Christians must seek to understand the beginnings and history of jihad as well as Islam as a whole. Christians must also look to the Bible as it is the source of truth for Christians and determines how they should interact with radical jihadist terrorists and Muslims as a whole. Four main Biblical ideas …

Histography: Gerald Ford And The Pardon Of Nixon, Joshua Longmire Phd

Bound Away: The Liberty Journal of History

In the annals of American political discourse, President Gerald Ford's decision on September 8, 1974, to grant his predecessor, Richard Nixon, a presidential pardon emerges as a watershed moment. This act insulated Nixon—who was deeply entangled in the intricate web of the Watergate scandal—from prospective criminal prosecution. It represented a significant departure from the anticipated legal processes, especially in the immediate aftermath of Ford's unexpected elevation to the presidency following Nixon's precipitous resignation amidst impending impeachment. This essay seeks to navigate the evolving historiographical landscape of Ford's pardon. It delineates the trajectory from initial critiques to the multifaceted discourses of …

Fantasy And Faith: Lewis And Tolkien On Magic In Fantastical Literature, Zion Lang

Senior Honors Theses

Despite biblical warnings against the occult, Christian authors C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien incorporated many kinds of magic into their works of fantasy. These authors had an orthodox view of the occult, but they also believed that fantasy magic differs from the esoteric: its purpose is imaginative, rather than power-seeking, and it is usually part of the imagined laws of the fantasy world. Lewis focused on the mythic side of fantasy and included more ambiguous magic. Tolkien focused on fantasy as eucatastrophic fairy tale, and his works include somewhat divine supernatural forces. Nonetheless, both authors saw fantasy …

Nil: An Analysis Of The New Financial Compensation Policy For College Athletes And Its Impact On College Athletics, Bruna Gebaili Sampaio

Senior Honors Theses

The newly introduced NCAA Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) laws allow college athletes to have additional opportunities for financial compensation, permitting them to generate revenue out of their image and personal brand. Due to these new regulations, the traditional concept of amateurism in college athletics has been significantly altered. Despite the contracts in no way being able to be based or compensated on an athlete’s on-court performance, these regulations put a strain on the amateurism principles that have marked college athletics in the last century.

These new laws also put to doubt the future of college athletics as we know …

Deaf-Centric Expression Of Biblical Language And Themes, Grace M. Tang

Senior Honors Theses

Christianity contains complicated language and concepts that many individuals can struggle to express in American Sign Language (ASL) in ways that resonate with the Deaf community. Accessibility for the Deaf extends far beyond the translation of words into signs, requiring recontextualization to fit a Deaf lens and adaptation of communication methods to match the oral tradition and Deaf culture. This qualitative study evaluates how the hearing-centered language and themes of the Bible can be effectively portrayed to Deaf audiences through comprehensive interviews with three Deaf Christian pastors and three hearing Christian interpreters. This research found that Deaf churches allow for …

The Movies That Make Us: A Qualitative Research Study On How People Interpret Messages In Movies, Ethan Taylor

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study, “All Movies Have Messages: A Qualitative Research Study on How People Interpret Messages in Movies,” was to analyze the relationship between an individual’s personal, political, or religious views and the way that individual interprets messages and agendas in film. Using Stuart Hall’s model of encoding and decoding, the researcher discovered how an individual’s personal beliefs affected the way a person interprets messages in movies. Focus groups and a survey were used to collect data. This study served to fill the gap in literature available on Hall’s model and reception theory. Most research conducted has not …

Rhetorical Nation-Building: A Close Textual Analysis Of Macarthur, Heuss, And Karzai As Agents Of Renewal, Josiah J. Mork

Masters Theses

Warfare has largely shifted from means of domination into a method of peacemaking. Nations increasingly utilize war to dismantle hostile nations and rebuild them with compatible political identities, which potentially creates more lasting peace than treaties or annexation. However, U.S. attempts at nation-building have varied success and, at times, prolong hostility. This study frames the nation-building process as an act of crisis communication and examines the role of rhetoric in this nation-building process. A close textual analysis was performed to examine discourse of renewal in two successful examples in Japan and West Germany, and in an example of failure in …

Words That Win: A Qualitative Phenomenological Analysis Of Rhetorical Techniques In Forensics, Lindsay Anton

Masters Theses

This study explores how different rhetorical techniques in collegiate forensics influence college students. Many people do not fully understand how two types of forensic speeches—oral interpretation and platform presentation—affect college students. Using a qualitative approach, this research examines which rhetorical techniques were most influential. A forensics showcase was held. Both an oral interpretation and a platform presentation were performed on the same topic to see how they influenced students. After watching, students answered survey questions about which techniques were most impactful. The results showed that emotional storytelling was the most memorable and persuasive. This study found that a storytelling approach …

A Qualitative Inquiry Of People Experiencing Prolonged Unforgiveness In Connection To Christian Psychology, Josephine Agbons Fleming

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of the qualitative study was to explore Christian women's experiences and understanding of prolonged unforgiveness from the perspective of people living with prolonged unforgiveness. Harboring unforgiveness leads to unhappiness, dissatisfaction, and increased bitterness. It also leads to negative emotional experiences and physical and psychological concerns. A previous study encountered a transparent narrative that it is not good to harbor bitterness toward others. Some researchers have explored the outcomes of unforgiveness that involve empirical analysis. Other studies have described the nature of unforgiveness and its effects without explaining what unforgiveness does to people if it is prolonged and strategies …

Investigating Faculty, Students, And Diversity Officers' Attitudes Towards Cultural Diversity: A Causal-Comparative Study, Kerry Simmons

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative causal-comparative study is to investigate the difference in cultural competence scores among students, faculty, and diversity officers who participated in cultural competence training and those who did not. Research on diversity has seldom examined the effectiveness of cultural competence training on attitudes toward cultural diversity. The study participants (n = 411) were undergraduate students, n = 148, faculty, n = 129, and diversity officers, n = 134) from 4-year private non-profit universities in the Northeastern United States. The present study employed critical race theory to explore the effectiveness of cultural competence training programs and assess …

An Investigation Of Formal And Informal Mentoring Practices On Novice Elementary And Middle School Band Teachers In California, Adriane A. Ambriz

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Despite the existing body of literature on mentoring programs for novice music educators, research on the influence of formal versus informal mentoring on first- and second-year elementary and middle school band teachers remains limited. With the ever-increasing administrative responsibilities and instructional demands, novice educators need meaningful, subject-specific mentoring to support their teaching and reduce attrition rates. This study examines the experiences of novice band teachers with formal and informal mentoring practices.  Guided by a phenomenological research design, this qualitative study examines how mentoring relationships influence the early careers of novice elementary and middle school band teachers. Data will be collected …

The Renal Social Workers' Perspective: Attitude, Behaviors, And Barriers To Sexual Health Inclusion, Sapphira L. Blount Murray

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Sexual health, an important factor of perceived wellness and quality of life, is adversely impacted by renal disease and treatment. The social worker is uniquely positioned on the renal clinical care team to address sexual health. There is a dearth of literature on renal care and sexual health, and no national study on whether or how sexual health is being addressed in renal care planning by the social worker. This qualitative case study was aimed at exploring the attitudes, behaviors, and perceived barriers based on the lived experiences of renal social workers in incorporating sexual health assessments into routine renal …

The Cultivation And Harvesting Of Parasocial Relationships For Evangelism: An Exploratory Multiple Case Study Of Pastors’ Use Of Video On Social Media, Larry D. Witzel

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The digital transformation of society has resulted in people living much of their lives online. Some believe the command of Jesus to “go into all the world” necessarily includes entering the digital realm for evangelistic purposes, particularly as the effectiveness of traditional evangelistic methods has declined. This research explored the communication techniques used for digital outreach by seven pastors on social media to cultivate parasocial relationships and the calls to action they used to harvest these relationships evangelistically. This qualitative multiple case study analyzed public video communication and other social media, comparing these pastors’ online ministry with the known techniques …

An Intrinsic Case Study Examining Strategies Used By Stakeholders To Handle Inappropriate Behaviors And Teach Self-Regulation To Elementary Students With Moderate To Profound Exceptionalities, Holly May Buckner

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this intrinsic case study was to discover strategies stakeholders use to handle inappropriate behaviors and teach self-regulation to elementary students with moderate to profound exceptionalities. The theory guiding this study was Bandura’s social cognitive theory, which emphasizes self-regulation. The social cognitive theory applies to this study because teaching students how to overcome behavioral impulses facilitates learning. The relationship between self-regulation and the focus of this study was to expose the different techniques for handling inappropriate behaviors and instilling self-discipline and coping skills in elementary-aged children with moderate to profound exceptionalities. This study included 13 stakeholders: three parents …

Holistic Wellness In The Workplace, Tiffany Youngberg

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

There is a significant disconnect between the eight dimensions of wellness with employees and the workforce. Near the turn of the 20th century, there has been more focus on wellness in the workplace to increase productivity, with more of a push around the 1990s to improve health. Unfortunately, current research still has significant gaps. Most wellness programs focus on physical health, which does not address all wellness needs, as there are eight dimensions of wellness for working-age adults. Even holistic wellness programs are missing some crucial aspects; they focus on limited components of wellness with a heavy focus on physical …

Emergency Management Single Points Of Failure, Todd Alan Smith

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Disaster management begins and ends at the local level and encompasses every aspect of public administration. Emergency management practices using jurisdictional authority are central to protecting communities during incidents and events. Although contemporary emergency management plans, procedures, and policies are methodically developed over time, a single point of failure may cause preventable issues that result in a measurable loss of time, funding, or opportunity. A single point of failure can be any moment where a process, action, or detail was either overlooked or executed incorrectly and caused emergency management challenges. Fred Fiedler and William Scott’s descriptions of Contingency Theory, a …

Ecclesiological Support For Veterans Suffering From Moral Injury: A Phenomenological Study, Douglas Guy Wood

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

For many military service members, the cost of their service is through the psychological, physiological, emotional, sociological, and spiritual scars from the trauma of conflict. This trauma is most associated with the diagnoses of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Moral Injury (MI). Existing literature primarily focuses on a humanistic underlying philosophy to symptoms and patient care or uses a non-specific definition/categorization of religion/spirituality (e.g., Ames et al., 2019; Hill et al., 2000; Sharma et al., 2017). Studies have addressed psychological, physiological, emotional, and sociological healing (e.g., Åkerblom et al., 2020; Drescher et al., 2011; Gray et al., 2012; Nash & …

A Qualitative Study Of How Instructional Leaders Describe The Actions And Reflections Of Organizational Management, Ashli Bachmeier

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to describe the influence of organizational management on the actions and decision-making of instructional leaders in Title I secondary schools in Nevada. The theory guiding this study was Argyris and Schön’s theory of practice, which states that human beings generally need to become competent by adopting a theory of action and then reflecting on this action to learn from it. This study's theory of practice aligns with the role of instructional leaders in shaping organizational management through actions and reflections. This study employed a phenomenological approach and qualitative research methods focusing on …

The Moderating Effects Of Perceived Organizational Support And Work-Life Balance On Job Satisfaction And Turnover Intentions, Marvin J. Ramlall

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Employees often contemplate departure from their organization because they experience a dissatisfaction that is associated with their jobs. Many of these employees lack adequate support from their organizations. This quantitative non-experimental research examined the moderating effects of perceived organizational support (POS) and work-life balance (WLB) on the relationship between job satisfaction and turnover intentions in frontline female nurses in New York City (NYC). A total of 68 full-time nurses from several NYC hospitals participated in this study. The Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire–Short Form (MSQ-SF) was used to examine job satisfaction. The Turnover Intentions Scale (TIS-6) was used to measure turnover intentions. …

A Saddlebag Doctor Of The Mahantongo Valley Of Pennsylvania: The Life And Practice Of Reuben Harris Muth, M.D., 1826-1899, Lawrence K. Knorr

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The life and medical practice of Reuben Harris Muth, M.D., a rural saddlebag doctor, is reconstructed from an extant set of physicians’ daybooks, chronicling his professional activity from 1858 until 1898, including patients seen and the fees charged. The daybooks also provided a modicum of hints at other activities in his life, including his farming business and the whereabouts of his wayward son. However, there were no personal letters or diaries available. Thus, other primary sources and local newspaper accounts were utilized to fill out the most likely details and actions of his life, approximating his movements, key decisions, and …

Examining The Relationship Of Neuroticism And The Three Dimensions Of Religious/Spiritual Doubt Through The Mediating Role Of Intolerance Of Uncertainty, Michael E. Mullins

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Research on religious/spiritual (r/s) struggles, such as doubt, has increased over the past two decades and is important because of links between these struggles and negative holistic outcomes. The problem is there are Christian adults with r/s doubts that lead to negative outcomes, and there is a lack of research that examines how the personality trait factor of neuroticism and the dispositional factor of intolerance of uncertainty (IU) affect r/s doubt. The aim of this study was to examine the possible mediating influence of IU upon neuroticism and r/s doubt (including the three dimensions of r/s doubt: factual, emotional, and …