Digital Commons Network^™

Social Media And Faith Formation, Paul A. Soukup S.J., Aline Amaro Da Silva, Stephen Garner

Communication Research Trends

No abstract provided.

How Does A Mystic Listen? Reimagining Listening Through Karl Rahner’S Notion Of A Mystic In Pope Francis’ Synod On Synodality, Theodbriel Repizo Villariza Jr

Jesuit School of Theology Dissertations

Karl Rahner envisions that devout Christians of the future must be mystics, having a genuine experience of God’s presence in their particular context. This thesis aims to recover the role of mystics in the life of the Church, specifically in Pope Francis' challenge for the Catholic Church to embrace an identity of being a synodal Church. To be a synodal Church necessitates being a listening Church. Rahner promotes a form of mysticism where the pathway to be in union with God is one’s engagement in the world. For him, mystics witness how it is to be receptive to grace, that …

Reimagining Constitutional Democracy For Human Flourishing: A Re-Reading Of Augustine’S Social Love, Ubuntu Ethics, And Cst For The Zambian, Boyd Kapyung Nyirenda

Jesuit School of Theology Dissertations

Comparable to the person battered and left for dead and lying by the roadside, the poor in Zambia epitomized by the story of Regina Mukuka Nyirenda, a former civil servant, attest to the socioeconomic, political, and gender injustice ordinary suffer despite Zambia being a constitutional democracy and a Christian nation since 1991. Although, in theory, it ascribes to the dignity and rights of everyone without discriminating, the liberalist human rights regime (framework) underlying Zambia’s constitutional laws since colonialism promotes the flourishing of the elite neoliberalist class while perpetuating socioeconomic, political, and gender injustice. Conversely, it undermines the thriving of the …

Augustine On The Religious Foundation Of Citizenship, Jesús E. Muñoz

Jesuit School of Theology Dissertations

In Gaudium et spes, the Second Vatican Council declared, “Let the citizens cultivate with magnanimity and loyalty the love of the country, but without a narrow mind, so that they always look also for the good of the whole human family, united by all kinds of links between the races, and the nations.”¹ This declaration responded to one of the most pressing issues of the time, the problem of defining the limits of the state’s social agency. Twenty years prior to Vatican II, the Church witnessed one of the most explosive wars in recorded history, a conflict that had …

Mission As Life Awakening In Africa And Beyond: Revisiting The Theology Of Life Of Engelbert Mveng (1930-1995), Mondohong Mouzou

Jesuit School of Theology Dissertations

The study aims to reimagine the Christian mission in sub-Saharan Africa through the lens of Engelbert Mveng's theology of life. Faced with deplorable conditions and threats to life in sub-Saharan Africa, the study navigates between critical analysis, comparative theology, constructive theology, and interpretive analyses of Mveng's artistic works to develop a new way of doing mission. lt shapes what could be labeled Mission as Life Awakening, which seeks to break with life-diminishing narratives, structures, and mortal spaces and reconstruct new arenas where life can be nurtured and affirmed spiritually and actively in all dimensions.

The critical analysis begins by examining …

Visio Divina With The Art Of Fra Angelico As Mental Pilgrimage: A Way Of Beauty And Perfection, John Paul (Frank) Puschautz

Jesuit School of Theology Dissertations

Throughout Church history, artists have created beautiful works of sacred art that attracted Christians to contemplate the Supreme Beauty who is God himself. Scripture has inspired visual artists to translate these revealed words of God into images that help to enter prayer. This study explores how the steps of lectio divina, a divine reading of scripture, can be applied to visio divina, a divine gazing on sacred art. To my knowledge, this study is the first attempt at an academic and systematic presentation of visio divina based on the traditional steps of lectio divina.

Although this visio divina can be …

The Nigerian Tiv Concept Of Ya Na Angbian As A Corrective To The Misinterpretation Of Subdue And Have Dominion In Genesis 1:26, Christopher Terhemen Bologo

Jesuit School of Theology Dissertations

The Tiv people of Nigeria have a social-political philosophy, Ya na angbian, which they have been practicing since the pre-colonial period. The social-political philosophy promotes justice, fairness, harmony, and peace through a fair and equitable distribution of what belongs to the Tiv people. This thesis argues that the Ya na angbian concept of the Tiv people can be applied to the relationship between human and non-human beings. This work maintains that it can lead to human beings’ care for non-human nature.

The first outstanding conclusion of this research is that the Ya na angbian social-political philosophy can correct misunderstanding …

Life And The Renewal Of The Christian Community: Infant Baptism And Inculturation In The Context Of The Democratic Republic Of The Congo, Héritier Ofabwe Kinzamba

Jesuit School of Theology Dissertations

This thesis is part of the liturgical inculturation process that has been taking place in the local Church of the Democratic Republic of the Congo since the 1960s, one of whose treasured expressions is the Roman Missal for the Dioceses of Zaïre, an inculturated ritual of Mass. In this work, I aim to contribute to extending the special rite for the Dioceses of Zaïre to include the celebration of infant Baptism. I use a hermeneutical method and an anthropological model of contextual theology to interpret and analyze the foundations of the Roman Rite for the Dioceses of Zaire, the Church’s …

Towards A Holistic Reconciliation In Africa, N’Guessan Kouacou Augustin Koffi

Jesuit School of Theology Dissertations

Reconciliation is a relevant topic in the world and especially in Africa, which has a thirst for peace and justice, yet is plagued by ongoing crises. Many African countries have tried to build social trust for a living together. On the Church's side, Catholic Social Teaching, through Africae Munus, clearly articulates Africa's thirst for reconciliation, justice, and peace. Various African church leaders and laypeople have been engaged in the reconciliation and conflict transformation in Africa. Even though some progress has been made, people are still disappointed at the ongoing violence and social injustice in many parts of the continent. This …

The Role Of Women Religious (1882-1974) In The Work Of Evangelization Among The Fijian People, John Pickering

Jesuit School of Theology Dissertations

This research has undertaken the study of the role of religious women in the work of evangelization among the Fijian people between 1882 and 1974. Using the methods of historical research and an interdisciplinary approach, which includes disciplines of history, theology, spirituality, missiology, and cultural anthropology, this work evaluates the work of religious women and the immense contribution they have made to the Fijian Catholic Church and society, particularly in the areas of education and healthcare despite not receiving recognition for their work. The study revealed that women religious who helped to build the Catholic Church in Fiji and lay …

Family As A School Of Social Virtues And The Mission Of Social Transformation Of The Catholic Church In Vietnam, Trieu M. Nguyen

Jesuit School of Theology Dissertations

This dissertation explores the Church’s ability to effectively communicate Catholic Social Teaching (CST) principles to its followers in Vietnam. Using virtue ethics as a guide, I argue that the social vocation of the Christian family can become a potential channel for applying the principles of CST to the daily life of believers. The dissertation employs the See–Judge–Act method to assess and discern the current reality and proposes some family practices. Discerning the negative and positive signs of time through the lens of historical, sociological, and political studies, I propose that one way the Church enables its believers to engage more …

Responding To Trauma: A Theology Of Healing Ministry, Brendan Barnicle

New Horizons

A theology of healing ministry is fundamentally relational, and it suggests that humans can honor God and the imago dei by assisting and supporting each other after traumatic experiences. Considering theology through the lens of healing ministry demonstrates the need for recognizing healing as one of the ongoing possibilities and eschatological imaginings of Christ’s churches. By embracing a theology of healing ministry, churches can model and foster the healing that is needed by all of creation.

Letter From The Editor, Mylan Metzger

New Horizons

No abstract provided.

The Son Of Man Film As A Cry For Justice: A Cross-Cultural Convergence Of Film And The African Theological Struggle For Liberation, Mark Ngwenya

Jesuit School of Theology Dissertations

This thesis studies the 2006 South African film Son of Man as a cry for justice in the African context. Existing at the confluence of art, film, and theological reflection, this thesis develops new insights into concrete problems which Africans face like anthropological poverty. My central argument is that the film Son of Man is a cry for justice in a context of gross corruption, indiscriminate apportionment of resources, and a failure to address the real plight of the poor people living in slum areas.

Following the art and theology of Engelbert Mveng, I open the Christological discussion with the …

Exploring The Insights Of Science Within The Context Of Asian Christianity Through The Work Of William R. Stoeger, S.J., Lawrence Ng Yew Kim

Jesuit School of Theology Dissertations

The work to relate theology and the findings of modern science, a long-standing one among western scholars, has been, for historical and cultural reasons, largely absent within the context of Asia. Asian theologians engaged in this field appear to do so by employing the perspective of their North American and European colleagues but without contextualizing it within an Asian context, which has been shaped by deeply rooted Asian philosophical foundations and religious traditions.

This dissertation offers a strategy to contextualize the insights of science within the Sinic context of Southeast Asia by appealing to the methodology of a Jesuit priest, …

Popular Ritual As Liberating Pedagogy, Christopher D. Tirres

Religious Studies

This chapter is divided into four sections. In the first section, I examine some of the challenges that contextual theologies presently face in connecting their contextualist focus with liberationist aims. In the second section, I look specifically at the ways in which some prominent U.S. Latino/a theologians have broached popular ritual as an embodied and enculturated site of liberation. A pressing question has been: In what ways is Latino/a popular ritual liberating? The third section then considers how a pedagogical approach to popular ritual helps us better answer this question. I argue that a renewed focus on pedagogy underscores a …

The Question Of Method In Theology: An African Response To Bernard Lonergan Using Bantu Theological Anthropology, Andrew Simpasa

Jesuit School of Theology Dissertations

The question of method in theology has become the locus of contemporary intercultural and cross-cultural theological investigations. For any theological system to claim credulity in the public opinion of theological discourse it must demonstrate credible methodological processes inherent in its epistemological process to affirm the validity of its knowledge claims. It is method in theology which is among the criteria used to evaluate the theological integrity of an epistemic system. This paper, therefore, endeavors to explain the existence of method(s) not only in discursive and formal theologies but also in the theologies of ordinary people and communities alike. The paper …

Santa Clara Magazine, Volume 61 Number 2, Spring 2020 [Print Issue V.61:1], Santa Clara University

Santa Clara Magazine

14 - THE UPSTART How Michael Mondavi ’66 helped get Napa on the wine map. By Ron Hansen.

18 - OF WOMEN AND MEN Emeritus professors dish on their research into wine and women. By Tracy Seipel.

22 - A SIGN OF LIGHT A Jesuit priest finds meaning on death row. By George Williams, S.J.

26 - FIRE AND WINE As the climate changes, what’s next for wine remains murky. By Tracy Seipel.

The Rite Of Christian Initiation For Adults: Its Potential Of Revitalizing The Basic Ecclesial Communities Of Bontoc-Lagawe, Bento F. Tamang

Jesuit School of Theology Dissertations

One of the most important innovations of Vatican II is the restoration of the Catechumenate and its integration into the Lenten and Easter celebrations as practiced in the early centuries of Christianity. But it is surprising that in the Philippines in general and in the Vicariate of Bontoc-Lagawe in particular, the RCIA is not yet in place. I would like, therefore, to argue in this paper that the implementation of the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) in Bontoc-Lagawe could revitalize the Basic Ecclesial Communities of the vicariate. The BEC experience, in which I was immersed and formed, is …

“The Female Face” Of Hiv/Aids As An Ethical Challenge To The Catholic Church In Uganda: Lessons Of Catholic Social Teaching, Athanasius Kikoba

Jesuit School of Theology Dissertations

Since the emergence of the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Uganda in the 1980s, it has become increasingly evident that the HIV/AIDS scourge disproportionately affects more women and girls than men and boys. Women and girls suffer a particular vulnerability due to this pandemic. There are social, economic, political, and cultural factors that precipitate and aggravate the spread of HIV/AIDS among women and girls in Uganda.

This dissertation contends that Catholic Social Teaching offers us one of the best and most comprehensive and integrative ways for addressing the HIV/AIDS scourge. We argue specifically for a rights-based solidarity as the most comprehensive and …

Towards A New, Praxis-Oriented Missiology: Rediscovering Paulo Freire's Concept Of Conscientização And Enhancing Christian Mission As Prophetic Dialogue, Rosalia Meza Moreno

Jesuit School of Theology Dissertations

The new and different frontiers and factors discussed in missiology are reshaping the meaning of mission. Christian mission today is searching for new directions to approach the postmodern, postcolonial, and ecumenical paradigms. I would like to argue that mission is not just a transmission of knowledge that keeps an established structure and culture alive (often justified and glorified by a specific ecclesiological model). Rather, mission aims at the process of embodying the content and praxis of the gospel. Mission can be understood as an invitation to initiate a transformative process of faith, which leads to personal and social transformation.

This …

Eucharist As Fruit Of The Earth And The Environmental Degradation In The Niger Delta: Implication Of Louis Mariechauvet’S Tripartite Cycle Of Gift, Reception And Return Gift For An Ecological Conversion, Michael Edomobi

Jesuit School of Theology Dissertations

There is a heightened global consciousness now more than ever before on the protection of the environment. Of late is the encyclical letter Laudato si of Pope Francis on care for our common home. The Niger Delta region of Nigeria is the context of my research. This region is endowed with massive oil deposits, which have been extracted for decades by the government of Nigeria and by multinational oil companies, at the expense of the people of the region whose environment suffer degradation and their means of livelihood destroyed. This study juxtaposes Eucharist as fruit of the earth and the …

Church And Formation Of Conscience: Towards A Liberative Ecclesiology For Peace And Justice In Kenya, Augostine Ekena

Jesuit School of Theology Dissertations

Kenya, like many other African countries, continues to experience, fifty years after independence, various challenges including political instability and violence resulting from negative ethnicity. Kenya‘s history is rife with examples of divisive politics and negative ethnicity ranging from ethnic violence, ethnicized politics, dictatorship of the ethnic majority and ethnic clashes. Evidence of the deeply seated hatred can be found in the apparent reality of ethnic division and intertribal clashes often experienced either before, during or after elections.

The 2007 post-election violence which claimed over 1300 lives and the displacement of more than 300,000 people demonstrated the depth of the culture …

Liberation In The Latino/A Americas: Retrospect And Prospect, Christopher D. Tirres

Religious Studies

This chapter provides an overview of how a number of liberation thinkers in the United States, who are indebted to an earlier tradition of Latin American liberation theology, have attempted to answer this question.¹ As we will see, whereas a first generation of Latin American liberation theologians tended to approach “liberation” as an ethical and political category, a subsequent generation of liberationist thinkers in the United States have often highlighted its cultural and aesthetic dimensions. In so many words, an earlier Latin American understanding of liberation as political “revolution” has, in the North, been reinterpreted in terms of aesthetic …