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Religio-Political Groups And The Israeli-Palestinian Peace Process, Catherine Ruth Orsborn

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a quagmire of interests working against one another. In this paper, I explore the specific role of religio-political groups in the conflict. I particularly examine the ideological political and religious foundations of Gush Emunim and Hamas, paying much attention to the question of why they are attractive to people in our current era. I argue that these groups are continuously effective in opposing the current quest for a peaceful resolution to the conflict, and that they continue to grow as the result of an identity crisis brought about by factors related to globalization and the failure …

The Editor, The Preface, And The Eighteenth-Century Edition: A Critical Bibliographic Study, Jessica Jost-Costanzo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Scholarly editions became entrenched as published texts during the eighteenth century. This dissertation considers the contributions of editors to their specific editions and, ultimately, the editorial project. Forty-five editions, some well-known and some obscure, are critically and bibliographically analyzed in four cross-referenced chapters. The first chapter deals with editions of autobiography and memoirs. The second chapter examines editions of women's texts. Chapter three focuses on family editions (in which the editor is a family member of the author), and the fourth and final chapter addresses colonial editions. Such a study reveals that eighteenth-century editors were interested in diverse texts. Furthermore, …

Uncovering The Roots Of The Crucified God: How Walter Brueggemann's Old Testament Theology Challenges And Contributes To Jürgen Moltmann's And Jon Sobrino's Interpretations Of The Cross, Patricia A. Sharbaugh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation provides a study and analysis of Old Testament theology's discernment of God through hiddenness, silence, absence, and suffering and then brings into conversation notions of God drawn from these Old Testament traditions with notions of God drawn from an interpretation of the cross. This exploration is done through an in depth study of Walter Brueggemann's Old Testament theology of God as both a challenge and a contribution to the interpretation of the cross of Jesus Christ in the works of Jürgen Moltmann and Jon Sobrino.

The interpretations of the cross in the works of Moltmann and Sobrino recognize …

Encountering The Religious 'Other': Limitations Of Confining 'Religious' Conversation In Interreligious Dialogue In Denver, Adam Buchanan Westbrook

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

"We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly."

-Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (1963).

Technology, the Internet, and the ability to communicate with one another instantaneously in any place on the globe, at any point in time have made Dr. King's remarks increasingly evident in the 21st century. We now have the unprecedented ability to communicate with people of all groups, all over the world, but are lacking the proper tools for understanding them. The interreligious dialogue movement has strived to utilize religion as one …

A Vocation As Politics: Work And Popular Theology In A Consumer Culture, Jeffrey E. Scholes

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The idea of vocation or a calling is particularly salient in much business motivational literature and popular Christian self-help books alike. Promoted is the idea of vocation that glosses over issues stemming from political power in the corporate workplace in order to given meaning to workers in spite of working conditions. In this form, vocations are unable to engage one's working life in ways that they can and should. I argue that recent trends in academic theologies of vocation as well as the role of consumer culture combine to allow the ascendancy of this form of the idea. I support …

Discerning Redeeming Communities: Rita Nakashima Brock And Elizabeth A. Johnson In Dialogue, Alison Downie

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Rita Nakashima Brock's Journeys by Heart: A Christology of Erotic Power and Elizabeth A. Johnson's Friends of God and Prophets: A Feminist Theological Reading of the Communion of Saints offer resources for reflecting upon what redemptive community is, how it functions, and how women, in particular, experience redemption.

With deep roots in Trinitarian creation theology and a strong trunk of feminist theological anthropology, the branches of Christian feminist reconstructionist theology produce rich soteriological fruits. Without rootedness in creation theology, theological anthropology is anthropocentric, not sufficiently holistic or ecologically aware. Similarly, without development of a feminist theological anthropology, soteriology inevitably reflects …

From 'Black-Eyed Girls' To The Mmu (Mujeres Methotistas Unidas): Race, Religion And Gender In The U.S.-Mexico Borderlands, Adriana Pilar Nieto

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study places the stories of Mexican American Methodist women in the U.S.-Mexico borderlands within the context of the organizational history of the United Methodist Women of the Rio Grande Conference of the United Methodist Church: Mujeres Metodistas Unidas, or the MMU. It focuses on the experiences and memories of women who came into contact with the ideals imported by Anglo Methodist missionaries to the U.S. southwest immediately following the conquest of the northern half of Mexico in 1848.

In order to understand the experiences of Mexican American women in relation to the history of Methodism in the southwest, this …

Torah, Tradition, And Trina: Analysis And Development Of Trina In William Finn's Falsettos From A Faith-Based Perspective, Margaret-Ellen Jeffreys

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

When an actor approaches a character, s/he examines many facets of the play-the setting, the time period, the politics surrounding both of the former. S/he also looks into elements of the character-any noted physical attributes in the text, his/her financial and social status, what s/he wants and what obstacles are standing in his/her way. Often the last thing that the actor studies is the character's spiritual and/or religious life. When I was cast as Trina in UCF's production of Falsettos in the winter of 2005, I knew I wanted to approach the character from an oft-neglected area: her faith. Judaism …

Islamic Religious Curricula And Terrorism: A Case Study Of The Azherite Schools In Egypt, Babikir F. Babikir

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the connection between Islamic religious education and terrorism. It looks at the curricula of the Azherite religious schools in Egypt. It examines how the curricula view the three themes of Jihad which are offensive Jihad, defensive Jihad, and Jihad for the purification of the soul in addition to the relations of Muslims with non-Muslims. Books which are used by violent jihadist groups for membership acquisition and cadre training are also studied for Jihad themes and relations with non-Muslims.

The analysis shows that the curricula are, generally speaking, a peaceful one in its principal direction, since it obviously …

We Are Eaters : Examining Food Ministry Through The Women Of New Albany, Mississippi / By W. Andrew Tillman, W. Andrew Tillman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Emulating The Swedes: An Exploration Of The Developing Trends In Swedish Theatre For Young Audiences, Amanda Wolgast

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As a practitioner in the field of Theatre for Young Audiences (TYA), I have always been drawn to looking at literature and productions that challenge my preconceptions of what constitutes good theatre for youth. I enjoy the bold and innovative, versus the cute and playful. My training and education in this developing branch of theatre has undoubtedly exposed me to the many accomplishments of the American TYA system, but quite often - through attending conferences, as well as participating in class discussions - I find that many debates/conversations center around what more we need to do in this field or …

The Development Of Small Christian Communities In The Catholic And Among The Lugbara People Of Uganda After The Second Vatican Council: A Historical, Theological And Pastoral Investigation, Diego Cadri

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation depicted the events in the lives of the Lugbara Ethnic group, who will go down in the history of Uganda, through their actual existence, their deeds, their accomplishments and their contributions, but particularly because of their successful, "small Christian communities," an important segment in all its facets, in the Lugbara Christian life. The new way of being Church that came out of the Second Vatican Council, that is, since the 1960s was the small Christian community. These pages narrated the development, the early struggle, the uncertainty, the needs, the goals, the purposes, the accomplishments and the success of …

Engendering Agency: Literacies, Social Action, And Wangari Maathai S Green Belt Movement, Cassandra Marie Allen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis analyzes the life and work of Nobel Peace Laureate Wangari Maathai, one of the foremost African woman rhetors of our time. Wangari Maathai--founder of Kenya's Green Belt Movement (GBM), Member of Parliament, and activist for democracy, sustainable development, and human rights--has cultivated a multidimensional literacy that has allowed her to truly understand and address the problems that post-colonial Kenyans face. Her strong solution-oriented approach has allowed her to develop and refine operation of the GBM, which began simply planting trees, to produce a worldwide organization that works for sustainable development, human rights, and environmental conservation/restoration (among many others) …

Self-Forgiveness: A Narrative Phenomenological Study, John Beiter

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation critically explored both theoretical and research findings pertaining to self-forgiveness, especially as it related to psychology. An important, though rather apparent finding or conclusion derived from this literature review was that there is an astounding paucity of both theoretical and research work about self-forgiveness within psychology. This lack or shortcoming holds, surprisingly, even in those disciplines perhaps associated more intuitively with self-forgiveness, for example theological and religious studies, and philosophy. Moreover, a contamination, conflation, or supplementarity characterized the relationship between forgiveness and self-forgiveness, such that no clear consensus exists with respect to the distinctions or similarities between those …

African Religious Integration In Florida During The First Spanish Period, Christopher Beats

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is an examination of the unique conditions for African-descended slaves in St. Augustine, Florida, during the First Spanish Period. St. Augustine was an important garrison at a remote point in the Spanish Empire at the edge of a hostile frontier. As such, economics were less a priority than defense. Slaves, therefore, received different treatment here than in English colonies or even other Spanish colonies. Due to the threat of Protestantism, religious adherence was more important as a test of loyalty than ethnicity and slaves and freed-people were able to integrate better than in other Spanish holdings. In order …

The Character Of God In The Speeches Of Yahweh In The Book Of Job, John David Telgren

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Considering Job in its canonical form with special attention to the lawsuit and the mythopoeic features, this thesis investigates the portrayal of God in his speeches as a corrective to Job and his friends' erroneous view of God. Their erroneous view is based on the concept of violent and militant divine power that defeated a rival chaos deity before the foundation of the world and established order, justice, and community. Job and his friends believed that just rule, which is to preserve community order, is naturally based on the same violent power with which the world was created. Therefore, any …

Saudi Arabia And Expansionist Wahhabism, Samiah Baroni

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the development of Wahhabism as an ideology into a rapidly expanding, transportable, contemporary Islamic political system. Serving as the territorial foundation, individuals maintain allegiance to Makkah, the center of the Islamic world, through symbolic Islamic prayer. Along with a central, globally financed economic distributive mechanism, and Wahhabi social and educational institutions emerging from the traditional mosque, Wahhabism serves the demand for an Islamic political system in a late capitalist world. Wahhabism is fluid within contemporary dynamic political systems and rapidly changing international relations. Wahhabism continues to expand at a global level, at times, providing a foundation for …

A Faith-Based Program Evaluation: Moral Development Of Seminary Students At The Louisiana State Penitentiary, Bruce Sabin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation was to conduct an outcomes-based program evaluation for the Louisiana State Penitentiary (Angola) campus of the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. The study included one primary research question, with two subquestions. The primary research question asked to what extent students in the program developed moral judgment consistent with program goals of rehabilitating students and preparing them for effective ministry. The first subquestion asked whether statistically significant differences existed in the moral reasoning of students of different class years. The second subquestion asked whether statistically significant differences existed in the moral reasoning of students of different …

Florence Hedlestone Crane : A Mississippi Woman Painting In Korea, Mayumi Morishita

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Recasting Hegel's Ethical Theory, Theresa Wambui

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study focuses on the contribution of George Wilhelm Hegel to the modern ethical reflection in which the state is understood as an ethical institution. The goal of this study is to recast Hegel's ethical theory in order to enable his ethical thought to contribute to contemporary reflection on global ethical issues. At issue in Hegel's discourse is the problem of individual and community freedom. Hegel's thesis hinges on the notion of the 'truth' as 'the whole.' In Herbert Marcuse's interpretation, the truth and the whole is freedom. Hegel's ethical theory aims to resolve the tension between individual and communal …

A Comparison Of Character Education Programs And Their Effects On Academic Achievement, Behavior, And Attendance, Beth Berger

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine whether significant relationships existed between character education and the number of incidents of crimes and violence, attendance rates, and academic achievement in Florida public schools. Proponents of character education such as Lickona (1991) and Murphy (1998) posited that there was a positive correlation between teaching and practicing the six pillars of character education, and student achievement, and increased attendance. They also posited that there was a negative correlation between character education and incidents of crime and violence. The researcher acquired data in an attempt to determine whether or not the views of …

Religion And Crime: A Study Of Inmates In State And Federal Prisons In The United States., Dhanalakshmi Thirumalai

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Persistent high levels of crime in this country have provided support for the need for public programs that help in reducing crime rates through effective interventions. Spirituality and religion are considered to play a major part in determining an individual's attitude towards committing a crime. This study analyzed if inmates in State and Federal prisons in the US are involved in prison religious activities and personal prayers in order to determine if criminality (measured by offense type) of inmates affects their participation in religious activities. Based on logistic regression analysis, gender, race, and marital status of inmates were found to …

The Relationship Of Stress Levels To Wellness Practices Among Community College Presidents., Eva Charlotte Ratliff Dawson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the variety and level of wellness practices of community college presidents and the relationship of these practices to the stress levels of this group. Additionally, relaxation activities and the feelings, characteristics, and symptoms associated with stress were considered. Items measuring each of these variables, isolated from the literature and tested in a pilot sample, were combined into an electronic instrument, Stress Levels and Wellness Practices Measurement for Community College Presidents.

The design of the study was ex post facto/correlational. The population of the study was American community college presidents. A stratified …

Methods Of Teaching The Holocaust To Secondary Students As Implemented By Tennessee Recipients Of The Belz-Lipman Holocaust Educator Of The Year Awards., Julie Patterson Mitchell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Teaching the Holocaust is a challenging task. Not only do educators have a responsibility to impart the historical information surrounding these events, but issues of humanity are also an important part of the lessons. As of 2001, Holocaust education has been mandated by at least 6 states in the United States. At least 11 others, including Tennessee, have task forces or commissions responsible for promoting Holocaust education and providing professional development opportunities and materials for teaching such units. It is conceivable that additional states will enact legislation requiring Holocaust studies.

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore methods …

Using The Survey Of Inmates Of State And Federal Correctional Facilities To Compare Female And Male Inmate Characteristics., Jacqueline Anita Black

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the differences between female and male prison inmates using the Survey of Inmates of State and Federal Correctional Facilities, 1997. Variables examined included current offense, criminal history, drug use history, victimization history, program participation in the institution, disciplinary infractions in the institution, family history, and interaction with family while in prison. Results indicate that male inmates have worse criminal histories and longer sentences than female inmates. Female inmates have more extensive drug use histories, greater victimization histories, more program participation in the institution, and more criminality in their families of origin than …

The Problem Of Religious Diversity : A Study And Critique Of The Philosophy Of John Hick., John K. Dryden 1976-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is a study and critique of John Hick's pluralistic hypothesis as presented in his book "An Interpretation of Religion." I primarily focus on two issues: Hick's epistemology of religious beliefs and the pluralistic hypothesis itself. These are two separate issues, but for Hick they prove to be inextricably linked. Hick uses his epistemological stance to argue that there is an epistemological problem of religious diversity. After he argues that there is a problem, he presents his solution, i.e. the pluralistic hypothesis. After explaining these issues, my critique focuses upon the connection between the two. I first critique Hick's …

Separate Schools Shall Be Maintained For The White And Colored Races : The Progression Of Historically Black Colleges And Universities In Mississippi, Kianca Latrelle Guyton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Pageant Of Providence, Jill Arlene Foote-Hutton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Troubled Trinity: Love, Religion And Patriotism In Liam O'Flaherty's First Novel, Thy Neighbour's Wife., Robin Heavner Jackson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The focus of this research is a detailed analysis of Liam O'Flaherty's first published novel, Thy Neighbour's Wife, as an underlying autobiographical portrait depicted in the main character, Fr. Hugh McMahon. Although never touted as an autobiography, this study shows O'Flaherty drew upon his early cultural, historical, religious, and political influences in creating his main character. Primary and secondary sources, an ethnographic trip to Ireland, and a content analysis of the novel determined the findings.

The fictional McMahon faced difficult personal choices, subsequently coming to terms with past decisions. McMahon's foibles reflect O'Flaherty's early years. O'Flaherty wrote two acclaimed …

Rock Of My Soul : Slave Culture And The Meaning Of Jesus, Gregg L. Newby

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.