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Religious Iconography In "Twilight": Veneration And Fandom, Jacqueline E. Swaidan

LUX: A Journal of Transdisciplinary Writing and Research from Claremont Graduate University

The mysterious and dark atmosphere, the overwhelming focus on the main characters, and the constant contrast of dark and light in Twilight (2009) recall traditional Christian religious imagery. But more that that, this paper will argue that Twilight, the first of the romantic fantasy films adapted from the successful book series by Stephenie Meyer, draws explicitly on traditional Catholic religious imagery and ceremony to engender religious devotion in its fans. Images from the first Twilight film suggest that the creators of Twilight used religious imagery to captivate their audience. Christian constructs such as Eden’s eternity, Edward’s Christ-like abstinence, and …

The Daily Egyptian, October 30, 2013, Daily Egyptian Staff

October 2013

No abstract provided.

Sandspur, Vol 120, No 07, October 24, 2013, Rollins College

The Rollins Sandspur

Rollins College student newspaper, written by the students and published at Rollins College. The Sandspur started as a literary journal.

Anty 336.01: Myth, Ritual And Religion, G. G. Weix

University of Montana Course Syllabi

No abstract provided.

Soci 491.02: Special Topics - Sociology Of Religion, John L.. Domitrovich

University of Montana Course Syllabi

No abstract provided.

Mythogony (The Creation Of Myth): A Comparative Religion Study Of Sai Culture, St. Shane Sanders, Dr. Lanier Britsch

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The scope of my research was the analysis of a syncretic paradigm extending from east to west. India houses the three major ashram(a)s of a new religious movement and sub-culture, united by a mythological belief in their guru, Swami Sathya Sai Baba. The village born guru boasts a following of one million, which is made up of indigenous Indians as well as foreigners coming from as nearby as Nepal and Burma to as far as San Francisco, London, Trinidad and Portugal to name but a few of the nationalities of the people I interviewed. The culture incorporates the religious thought …

Social Life And Ritual Practices In An Alaskan Pentecostal Community (The First Assembly Of God, Fairbanks), Nickole Kathren Robarge

Anthropology

This MA thesis research project focuses on the First Assembly of God Church in Fairbanks, Alaska. It seeks to better understand the implementation of Pentecostal-Charismatic (PC) Christianity in 21st century urban Alaska. While social activism and outreach form a significant portion of the success of Pentecostalism in Alaska (as anywhere else), my research shows that it is also substantially due to the appeal of ritual to newcomers. In particular, I suggest that there are forms of spiritual possession and spirit embodiment that need to be examined in relation to the attractiveness of Pentecostalism in Fairbanks. There is a gap in …

Atheism, Agnosticism, And Nonbelief: A Qualitative And Quantitative Study Of Type And Narrative, Christopher Frank Silver

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Extensive research has been conducted in exploration of the American religious landscape, however recently has social science research started to explore Nonbelief in any detail. Research on Nonbelief has been limited as most research focuses on the popularity of the religious “nones” or the complexities of alternative faith expressions such as spirituality. Research has been limited in exploring the complexity of Nonbelief or how non-believers would identify themselves. Most research assumes nonbelievers are a monolithic group with no variation such as Atheism or Agnosticism. Through two studies, one qualitative and one quantitative, this study explored identity of Nonbelief. Study one …

Volume 39, Issue 3 (2013) Summer 2013

Journal of Mormon History

ARTICLES

--Monogamy Underground: The Burial of Mormon Plural Marriage in the Graves of Joseph and Emma Smith, Lee Wiles, 1

--William Smith’s Patriarchal Blessings and Contested Authority in the Post-Martyrdom Church Christine, Elyse Blythe, 60

--When Mormonism Mattered Less in Presidential Politics: George Romney’s 1968 Window of Possibilities, J. B. Haws, 96

--“Prepared to Abide the Penalty”: Latter-day Saints and Civil Disobedience, J. David Pulsipher, 131

--Almon W. Babbitt, Joseph E. Johnson, and the Western Bugle: An LDS Frontier Newspaper at Kanesville, Nicholas D. Harmon, Michael S. Huefner, and Shauna C. Anderson Young, 163

--Into the Fray: Sam Houston’s …

Anthropology, Saint Mary's College Of California

Undergraduate Academic Catalog

No abstract provided.

Review: The Mormon Rebellion: America’S First Civil War 1857–1858 By David L. Bigler And Will Bagley, Gene Deerman

Faculty Research and Creative Activity

No abstract provided.

Active Religion: James Ireland, The Separate Baptists, And The Great Awakening In Virginia, 1760-1775, Cooper Pasque

Masters Theses

In the mid-eighteenth century, the religious fervor of the Great Awakening entered Virginia. Evangelical Baptists soon threatened to undermine the authority of the Anglican Church and its planter patrons. Despite their efforts to quiet the Baptists, evangelical religion took root in Virginia by the end of the American Revolution. Historical works on these events offer valid but incomplete explanations. Puzzling dynamics in the Virginian context require a more complex interpretation. The life of James Ireland provides a unique window into possible answers. His autobiography provides evidence for what appears to be the most fundamental reason for evangelicalism's successes in Virginia. …

Learning Experiences And Perspective Transformation In Evangelical Faith-Based Adult Nonformal Education Programs, Philip Gerke

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The study adapted an existing instrument to examine perspective transformation and its associated factors in participants of evangelical faith-based adult nonformal education in the Midwestern United States. Stratified random one-stage cluster sampling of 11 churches produced a nonprobability sample (N = 597) that was significantly (p < .05) different from the population of the geographical location of the study. An 86% majority self-reported a level of agreement or stronger of perceived transformation of perspectives, but differences predicted by gender were insignificant. The difference in perceived perspective transformations between respondents aged 40-59 that had the highest levels and respondents aged 60 and above that had the lowest levels was significant. The factors of influential individuals, personal reflection, and thought-provoking learning assignments significantly predicted all four factors of perspective transformation; the Writing Assignment factor was a significant negative predictor of only the Perception of Change factor, and a significant positive predictor of only the Future Benefits factor. The study recommended that additional research on faith-based frames of reference and age category differences. The study also recommended that faith-based practitioners consider emphasizing transformative learning experiences and personal reflection in their programs for adults.

Green Sisters: Bringing Spirituality And Environmental Awareness Together At Homecoming Farm, Marisa Decandido

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

“Green Sisters: Bringing Spirituality and Environmental Awareness together at Homecoming Farm,” addresses the topic of the “green sisters” movement and its presence at Homecoming Farm, a Community-Supported Agriculture project located in Amityville, New York. The green sisters movement, started in the 1980s in Caldwell, New Jersey, entails groups of Catholic nuns who are beginning to pursue “Earth ministries,” and dedicating their lives to environmental education and practicing sustainability. One example of this is found at Homecoming Farm, where the Sisters of Saint Dominic in Amityville created an organic farm in 1992 to nurture the surrounding community in body and spirit. …

Christian Navy Chaplains And The Challenge Of Expanding Religious Pluralism, Timothy Oswald

Doctor of Ministry Major Applied Project

Oswald, Timothy J. “Christian Navy Chaplains and the Challenge of Expanding Religious Pluralism.” D.Min. Major Applied Project, Concordia Seminary – St. Louis. 2013. 245 pp.

Navy chaplains are expected to facilitate for the religious needs of those from other faiths. For chaplains who believe in the exclusivity of the Christian religion, this can create theological and even personal tensions about support for religious practices which the chaplain believes to be false.

This project explores those tensions and proposes ways to help exclusivist Navy chaplains navigate them. The final ministry product is a Power Point® brief. It draws from bibliographic research, …

Philosophy & World Religions Department Newsletter, V6, Spring 2013, University Of Northern Iowa. Department Of Philosophy And World Religions.

Philosophy & World Religions Department Newsletter

Inside this issue:

-- Notes from the Head
-- On Art and Censorship
-- On Freedom and Equality
-- The Most Important Book I Ever Read
-- Faculty Spotlight: Jerome Soneson, Professor of Religion
-- End of the Year Luncheon
-- Graduates 2012-2013
-- Final thoughts from graduating senior Emily O'Loughlin
-- Student Interview: Stef McGraw, Philosophy
-- Student Interview, Yu Sasaki, Study of Religion
-- Biannual Book Sale
-- Dr. Massimo Pigliucci: "Revisiting the Demarcation Problem"
-- Alumni Spotlight: Alison Suen, Philosophy
-- Alumni Spotlight: Amy Hoyer, Study of Religion
-- Alumni Response Form

Peace Education And Its Discontents: An Evaluation Of Youth, Violence, And School-Based Peace Programs In Northern Uganda, Jayanni Webster

Pursuit - The Journal of Undergraduate Research at The University of Tennessee

This research paper discusses current efforts and programs designed to address the issues of peace and conflict resolution, post-war recovery and education in northern Uganda. Through the collection of stories of life after war, I examine the experiences of children and youth and pilot peace education programs in secondary and primary schools. Northern Uganda was the site of a brutal civil war waged between the rebel group, the Lord’s Resistance Army, and the government’s Uganda People’s Defense Force. The war resulted in the mass abduction of children and the forced displacement of the northern population into internally displaced persons’ camps. …

Use Of Sacraments In Church Discipline As A Challenge To Missional Transformation In Kenya’S Mainstream Churches: A Case Study Of Kenya Evangelical Lutheran Church, Peter Matano Mnene

Master of Arts Theses

No abstract provided.

'For The Healing Of The Nations': Religious Visions, Subterranean Universes, And Cross-Cultural Encounters", J. Nelson Jennings

Yale Divinity Library Occasional Publications

No abstract provided.

Springtime For Freedom Of Religion Or Belief: Will Newly Democratic Arab States Guarantee International Human Rights Norms Or Perpetuate Their Violation?, Robert C. Blitt

Book Chapters

The Arab Spring has generated unprecedented and seismic political and social upheaval across the Arab world. The reasons for the outbreak of widespread and vociferous public protest are myriad, but generally understood as including long-simmering resentment of government corruption and repression, underwhelming economic development, chronic unemployment and poor respect for human rights, including the treatment of individuals and groups affiliated with political manifestations of Islam. Despite the initial drama surrounding the street rallies, two years on, the pace of change has grown fitful and uncertain.

The purpose of this chapter is to consider one narrow aspect of the Arab Spring. …

Whither Mormon Studies?, John Gee

Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship

The proliferation of Mormon Studies is surprising, considering that many of the basic questions about the field have never been answered. This paper looks at a number of basic questions about Mormon Studies that are of either academic concern or concern for members of the Church of Jesus Christ. They include such questions as whether Mormon Studies is a discipline, whether those who do Mormon Studies necessarily know what is going on in the Church, or if they interpret their findings correctly, whether there is any core knowledge that those who do Mormon Studies can or should have, what sort …

Charism As Mission: A Marianist Model Of Ecclesiology, Johann G. Roten

Marian Library Studies

Much of what we call ecclesiology is in fact the history of trial and error in the pursuit of the Kingdom of God in this world. But there is more. Far from being purely clinical perception and assessment of things past and present, ecclesiology is a real life story, that of Jesus and those who attempt to follow him. Jesus is a person who really lived; the Church is the story of people who live their lives patterned on Jesus' person and work. The deeply existential and provisional character of Church, and the reflection about Church, cannot be downplayed or …

“Cada Espíritu Es Un Libro”: Spiritualism In Turn-Of-The-Century Spain, Alicia Cerezo Paredes

Decimonónica

On October 9, 1861, one of history’s last autos de fe was celebrated by the Spanish Catholic Church in Barcelona. The site chosen, an esplanade leading to a fortification known as the Ciutadella, was already famous for inquisitional autos dating back to the Middle Ages (Abend 518). This time the moral spectacle involved the burning of three hundred books confiscated at the French border by order of the Bishop of Barcelona. Each of these books concerned a particular and relatively new religious movement known as Spiritualism. Twenty-seven years after the official abolition of the Inquisition, Catholic orthodoxy still sought to …

"God Help Us, We Are The Press!": Public Perception Of The Branch Davidian Conflict, Janet Rogers

History Theses - Archive

Public perception of the 1993 Branch Davidian conflict, particularly as it developed well after the event, helped to alter government policy toward New Religious Movements. Prior to the investigations following the conflict, public expectations of government involvement in New Religious Movements had been shaped most dramatically by the mass suicide in Jonestown, Guyana, in 1978. That event had convinced scholars and the public at large that New Religious movements had a propensity for violence, and government intervention was necessary on occasion. Thus following Jonestown, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) became involved in several standoffs with New Religious …

Shakers, Mormons, And Religious Worlds: Conflicting Visions, Contested Boundaries, Matthew J. Grow, Stephen C. Taysom

BYU Studies

In Shakers, Mormons, and Religious Worlds, Stephen Taysom, an assistant professor of religious studies at Cleveland State University, has written an intriguing and theoretically rich monograph that compares Shaker and Mormon approaches to religious identity formation and boundary maintenance. Although Shakerism dwindled as a religious movement in the twentieth century, Shakers and Latter-day Saints in the nineteenth century stood out as examples of successful new movements on the American religious scene. Taysom's comparison of Latter-day Saints and Shakers places him within a select group of scholars, most notably Mario DePillis, Lawrence Foster, and Spencer Fluhman, who have studied Shakers and …

Demanding The Angels’ Share: Intellectual Property And Spiritual Organization In The Urantia Foundation, Andrew Ventimiglia

Studio for Law and Culture

This article explores the role that intellectual property plays as it shapes the circulation and use of ‘The Urantia Book,’ a divinely revealed text published in 1955 and embraced by a community of believers. For many modern spiritual communities – of which the Urantian community is a telling example – their coherence no longer lies in a centralized institution like the church but instead in a shared dedication to sacred texts and other religious media. Thus, intellectual property has become an effective means to administer the ephemeral beliefs and practices mediated by these texts. This article explores a number of …

Strangers In Their Own Native Land: Joseph Smith, Mormons, And The Orientalizating Of An American People, Mahala Ruddell

Master's Theses and Capstones

Emerging stronger than ever in the wake of the Napoleonic Wars, "orientalism" was more than just pictures of Turkish girls in a sultan's harem; it was a process of information sharing through art, literature, military campaigns, and politics. Joseph Smith founded the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, colloquially known as Mormonism, in the midst of this information exchange. A product of his era, he used orientalist rhetoric and imagery to connect the ideas he preached to ancient Judaism, thereby legitimizing the new religion within the context of a much older and more respected holy past. But he was …

Social Identity Theory For Investigating Islamic Extremism In The Diaspora, Dina Al Raffie

Journal of Strategic Security

An overview of literature on radicalization in the Muslim diaspora in Europe finds identity crises to be a key precipitant to the process. Studies also typically focus on the manipulation of identify by violent Islamic extremist groups. This paper attempts to contribute to the discussion on the role of identity in radicalization by using social identity theory. In doing so, the article explores the formation and transformation process of social identities, and argues that the nature of community-level groups and networks may contribute to identity ‘readiness’ for radicalization. To this end, special focus is given to formally recognized Islamist non-governmental …

The African-American Islamic Renaissance And The Rise Of The Nation Of Islam, Patrick Denis Bowen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines African-American Islamic culture from 1920 through 1959, a period I label the "African-American Islamic Renaissance" (AAIR). The AAIR is characterized by a significant increase in interest in Islam, extreme diversity in views about Islam, and the absence of a single organization dominating African-American Islamic culture for a significant amount of time. Previous works dealing with African-American Islam in this period have failed to fully recognize these features, particularly the last of these. As a result, explanations for the rise of the Nation of Islam (NOI) have not satisfactorily explained why it was only the NOI--and not other …

Sorcery And Animism In A South Pacific Melanesian Context, Graeme J. Humble

Journal of Adventist Mission Studies

No abstract provided.