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Mother Goddesses And Subversive Witches: Competing Narratives Of Gender Essentialism, Heteronormativity, And Queerness In Wiccan Ritual And Theology, Carly Floyd, Meghan Burke, Faculty Advisor

John Wesley Powell Student Research Conference

Wicca is typically recognized as a feminist and queer-friendly religion embraced by many women and LGBTQ+ people. While women are undoubtedly emphasized positively, however, I argue that much of the focus is in fact a form of benevolent sexism, coming out of an essentialist understanding of women’s nature being nurturing, intuitive, and emotional. The resulting heteronormativity and its procreative focus can create an exclusionary environment for gay men and women as well as for transgender and genderfluid or non-binary individuals. My research utilizes ethnographic participantobservation of a local Wiccan coven and semi-structured qualitative interviews with Wiccans and Pagans from across …

"I Do Feel The Fire!": The Transformations Of Prison-Based Black Male Converts To Islam In South Central, Malcolm X, And Oz, Kameron J. Copeland

Journal of Religion & Film

Historically, imprisoned Black male converts to Islam have been known for their narratives of redemption and struggles for religious freedom behind bars. While Islam possesses a strong visible presence throughout predominately Black areas of inner cities, it has become a natural feature of Black popular culture in mediums such as hip-hop, film, and literature. By the 1990s, the portrayal of Islamic conversions yielding Malcolm X-style transformations among young Black men, who formerly embodied self-destructiveness, were visible in films featuring Black male protagonists. The prison-based transformations typically involved highly influential Black Muslim leaders improving the social conditions of the inmate, the …

How To Attain Liberation From A False World? The Gnostic Myth Of Sophia In Dark City (1998), Fryderyk Kwiatkowski

Journal of Religion & Film

In the second half of the 20th century, a fascinating revival of ancient Gnostic ideas in American popular culture could be observed. One of the major streams through which Gnostic ideas are transmitted is Hollywood cinema. Many works that emerged at the end of 1990s can be viewed through the ideas of ancient Gnostic systems: The Truman Show (1998), The Thirteenth Floor (1999), The Others (2001), Vanilla Sky (2001) or The Matrix trilogy (1999-2003).

In this article, the author analyses Dark City (1998) and demonstrates that the story depicted in the film is heavily indebted to the Gnostic myth of …

Coen: Framing Religion In Amoral Order, Richard Goodwin

Journal of Religion & Film

This is a book review of Elijah Siegler, ed., Coen: Framing Religion in Amoral Order. Waco, Texas: Baylor University Press, 2016.

The Southern Baptist Convention “Crisis” In Context: Southern Baptist Conservatism And The Rise Of The Religious Right, Austin R. Biggs

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

From the late 1970s through the early 1990s, a minority conservative faction took over the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC). This project seeks to answer the questions of how a fringe minority within the nation’s largest Protestant denomination could undertake such a feat and why they chose to do so. The framework through which this work analyzes these questions is one of competing worldviews that emerged within the SBC in response to decades of societal shifts and denominational transformations in the post-World War II era. To place the events of the Southern Baptist “crisis” within this framework, this study seeks to …

Honors In Practice, Volume 13, 2017 (Complete Issue)

Honors in Practice Online Archive

2016 Presidential Address
What Do We Belong to If We Belong to NCHC?
Jerry Herron

Practical Ideas about Honors

Best Practices in Two-Year to Four-Year Honors Transfers
Philip L. Frana and Stacy Rice

Leveraging a Modest Success for Curriculum Development
Kathy A. Lyon

Innovative Ideas for Honors

Encouraging Self-Reflection by Business Honors Students: Reflective Writing, Films, and Self-Assessments
Stephen A. Yoder

Interdisciplinary Teaching of Theatre and Human Rights in Honors
Maria Szasz

Critical Experiential Education in the Honors Classroom: Animals, Society, and Education
Nadine Dolby

Got Privilege? An Honors Capstone Activity on …

Religious Liberty And Protections In Europe, Elizabeth F. Defeis

Journal of Catholic Legal Studies

No abstract provided.

State-Supported Display Of Religious Symbols In The Public Space, Silvio Ferrari

Journal of Catholic Legal Studies

No abstract provided.

I Love Dick, William L. Blizek

Journal of Religion & Film

This is a film review of I Love Dick (2017), directed by Jill Soloway.

Sundance Film Festival 2017, John C. Lyden

Journal of Religion & Film

Introduction to our coverage of the Sundance Film Festival 2017.

Soci 130s.01: Sociology Of Alternative Religions, Robert W. Balch

University of Montana Course Syllabi

No abstract provided.

Modem Day Slavery: A Socio-Legal Analysis Of Slavery-Like Offences In Charismatic Cults, Hava Dayan

Buffalo Human Rights Law Review

No abstract provided.

Who Speaks For (Or Against) Rome? Acts In Relation To Empire, Matthew L. Skinner

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Desconocido: Conversion To Islam In México, Ashley E. Dunn

International Studies Honors Projects

Unless proven otherwise, subaltern subjects are assumed to lack agency. Through an exploration of conversion to Islam in México in the southern state of Chiapas, in the north along las fronteras, and in Mexico City, this project intervenes in discourses that deny the subaltern agency. Through the analytical frameworks of coloniality, this project redefines the choices that converts make and their expressions of faith as acts of creation, as inherently authentic, and as articulations of their desires. Converts to Islam in México serve as a case study of modes of resistance against the epistemological powers of coloniality.

Religious Freedom And International Law : The Protection Of Religious Minorities In International Tribunals, Anagha Sundararajan

International Program Papers

No abstract provided.

The Lds Church And Public Engagement:Polemics, Marginalization, Accomodation, And Transformation, Dr. Ronald E. Bartholomew

Papers

No abstract provided.

Spirit Determinism In The Christian Anthropology Of Yorù̀Bá Indigenous Churches, Bernard T. Ayọ̀Ọlá

CTS PhD Doctoral Dissertations

There are people who think everything in life is an accident. Then, there are the Yorùbá of Southwestern Nigeria who believe that life outcomes are prearranged by the Supreme Being but may also be altered, for better or for worse, by the spirit beings in the universe. Yorùbá Christians, like their non-Christian kin, believe that many experiences in life are manifestations of the activities of the superhuman spirit beings in the community. While the good spirits (such as ancestors and angels) ordinarily have positive impacts on society, the evil spirits (such as witches, wizards, and demons) often work in collaboration …

Review Of Early Quakers And Their Theological Thought, Leah Payne

Quaker Religious Thought

First-generation Quakers were a radical and persecuted sect of early modern British Christianity. Early Quakers and Their Theological Thought: 1647-1723 shows why the Quakers have survived when so many other 17th century radicals—including Diggers, Ranters, Levellers or Muggletonians—did not. Along the way readers also discover why the Friends, though initially derided, are so loved in the twenty-first century. Quaker theology, rejected by the powers that be in its own era, resonates with many 21st century readers.

Central Sacrifice And The Sacrificial Other: A Thematic Comparison Of Anti-Judaic And Anti-Semitic Artwork Emerging In Germany, Madison Elizabeth Tarleton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study finds solace in image(s) more so than in written text(s) and the religious understanding of anti-Judaic and anti-Semitic distinction, rather than a historian's perspective. By utilizing both a religious and artistic lens, the images become the text from which the scholar(s) will study. Focusing exclusively on German image(s) and artwork, this study will span up to eight centuries, twelfth to nineteenth. A contemporary look at Medieval and later images will not explain the thoughts of those who originally saw them, but the images will raise their own set of emotions, understanding, and historical lineage, giving credence and validity …

Inscribed Administrative Material Culture And The Development Of The Umayyad State In Syria-Palestine 661-750 Ce, Tareq Ramadan

Wayne State University Dissertations

The seventh century CE in the Near East was a period characterized by major political transition and cultural change, representing an era that witnessed the decline of the region’s long-standing major political institutions alongside the emergence of a powerful Arab Caliphate that supplanted both the offices of the Byzantine Emperor and the Persian, Sasanid Shah in most or all of the region. This Arab Caliphate, first based out of the Hejaz, then out of Syria-Palestine with the rise of the Umayyads (r. 661-750 CE), Islam’s first hereditary dynasty, embarked on a successful campaign of Arab and Muslim hegemony across three …

Leveraging A Modest Success For Curriculum Development, Kathy A. Lyon

Honors in Practice Online Archive

Our primary goal as honors administrators is to deliver the highestquality honors education we can at our institutions; however, this has become more of a challenge since budgets at state-supported institutions have decreased dramatically over the last decade, a situation that Richard Badenhausen characterizes as the new normal. Although he paints a gloomy picture, Badenhausen also suggests that “[m]oney is always sloshing around in the institutional coffers. . . . You just need to know whom and how to ask . . .” (20). As Samuel Schuman wrote in 2006, we learn early in our honors administrative careers that a …

2017 Bibliography, Sebastien B. Abalodo

Marian Bibliographies

No abstract provided.

Faith In A Galaxy Far, Far Away: Star Wars As Religion, Darryl B. Hunter Ii

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Within the past three decades, Star Wars has become nothing short of a household name. The millions of dollars gained from the films and various products, as well as the enjoyment and enthusiasm generated among fans, shows that Star Wars' value and significance in the realm of entertainment is substantial.

In addition to this value, there are also many religious and mythological elements that are embedded within each of the movies. However, these elements do not carry the same prominence or interest that the plotline has with the audience. In an interview, Lucas stated that it was not his intent …

Mormons In The Piazza: History Of The Latter-Day Saints In Italy, Mauro Properzi

BYU Studies

James A. Toronto, Eric R. Dursteler, and Michael W. Homer. Mormons in the Piazza: History of the Latter-day Saints in Italy.

Provo, Utah: Religious Studies Center; Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2017.

Shakers And Jerkers: Letters From The "Long Walk," 1805, Part I, Douglas L. Winiarski

Religious Studies Faculty Publications

Reports of a bizarre new religious phenomenon made their way over the mountains from Tennessee during the summer and fall of 1804. For several years, readers in the eastern states had been eagerly consuming news of the Great Revival, the powerful succession of Presbyterian sacramental festivals and Methodist camp meetings that played a formative role in the development of the southern Bible Belt and the emergence of early American evangelicalism. Letters from the frontier frequently included vivid descriptions of the so-called “falling exercise,” in which the bodies of revival converts crumpled to the ground during powerful sermon performances on the …

Prince Rogers Nelson: From "Dirty Mind" To Devout Jehovah's Witness, Cassandra Chaney Phd

Faculty Publications

Prince Rogers Nelson (born: June 7, 1958) was an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer, and actor. He was a musical innovator and known for his eclectic work, flamboyant stage presence, extravagant dress and makeup, and wide vocal range. When he passed unexpectedly on April 21, 2016, he had built an immensely successful career that spanned over 30 years. Although Prince is widely known for his highly sexual behavior, we know less about his spiritual beliefs as well as how these beliefs influenced his public persona and private life. Through the lens of social identity theory, this manuscript will examine …

Window Shopping And Turf Control, W. Milton Adams

Journal of Adventist Mission Studies

"In the past there has been much appropriate emphasis on the laity’s posture of respect toward church leadership. But what matters now is an equal and proactive posture of respect toward the laity. As new methods and new plans spring forth from the laity, cooperation and mutual respect must also spring forth. The result will look and function like a peer relationship. In today’s developing culture, the onus will lie on church leadership to rid themselves pf any turf control and instead develop skills of cheering, funding, and quickly embracing God-honoring lay ministries. So, a call to smooth the way, …

The New Wine: Spirit, Transformation, And Gender In The U.S.-Mexico Borderlands, 1960-1990, Jacob Aaron Waggoner

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The Charismatic Catholic Renewal (CCR)—known in Mexico as the Renovación Cristiana en el Espíritu Santo—saw Roman Catholic believers experience ecstatic spiritual practices native to neo-Pentecostalism. At first highly ecumenical, CCR emerged from loosely organized prayer meetings in the late 1960s and early 1970s to become a coherent movement by around 1975. Like many developments after the Second Vatican Council, CCR represented an effort to revitalize the Church by re-centering and empowering the laity. Reflecting a broader reactionary shift in the 1980s, the Renewal gradually shed its potentially liberating elements. This transition was especially notable in the context of the U.S.-Mexico …

On Trial: The Branch Davidians Of Waco Texas 1987-1993, Andrew Michael Pedrotti

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the integration of the Branch Davidians into the Waco, Texas community during the years immediately preceding the BATF siege of 1993. An examination of media and biographical sources indicates that the Branch Davidians were better integrated in the community than is commonly suggested. Survivor accounts describe the Branch Davidians working and relaxing in Waco, rather than hiding in their compound. A survey of local newspaper coverage reveals that the press in Waco had a positive view of Koresh and the Branch Davidians in the late 1980s. In particular, coverage of a 1988 trial involving David Koresh and …

ลัทธิพิธีบูชาพระพรหมในสังคมไทยร่วมสมัย : พลวัตของตำนาน ความเชื่อ และพิธีกรรม, อภิวัฒน์ สุธรรมดี

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

วิทยานิพนธ์เล่มนี้มีวัตถุประสงค์เพื่อศึกษาลัทธิพิธีบูชาพระพรหมและการประดิษฐ์สร้างลัทธิพิธีบูชาพระพรหมในสังคมไทยร่วมสมัย ผู้วิจัยเก็บข้อมูลภาคสนามในช่วง พ.ศ.2556-2560 ในพื้นที่ที่ปรากฏลัทธิพิธีบูชาพระพรหม ได้แก่ กรุงเทพมหานคร ปทุมธานี สิงห์บุรี ร้อยเอ็ด และประจวบคีรีขันธ์ ผลการศึกษาพบว่า ความเชื่อพระพรหมดำรงอยู่ในวัฒนธรรมไทยมายาวนาน ตำนานเรื่องเล่าพระพรหมในสังคมไทยส่วนใหญ่อิงอยู่กับศาสนาพุทธ มีลักษณะที่ปรากฏอยู่แต่ไม่โดดเด่น คือ เป็นเทวดาชั้นสูงแต่มีบทบาทเป็นรองพระพุทธเจ้าและเกี่ยวข้องกับเรื่องทางธรรม เมื่อ พ.ศ.2499 กลุ่มนักการเมืองได้นำรากความเชื่อพระพรหมมาปรุงแต่ง แล้วสร้างเป็นพระพรหมเอราวัณ เรื่องราวความศักดิ์สิทธิ์ของพระพรหมเอราวัณเล่ากันอย่างแพร่หลายในสื่อสมัยใหม่ เกิดเป็นความนิยมบูชาพระพรหมขึ้นในสังคมเมืองแล้วกลายเป็นลัทธิพิธีบูชาพระพรหมทำให้ "พระพรหม" ซึ่งเป็นเทพเจ้าชั้นสูงที่มีบทบาทอยู่แต่ในศาสนาลงมาเกี่ยวข้องกับมนุษย์ในเรื่องทางโลกมากขึ้น ลัทธิพิธีนี้ได้แพร่กระจายไปยังภูมิภาค แต่ละที่ได้ประดิษฐ์สร้างพิธีบูชาพระพรหมขึ้น พิธีบูชาพระพรหมที่จัดขึ้นมีองค์ประกอบแตกต่างกันเพราะมี 'ที่มา' ต่างกัน สัญลักษณ์ในพิธีกรรมปรากฏอย่างหลากหลาย ทำให้ลัทธิพิธีบูชาพระพรหมเกิดความสมจริง และสร้างความศรัทธาจากผู้เคารพบูชา นอกจากนี้ยังมีสัญลักษณ์ชุดอื่น ๆ อันแสดงถึงการผนวกรวมความเชื่อต่าง ๆ ในวัฒนธรรมไทย ซึ่งสัมพันธ์กับวัตถุประสงค์ของผู้จัดงาน สัญลักษณ์ในลัทธิพิธีบูชา พระพรหมสื่อว่าพระพรหมเป็นตัวแทนความดีงามและเป็นตัวแทนคนในวัฒนธรรมเมือง อีกทั้งยังสะท้อนการผสมผสานลัทธิความเชื่อต่าง ๆ ในวัฒนธรรมไทยเพื่อให้คนเมืองมี "จุดร่วม" ทางความเชื่อ ลัทธิพิธีบูชาพระพรหมมีพลวัตทั้งด้านตำนานเรื่องเล่า ความเชื่อ และพิธีกรรม คุณสมบัติที่หลากหลาย ภาพลักษณ์ที่สื่อด้านดี ทำให้คนร่วมสมัยนำความเชื่อพระพรหมมาปรุงแต่งเพื่อรับใช้สังคมปัจจุบัน ลัทธิพิธีบูชาพระพรหมเป็น'ลัทธิคนในวัฒนธรรมเมือง' เกิดขึ้นเพื่อตอบสนองคนเมืองซึ่งมีวิถีชีวิตและความปรารถนาอันซับซ้อน ลัทธิพิธีนี้เป็นทุนวัฒนธรรมที่นำมาสร้างจุดขายและส่งออกไปสู่สากลได้