Digital Commons Network^™

Can Islamic Banking And Finance Spur Financial Inclusion? Evidence From Sub-Saharan Africa, Musa Abdu, Adamu Jibir, Salihu Abdullahi, Aliyu A. Rabi'u

CBN Journal of Applied Statistics (JAS)

This study examined the effect of introduction of Islamic banking and finance on financial inclusion in Sub-Sahara Africa (SSA). To achieve this objective, the study applied Probit, Tobit and Juhn-Murphy-Pierce decomposition to estimate model of financial inclusion. The study used World Bank’s Global Financial inclusion index (Global Findex) dataset of 2015. The findings revealed that the introduction of Islamic banking and finance system in some Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) countries in SSA enhanced financial inclusion in the sub-region. The study also uncovers that households from OIC with Islamic banking and finance are more likely to be financially included than …

Intersecting Identities: The Lived Experiences Of Gay, Male Catholic College & University Alumni, Todd D. Kleine

College of Education Theses and Dissertations

This phenomenological study describes emergent themes related to how gay, male alumni perceive their experiences of attending an American Catholic institution of higher education. Utilizing a modified version of Seidman’s phenomenological interview protocol, six gay, male alumni of various American Catholic institution of higher education were interviewed in an attempt to arrive at the essence of attending a college or university where Church teachings and campus culture intersected with the sexual orientation of certain community members. From the collected data, four clear themes emerged: all alumni experienced pre-college negative messages about their sexual orientation, visibility and support were positive contributors …

The Marginocentric Cultural Features Of Cities Along The Great Silk Road In The Territory Of Kazakhstan, Ainura Kurmanaliyeva, Nurlykhan Aljanova, Mira Manassova

CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture

In their paper "The Marginocentric Cultural Features of Cities along the Great Silk Road in the territory of Kazakhstan," Ainura Kurmanaliyeva, Nurlykhan Aljanova and Mira Manassova discuss the cultural features of the Great Silk Road as a marginocentric dialogic location. Among the ancient cities in the territory of Kazakhstan, the paper focuses on the city of Otrar. The city dated from the Persian Empire, when it was known as Fārāb, meaning irrigated lands. Otrar was the birth-place of philosopher and scientist Al Farabi, also known as the 'second teacher' after Aristotle, an important influence on Avicenna and Maimonides. Al Farabi's …

The Impact Of The Western Liberal Arts Education In The Mena Region: A Case Study, Heba Abdelrahman Ibrahim Mansour

Theses and Dissertations

This study focuses on the development of the millennial generation within the liberal arts education setting. It has been demonstrated that the values of different generations periodically change. It is the university's duty to articulate the distinctive sociological, ideological, and psychological variations of each generation in order to provide the most viable educational system. Follow-up researches in different educational systems should be conducted regularly in order to incorporate new data from the rapidly changing millennial generation. This particular research focuses on understanding student development models that adequately demonstrate the effectiveness of a liberal arts education within the MENA region. The …

Using Religious Themes And Content To Affect Cultural Sensitivity In Russian Language Learning, Paul Tristan Gallo

Theses and Dissertations

Specifically oriented towards Russian culture, this study addresses the need in diplomacy for deeper cultural understanding. As research suggests a link between the inclusion of religious perspectives in second language acquisition (SLA) and student motivation and cultural empathy, this study examines how Russian language classrooms could leverage an understanding of Russian religious themes to foster cultural sensitivity. The study invited 24 second-year university students of Russian to complete a previously-validated assessment of cultural sensitivity: the Global Perspectives Inventory (GPI). Divided into a control and a treatment group, the participants also watched a short video depicting a story from Russian history …

Educating For Tolerance In Kazakhstan, Shamshiya Rysbekova, Ainura Kurmanaliyeva, Karlygash Borbassova

CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture

In their paper "Educating for Tolerance in Kazakhstan" Shamshiya Rysbekova, Ainura Kurmanaliyeva and Karlygash Borbassova consider the problem of education intolerance amidst young people in the Republic of Kazakhstan. The authors hope to unveil some of the controversies and problems encountered with regards to the prevention of terrorism and extremism and illuminate the efforts of Kazakhstan for international transparency and EU convergence. The paper begins with a revision of Kazakhstan law on the matter of religious freedom, registration of religious groups, and religious education. These topics have created great controversies in the international community, and the paper goes on to …

Transpersonal Psychology And The Paradigm Of Complexity, Kelly, Sean M.

Journal of Conscious Evolution

No abstract provided.

Santería In A Globalized World: A Study In Afro-Cuban Folkloric Music, Nathan Montgomery

Lawrence University Honors Projects

The Yoruban people of modern-day Nigeria worship many deities called orichas by means of singing, drumming, and dancing. Their aurally preserved artistic traditions are intrinsically connected to both religious ceremony and everyday life. These forms of worship traveled to the Americas during the colonial era through the brutal transatlantic slave trade and continued to evolve beneath racist societal hierarchies implemented by western European nations. Despite severe oppression, Yoruban slaves in Cuba were able to disguise orichas behind Catholic saints so that they could still actively worship in public. This initial guise led to a synthesis of religious practice, language, and …

Academic Senate - Agenda, 5/29/2018, Academic Senate

Academic Senate Agendas

No abstract provided.

Gardner-Webb Hosts Annual Meeting Of National Association Of Baptist Professors Of Religion, Office Of University Communications

Gardner-Webb NewsCenter Archive

Gardner-Webb University recently hosted approximately 70 professors and graduate students in religion for the annual meeting of the National Association of Baptist Professors of Religion (NABPR). This was the University’s second time hosting the event. Dr. Steven R. Harmon, associate professor of historical theology in the GWU School of Divinity, is NABPR vice president and president-elect.

Volume Cxxxv, Number 24, May 25, 2018, Lawrence University

The Lawrentian

No abstract provided.

Encountering The Living Religions Of India: Strangers To Friends, M. Darrol Bryant

Consensus

No abstract provided.

Where Are We Going? : A Critical Analysis Of Millennials And The Traditional Church, Riley Ferguson

Celebration of Learning

Walk into any given Protestant church on any given Sunday morning, outside of Christmas and Easter; what you will most likely see is the pastor at the front of the congregation running through the week’s prayers, a piano/organ playing, a cross somewhere at the front, but what you will not see is a great multitude of young adults between the ages of 18-29 (Kinnaman). There is a problem with millennial church membership and it is deeply impacting our congregations and how faith is being understood today. Pastors, church leaders, and congregations have been trying to find ways to solve the …

Adventist Education In An Anti-Modern World: Challenge And Opportunity, John Wesley Taylor Ph.D. V

The Journal of Biblical Foundations of Faith and Learning

Certain tenets of anti-modern thought clash with basic Christian assumptions. Consequently, Christians may not agree with the full scope of the anti-modern position – such as its relativism, fragmentation of knowledge, and rejection of religious doctrine. Such premises can ultimately lead to conclusions far removed from those of a Christian worldview. Nevertheless, while Christians cannot surrender the non-negotiable truths of their faith, they must seek to truly understand anti-modernism and its endeavor to address crucial issues in society.

Stirred by the anti-modern paradigm, for example, contemporary educators have raised valid concerns regarding educational practice – the role of community, the …

The Observer, Central Washington University

Student Newspaper

Student newspaper for Central Washington University for May 24-30, 2018. Vol. 110, No. 8.

Ideological Inequalities: Khmer Culture And Widows’ Perception Of Remarriage, Susan Hagood Lee

Journal of International Women's Studies

To explain the enduring persistence of gender inequality, structural explanations alone are not sufficient. One must look at the realm of cultural ideas to understand the entrenched nature of female subordination. Ideological inequalities embedded in cultural beliefs and practices sustain and perpetuate structural inequalities. This article explores ideological inequalities in Cambodian culture as an explanation for the reluctance of rural widows to remarry, despite the economic benefits that a new husband would likely bring. Using concepts from the theory of the social construction of reality, two cultural sources for widows' reluctance are considered, the beliefs and practices of Khmer Buddhism …

Mujerista Theology And Understanding Its Source, Aurora Espinoza

Creative Collaborations: Annual Showcase of Undergraduate Research

This research answers the key question on how did the Latino/a Theologian Ada Maria Isasi-Diaz develop her theology Focusing on only three of her basic writings I analyzed from what source(s) she developed her theology by investigating carefully the topics and context in her texts and her life experiences. With further background information that I received from my mentor, who was a colleague and friend of the late professor Isasi-Diaz, I was able to describe and explain how she developed her theology and her major contributions to the field. This was a directed literature review maintaining my emphasis on her …

Lybarger Talks About Palestinian Experiences In Ecampus Spotlight Sunday, Ohio University College Of Arts & Sciences

All Forum Articles

No abstract provided.

The Rupture That Remains: A Trauma-Informed Pastoral Theology, Eric Worringer

Master of Theology Theses

No abstract provided.

Liberating The Imago Dei: An Examination Of Jewish And Christian Feminist Biblical Anthropology, Carissa S. Wyant

Doctor of Philosophy Theses

This study provides a comparative analysis of the work of Roman Catholic feminist theologian Elizabeth Johnson and that of Jewish feminist theologian Judith Plaskow, who have both sought to reconstruct the Imago Dei (“image of God”) within their respective traditions. By way of this analysis, it makes a methodological and a substantive contribution. Methodologically, it expands on Elizabeth Schüssler-Fiorenza’s feminist critical approach to reading Scripture by relating it to Francis Clooney’s comparative theological approach to reading texts in religious traditions other than one’s own. Although there have been attempts at comparisons of various religious traditions from a feminist perspective, this …

Christian Political Economy And Economic Science: A Pathway For Interdisciplinary Dialogue, Nathan Mclellan

Religious Studies Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation considers two intellectual impediments to interdisciplinary dialogue between Christian theologians, ethicists, and economists: scarcity and the status of economics as a wertfrei science. Using the landmark methodological work of Lionel Robbins, An Essay on the Nature and Significance of Economics Science, to frame the discussion, this dissertation seeks to remove these two intellectual impediments to interdisciplinary dialogue by considering three nested questions. They are:

(1) Is scarcity—as defined by Robbins—an accurate description of the world?

(2) If scarcity, as defined by Robbins, is an accurate description of the world, how is this to be justified theologically, and …

Believing Into Christ: Restoring The Relational Sense Of Belief As Constitutive Of The Christian Faith, Natalya Cherry

Religious Studies Theses and Dissertations

The beginning phrase of major Christian creeds, Cred(ere) in Deum literally means “to believe into God.” What has been lost in translation of this admittedly awkward construction is the relational sense of active and living belief, fit for the flourishing of human agents who relate to a living and active God. This loss occurred, despite Augustine’s describing this phrase as the culmination of Christian faith, distinct from credere Deo, “to believe God,”[1] and from credere Deum,[2] “to believe that God exists” (which today is taken to be the basic meaning of “believing in God”). Despite the resulting …

Mapping The Nature Of Empire: The Legacy Of Theological Geography In The Early Iberian Atlantic, Ángel Jazak Gallardo

Religious Studies Theses and Dissertations

This investigation revolves around one central question: if Christianity became the official ideology for sixteenth-century imperial expansion, then how does a theological conception of nature undergird or undermine colonial configurations of knowledge and power? I argue that, in the wake of 1492, Iberian empires racialized religious identity and mapped hemispheric dominion by leveraging a theological geography, that is, a scholastic vision of the natural world.

In Chapter One, I examine the order of nature in late medieval cosmology. By analyzing Fra Mauro’s Mappamundi (c. 1450), I show the ways in which Aristotelian Thomism provides an intellectual framework for subsequent global …

But We Know: A Feminist, Christian Ethnography And Analysis Of Single, Working-Class Mothers And Class, Gender, And Race Dynamics In The U. S. Political Economy, Julie A. Mavity Maddalena

Religious Studies Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is a work of liberation theology, for it attends to transforming cultural and economic systems that deny basic human dignity. It uses ethnographic, critical, and intersectional methodologies to interrogate economic systems and to complicate cultural ideas of what it means to be working-class single mothers identifying as Black, Latina, and white. In this essay, the self-reported and statistical stories of working-class single mothers—read critically—challenge their portrayals in commonplace political, economic, and societal structures and rhetorics. The work, which moves inductively (from the ground up), identifies both oppressive life conditions and oppressive representations that often help perpetuate the other. …

Human Capabilities, Religion, And Rights, Oleg Makariev

Religious Studies Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines whether a commitment to human rights is cogent apart from a religious view of life. I identify three distinctive religious criticisms of secular conceptions of human rights, from ultimate meaning, dignity, and comprehensive good, illustrating each through the work of a prominent author, Michael J. Perry, Nicholas Wolterstorff, and Alasdair MacIntyre. The criticism from ultimate meaning focuses on assessing enduring goods and universal solidarity, from dignity on distinct and equal human worth in relation to other species, and from comprehensive good on holistic flourishing, shared reasons, and sources of obligation. I grapple with these criticisms by drawing …

2018 Commencement Program, Whittier College

Commencement Programs

Whittier College's One-Hundred Fifteenth Annual Commencement, May 18, 2018

Commencement Address: Casey Ho '09, Fitness Entrepreneur

Gardner-Webb Alumna Accepts Challenge To Minister Around The World, Office Of University Communications

Gardner-Webb NewsCenter Archive

“When will you come back?” The children’s innocent question tugged at Shelby Robinson’s heart. The 2017 alumna of Gardner-Webb University had played with them all afternoon in a slum in the Philippines.

Let's Talk, Thomas M. Columbus

Materials from the University of Dayton Magazine Website

In conversation about ways to teach dialogue are Jason Combs and Kelly Johnson.

P-09 A Conceptual Framework For Analyzing The 2017-2018 Seventh-Day Adventist Global Church Member Survey, Karl G. D. Bailey, Duane C. Mcbride

Adventist Human-Subject Researchers Association

We, along with others, developed the 2017-18 Global Church Member Survey currently being used by the Seventh-day Adventist Church to assess the quinquennial Church Strategic Plan. We included items for comparison to previous surveys, along with items to measure performance indicators from the Strategic Plan. However, our unique contributions were grounded in a novel theoretical framework based on Biblical principles and concepts in the social sciences. The Biblical contribution to the core of this framework focused on scriptural teaching on discipleship and God’s active role believer’s lives. The social science contribution to the core integrated theories of motivation (Deci & …

A Meditation In Three Parts, Brent Nakamoto

Graduate School of Art Theses

I’m interested in the way we read images—they way we see through an image’s surface in order to perceive its illusion, in the same way that we see through words in order to understand their meaning. I’m interested in this relationship, in both images and texts, between surface, illusion, and meaning. In Buddhist philosophy, the source of suffering is in our attachments to the self-as-image. The function of Zen meditation practice is to bring attention to this process of perception and, in doing so, to help see through the illusions of self-hood and ground our understanding in the reality of …