Digital Commons Network^™

Apocalyptic Redemption And Utopian Resignation: How Visions Of Dystopia Made Community Impossible In Jonestown, Morgan Shipley

Communal Societies

No abstract provided.

An Unfathomable Complexity: Using Peoples Temple As A Primer In The Study Of Religion, Stephen C. Taysom

Communal Societies

No abstract provided.

Investigating The Relationship Between Noun Classes And Plant Folk Taxonomy In Chasu Language Of Kilimanjaro Region In Tanzania, Peter Rabson Mziray

Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

The current study investigates the relationship between noun classes and plant folk taxonomy in Chasu (G 22). The study focuses on two objectives: the first objective is to describe the plant folk taxonomy in Chasu and the second objective is to determine the relationship between noun classes and plant folk taxonomy in Chasu. Data were collected from rural villages in Same and Mwanga districts by using free listing, field interviews (jungle-walk-and-identify), and written texts containing Chasu plant names. The findings reveal that Chasu folk taxonomy reflects different ethnobotanical categories; including a unique beginner which is mmea/mimea ‘plant(s)’, and three life …

The Social Psychology Of Group Dynamics In Cults: Exploring The Influence Of Leadership And Organizational Structure In The Heaven’S Gate Cult, Mellanie L N Douglas

Honors Theses

Social Psychology of Group Dynamics in Cults: Exploring the Influence of Leadership and Organizational Structure in the Heaven’s Gate Cult Mellanie Douglas Dr. Kristen Campbell, Department of Psychology

Cults are extreme religious or political groups that rely on social and psychological influence to attract followers and maintain loyalty to a charismatic leader. Heaven's Gate is recognized as a historic new age religious and science fiction cult. It was founded in the 1970s by Marshall Herff Applewhite and Bonnie Lou Nettles during the counterculture movement and ended in 1997 with a mass suicide of 39 members. Accounts from within and regarding …

Uni’S First Woman Professor: Laura Ensign And The Struggle For Fair Pay, Rank, And Faculty Governance Under Gilchrist And Seerley, Thomas G. Connors

Faculty Book Gallery

At 29, Laura Ensign’s appointment to the faculty of Iowa’s new State Normal School should have been an unqualified triumph. Yet her hiring by the Board over the objections of James Gilchrist, the school’s principal, placed her under an administrator who detested her from the start. She lived, ate, and worked with her colleagues, pupils, and Gilchrist and his family in the same isolated building on a hill two miles from town. Near her wits’ end after eight years, Ensign tried one final maneuver, one so risky that it would have cost her job had it failed: She began secretly …

Far Out West: A Utopian Comic Adventure, Cheryl Coulthard

Communal Societies

No abstract provided.

Review Of Sex And Sects: The Story Of Mormon Polygamy, Shaker Celibacy, And Oneida Complex Marriage, Cheryl Coulthard

Communal Societies

No abstract provided.

Review Of Countercultural Crossover: Growing Up In The Love Family, Deborah E. Altus

Communal Societies

No abstract provided.

The Christian Countercult Movement And Hare Krishna In The Twenty-First Century, Timothy Miller

Communal Societies

No abstract provided.

The Burned-Over District At 75: Whitney Cross’S Analysis And Its Problems, Michael Barkun

Communal Societies

No abstract provided.

Review Of Holy Food: How Cults, Communes, And Religious Movements Influenced What We Eat, An American History, Mitchell K. Jones

Communal Societies

No abstract provided.

Frances Wright, Developmental Communalism And The Evolution Of A Social Activist, Cheryl Coulthard

Communal Societies

No abstract provided.

"A New Sensation": John Locke And The Sovereignty Of God In John Edward's Conception Of The New Birth, Jacob Huneycutt

The Ozark Historical Review

The author explores the role of Jonathan Edwards on the development of American Evangelicalism through examining his conversion experience in light of the philosophy of John Locke.

Phil 337-001: World Religions, Charles Brooks

Humanities Syllabi

No abstract provided.

Introduction To Sociology: Groups And Organizations, Marcia Morrison Ph.D.

Open Educational Resources

Abstract:

This comprehensive analysis explores the dynamics of social groups and bureaucratic organizations, drawing on foundational theories and empirical studies to illuminate how structure, identity, and informal culture shape collective behavior. The paper examines the essential elements of group dynamics—regular interaction, defined roles, shared norms, and collective identity—alongside the four stages of group decision-making that guide consensus and effectiveness. It distinguishes between primary and secondary groups, emphasizing their respective influences on personal identity and social cohesion, and discusses the pivotal role of reference groups in identity formation.

Further, the discussion extends to the mechanisms of group survival, analyzing concepts such …

World Religions And Mission, Robert (Robbie) Danielson

Syllabi

No abstract provided.

Independent Study In Historical-Theological Studies - The Idea Of God In Vietnamese Cultural Context, Stephen Bailey

Syllabi

No abstract provided.

Shame And The Cult Survivor As Viewed Through Erikson’S Theory, Devin Marie Seltz

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study investigated the manifestations of shame in cult survivors using Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development as its framework. According to Erikson (1959), individuals evolve through eight stages of development, each stage being met with a unique social and psychological crisis. If that psychosocial crisis is met and overcome, the individual advances to the next stage of development with additional psychosocial resilience. Erikson’s theory focuses on the importance of achieving these developmental tasks throughout the eight stages in order to build personal identity and resilience. Cults are known for exerting excessive control over individuals by employing techniques and strategies that …

Apologetic Response To The Timing Contradiction In The Synoptic Gospels, Oluwaseun Ebenezer Agboola

Masters Theses

The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, commonly known as the Synoptic Gospels, serve as the primary sources for understanding the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. For centuries, Christians have treated these accounts as sacred and authoritative texts that shaped doctrine and devotion. However, despite their theological significance, the Synoptic Gospels present challenges when examined from a historical and literary perspective. One of the most debated issues is the apparent discrepancies in the timing of the crucifixion of Jesus. While the Gospel of Mark states that the crucifixion was at the third hour (9 a.m.), Luke emphasizes …

New Light On The Holy City, Douglas L. Winiarski

Religious Studies Faculty Publications

"The Holy City is one of the iconic images of the “New Era” of “Mother’s work" —come to be called—that began in 1837 and lasted into the 1850s. Nearly three feet tall and two feet wide, the large gift drawing depicts a city divided between a rectangular inner precinct and four, half-moon-shaped suburbs. The inspired Shaker visionist who drew The Holy City began by outlining the plan in graphite, using a compass and straight edge, then tracing the lines in black ink. A double line filled with a dark cyan watercolor wash creates the square inner walls of the city; …

The Dobbs Decision: The Unraveling Of Christian Theocracy In The United States Legislation, Breeha Azhar Shah

DePaul Journal for Social Justice

No abstract provided.

Wisdom Responses To Troubled Times: Healing Through Contemplative And Somatic Approaches, David Smith, Thomas Falkenberg, Remy Y.S. Low, David Chang, Åsa Jarskog, Jason Brown, Randy Persad, Anna Rumjahn, Charles Scott, Heesoon Bai

Journal of Contemplative and Holistic Education

Humanity is facing troubled times, as witnessed by increased polarization and division that are exploding into various forms of violence. Collectively, we are facing unprecedented ecological and environmental disasters. On campuses throughout North America, and closer to home, student anxiety, depression and other mental health issues are increasingly prevalent. The academic fields of contemplative inquiry and somatic studies, which highlight holistic approaches to education, are responding to these troubled times by showing how we can accomplish presence of mind, promote healing, and embrace the physical, intellectual, emotional, social, spiritual, and ecological dimensions of wellness.

World Religions And Mission, Matthew (Matt) Friedman

Syllabi

No abstract provided.

Imágenes De Silencio, Compromiso, Persecución Y Tortura: La Teología De La Liberación Y Su Encrucijada Con Las Dictaduras Del Cono Sur Desde Una Representación Cinematográfica, Marcial Martínez

Spanish and Portuguese ETDs

This dissertation examines the interaction between liberation theology and the

dictatorships of the Southern Cone from the 1960s to the 1980s through cinematic

representation. Filmmakers from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay

depict the political upheavals of the time, including the rise of leftist movements,

military regimes, and the influence of liberation theology, a progressive religious

ideology advocating for the oppressed. The study focuses on what is defined here

as the "cinematic canon of liberation theology," a body of films and documentaries

that legitimize, contest, or obscure ideologies tied to this movement vis-à-vis the

dictatorships. These films contest the silence …

The Mujahedeen E-Khalq Of Iran (Mek): Agents Of Democratic Revolution Or Cultic Oppression?, Molly Jones

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis focuses on the People’s Mujahideen of Iran (MEK), an Iranian oppositional group that has engaged in a decades-long effort to depose the Iranian government. The goal of this thesis has three parts. First, it examines if the MEK should be classified as a new religious movement/cult. It also addresses the implications of such status given the MEK’s claims that it functions as a democratic entity and that it can be trusted to govern Iran in democratic fashion. Secondly, it examines if Iranian disinformation has influenced the MEK’s reputation. Thirdly, it analyses how the MEK has been able to …

Rising Sun And Morning Calm : A Comparative Historical Study On The Response To Christianity In Korea And Japan, Gregory S. Whyte

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

“Every Mother A Missionary”?: The Vlogs Of Mormon Mothers, Celia Golden

Departmental Honors & Graduate Capstone Projects

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) places high expectations on mothers because their role in the church is to rear children into godly adults. When their lives are made public through social media, Mormon mothers online avoid religious expectations by withholding information about their Mormon faith and scarcely showing their husbands on-camera. Mormon husbands are expected to be the providers for the family, but as demonstrated through mothers’ vlogs on Instagram, husbands’ erasure allows for mothers to market their expertise to others as a paid product to earn their own revenue. Through descriptive coding, this study …

An Aspirational Cultus? Tolkien Fandom At The Borders Of Belief, Tom Emanuel

Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature

This paper draws upon fan studies, sociology of religion, and J.R.R. Tolkien’s theory of sub-creation to theorize the religious implications of Enyalië (Quenya: remembrance), the emotionally charged graveside memorial which closes the U.K. Tolkien Society’s annual gathering in Oxford. Employing a framework of religion as sacred worldbuilding, the author argues that Enyalië is best understood as the “secondary liturgy” of the “secondary faith community” that is Tolkien fandom. The paper concludes that Tolkien’s fiction, his community of devoted fans, and the lineaments of religious ritual have combined, in Enyalië, to produce a fan practice which troubles the boundaries …

The Wicker Man, Laurel Zwissler

Journal of Religion & Film

This is a book review of Steve A. Wiggins, The Wicker Man (Liverpool: Auteur, 2023)

From Ruin To Reconstruction: Words Shaping Identity In Undertow And Uncultured, Hannah Harvey

English Senior Capstone

Undertow by Charlene Edge and Uncultured by Daniella Mestanyek Young each document the rise and fall of a religious cult—The Way International and The Children of God, respectively—and the authors’ personal experiences with cult indoctrination. Both works discuss cult leaders’ use of psychologically manipulative language to strip members’ agency and individuality, and both works demonstrate how Edge and Young reclaimed their sense of self by processing their experiences in writing. An examination of their memoirs supplemented by selections from Emily Dickinson’s poetry reveals the power of words to destroy and create, to be used by cult leaders to obliterate the …