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Discord From Within: Challenges Facing Catholicism In The United States And The Road Ahead, Amber Montgomery

Say Something Theological: The Student Journal of Theological Studies

As membership in the Catholic Church continues to decline in the United States, there are less parishioners or those interested in religious life. Two contributing reasons for this include the Church’s stance on the use of contraception and the role of women within ministry. Explored here is a brief survey of these issues based on Scripture, papal documents, feminist theology, and the perspective of clergy and lay persons. These two topics are of particular interest as the United States grapples with women’s rights over their bodies and wrestle with women’s place within the Church. While the Church has taken an …

Unearthing Evidence For St. Augustine’S Racial Blackness And Paralleling Augustine’S Christian Mystical Religion To Traditional African Religion’S Mysticism, Dillon Cook

Say Something Theological: The Student Journal of Theological Studies

This article undertakes two projects rendering significant ramifications for philosophy/theology, if my assertions are correct. First, the philosopher/theologian known as St. Augustine of Hippo is most saliently recognized as a “white man”; if not a white man, “a European”; if not European, “a man of Rome”; or “Mediterranean”; etc. Outside the intellectual sphere, this is how he is often depicted in art, Penguin Classic books, and so on. Yet ironically, images of Augustine rarely circulate, if at all, as a Black-African-Indigenous person. Was Augustine nonwhite? Evidence is rendered that this is indubitably the case. Could Augustine have been modernly categorized …

Focus, 2025, Spring, Andrews University

Focus

FOCUS (ISSN 1077-9345) is published quarterly, free of charge, for alumni and friends of Andrews University, an institution owned and operated by the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

Spiritual Fitness And Religious Commitment As Predictors Of Hope In Active Duty Deployed Military, David Sidnam

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to examine how spiritual fitness and religious commitment are related to hope in deployed military personnel. Furthermore, the individual components of spiritual fitness (connection to God, belief in service, and purposeful meaning) were examined alongside religious commitment to determine the strongest predictor of hope for deployed military members. The study included 111 deployed, active duty members that were recruited from three deployed sites in the military. The data was assessed in SPSS and revealed that belief in service and purposeful meaning were significantly related to hope. Purposeful meaning was the strongest predictor …

Exploring The Bidirectional Relationship Between Attachment Styles And Spiritual Practices In Protestant Christians: A Qualitative Study, Emily Lauren Pritt

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative study explores the bidirectional relationship between spirituality and attachment among Protestant Christians—a topic with limited empirical focus. Grounded in attachment theory and theological insights, prior research often treats attachment as a static predictor of spiritual development, with little attention to how spiritual engagement may reshape attachment. This study addresses the gap by examining how these relational domains mutually inform each other and affect psychological well-being within a Christian context. The purpose was to explore if adult attachment styles and spiritual practices influence emotional health, relational security, and overall well-being among active Protestant Christians. Twenty-two adults actively engaged in …

Reply To Review Of Assisted Suicide In Canada, Travis Dumsday

Osgoode Hall Law Journal

I AM VERY GRATEFUL to the editors of the Osgoode Hall Law Journal for their invitation to submit a response to the journal’s review of my book, Assisted Suicide in Canada: Moral, Legal, and Policy Considerations. That review appeared in its spring 2023 issue.

Critical Black Expressionism: A Womanist Manifesto, Rolanda Jw Spencer

Theses

This thesis introduces Critical Black Expressionism (CBE) as a visual, spiritual, and intellectual methodology rooted in Black feminist traditions, ancestral knowledge systems, and artistic practice. Grounded in womanist theory and decolonial inquiry, the central argument asserts that Black women’s lived experiences, cultural memory, and spiritual cosmologies constitute a rigorous and sovereign framework for artmaking. Rather than borrowing from Eurocentric pedagogies, this approach draws from oral traditions, sacred ritual, and master-apprentice models that have long existed within African and African American communities. The Iyami Aje: Mothers + Witches collection is the visual embodiment of this research. Composed of multimedia sculptures, altar-based …

Reviews: Immigrant Gone To Heaven: Dutch Polder To Canada's Frontier (Vermeer, K.); New(Ish) And Interesting Books; The Ocean's Whistleblower: The Remarkable Life And Work Of Daniel Pauly (Gremillet, D.); New Zealand Birds: A Natural History (Wilson, K.-J.), Alan E. Burger, Eric L. Wagner, Laura E. Koehn, Lloyd S. Davis

Marine Ornithology

No abstract provided.

Religious Communication In An Urban Society

Communication Research Trends

Whatever happened to the churches? To whom are they speaking these day?

Christianity and other major religious traditions developed their symbolic language and their patterns of communication in a pre-industrial world and in the largely oral culture of rural villages. Christianity did adapt rather remarkably to the possibilities of the print media. But now the urban pattern of life, the technical-scientific mode of thought and the electronic media are· influencing radically the pattern of human life.

Sociologists of religion conclude that religious aspirations are as strong as ever, but that people increasingly do not find the expression of their religion …

Deep-Seated Beliefs And Imagined Realities - Seeking What Identifies Us Collectively, Joseph P. Hester

The Journal of Values-Based Leadership

No abstract provided.

Jewish Orthodox Women In Higher Education: A Case Study, Tamar Kimmel

Doctorate in Education

This qualitative case study explores the lived experiences of Orthodox Jewish women navigating higher education within the United States. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with 13 participants enrolled in undergraduate and graduate programs, this study investigates the intersectional challenges these women faced as students, mothers, and members of a visibly religious minority. This research examines barriers related to gender expectations, religious observance, and antisemitism on college campuses. Participants reported a complex interplay of community support, institutional challenges, and personal resilience in their pursuit of academic success. The analysis reveals a pressing need for higher education institutions to implement culturally responsive policies, …

"Female Faithfulness Encouraged": Gendered Piety In Early American Print, Kadienne Sizemore

Ursidae: The Undergraduate Research Journal at the University of Northern Colorado

Following the American Revolution, membership in Baptist churches grew exponentially and the influence of the Baptist persuasion was significant. As one of the fastest growing Protestant denominations in early America, Baptists and their interests were often indicative of larger trends in religiosity. Conceptions of piety, including beliefs surrounding submission, faithfulness, and duty, were central to the structure of Baptist congregations and their proximate communities. This paper explores the role of gender in the discussion, presentation, and justification of Baptist notions of piety in their publications during the Early American Republic. To build on the work of historians exploring female autonomy …

“Here’S To The Long Haul: Dark Green Religion And Planetary Thinking In Appalachian Environmental Movements”, Joseph Witt

Critical Humanities

Environmental humanities scholars have worked to develop alternative frameworks for understanding and relating to Earth’s systems in the hope of reforming the exploitative and extractive practices and attitudes characteristic of the Anthropocene. For example, Dipesh Chakrabarty argued that addressing climate change necessitated appreciating the entanglements between global (human) and planetary (Earth systems) scales. While Chakrabarty noted that ancient and Indigenous cultures may have retained approaches necessary for this work, he was skeptical of the ability of modern secular intellectual traditions focused on global justice perspectives to ultimately facilitate a planetary non-anthropocentric ethic. However, by only briefly engaging with themes of …

Planetary [] Appalachia: Editor’S Introduction, Scott C. Mcdaniel

Critical Humanities

Editor's Introduction to Volume 4 Issue 1

Gen Z And Gen Alpha: Designing Theology Courses For A Digital And Ai Generation, Maurice N. Emelu

Jesuit Higher Education: A Journal

This exploratory article examines strategies for teaching theology to Generations Z and Alpha, emphasizing their digital-native traits and unique learning preferences. It argues that theology education thrives when students engage with reflective, creative, and relevant content. Drawing from experiences at a Jesuit college and education research, it introduces the OAEPA strategy—Observation, Analysis, Evaluation, Production, and Assessment—as a framework for designing theology courses. The approach encourages active participation, critical thinking, creativity, and personal relevance, aligning with Jesuit traditions of reflection and discovery. The paper uses examples such as a theme in sacramental theology to show how theological ideas can be meaningful …

Can Jesuit/Catholic Universities Remain So Without Any Jesuits Or Catholics?, Thomas G. Plante Phd, Abpp

Jesuit Higher Education: A Journal

Jesuit and Catholic higher education has much to offer our students and the world but with fewer and fewer Jesuits and Catholic clerics or laypersons in the classrooms or anywhere else at our universities, this 500 century old Jesuit tradition and 2,000 year old Catholic is seriously threatened. Strategic hiring for mission and identity, being proactive with evangelization, and retaining our approach to academic life, learning, and formation are critically needed, especially now. Otherwise, our Jesuit and Catholic institutions run the risk of being overwhelmed with secularization that will ultimately lose the richness that Jesuit and Catholic inspired education and …

The Reinterpretation Of The Round Shaker Barn: How Patriarchal Values Changed The Doctrine, History, And Architecture Of A Religion, Caroline Johnson

AWE (A Woman’s Experience)

The Shaker Round Barn in Hancock Massachusetts has long been studied for its historical significance and insight into the life and beliefs of the nearly extinct religion. Within the discipline of art history, it is one of the only Shaker buildings discussed in entry-level architecture classes, portrayed to be the physical personification of the Shaker faith. The current narrative of the Shakers has simplified not only this particular structure but the entire religion, down to a few distinguishing characteristics: their name, which came from their exuberant worshiping practices; their founder, Mother Ann Lee, being the female reincarnate of Jesus Christ; …

Let’S Teach More Accurate And Inclusive History! The Case Of Islamic Contributions To Mathematics And Science, Noah (Nuh) Aydin

Faculty Publications

Schools commonly teach a history of mathematics and science that is Eurocentric. This selective version of the history of science, called Classical Narrative by some, is rooted in colonial times and mindset, and has reinforced certain negative opinions about other cultures. It ignores or downplays contributions to mathematics and sciences from non-western civilizations, and falsely attributes many scientific discoveries to European scholars. Medieval Islamic Civilization, which had strong connections to Renaissance Europe, serves as a clear example of how this narrative is distorted. Based on research on primary sources since the middle of the 20th century, we now know that …

Lawrence, Spring/Summer 2025, Lawrence University

Alumni Magazines

No abstract provided.

Wooster Magazine: Summer 2025, Caitlin Paynich Stanowick

Wooster Magazine: 2021-2030

The summer 2025 issue of Wooster magazine celebrates the shared experience of Independent Study, showcasing stand-out projects from the Class of 2025 and how The College of Wooster community supported them along their journey. Students featured include history major Zach Perrier, biology major Lydia Crane, economics major Ignacia Méndez, and statistical and data sciences major Laurel Andrews. Inspired by an off-campus study and experiential learning opportunity in Guatemala, four archaeology seniors found I.S. topics connected to their shared research journey. Alumni Sarah Wilds ’97, CEO of augmentative and alternative device company PRC-Saltillo; Donald Dennis ’86, executive vice president and community …

Love Potions And Love Letters: An Argument That Libertarian Free Will Isn't Necessary For Loving God, Netanel Ron

Faith and Philosophy: Journal of the Society of Christian Philosophers

No abstract provided.

The Evidential Problem Of Evil And The Aesthetics Of Surprise, James S. Spiegel

Faith and Philosophy: Journal of the Society of Christian Philosophers

No abstract provided.

The Schools, Saint Mary's College Of California

Undergraduate Academic Catalog

No abstract provided.

Undergraduate Academic Regulations, Saint Mary's College Of California

Undergraduate Academic Catalog

No abstract provided.

Majors, Minors, And Certificates, Saint Mary's College Of California

Undergraduate Academic Catalog

No abstract provided.

2025-2026 Academic Catalog, Saint Mary's College Of California

Undergraduate Academic Catalog

No abstract provided.

Apathy Or Agency: Exploring Civic Engagement With Ap Psychology Students, Regina Dilley

Theses and Dissertations

Sensing my high school students’ apathy toward civic engagement, I used a community of inquiry framework to address this problem of practice. Through mixed-methods action research, I explored participants’ perspectives on community, civic engagement, and their involvement in both spheres. A community of inquiry framework was the foundation for my research questions, and as I collected data, I launched an intervention based upon my findings. Although the results of this study were not statistically significant and are not generalizable, I collected a wealth of survey, interview, and reflection data from 48 students across two classes. Analysis grounded in my observations …

Conjuring Realities: Southern Supernaturalism And Race From The Antebellum Era To The Early Twentieth Century, Dylan T. Kobus

Theses and Dissertations

Conjure practices in the nineteenth-century American South, such as “Hoodoo” or “Voodoo,” are commonly portrayed as primarily “black” beliefs or entrenched in “Africanistic” cultures. For the enslaved, their black spiritual systems, including conjure, were a powerful tool of resistance against the white enslaver. Black conjure practitioners established themselves as an affordable and pervasive medical alternative to often ineffective or harmful professional medicines for black and white Southerners, regardless of class. In this way, conjure challenged the authority of racial capitalism and destabilized the perceived moral and intellectual superiority of whiteness. Moreover, by examining legal documents, newspapers, fictional literature, and oral …

Copley Connects | Spring/Summer 2025, University Of San Diego

Copley Connects Library Newsletter

Message From the Dean | 2

Research and Scholarship Recognition | 3

Featured Collection: Southern Cross | 4

2025 Holleman Scholarship Winners | 6

AI Comes for Digital USD | 7

Pontem Partnership Marks Five Years | 8

Spotlight Jordan Kobayashi | 9

New Faculty at Copley | 9

ACRL Conference in Minneapolis | 10

American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) Conference | 10

Copley Recognizes Graduating Seniors with Bookplates | 11

Top 10 Digital USD Downloads for the 2024–2025 Academic Year | 12

New Resources for Fall 2025 | 13

Seguimos Creando Enlaces Conference | 13

Copley Reads | …

Volume 34, Number 2, Summer/Fall 2025, Office Of Communications, Illinois Wesleyan University

Illinois Wesleyan University Magazine, 2018-present

VOLUME 34 | NUMBER 2 | Summer/Fall 2025

ON OUR COVER:

The Illinois Wesleyan University archives, housed on the fourth floor of The Ames Library, holds many artifacts of IWU history, including the original university charter and a gold medal awarded to John Marden, clas of 1909, for his breakthrough work in atomic science and engineering.

18 175 Years of Illinois Wesleyan University. Celebrate IWU's history with a timeline of the last 175 years of our community's milestones.

26 Alumni Award Winners. Meet our Award Winners John Camardella '03, Natalie Lalagos '12, and Carol Willis '68.