Digital Commons Network^™

Vernacular Religiosity: Liminality, Mentorship, And Communal Reciprocity In Women's Religious Communities, Megan J. Miller

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

This thesis is a study on women’s religious communities, and the vernacularized traditions practiced by the women themselves from a folkloric perspective. Examining the creative and meaningful ways women find to interact with their faith on a daily basis, this thesis proposes a natural cycle of religious participation which allows the women to move between active and passive participation roles within their religious communities, and creates equitable spaces for women by relying on the communal reciprocity of the group.

By focusing on individual women and their experiences and belief practices as part of a larger community of religious practice, this …

Domestic Cow Of Plenty: Gender And Womanhood In The Bhāgavata Purāṇa, Harshika Ajay Gupta

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

This thesis examines gender and womanhood in the Bhāgavata Purāṇa (Bhāgavata), a Sanskrit text from the 10th century CE that holds an important theological and cultural position in contemporary Hindu traditions. It decodes the Bhāgavata’s unique perspectives on the following: (1) gender, sex, sexuality, and reproduction, (2) women’s social normativity, and (3) women’s personhood and agency. This thesis argues that the Bhāgavata contains a unique theorization of gender and sex as well as a positive valuation of femininity, and that it imbues its narratives with practical resources and actions to recognize and expand the agentive capacity of women.

For scholars …

A Survey On Digital Reading Materials And Personal Study Of Christian Religious Texts, Teancum Price

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Religion, including reading from religious texts such as scriptures, are a part of the daily lives of many people. Modern technology has influenced the way that this religious reading takes place, but its effects have not yet been studied. Existing research of the effects of technology on reading focus on topics such as reading comprehension, but the study of religious texts is often focused on achieving a religious experience, so the existing research does not capture the whole scope of these changes. In our study, we surveyed two universities (Utah State University and Abilene Christian University) to ask individuals how …

Writing Through The Plague: Memory, Trauma, And Survival In Arabic And English Narrative, Zainab Abbood Jawhar Aldaoseri

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines how Arabic and English literary and intellectual traditions responded to the Black Death as a shared yet differently articulated experience of collective trauma. Drawing on trauma theory, particularly the work of Cathy Caruth and Dominick LaCapra, it analyzes how plague narratives function as cultural mechanisms for processing mass suffering. Through a comparative study of Arabic historiographical, theological, medical, and poetic texts alongside English allegorical, mystical, autobiographical, and satirical writings, this project argues that both traditions developed distinct narrative strategies to render the trauma of plague intelligible. Arabic plague literature, represented by figures such as Ibn Khaldūn, Ibn …

Forcing The Issue: Nebraska’S Collective Bargaining Stand-Off, Shannon Cummins

Journal of Collective Bargaining in the Academy

This paper describes the unusual collective bargaining landscape for public academic institutions in the state of Nebraska where state legislation has mandated both pay transparency and limits to the collective bargaining process. Specifically, it explores the unprecedented 2024-2025 bargaining cycle which relied on innovative union tactics of nationwide freedom of information requests (FOIA) to reach contract agreement in the face of twelve years of administration stonewalling tactics. The case study of Nebraska is important as it provides an actual account of negotiations where state limits on collective bargaining have yet to be tested in the courts.

Sacred Steps: Walking, Religion, And The Path To Peace, Francesca Benna

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Walking is one of the simplest and most primordial human acts, yet it carries profound meanings that transcend cultures, religious traditions, and paths of individual and collective transformation. Walking is not merely a means of movement but a practice that fosters reconnection with oneself, the environment, and the community. Bruce Chatwin, in The Songlines (1987), highlights how nomadism is an inherent human condition, suggesting that movement is essential not only for physical survival but also for mental and spiritual well-being. In an era marked by environmental crises, conflicts, and increasing technological alienation, rediscovering the value of walking responds to a …

Catur Piwulang: The Concept Of Great Leaders In Javanese Paradigm, Nuri Puji Hastuti

Paradigma: Jurnal Kajian Budaya

Leaders can be a key factor in determining whether a nation experiences a flourishing or declining period. However, numerous phenomena indicate that Indonesia is losing its great leaders. Based on this problem, this research aims to explain and describe the forms, meanings, and functions of catur piwulang as the concept of great leaders in the Javanese paradigm. A descriptive qualitative method has been used. The syntax consists of data collection, reduction, display data, and conclusion. Data validity was checked through the triangulation of theories, resources, and techniques. The forms of catur piwulang are 1) wewehono teken, teken wong kalunyon, …

"Ta’Aruf", Pious Asceticism, And Shared Meaning-Making In Islamic Youtube Web Series, Andina Dwifatma

Wacana, Journal of the Humanities of Indonesia

Islamic web series have recently become a notable cultural phenomenon in Indonesia. Unlike mainstream Islamic films, most Islamic web series are created by Muslim youth communities and distributed freely on social media platforms such as YouTube, reflecting a more innovative, grassroots approach to exploring identity. The creators of Islamic web series have greater flexibility in crafting narratives that reflect the experiences of young urban Muslims. Their interactive engagement with audiences, both online and offline, facilitates the collective negotiation and preservation of religious values through digital media. One of the recurring themes in these series is ta’aruf, the Islamic practice …

James And Paul: Conflict Or Continuity, Brian Allan Elensky

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation investigates whether the Epistle of James presents a fundamentally different gospel from Pauline theology, a claim advanced by Robert Eisenman and other scholars who portray James as the leader of a rigorist, non-resurrectional, sectarian movement. The study employs a forensic investigative model shaped by the researcher’s experience as a police officer, combining historical-grammatical exegesis of James with analysis of key New Testament texts, early Christian witnesses such as Eusebius and Hegesippus, and modern scholarship on James, Paul, and the Dead Sea Scrolls.

The research concludes that James does not oppose Paul but complements him. James 2:14–26 rejects a …

Nature’S Sovereign: Environmental Archetypes In Isaiah’S Kingship Polemic, Christopher Ryan Sandel

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation examines how Isaiah employs environmental archetypes to advance a comprehensive kingship polemic that asserts Yahweh’s unrivaled sovereignty over all creation. The study addresses a gap in scholarship by offering the first systematic analysis of Isaiah’s environmental imagery within a unified rhetorical and theological framework. Drawing on historical, literary, and comparative ancient Near Eastern backgrounds, the study argues that Isaiah’s civilizational, cosmic, and terrestrial archetypes function as strategic instruments that dismantle rival claims to power and reorient the audience toward covenantal fidelity. Civilizational archetypes reveal the fragility of human empires and the futility of political trust. Entities such as …

An Alignment Of Absences: The Medicalization Of Death And Its Implications On Archaeological Methodology, Makayla J. Bowman

Departmental Honors & Graduate Capstone Projects

Absence describes something that is "expected, wanted, or looked for [but] is not present or does not exist," (Merriam-Webster Dictionary 2026). The archaeological discipline interacts with absence in many profound ways, largely in its study of the past dead. This paper focuses on the ways in which the medicalization of death has influenced, limited, and misaligned archaeological methodology, and how the result of those methodologies produces archaeological analysis that is absent of or misrepresents our understanding of life, personhood, and our position within a greater, interconnected biosphere. Thus, I present an anthropological critique of the ways in which death and …

The Rider (2026-04-27), Daniela Chapa-Reyes

The Rider Archives

Vol. 11, No. 28

University Of Northern Iowa Faculty Senate Meeting Minutes, April 27, 2026, University Of Northern Iowa. Faculty Senate.

Documents - Faculty Senate

Meeting minutes from the Faculty Senate of the University of Northern Iowa.

Doc 2026-19 Proposal For New Bachelor Of Arts In Global Studies, University Of Dayton. College Of Arts And Sciences

Senate Documents

The Bachelor of Arts in Global Studies prepares students to become thoughtful global leaders who engage effectively across cultures and contexts in an increasingly interconnected world. Grounded in intercultural understanding, the program equips students with applied skills for diverse professional settings. Through pathways in Global Citizenship & Intercultural Communication and in Area Studies (Global Spanish and Hispanophone Studies, Global French and Francophone Studies, and Global German Studies) students develop the knowledge and experience needed for careers in international organizations, NGOs, public service, international law, healthcare, or education, among others.

Ud In The News April 18-24, University Of Dayton

News Releases

UD faculty and staff contributed their expertise to Axios, The Journal of College Admission, The Columbus Dispatch and WLW-AM in Cincinnati while Spectrum News 1 Ohio highlighted the D.C. Flyers program.

Doc 2007-05 Processes And Procedures Of The Academic Senate, University Of Dayton. Academic Senate

Senate Governing Documents

These "Processes and Procedures" are intended to facilitate the smooth and transparent functioning of the Academic Senate of the University of Dayton.

From Viðkenning To Valarindi: The Enigma Of Goldberry And The River-Woman, Derek Simon

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

THIS IS A TWO-PART ARTICLE. IN ORDER TO READ OR DOWNLOAD THE OTHER PART, FOLLOW THE LINK AT THE END OF THIS ABSTRACT.

Building upon the previous examination of the eddic and skaldic contours of Goldberry’s River kenning names, this reading of Goldberry’s enigma focuses on the mythological referents of her kinship relations and their narrative consistency in the legendarium.  Tending to the intrinsic connection between “[t]he incarnate mind, the tongue, and the tale” (Tolkien, On Fairy Stories, 41), I contend that the poetics of kenning diction sustain if not demand a reading of the River-woman references mythologically through …

Restrain, Seclude, Repeat: Seeking Solutions To End The Troubled Teen Industry’S Cycle Of Harm, Elizabeth James

Northwestern Journal of Law & Social Policy

Although there is a consensus that children receiving mental health treatment in youth residential programs should only be restrained and secluded in emergency situations, youth residential program staff routinely restrain and seclude children in non-emergency situations, causing significant physical and psychological harm to the child and, on occasion, leading to the child’s death. Current federal and state laws do not adequately regulate this practice, nor correct a business model that wrongly prioritizes profits over a child’s well-being, but private action through 42 U.S.C. § 1983 may provide a powerful remedy to victims of the troubled teen industry and the necessary …

Stitched Together: Mourning And Memory In Latter-Day Saint Embroidery, Elizabeth Finlayson

Theses and Dissertations

As the Church entered into a period of mourning, confusion, and uncertainty following the 1844 imprisonment of religious leaders Joseph and Hyrum Smith in Carthage Jail in Illinois, artists turned to their canvases to grapple with and depict these events. Ashlee Whitaker calls attention to this shift in Mormon art, noting how Latter-day Saint artists painted portraits, landscapes, and commemorative scenes to promote Church authorities and “covenant kinship” as the organization experienced both a leadership crisis and abrupt relocation. Whitaker’s analysis, however, focuses almost completely on paintings done on canvas by men in America such as Danquart Weggeland, C.C.A. Christensen, …

Evolving Marxist Criticism Of Steinbeck's "The Grapes Of Wrath": Theological Tensions, Class Consciousness, And Cultural Relevance, Kimberly Fore

Liberty University Research Week

This study examines the evolution of Marxist literary criticism applied to John Steinbeck’s 1939 novel "The Grapes of Wrath" across the decades following its publication.Textual analyses conducted by successive generations of scholars demonstrate that critical interpretations have shifted from the early objections to its perceived religious sentimentality that were common in initial Marxist reviews, through a Cold War-era reframing that sought to align or distance the novel from prevailing political ideologies of the time, to 1980s scholarship focused on collective identity and the potential for group solidarity in proletarian narratives. Subsequent perspectives, including examinations of racial dynamics in the depicted …

Coping Strategies To Reduce English Speaking Anxiety Problems

Jurnal Pendidikan Humaniora

Speaking anxiety in English remains a significant barrier to effective communication among language learners, particularly in academic settings. This qualitative phenomenological study explores the lived experiences of Andrew (a pseudonym), a university professor who experienced intense English speaking anxiety during his undergraduate years. Through in -depth interviews, the study investigates the coping strategies he employed and how these contributed to his eventual communicative competence. The findings reveal five key strategies used to manage his anxiety: participation in a community development camp (social support), self -reflection and mental imitation (cognitive strategy), recitation of religious texts (spiritual grounding), physical adjustment during presentations …

Ud In The News April 11-17, University Of Dayton

News Releases

How UD prepares students for AI continued to receive national publicity. National Jurist featured the School of Law in its story about the online law school experience. Geologist Zelalem Bedaso wrote for The Conversation.

Subversive Speculative Theology In Women's Stories From The Mormon Home Literature Movement, Rachel Meibos Helps

Theses and Dissertations

In the 1910s, Mormon women used sentimental speculative fiction published in official Relief Society Magazine to engage theological questions often reserved for male ecclesiastical authority. This paper examines three short stories: Edna Coray's "A Quitter–Almost." (1918), Lucy May Green's "A Whiff of Ether" (1919), and Laura Jenkins's "Beyond the Portals" (1916), each of which depicts a woman's encounter with the spirit world at the moment of death or near-death. Drawing on the Mormon Home Literature movement and the broader tradition of sentimental fiction as political and moral discourse, I argue that these authors used narrative to fill gaps in official …

Spectator 2026-04-16, Editors Of The Spectator

The Spectator

No abstract provided.

Kenyon Collegian - April 16, 2026

The Kenyon Collegian

No abstract provided.

Land Epistemic Ethic: Exploring The Complex Intersection Of Human Bodies, Land, And Identity In Middle Belt Nigeria Cosmologies, Fwangmun Oscar Danladi

International Journal on Responsibility

The Indigenous cosmologies of Nigeria’s Middle Belt emphasize the relationship between human bodies and the land, transcending Western epistemological binaries and revealing profound socio-religious insights into environmental responsibility. Practices such as the burial of newborns’ umbilical cords, often dismissed as animistic or fetishistic, embody a sacred connection to the land that emphasizes belonging rather than ownership. Using an autoethnographic approach, this study critically examines these cosmologies and identifies how the sacredness of land can serve as a repository of communal memory and potential. By reframing land not as a possession but as a relational entity, this research challenges dominant narratives …

April 15, 2026 Faculty Senate Minutes, University Of South Carolina

Faculty Senate

No abstract provided.

2026-04-15 National Rise In Catholicism Conversions Makes Its Way To The Puget Sound, Hadia Noor Ahmed, Julia Pilch

The Spectator Online

No abstract provided.

Race Evasion In White Student Affairs Professionals In Minnesota Higher Education: A Phenomenology, Cindy Boe

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

Language that includes race-evasive frames is used by White individuals to maintain a status quo wherein White individuals hold greater access to societal power and resources than people of color. Race-evasive frames include abstract liberalism, naturalization, cultural racism, and disconnected power-analysis. In higher education, use of race evasive frames has been primarily documented in White college students and White faculty members. This study addressed in a gap in the literature related to race evasion in White student affairs professionals. Student affairs professionals provide direct support to college students. Scholars have suggested that student affairs professionals carry responsibility for advancing equity …

Research Development Personas: Beyond The Case Of Many Hats, Melanie Bauer, Joshua Roney

Research Development Review: The NORDP Journal

Research Development (RD) professionals are often described as wearing “many hats”—a metaphor that reflects the diverse roles and responsibilities they assume to support faculty and institutional research goals. However, this framing does not fully capture the nuanced, relational, and strategic ways RD professionals engage with stakeholders. This article introduces the concept of RD personas to describe six approaches to support used by RD professionals: Consultant, Coach, Collaborator, Connector, Champion, and Creator. Drawing from the authors’ professional experience and recent NSF-funded projects, the article distinguishes these personas as holistic modes of engagement that shape how RD professionals provide support, build capacity, …