Digital Commons Network^™

Lenses Of Faith And Culture: Christian College Students' Perspectives On Infertility, Mary Samuels

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This thesis investigates the perspectives of Christian college students on infertility, adoption, and assisted reproductive technologies through focus group discussions. Following the 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization Supreme Court decision, 13 states have established a total abortion ban, and 28 states have established abortion bans based on gestational duration. This study materializes because recently developed state-level abortion laws may impact in vitro fertilization (IVF) access if states expand legal protection of fetal personhood. Previous research has described that while Christian traditions demonstrate cultural pronatalism and opposition to abortion, Christian individuals’ concepts of infertility and views of treatments such …

Positive Cosmology: On The Good Creation Into Which Christ Incarnated, Jason Horstman

The Asbury Journal

This article argues that a positive cosmology has been the majority report in the Christian tradition, which is to say that creation is good. Evidence of this report is highlighted from scripture, from the contemplative tradition, and from the hospitality tradition. Sin as a complicating factor in understanding creation as good is engaged, and a solution to this complication from the Christian monastic tradition is considered.

Review Of Theology And Catholic Higher Education: Beyond Our Identity Crisis, Joseph Simmons

Theology Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Teachers Navigating Intercultural Tensions In The Cefr-Informed English Language Teaching In Indonesian Pesantren, Ahmad Madkur

PASAA

No abstract provided.

Personality Theories, Leswin Laubscher

Open Education Materials

Introduction to Personality Theories

¡Salud! Sacrificing The Sacred Sip: A Critical Analysis Of The Impact Of The Spiritual Conquest On Alcohol Traditions In Central México, Elizabeth Vilchis

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

By thoroughly investigating the available primary sources, this thesis will convey the importance of the Mesoamerican inebriating drink pulque in both the ethos and mythos of ancient Nahua society, examining how the ritual use of pulque became problematic in the eyes of the Spaniards, by investigating the cultural and ideological contradictions or double standards that enabled the tensions, struggles, and violence with which the Spanish colonial regime repressed the ritual use of pulque. This thesis compares the Nahua ethos and mythos of pulque to the Christian ethos and mythos of wine, highlighting the parallels perceived by Spaniards in Central México …

Religious Radio Broadcasting In Ukraine In The Context Of Digital Mediatisation And Social Transformation, Oleh Sokolovskyi, Olena Yurchuk

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The study carries out a religious studies analysis of contemporary forms of spiritual communication implemented through audio and digital media platforms. The work highlights the particular features of organizing religious broadcasting under conditions of transformation of the information space, when traditional models of transmitting doctrine become integrated into new technological formats. Mechanisms of the formation of religious identity, ways of maintaining spiritual continuity, and strategies of interaction between religious institutions and their audiences are examined. An analysis is conducted of the structures that ensure access to spiritual content, including forms of catechetical communication, mentoring practices, and models of pastoral support …

Who Can We Trust When They Are Watching? Lessons From Communist Surveillance For Today's Hybrid And Authoritarian Realities: An Interview Series, Katharina Kunter

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

This article explores the intersection of trust, surveillance, and political instrumentalization in authoritarian and hybrid warfare contexts, drawing on interviews with four contemporary witnesses from the Cold War era: Paul Mojzes, Laurens Hogebrink, Renate Ellmenreich, and Markus Meckel. Their experiences—spanning communist surveillance in the GDR, ecumenical diplomacy, and Western peace activism—reveal enduring challenges for churches, activists, and scholars engaging with partners in authoritarian regimes.

An Interdisciplinary Approach To Understanding The Social Ministry Of The Orthodox Church Of Ukraine In The Context Of Christian Theology And Socio-Humanitarian Sciences, Rostyslav Didukh

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article presents a comprehensive interdisciplinary scientific and theological analysis of the social ministry of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) in the context of Christian theology and socio-humanitarian disciplines. Modern approaches of Orthodox theology to the social mission of Christianity ensure the integrity of the development of the human and society. The need to ensure the coherence of theological concepts of the Orthodox Church social teaching with the existing church and parish life, church educational mission, theological education, and social work is emphasized. Special attention is paid to the interdisciplinary connections of Orthodox theology, religious studies, psychology, pedagogy and …

Case & Effect: Building Durable Skills Through Strategic Partnerships & Curriculum, Jonathan Vorbeck, Stephanie Ashley

Pedagogicon Conference Proceedings

Drawing on two undergraduate case studies, this paper illustrates how campus-wide collaboration and innovative curricular design integrate durable skills. Strategies emphasizing civil discourse, networking, and professional facilitation offer practical approaches for embedding sustainable, workforce-ready skills across disciplines while engaging students in meaningful, real-world experiential learning.

On Dark Skinned Jesus Of Nazareth: Why Color Matters, Nicholas Berkel

MA Theses

This thesis examines the historical, religious, and cultural consequences of portraying Jesus as white within Christian art. Although Western art has overwhelmingly depicted Christ with white skin, archaeological, and contextual evidence supports a dark-skinned Jesus rooted in the ethnogeography of first century Palestine. The persistence of a White Jesus has shaped religious imagination and perception for centuries, reinforcing racial hierarchy and legitimizing systems of white supremacy. Through an interdisciplinary analysis combining biblical studies, Christian iconography, ethnography of ancient Semitic, Greco-Roman, and Egyptian peoples, medieval symbolism, modern mass-produced imagery, and Black thought, this study demonstrates how Jesus’ original complexion was gradually …

Mediator: Ornament As A Visual Language Of The Transcendent, Selma Fejzullaj

Theses and Dissertations

Adolf Loos’s declaration that “ornament is a crime” defined modernist design, establishing a legacy that dismisses ornamentation as wasteful and regressive. This research questions that legacy by repositioning aesthetics as a divinely grounded value, inspired by the Qur’anic vision of Paradise. In this celestial realm, beauty is not wasteful but a manifestation of divine perfection. Conceptually, the project reclaims ornament as a vital tool for contemplating metaphysical themes. Materially, it reimagines glass, shifting it from modernist "radical honesty" to a medium of layered depth. Recombining traditional Islamic ornamentation practices such as Girih and Chaharbagh, the project evokes the Qur’anic vision …

Religious Conversion From Islam To Christianity In Kazakhstan, Kalmahan Yerzhan, Didar Mamyrbayev, Yelaman Karibekuly

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The phenomenon of religious conversion constitutes a significant topic of inquiry within the realms of social and psychological research in contemporary society. This article investigates the experiences of Muslims in Kazakhstan who have transitioned to Christianity, specifically within the Baptist denomination. The study employed a qualitative approach and was executed through semi-structured interviews with participants. The primary objective of the interview was to ascertain how familial upbringing, emotional experiences, as well as social and psychological factors, influence the conversion process. The findings indicated that the act of changing one's religion is frequently correlated with an individual's personal spiritual quest, existential …

A Neurophenomenological Perspective On The Self And Spirituality: The Role Of The Affective Core Self, Michael J. Winkleman, Andrew B. Newberg

Marcus Institute of Integrative Health Faculty Papers

The self is central to spirituality because the self is necessary for consciousness, and spiritual relations are fundamentally about the self. Diverse research illustrates the role of the downregulation of the right parietal lobe (rPL) in the spontaneous manifestation of spiritual experiences and during meditative practices. The functions of the rPL are central to the self, especially the embodied self. Disturbances of the rPL and embodied self-functions are associated with spiritual experience, exemplified in their association with “selflessness.” Many forms of self appear incompatible with spiritual and mystical experiences. An exception is the affective core self, the most ancient form …

Divine Aseity And Self-Existence, Thomas Oberle

Faith and Philosophy: Journal of the Society of Christian Philosophers

No abstract provided.

Balancing Beliefs In The Curriculum: Exploring The Educational Value And Constitutional Limits Of Teaching About Religion In U.S. Public Schools, Maria Rina Limbo

Liberal Studies (MA) Final Essays

This thesis examines the educational value and constitutional limits of teaching about religion in U.S. public schools. It asks whether public schools may teach about religion academically without violating constitutional neutrality, where the boundary lies between education and indoctrination, and how religious literacy might be integrated in ways that benefit students while honoring First Amendment constraints. Using a mixed-methods design, the study gathered survey data from 104 adult participants drawn from diverse educational, religious, and community backgrounds across multiple states. Surveys were distributed primarily through mailed and hand-delivered print copies, with a small number completed electronically. Quantitative data were tabulated …

Editorial, Arthit Jiamrattanyoo

Journal of Letters

No abstract provided.

Introduction, Jirayudh Sinthuphan

Asian Review

No abstract provided.

Common Data Set, 2025-2026, Planning, Research, And Policy Analysis

Common Data Set (2001-present)

Common Data Set 2025-2026 for Illinois State University

Digital Transformation And Artificial Intelligence In Education In Vietnam: A Bibliometric And Systematic Review, Minh-Anh Thi Nguyen, Van-Quynh Ha

Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE)

Globally, digital transformation (DT) is reshaping education through data-driven innovation, artificial intelligence (AI), and emerging learning technologies. These transformative forces are influencing not only instructional methods but also governance, equity, and sustainability in education. Within this context, the study provides a comprehensive review of DT and AI in Vietnam’s education sector. Combining bibliometric mapping with a systematic content analysis, it synthesizes recent scholarly developments to reveal key research trends, methodological orientations, and conceptual structures. Five thematic clusters are identified, including digital competence, institutional transformation strategies, AI literacy, and learner engagement, potentially reflecting a shift from institutional readiness toward learner-centered innovation. …

When To Bite Back: Queerness, Resistance, And Reclamation Of The Monstrous Identity In Andrew Joseph White’S Hell Followed With Us, Aster J. Mehigan Mx.

English

Who gets the right to define morality? Who gets to define what is monstrous? Frankenstein’s Creature, the vampires of Lost Boys, The Craft’s head witch Nancy Downs; these characters follow a pattern through the decades of those alienated from society, in this case being written with queer subtext, being deemed as monstrous. These queer monsters become the villains of the story, causing chaos, death and destruction in their wake, seeking revenge against a world that ostracizes them. The 2022 dystopian YA horror of Hell Followed With Us by Andrew Joseph White challenges the villanized monstrous identity through its transgender protagonist …

The Religious Landscape Of Ukraine During The War: Consolidation Potential And Destructive Imitations, Vadym Dyiak

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article examines the transformation of religion’s functional role in the context of the russian-Ukrainian war. The author analyzes how the extreme circumstances of armed conflict catalyze the polarization of Ukraine’s religious landscape, clearly distinguishing between authentic religiosity and its ideological imitations. The main focus is on conceptualizing the differences between churches that serve as a resource for spiritual consolidation and social therapy (the OCU, the UGCC) and religious institutions that are used as instruments of hybrid aggression. To describe the latter phenomenon, the author introduces and adapts Oswald Spengler’s concept of “historical pseudomorphosis.” It is argued that the activities …

The Ukrainian Religious Diaspora In Countering Russian Aggression, Liudmyla Fylypovych, Georgii D. Fylypovych Mr.

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article analyzes the activities of the Ukrainian religious diaspora during the full-scale Russian-Ukrainian war, its involvement in humanitarian support, and information-media opposition to Russia. It examines the initiatives of various churches, including the UGCC, the Orthodox Church in America, and Protestant congregations abroad, in providing concrete assistance to Ukraine, specifically to refugees, displaced persons, medical institutions, and units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The assistance provided is multi-vector in nature, ranging from financial support for individuals or institutions to psychological aid for those suffering from various traumas. The article highlights the necessity of creating inter-confessional coordination centers for …

The Transformation Of Traditional And Islamic Values Of Kazakhstani Youth In The Context Of Globalization, Nurgul Kabylbayeva, Kalimash Begalinova, Mohd Roslan Bin Mohd Nor

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

This article provides a comprehensive analysis of the impact of globalization processes on the transformation of traditional and Islamic values among Kazakhstani youth. In the context of contemporary globalization, the expansion of the information space, intensified cultural interaction, and the spread of Western lifestyles significantly influence young people’s worldview and value orientations. The study examines how traditional values inherent in Kazakhstani society and the spiritual and cultural foundations of Islam are being transformed in the consciousness of youth. Particular attention is paid to the emergence of new value models under the influence of globalization and their impact on national identity …

Mykhailo Hrushevsky And The Church, Vitalii Telvak, Ihor Hyrych, Volodymyr Nakonechnyi

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

Abstract

The article examines the place of Christianity in the personal life and creative activity of Mykhailo Hrushevsky. On the basis of a wide range of archival and published sources (memoirs, diary, and correspondence), the spiritual evolution of Hrushevsky as a Christian has been reconstructed – from the rigorous observance of religious duties in his youth to a fairly secular attitude toward the Church in his mature years. Faith in God helped him overcome the spiritual crisis of his youth, caused by the search for his life’s vocation, and to choose the path of serving the people through scholarly work. …

Dynamics Of Changes Of Religiosity In Condition Of Crisis Events (Based On The Example Of The Russian-Ukrainian War), Yurii Boreiko, Fedotova Tetiana

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article analyzes changes in the religiosity of Ukrainians during the Russian-Ukrainian war as a large-scale event. It explores the nature of the connection between the traumatic experience of war and religiosity and determines the trajectory of changes in the religiosity of Ukrainians during the war. It has been established that the Russian-Ukrainian war caused social upheavals accompanied by crises in various spheres of public life. As a large-scale tragic event, the war became a catalyst for changes in self-assessment of faith in God and participation in religious practices. The level of religiosity of Ukrainians during the war was significantly …

Socio-Psychological Portrait Of Muslim Women Who Joined Radical Religious Organizations, Akerke Sakbayeva, Nagima Baitenova, Zhuldyz Zhorabek, Assel Alimkhanova, Raimbek Zeinullin

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

This article examines the socio-psychological characteristics, motivations for radicalization, and the legal and social status of Muslim women who have joined radical religious organizations from gender and cultural studies perspectives. In recent years, the increasing involvement of women in violent extremist movements has intensified the need to investigate this phenomenon not only as a security issue, but also as a complex social, cultural, psychological, and gender-related phenomenon. The study analyzes both internal and external factors influencing the radicalization of women, including social marginalization, identity crises, emotional dependency, limited religious literacy, and perceptions of social injustice. Particular attention is given to …

Religion At The Bedside: Institutionalizing Medical Chaplaincy In Ukraine’S Secular Healthcare Space And Its Moral Tensions, Iryna Horokholinska

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The author conceptualizes medical chaplaincy in Ukraine as a phenomenon of significance for society and its value sphere. It is emerging at the intersection of the secular healthcare system, the social functionality of religion, wartime trauma, and the growing need for spiritual and existential care. The study demonstrates that, in the context of full-scale war, the social relevance of medical chaplaincy is not merely a pragmatic response to psychological and moral challenges, but also a systemic manifestation of the post-secular transformation of the public sphere characteristic of both Ukraine and the contemporary world.

The article further examines the legal and …

Islamic Identity In Post-Soviet Kazakhstan: Between Nation-Building And Global Religious Transformations, Ainur Adaikhan, Ainur Shormanova, Nurlan Orynbekov

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

This study examines the formation and expression of Islamic identity in Kazakhstan within the broader post-Soviet transformation of religion, nationhood, and state governance. Following decades of Soviet-imposed atheism, Islam re-emerged as a significant cultural and social force after independence in 1991. The objective of this research is to analyze how Islamic identity is constructed, expressed, and regulated in contemporary Kazakhstan, and to assess the interaction between ethnocultural belonging, institutional governance, and global religious influences. Methodologically, the study employs a mixed analytical approach combining theoretical interpretation, quantitative analysis of census and survey data, and institutional analysis of religious policy frameworks. Empirical …

Security Challenges For The Activities Of Religious Organizations During Russian-Ukrainian War, Iryna Kondratieva, Iryna Fenno

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

In the article authors identify the greatest security challenges for religious organizations of Ukraine during Russian-Ukrainian war. In conditions of martial law, external threats and risks associated with the existential dimension become particularly acute. In the context of armed conflict and military operations, issues of survival assume paramount importance. Religious communities, like all other civilian populations, incur substantial losses and are perpetually vulnerable during the active phase of armed conflict. Security challenges are defined by authors as the most significant factor in changes in religious life in Ukraine during martial law.  Among them authors examine in detail war crimes in …