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Imam, Shah, And Ayatollah: Charismatic Leadership In The Shi'i Tradition, And Its Role In Iran's Shi'ite Revolutions, Jonathon Case Henderson

Master of Humanities Capstone Projects

This thesis examines the role of charismatic religious leadership in Iran’s two Shi’ite revolutions. Included within the larger arguments of this work, are sections addressing the scholastic categorizations of charisma, the development of the Shi’i Islamic tradition, and they way in which the charisma of the was appropriated by later Shi’i figures to bring about social, political, and religious revolutions in Iran. For this work, Shah Isma’il ibn Haydar and Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini serve as examples of charismatic Shi’i figures that drew upon the suspended charisma of the Shi’i Imams. This work also briefly comments on events in contemporary Iran …

Genocidal Intentions: Social Death And The Ex-Gay Movement, Sue E. Spivey, Christine M. Robinson

Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal

In this article, the authors contribute to the literature on predicting and prevent- ing genocide in an international context, focusing on social death practices elabo- rated in articles II(b)–(e) of the 1948 United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (UNCG). Analyzing ex-gay movement texts, the authors apply James Waller’s theoretical framework, which explains how ordinary people commit extraordinary acts of brutality, to the rhetoric and public policy advocacy of prominent ex-gay movement organizations and entre- preneurs. Further, they examine the extent to which this new religious movement promotes public policies in the United States …

Author Biographies

Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal

No abstract provided.

A View From The Inside: James Cameron’S Avatar, Michael W. Mcgowan

Journal of Religion & Film

This is a review of Avatar (2009).

5th Annual Research In The Capitol [Program], March 25, 2010, University Of Northern Iowa. University Honors Program., Iowa State University. Honors Program., University Of Iowa. Honors Program.

Research in the Capitol Programs

Program of research presentations given at the Capitol by students from the University of Northern Iowa, Iowa State University, and the University of Iowa.

Amma's Daughters: A Transmodern Study Of Personal, Gender, Cultural, And Religious Identities Amongst Women In The Amma Community In United States, Bhavana Upadhyaya

Communication ETDs

Using a transmodern philosophical approach, this study illustrates the different ways in which women devotees and participants in the Amma Community in United States experience processes of personal and social identification and disidentification as they strive to follow a spiritual path. The study uses the framework of spirituality, which is defined as the journey of disidentification from personal and social identities to the state of connectedness, to highlight how spirituality works in particular and contextual ways amongst Amma's daughters in the community to enable alternative transmodern articulations of self and difference. The study focuses on four areas--personal, gender, cultural, and …

Characteristics Of Development Of Inter-Confessional Relations In Ukraine, Maksym Vasin

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

To research the dynamics of inter-confessional relations in Ukraine observers increasingly scrutinize the situation with the help of certain classifications. Since this sphere is too delicate and sensitive it does not allow for equivalent deductions, but only to trace tendencies. In this material we glance at the development of the inter-confessional dialogue in the format of consultative advisory organs at the Ukrainian level, collaboration with the churches and religious organizations in the limits of civil councils and commissions at the central organs of executive government, and separate significant events at the central and regional levels.

The Pursuit Of Tangible Happiness: Religion And Politics In A Japanese New, New Religion, James Mark Shields

Faculty Journal Articles

The decline of traditional religions in Japan in the past century, and especially since the end of World War Two, has led to an explosion of so-called “new religions” (shin shūkyō 新宗教), many of which have made forays into the political realm. The best known—and most controversial—example of a “political” new religion is Sōka Gakkai 創価学会, a lay Buddhist movement originally associated with the Nichiren sect that in the 1960s gave birth to a new political party, Komeitō 公明党 (lit., Clean Government Party), which in the past several decades has emerged as the third most popular party in Japan (as …

Review: Becoming Modern Women: Love & Female Identity In Prewar Japanese Literature & Culture By Michiko Suzuki, Susanna Fessler Phd

East Asian Studies Faculty Scholarship

Review of the book "Becoming Modern Women: Love & Female Identity in Prewar Japanese Literature & Culture" by M. Suzuki

Race Treason: The Untold Story Of America's Ban On Polygamy, Martha M. Ertman

Faculty Scholarship

Legal doctrines banning polygamy grew out of nineteenth century Americans’ view that Mormons betrayed the nation by engaging in conduct associated with people of color. This article reveals the racial underpinnings of polygamy law by examining cartoons and other antipolygamy rhetoric of the time to demonstrate Sir Henry Maine’s famous observation that the move in progressive societies is “from status to contract.” It frames antipolygamists’ contentions as a visceral defense of racial and sexual status in the face of encroaching contractual thinking. Polygamy, they reasoned, was “natural” for people of color but so “unnatural” for whites as to produce a …

Towards An African Inculturation Biblical Pneumatology: A Response To The Rise Of Neo-Pentecostalism In Tanzanian Christianity, Faith Lugazia

Doctor of Philosophy Theses

In this dissertation, 1 seek to lay the groundwork for developing an African inculturation of biblical pneumatology relevant to the Tanzanian context. The Neo- Pentecostal phenomenon is a strong reality in Tanzania today. Neo-Pentecostal churches and groups are mushrooming, emphasizing the work of the Holy Spirit and drawing on the heritage of African spirituality and worldview. Many mainline Protestants, including Lutherans, participate and worship in these churches and groups, yet they maintain their formal membership in their mother churches. This could be due, in part, to the fact that Lutheran theology and teaching in Tanzania has tended to pay little …

Science Replacing Supernatural: The Raëlian Movement And Their Reinterpretation Of The Judeo-Christian Bible, Claire S. Gould

Religious Studies Honors Papers

No abstract provided.

Editorial: No Religious Preference, Terry C. Muck

The Asbury Journal

No abstract provided.

Explore, Spring 2010, Vol. 13, No. 2: Why Pray?, Ignatian Center For Jesuit Education

explore

Contents: Prayer and the New Atheism; The Public Prayer Life of a Religion Enthusiast; Why I Pray; Bannan Grant Report: A Seat at the Table - Conversations on Clare of Assisi; The Cup

David Gress: From Plato To Nato Study Guide, Steven Alan Samson

Faculty Publications and Presentations

Besides being an essay on the concept of the West and the teaching of western civilization, this is a critique of what M. Stanton Evans called “the liberal history lesson” and what David Gress calls “the Grand Narrative.” The ironic title of the book (see page 1) may refer to a 1984 BBC radio series, later published as From Plato to NATO: Studies on Political Thought (1995), by the late British journalist and BBC announcer Brian Redhead. In preparing this study, Dr. Gress acknowledges the influence of Ernest Gellner’s The Conditions of Liberty, Paul Rahe’s Republics Ancient and Modern, and …

Journal In Entirety

The Asbury Journal

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Editorial
Terry C. Muck

Justification by the Faithfulness of Jesus Christ
Chad Harrington

From "Cults" to Cultures: Bridges as a Case Study in a New Evangelical Paradigm on New Religions
John W Morehead

The Most Indispensable Habits of Effective Theological Educators: Recalibrating Educational Philosophy, Psychology, and Practice
Mark A. Lamport

Bridging the Gap: Understanding Knowledge of God in Gregory of Nyssa'sCommentary on the Song of Songs
Nathan Crawford

John Wesley's Question: "How Is Your Doing?"
David Werner

Book Notes
Kenneth Collins

Review Essay
Kenneth M. Loyer

Book Reviews
Michael Matlock and Bradley Johnson
Charles Meeks
Amos …

A Crisis Of Consciousness Volkisch Occultism In Austria And Germany, 1890-1933, Shanna Turner

Theses & ETDs

The nineteenth century saw an occult revival throughout the Western world, but this occult revival impacted Germany uniquely. In the rest of Europe interest in the occult was a fad that died out within a few short years. This was not the case in the German-speaking world, where the social, political and economic atmosphere created conditions particularly well suited to fostering the occult. This thesis analyzes the unique conditions in nineteenth century Austria and Germany that resulted in the v�lkisch occult movement and the writers and thinkers who created the ideologies of the movement. One cannot address German occultism without, …

Introduction To America's Four Gods: What We Say About God And What That Says About Us, Paul Froese, Christoper Bader

Sociology Faculty Books and Book Chapters

Despite all the hype surrounding the "New Atheism," the United States remains one of the most religious nations on Earth. In fact, 95% of Americans believe in God--a level of agreement rarely seen in American life. The greatest divisions in America are not between atheists and believers, or even between people of different faiths. What divides us, this groundbreaking book shows, is how we conceive of God and the role He plays in our daily lives.

America's Four Gods draws on the most wide-ranging, comprehensive, and illuminating survey of American's religious beliefs ever conducted to offer a systematic exploration of …

The Religious Divide: Why Religion Seems To Be Thriving In The United States And Waning In Europe, Steven Pfaff

Sociology Faculty Books and Book Chapters

"In the decades following the Second World War, most social scientists expected convergence among the Western industrial democracies. Modernization was expected to bring prosperity and opportunity, initiating a “culture shift” to posttraditional values and lifestyles.

However, in recent years observers have remarked on a growing divide between Europeans and Americans. This divergence may be nowhere greater than in the religious sphere. While faith is loudly proclaimed and a bustling diversity of religious organizations jostles for attention in all arenas of public life in the United States, the European Union (EU) is described as thoroughly secularized, comprised of societies in which …

Deradicalization: A Review Of The Literature With Comparison To Findings In The Literatures On Deganging And Deprogramming, Madeline Morris, Frances Eberhard, Jessica Rivera, Michael Watsula

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Consciousness And Society: Societal Aspects And Implications Of Transpersonal Psychology, Harry T. Hunt

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

Although transpersonal psychologies of self realization emphasize individual

development, earlier shamanic traditions also showed a central societal aspect and group based

consciousness. Indeed, many have understood the transpersonal movement as developing

towards an abstract globalized neo-shamanism. That altered states of consciousness, whether

as integrative realizations of the numinous or as dissociative “hypnoid” states, could be felt

and shared collectively was a familiar concept to the first generation of sociologists, who saw

all consciousness as social and dialogic in form. Durkheim, in particular, foresaw a globalized

spirituality of the future, his “cult of man,” in which modern individuation would progress

to …

Beyond Belief: Japanese Approaches To The Meaning Of Religion, James Mark Shields

Faculty Journal Articles

For several centuries, Japanese scholars have argued that their nation’s culture—including its language, religion and ways of thinking—is somehow unique. The darker side of this rhetoric, sometimes known by the English term “Japanism” (nihon-jinron), played no small role in the nationalist fervor of the late-nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. While much of the so-called “ideology of Japanese uniqueness” can be dismissed, in terms of the Japanese approach to “religion,” there may be something to it. This paper highlights some distinctive—if not entirely unique—features of the way religion has been categorized and understood in Japanese tradition, contrasting these with Western (i.e., …

Citizenship Privilege Or The Right To Religious Freedom: The Blackmailing Of France's Islamic Women, Yael Barbibay

Cardozo Journal of International and Comparative Law

The note examines the tension between France's commitment to laïcité and the rights of Islamic immigrants, particularly women, to religious freedom and cultural identity. It critiques the denial of citizenship to Faiza Mabchour, arguing that such decisions reflect a broader effort to suppress Islamic practices and undermine pluralism. The analysis contends that France's rigid application of laïcité violates international human rights norms, particularly the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). The article advocates for a more inclusive approach to citizenship that balances secularism with religious freedom and cultural diversity.

From "Cults" To Cultures: Bridges As A Case Study In A New Evangelical Paradigm On New Religions, John W. Morehead

The Asbury Journal

The increased awareness of the new religions with the counterculture of the 1960s saw various responses, including a "counter-cult" approach by evangelicals. The counter-cult approach has tended to view new religions as "cults" and to respond to them as heretical systems of belief in need of refutation by doctrinal and apologetic arguments. Over the last decade or so a new evangelical paradigm has emerged based in missiology which, while recognizing theological disagreements that the new religions have with Christianity, approaches new religions as religious cultures rather than as cults. Various resources have been produced as a result of the new …

Book Reviews, Frances Adeney, Gwinyai Muzorewa, Laurence W. Wood

The Asbury Journal

Ogbu U. Kalu, ed., Alaine Low, Associate ed.

Interpreting Contemporary Christianity: Global Processes and Local Identities

2008, Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company

Reviewed by Frances Adeney

Afe Adogame, Roswith Gerloff and Klaus Hock, eds.

Christianity in Africa and the Africa Diaspora: the Appropriation of a Scattered Heritage

2008. London: Continuum International Publishing Group

Reviewed by Guinyai Muzorewa

Jehu J. Hanciles

Beyond Christendom: Globalization, African Migration, and the Transformation of the West

2008. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books

Reviewed by Guinyai Muzorewa

Thomas Jay Oord, ed.

Divine Grace and Emerging Creation, Wesleyan Forays in Science and Theology of Creation …

Jewish Teenagers’ Syncretism, Philip Schwadel

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

With the rapid rise of Jewish interfaith marriage and the migration of Jews away from traditional Jewish neighborhoods, many Jewish teenagers in the U.S. have little interaction with other Jews and little exposure to the Jewish religion. Here I use National Study of Youth and Religion survey data to examine Jewish teenagers’ syncretism or acceptance of different religious forms. The results show that Jewish teens are more syncretic than other teens, and that variations in religious activity, an emphasis on personal religiosity, and living in an interfaith home explain some of the difference in syncretism between Jewish and non-Jewish teens. …

Laïcité In France - Contemporary Issues Panel Discussion, Nathalie Caron, Blandine Chelini- Pont, Rosemary C. Salomone, Emmanuel Tawil

Journal of Catholic Legal Studies

No abstract provided.

The Cohesive Role Of Music, Dance And Traditional Artifacts In African Independent Churches In Western Kenya, Susan M. Kilonzo

Reconstruction: Studies in Contemporary Culture

The Kenyan society has since 1970’s been characterized by a wave of religious renewal, in which African Independent churches (AICs) sprouted up in response to people’s quest for a renewed tradition of African Culture. These movements endeavor to fulfill the people’s socio-cultural needs that are thought to have deteriorated with the advent of colonization and European Christianity. The paper subsequently examines how music, dance, and traditional artifacts used by AICs in Western Kenya have enhanced unity among the adherents in these churches. The paper also discusses how these churches, through music, dance and other artifacts survive amidst the quest for …

Teaching With Spirit: Freire, Dialogue, And Spirituality In The Composition Classroom, Justin Vidovic

Wayne State University Dissertations

This ethnographic study examines the role of spirituality in the composition teaching process and in Paolo Freire's dialogic education specifically. Work to acquire some aspects of spiritual "Discourse," as the term is defined by James Gee, is needed in order to make this spiritual foundation visible and practicable. Through a series of ethnographic narratives of a classroom, this study demonstrates the necessity of spiritual work on the part of the teacher to develop the mind frame and skill set necessary for dialogic pedagogy. A series of workshop activities based on Freire's spiritual prerequisites for dialogic education are proposed.

Imam, Shah, And Ayatollah: Charismatic Leadership In The Shi'i Tradition, And Its Role In Iran's Shi'ite Revolutions, Jonathon Case Henderson

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the role of charismatic religious leadership in Iran's two Shi'ite revolutions. Included within the larger arguments of this work, are sections addressing the scholastic categorizations of charisma, the development of the Shi'i Islamic tradition, and they way in which the charisma of the was appropriated by later Shi'i figures to bring about social, political, and religious revolutions in Iran. For this work, Shah Isma'il ibn Haydar and Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini serve as examples of charismatic Shi'i figures that drew upon the suspended charisma of the Shi'i Imams. This work also briefly comments on events in contemporary Iran …