Digital Commons Network^™

The Spiritual Prodigy, The Reluctant Guru, And The Saint: Mirabai And Collaborative Leadership At Hari Krishna Mandir, Nancy M. Martin

Religious Studies Faculty Articles and Research

This article explores the life and influence of Indira Devi Niloy (1920–1997) who in 1949 began to encounter the sixteenth-century saint–poet Mirabai during her meditative trance states. She would recount songs, stories, and teachings that the saint gave to her as well as scenes from Mirabai’s life that she witnessed as an observer and at other times experienced directly as a participant. Their ongoing relationship would have a tremendous influence on Indira Devi as well as her guru Dilip Kumar Roy (1897–1980) and the increasingly international community that grew up around them. Their interactions and Indira Devi’s reports in turn …

‘Making Of A Woman Minister’ Rev. Annis Ford Eastman And Elmira, New York, Mary Lemak

ALL - Honors Theses

This paper explores the life and career of one of the United States’ first female ministers, Rev. Annis Ford Eastman (1852-1910). Remembered today as being the author of Mark Twain’s eulogy and as the mother of American writer Max Eastman and co-author of the Equal Rights Amendment Crystal Eastman, the Reverend Eastman had a career that was exceptional in its own right. Reverend Eastman was ordained when it was practically unheard of for a woman to preach. Not only was she ordained but she was invited to speak at national conferences and was frequently published in religious and civic journals. …

The Blurry Line Between Corporation And Cult: A Retrospective Autoethnographic Study, Ernst Graamans

The Qualitative Report

In popular management literature corporations are sometimes loosely compared to cults. The comparison is a severe allegation as it implies the transgression of subordinate employees’ integrity. This paper explores to what extent such comparisons with cults are warranted as well as the implications this has for the practice of corporate culture management. On grounds of the author’s unique, first-hand experience in both corporate and cultic environments a retrospective autoethnographic (RAE) approach was chosen to further explore the supposed resemblance. The comparison is structured along Lifton’s eight criteria of thought reform and reveals that although akin to cults in all aspects …

“Drink The Kool-Aid, She Said ”: Female Villiany And Agency In Peoples Temple, Courtney Paige Smith

Theses and Dissertations

The responsibility for several hundred people drinking the Kool-Aid in Jonestown, Guyana, has typically been solely attributed to Jim Jones, the co-founder of the Peoples Temple movement. However, recent documentaries have shifted this representation to focus on all involved in the Peoples Temple. In this thesis, I use rhetorical analyses tactics through a critical feminist lens to examine the agency and villainy present in these mediated depictions of women in Peoples Temple. Mediated texts of the Peoples Temple included the 2018 Hulu documentary Jonestown: The Women Behind the Massacre, the 2018 AMC docuseries Jonestown: Terror in the Jungle, In Defense …

Montana Kaimin, February 15, 2024, Students Of The University Of Montana, Missoula

Montana Kaimin, 1898-present

Student newspaper of the University of Montana, Missoula.

Sects, Lies, And Videotape: Debunking Deadly Tropes About Jews And Israel In Tv, Film And Media, Dereck Daschke

Journal of Religion & Film

The "Beyond Film" panel, "Sects, Lies, and Videotape: Debunking deadly tropes about Jews and Israel in TV, film and media" occurred at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. This is a summary of the presentation.

Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story, Dereck Daschke

Journal of Religion & Film

This is a film review of Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story (2024), dir. Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui.

I Saw The Tv Glow, Dereck Daschke

Journal of Religion & Film

This is a film review of I Saw the TV Glow (2024), directed by Jane Schoenbrun.

The Synanon Fix, Dereck Daschke

Journal of Religion & Film

This is a film review of The Synanon Fix (2024), directed by Rory Kennedy.

The Moogai, Dereck Daschke

Journal of Religion & Film

This is a film review of The Moogai (2024), directed by John Bell.

Every Little Thing, Dereck Daschke

Journal of Religion & Film

This is a film review of Every LIttle Thing (2024), directed by Sally Aitken.

Leilani's Fortune, William L. Blizek, Monica Blizek

Journal of Religion & Film

This is a film review of Leilani's Fortune (2024), directed by Loveleen Kaur.

Realm Of Satan, Dereck Daschke

Journal of Religion & Film

This is a film review of Realm of Satan (2024), directed by Scott Cummings.

Between The Temples, Dereck Daschke

Journal of Religion & Film

This is a film review of Between the Temples (2024), directed by Nathan Silver.

Sasquatch Sunset, Dereck Daschke

Journal of Religion & Film

This is a film review of Sasquatch Sunset (2024), directed by David Zellner and Nathan Zellner.

Death, Dreaming, And Diaspora: Achieving Orientation Through Afro-Spirituality, Liz Johnston, Jaime Elizabeth Johnston

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Enslavement, colonization, and the systems that uphold racial injustice were and still are a series of new, unfathomable, and challenging experiences that prompt individuals within the diaspora to seek orientation. How does a human cope with centuries of attempts at the systematic destruction of their humanity, culture, and identity? How can they reclaim that identity, especially when so much of it seems lost? I address these questions by utilizing texts from the expansive body of work regarding ethnographic-historical-religious studies on Afro-spiritual practices to better analyze instances in literature in the ongoing practice of diasporic orientation. In this project, I argue …

Impact Of Globalisation On Religious Tourism: The Case Of Vrindavan, India, Charlie Gupta, Ridhu Dhan Gahalot

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

The term ‘religious tourism’ refers to travel that is primarily inspired by spiritual beliefs (Smith, 2012). It serves as one of humanity’s oldest religious practices as well as one of the earliest examples of tourism (Timothy, 2011). Due in the main to the numerous sacred places that are dispersed throughout its vast geographic area, India, which is known for its rich heritage and culture, has attracted attention from throughout the world (Eck, 2011; Singh, 2013). As a result, it has become a well-known location for religious tourism. During the past ten years, this specific type of tourism has seen a …

Review Of Know. Be. Live., Cory T. Branham

Liberty Theological Review

Born between 1995 – 2012, America’s young and emerging adults are known as “Generation Z.” As with nearly everything they are involved in, a shorter version of that label is available as simply Gen Z, or Gen Z’ers. Generally speaking, Gen Z’ers were raised by Millennials but have had life and social interactions going as far back as the Baby Boomer Generation (those born near the end of World War II and into the mid-sixties). In “Know. Be. Live.,” the combination of what has been handed down to them by previous generations, and the current state of cultural, …

One Relationship At A Time, Eric F. Spina

President's Blog: From the Heart

A small group of alumni, whose graduation years span more than half a century, have come together as volunteers to lead the We Soar campaign. Like the Marianists, they're fostering community one relationship at a time.

That's The Way Of The World: A Study Of Performance And Ritual Within The Peoples Temple And Jonestown, Julia Cole

Theses & ETDs

No abstract provided.

Phil 337-002: World Religions, Charles Brooks

Humanities Syllabi

No abstract provided.

New Forms Of Orientation For The Twenty-First Century African Quaker Movement, Robert J. Wafula

Quaker Religious Thought

Unlike in the United Kingdom and the United States, where Quakerism has been in existence since the seventeenth century, it has only been a presence on the African continent for 122 years, since 1902. The earliest missionaries, who were sent by the Friends Africa Board of Missions of the former Five Fears Meeting (now Friends United Meeting) in Richmond, Indiana, planted Quakerism in Africa on the evangelical platform. Forty years later other missionaries, principally drawn from England, came with a different tradition: unprogrammed Quakerism (or the “silent tradition,” as it is known by the African Quakers).

In this paper, reflecting …

Arianism Revised: The Re-Emergence Of An Infamous Heresy, Mia K. Hardy

The Kennesaw Journal of Undergraduate Research

Arian heresy, a Trinitarian heresy that suggests the members of the Trinity differ in essence, function, and rank, has existed in Christianity for centuries but hasn't often recaptured the mainstream discussion of orthodoxy. That is, until the 1970s. Since then, the available literature surrounding the subjects of complementarianism, eternal subordination, the Holy Trinity, and Arian philosophy has grown, and the overlap between these factors cumulated into what was arguably one of the most divisive theological debates within modern Evangelicalism. What factors contributed to the reemergence of this centuries-long debate in modern times? The overarching goal of this work is to …

‘Making Of A Woman Minister’ Rev. Annis Ford Eastman And Elmira, New York, Mary Lemak

History Honors Program

This paper explores the life and career of one of the United States’ first female ministers, Rev. Annis Ford Eastman (1852-1910). Remembered today as being the author of Mark Twain’s eulogy and as the mother of American writer Max Eastman and co-author of the Equal Rights Amendment Crystal Eastman, the Reverend Eastman had a career that was exceptional in its own right. Reverend Eastman was ordained when it was practically unheard of for a woman to preach. Not only was she ordained but she was invited to speak at national conferences and was frequently published in religious and civic journals. …

Discipleship For Today's Filipino: Ang Calling Ng Christian Para Sa Bayan, Rico Villanueva, Jayeel Cornelio

Development Studies Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

From The Pews To The Ballot Box: How Religion Shapes Voting Behavior In Ghana., Maxwell Afriyie Nimako

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation explores how religion shapes voting behavior in emerging democracies, focusing on the case of Ghana. Using the Afrobarometer survey, the first stage of the analysis shows that Pentecostals are not statistically different from Roman Catholics in terms of voting for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) presidential candidates in 2007-2008 and 2013-2014. However, in 2016-2017, Pentecostal voters seem to have behaved differently from Roman Catholic voters. The dissertation subsequently explores why this variation in voting patterns emerged. This dissertation argues that explicit religious appeals made by presidential candidates and explicit religious appeals made by Pentecostal leaders for presidential candidates …

The Literary Landscape For Twentieth-Century Spanish-Speaking Lds Poets, Gabriel González Núñez

Writing and Language Studies Faculty Publications

Spanish is the second-most spoken language among Latter-day Saints, but relatively little is known about Mormon literature in this language, either its current status or its history. This absence is evident in the key surveys on Mormon literature that have been carried out. For example, when Eugene England considered the prospects of Mormon literature in his landmark essay on its history and future, he looked ahead at a mostly US-centric and fully English-language literary horizon.¹ This makes sense in the context in which he was writing. In the English language, and in the United States in particular, Mormon literature …

New Church, New Leaders? : How Do We Select The People Who Plant New Churches In The Future?, David Richards

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

A Brief History Of The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints With Emphasis On The Charismatic Roots Of The Race-Based Priesthood Denial, Wayne A. Denton

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation provides an overview of the history of race relations and the evolution of authority in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS). It traces the early charismatic leadership of Joseph Smith and his liberal racial views, which increased tension between the LDS church and broader American society. After Smith's death, Brigham Young instituted racist policies like slavery in Utah and a priesthood ban for black members to reduce tensions. In the Progressive Era, LDS scholars theologically entrenched the priesthood ban despite their progressive leanings. A push towards correlation and centralized control of doctrine in the twentieth …

Exodus: The Cost Of Leaving High-Control Religion And Life After Breaking Free, Hannah-Kathryn Valles

Capstones

There are many names for those who leave their faith community—apostate, heretic, dissenter. While there is no singular path to parting with one’s religious beliefs, the experience can be fraught and intensely painful. For those in high-control religious environments, the price of leaving is even steeper.

When identity, social connections, finances, and family structures are dependent on conforming to strict religious and ideological norms, the decision to leave can have far-reaching consequences. For those who do make the bold decision to leave, it’s hardly the end of the road. In many ways, leaving is just the first step toward finding …