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Focus, 2025, Summer, 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.

Spectrum, Volume 55, Issue 7, Sacred Heart University

Newspapers (Obelisk & Spectrum)

Highlights include: New Scholarship to Support Engineering Students -- The Look of Sustainability -- Springing into Registration -- Effect of Social Media on Mental Health -- Say Yes to the Dress: SHU Students at NYCBFW -- Bovardi Breaks Record as Playoffs Near

Listening To Wrong Beliefs: Being A Virtuous Agent In Contexts Of Disparity, Madison K. Mendiola

PANDION: The Osprey Journal of Research and Ideas

Using the concept of intellectual humility (IH) described by Whitcomb et al. (2021) and their application of IH in contexts of disparity, I will be furthering the discussion of the importance of IH when engaging with the other side. Although there are intellectual harms associated with being too open-minded, and moral concerns about being a listener to harmful ideas, I argue that epistemic agents risk committing an intellectual error when they don’t try to understand the beliefs of the in-the-wrong party. Even in contexts of disparity, you should be able to understand the other party’s belief-forming methodologies, which is compatible …

“A Place, A Spirit, A Ministry”: The Persistence Of Koinonia Farm In The Post-Jordan Years, Ryan Geockner

Communal Societies

No abstract provided.

The Horror And The Passion: The Christian/Secular Paradigm In The Twentieth-Century Southern Gothic, Matthew Ryan Pike

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

The goal of this dissertation is to provide a foundational definition of the southern gothic literary genre. In this analysis, I argue that the core of the southern gothic is a Christian/secular paradigm and that all of the conflict within these narratives is principally grounded in this dichotomy. Not only does this framework provide the best interpretive lens to understand the genre, but it ameliorates the cloud of confusion in the critical scholarship, wherein a wide and fluid array of propositions are advanced on what essentially comprises the southern gothic. I execute this via an interdisciplinary strategy, adopting scholarship and …

Welcome Home, Father Jim, Eric F. Spina

President's Blog: From the Heart

What kind of life is worth living? For more than eight decades, Father Jim Heft, S.M., has wrestled with that question, even as he's lived what I and many others would portray as a life chock-full of meaning.

Ud In The News Oct. 18-24, University Of Dayton

News Releases

Dayton media featured UD’s Roger Brown Residency, business students helping build a Habitat home, 175th anniversary exhibits, student entrepreneurs and a new 5G training lab, while national and international outlets tapped UD expertise and research.

Chimes: October 27, 2025, Calvin University

Chimes

Calvin's strategic planning process by Ashley Hamons

Public Health and Recreational Therapy programs phase out by Sarah Sparling

John Calvin's use of deception:A look at the French Reformation by McKenna Wilkinson

Men's soccer navigating roller coaster stretch, has eyes on MIAA tournament by Zach Kern & Hendrik Beelen

The hidden beauty of Calvin's organs by Ella Vanden Berg

Why 'religion'? A history of the department's name by Joe Toly

Pattern Of Community Economic Empowerment In Slump Area In Mojo Village, Surakarta City, Bambang Pujantiyo

Jurnal Ekonomi dan Studi Pembangunan

This study analyzes the impact and patterns of community economic empowerment in Mojo, Surakarta, within the triple helix framework (academia, business, government). Using secondary data, field observation, document review, interviews, and focus group discussions with stakeholders and residents, the research explores changes in household income and the role of intermediators after the slum upgrading program. Findings show that social and physical capital are relatively strong, while human and financial capital remain weak due to limited education and restricted access to credit. Household income tends to improve after upgrading, with small entrepreneurs earning more than laborers. Intermediators are crucial: serve as …

Immigrant Catholics’ Perspectives And Engagement On Climate Crisis, Tison Vadakkekudiyil Thomas

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In this generic qualitative study, how immigrant Catholics in the United States make sense of climate change and environmental justice was examined, addressing a critical gap in understanding how faith and cultural identity shape environmental engagement among marginalized communities. Guided by sensemaking theory and the Catholic principle of integral ecology, as outlined in Pope Francis’s Laudato Si’, the research question addressed how church-going immigrant Catholics in Maryland perceive and engage with the climate crisis, considering their religious beliefs and concerns for environmental justice. Seventeen first-and second-generation adult immigrants participated in semistructured interviews, and data were analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s …

U.S. Catholic Special Collection Joins The Marian Library, Stephanie Shreffler

Marian Library Blog Archive

Supporting mission-critical research into Catholic social teaching and the Catholic intellectual tradition, the USCSC is entering into a new era of growth and outreach.

Introduction And Table Of Contents, Samuel Fox

Political Analysis

No abstract provided.

J Am Coll Dent 2019 86 4

Journal of the American College of Dentists

The Journal of the American College of Dentists (JACD) publishes scholarly articles, editorials, essays, and reflections addressing the ethical, professional, and social dimensions of dentistry. The Journal serves as a forum for advancing ethics, professionalism, leadership, and excellence within the dental community. By fostering dialogue across disciplines and perspectives, JACD provides readers with insights that encourage ethical, professional practice, lifelong learning, and service to the public, reinforcing dentistry’s commitment to advancing oral healthcare and the common good.

Billiken As Transcultural Object From American Mascot To Japanese Pop Deity, M.W. Shores

Asia Pacific Perspectives

This article examines Billiken’s transcultural journey from American novelty mascot (1908) to cultural icon, illuminating early twentieth-century Pacific exchange networks and patterns of cultural adaptation. Drawing on American and Japanese archives, it demonstrates how this commercial figure, born from Progressive Era optimism and incorporating Japanese (and Orientalist) design elements, was transformed within Japanese religious and cultural frameworks. The study analyzes Billiken’s metamorphosis from “good luck” commodity to quasi-religious icon, particularly in Osaka’s Shinsekai district, where strategic marketing drove his its late twentieth-century revival after decades of obscurity. While largely forgotten in America and elsewhere, Billiken’s endurance in Osaka challenges narratives …

Update: Cardinal Francis Leo’S Visit Canceled, Ud Extends Sympathy On Father’S Passing; Imri/Ipi Anniversary Events To Be Adjusted, University Of Dayton

News Releases

The University of Dayton regretfully announces Cardinal Francis Leo cannot be with us on campus Tuesday, Oct. 14, to mark the International Marian Research Institute (IMRI) and the Institute for Pastoral Initiatives (IPI) anniversaries. Cardinal Leo, a two-time UD graduate, canceled his visit because of the passing of his father. The University extends its deepest sympathy to Cardinal Leo and his family during this difficult time and holds them in its prayers.

Timbre — A Transcendent Paradox?, Eugenia Siegel Conte

Yale Journal of Music & Religion

Timbre, as ethnomusicologist Cornelia Fales writes, is “paradoxical” precisely because it is one of the most exacting processes in which the human body may sense and comprehend the source of a sound even as that comprehended sound is impossible to describe outside of metaphor or comparison. As one of the more recognizable qualities of sound but the most difficult to describe, timbre allows us to consider physical/emotional (affective) experiences of sound as a key aspect of faith and meditation. In this article, I examine physical-affective intersections of faith and meditation that often are key to praxes of worship, and show …

Live Wires: The Angelus Temple And The Timbre Of Power, Catherine Provenzano

Yale Journal of Music & Religion

This article is a media history and contemporary case study of The Angelus Temple in Los Angeles, founded by Aimee Semple McPherson in 1923. My analysis of the Angelus insists upon the centrality of a hyperaudible paradigm of worship that uses media to maximize the legibility of a Christian message, and, more than this, imagines that media itself as a living soul in need of redemption. Many contemporary megachurches employ savvy applications of sound and sound transmission as instruments of belonging as well as action, and these rely on high-budget investments in church infrastructure, software and personnel. I argue that …

Introduction: The Power Of Timbre In Religion, Bo Kyung Blenda Im, Nathan Myrick

Yale Journal of Music & Religion

How might attending to timbre shift the boundaries of the experiences and practices that come under the analytical purview of religion? What timbral qualities render prayer efficacious and invite divine encounter? What cosmological claims and social relations are forwarded through sounds invoked in religious rituals and gatherings? How do marginalized voices and instruments shape worshipping communities? On the other hand, how are dominant identities and attendant structures reified through religiously marked timbre? Such questions about the character of sounds and their implications for religion animate this issue of the Yale Journal of Music & Religion.

2025 October 10 - State Of The University Address, Office Of The President, East Tennessee State University

Office of the President Speeches

No abstract provided.

Holy Cross Magazine, Vol. 59, No. 3, Fall 2025, College Of The Holy Cross

Holy Cross Magazine

Frank Kartheiser ’72 is Comfortable With Your Discomfort
The community organizer and co-founder of the Mustard Seed soup kitchen and food pantry has been feeding the poor and clothing the hungry of Worcester for more than 50 years. His greatest dream is that it closes, yet the need continues to grow.
Story by Marybeth Reilly-McGreen ’89
Photography by Caroline Axvig

The Catholic Church’s Best Kept Secret
Rooted in Scripture and the Church's understanding of human dignity, Catholic Social Teaching helps people live out their faith in the world.
Story by Marybeth Reilly-McGreen ’89
Photography by Michael Ivins

Working to Get …

Contributors

Jewish Folklore and Ethnology

Contributors to Volume 4.

Spartan Daily, October 8, 2025, San Jose State University, School Of Journalism And Mass Communications

Spartan Daily, 2025

Volume 165, Issue 20

Review Of Waco, Cheryl Coulthard

Communal Societies

No abstract provided.

Program Review Report 10-7-25, Angela Brock

Program Review Committee

No abstract provided.

Ucc Minutes 10-7-25, Angela Brock

UCC Agendas/Minutes

No abstract provided.

Review Of Shaker Visions Of The Divine: Essays On Their Sacred Art And Scripture, Carol Medlicott

Communal Societies

No abstract provided.

Rural Community Pilgrimage Tradition To Sacred Graves In Tasikmalaya, West Java, Indonesia: Between Motivation And Social Identity, Ute Lies Siti Khadijah, Yunus Winoto, Rully Khairul Anwar, Shamila Mohamed Shuhidan Dr., Falih Ijlal Septian

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

This research explores the pilgrimage tradition of a women’s group in rural areas of Tasikmalaya, West Java. It reveals the phenomenon of pilgrimage activities in the women’s group grounded in social identity theory and their motivation to visit the sacred graves. The study employed a descriptive quantitative approach. It involved a group of women who regularly recite the Holy Quran together and study Islam with a preacher called ustadz or kyai with a sample size of 79 people. Data were collected through questionnaires, interviews, observation, and documentation studies. The collected data were analysed through quantitative data presentation in diagrams and …

From Meditation To Magic: The Spectrum Of Buddhist Tourism In Thailand, Brooke Schedneck

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Buddhism can conjure distinctive ideas and images for different groups of people, especially travelers to a Buddhist majority country like Thailand. Discussing three different modes of Buddhist tourism— meditation, magic, and mega statues— this article illuminates the varieties of Buddhist tourism in contemporary Thailand. While foreign visitors from Western countries are assumed by Thai Buddhist practitioners to favor engagement with Buddhism related to meditation, Chinese and Thai Buddhists are seen to appreciate Buddhism for its magical protective powers. Chinese tourists in particular are now being targeted to purchase products and experiences related to mutelu, which is a term for objects …

Sinners, John C. Lyden

Journal of Religion & Film

This is a film review of Sinners (2025), directed by Ryan Coogler.

Iranian Culture In Bahram Beyzaie’S Cinema And Theatre: Paradigms Of Being And Belonging (1959-79), Hessam Abedini

Journal of Religion & Film

This is a book review of Saeed Talajooy, Iranian Culture in Bahram Beyzaie’s Cinema and Theatre: Paradigms of Being and Belonging (1959-79) (London: I.B. Tauris, 2023)