Digital Commons Network^™

Women’S Evolving Roles: Gender, Authority, And The History Of Latter-Day Saint Patriarchy, Zachary Brady

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

This project aims to further understand contemporary women’s issues within the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by answering three questions. 1) What social and doctrinal factors have influenced the development of patriarchal structures within the LDS Church, and how have these factors evolved? 2) What are the current leadership and decision-making roles available to LDS women, and how does church membership feel about them? 3) What ideas exist for progress in gender equality and women’s leadership? This discussion provides relevant historical context, outlines current issues regarding LDS women’s authority challenges and theological interpretations, and numerous proposed solutions from …

A Bert-Resnet Cross-Attention Fusion Network And Modality Utilization Assessment For Multimodal Sentiment Classification, Ronen G. Gold

Theses

This study explores the growing field of Multimodal Sentiment Analysis (MSA), focusing on understanding how advanced fusion techniques can improve sentiment prediction in social media contexts. As platforms like X and TikTok continue to expand and facilitate sharing sentiment through digital media, there is an increasing need for neural network architectures that can accurately interpret sentiment across modalities. We implement a model using BERT for textual features and ResNet for visual features. A cross-attention fusion module aligns the modalities for joint representation. We conduct experiments on the MVSA-Single and MVSA-Multiple datasets, which contain over 5,000 and 17,000 labeled text-image pairs. …

Ua12/2/2 Talisman: Connection, Wku Student Affairs

WKU Administration Documents

Spring 2025 Talisman:

• Alali, Cecilia & Ragan Harrington. Connection
• Hardesty, Emma. On a Roll – Dungeons & Dragons
• Muscutt, Carson. Grinding Through Life – Molotov Skateshop
• Cox, Kate. Stopwatch
• Harrington, Ragan. 1 Campus, 7 Strangers – Logan Hesse, Nicholas Basile, Spencer Winterbottom, Alliyah Jones, Alex Gehring, Annie McClurg, Rowan Finley
• Vickers, Abigail. Forged in Combat – Mixed Martial Arts
• Wood-Morris, Oli. Survivors to Neighbors – Bosnian Refugees
• Jordan, Shylin. Severed Roots
• Bivens, Emily. Behind the Screen – Social Media
• Dean, Clarissa. Shear Talent – Shake Rag Barbershop
• Sutton, Avery. For the Love of the Old – Thrift Shopping
• Phelps, Maggie. …

The Lumberjack, April 30, 2025

Cal Poly Humboldt's Student Newspaper

The student newspaper of Humboldt State University.

The Gilded Approach: A Critique Of Constitutional Originalism, Banks T. Eidson

Honors College Theses

The method from which we approach Constitutional interpretation would obviously hold a great deal of significance in our government structure, yet the modern judiciary is plagued by a constant debate between Living Constitutionalism and Originalism. The latter of these ideas has become rather prominent amongst the justices, with six of the nine current Supreme Court justices being self-proclaimed practitioners of originalism. An idea which portrays itself as the only logical way to approach a Constitution, this thesis seeks to prove that despite its popularity, originalism is little more than a tool to expand conservative policies within the courts in precisely …

"Talaqqi" In The Age Of Bureaucracy; Symbiosis Of Pedagogical Cultures In West Javanese "Pesantren", Julian Millie

Wacana, Journal of the Humanities of Indonesia

Since Indonesian independence, the Republic’s Ministry of Religion has steadily become more deeply involved in the overseeing and monitoring of the country’s internally diverse system of Islamic education. This involvement has changed the pedagogical texture of Islamic education. The bureaucratized education system of the modern nation state aims to achieve policy goals such as quality at scale, equality of access, and standardization of curricula and teacher qualifications. In contrast, many Islamic institutions, and especially the pesantren (Islamic boarding school), structure their pedagogy around spiritual and genealogical hierarchies, and maintain teaching methods that affirm those hierarchies. This research asks about the …

2025-04-30 “Moral Leader Of The World” Pope Francis Leaves Behind Legacy Of Compassion, Milan Damjanac

The Spectator Online

No abstract provided.

Students In The Gardner-Webb University College Of Arts And Sciences Recognized In Awards Ceremony, Office Of University Communications

Gardner-Webb NewsCenter Archive

Faculty in the College of Arts and Sciences recently presented awards to students in recognition of their hard work, dedication and excellence.

Cuju: The Ancient Chinese Game That Held An Empire Together, Enzo H. Smith

Young Historians Conference

This paper explores how cuju, an ancient sport known as the predecessor of modern football, evolved from the Han to Song dynasties (206 BCE–1368 CE) as a unifying force in imperial China. Calling upon primary sources such as ancient cuju manuals and various art pieces suggests this sport's importance went beyond a leisurely practice. Using academic journals about Chinese history and the development of cuju from different academic fields and, most notably, the FIFA museum’s online exhibit of cuju, the reason cuju had such a strong place of value in Chinese society was apparent. Beginning as a combat exercise in …

Entheogens: The Hallucinogenic Plants That Shaped Religion, Nicolas A. Michaud

Young Historians Conference

Entheogens have played a pivotal role in religious and spiritual practices across diverse cultures, aiding in the pursuit of divine connection and higher consciousness. Evidence suggests that dating as far as back as a million years ago, early human species such as Homo erectus and Homo habilis experimented with hallucinogenic plants like psilocybin mushrooms, introducing the earliest forms of shamanic practices. As societies became more structured, the use of entheogens expanded throughout various parts of society. In ancient Greece, oracles utilized plants like henbane to communicate with the divine, molding military and political policy. During the Middle Ages, Tibetan Buddhism …

The Compass, Issue 12

The Compass

No abstract provided.

Our Lady Of The Chickens, Vincent Lobiondo

Marian Library Blog Archive

A 20th-century artist sought to inspire devotion by depicting the Blessed Mother in ordinary life—in this case, feeding a brood of chickens.

Yoder In Brooklyn? Rapidly Expanding Free Exercise Jurisprudence, New York State School Regulations, And Hasidic Yeshivas, Jonathan Acampora

Seton Hall Law Review

No abstract provided.

Embodied Self-Remembering; Toward A Personal Movement Philosophy, Nicholas Greenlund

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

The possibility examined in this project is the expansion of human consciousness through Inner work. This “Inner work” integrates the insights of Buddhist psychology, Integral psychology, Enneagram philosophy, and Somatic practices for the expansion of conscious potential in and through the cultivation of compassionate understanding. By observing and identifying the conditions that reinforce a reactive state of being, a choice emerges to remain or grow a capacity of responsiveness. This process is through the body’s sensory presence, the heart’s courage to love, and the mind’s construction of Self. The subjective exploration of the interconnected body-mind integrates the complex study of …

An Interdisciplinary Approach To The Investigation Of Consciousness, James Guy Lundie

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Questions of phenomenal consciousness have troubled intellectuals for millennia. Theologians, philosophers, and scientists continue to grapple with the problem of how our minds interact with our brains and bodies. From Anaxagoras and Aristotle, Augustine and Aquinas, Nagel and Goff, and Koch and Hameroff, the brightest among us have been unable to solve the riddle of how we are conscious, unique, self-aware thinking beings. Uniting our efforts by considering the reasoning of interdisciplinary scholars and integrating the thoughts of others with our own can only enhance our chances of success. This paper offers a pathway toward a multidisciplinary theory of consciousness …

Reinterpreting Catuṣkoṭi In Contemporary Philosophy: Tensions Between Non-Classical Logic And East Asian Buddhist Soteriology, Ronald S. Green

Philosophy and Religious Studies

This study aims to evaluate the reinterpretation of the concept of catuṣkoṭi (tetralemma) in contemporary philosophy, particularly within the discourse of non-classical logic, and to compare it with traditional interpretations found in East Asian Buddhism. The research addresses the tension between modern logical approaches—such as those proposing the addition of a fifth truth value (ineffability)—and soteriological frameworks within traditions like Mādhyamaka, which emphasise the function of liberating individuals from conceptual entanglements. This study employs qualitative methods, incorporating hermeneutic and comparative approaches, along with close textual analysis of classical primary sources, including the Mūlamadhyamakakārikā, and the works of East Asian Buddhist …

Rituals In The Rubble: Early Christian Meeting Spaces And Worship Practices, Katie Harkness

Religious Studies Student Scholarship

No abstract provided.

In Memoriam: Conrad L’Heureux, Professor Emeritus Of Religious Studies, Dave Larsen

College of Arts and Sciences Newsroom

Known for his innovative teaching techniques, Conrad L'Heureux taught religious studies for more than 30 years.

2025 Otterbein University Honors Convocation Program, Otterbein University

Honors Convocation

No abstract provided.

Papal Experts In The News April 21–25, University Of Dayton

News Releases

News outlets nationwide — including NBC, Fox News, NewsNation, Univision and The Wall Street Journal — frequently have sought University of Dayton faculty expertise on the legacy of Pope Francis and what's next for the Catholic Church.

Original Sin Or The Lack Thereof Rousseau’S Philosophical Anthropology, Jane V. Carney

Honors Theses

Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s philosophical anthropology finds its roots in deeply theological territory. At the heart of his philosophy is the belief that man is essentially good but becomes corrupted by the influences of society. His strong belief in the innate goodness of humanity therefore led him to question Christian doctrines that appear to contradict that natural goodness. This then led him to object to the doctrine of original sin. Rousseau’s interpretation of original sin, and his subsequent rejection of it, shaped his broader political and philosophical thought, and is thus a vital piece of understanding Rousseau’s broader normative theory. Because he …

Recovering The Lost Art Of Medicine: A Role For Ignatian Spirituality, Cecilia Motherway

College Honors Program

Throughout history, medicine or healing has been deeply associated with religion and spirituality, from the ancient Greek healing god Asclepius to the medieval monastic medical tradition and beyond. This lies in their common cause: addressing the vulnerability of our human existence. Humanity has long recognized that our suffering and death raise existential questions concerning our mortality that may require perspectives greater than biology and rationality can provide. However, at the turn of the 20th century, as medical technology rapidly advanced, raising the average global life expectancy by decades, the medical field removed all non-scientific, non-secular influences to position itself as …

Four Things To Know About Pope Francis, University Of Dayton

News Releases

From being the first pope to select the name Francis to how he’ll be remembered, here are four things to know about Pope Francis.

2025 Academic Conference Program

Holy Cross Undergraduate Academic Conference

No abstract provided.

Kenyon College - April 17, 2025

The Kenyon Collegian

No abstract provided.

Feasting At The Threshold: Eucharistic Eroticism And Homonationalism In Diane Duane's The Tale Of The Five, Taylor Driggers

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

Diane Duane’s ongoing fantasy series The Tale of the Five (1979–present) is set in a world marked by constant bodily transgressions and surprises, where a human and dragon can occupy the same body and become lovers and a one-night stand can bring one face-to-face with God. This essay will argue that Duane’s series articulates eroticism in a manner comparable to Linn Marie Tonstad’s (2016) queer re-visioning of transubstantiation and bodily and spiritual transformation through the Eucharist. Acts of eating and drinking serve to highlight how characters’ pansexual, polyamorous relations with each other and the love of the Goddess spill over …

An Aspirational Cultus? Tolkien Fandom At The Borders Of Belief, Tom Emanuel

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

This paper draws upon fan studies, sociology of religion, and J.R.R. Tolkien’s theory of sub-creation to theorize the religious implications of Enyalië (Quenya: remembrance), the emotionally charged graveside memorial which closes the U.K. Tolkien Society’s annual gathering in Oxford. Employing a framework of religion as sacred worldbuilding, the author argues that Enyalië is best understood as the “secondary liturgy” of the “secondary faith community” that is Tolkien fandom. The paper concludes that Tolkien’s fiction, his community of devoted fans, and the lineaments of religious ritual have combined, in Enyalië, to produce a fan practice which troubles the boundaries …

Believing In Simulation Theory, Aeve Boucher

Undergraduate Research Symposium

This paper utilizes the frameworks, terms, and methodology used by David Chalmers in his recent book “Reality+”, along with ancient Chinese philosophers Zhuangzi and Mozi in order to make an argument for why we ought to believe that we are currently living in a simulation while at the same time withholding judgment on the metaphysical reality of whether or not we are currently living in a simulation. The argument uses Chalmers’ five different concepts of reality along with his own views of how being in a simulation would not negatively impact our currently held beliefs, especially in regards to language …

Program Review Report 4-15-25, Angela Brock

Program Review Committee

No abstract provided.

Ucc Minutes 4-15-25, Angela Brock

UCC Agendas/Minutes

No abstract provided.