Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Spirituality: Take Me To A Higher Place, Kane Stanglin, Alexandra Mendez, Laura A. Eads, Kyle Crosslin

Collin College Undergraduate Interdisciplinary Student Research Conference

Panel Chair: Marta Moore

Papers Presented:

"The Acceptance of Fate from a Man of God" by Alexandra Mendez

"Acceptance Is Peace" by Kane Stanglin

"Hindu Beliefs in Bhagavad-Gita" by Laura A Eads

"Analysis of 'The Sovereignty of Goodness of God'" by Kyle Crosslin

Life Through Death, Anneke Wind

Student Work

"We are reminded that Christ loved us so much that he was willing to give up his life for us."

Posting about ­­­­­­­­renewed wonder in the resurrection from In All Things - an online journal for critical reflection on faith, culture, art, and every ordinary-yet-graced square inch of God’s creation.

http://inallthings.org/life-through-death/

Discovering Gems, Lisa Smith

Staff Work

"Think about if Christ never died on that cross – if he never rose again from the grave. What would your existence be?"

Posting about ­­­­­­­­finding truth in Scripture from In All Things - an online journal for critical reflection on faith, culture, art, and every ordinary-yet-graced square inch of God’s creation.

http://inallthings.org/discovering-gems/

The Makings Of An Ep: From Silence To Portable Sounds, Emily Ream

Senior Honors Theses

The creation of an EP is a process that requires skills in multiple areas. Once, creating an EP was only available to those who garnered resources and support from a record label. However, an increasing number of aspiring musicians are writing, recording, and making their music available for download or purchase without the assistance of a record label. Doing this successfully and excellently requires application of knowledge in areas such as literature, theology (for Christian artists), music theory, music technology, and marketing. This thesis will describe one process used to turn inspiration into a tangible product that one can purchase …

Support Experiences Of Church-Going Christian Foster And Adoptive Families Of Children With Special Needs, Taylor Weaver

Senior Honors Theses

Much research is done on the populations of families of children with special needs, church-going Christian families, and foster and adoptive families, but little exists on the families who fall into all three categories. This thesis seeks to help remedy this problem by studying the support experiences of these families. Existing research on foster and adoptive families, families with special needs, and disability in the church is reviewed. A phenomenological study of five parents’ lived experiences was completed through interviews, where three main themes emerged: the importance of informal support, the need for formal support, and the integral role of …

Once-For-All Sacrifice, Justin Vander Werff

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

"Christ cares about us in spite of our inadequacy; he loves us so much, in fact, that he made the ultimate sacrifice for us."

Posting about walking in the joy of Christ's resurrection from In All Things - an online journal for critical reflection on faith, culture, art, and every ordinary-yet-graced square inch of God’s creation.

http://inallthings.org/once-for-all-sacrifice/

The Ethical Viability Of In Vitro Fertilization, Jack Hamilton

Dialogue & Nexus

In vitro fertilization is considered from multiple ethical positions and whether or not it is limited to disease prevention or used for genetic enhancement. The first can be in line with most ethical theories provided time and resources are allowed for the technology to be provided for all. The latter seems to devalue humans and remove compassion for the disenfranchised.

A Political Theology Of Ecological Action: Liberation Of The Poor Through Democratic Stewardship Of Creation, Zach Snyder

Dialogue & Nexus

In the United States, many popular forms of evangelical Christianity hold a deep skepticism and antipathy toward ecological activism for reasons ranging from political interests to eschatology. In this paper I will present a legitimate model for the role of the Christian faith in ecological action that is developed by considering and synthesizing the work of two theologians, Leonardo Boff and Christopher Southgate. The contributions from each of these authors are centered on the call to care for creation as a response to their respective areas of emphasis: the suffering and striving of the poor and marginalized in the case …

Downward Mobility: Rediscovering A Narrative Of Justice, Josh Smith

Dialogue & Nexus

In this paper, social justice is defined by examining key perspectives of what it is from philosophy, theology, and biology. We will note where it is absent in order to discover what people deserve in a society governed by social justice. All of this will be evaluated in light of the Carmen Christi, the Hymn of Christ from Philippians 2. The example of Christ’s self-emptying (kenotic) refusal to consider equality with God (harpagmos) a thing to be grasped provides a crucial framework that enables us to emulate self-sacrificial altruism.

The Gift Of Soul, Cory Holt

Dialogue & Nexus

An evaluation of biblical concepts of the soul in light of neuroscience reveals that it is not something that we possess but is a gift from God. Using the concept of forms, emergence, and supervenience, I will show that Greek concepts of dualism, where the soul is an added entity to a body, are untenable in light of both the biblical witness and neuroscience.

Categorizing The Complexity Of The Origin Of Consciousness, Lydia Brown

Dialogue & Nexus

I propose a four-category Cartesian spectrum that contains most, if not all, the extant theories of the origin of consciousness. This spectrum consists of four broad philosophical descriptions that help us organize the various theories of consciousness along lines of non-divine to divine (aka naturalism to non-naturalism) and along the lines of continuous to discontinuous (aka non-interventionist to interventionist). I give examples of each, ultimately favoring Nagel’s view of Discontinuous Divine Influence (aka interventionist non-naturalism).

A Darwinian Look At Atonement Theory, A. Rachel Ritchie

Dialogue & Nexus

After presenting various atonement theories, especially in light of evolutionary explanation, I conducted a brief survey among students to determine their level of theological understanding and scientific literacy. Based on this data, I conclude that students are given a poor education in theology. This paucity of wisdom needs to be mitigated. I offer some suggestions for rectifying this lacuna.

Evolution And The Fall, Andrew Tate

Dialogue & Nexus

Within Christianity, there are a spectrum of beliefs regarding the function and mode of baptism, what constitutes original sin (or in what form it exists), modes of worship, gender roles (or if they even exist). I will argue here that despite varying dogmas and ideologies one consistent position over two millennia is that Jesus, as the Son of God, came to the earth, died on a cross, and was raised from the grave. Following this is the belief that in some way through these actions, either natural or supernatural, he has given humanity the opportunity to be redeemed. Through this …

Miracles, Divine Action, And The Christian Perspective, Colton Mccoy

Dialogue & Nexus

After exploring various definitions for miracle and its characteristics in Christian thought, I will consider modes of action for carrying out such events in light of an overarching position that ‘miracle’ must be defined in relation to a higher purpose. Determining what this purpose is presents greater concerns than either definitions of miracle or mechanisms of divine action in carrying out miracles.

Palm Sunday One Year Series 2017, Phillip L. Brandt

Sunday's Sermon

No abstract provided.

Palm Sunday Series A 2017, Phillip L. Brandt

Sunday's Sermon

No abstract provided.

He Made Himself Nothing, Jill Schouten

Student Work

"In separation from God, Christ became nothing, that we may have everything: eternal life!"

Posting about Jesus' perfect example of humility­­­­­­­­ from In All Things - an online journal for critical reflection on faith, culture, art, and every ordinary-yet-graced square inch of God’s creation.

http://inallthings.org/he-made-himself-nothing/

The Great Divide: Disbanding The Borders Between Ethical Issues Of Environmentalism, World Hunger And Food Safety, Jennifer Acuff

Dialogue & Nexus

Various groups work toward correcting social injustices including alleviating world hunger. The command to care for Creation as God’s image bearers indicates that humans have a responsibility to restore Earth and its resources at all times. And yet, we must balance this environmental care with compassion for the hungry. Unfortunately, many popular ‘green’ or ‘organic’ methods of doing so may prevent efficiency in feeding the world. In this paper, I will examine world hunger, environmentalism, and the surrounding ethics through a lens of scientific data, practicality, social justice, and Christianity.

The Fetal Position: An Examination Of The Validity Of Gender Through The Lens Of Ecological Fluidity Of Behavioral Dimorphisms, Tanya Daughtry

Dialogue & Nexus

Sex and gender is not dichotomous as traditionally thought. Once the biology of sex is understood, perhaps a correction of the teaching about male and female uniqueness can be balanced with Jesus’ teaching regarding eunuchs. Until this is done, persons with gender identity discontinuities will be marginalized by the church. Recognizing that this dichotomous view is incorrect is the first step in correcting the marginalization.

Passive Euthanasia, Jennifer Hulett, Madeline Peterson

Dialogue & Nexus

The controversy of passive euthanasia (e.g. the withholding or withdrawing of life-sustaining treatments in patients that are either disabled or terminally ill) has been long-debated because, it has been argued, passive euthanasia violates the physician’s Hippocratic Oath to do no harm to the patient. This withholding or withdrawal can include one or more of the following: ventilators, feeding tubes, and life support. In this paper we will explore the major debate points of passive euthanasia in light of four ethical theories: utilitarianism, virtue ethics, Kantian, and evolutionary ethics.

Theodicy Through The Lens Of Darwin, Zach Moore

Dialogue & Nexus

Any theodicy is often fraught with difficulties. The two major families identified are Augustinian theodicy and Irenaean theodicy, named after these two early church fathers. These two perspectives are widely accepted accounts of theodicy and represent a general theological approach to the problem of evil. We will explore the insufficiency of these perspectives in light of evolutionary considerations and, in the end, disappointingly, call for an as yet developed theodicy to be offered.

Divine Action And Teleology In An Evolutionary World, Emily Sparks

Dialogue & Nexus

In this paper I explore three possibilities: 1) whether or not there is room for divine action in a dynamic, undetermined, evolutionary world; 2) if divine action is necessary to explain the outcome of creation; and 3) if there is purpose (e.g. teleology) in such a world. I will address the implications of indeterminacy, parts-and-whole behavior (or emergence), and directionality for divine agency. Models of God’s action informed by these trends will be provided. Finally, I will explain the teleological implications of these discoveries and God’s action and conclude with implications to the Christian faith.

Altruism: Biological Rationale Vs. Christian Love Command, Chris Porter, Landry Guin

Dialogue & Nexus

The idea of altruism and self-sacrifice appears counter to a simple view of evolution. While a “survival of the fittest” mindset occurs in some Darwinian views, there are counter-examples of animals and humans with cooperative, pro-social, and even self-sacrificial behavior. Social animals such as bees and ants work for the community and provide for the queen due to a haploid-diploid system of genetic relatedness. Some humans sacrifice their lives and money to promote the well-being of others even without genetic relatedness and, rarely, without reciprocity. We will explore why human animals often help people who are less fortunate by giving …

Neuroscience And Experience Of God: The Validity Of God’S Presence In Individual Religiosity, Morgan Shamblin

Dialogue & Nexus

Humans have postulated the existence of a transcendent soul capable of interacting with higher being (e.g. God). This soul has no physical limitations and may persist beyond time and space. Likewise, this non-physical component of personhood allows the presence of God to infiltrate the mind to produce genuine religious experiences with such a higher being. In contrast, the physicalist position of neurobiology seeks to attribute religious feelings and experiences to neurochemicals and the precise firing of neurons; the brain is the beginning and end of all religiosity. On the one hand, the idea is that human beings are nothing but …

Intelligent Design And Creationism In Our Schools, William Travis Kern

Dialogue & Nexus

I describe and elaborate what both ID /Creationism and evolution , and their respective claims, are. I also explain which are allowed in a high school science classroom. Before one can decide whether any view belongs in the science classroom, one must know what the basis is for claiming any explanation in science; this is particularly important when dealing with origins . Finally, I will explain the legal precedence for understanding why ID and Creationism cannot be included in any science class. It may, however, still be included in the curriculum by teaching them in a humanities class.

Love Your Neighbor As Yourself: Learning From Award-Winning Second Language College Teachers, Leendert Van Beek

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

What can we learn from award-winning second language teachers so that we can serve the students at our Christian institutions better? A wide spectrum of college teachers was interviewed about their perspectives on the qualities needed to excel, their classroom practices, and their theories of teaching and learning.

Full Issue

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

No abstract provided.

Book Reviews And Subscription Form, Robert G. Tuttle Jr., James Allen Hewett

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

No abstract provided.

Integrating The Problem-Solving Task And Divergent Professional Values, J. David Pierce

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

In the cross-pollinated approach to healing, implicit and underlying value structures of the "healers" need to be made explicit and correlated with the task at hand. A theoretical model and an example are presented that clarify the professional roles and associates values; further, the complementarity needed in a coordinated healing effort is explicated.

Bondageanalysis, Burrell Dinkins

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

Bondageanalysis is as concerned about history as with other therapeutic systems. It assumes that persons trapped in bondage participate in some way in their own bondage, even when they appear to be victims of oppression. The dynamics of this are the primary concern.