Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Ecumenical Trends: Three Forms Of Ecumenism Within Christianity, Peter Donnelly

Honors Theses

This paper broadly discusses the concept of ecumenism based off of my personal experiences as a Christian and a series of interviews that were conducted. To understand ecumenism, I introduce ecumenism in relation to other concerns of a congregation and detail its historical and biblical groundings. I also introduce a framework by which to understand faith, and draw on this to make sense of the different ecumenical trends that I noticed within Christianity. These three trends are the governmental faith and order ecumenism, the service-oriented life and action ecumenism and the more exclusive biblical ecumenism. I conclude by speculating on …

Japan And The Ancient Western Classics: The Role Of Divine Intervention In Greek Roman And Japanese Literature, Christian Garcia

Honors Theses

This thesis explores the reasons for divine intervention in Greek, Roman, and Japanese literature and how it impacts the cultures and traditions of ancient Greece,Rome, and Japan. In the first chapter, I discuss the main motivations of divine intervention in human affairs in Homer’s Iliad. In the second chapter, I examine the lack of divine intervention in Lucan’s Bellum Civile and the changing attitudes toward the role of divinities. In the third chapter, I examine divine intervention in both the ancient mythology and contemporary folklore of Japan, and ask whether or not we can find its impact on traditional values …

Happiness And Anxiety As A Function Of Gender And Religiosity, Kara Kaufman

Honors Theses

The current research intended to extend upon previous research on the relationship between happiness and religiosity by looking at the role gender plays in this relationship. It was hypothesized that while there would be a positive correlation between religiosity and happiness in both genders, the correlation would be stronger for women. The study also aimed to test if different aspects of religion mediate this relationship for men and women. It was hypothesized that for women, the aspects of religion that would be most closely related to increased happiness and decreased anxiety would be aspects that allow for a sense of …

Religious And Ceremonial Microartifacts From The Winterville Archaeological Site (22ws500), Caitlyn E. Burkes

Honors Theses

The Winterville Archaeological Site (22WS500), located near Greenville, Mississippi, served as a ceremonial center during the Mississippian Period (approximately 1000-1500 AD). Originally consisting of twenty-three or more mounds, Winterville was a significant social and religious gathering place and was home to the elite classes of the society. This study analyses microartifacts from two locations on the site, leading to comparisons and conclusions of the types of religious activities occurring at each. Mound C was home to an elite group while Mound B likely served as a temple or religiously significant mound. The findings indicate that elites and elite mounds played …

An Undivided Heart: How Mary Unites What Sin Divides According To John Paul Ii’S Theology Of The Body, Ann M. Michalica

Honors Theses

Today, personhood is often threatened by the tendency to divide the human person into two contrasting parts: body and soul. Many times, this causes the human person to be reduced to a disembodied spiritual being or a disposable object rather than a whole person called to love and be loved. In his teachings known as Theology of the Body, John Paul II uses a personalistic approach to illuminate the human person as the integration of body and soul. Scripturally based, Theology of the Body is the study of God’s reflection in the human body and human sexuality. Using John Paul …

Intergenerational Worship: Exploring Various Cultural Worship Environments And Their Effects On The Church, T.J. Bailey

Honors Theses

Until the most recent century, worship occurred in an intergenerational environment. Research indicated that today's Church may be making an effort fix this problem and to create a shared worship environment that reflects equally the many influences of the local church today.

Show Me A Story: The Creative Process Of Communicating Truth Through A Picture Book, Katie Hopmann

Honors Theses

After working at camp for six weeks during the summer of 2011, I was exhausted. I had great expectations to love the camp counselor life, but God was continuing to shape exactly how I would serve Him with my life. Driving home from camp, I was confused. I felt Called to minister to children and so badly wanted to be a "camp person." I wanted to be that awesome camp counselor, full of energy and fun, but I had discovered I was simply not. Like God often has, He spoke strongly to me when my pride was broken.

I had …

The Relationship Between Natural Law And Mosaic Law In Philo: His On Rewards And Punishments As A Case Study, Clark Whitney

Honors Theses

Living from around 20 B.C. to A.D. 50, Philo of Alexandria, Egypt contributed to the fields of philosophy and religion. In fact, Philo is one of the most significant contributors to our understanding of Hellenistic Judaism and Middle Platonism.. By extension, our understanding of the New Testament (especially the Pauline epistles) is indebted to Philo, because a plethora of the New Testament writings were composed by Jews into Greek language. According to C.D. Yonge, very little is known about Philo's personal life except that he lived in Alexandria, Egypt and came from a family who was wealthy and prominent among …

Freeflight: Conveying Christian Redemption In Realistic Literature, Anna English

Honors Theses

When I began writing Freeflight in 2008, I did not think of it as part of the "Christian fiction" genre. I intended to write a realistic novel1 containing ideas that interested me, such as unconditional friendship, the effects of fame, and the world of modern rock music. I wrote for a secular audience, envisioning my novel in the mainstream fiction section of a bookstore instead of on the one shelf of Christian fiction squeezed in the back corner. But finding the best balance between Christian themes and a non-Christian audience is a complicated matter. In this thesis, I attempt to …