Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Therepairer_Vol30no3_March1925

The Repairer

No abstract provided.

Therepairer_Vol30no2_Feb1925

The Repairer

No abstract provided.

Therepairer_Vol30no1_Jan1925

The Repairer

No abstract provided.

A Pauline Portrait Of The Gift Of Prophecy According To 1 Corinthians 14, Jacob W. Garrell

Senior Honors Theses

This study investigates the 1 Corinthians 14 discourse concerning gifts in corporate worship to identify the major characteristics of the New Testament gift of prophecy. Sources written from various theological frameworks will be weighed and examined for agreement and divergence. The resulting description of prophecy will be limited almost exclusively to observable claims and supported inferences drawn from exegesis of 1 Corinthians 14. The evidence from this text promotes an understanding of prophecy as a gift performed by functional, self-controlled agents with the chief intent of revelatory, though fallible, communication for edification, confirmation, and witness. Meanwhile, questions concerning the spontaneity …

Illustrated Children's Book: "The Adventures Of Mr. C", Anne-Marie Wadsworth, Joanne Whitcombe

Honors Capstones

"The Adventures of Mr. C" is a children's book written by Anne-Marie Wadsworth and her grandmother, Joanne Whitcombe. It was illustrated by Anne-Marie Wadsworth, 2026 NIU graduate, as her honor's capstone project. The book was presented at NIU's 2026 Visual Communication Senior Show on April 30th. It is a christian-inspired true story about an abandoned bird (Mr .C) that becomes part of Joanne's family. Mr C. flies away from his home and is lost for many months, until Joanne experiences a timely, unexpected miracle that only God and his angels can take credit for.

Catacombs In Context: Exploring Roman Architectural Influence In The Catacombs Of Rabat, Malta, Emily S.R Hodson

Classical Mediterranean and Middle East Honors Projects

Previously, scholarship on the Mediterranean catacombs has focused on isolated sites or on the religious significance and iconography of regional groups. By contextualizing the archaeological data through comparison and recentering the discussion on architecture, this research offers a contextualized, non-apologetic picture of ancient Mediterranean catacombs. This architectural comparison between the Roman catacombs and those of St. Paul and Abbatija Tad-Dejr in Malta reveals both significant architectural change and the persistence of archaic features, suggesting a high degree of cultural continuity under Roman provincial governance on Malta (218 BCE - c. 5th - 6th centuries CE). This, paired with the emergence …

Connected Pastors: The Importance Of Having Safe Support Systems In Ministry, Karin A. Hines

Senior Honors Theses

Pastors minister to broken people, but sometimes they need help themselves. Many pastors do not seek help or do not have anyone safe to go to, often for fear of losing their influence or job. This thesis argues that sharing one’s life with safe people is essential, especially for those who are in high-stress professions. It explores pastoral support systems, examines comparable stigmas against seeking help in other fields, analyzes the science of sharing and isolation and their effects on the brain and body, and considers the Bible’s instructions on living in community for one’s personal well-being. Pastors require intentional, …

A Place At The Table: Lessons In Hospitality For Women Elders In The Churches Of Christ, Karen Cooke

Doctor of Ministry Theses and Dissertations

This project concerns women who serve as elders in Church of Christ congregations. In the fall of 2023, a survey found that these women desire training to better serve their congregations. In response to that expressed need, a group of collaborators engaged in Participatory Action Research (PAR) to create the plan for a conference to provide training to women serving as elders in Churches of Christ. The conference will provide training in the theology and practice of hospitality to support these women in guiding their churches to be places of welcome. This dissertation presents a theology of hospitality drawn from …

The Megachurch As An Idol: How The Church Replaces God With Itself, Meredith Scheiner

Honors Projects

Megachurches in the United States draw massive crowds, bring in swaths of wealth, and are the locations of many controversies within and outside of the Christian faith. As demonstrated by two theologically divergent megachurches, Lakewood Church run by the Osteen family and First Baptist Church of Dallas lead by Robert Jeffress, the growth and current state of these megachurches is preeminently built upon the marriage of the American Dream and Christianity: resulting in overt or subtextual prosperity theology elements. The rise in Christian book and music industries, and advertising and marketing of products within the church are examples of these …

The Moral Influences On Non-Denominational Christian Students’ College Major Decision And Future Career Outlook, Makayla Frame

Honors Projects

This is an undergraduate research project for the Honors College. A qualitative research project in the form of case studies was conducted on the influence of Non-Denominational Christian morals and values on how college students decide college major and future career. Non-Denomination students in particular were chosen for this study because of the recent rise in popularity of the Non-Denominational belief in the US, especially among young adults.

The study outlines previous research on the Christian religion, the history of Non-Denominationality, and how typical college students decide their major. The conclusions of the study are that Non-Denominational Christian college students …

A Case For Right-To-Right-Brain Youth Discipleship, Emily Ellis

Journal of Adventist Youth and Young Adult Ministries

Many people sitting in pews weekly undergo little to no change in their lives throughout their Christian journey. Currently, the primary approach when someone feels a bit dissatisfied with their faith or wants to grow in their spiritual maturity is to prescribe more Bible study, more prayer, or more church engagement. In this paper, I am going to explore how understanding brain science and attachment theory should influence how discipleship occurs in churches.

Enhancing Corporate Prayer Of The Clearwater Church Of Christ, Lyle Hinsdale

Doctor of Ministry Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation was designed to enhance corporate prayer in the Clearwater Church of Christ. The dissertation explores the formative role of corporate prayer in congregational life and how intentional engagement with the Psalms can deepen the theological and spiritual practice of prayer within a local church. Corporate prayer can slip into habitual practice with limited theological range or emotional depth. This project investigates whether structured use of the Psalms as a model for prayer can expand the language, theological imagination, and engagement in the prayers of a worshiping community. The study used participatory action research methodology and was conducted within …

The Journey Of Accompaniment: Pastoral Care Education For The Laity At The University Church Of Christ In Abilene, Tx, Alejandro Ezquerra

Doctor of Ministry Theses and Dissertations

This Doctor of Ministry project addresses the need for intentional pastoral care formation among lay members at the University Church of Christ in Abilene, Texas, with particular attention to its bilingual ministry context. Grounded in the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers as articulated in 1 Pet 2:9, the project argues that pastoral care is not the exclusive responsibility of ordained clergy but a shared calling within the body of Christ. In response to congregational interest in chaplaincy and caregiving, a five-session curriculum titled The Journey of Accompaniment: Forming Hearts for the Ministry of Care was developed to equip …

The Epic Work Of Grief: Loss And Narrative Evolution From Classical Epic To Beloved, Marie Manassee

Yale Divinity School Theses

This thesis examines the evolution of the epic tradition through Virgil’s Aeneid, Dante’s Purgatorio, and Toni Morrison’s Beloved, arguing that grief functions as the central force through which epic form is continually reshaped across historical and cultural contexts. While epic is often associated with heroic conquest, divine destiny, or national foundation, this project contends that the genre is equally structured by acts of loss, mourning, and departure. In the Aeneid, grief becomes the condition of imperial becoming, as Aeneas’s movement toward Rome depends upon the relinquishment of personal attachments and the transformation of loss into historical action. Dante’s Purgatorio inherits …

Moral Injury Among Healthcare Chaplains: Responding To Systemic Racism Through Ethical Advocacy And Spiritual Care, Stephanie Drew

Doctor of Ministry Projects and Theses

Systemic racism against minorities has woven its way into every facet of everyday existence, especially for Black Americans, and Healthcare is no exception. There are numerous proven instances of unfair and inequitable treatment of marginalized patients throughout the Healthcare system, and some have even caused Black patients to lose their lives. The mistreatment of Black and Brown people during perhaps one of the most vulnerable times of their lives is well documented dating back centuries. There are massive cuts to Medicaid, and insurance premiums are steadily going up making it very cumbersome for the poor and disenfranchised to navigate the …

Chaplains In Khaki: Methodist Soldiers In Camp, On The Field, And On The March, H. K.

Heritage Material

No abstract provided.

Partners In Pilgrimage: Transforming The Journey Of Adolescence By Guiding Teenagers Toward Faithful Lives, Redefining Success, And Cultivating Connection To God, Abigail R. Weaver

Doctor of Ministry Projects and Theses

Adolescence is a formative period in which young people seek meaning, identity, and belonging while navigating a complex array of cultural, social, and developmental pressures. In suburban American contexts, these pressures are intensified by competitive academic environments, demanding extracurricular commitments, and pervasive societal expectations that equate worth with achievement. Drawing from my experience as a youth minister in suburban United Methodist churches, this dissertation examines how such forces shape the spiritual and personal development of 15- to 18-year-olds and explores the Church’s role in guiding adolescents through this landscape with wisdom and care.

Grounded in the Christian tradition and informed …

Navigating Faith And Sexuality: Christian Pastors' Experiences In Providing Pastoral Care For Lgbtq+ Youth, Keith I. Raymond

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Within the Christian context, religion and sexuality are often cultural factors that shape the identity development of LGBTQ+ youth, with congregational stance (affirming, tolerant, non–affirming) and individual religiosity/spirituality serving as protective or risk factors (Crockett et al., 2018; Raedel et al., 2020; Yarhouse & Sadusky, 2021). Christian pastors’ theology, relational ministry approach, and pastoral skills influence how they engage with and care for queer youth, yet the professional ties between pastors and LGBTQ+ youth remain underrepresented in counseling literature. Guided by queer theory, this qualitative case study examined how Christian pastors understand and navigate pastoral care for LGBTQ+ youth within …

A Gift For The Emperor DawāʾIr Al-ʿUlūm Wa-Jadāwil Al-Ruqūm, A Mediaeval Graphic Encyclopaedia Of The 19th Century, Juan Acevedo, Inês Bénard Da Costa

Abdou Filali-Ansary Occasional Paper Series

The recent discovery of a 19th-century Arabic manuscript in the Gulbenkian Museum, Lisbon, initiated a period of intense collaboration between the Museum and the Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon, culminating in the 2023–24 exhibition ‘Power of the Word V: Circles of Knowledge.’ The first part of this article describes the manuscript, while the second part looks at its contents, a striking visual encyclopaedia, mostly from Safavid sources, entitled Tuḥfat al-Khāqān: Dawāʾir al-ʿUlūm wa-Jadāwil al-Ruqūm (A Gift for the Emperor: Circles of Sciences and Tables of Numerals). Its sections range from cosmogony and alphanumeric cosmology to geography, geomancy and the …

The Culture Of The Convent: How Recruitment Shapes Success In Religious Life, Elizabeth A. Minneci

Honors Theses

Catholic nuns in the United States have experienced a substantial decline in membership, with an 80% decrease in new members from 1965 to 2023 (CARA, 2023). Sisters impact their communities in a multitude of ways, often through education or volunteerism efforts (CCUSA, 2026; Levin, 2011; Sisters of Mercy, 2025). Previous research on Catholic nuns has not qualitatively explored Catholic nuns’ recruitment efforts, with most research providing quantitative data insights (CARA). Thus, the purpose of this study is to identify the recruitment methods convents utilize to identify pain points and avenues for improvement. Seven religious sisters were recruited for this study. …

A Curriculum To Empower And Equip Women For Leadership In The Monash City Church Of Christ In Melbourne, Australia, Devni Yasindra Attygalle

Doctor of Ministry Theses and Dissertations

This thesis addresses women in Christian leadership in the Monash City Church of Christ Melbourne, Australia. The problem identified within this ministry context was a lack of appropriate theological teaching around women in leadership, especially in the areas of preaching, teaching, and leading, which has led to misconceptions and prejudices in the minds of church members, negatively impacting the congregation’s mission. The purpose of the project was to develop a curriculum specific to MCCOC that provides a theological foundation for advocating for future senior leadership roles for women. The curriculum provides biblical teaching on women in leadership that will equip …

Ai And The Ethos Of Education: Reflections On Human Learning Past And Present, Melanie Trotochaud

Yale Divinity School Theses

This thesis reflects on contemporary issues of “Artificial Intelligence” (AI), while also bringing into conversation 12th century Christian mystic and polymath Hildegard Von Bingen and 18th century Humanist philosopher Giambattista Vico. Hildegard’s and Vico’s contexts philosophically and historically share similarities to our present moment: reassessing our humanity and learning in times of technological, economic, and social shifts. Holding up their writing to various conversations about our contemporary world helps illuminate the present. Key aspects of the discussion include what constitutes tools or technologies, the agency we have in choosing to use or not to use them, and how we make …

The Course Of Empire Causes Us Much Grief: Imperialism, Slavery, And Genocide In The Theological Education Of Berkeley Divinity School, The Episcopal Seminary At Yale, Alden Fossett

Yale Divinity School Theses

The history of Berkeley Divinity School, the Episcopal seminary at Yale, traverses centuries and thousands of miles between Ireland, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. Abundant institutional narratives concerning Berkeley Divinity School’s origin and development over time rehearse a mythology connecting the Anglo-Irish philosopher and bishop George Berkeley (1685–1753) and the establishment of Berkeley Divinity School in 1854 by Massachusetts-born professor and bishop John Williams (1817–1899). This thesis intervenes in the historiography of Berkeley Divinity School by situating John Williams’s allusion to George Berkeley’s unfulfilled dream to establish a college training Anglican missionaries on the island of Bermuda within a British imperial …

Adaptability From Tv & Film Into Theatre | The Subversion Inspiration In Celia’S Identity Versatility Throughout William Shakespeare’S As You Like It, Emani White

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the inspiration of adaptability skills, pivoting from television and film into theatre, and the potential of unconventional pathways as a catalyst for reconciling anti-traditionalism within the mediums. It offers insight into the obstacles, segues, and adversities faced during the journey of a former athlete turned television and film actor, and into a theatre actor. It illuminates agency as a subversive identity (the disguise), the sacrifice of status, and the need for an emotional anchor of resilience—acknowledging the systemic transitional barriers in performance, career, and education. The paper also discusses the understandings gained from my journey as an …

A Modal Analysis Of Human Dignity, Alexander S. Eberspacher

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

This work examines the history of the human rights tradition and philosophically compares it to the natural law tradition as most pre-eminently developed in Catholicism. It then turns to examine how Catholicism offers a philosophically sound base for universal dignity through the light of Saul Kripke’s modal work, while the Universal Declaration of Human Rights cannot account for such.

From Feeling To Faith: How Affective Experience Gives Rise To Religion, Asia Wewel

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

This paper argues that religion is the intelligible, structured response to distinct pressures arising from within human experience itself. Drawing on Schleiermacher, Otto, Kant, and Becker, the paper traces religion's emergence through four phases. The first establishes that religious feeling is pre-conceptual and categorically distinct from ordinary emotion. The second works through Otto's correction of Schleiermacher: the genuinely religious encounter is not dependence intensified but the numinous. The third shows that Kant, arriving from an entirely different direction, reaches the same destination: practical reason diagnoses a radical evil the will cannot correct alone, demanding an ethical commonwealth that mirrors …

Trinities In World Mythology: Why Separate Cultures Construct The Same Cosmology, Autumn Scott

Undergraduate Fellows' Research

Numerous cultures throughout the world construct mythologies and cosmologies which include a triad, triple deity, or three world cosmology. Specifically, this refers either to belief in a singular deity with three forms, belief in a distinct group of three divine beings with a common characteristic, or belief in three cosmic realms, such as the human world, underworld, and divine world. This phenomenon occurs within Europe, South Asia and East Asia, as well as North America. While many may be familiar with the Greek Moirai and the Christian trinity, this pattern appears well beyond the ancient and medieval cultures who inhabited …

Making Sense Of The Faith-Based School’S Mission: An Instrumental Case Study Exploring How The School’S Espoused Mission Is Enacted, Richard Mingerink

Dissertations

What happens in the space between a school’s espoused mission and the enactment of that mission in the classroom? For faith-based schools—institutions whose very identity rests upon a religiously grounded purpose—this question is not merely technical but existential. While these schools publicly espouse missions centered on a religious faith, research consistently suggests that what is proclaimed on paper is not always what is practiced in classrooms. The persistent gap between espoused mission and enacted practice raises a critical question: how do educators actually make sense of their school’s religious mission, and how does that sensemaking shape what they do?

This …

Vernacular Religiosity: Liminality, Mentorship, And Communal Reciprocity In Women's Religious Communities, Megan J. Miller

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

This thesis is a study on women’s religious communities, and the vernacularized traditions practiced by the women themselves from a folkloric perspective. Examining the creative and meaningful ways women find to interact with their faith on a daily basis, this thesis proposes a natural cycle of religious participation which allows the women to move between active and passive participation roles within their religious communities, and creates equitable spaces for women by relying on the communal reciprocity of the group.

By focusing on individual women and their experiences and belief practices as part of a larger community of religious practice, this …

Understanding How Emotional Intelligence Training And Awareness Can Enhance The Effectiveness Of Campus Discipleship Activities, Scott R. Ward, Natasha Richards, Sarah Ward

Journal of Adventist Youth and Young Adult Ministries

Discipleship with an understanding of emotional intelligence (EI) can enrich Christian college students’ spiritual and educational experiences. Traditionally, discipleship is rooted in spiritual mentorship, gaining an integrated dimension with EI. This allows a person to understand and recognize how to manage their emotions in all aspects of life. This paper focuses on how emotional intelligence can enhance discipleship by encouraging holistic spirituality and developing healthy people who make healthy disciples. This collaboration of emotional intelligence and discipleship will support personal spiritual growth and help build community within college student groups.