Arts and Humanities Commons^™

A Wicked Humanity Original Sin In The Theology Of John Wesley And Jonathan Edwards, Vincent Andrew Sullivan

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The source of human wickedness is not in a fault in our education, but a fault in our nature. Ignorance is not the root of human depravity; rather, there is an innate propensity in the human soul to gravitate, not towards the light, but towards the darkness. This truth, i.e., the doctrine of Original Sin, was fiercely maintained in the 18th century by John Wesley, the Father of Methodism, and by Jonathan Edwards, the last of the Puritans. Both of these men each wrote a large treatise on this same topic matter, that of Original Sin, and for the same …

Building A Defense Economy: World War Ii, Federal Investment, And Georgia’S Economic Transformation, 1940-1965, William Heath Taylor

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation examines how World War II transformed Georgia’s economy from a predominately rural, agricultural economy into a more diversified economy increasingly tied to federal investment, military activity, industrial production, transportation, and commerce. It argues that wartime mobilization accelerated this transformation by directing federal funds into military installations, defense industries, infrastructure, and public services while drawing workers into expanding centers of employment. Using federal records, census data, military publications, corporate reports, newspapers, and oral histories, the study examines Fort Benning, Robins Field, Camp Toccoa, Bell Aircraft, the Brunswick Shipyards, Delta Air Lines, and The Coca-Cola Company. These cases show how …

Outlaws In The Shoals, Al From Bernie Delinski And Mike Goens Of The Times Daily, April 27, 2000, Bernie Delinski, Mike Goens, William L. Mcdonald

Correspondence

Correspondence from Bernie Delinski and Mike Goens of the Times Daily requesting a list of the "10 worst outlaws" from the Shoals, Alabama for a series of articles they planned to write. William L. McDonald's reply with a list of eight groups of outlaws, dated April 30, 2000, is also enclosed, and provides a small synopsis of their crimes.

The list includes:

1. John Melton
2. John A. Murrell
3. Clerk from John Edie's Store
4. Mountain Tom Clark
5. Elias "The Man" Thrasher
6. Frank and Jesse James
7. Arline "Speck Wylie, his younger brother Eugene Wylie, and Elmer Bentley "Slick Pickens
8. F. W. Seay

Letter To Richard Nixon In Support Of Vietnam Policy, William L. Mcdonald

Correspondence

Undated correspondence from William L. McDonald to President Richard Nixon claiming support for his Vietnam policy.

Arab Media Summit 2026 - Film Forum, Razan Takash

Exemplars

How to Get Your Short Film to the Oscars – Arab Media Summit 2026

Presented at the Arab Media Summit 2026, the region’s largest gathering of media leaders, industry professionals, content creators, and innovators, this masterclass explored the journey of a short film from production to Oscar consideration. As part of the Summit’s wider discussions on the future of media and the creative industries, the session offered practical insights into international film festival strategies, Academy Award qualification, submission processes, and Oscar campaign planning. Drawing on real-world filmmaking experience, it highlighted the importance of marketing, publicity, and strategic distribution in expanding …

Ideas Into Policy: An Intellectual History Of The United States Navy’S Equal Opportunity Program, Claire J. Dabrowski

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation examines the intellectual history of the United States Navy’s Equal Opportunity Program, arguing that its origins extended far beyond the racial unrest of the late 1960s and early 1970s. Rather than viewing the program solely as an administrative response to crisis, this study demonstrates that it represented the culmination of more than a century of evolving ideas concerning citizenship, military service, constitutional equality, democratic governance, and military professionalism. Employing the methods of intellectual and institutional history, the dissertation traces these ideas from the Civil War through the reforms of Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Elmo R. Zumwalt Jr., …

The Revitalization Of Pentecostal Churches In Rural Appalachia, Justin W. Rowland

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Pentecostal churches in rural Appalachia face challenges such as declining attendance, aging congregations, demographic shifts, and changing cultural values. Although denominations such as the Church of God (Cleveland, Tennessee) and the Assemblies of God remain active throughout the region, many churches struggle to sustain growth and ministry effectiveness. Limited research has examined the factors that contribute to the health and vitality of thriving Pentecostal churches in this rural setting. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the characteristics and practices of healthy, growing Pentecostal churches in rural Appalachia to understand what contributes to their vitality, discipleship, and sustained …

A Metaphysical Analysis Of Theological Language: Can We Talk About God?, Kenneth R. Marple

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The possibility of meaningful theological language presents a longstanding problem in philosophy of religion and Christian theology. Because human language is finite and creaturely while God is infinite and transcendent, questions arise concerning how human beings can make meaningful and truthful claims about God. Traditional accounts of univocal, equivocal, and analogical predication address aspects of this problem but often leave a more fundamental metaphysical question unresolved: what must language be for it to meaningfully signify reality? This dissertation provides a metaphysical analysis of theological language by examining the ontological foundations of language and its relationship to reality. Through qualitative, interdisciplinary …

The Great Bridge: A Congregational Engagement Intervention For The Local Church, India C. Barnes

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation-in-praxis addressed a documented gap between the stated mission of New Beginnings Ministry of Faith, Hope, and Love (NBM) and the lived engagement patterns of its members. Although the church articulated a vision of Spirit-led community grounded in discipleship, fellowship, and service, participation outside of weekly worship remained limited. The intervention, titled The Great Bridge, was grounded in Acts 2:42–47 as a biblical model of participatory church life and in social capital theory, which highlights the role of relational networks in generating communal outcomes (Claridge, 2018a, 2018b; Putnam 2000a, 2000b). The Great Bridge was a structured 16-week congregational engagement …

A Deacon Boot Camp For The Deacons Of Second Baptist Church, Cypress Campus, Stephen Bailiff

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

As one of only two ordained offices of a Southern Baptist Church, deacons have a responsibility to grow spiritually. Second Baptist Church, Cypress Campus, does not regularly hold the deacons accountable for spiritual growth. As a result, spiritual complacency has infiltrated the deacons. Therefore, the pastor offered an eight-week intensive discipleship program for the deacons to ignite spiritual growth. The Deacon Boot Camp included four elements to strengthen discipleship and foster spiritual growth. The four elements were Heaven Week, squadron meetings, guided daily devotionals, and accountability partners. They integrated theological training with the application of spiritual disciplines. The project creator …

Welcoming The Recovering To Worship At Westwood Baptist Church, Eric "Shawn" Stricklin

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This Doctor of Ministry project addressed the relational disconnect between participants in the Reformers Unanimous addiction recovery ministry and their integration into Sunday corporate worship at Westwood Baptist Church in Poplar Bluff, Missouri. Although many individuals regularly attended the recovery ministry, they did not consistently engage in the broader life of the church. The purpose of this project was to develop, implement, and evaluate a Welcome Team Training Program designed to equip volunteers with theological understanding, relational skills, and ministry confidence to foster greater congregational integration. Ten participants completed the eight-week intervention, which included biblical instruction, addiction education, guided discussion, …

Echo Hermeneutics: Listening To The Repetitions And Echoes Of The Bible, Shelton Matthew Trail

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

What is a biblical echo, and what contribution do they make to biblical interpretation? In seeking meaning, does divine inspiration overtake the author, or is the modern reader permitted to apply speculative meaning outside of the original author’s intent and context? Such questions are integral and relevant to modern biblical engagements. This includes questions such as how to approach, define, interpret, and apply what can be defined as intertextuality, or what this dissertation defines as echoes. Unfortunately, biblical echoes and repeated patterns are often misunderstood and underappreciated for what they can contribute to hermeneutical practices. Therefore, this research seeks to …

Closing The Gap Between Pastoral Responsibility And Mental Health Preparedness, Robert Lee Lytle Jr

Masters Theses

Faith communities increasingly encounter significant mental health needs among congregants, yet many pastors and ministry leaders remain underprepared to respond effectively within their pastoral scope. This Dissertation-in-Praxis addressed the persistent gap between the growing prevalence of mental health challenges in faith-based contexts and the limited leadership preparedness required to provide informed, ethical, and integrated pastoral care. This researcher defined the theological, organizational, and contextual dimensions of the problem, identifying stigma, insufficient pastoral training, and fragmented referral practices as primary contributors to the divide between responsibility and preparedness. Grounded in interdisciplinary scholarship at the intersection of spirituality, leadership, and mental health, …

Sixth-Grade Inclusive Chorus Curriculum, Lauren Rancourt Eubanks

Masters Theses

This curriculum is an eighteen week block plan for sixth-grade inclusive chorus. Emphasizing adaptive activities and specific strategies for students with disabilities, this curriculum can be used with any middle school repertoire concert plan. Through visual aids and color coding, students with disabilities can participate effectively in the performance of melodic contour, rhythm, and repertoire. This curriculum is for a sixth-grade chorus that is preparing for a concert, in which students rehearse two to three times weekly. Drawing from the Orff approach and Dalcroze techniques, this curriculum has adaptions to activities in which students can demonstrate their understanding of musical …

The Army Spreads Its Wings: Army Aviation And Its Influence On War, Christopher J. Braund

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Today’s United States Army operates some of the world's most advanced helicopters, conducting some of the most dangerous aerial insertions and close air support missions. Every Army infantry division has a helicopter brigade, with capabilities ranging from command-and-control to attack, scout, and lift assets. Yet, that is a relatively new concept. Developed in the 1960s, the air mobility doctrine emerged from the Eisenhower Administration’s New Look defense policy, giving the Army direction on how to use helicopters within its overall land warfare capability. This dissertation looks at how that occurred. It fills a major gap in the historiography of Army …

Florence Renaissance Faire Correspondence, From Eddie Frost, 9.28.1994, Eddie Frost

Correspondence

Correspondence from Eddie Frost, Mayor of the City of Florence, Alabama, to William Lindsey McDonald, city historian, concerning Vice-Mayor of Florence, Italy Signore Giovanni Pallanpi's visit to the 1994 Alabama Renaissance Faire.

Forks Of Cypress Archaeological Excavation To James Jackson, 7.16.1993, William L. Mcdonald

Correspondence

Correspondence from William L. McDonald to James Jackson concerning archaeological excavation near a cabin at the Forks of Cypress.

Larimore House Correspondence To Al Cultural Resources Preservation Trust Fund, 5.7.2000, William L. Mcdonald

Correspondence

Correspondence from William Lindsey McDonald to the director of the Alabama Cultural Resources and Preservation Trust Fund concerning support for a grant to renovate, restore and repair the historic Larimore House in Florence, Alabama.

The historical marker for the Larimore Home, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, can be accessed here.

Origin Of The Town Of Florence Correspondence To Mayor Eddie Frost, 11.30.1993, William L. Mcdonald

Correspondence

Correspondence from William Lindsey McDonald to Mayor Eddie Frost of the City of Florence concerning the March 12, 1818, origins of Florence, Alabama. Within the letter, McDonald proposes that the city logo be changed to reflect the establishment of the city by the Cypress Land Company.

Trail Of Tears Correspondence From Southwest Us Dept. Of Interior, 2.9.1994, John Harely

Correspondence

Correspondence issued by the National Park Service Southwest Region to William L. McDonald concerning his collaboration with Richard Sheridan of the Trail of Tears Advisory Council. The correspondence also includes an enclosed itinerary of the Trail of Tears Advisory Council Field Trip held on March 3, 1994.

Florence City Council Ordinance To Create The Position Of City Historian, Eddie Frost

Correspondence

Florence, Alabama city ordinance that establishes the position of city historian.

Kennedy Long Rifle Correspondence To Mayor Eddie Frost, 11.13.1992, William L. Mcdonald, Barbara Broach, Marjorie Norton

Correspondence

Proposal sent to Mayor Eddie Frost request that an exchange of the North Carolina Long Rifle at Pope's tavern and Museum be made for a Kennedy Long Rifle from the collection of Dan Wallace, a Wayne County, Tennessee gun collector. This exchange was requested in accordance with the city of Florence, Alabama's connection to the fabrication of the Kennedy Long Rifle, as demonstrated by the historical marker erected by the Kennedy Douglass Center for the Arts at the original site of the Kennedy Gun Factory.

Muscle Shoals Canal Nomination To The Alabama Engineering Hall Of Fame Correspondence, 7.15.1992, William L. Mcdonald

Correspondence

Correspondence from William L. McDonald to Mrs. Bette D. Jefcoat, Assistant Secretary and Treasurer of the State of Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame, concerning the nomination of the Muscle Shoals Canal.

Name Of Florence & Ferdinand Sannoner Surveyor Correspondence To Cesare Pavone, 2.1.1993, William L. Mcdonald

Correspondence

Correspondence from William L. McDonald to Ceasare Pavone of Milan, Italy concerning the name of Florence, Alabama, the 175th anniversary of the city, and the early Italian surveyor of Florence, Alabama Ferdinand Sannoner.

For further information on Florence, Alabama's origins view the Founding of Florence Historical Marker.

Spring Street (Veteran's Blvd) Correspondence To Steve Pierce, 12.15.1992, William L. Mcdonald

Correspondence

Correspondence from William Lindsey McDonald to Steve Pierce, the President of the Florence City Council, regarding the proposed change of Spring Street's to Veterans Boulevard. The letter outlines the historical significance of Spring Street.

Suggested Historical Headlines For Times Daily, William L. Mcdonald

Correspondence

A list of suggested historical headlines of the Shoals, Alabama compiled by William Lindsey McDonald for the Times Daily.

The document is faded and difficult to read, so it has been transcribed below.

Suggested Historical Headlines for Times Daily

Probable Date (+/- days): Historical Event Described

May 10, 1915: Congressional visit to Muscle Shoals for feasibility study of construction of Wilson and Wheeler Dams

April 1918: Work begins on Wilson Dam

Dec. 3-5, 1921: Henry Ford and Thomas Edison visit Florence

Dec. 9, 1921: Florence Times ran account of Ford's visit

Nov. 10, 1898: Muscle Shoals Canal opens for navigation …

Hopewell African Methodist Episcopal Church To Jean Meyer, 1.26.1990, William L. Mcdonald

Correspondence

Correspondence from William L. McDonald to Mrs. Jean Meyer regarding the history of the Hopewell African Methodist Episcopal Church, originally located on the Old Jackson Highway in St. Florine, Lauderdale County, Alabama. The Hopewell African Methodist Episcopal Church was established in 1865 after the Civil War resulted in a split of the original congregants of the Hopewell Methodist Episcopal Church.

Sunken Trace Sign Correspondence To Johnny Sims, 8.6.1999, William L. Mcdonald

Correspondence

Correspondence from William Lindsey McDonald to Jonny Sims, a ranger of the Natchez Trace Parkway, concerning the interpretative sign at Sunken Trace located at mile marker 350.8. Within the correspondence, McDonald proposes that the verbiage be adjusted to be more respectful of the early Native American inhabitants of the area. He also highlights another instance in which National Park signage was changed at the George Colbert parking area and home site.

The current historical markers for the Sunken Trace and Colbert's Stand are accessible on the historical marker database.

"Colorful Characters" In Florence History To Martha Murphy, 7.17.2000, William L. Mcdonald

Correspondence

Correspondence from William L. McDonald to Martha Murphy of city hall concerning "colorful characters" that inhabited Florence, Alabama. The Florence inhabitants mentioned include Professor Augustus Provskoski, a graduate of four German universities who taught ancient and modern classics at Florence Wesleyan University; Miss Jem Weakley, an eccentric daughter of prominent citizens; Thomas Sigismund "T.S." Stribling, a Florence Teachers College alum and Pulitzer Prize winner whose work was controversial within the local public; and Mrs. Kate Nelson, a brothel keeper connected with various local legends.

Donation Of The William Lindsey Mcdonald Papers To Collier Library Archives, Dec. 2005, William L. Mcdonald, G. Garry Warren

Correspondence

Correspondence between William L. McDonald and Dr. Garry Warren, Dean of Information Technologies at the University of North Alabama, discussing the donation of the William Lindsey McDonald Collection, an expansive body of "rare books, magazines, wills, deeds, diaries, notes of interviews, and a wealth of early photographs," to the Collier Library Archives.