History Commons^™

Volunteer Activities Of Religious Organizations In Ukraine During The Russian-Ukrainian War (2014-2025), Serhii Stelnykovych, Ivan Kovalchuk, Iryna Miakinchenko

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article analyzes the volunteer activities of religious organizations in Ukraine during the Russian-Ukrainian war in 2014–2025. Two stages are identified. In the first stage (2014–early 2022), volunteer initiatives of religious organizations adapted to the localized conflict in Donbas. In the second stage (early 2022–2025), under the conditions of the full- scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, volunteering by religious organizations took on the character of humanitarian mobilization. The role of interfaith structures–above all, the All- Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations (AUCCRO)–in shaping and supporting volunteer initiatives is demonstrated. It is argued that humanitarian assistance to civilians and military …

The Phenomenon Of Ukrainian Chaplaincy From The Underground Of The 1990s To Officer Ranks In The Historical And Spiritual Experience Of Lieutenant Colonel Of Aviation And Pastor Vasyl Khimich, Valentyna Kuryliak

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

Vasyl Khimich is a career aviation officer, retired lieutenant colonel, and pastor who combined the discipline of a Soviet officer with the spiritual mission of developing educational standards. This interview is about how faith became a strategic resource of national security. The figure of Vasyl Khimich is exceptionally valuable for the history of Protestantism in Ukraine, as he combines the experience of a Soviet career aviation officer, a pastor, and a developer of the first standards of military chaplaincy in Ukraine. His path demonstrates the complex evolution of the Ukrainian military-Christian movement from underground meetings to official recognition at the …

The Theological Tradition Of The Orthodox Church In The Aspect Of The Formation Of Military Leadership In Ukraine, Olga Dobrodum, Andrii S. Zborchyi, Tetyana Kondratyuk-Antonova, Oleksandr L. Kolomiiets

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

Analysis of the Orthodox theological tradition as a moral foundation for military leadership in the Armed Forces of Ukraine during the full-scale war. The study moves beyond pragmatic managerial models, exploring Orthodox categories such as service (diakonia), sacrifice, and spiritual warfare. Drawing on patristic heritage and modern theologians, the authors examine leadership motivation, the role of faith in professional resilience, and the integration of Orthodox anthropology into military training. Special emphasis is placed on the Orthodox Church of Ukraine's chaplaincy as a key mechanism for actualizing these values while addressing challenges like secularism and multiconfessionalism.

Reassessing Islamization In South Kazakhstan Through Written, Genealogical, And Archaeological Sources, Mukhtar Kozha, Asset Kuranbek

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

This article re-examines the early spread of Islam in South Kazakhstan through a comparative analysis of Arabic-Persian frontier narratives, nasab- nama (genealogical charter) traditions, and archaeological evidence from the Syrdarya, Otrar, Turkestan, and Sayram regions. It argues that Islamization in South Kazakhstan did not begin as a single act of conquest or mass conversion, but as a gradual frontier process shaped by military expansion, political realignment, migration, sacred-lineage formation, and urban transformation during the Umayyad (661–750 CE) and early Abbasid (from 750 CE) periods. The study applies a triangulatory method, distinguishing between contemporaneous frontier narratives, retrospective sacred genealogies, and archaeological …

Religious Radicalism And Terrorism In Central Asia After The Collapse Of The Soviet Union: Historical Roots, Geopolitical Factors, And Security Dynamics, Meltem Akıncı Phd

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

This article provides a comprehensive academic analysis of the historical origins, ideological foundations, and systemic impacts of religious radicalism and international terrorism on the geopolitical landscape of Central Asia in the post-Cold War era. The study closely examines how the ideological vacuum created by the collapse of the Soviet legacy, complex socioeconomic transformations during the transitional period, and external geopolitical influences from the Middle East and South Asia facilitated the latent and overt expansion of destructive radical religious movements in the region. Special emphasis is placed on the dual nature of the Islamic factor in the nation-building processes of Central …

Religious Security In The Post-Soviet Space: The Evolution And Socio-Political And Legal Consequences Of Religious Extremism In Kazakhstan, Zharas Akhan Phd

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

Examination of the processes of emergence, institutionalization, and development of religious extremism in post-Soviet Kazakhstan. Utilizing historical-comparative and institutional methodologies, the study analyzes the socio-political and economic factors that have contributed to the spread of radical religious ideologies from the 1990s to the present. The development of religious extremism in Kazakhstan is categorized into three chronological stages: the latent formative period (1991–1998), the stage of institutional adaptation and prevention (1999–2010), and the phase of transition to terrorist methods (2011–present). The research findings demonstrate that religious extremism in Kazakhstan has evolved from a perceived external threat into a complex internal security …

"That She May Bear On My Knees:" An Adoption Ritual In The Hebrew Bible, Claire Ellen Hobbs

Honors Theses and Capstones

No abstract provided.

Contested Air: Politics, Prejudice, And Radio Broadcasting In New York State, 1925-1928, Sebastian Garcia

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

This thesis examines the intersection between radio broadcasting as the "new media" of the 1920s and American political culture of the period, using New York Governor and 1928 Democratic presidential candidate Alfred E. Smith as a case study. Smith entered 1925 as a political lone wolf and left the year as a triumphant victor set to take the presidency. Building on the work of Smithian scholars, this thesis illuminates how Smith’s radio use remained central to this political transformation. Smith found in radio an apt space to bypass Republican opposition and mobilize the body politic through direct engagement, which, in …

Specters, Fred Lambert

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

Specters is a collection of interconnected short fiction that explores the lives of various characters affected by the Iraq War. Touching upon themes of mortality, dehumanization, guilt, and the trauma inflicted by senseless violence, the stories in this collection aim to blur the line between the concrete and the phantasmagoric. The titular story follows a young Marine whose grip on reality is called into question during the Second Battle of Fallujah. In “Demons,” a recruit undergoing the chaotic and brutal grind of Parris Island begins to wonder if his drill instructors are possessed. “Kill Bodies” chronicles the repeated killing of …

Rhetoric Of Opportunity: An Analysis Of Gullah Geechee Histories Through The Lens Of Counterstory, Xaria Arthur

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

Counterstory as a method/ology has been used in a variety of disciplines to share experiences of individuals and communities whose voices have been historically silenced or suppressed. Utilizing this methodological framework, my study shares the stories of six Gullah Geechee descendants with ancestral roots in the unincorporated community of Nesmith in Williamsburg County, SC. Treating these minoritized and individual stories as experiential knowledge, I trace the counterstories as topoi to introduce and develop the theoretical concept that I call the rhetoric of opportunity, which refers to memories or stories that have come to motivate individuals toward or away from …

The Place Between Places, Harrison Burke

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

The Place Between Places is a collection of essays centered on belonging. Focusing on the composition of city streets, theme parks, and hidden pockets of wonder, belonging is explored as the product of place and culture. The perspective of the collection shifts between reflection and active exploration, using present moment journeys as catalysts to unravel the past. In every new discovery there is a ghost, past and present journeys fighting for their place in the constructed narrative called “self.”

The collection primarily makes use of braided essays and nonlinear storytelling. “Animal” blends together three night walks through New York, Seoul, …