History of Religion Commons^™

Cover Art: Christian Lenape (Delaware) Interpreter, Ada Liu

Of Life and History

No abstract provided.

Of Life And History, Vol. 1 (May 2018)

Of Life and History

No abstract provided.

Zionism, Ottomanism, And The Young Turk Revolution: What Palestinian Jewish Identity Says About Zionist Political Separatism In 1908-1912, Dimitri Savidis

Of Life and History

No abstract provided.

Zycie W Ameryce: Life In America—Polish-American Cultural Resilience And Adaptation In The Face Of Americanization, Brynn A. Cotter

Of Life and History

No abstract provided.

Between Piety And Polity: The American Catholic Response To The First Atomic Bombs, Emma Catherine Scally

Of Life and History

No abstract provided.

Une Crise D’Identité: The Use Of Institutional Systems To Build Nationalism In Alsace And Lorraine Following The First World War, 1918-1925, Catherine B. Griffin

Of Life and History

No abstract provided.

“A Christian World Order:” Protestants, Democracy And Christian Aid To Germany, 1945-1961, Ky N. Woltering

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This dissertation examines the relationship between the German and American Protestantism from 1945-1961. I argue that in response to the threat of Nazism and communism, mainline ecumenical American Protestants aimed to create a universalist “Christian World Order” based on liberal democracy and Christian ethics. Only this new order, they argued, could supersede nationalist and materialist agendas and restore world peace. By rhetorically depicting Nazi and Communist "totalitarianism" as anti-Christian, a construction I refer to as the Christian-Totalitarian Dichotomy, these Protestants drove German conservatives away from Nazism and toward Western liberal democracy through association with Christianity. They accomplished this through two …

Comparing Monarchical Use Of Religion And Popular Responses In England And Russia In The Seventeenth And Eighteenth Centuries, Megan Miller

Senior Honors Theses

This thesis compares the use of religion by Russian and English monarchies in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, as well as the response of the public in each country. It examines official religion in each state, as well as the kinds of toleration each extended to other religions. In both cases, the outlook of the monarchy changed over the course of the period under study; while both monarchies clearly understood the key role religion played in the lives of their subjects and the power it afforded the state and its sovereigns, the “official” use of religion continued in Russia and …

Black Islamic Evangelization In The American South, Chester Warren Cornell

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Broadly speaking, my research focus is on African American religion, with particular interest in the various manifestations of black Islam in the United States. I am particularly interested in the question “Has religion served as an opiate or stimulant for black political protest?” And my research attempts to answer it by chronicling the experiences of black Muslims in southern prisons. My dissertation builds on Michelle Alexander’s groundbreaking book The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness (2010). Alexander argues that African Americans were not over-represented in America’s prisons in the 1970s, but with President Reagan’s War on …

Not To Teach Any Different Doctrine: Examining The Doctrines Of The Early Latter-Day Saints Movement And The Church Fathers, Jacob D. Hayden

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Explanations of the nature of humanity, God, and the purpose of life have a direct influence on the daily lives of the adherents of a given religious tradition. In the early third century, Origen of Alexandria proposed doctrines of preexistence, subordinationism, and theosis, which were dismissed in the early Church to various degrees. Some sixteen hundred years later, members of the upstart Latter-day Saints movement, such as Orson Pratt, would maintain strikingly similar positions about the nature of the soul, the godhead, and the final cause of humanity. These concepts represent essential aspects of the worldviews of these traditions; …

Mercy Vs. Justice - Blood Of The Lamb, Ryan Murphy

Honors Projects

How did Christ's death save us? The Atonement is a Christian doctrine which has been heavily debated in how it should be understood since the beginnings of Christianity. This analysis covers the theological theories of the Atonement, narrates a Catholic layman's personal understanding that is based on scholarly research and is kept within the bounds of Catholic doctrine, and summarizes the thoughts and feelings of surveyed college-age Christians on the subject.

Visions Of Indecency: The Intersection Between The Church And Prostitution In Augsburg, Rome, And Southwark From The Twelfth To Seventeenth Century Ce, Samantha Leahy

Young Historians Conference

The following research paper endeavors to present and enhance knowledge on the relationship between the Roman Catholic Church and prostitution across Italy, England, and Germany from the 12th to the 17th century CE. The paper traces the Church’s opinion of reluctant tolerance prostitution to openly condemning it and argues that this ecclesiastical shift can be traced to various syphilitic breakouts that occurred in association with the Columbian Exchange and the growing popularity of Prostitute Reform Houses. The paper argues that these aspects of European history, in conjunction with the increased influence of Protestant Reformers in the 16th century, expedited the …

Impure Blood: The Menstrual Taboo In The Christian Church During The Thirteenth Century, Madeleine F. Ott

Young Historians Conference

The Curse of Eve—or the menstrual process—was a topic widely stigmatized and perpetuated in the thirteenth century. With the publication and translation of classic Greek and Roman texts, the misconceptions and stereotypes were influenced by not only the publications of historical texts, but also the authoritarian rule of the Roman Catholic Church. The social position of European women in the thirteenth century dictated that women were physically and emotionally handicapped by the menstrual cycle. The discrimination against women in the medieval church was largely dictated by the perception of female menstrual blood compared to the “purity” and cleanliness of the …

The Saint Of Orléans: Her Legacy, Riona K. O'Donnell

Young Historians Conference

Often referred to as Joan of Arc in the anglophone tradition, Jeanne d’Arc – the saint who fought to liberate France during the Hundred-Years War, the convicted heretic who was burned at the stake – never existed outside of history books. These images only superficially resemble the historical figure of Jeanne. Still, Jeanne’s image as an ancient warrior hero, an example of Divine will, or a symbol of French nationalism permeates today’s culture across the western world. How did this historical dynamism manifest in a young woman who was in the public eye for a short two years? This paper …

The Supreme And Fiery Force Of A Poor Little Form Of A Woman: The Development Of The Prophetic Voice Of Hildegard Of Bingen, Maeve Nagel-Frazel

Young Historians Conference

The first women granted Papal permission to teach and preach on theological matters, Hildegard of Bingen (AD 1098-1179) was a revered spiritual teacher who accumulated a sphere of influence far beyond most medieval women. However, Hildegard’s power derived from a paradox: the only way in which Hildegard was able to gain power was by deliberately diminishing herself as a paupercula femina forma (a poor little form of a woman). This paper explores the paradoxical cultivation of Hildegard's self-image, of a weak woman unwillingly receiving the word of God through debilitating visions, as a means to authenticate Hildegard's work and gain …

Holding On To Culture: The Effects Of The 1837 Smallpox Epidemic On Mandan And Hidatsa, Jayne Reinhiller

Butler Journal of Undergraduate Research

The Mandan and Hidatsa tribes located in modern day North Dakota have a rich history characterized by elaborate social and religions structures and trade based economic systems; however, because of their stationary lifestyles and increased European and American trade, the Mandan and Hidatsa faced substantial loses during the 1837 smallpox epidemic. The tribal decimation altered both social and ceremonial structures resulting in a new and collective identity and a new ceremonial structure. Through the analysis of the anthropological studies of Alfred Bowers and the journals of fur traders and explorers like F. A. Chardon, Meriwether Lewis, and William Clark, it …

Saints And Sainthood Around The Baltic Sea: Identity, Literacy, And Communication In The Middle Ages, Carsten Selch Jensen

Studies in Medieval and Early Modern Culture

This volume addresses the history of saints and sainthood in the Middle Ages in the Baltic Region with a special focus on the cult of saints in Russia, Prussia, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Estonia, and Latvia (more commonly referred to in the Middle Ages as Livonia). The articles cover a wide range of topics, for example the introduction of foreign (and "old") saints into new regions, the creation of new local cults of saints in newly Christianized regions, the role of the cult of saints in the creation of political and lay identities, the adaption of the cult of saints in …

Rabbi Eliezer Of Beaugency, Commentaries On Amos And Jonah (With Selections From Isaiah And Ezekiel), Robert A. Harris

TEAMS Commentary Series

Rabbi Eliezer of Beaugency represents the pinnacle of twelfth-century rabbinic exegesis of the Bible. A proponent of the literal school, Eliezer completely abandoned traditional rabbinic midrash in his explication of biblical texts and innovated a literary approach that anticipated the fruits of modern scholarship in virtually every paragraph. This volume presents, for the first time in English translation, an extended window into the oeuvre of this master interpreter.

Another Scientific Revolution: Now Yielding A 'Cosmic Biology' Consistent With Natural Theology, Theodore Walker

Perkins Faculty Research and Special Events

Beyond the Copernican revolution, another scientific revolution is now in process. Inspired by Sir Fred Hoyle and others, this contemporary extension of the Copernican revolution is replacing biology conceived as exclusively Earth science with biology conceived as including study of stellar evolution and cosmic evolution. Furthermore, astrobiology, panspermia, and cosmic biology (Hoyle and Wickramasinghe) are advancing in ways consistent with natural theology, especially with panentheism. Some of this was anticipated and advocated by Alfred North Whitehead, Charles Hartshorne, and other philosophers of nature.

The Transition Of Papal Politicization As Demonstrated Through Pope Gregory Ix And His Adversaries In The Thirteenth Century, Emily Northcutt

History ETDs

Gregory IX (pope 1227-41) asserted his papal authority over secular and religious leaders in an attempt to showcase the strength of the church. His pontificate took place between those of the famous Innocent III (1198-1216) and the powerful Innocent IV (1243-54), meaning that Gregory’s accomplishments are often overshadowed. This thesis aims to prove that Gregory is a worthy protagonist and a worthy subject of study in his own right. Comparing Gregory’s pontificate to those of his immediate predecessor and successor highlights the shifting nature of Gregory’s priorities. This work examines Gregory’s relationship with Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II regarding crusades …

Jews And The Sources Of Religious Freedom In Early Pennsylvania, Jonathon Derek Awtrey

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Historians’ traditional narrative regarding religious freedom in the colonial period and early republic focuses on Protestants and sometimes Catholics to the exclusion of other religious groups; the literature also emphasizes the legal dimensions of freedom at the expense of its cultural manifestations. This study, conversely, demonstrates that Jews, the only white non-Christian minority group in early Pennsylvania, experienced freedom far differently than its legality can adequately explain. Jews, moreover, reshaped religious freedom to include religious groups beyond Protestant Christians alone. But such grassroots transformations were neither quick nor easy. Like most of the Anglo-American world, William Penn’s “Holy Experiment” excluded …

After Vatican Ii: Renegotiating The Roles Of Women, Sexual Ethics, And Homosexuality In The Roman Catholic Church, Kenneth Brian Nauert Jr.

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Vatican II was one of the most seminal councils in Roman Catholic Church history, having far reaching effects on the universal institution.¹ One of the most important outcomes of Vatican II was not the reforming of orthopraxy, but the dialogue that developed regarding three specific issues – the transforming of women’s roles in Church life, Catholic sexual ethics, and the Church’s relationship with LGBTQ+ individuals.² The decades following Vatican II became a new era of religious dialogue among Catholic scholars and theologians, which established new discussions on women’s ordination, sexual ethics, and attitudes towards homosexuality in the contemporary …

A Message From Antioch And Moravia To The West, Barry Hudspeth

Masters Theses

This qualitative thesis study, “A Message From Antioch and Moravia to the West,” explores the North American Church’s role in the global missions arena and seeks to develop a streamlined strategy for engaging in cross-cultural evangelism in the twenty-first century. A qualitative case study of the first-century Christian church and Moravian church of the eighteenth century provides data on actions conducted to spread Christianity from a central geographical location outward to the known world in their respective eras of Christian history. These two case study analyses looked at how the Gospel was spread during each point in history followed by …

Using Wikipedia In Israel Studies Courses, Shira Klein

History Faculty Articles and Research

Instructors of Israeli history or literature, like professors in other areas, complain about students’ use of Wikipedia—and with good reason. Unlike peer-reviewed scholarship, many Wikipedia articles contain information that is both incomplete and wrong. Most instructors will warn their students that relying on Wikipedia is a sure recipe for failing assignments. Yet there is a way to mobilize this giant encyclopedia for pedagogical purposes. When students in Israel Studies classes are assigned to edit Wikipedia articles, they achieve multiple goals: they gain critical reading skills, shape public knowledge about Israel, and engage in active learning. This article explains how to …

Brief Of Scholars Of Mormon History & Law As Amici Curiae In Support Of Neither Party, Anna-Rose Mathieson, Ben Feuer, Nathan B. Oman

Briefs

No abstract provided.

The Gawain-Poet And The Fourteenth-Century English Anticlerical Tradition, Ethan Campbell

Research in Medieval and Early Modern Culture

In this fresh reading of the Gawain-poet's Middle English works (Cleanness, Patience, Pearl, and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight), Ethan Campbell argues that a central feature of their moral rhetoric is anticlerical critique. Written in an era when clerical corruption was a key concern for polemicists such as Richard FitzRalph and John Wyclif, as well as satirical poets such as John Gower, William Langland, and Geoffrey Chaucer, the Gawain poems feature an explicit attack on hypocritical priests in the opening lines of Cleanness as well as more subtle critiques embedded within depictions of …

2018 Martin Luther King, Jr. Convocation, Otterbein University

MLK Convocations

Otterbein University honors the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. each year at an annual Martin Luther King Jr. Convocation which features a keynote speaker. This year's speaker was Samuel Gresham, Jr. and also included several speeches & performances by Otterbein Students.

'Not Cruelty But Piety': Circumscribing European Crusading Violence, Susanna A. Throop

History Faculty Publications

Was there such a thing as “crusading violence”? Traditionally the crusading movement has been sharply distinguished from other forms of Christian violence motivated, or at least justified, by religion. However, we have increasingly come to recognize the difficulties of drawing clear-cut boundaries between crusading and other aspects of western European culture in the Middle Ages. This chapter assesses the ways in which crusader violence was like and unlike other forms of medieval Christian violence.

Bringing The Kingdom: Religious Women's Engagement In Social Reform In Minnesota From 1880 To 1920, Jennifer Anne Hornyak Wojciechwoski

Doctor of Philosophy Theses

The turn of the twentieth century was a time of great civic engagement in the United States. Women, in particular, were engaged in a variety of benevolent organizations. Much of the previous historical investigation on women’s reform activity has focused on the actions of white, affluent, mainline Protestant women in older and larger cities. Because of this focus on affluent Protestant women, historians have largely ignored other groups of women who were also engaged in reform efforts all over the country.

This dissertation examines four groups of religiously engaged women in Minnesota between the years 1880 and 1920 (immigrants, Roman …

06, Kerver's 1507 Book Of Hours And The Four "Spanish Saints", Sophia Germond

Kerver Book of Hours: 2018 Senior Capstone

This essay presents research on four saints included in the Book of Hours' liturgical calendar who were particularly celebrated in Spain, suggesting that the book was printed to be distributed to the Spanish market.