Religion Commons^™

Inmate Reentry: Success Through Faith - A Mixed-Methods Study On Inmate Conversions And Life After Release, Eric S. Campbell

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation-in-praxis (DiP) explored the circumstances surrounding the emotional responses and past traumatic experiences that led inmates to commit their lives to Jesus. The DiP also researched the high rate of recidivism amongst released inmates. The researcher partnered with Reach the Forgotten Jail Ministry (RTF), as well as local churches, in an effort to create a program that would work with inmates prior to and after release. The qualitative study established a paradigm highlighting the significance of comprehensive leadership training in a time of transition by drawing upon transformational leadership theory, adaptive leadership theory, as well as servant leadership theory. …

A Phenomenological Study Of The Lived Experiences Of Members Of Alcoholics Anonymous Which Changes Behavior From Addiction To Recovery, Marie Buchanan Wiles

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study is to understand the experiences of AA members in rural southern Virginia, leading to behavior changes from addiction to recovery. Exploring these experiences will provide an understanding of how this organization provides recovery capital, reduces rural barriers to addiction treatment, and facilitates a spiritual awakening that supports behavior change. The spiritual awakening is achieved by following the 12-step principles of AA, which results in behavioral changes leading to improved sobriety outcomes. Changes in behavior have been explained by the Social Cognitive Theory, which posits that behavior results from a reciprocal interaction between the …

Intergenerational Apologetics: A Strategy For Careful Confidence, Thomas C. Farley

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

There is a subtle confusion between the objectives of evangelism and apologetics, leaving Open Door Baptist Church (ODBC) seniors unknowingly ill-equipped and intimidated to defend their Christian values. The purpose of this Doctor of Ministry research was to address that intimidation by training seniors in a dedicated faith-values curriculum to become confident apologetic communicators. The intervention leveraged the process of intergenerational values-sharing while training stakeholders to develop their own faith narratives by seamlessly integrating biblical values with relevant apologetic particulars into personal stories to be shared with their grandchildren. In this environment, participants could develop a personal faith narrative that …

Mentorship Leadership Succession: Implementing Paul's Discipleship Practices, Matthew Scott Beagle

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This action research project addresses the lack of empowered, biblically qualified leaders at Pinecrest Baptist Church in Portsmouth, VA, where discipleship has often been treated as complete with conversion, baptism, and initial ministry involvement, rather than as a process that produces future leaders within the congregation. The project proposed that a mentor-based discipleship succession process, modeled on Pauline discipleship, could help current leaders shift from a maintenance mindset to a culture of multiplication and leadership development. Using an action research design, the study implemented a twelve-week mentor-discipleship succession curriculum that guided participants through four phases of leadership development: calling that …

Beyond The Echo Chamber: Mitigating Confirmation Bias In Christian Communities*, Alina Lytvynyuk, Jasmine Zavala, Erin Rouse, Sadie Elias

Campus Research Month

Individuals have shown marked levels of confirmation bias, particularly in religious beliefs. This study investigated whether generating oppositional arguments to a pre-established belief about women’s ordination reduces the tendency to produce biased credibility and strength ratings of AI-generated essays for or against the practice. Additionally, it explored how attribution of the essays to a religious authority figure would impact the level of bias. It was hypothesized that participants in the counterargument condition would display reduced confirmation bias, and the authority condition would either exacerbate or reduce a person’s preexisting level of bias.

Res Historica, Volume 5, Alpha Rho Epsilon Phi Alpha Theta, Lindsay Rae Smith Privette Phd

Res Historica

The 2026 journal of historical research by Anderson University students, Res Historica.

The editorial team for this edition of Res Historica was Dr. Lindsay Rae Smith Privette, Julia Ackerman, Callyn Wright, Logan Davis, and John Hinton. Cover art by Mary Beth Lee.

Faith In Action: How Liberation Theology Connected Communities Around The World, Jaizeth Andrea Munoz

Posters - 2026

The Liberation Theology movement started in Latin America as a response to poverty, inequality, and violence. It focuses on the idea that religion should not stay neutral, but instead help people who are suffering and facing injustice. It began with Gustavo Gutiérrez, who believed that faith should be connected to real-life struggles, especially for the poor. Even though it began in Catholic communities, its focus on justice and human dignity allowed other religious communities to relate to it and adapt it.

The research asks how Liberation Theology has connected religious communities around the world and examines how these ideas have …

American Death Penalty Opinion's Are Affected By Religion, Right?, Addysen Schniederjan

Posters - 2026

How does religion affect Death Penalty Public Opinion?

• align with doctrine?
• religious beliefs affect political beliefs?
• political ideology?

If public opinion is not affected by religion, what does this say about religious beliefs?

Deportation And Death: Examining The Second Trump Administration’S Immigration Policy Through The Lens Of Just War Theory, Finley W. Snyder

Augustana Center for the Study of Ethics Essay Contest

From day one of the second Trump administration, the White House has treated illegal immigration as an invasion, both rhetorically and, to a lesser extent, legally. The administration has not shied away from the use of force in this campaign, leading to the notable killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti along with countless acts of violence across the nation. This essay seeks to evaluate the ethics of the second Trump administration's immigration policy from within this "war" framing through the lens of just war theory. While there has been considerable attention to just war theory in the context of …

Pacifism And Negligence In Our Modern Era Ignoring Crises For “It Being Political”, Georgi Feigley

Augustana Center for the Study of Ethics Essay Contest

No abstract provided.

Negotiating Identity: Local Religion Adherents And Majority Group Resistance In Indonesia, Tri Astutik Haryati, Amat Zuhri, Annisa Mutohharoh

The Qualitative Report

The existence of local religion adherents amidst a majority population is marked by structural and cultural rejection. This condition highlights fundamental issues surrounding freedom of religion and belief in Indonesia. This study aims to explore the experiences of local religion adherents in confronting structural and cultural resistance from an emic perspective, situating local religions within the broader academic discourse on the interaction between local wisdom and global religions. The participants consist of 11 adherents of local religions affiliated with Majelis Luhur Kepercayaan Indonesia (MLKI), an organization that supports followers of local religions and indigenous beliefs throughout Indonesia. Using a qualitative …

Constraint, Necessity, And God Beyond Structure: A Structural Account Of Suffering Under Three-Layer Cognitive Architecture, Griselda Poe

Publications and Research

The question of why humans suffer, if God exists, has persisted across philosophical and theological traditions without resolution. This paper does not approach the problem as one of justification. Instead, it specifies the structural conditions under which suffering arises. The analysis adopts a three-layer model of cognition consisting of a Prior layer, a Core processing layer, and a Modulation layer. The Prior layer supplies constraints that initiate processing but remain inaccessible to it. Under these constraints, cognition begins in a non-neutral state in which one layer is initially foregrounded. When Modulation-layer processing is foregrounded, the condition of translation demands continuation. …

A Covenant Agreement Between The Cooperative Campus Ministry And Alabama Campus Ministry Board, University Of North Alabama

Documents

Agreement between the Cooperative Campus Ministry and the Alabama Campus Board Ministry

By-Laws Of The Wesley Foundation At The University Of North Alabama, Wesley Foundation, University Of North Alabama

Documents

The By-Laws of The Wesley Foundation at the University of North Alabama

Plan Of Organizations For The Cooperative Campus Ministry To The University Of North Alabama, University Of North Alabama

Documents

The plan for the Cooperative Campus Ministry Board at The University of North Alabama

Call For Papers For The Journal Of Social Encounters’ Special Issue On Global And Regional Governance: The Past Present And Future

The Journal of Social Encounters

No abstract provided.

Review Of Christian De Chergé: Spiritual Writings, William Skudlarek

The Journal of Social Encounters

No abstract provided.

Review Of Chosen Peoples: Christianity And Political Imagination In South Sudan, John Ashworth

The Journal of Social Encounters

No abstract provided.

Review Of Nevertheless, We Persist: A Feminist Public Theology, Tiffany Hunsinger

The Journal of Social Encounters

No abstract provided.

Review Of Falling Into God: My Lay Catholic Journey In Spirituality And Ministry From Family And Home To Vatican Ii And The Holy Spirit To Prophetic Work For Justice And Peace, Rosemarie Pace

The Journal of Social Encounters

No abstract provided.

Review Of The Black Practice Of Disbelief, Walter W. Hill Jr.

The Journal of Social Encounters

No abstract provided.

Review Of Engaging Thomas Merton: Spirituality, Justice, And Racism, Paul Pynkoski

The Journal of Social Encounters

No abstract provided.

Review Of Ella Baker & The Black Freedom Movement: A Radical Vision, Danny Duncan Collum

The Journal of Social Encounters

No abstract provided.

Review Of Muhammad And The Christians: Commemorating The Covenants Of The Prophet, Jon Armajani

The Journal of Social Encounters

No abstract provided.

Review Of Speaking Of Trust: Religion And Mutual Aid In Southwest Kenya, Dennis Kilama

The Journal of Social Encounters

No abstract provided.

Review Of On The Path Toward One Another: A Christian And A Muslim Conversation, Hans A. Harmakaputra

The Journal of Social Encounters

No abstract provided.

The Relevance Of Fr. John A. Kaiser For Human Rights And Peace Advocacy Today, Otieno Ombok

The Journal of Social Encounters

This essay explores the relationship of the work of Fr. John Anthony Kaiser to Kenya’s 2010 Constitution. His life, work, and death embody the very principles and struggles that the new constitution was designed to address. The author also discusses how to continue the work for peace and justice in the spirit of Fr. Kaiser.

Where Are The Women Memorialized? Commemoration Of Women In The U.S. Congress, Deborah Saki, Alexander Leasure

The Journal of Social Encounters

In the United States, a study of the memorialization of political actors through monuments reveals the disgracefully small number of women memorialized. We find little effort to preserve the memory of trailblazing women in the U.S. Congress. By 2021, as the National Monument Audit indicates, only two congresswomen were memorialized in public spaces across the country: Rep. Barbara Jordan (D-T.X.) and Rep. Millicent Fenwick (R-N.J.). Drawing on frameworks of historical memory and theories of reputational politics, we examine the public conversations that led to the memorialization of these women. We find motive, institutional power, and clarity of narrative in …

Sanitation System Options For Public Health Promotion For Post-War Khartoum, Sudan, Gazi Nouman

The Journal of Social Encounters

No abstract provided.

Frontline Medicine During War In Sudan: Confronting Health System Collapse, Mogahed Halaly

The Journal of Social Encounters

Since the outbreak of war in Sudan in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces, the country’s fragile health system has deteriorated rapidly. As hospitals closed, medical supplies vanished, and millions were displaced, frontline health workers were forced to make impossible choices. This essay recounts my experience as a young physician during the collapse of Sinnar Teaching Hospital, my displacement to White Nile State, and the creation of a community-led humanitarian initiative that provided clinical care, shelter, food, and livelihood support to thousands. It reflects on the intersection of war, displacement, public health collapse, and …