Religion Commons^™

The Mountain Stands: An Autoethnographic Inquiry Into Zulu Christians' Approaches To Spiritual Health, Makayla Lagerman

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Spiritual health is a vital component of individual wellness that can be described in many ways; most commonly, it is thought of as the connectivity of the inner spirit to others, the world, transcendental beings, and more. From personal experience, I know that the state of my spiritual wellbeing can greatly impact my physical and mental health. For this reason, actively considered how to think about spiritual health for one of the first times in my life.

This project sought to explore Zulu Christians’ approaches to spiritual health in concurrence with my own. This was done by interviewing one Swazi …

Getting Sick Where Karma Is Gravity: Disease In The Tibetan Perspective, Moreau Hadley

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Karma is the Buddhist idea that our actions from current and previous lives affect our fortune in this life. In particular, if we suffer in the current life, it is due to negative action in the past. Likewise, if we prosper, it is due to past positive acts, such as compassion. The idea of karma extends to illness; in simplification, sickness is attributed to negative past action.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the belief of karmic disease in the Tibetan Buddhist community of Shangri-La. Although disease is often used as an example of karmic suffering, and there …

Sacred Springs: Perceptions Of Religion And Water In Village Communities Of Uttarakhand, Juliet Risko

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study explores the rural area of Pauri Garhwal in Uttarakhand to gain an understanding of the relationship between traditional societies and their natural environment – including perceptions of water in the community, the aspect of religious rituals involving such resources, and the impact that these factors have on the overall health of the community. Originally, the water body of interest was the Ganga, with the complex layers of spirituality surrounding her waters. However, upon visitation to the community, it was discovered that natural springs held a much greater importance to the individual and collective lives in the area. Through …

What Lies In The Gray: Creative Analytic Pieces On The Formation And Evolution Of Beliefs In Masxha, Robin Mwai

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The purpose of this project was to look at how members of Durban's Masxha township develop their belief systems and ideas about their world. This topic was developed out of a desire to better understand the factors that promote or inhibit individuals from changing their mind about topics relating to their community, society, and culture. I sought to gain a deeper understanding of the specific context of Masxha and the experiences and lives of those with whom I spoke.

To accomplish the goal of learning from lived experiences, this study employed a narrative inquiry approach. Using loosely-structured interviews involving eight …

Rediscovering The Theology Of Lay Ministry And Presenting A Pastoral Plan: “The Integral Christian Formation Of Lay Leaders” For The Catholic Church In Tamil Nadu, India, Bernard Joseph Viagappan

LMU Theses and Dissertations

Even after the Vatican II has categorically revealed the role and the place of the laity in the Church, there is so much of resistance and cynicism prevailing among the clergy and the people in the Indian Church about this clarion call of the Council. Around 90% of Catholics keep themselves passive in their faith practice. As we delay the promotion of active and full use of the lay potential, the greater the chance and number of the lay faithful losing their faith. A strong feeling of insecurity in the clergy leads to distrust of lay talents and charisms and …

The Parable As Mirror: An Examination Of The Use Of Parables In The Works Of Kierkegaard, Russell Hamer

Dissertations (1934 -)

This dissertation focuses on an exploration of the use of parables in the works of Soren Kierkegaard. While some work has been done on Kierkegaard’s poetic style, very little attention has been paid to his metaphors, despite their prevalent use in his works. Much of the scholarship instead treats his parables as mere examples of philosophical concepts. In this work, I argue that Kierkegaard’s parables function primarily to cause the reader to see him or herself truly. The parables work like mirrors, reflecting our true selves back onto ourself. In this way, the parables prompt Kierkegaard’s readers to overcome the …

Reconciling Universal Salvation And Freedom Of Choice In Origen Of Alexandria, Lee W. Sytsma

Dissertations (1934 -)

Origen has traditionally been famous for his universalism, but many scholars now express doubt that Origen believed in a universal and permanent apocatastasis. This is because many scholars are convinced that Origen’s teaching on moral autonomy (or freedom of choice) is logically incompatible with the notion that God foreordains every soul’s future destiny. Those few scholars who do argue that Origen believed in both moral autonomy and universal salvation either do not know how to reconcile these two views in Origen’s theology, or their proposed “solutions” are not convincing. In this dissertation I make two preliminary arguments which allow the …

The Media Matrix Of Early Jewish And Christian Literature, Nicholas Andrew Elder

Dissertations (1934 -)

This study compares two seemingly dissimilar ancient texts, the Gospel of Mark and Joseph and Aseneth. The former is a product of the nascent Jesus movement and influenced by the Greco-Roman βίοι (“Lives”). It details the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of a wandering Galilean. The latter is a Hellenistic Jewish narrative influenced by Jewish novellas and Greek romances. It expands the laconic account of Joseph’s marriage to Aseneth in Genesis 41 into a full-blown love story that promotes the romantic, theological, and ethical incentives of spurning idols and converting to Judaism. Generically, theologically, and concerning content the two texts …

Eighteenth-Century Forerunners Of Vatican Ii: Early Modern Catholic Reform And The Synod Of Pistoia, Shaun London Blanchard

Dissertations (1934 -)

This dissertation sheds further light on the nature of church reform and the roots of the Second Vatican Council (1962-65) through a study of eighteenth-century Catholic reformers who anticipated Vatican II. The most striking of these examples is the Synod of Pistoia (1786), the high-water mark of "late Jansenism." Most of the reforms of the Synod were harshly condemned by Pope Pius VI in the Bull Auctorem fidei (1794), and late Jansenism was totally discredited in the increasingly ultramontane nineteenth-century Catholic Church. Nevertheless, many of the reforms implicit or explicit in the Pistoian agenda - such as an exaltation of …

Methodism In Macedonia Between The Two World Wars, Paul B. Mojzes

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

After World War I ended, the part of Macedonia commonly called Vardar Macedonia was incorporated into the new Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes (subsequently renamed Yugoslavia). It was officially proclaimed to be a part of Serbia as the Serbian government did not recognize a separate Macedonian nationality. Some 10 stations of the American Board, including the Bitola Girls' School, were in this area. The American Board attempted to maintain a semblance of unity in the Balkan Mission, but Greece, Bulgaria, and Yugoslavia were on such unfriendly terms that this was not feasible. For a while the American Board was …

Mobilizing Habesha Immigrant Churches In Greater Boston : Training Servant Leaders For Transformation And Growth, Mulualem Kaba

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of Leadership Matters Course On Christian Leaders, Crispus Christian

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Chaos And Clairvoyance : Apollo In Asia Minor And In The Apocalypse, Andrew Jonathan Coutras

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Insights Into The Translation And Interpretation Of The Targum To The Book Of Jeremiah, Meng Loeng Yip

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Creedal Symbols Of My Great Grandparents : The Adinkra Symbols Reveal The Theology Of The Akans People Of Ghana, Kofi Amoateng

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Diabetes Prevention Program: Exploring Spirituality And Spiritual Interventions On Outcomes, Sharon E. Plutko Long

Dissertations

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to explore a relationship between a modified Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) for adults with pre-diabetes (pre-DM) or type-2 DM with variables of spirituality and religiosity (S/R) to illuminate the potential religion-health connection based in changes in participant weight, body mass index (BMI) and physical activity. A secondary purpose is identifying spiritual interventions used by faith-based DPP coaches in a group setting.

Methods

A mixed-methods study was conducted with 34 DPP participants and 11 DPP coaches who completed the core section (weeks 1-26) of DPP courses held in Macomb Country, Michigan. Independent variables are …

Influences Of Tenure Among Church Of God Of Prophecy Pastors, Florida District, Romeika Ferguson-Adderley

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

The factors that influence pastoral tenure are varied and complex, especially as men and women serve congregations with growing diversities and needs. However, in the past 30 years, the research on pastoral tenure typically examined congregations that were Protestant in organizational belief and structure. Little research on pastoral tenure among Pentecostal churches could be found in the current body of literature. The purpose of this quantitative, non-experimental study was to investigate the factors that influence pastoral tenure within three regional/subcultural areas of the state of Florida for the Pentecostal denomination of the Church of God of Prophecy (COGOP). All lead …

Education And The Arab Spring: Resistance, Reform, And Democracy, Mohammed Abullatif Alharbi

Faculty Publications

The Arab Spring has brought about major changes in the Arab region in many aspects, including education. The researchers aim to present the state of education after the Arab Spring revolutions and compare it with what was before these revolutions. The book has been divided into three main sections. The first section discussed the state of education before the Arab Spring by highlighting some of the teachers’ practices in the classroom. The second section presents some calls for reforming youth education in countries such as Egypt, Yemen, and Tunisia. The last section, which contains three chapters, explores the education of …

Cross-Cultural Management In Healthcare: A Case Study Of Malamulo Hospital, A Seventh-Day Adventist Mission Hospital In Malawi, Africa, Elisa J. Blethen

Human Subject Research Archive

This paper examines the complexity of cross-cultural management in a Seventh-day Adventist mission hospital in Malawi and the effect of national and organizational culture on employee accountability, with the goal of expanding cross-cultural management capacity among the leaders of Malamulo Hospital and Adventist Health International. Case study method was used with focus groups, semi-structured interviews, document review, and observation. This research suggested certain workshops be implemented to other mission hospitals within Adventist Health International to expand their cross-cultural management capacity.

The Semi-Anti-Apocalypse Of Black Panther, Ken Derry

Journal of Religion & Film

This is one of a series of films reviews of Black Panther (2018), directed by Ryan Coogler.

Black Panther As Spirit Trip, Laurel Zwissler

Journal of Religion & Film

This is one of a series of film reviews of Black Panther (2018), directed by Ryan Coogler. This review analyzes engagement with the movie as a religious experience and considers some political implications of both its storyline and reception. In particular, the piece focuses on constructions of race, especially in relationship to Africa and African Americans, as well as practical tensions around commodifying dissent.

Ancestors Change Constantly: Subversive Religious Colonial Deconstruction In The Religion Of Black Panther, Jon Ivan Gill

Journal of Religion & Film

This is one of a series of film reviews of Black Panther (2018), directed by Ryan Coogler.

Editorial In(Ter)Ventions: Comparing The Editorial Processes Of The Hebrew Bible And The Star Wars Saga, Timo Tekoniemi

Journal of Religion & Film

Canonicity and authority of one textual form over another, textual plurality, and scribal freedom in the early transmission of the Hebrew Bible have in the recent decades become prominent topics in the methodological discussions of biblical scholars. Since the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, it has become clear that, when attempting to discern the oldest text of the Hebrew Bible, we are in need of new and better models of textual transmission that take into account all extant textual evidence. Working solely on the basis of the so-called Masoretic Text is no more methodologically tenable, especially when it comes …

Classroom Cannibal: A Guide On How To Teach Ojibwe Spirituality Using The Windigo And Film, Brady Desanti

Journal of Religion & Film

This paper is intended as a pedagogical guide on how to teach elements of Ojibwe religious and philosophical beliefs using the windigo and its depictions in the films Wendigo and Ravenous. The windigo complex is exceedingly complex and remains an enduring component to the cultures of Ojibwe and several other Algonquian-speaking communities in the United States and Canada. While the windigo enjoys exposure in a variety of popular entertainment sources, film remains one of the most useful methods to incorporate in the classroom to help students comprehend how an anthropophagus “monster” directly relates to Ojibwe ideas of personal balance, …

The Problem With David: Masculinity And Morality In Biblical Cinema, Kevin M. Mcgeough

Journal of Religion & Film

The King David of the Bible, and especially as portrayed in the books of Samuel, is one of the most complex characters in ancient literature. We are told his story from his youth as a shepherd until his death as king of Israel. He kills a mighty warrior with a slingshot, goes to war with his king and later his son, and has an affair that threatens to throw his kingdom into disarray. The stories surrounding David seem perfect for cinematic adaptation yet what makes this character so compelling has been problematic for filmmakers. Here, three types of Biblical filmmaking …

Is Liberalism The Problem? Review Of Patrick Deneen, Why Liberalism Failed, Ross W. Mccullough

Faculty Publications - George Fox School of Theology

A specter is haunting conservatism — the specter, indeed, of Marx. Those conservatives too young to remember the Cold War are increasingly suspicious of the economic and political prescriptions of the older anticommunism: capitalism as opposed to socialism; individual rights as opposed to collectivism. If they are not sure of Marx’s solutions, they at least share with him a sense of the problems, especially the meaninglessness and atomization of our social order. The alternative right is an alternative to precisely this fading consensus, wagering that race and nation have survived the ravages of liberal capitalism and can be a home …

Perceptions Of Religious Music In A Southern U.S. Public Middle School: A Case Study, Emily Marie Mercado

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Intercultural experiences can result in increased knowledge of and positive attitudes towards unfamiliar cultural groups (Neto, Pinto, & Mullet, 2016; Vuoskoski, Clarke, & DeNora, 2017). Deardorff’s (2006) intercultural competence process framework provides a method for exploring and categorizing elements of intercultural competence including attitudes, knowledge/skills, internal outcomes, and external outcomes.

This narrative instrumental case study examined the perceptions of one middle school choir teacher, choir students, the student teacher, the parents, and the vice principal when implementing a researcher-designed unit titled: Religious Choral Music from the Christian, Jewish, and Muslim Worlds. The choir teacher offered a unique perspective as an …

Suffering, Double Negatives, And The Friday We Call "Good", Howard Schaap

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

"The story of Jesus’ suffering is powerful, and the theological wonder of it is infinitely profound."

Posting about Christ's humanity on the cross­­­­­­­­ from In All Things - an online journal for critical reflection on faith, culture, art, and every ordinary-yet-graced square inch of God’s creation.

https://inallthings.org/suffering-double-negatives-and-the-friday-we-call-good/

Interview With Carlton Pearson, John C. Lyden

Journal of Religion & Film

Editor John Lyden had the opportunity for a conversation with Rev. Carlton Pearson, the subject of the Netflix film Come Sunday which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival 2018. They discussed Pearson's theology of inclusion and what led him to it.

Empathy That Is Simply Divine, James C. Schaap

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

"When we stumble through the desert places of our lives, when we’d give anything for a drink, He understands."

Posting about ­­­­­­­­Christ's love for us from In All Things - an online journal for critical reflection on faith, culture, art, and every ordinary-yet-graced square inch of God’s creation.

https://inallthings.org/empathy-that-is-simply-divine/