Religion Commons^™

The Liberation Of The Disabled Christ And What That Shows Us About Our Human Sacredness In Healthcare, Hannah Miers

Obsculta

This paper explores the significance of Christ’s identity in relation to disability, emphasizing the need for a liberating theology that acknowledges and affirms the dignity of disabled individuals in healthcare settings. It advocates for a Christological perspective that integrates the image of a disabled Christ, calling for awareness and equitable treatment for the disabled within a healthcare framework. By recognizing the connections between disability theology and the holistic needs of human beings, this paper aims to inspire a shift towards greater respect, grace, and compassion in caring for vulnerable populations, thereby addressing systemic inequities inherent in medical practices.

An Acrostic Ekphrasis On The Frauenkirche In Dresden, Germany, Aaron Christie

Obsculta

The Frauenkirche in Dresden, Germany, is widely regarded as the apex of confessional Lutheran architecture. This acrostic ekphrasis is written from the viewpoint of a Lutheran parishioner shortly after the Frauenkirche’s dedication in 1743. The church was built in the milieu of the confessional struggles that ensued in Electoral Saxony when Augustus the Strong converted to Roman Catholicism to become king of Poland. Several sections of this ekphrasis move forward into modern times to recount the Frauenkirche’s destruction in WWII and her rededication in 2005.

Spiritual Exercises In Novarodok Mussar And The Early Work, Martin Zwick

Complex Systems Faculty Publications and Presentations

This paper compares aspects of the teachings launched in pre-revolutionary and revolutionary Russia of two spiritual figures: Rabbi Yoseph Yozel Horwitz and George Gurdjieff. Yozel founded the Novarodok school of Mussar within Judaism; Gurdjieff founded the spiritual tradition known as “the Work” or “Fourth Way.” There are of course great differences between Judaism and the Work, but some similarities might be expected between spiritual disciplines, especially similarities in practice as opposed to doctrine. This paper explores similarities of some spiritual exercises in the Mussar school of Novarodok and secondarily in later or other Mussar teachings and in the early Gurdjieff …

Editorial, Bruce L. Bauer

Journal of Adventist Mission Studies

These international contributions are important because mission in the Adventist Church is a shared task with more of the Adventist divisions becoming sending divisions.

Full Issue

Journal of Adventist Mission Studies

This issue of the Journal of Adventist Mission Studies marks a high point in Adventist missiological literature, for all the authors of the articles reside outside of North America.

Topics Of Historical Memory In The Pr Activities Of Religious Organizations In Present-Day Ukraine, Vadym Sluysar, Yuliia Kondratiuk, Iryna Vitiuk, Oleksandr Mosienko

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article analyzes the role of religious organizations in Ukraine in shaping and preserving historical memory in the context of their PR activities. The article examines the contribution of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU), the Roman Catholic Church (RCC), Protestant denominations, and Muslim organizations to the popularization of objective historical narratives. Through participation in memorial events, restoration of monuments, organization of scientific conferences, exhibitions, lectures, and publication of historical materials, religious organizations contribute to the formation of national and civic identity. Particular attention is paid to the coverage of tragic events such as the Holodomor, the deportation of Crimean …

Oil And Wine: A Christian Reflection On The Sacred Oath, Faith Abraham

be Still

This essay explores the intersection of medicine, faith, and the deeper calling to heal. Reflecting on experiences at the Christian Community Health Fellowship (CCHF) Conference, it examines the weight of the physician’s oath—not just as a professional obligation, but as a sacred commitment to justice, dignity, and human connection.

Guide To The Department Of Religious Studies Records, University Of San Diego Department Of Religious Studies

University Records

These records contain correspondence, reports, and meeting minutes pertaining to the Department of Religious Studies in the early 1970s. The majority of these records pertain to discussions about the Catholicity of the merging USD College for Men and College for Women and general education requirements in religion.

Finding Aids are tools used to aid research by describing the materials in a collection. University Records Finding Aids include historical and/or biographical information along with a description of the collection and a folder listing of the content.

To view this collection please email University Archives and Special Collections staff at [email protected].

The Mythic Seeds Of Human Rights, Joshua Mackenzie Luna

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

In this thesis, I propose a causal relationship between ancient societies’ mythic corpuses and their law codes. I begin by presenting the histories and historiographies of ancient Israel and Mesopotamia to highlight important themes in their development. Then, I place their creation and flood myths side-by-side for comparison, yielding key differences in the way each group conceptualizes human form, value, and purpose. Once these key differences have been established, I compare each group’s set of slave laws to demonstrate how each law code remains philosophically consistent with its respective set of myths and diametrically opposed to the set from the …

Image: Mary Statue, Garrett S. "Faustino" Miller Oblsb

Obsculta

No abstract provided.

From Cappadocia To Baden: The Development Of The Theology Of Relation From The Cappadocian Fathers To The 20th Century Systematicians, Tristan Stuart

Obsculta

This piece discusses the continuity in theology from Athanasius to the Cappadocian Fathers and from the Cappadocian Fathers to modern Systematicians. Firstly, it testifies that neo-Nicene theology was in line with the theology of the Nicenes. Secondly it testifies to a continuity in the foundational memes of neo-Nicene theology through the centuries all the way to 20th century Systematicians.

Project Portfolio: Strengthening Marital Bonding In Indonesian Christian Spouses Through A Contextually Designed Marriage Enrichment Retreat Curriculum, Dinka Nehemia Utomo

Doctor of Leadership

Numerous couples in our local church struggle to maintain their marital commitment and longing helps to overcome marriage hurdles. Regrettably, the denominations in our context, have not developed a coherent plan or roadmap for empowering and enriching married couples. While serving as a pastor, I witnessed countless couples in many congregations dealing with marital troubles in solitude without the required support from the church. I started developing a curriculum to satisfy this requirement in response to this circumstance. This project seeks to strengthen marital commitment, increase intimacy, and promote harmonious and loving relationships by applying biblical principles. A Marriage Enrichment …

Project Portfolio: Connecting Through Conflict, Jennifer Vernam

Doctor of Leadership

The Connecting Through Conflict project was designed to respond to the following NPO statement: “Christians are prioritizing their ideologies above core tenants, which is challenging their Christ-centered freedoms and presenting barriers to living in community.” Using a collaborative design model for discovery with various stakeholder groups, it was identified that Christian leaders do not have strategies for managing ideological conflict in their communities. This deficit, in turn led to conflicts to being avoided, driving those with minority views to perceive themselves as outsiders to their communities of faith. The resulting product was designed to empower Christian leaders to normalize the …

Project Portfolio: Ties, Strong And Weak: Toward The Flourishing Of A Leader’S Network, Matthew Travis Vaughn

Doctor of Leadership

NPO: Presbyteries promote connectionalism, yet pastors and ministry leaders experience isolation and burnout, lacking healthy communication, trustworthy relationships, and healthy life-rhythms which affect their well-being. I serve as the executive director of church planting for a regional presbytery in the Presbyterian Church in America denomination. Additionally, for many years I have served as a coach and consultant to pastors, church planters, and executives primarily in the nonprofit space. Prior to this project, I was aware of various resources available to pastors and ministry leaders who are stressed out, lonely, or discouraged. At the same time, there was a gap in …

Navigating Big Data In Cyber Archaeology: An Updated Four-Field Approach Applied To San Miceli, Jared Wilson

Dissertations

Problem

This dissertation examines the evolving role of digital technologies in archaeological research, focusing on the management and interpretation of extensive digital datasets generated by modern excavations. Drawing on six years of comprehensive fieldwork at San Miceli, Sicily, this study critically evaluates and updates the established four-field methodology proposed by Levy et al. (2012), encompassing acquisition, analysis, dissemination, and curation. While traditional archaeological documentation methods rely heavily on analog techniques, these approaches increasingly fall short due to the rapid expansion and complexity of digital data.

Method

To address this gap, the dissertation refines and expands the current methodological framework by …

Perceived Social Support And Religious Attitudes As Correlates Of Spiritual Well-Being Among Senior Undergraduate Students At Northeast Brazil Adventist University, Hebert Davi Liessi

Dissertations

Problem

Even though the study of spirituality has been a recurrent theme in academia, in Brazil there has been little emphasis on the analysis of spiritual well-being in the context of university students. Few studies have examined the correlation of spiritual well-being with perceived social support or religious attitudes among university students, and most of these have been in the fields of health care or health recovery. Some research has indicated that religious attitudes may be partially disconnected from improvements in the level of spirituality. -- This study aimed to verify whether this disconnection is real or relevant, and assumed …

Talk Like An Egyptian: Egyptian Influence And Appropriation In The Book Of Exodus, Dorian W. Alexander

Dissertations

Problem

It is an inarguable truth that ancient Egypt has left a legacy upon world culture. However, the one area of Egyptian influence and legacy that remains to be studied in greater scholarship is the Bible. While many have made observations in effort to detract from and even outrightly refute any Egyptian influence on the Bible, one merely need read through any number of passages in the Bible (particularly the Old Testament) to witness just how large of an imprint is made upon it by ancient Egypt.

Method

Within just the limits of the book of Exodus alone, one finds …

Theories Of Child Development & Theories Of Religious And Spiritual Development (Rsd) In Children, Marjorie Lindner Gunnoe

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

This essay introduces readers to the foundational theories of child development and the ways in which these theories have been applied or extended to children’s religious and spiritual development (RSD). By “foundational theories,” I mean the theories introduced in the opening chapters of developmental textbooks. This essay is not a theological critique of psychological theories (for this, see Gunnoe, 2022), nor a “state of the field” review of RSD (for this, see Boyatzis, 2023). Rather, it is a primer on the broad theoretical approaches that scaffold contemporary research on RSD.

Towards A Missiological Model For Reaching East Indian Muslims For Christ In Kwatta Of Suriname, Kenneth Rigobert

Dissertations DIS

The presence of Seventh-day Adventists in Suriname dates to 1894, but there is no evidence, either in literature or field research, of any specific plan or missional thinking focused on the Adventist mission among East Indian Muslims in Suriname. The field research highlights some significant missiological challenges faced by the Seventh-day Adventist mission in Suriname that account for its slow numerical growth. These missiological challenges include: (1) a lack of committed and dedicated indigenous leaders; (2) inappropriate training given to the indigenous people for the mission in Suriname's multicultural and multilingual dynamics; (3) unsuitable missional methods for Suriname’s multicultural and …

Hungarian Ruling Political Party Fidesz’S ‘Soft Power’ Use Of Religion: Themes, Networks, Partnerships, Alexander Faludy

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

This article aims to stimulate better understanding of Fidesz’s use of religion as a ‘soft power’ tool. Exploring the Hungarian government’s ‘soft power’ has lately engaged the attention of professional researchers. The use of religious messaging, networks, and opinion formers to propagate positive images of Fidesz abroad has, however, largely been overlooked. This essay argues that such use has been both substantial and successful. The article’s primary focus will be on the use made of Christianity in government aligned communications and network building. Attention will, however, also be paid to the subsidiary roles played by Fidesz’s outreach to both Jewish …

The Social Policy Of Churches In Ukraine Today: Theoretical Foundations And Practical Implementation, Oleksandr Sagan, Mechyslav Yanauer

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

This article examines the engagement of Ukrainian churches in addressing social challenges, emphasizing historical continuity and contemporary responses, particularly in the context of the ongoing Russian-Ukrainian war. The study highlights diverse social services provided by religious institutions, including chaplaincy, rehabilitation, advocacy, and humanitarian aid, noting significant contributions during pivotal moments such as the Orange Revolution, the Revolution of Dignity, and the recent military conflict. Religious organizations notably support military personnel, displaced persons, and trauma victims, and actively participate in international advocacy through diplomatic channels. The article explores the current state of social doctrines, highlighting the ongoing development and adaptation process …

Impact Of Medical Mission In Sub-Saharan Africa: History And Present Implications, Olaotse Obed Gabasiane

Journal of Adventist Mission Studies

Early medical missionaries and gospel workers understood the importance and place of health, especially in view of the counsel of Ellen White when she suggested that medical work is “the right arm of the gospel.” Intuitively, this remains the case, even during these end times. This calls for the Adventist Church and its health system to look into effective ways and means to save the hospitals that face existential issues and help them return to effective ministry in their communities. However, the old model of running hospitals could also be improved by considering some of the suggested recommendations. The Divine, …

The Massai People And Wealth: A Stewardship Of Totality, Youssry Guirguis

Journal of Adventist Mission Studies

The concept of wealth among the Massai people differs significantly from the traditional understanding in contemporary societies. To the Massai people wealth is not measured by money as commonly perceived by people today, but rather exhibits itself by land, social status, and livestock. This article examines a few terms used by the Massai people to define the idea of wealth in order to comprehend their unique cultural dimensions. Terms that are related to wealth will be investigated, such as “land” (enkop), “red God” (enkai Nanyokie), “black God” (enkai Narok), “cattle” (inkishu), “goats and sheep,” “wealth” (emali), and “dowry” (Inkishu/ Olpisiai). …

The Growth And Decline Of The Seventh-Day Adventist Church In The Southern Asia Division From 1997–2021, Solomon Renati

Journal of Adventist Mission Studies

Based on literature from journals, books, and archival research, this article offers an overview of the membership growth and decline in the Indian Adventist Church in the Southern Asia Division (SUD). This article reviews the numerical data for church membership of the SUD as available from the website of the Office of Archives, Statistics and Research (ASTR) at the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, the trends in church membership, and the evidence for growth, stability, and decline. The article focuses on church growth and decline by observing the annual church statistics from 1997 to 2021.

From Consumers Of Mission To Contributors To Mission, Silvano Barbosa

Journal of Adventist Mission Studies

Seventh-day Adventists in many parts of the Global South have been able to plant self-governing, self-sustaining, and self-propagating churches. One of the immediate results of this successful missionary and evangelistic work has been an explosive growth in membership and financial resources. More importantly, they have given evidence of intense passion, growing qualifications, and remarkable capabilities for international missions. For this reason, leaders of the church in those regions should continuously work on expanding their mission-sending structure to allow young people, professionals, and pastors to fulfill the cross-cultural missionary call the Holy Spirit places on their hearts.

Spiritual And Theological Foundations For A Contextual Ministry For Muslims, Andrews Mondal

Journal of Adventist Mission Studies

This article explored a contextual ministry’s spiritual and theological foundation by referencing Old and New Testament passages. It emphasized the importance of faith, obedience, forgiveness, inclusivity, and spreading God’s love universally. The article discussed influential figures such as Paul, Peter, and Ellen White and their contributions to sharing the gospel and incorporating faith into everyday life. It also touched on the importance of interacting with Muslims, the transformative impact of encountering Jesus and the significance of medical ministry work in demonstrating Christ’s love.

Week 5: Discovering Our Family Tree, Calvin University

Campus Ministries Resources

No abstract provided.

Week 3: Learning To Walk, Calvin University

Campus Ministries Resources

No abstract provided.

A Model For Understanding Anxiety And Practices To Alleviate It As It Relates To Divine Sovereignty And Human Free Will, Patrick K. Prentice

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research focuses on the lack of practices that address emotional anxiety in rural church attendees in Southwestern Iowa caused by the apparent absence of control over situations that require trusting divine sovereignty or human free will. The research theorized that the anxiety of rural church attendees in Southwestern Iowa is caused by inadequate control over adverse situations. As a result, adverse impacts were always considered harmful. However, according to Scripture, what an individual perceives as harmful is always used by God for their good in some manner. Thus, anxiety seems rooted in a desire to avoid perceived harm rather …

Barriers To Churches Understanding How They Are Impacted By White Supremacy Culture, Pamela R. Ngunjiri

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The problem this project addressed was the barriers to Christian churches' understanding how they are impacted by white supremacy culture. The research identified themes that hinder racial equity and arrived at recommendations on how to disentangle white supremacy culture and the Christian Church. Biblical and theological resources were utilized to provide support for the scriptural foundation of the Christian faith, and current literature provided scholarly backing to identify the barriers to understanding the possibility of the entanglement of Christian churches and white supremacy culture. Conclusions reached included that the same foundational faith among folks of different races/color, results in a …