Religion Commons^™

The Controlled Narrative Of “Jane Roe:” Norma Mccorvey’S Life Beyond The 1973 Trial, Eleanor G. Strickland

Honors College Theses

Norma McCorvey, Jane Roe of Roe v. Wade, 1973, wrote two memoirs twenty years after the Supreme Court trial that surrounded her third pregnancy. These memoirs (I Am Roe, 1994, and Won by Love, 1997), along with the recent documentary AKA Jane Roe (2020), provide an insight into McCorvey’s life and how she was used by politicians and civilians during and after the influential trial. McCorvey lived a complicated life and was constantly being pulled in different directions spiritually, politically, and personally. This thesis shows how McCorvey attempted to re-write the narrative of her life using …

Religious Extremism And Female Autonomy: How Dystopian Literature Reflects Contemporary Issues, Jessica Briscoe

Honors Theses

This thesis analyzes two texts: The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood and When She Woke by Hillary Jordan. These two texts examine dystopian worlds in which the lines are blurred, or completely eradicated, between church and state. Christian fundamentalism and/or evangelicalism becomes intertwined with Christian extremism which results in a detrimental society for many minority groups. The purpose of this thesis is to specifically explore the ways women are mistreated in these societies.

Moreover, this thesis explains how America’s puritanical Christian roots have led to modern-day ideals of America as a “New Jerusalem”. America, like the dystopian societies, has intertwined …

Lessons In Persistence, Syble Heffernan

Department of English: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

LESSONS IN PERSISTENCE is a thesis that operates within the tradition of writing about trauma and resilience, taking up themes of mental illness, class, colonialism, loss of a parent, navigating queerness in a conservative Christian context, and reckoning with gender-based violence and expectations directed toward people socialized as women. The use of ecopoetics highlights the relationship between traumas to the earth brought about by climate change, war, and worldwide suffering, and those brought upon the human body (specifically marginalized bodies) by grief, illness, abuse, and the loss of self. The collection ultimately aims to establish explicit connections between internal and …

Ludamus: An Exploration Of Musical Improv And Spirituality In Christian Theology And Praxis, Will Parker

Yale Divinity School Theses

This project examines the practice of musical improv and group vocal improvisation as an accessible method for Christian worship, formation, and theological reflection, focusing on the Episcopal Church. It explores musical improv’s potential for community-making and transformation through overlapping elements necessary for improv and love: play, attentiveness, acceptance, self-giving, and trust. This paper also gives attention to the loneliness epidemic, one of the most pressing global problems in the wake of COVID-19, and how musical improv in a faith context might serve to help alleviate social, psychological, and existential loneliness by helping people connect with each other, themselves, and God. …

“Taste And See . . .”: The Eucharist As Immersive Theatre, Vincent Lin

Yale Divinity School Theses

A ceremonial Eucharist bears striking resemblance to immersive theatre, both involving the creation of a delineated space, the prioritization of bodily senses, and emphasis on audience participation. These similarities are not accidental; rather, a ceremonial Eucharist is immersive theatre. Two key arguments are discussed: First, drawing on performance studies, we classify historical eucharistic liturgies through the lens of “doubleness,” moving beyond simplistic categorizations in previous literature. This approach reveals the contemporary Anglican liturgy as theatre, where the event of the Eucharist and the eucharistic elements (the bread and cup) “perform.” Second, utilizing immersive theatre research, we explore how immersive characteristics …

Bedeviled Beauty: My Journey Through White American Theater Institutions, J'Aila C. Price

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Game console: Oculus Quest

World: American Theater Institutions

Player: Minority

Place: United States

Level: “Ain’t no way.”

This thesis explores the contrast between the Westernized philosophies ingrained in my education and my identity as a Black female artist. It sheds light on the difficulties of pursuing higher education in the arts and the gaps that arise from limited exposure to culturally diverse Black resources, revealing the systemic issues in Western performance education. The paper also discusses the insights gained from my journey as a Black female artist, focusing on my thesis performance of Blood at the Root, which is …

“How Are We Refocusing Our Lives On God?”: Implementing The Lenten Vision Of Sacrosanctum Concilium On A High School Campus, Michael Ashley-Mennis

Say Something Theological: The Student Journal of Theological Studies

In many Catholic high schools, students discuss Lent with a focus on their actions associated with penance, fasting and almsgiving as a self-denial Olympics without understanding the true purpose. This causes students to robotically move through the motions of Lent instead of internalizing it as a period of preparation for Baptism and penance. This paper will propose a program, for the Catholic high school setting, on how to implement the Second Vatican Council’s vision of Lent, as outlined in Sacrosanctum Concilium. The paper begins by exploring the history and development of Lent throughout the centuries. It then examines the …

The Co-Dependent Arising Of Liberation: An Exploration Of Buddhist Thought And Social Justice Models, Emily Ward

Say Something Theological: The Student Journal of Theological Studies

The language of liberation is prevalent in both spiritual and activist communities: the intersection of these practices, of liberating ourselves on the planes of embodied existence and beyond, interests me deeply. While the limitations of language are frequently expounded in Buddhism, the similarities between Buddhist and social justice terminology are what initially piqued my interest in exploring how key ideas from each field could be enhanced by mutual understanding. While much work has already been done in the field of Socially Engaged Buddhism, I hope to contribute to it by examining two models I have found useful in teaching racial …

Mystical Life And Altered Consciousness: Comparing The Subtle Paths And Trance States Of St. Teresa And Patañjali, Dana Tarasavage

Say Something Theological: The Student Journal of Theological Studies

The study of mysticism is said to be the study of the ineffable, and thus by its nature, difficult to define. Yet the structured paths and trance states described by St. Teresa of Ávila in Interior Castle and Patañjali in the Yoga Sūtra demonstrate meticulous and thoughtful explanation of mystical practices and phenomena. This paper situates these texts, mystic guidebooks in their respective traditions, in conversation, examining and comparing the path towards, experience within, and the effect of mystical trances. It employs a balanced approach to essentialism and highlights the shared features of mystical life as a vantage point from …

Houses Built For Gods: Articulations Of Urban Hokora In Kyoto, Steele Engelmann

Anthropology Undergraduate Honors Theses

Amidst the urban landscape of Kyoto, Japan, there are thousands of hokora, small neighborhood shrines. This study uses social theories of pilgrimage and space to examine the articulation of hokora, community, and personal desire. As sites of local pilgrimage, hokora form networks of communal, but also individual, aspirations across the urban spiritual landscape of the city. This thesis argues that communities are connected to the larger social structures of Kyoto through hokora. As such, neighborhoods are reproduced and displayed through their hokora’s entanglements with the urban, social, and religious landscapes of Kyoto. Therefore, this study deploys an ethnographic approach to …

The Marketplace Of Ideas Quenched: Examination Of Christological Conflicts, And Their Outcomes, In The Early Christian Church, Brent Monnett

University Honors College

The first four centuries of church history were largely dominated by a diverse mix of philosophical arguments, theological debates, and seemingly intractable conflicts over the nature of Christ and his person. The paper presented here will endeavor to examine these through multiple lenses of understanding, historical, political, geographical, and theological. Perhaps the most defining conflicts of this period of upheaval were the gnostic controversy of the 2nd century, followed by the Arian controversy of the 4th century A.D (Pagels, 1974, & Haas, 1993). The theological kerfuffle's over Christ and his humanity considered against his deity were every bit as sociopolitical …

Echoes Of Pazuzu: The Influence Of A Mesopotamian Demon In World Music, Jonathan Jauregui

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

This project delves into the intersection of Mesopotamian mythology and world music through the lens of Pazuzu, a prominent demon from ancient Mesopotamia. Pazuzu's presence and malevolent attributes in Mesopotamian lore have sparked curiosity and fascination, transcending ancient civilizations to influence contemporary cultural expressions, including music. This research explores how Pazuzu's imagery, symbolism, and mythology have influenced various world music genres, ranging from metal to modern electronic compositions. This study will examine how Pazuzu's character is portrayed and interpreted within diverse musical traditions worldwide by analyzing musical compositions, lyrical themes, and cultural contexts. Through a comparative approach, it examines how …

Lived Experiences, Migration Journey, Religiosity, And Spirituality Depicted In Drawings By Latino Children And Youth Crossing The U.S. Mexican Border: A Qualitative Study., Doroty Magalhaes Sato

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Widespread violence forces thousands of Central American children to endure a hazardous journey toward the U.S. Border seeking refuge. In the Latino community, faith serves as a social movement of resistance against oppression, playing a vital role in migration. There is a paucity of research documenting this experience and children's overall journey. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the lived experience of crossing international borders, religiosity, and spirituality depicted in Latino children's drawings used as coping methods to endure the journey toward the U.S. southern border. This investigation employed Art-based approaches to give voices to children's experiences by analyzing 63 …

The Consequences Of Homophobia: Analysis Of Discriminatory Medical And Legislative Policies And Their Influence On Health Disparities, Kaiden J. Fandel

Honors Thesis

Are there specific roots that influence the introduction and incorporation of discriminatory medical policies? What are the sources of such stigma, discrimination, and prejudice, in what forms does such discrimination take place, and what negative impacts does such hatred have on health outcomes, quality of care, and health disparities? Through a review of existing literature on this topic, intertwining the examination of the evolution of discriminatory policies and other explanatory literature in the United States, this thesis aims to answer the questions above, and explain the roots of such homophobic discrimination and its prevalence in the United States. Through the …

Christian Hospitality For Interfaith Relations In Myanmar : A Historical And Theological Consideration, Stanley

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Discovering Best Practices Of Leadership Development Across Generations In The Local Church : Effectively Passing The Leadership Baton To The Next Generation, Laura A. Saffell

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Market Town Resource Churches : Obstacles And Opportunities For Church Revitalization, Martyn Taylor

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

How To Entertain Angels : Hospitality In Multicultural Churches In Urban London, Jason O'Neale Roach

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Missional Movement Through The Local Church : Applying Movemental Principles In A British Context, Nicholas Ralph Allan

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Mentoring : An Essential Tool For Developing Committed Disciples And Leaders In The Liberia Baptist Missionary And Educational Convention Churches, Frederick Nyah Gbatu Sr.

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Catalyzing The Kingdom : A Church Staff System For Corporate Spiritual Leadership Formation, Christy J. Lipscomb

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Trans-Denominational Unity : A Theological And Pragmatic Necessity For The Post-Christendom Church In England, Fraser J. Oates

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Hybrid Church Best Practice : Engagement And Discipleship Of 18-35 Year Olds, Daniel Drew

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Strategic Plans For The Formation Of Team Leadership For The Ministry Of Local Churches In Myanmar, Kay Thi Htwe

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Elementary Disciple-Making : Making Disciple Makers, Joshua Romano

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Leading With A Clear Vision And Values : Exercising A Vision And Values-Based Leadership Development Workshop Among Ministry Leaders In Eacc, Hansun Fam

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Discerning The Expectation Of Lay And Priestly Ministry In The Rural Parishes Of The Dorking Deanery, Peter S. Nevins

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

A Theology Of Work : A Theology Of Work In The Church Work Environment, Jeffrey Roland Drew

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Church For The Unchurched : Best Practices In Forming Church For A Secular Age, Thomas Jee

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Factors Influencing Evangelism In Goole : Understanding Evangelism In A Northern Industrial Town, Hannah Patton

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.