Catholic Studies Commons^™

Women In Diaconate Formation In The Archdiocese Of Los Angeles, Federico Guillermo Rodriguez Hernandez

LMU Theses and Dissertations

In the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, the wives of the married applicants, aspirants and candidates to the permanent diaconate are required to accompany their husbands during the process of formation. Currently, the formation program does not engage them fully. Since women cannot be ordained as deacons, they are not perceived as the intended recipients for the formation offered by the program.

This study proposes an alternative vision and theological framework. The study affirms the full dignity of women as human beings created in the image and likeness of God and therefore, perfectly well suited to be icons of God as …

Deepening The Universal Apostolic Preferences Through Discernment At Xavier University, Thomas E. Strunk, Debra K. Mooney

Jesuit Higher Education: A Journal

Following Fr. Arturo Sosa, S.J.’s promulgation of the Universal Apostolic Preferences (UAPs) and as part of Xavier University’s strategic planning, the Center for Mission and Identity invited faculty and staff to participate in a semester-long Discernment Group to learn about each of the UAPs and to brainstorm ways to deepen Xavier’s expression of each, resulting in a strategic proposal (one of the President's Annual Goals). Based on the principles of Ignatian Communal Discernment, the Discernment Group met throughout the Fall 2019 semester in prayerful discussion and reflection and produced documents for each of the UAPs, which were then shared and …

Evaluating The Moral Framing Of Disaffiliation: Sociological And Pastoral Perspectives On The Rise Of The “Nones”, Brett C. Hoover

Theological Studies Faculty Works

The wave of religious disaffiliation that began in the 1990s in the United States has gone from a concern of pastoral leaders to perhaps the concern of pastoral leaders. This article examines a moral framing of religious disaffiliation—where disaffiliation is seen as a symptom of larger moral struggles in society. After a review of contemporary sociological research on the phenomenon of disaffiliation, its roots and causes, the article explores the thinking of the influential Catholic bishop and media entrepreneur Robert Barron as an example of the moral framing of religious disaffiliation. Barron operates as a “moral entrepreneur” in today’s media-rich …

Saving Our Planet Through Faith: A Buddhist-Christian Response, Guillermo Gonzalez

Say Something Theological: The Student Journal of Theological Studies

The main topic of this essay is how certain attributes and teachings from Christianity and Buddhism can inform us of what path we can take to combat global climate change. Although environmental work is not limited to these traditions, this paper aims to point out the teachings that help understand our role as humans as interconnected within these two traditions. One of the main points that are made for Christianity is a reinterpretation of Imago Dei which is explained in detail in the first section. In short, Imago Dei is the idea that human beings are made in the image …

Fire Of Divine Unity: Col 1: 24-7, Sr. Pia (Kimberly) St. Romain

Say Something Theological: The Student Journal of Theological Studies

Paul invites all people into a oneness with Christ and each other. It is a requirement in the Christian journey. The Holy Trinity is a communion of persons as One and we as the church are a communion of persons as one body of Christ. It is only by God’s Love that we can share in the inner life of the Holy Trinity, participating in a holy intimacy beyond our imagination. This Divine unity with the Holy Trinity and others is made possible through Mary’s heart, the Eucharist, and our willingness to undergo unavoidable sufferings for the sake of Christ …

Latin American Immigrants: A Cry For Liberation, Julio César De León

Say Something Theological: The Student Journal of Theological Studies

The United States, due to its economic stability and abundant opportunities (among other reasons), has attracted many immigrants from across the globe, but particularly those from Latin America. The reality is that while many immigrate under more favorable circumstances, the majority of Latinos/as (usually the ones most in need) embark on a dangerous journey, overcoming the difficulties they encounter on the way. Although there is great hope in having arrived to the U.S., for those who make it to the other side of the frontier, their suffering often continues as their social status becomes that of undocumented immigrants. Through the …

The Book Of Hours For A 21st Century World, Francesco Fimiani

Say Something Theological: The Student Journal of Theological Studies

This ‘Book of Hours’ project begins on the Monday hours of the Dead all the way to the Sunday Hours of the Trinity and is inspired almost entirely by the 1440 Book of Hours of the Dutchess Catherine of Cleeves. This project is the sum product of a semester’s worth of instruction from my Medieval Religious Thought and Practice class taught by Professor Anna Harrison. The main purpose of this art installment is to show that even though they originate from a society highly unlike ours today, facing issues that medieval people couldn’t even begin to imagine, they can be …

Following The Example Of Monseñor Romero: Following The Way Of Jesus Christ, Macy Genenbacher

Say Something Theological: The Student Journal of Theological Studies

To truly follow Christ requires more than a profession of belief; following Christ requires a commitment to walking in his footsteps, acting as he did. As a follower of Christ, one must commit themselves to bearing the fruit of Jesus’s legacy, which requires one to look honestly at the reality of the world and the injustices that exist. The life of Monseñor Óscar Romero provides an example for following the model of Jesus Christ. Romero’s own life and ministry in El Salvador bore the fruit of Jesus’s legacy. In dedicating his life to the people, especially those on the periphery, …

Can A 12th Century Monk Teach Today’S Non-Profit Leaders?, Carlos Cruz-Aedo

Say Something Theological: The Student Journal of Theological Studies

Is it possible that a 12^th century monk can teach anything of relevance to today’s non-profit leaders and their organizations? The monk, Bernard of Clairvaux, was an exemplary monastery leader throughout Western Europe. Bernard’s successes during the 12^th century could serve as a model for non-profit organizations and their leaders due to the challenges that some non-profit institutions face today. Additionally, a Bernardine model is more applicable in connection between Bernard’s ideas and non-profit organizations since they each have altruistic similarities. One of the similarities is that they both have a “higher-calling” based on core values, whether for …

The Body Of Christ As Community: Does A Patriarchal Hierarchy Make Sense For The Body Of Christ?, Cindy Kozal

Say Something Theological: The Student Journal of Theological Studies

This paper examines what it means to be Church. It looks briefly at the idea of what was Church prior to Vatican II and then addresses the vision of Vatican II’s Church by looking at the document Lumen Gentium. It then turns to the 2014 document Sensus Fedei, which builds upon some of the discussion of the People of God. Richard Gaillardetz offers an important vision of Vatican II and a model of the noncompetitive church. While pneumatology is not the main focus, it can hardly be avoided as Lumen Gentium is filled with references to the working of …

God In Our Image: Race Reflected In The Black Christ Of Daule, Jessica Leu

Say Something Theological: The Student Journal of Theological Studies

This paper examines El Cristo Negro de Daule in the context of theological aesthetics. It explains El Cristo Negro as a religious symbol that evokes asombro, or wonder, that then dismantles the illusion of control and omnipotence in us as described by Cecilia González-Andrieu’s Bridge to Wonder: Art as the Gospel of Beauty. As a religious symbol that reconstructs perceptions of the world and one another, this is a paper influenced heavily by liberation theology. The paper also analyzes the impact of a White Christ on Black peoples of the U.S, and it operates within the framework of …

The Right To Healthcare – Does The Social Doctrine Of The Catholic Church Assist Or Inhibit The Implementation Of Universal Healthcare In The United States?, Leonardo D. Mendoza

Say Something Theological: The Student Journal of Theological Studies

In recent years, American society has placed an emphasis on the right to healthcare. In the American political arena, the debate over healthcare has caused division between the political left and right. It has created factions within political parties and social movements. The healthcare debate was one of many prominent issues in what is perhaps the most consequential election in modern American history. This paper will focus on the right to healthcare from the perspective of the Catholic Social Tradition. It will evaluate the ways in which the Catholic tradition can influence the public discourse on the right to healthcare …

A Brief Theology Of Inculturation: A Pastoral Method To Understand And Ease The Generational Tension Between Vietnamese Immigrants And Their U.S.-Born Children, Ho Thi Nguyen

Say Something Theological: The Student Journal of Theological Studies

Encountering different languages, cultures, living conditions, and so on, many immigrants face challenges when arriving to a new country. They often live in-between their native culture and the new culture they are forced to adapt to. They experience both belonging and not belonging, and they are sometimes considered strangers or aliens in a new land. In particular, the generational tension between Vietnamese immigrants and their U.S.-born children produces difficulties within their families, faith communities, and daily life. This leads to specific pastoral concerns in the Church, forcing us to ask how pastoral ministry can cater to different generations effectively especially …

Ignatian Leadership And Place-Based Learning, Rebecca Murray

Jesuit Higher Education: A Journal

In An Ignatian Method of City Dwelling (2011) John M. Staudenmaier, SJ notes that “Ignatius teaches that prayer is geographical at its core.” On his own journey of leadership, Ignatius himself learned much about the lives of others, and of himself, through the particular places he visited (often for much longer than he intended). By focusing on a specific geography, place-based community engagement can foster Ignatian leadership as it encourages faculty, staff and students to journey with a community in their own home. Because this unique way of engaging the community emphasizes depth of engagement over breadth, it is …

The Reimagination Of Hagar In The Hebrew Bible And Islamic Scripture, Amanda Arguetta

Say Something Theological: The Student Journal of Theological Studies

No abstract provided.

The Path Of Devotion: Religious Ecstasy In Hindu And Christian Mystics, Jessica Leu

Say Something Theological: The Student Journal of Theological Studies

What comes to mind when one hears the phrase, “Religious ecstasy”? Images of well-known Christian saints in states of bliss worthy of being artwork come to mind, especially in the West. However, this association of ecstasy with Sainthood specifically distances the lay person from the idea that they too can experience the Divine as these mystics once did. In Bhakti Yoga, a branch of practices within Hinduism, this same association that religious ecstasy is only a characteristic of mystics does not exist. Rather, states of documented religious rapture are not only strived for but believed to be universally accessible. In …

Blessed Are The Poor In Spirit, Ree Taylor

Say Something Theological: The Student Journal of Theological Studies

No abstract provided.

Christology Of M. Shawn Copeland: Exploring The Evolution Of Womanist Christology, Dana A. Dominguez

Say Something Theological: The Student Journal of Theological Studies

This paper explores the evolution of womanist Christology through the work of M. Shawn Copeland. To begin, the paper outlines womanist theological thought from the beginning, looking at the origins of womanism and early theologians who contributed to the discussion. Discussion narrows in on the tri-dimensional reality that Black women face in society and Copeland’s expansion of the notion to identify additional oppressive systems in place other than classism, racism, and sexism. Copeland’s Queer Jesus asks,“who is Jesus to us today?” in the discussion of heterosexism. The author argues that what further pushes Copeland’s Christology past early womanist theologians is …

Daughter Zion And The Mississippi Delta, Jane J. Griesemer

Say Something Theological: The Student Journal of Theological Studies

In the Book of Lamentations, Jerusalem 587 BCE is personified as the suffering and persecuted Daughter Zion.¹ The biblical Daughter Zion and the present-day Mississippi Delta are separated in time by 2,604 years and separated in distance by 7,000 miles. Despite the vast expanse of space and time between the two, interesting and noteworthy comparisons can be drawn. In this paper, I will show how contemporary afflictions and persecutions facing the Mississippi Delta can be poetically retrieved through a consideration of the afflictions and persecutions related to the fall of Jerusalem. The cry of both dramas tragically emerges from …

Healing Binaries: Retrieving Ancient Near Eastern Goddess Traditions For Christian Spirituality, Kristin Kissell

Say Something Theological: The Student Journal of Theological Studies

This work addresses the question of what we can learn about body, gender, and sexuality from ancient Near Eastern goddess traditions in order to subvert binaries of body/spirit and male/female in Christianity. The methodology used is a feminist and comparative. Beginning with an analytic account of body in the context of antiquity and today, I highlight the importance of understanding body personification in different times and spaces; emphasizing the need to continually hold the body, embodiment, and experience in tension and mystery rather than certainty and categorization. I seek to expose the damage such binaries, language, and categorization inflict upon …

The Chosen Ones Who Cry Out Day And Night: The Applicability Of Staurology To Woman Victims Of Violence, Rachel Knight

Say Something Theological: The Student Journal of Theological Studies

No small amount of feminist theological scholarship has been dedicated to questioning whether a male savior can save women. Some scholars have further asserted that the crucifixion is inherently tainted by its intrinsic theme of violence. This paper argues for the relevance of the cross to women victims of violence. There are many factors that point to the possibility of an inclusive theology of the cross that does not glamorize violence. These include but are not limited to Biblical accounts of the “many women” who walked in solidarity with the battered Christ; female disciples who mourned together after His murder; …

Divine Over Matter: The Idolatry Of Consumerism, Shayne Yano

Say Something Theological: The Student Journal of Theological Studies

Consumerism has evolved into a lifestyle in which people seek to find meaning in life through shopping and acquiring material possessions. Corporations like Apple use advertising to make buyers feel like they always need to have the latest and greatest in order to be happy, while websites like Amazon have made it possible to shop endlessly without even having to leave the couch. For many, these consumeristic habits have become commonplace, but there are potential dangers to this kind of lifestyle as it relates to a relationship with God. We are trained by clever marketing and advertisements to believe that …

From Goats To Gays: Dismantling Collective Practices Of Scapegoating, Stephanie Roy

Say Something Theological: The Student Journal of Theological Studies

This work seeks to explore the contemporary and historical phenomena of scapegoating, as it is rooted in the scapegoat ritual of Leviticus XVI and operative in Christian faith communities and the Catholic Church today. I propose that in addition to exhibiting the Hebrew scapegoat ritual’s core components of selection, degradation, and alienation of the victim, the scapegoating practices employed by many Christians throughout the Common Era serve as a continuation of this ancestral tradition, displaying the same degree of calculated orchestration, need for cyclical repetition, and shared goal of revitalization and renewal for the community. Utilizing a historical-critical methodology, in …

A Christology From Below: The Scuffmark Christology Of Dolores Mission, Manuel Valencia

Say Something Theological: The Student Journal of Theological Studies

Dolores Mission Church, located in Boyle Heights, is arguably the poorest parish in Los Angeles, California; and yet paradoxically, it is one of the most generous in the Archdiocese. This paper examines Dolores Mission, the Jesuits who shepherd this parish, and its people who, through their lives and ministry, continue the story of Jesus. Ministry begins inside this humble church where every evening, volunteers set up cots and blankets for homeless men and women. Over the years, the tight rows of cots have scarred and scraped straight lines along the church walls. “These scuff marks are evidence of ministry,” says …

Toward An Anti-Racist Theology: American Racism And Catholic Social Thought, Douglas J. Cremer

LMU Theses and Dissertations

In the writings of the Vatican, the United States and Latin American bishops, and various theologians since the 1950s, Catholic social thought has generally failed to understand the pernicious depth of the system of racial classification, discrimination, and violence in the Americas. Catholic social thought still sees racism as based on the pre-existing, valid category of "race," requiring individual conversion and social effort. What is required instead is seeing the very concept of " race" as what must be rejected as the product of a racist ideology of politico-economic oppression and developing an anti-racist theological response that overcomes and eliminates …

Joy And Strain In Shared Parishes: Look Who’S Here, Brett C. Hoover

Theological Studies Faculty Works

No abstract provided.

Known To God Alone: Reflections On The Trappists Of Gethsemani And Father Louis, Emilie Grosvenor

Say Something Theological: The Student Journal of Theological Studies

No abstract provided.

Evil As Privation Justifying Restorative Justice, Josh Shrader-Perry

Say Something Theological: The Student Journal of Theological Studies

No abstract provided.

Christian Bioethical Approaches To Gender Reassignment Surgery: Understanding Opposition And Retrieving The Body-Soul Complex, Stephanie Roy

Say Something Theological: The Student Journal of Theological Studies

No abstract provided.

Service-Learning Research For Development: An Option For The Poor In Practice Through Social Analysis And Community Engagement, Thomas M. Kelly, Kate L. Nolt

Jesuit Higher Education: A Journal

A group of faculty, staff and students from Creighton University conducted a research project using a strengths-based approach to create a community health needs assessment (CNHA) in the fall of 2017. The instruments, including a survey to determine health status, a focus group questionnaire, an environmental scan and an individual interview instrument, were developed to help shift the paradigm from which many international medical missions are conducted with Creighton’s community partner in the Dominican Republic, the Centro de Educación para la Salud Integral (CESI). In the process of creating, developing, implementing, assessing and reformulating this strength-based CHNA, researchers encountered both …