Catholic Studies Commons^™

Silent Holy Spirit, January-March 2022

Silent Holy Spirit

A newsletter published for Deaf Catholics in St. Louis, MO

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A World Grappling With Pope Francis: Laudato Si' And The Contested Frames Of A Secular-Minded Church, Joseph R. Blaney

Faculty Publications - Communications

Pope Francis has been misunderstood by liberals and conservatives alike, confusing an emphasized pastoral tone and approach for theological departure. This confusion is exacerbated in the United States where the faithful are tempted to understand and evaluate pastoral figures in terms of secular political ideologies. This study extends Blaney’s (2017) media framing study of news coverage of cardinalate appointments by examining commentary about the papal encyclical Laudato Si’ found among readers of the National Catholic Register, the National Catholic Reporter, and The New York Times. Thematic analyses affirm that the faithful of the U.S. church succumb to the same secular …

Hand In Hand, Winter 2021

Hand in Hand

A newsletter published for Deaf Catholics in Milwaukee, WI

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St. Dominic Deaf Center, January-February 2021

Saint Dominic Deaf Center

A newsletter published for Deaf Catholics in Houston, TX

Saint Dominic Deaf Center Finding Aid

Newsletter Catholic Deaf Of Detroit, January 2021

Newsletter Catholic Deaf of Detroit

A newsletter published for Deaf Catholics in Detroit, MI

Newsletter Catholic Deaf of Detroit Finding Aid

Enriching Section 16 Of Article Ii Of The Philippine Constitution With The “Ecology Of Daily Life” From Laudato Si’, Teofilo Giovan S. Pugeda Iii, Raymond B. Aguas

Theology Department Faculty Publications

As the Philippines becomes ever more urbanized, we run the risk of unintended harmful consequences on quality of life in terms of things like poverty and congestion. This paper proposes that a healthier and more holistic approach involves looking at urban spaces and their inhabitants as an ecosystem, thus necessitating an ecological perspective. This perspective comes from a juxtaposition between Laudato Si’ and Philippine environmental law.

With The Bohoroditsa And Her Pokrov To Liberation: A Continuing Marian Presence In The History And Devotion Of The Ukrainian Catholic Diaspora, Richard Lenar

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this dissertation is to document a continuing Marian presence in the history of Ukraine, as expressed by the Ukrainian Catholic diaspora, by making original use of the material in the Ukrainian Marian Collection of the Marian Library.

Actualizing Mission And Holistic Education Through Service-Learning, Michelle C. Sterk Barrett

Scholarship and Professional Writing from the J.D. Power Center and Donelan Office

The author reflects on how to update the mission and holistic education through service-learning. Her chapter connects reflection with emerging research evidence, providing a solid analysis about service-learning and her contribution to the development of a fraternal spirituality.

Après Kamloops, Le Déluge: Institutional Church, Indigenous Oppression And The Catholic Intellectual Tradition, Michael W. Higgins

Mission & Culture Publications

Editor’s Note: on May 27, 2021, it was announced that 215 unmarked graves were discovered on the grounds of a former residential school for Indigenous (“First Nations”) children in Kamloops, a town in the Canadian province of British Columbia. In the following weeks unmarked graves were also found at similar institutions in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and elsewhere in British Columbia. Between 1863 and 1998, more than 150,000 Indigenous children were taken from their families and placed in these boarding schools, which numbered more than 130, many of them, like Kamloops, the largest, operated by Roman Catholic religious orders. Opened in 1890, …

Religion And Theatrical Drama, Charles A. Gillespie Ed., Larry D. Bouchard Ed.

Catholic Studies Faculty Publications

With an introduction on how to redefine our thinking about religion and theatrical drama, these nine essays on contemporary and classic plays rehabilitate the link between theatrical performance and dramatic stories for the study of religion. These new and distinctively interdisciplinary perspectives will be of interest to scholars working in the fields of religion, theology, theatre and performance studies, literary studies, and philosophy.

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 …

The Pursuit Of Salvation. Community, Space, And Discipline In Early Medieval Monasticism, Albrecht Diem

History - All Scholarship

This book is published with open access: https://www.brepolsonline.net/action/showBook?doi=10.1484/M.DM-EB.5.120300 A history of the monastic pursuit of eternal salvation in the early medieval West, revolving around a seventh-century monastic rule for nuns, the Regula cuiusdam ad uirgines ("Someone’s Rule for Virgins") The seventh-century Regula cuiusdam ad uirgines (Someone’s Rule for Virgins), which was most likely written by Jonas of Bobbio, the hagiographer of the Irish monk Columbanus, forms an ideal point of departure for writing a new history of the emergence of Western monasticism understood as a history of the individual and collective attempt to pursue eternal salvation. The book provides a …

Religious Non-Affiliation: Expelled By The Right, William Vance Trollinger

Books and Book Chapters by University of Dayton Faculty

For the past century, the bulk of white evangelicalism has been tightly linked to very conservative politics. But in response to social and cultural changes in the 1960s and 1970s, conservative white evangelicalism organized itself into the Christian Right, in the process attaching itself to and making itself indispensable to the Republican Party. While the Christian Right has enjoyed significant political success, its fusion of evangelicalism/Christianity with right-wing politics—which includes white nationalism, hostility to immigrants, unfettered capitalism, and intense homophobia—has driven many Americans (particularly, young Americans) to disaffiliate from religion altogether. In fact, the quantitative and qualitative evidence make it …

Religion And Theatrical Drama, An Introduction, Larry D. Bouchard, Charles A. Gillespie

Catholic Studies Faculty Publications

Often, a lonely light bulb illuminates the edge of a stage outside of working hours. Part safety mechanism against falling in the dark and part theatrical tradition, the “ghost light” keeps the living alive and brightens up the place for any spirits still hoping to practice an old monologue. Stages juxtapose worlds, or fragments of worlds. The ghost light, then, would illuminate juxtaposed worlds, of the living and of the possibly otherwise. In some ways, this Special Issue of Religions takes theatrical juxtaposition as its premise. We invited papers working at intersections between studies of religious history, thought, and practice …

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, …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

The Dynamic Relationship Between Young Spanish Catholics And The Church, Caroline Cox

CMC Senior Theses

Research Question: How is the commitment of Spaniards to Catholicism changing with younger generations? And why is this relevant given Spain’s deep roots with the religion?

The Catholic Church and Spain have been highly involved with each other for centuries. It is possible that the Church’s controversies and conservative values are distancing young members from pursuing a stronger relationship with their faith. I predicted that more young Spanish Catholics’ commitment to the Church was wavering because of three potential reasons: increased security and education, child sex abuse scandals involving clergymen, and the institution’s outdated attitudes. I conducted a study …

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 …