Comparative Methodologies and Theories Commons^™

Ethical Theories And Perspectives On End-Of-Life Decisions, Lauren Skelton

Dialogue & Nexus

This paper approaches several different ethical theories to see how they interact with the issue of withdrawing and withholding life-sustaining care. After the theories of Utilitarianism, Kantian and Prima Facie Deontology, Virtue Ethics, and Evolutionary Ethics are explored at length, Deontological theories are proven to be the best decision-making guide from the perspective of both patients and those in policy-making positions. When used together, Kantian and Prima Facie Deontology offer the overall best combination of ethical instruction and personal freedom.

Christian And Islamic Perspectives On The Ethical Dilemma Of In Vitro Fertilization (Ivf), Stephanie Sariles

Dialogue & Nexus

After defining IVF procedures and the associated biomedical ethics with each, I will compare and contrast Christian and Islamic perspectives on IVF. Christianity in general does not accept IVF, because it is an unnatural method of reproduction that can affect Christian traditions such as parenthood and marriage. Despite this view, Protestants, in particular, have opened up to IVF as a method for treating infertility. Islam fully accepts IVF provided the married couple follows Islamic law. Sunni Muslims do not accept gamete donation, but Shi’ite Muslims are more flexible with gamete donation and surrogacy.

Ecofeminism: The Path Towards Healing The Earth, Jamie Thompson

Dialogue & Nexus

The concept of the patriarchy, or any concept in which one group dominates another, is inseparable from the formation of human kind’s domination of nature. This domination of nature has led to the current the ecological crisis humanity faces. Those who deny climate change can admit to the massive amounts of pollution, trash, and deforestation. Despite this worsening economic crisis, those in power have been slow to react. Women can ultimately provide and lead the movement to solve this ecological crisis through the growing movement of Ecofeminism. In the philosophy of Ecofeminism, individuals recognize and reject western dualistic thinking that …

The Origins Of Morality, Paulina Sanchez

Dialogue & Nexus

In modern society, there exists a standard for moral conduct that seems to reign universal over many societies of people. Pinpointing the origins of morality, however, can become problematic because of how one approaches what morality is and what its purpose is in society. Psychologists may point out the social constructs and norms that allow for morality to unfold. Evolutionary biologists may give evidence of human-related species that have developed similar behavioral standards. A Christian theologian may look to scripture in explaining a Creator who ordained that all abide by the standards of conduct most pleasing to this deity. Which …

A New Taxonomy Of Altruism In Terms Of Prosocial Behaviors, Kristin Kaiser

Dialogue & Nexus

The definition of altruism has been studied, explained, and even confused by many scholars in various fields. The term itself has been inappropriately used to describe prosocial behaviors that do not fall within the definition of altruism. An evaluation of Grant Ramsey’s taxonomy of altruism, which includes biological altruism, psychological altruism, and helping altruism, proves that it is not adequate in categorizing organism’s behaviors. A new taxonomy, with the branches of kin selection, reciprocity, and aesthetic altruism, is presented and explained to clarify the definition of altruism and alleviate confusion about how to describe prosocial behaviors. Both naming systems are …

The Evolutionary Theodicy Problem, Houston Schoonmaker

Dialogue & Nexus

Evolutionary theodicies attempt to explain how innocent suffering, death, and extinction seen throughout the evolutionary process of evolution can coincide with believing in a loving God. Since Darwin, scholars have questioned the importance of studying natural selection at such an intricate level. With the knowledge of natural selection, the fact that great suffering is witnessed across nature permits doubts in discussions regarding a benevolent God that created the universe. In this paper, I begin with background information about evolution, theodicy, and how they are related. I look at two major perspectives: the belief that evolution ameliorates the theodicy problem or …

Neuroscience, Materialism, And The Soul: Limit Questions, Jeremy M. Aymard

Dialogue & Nexus

In light of recent discoveries in neuroscience linking the mind to physical processes, Christian philosophers have resorted to a more materialistic view of the human person, using neuroscience as support for their view that an immaterial soul does not exist. In this essay, I will point out a major flaw in the logic for defending a materialistic view, argue that either a bipartite or tripartite view of the human person is more aligned with Scripture, and hopefully point towards a more reliable means for attaining truth regarding human nature and the soul.

Thine Is The Kingdom: The Political Thought Of 21st Century Evangelicalism, Joanna Tice Jen

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Despite renewed attention to religion and ethics in political theory, there is a notable absence of inquiry into evangelicalism. Social scientists have studied Christian right policy in the late 20th century, but how has the movement shifted in the new millennium and what are the theoretical beliefs that undergird those shifts? By reading popular devotional writings as political texts, this dissertation distills a three-part evangelical political thought: 1) a theory of time in which teleological eternity complements retroactive re-birth; 2) a theory of being wherein evangelicals learn to strive after their godly potential through a process of emotional self-regulation; and …

Aberrant Relationships In The Book Of Genesis: The Pollution Of The "One Flesh" Relationship As Found In Genesis 2:24, Robert Evans

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Genesis is a book of beginnings. Furthermore, Genesis describes the beginning of the relationship between man and woman. That relationship, as found in Gen 2:24, becomes the standard ideal for the one-flesh union set forth by God. Sadly, Genesis 3 tells of the beginning of sin, and how sin damaged the ideal union. And, although sin has persisted and flourished, the standard of Gen 2:24 never changed, nor was it replaced. Thus, the following dissertation seeks to locate, examine, and discuss the various one-flesh, man-woman relationships in Genesis. The first chapter of this research examines the one-flesh relationship found in …

An Introduction To The Free System Corollary: A Theistic Response To The Abductive Problem Of Evil, Peter Morgan

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Two important theistic defenses, the Free Will Defense and the Expanded Free Will Defense, provide valuable thought in defense of theism but are insufficient for addressing specific cases of intense evil, as the non-theistic evidential/abductive arguments from the problem of evil are want to do. However, theodical suggestions from systems of regularity, as a necessary part of living out a free will existence, provide a theistic defense that correlates with free will defenses and more fully accounts for the existence of good and intense evil. This Free System Corollary is derived from a starting point of two basic goods in …

Ignatius: A Guide For Congregational Discernment, Benjamin Gensic

Discernment: Theology and the Practice of Ministry

Congregations find themselves living in transformative times, but transformation is often an act of subtraction, which means congregations find themselves living in anxious times as well. Within this context, it is tempting for congregations to base decisions on either financial constraint or political expediency. However, such superficial discernment is incapable of guiding congregations wishing to respond to God’s activity in the world. This author argues that Ignatius of Loyola provides congregations with an alternative.

To accomplish this, the author walks the reader through the basic principles of Ignatian spirituality and discernment, making suggestions for how these can impact congregational decision-making …

Beginner's Mind, Martin L. Benson

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

My art distills my relationship to spirituality, digital culture, and the practices and side-effects therein, into a simplified visual language. The work manifests in the form of paintings, drawings, and light sculptures. Meditation and mindfulness training are a large part of my influence and interests. I often wonder how mindfulness practice can be mirrored in my artwork, not only in my process for creating the work, but also with what the resulting imagery does for the viewer. My intention is to provide an art form that invites one to look and experience one’s own capacity to observe, without the need …

The Impact Of Anthropocentrism On Christian Environmentalism, Alexis Grasse

Dialogue & Nexus

This paper will discuss the effects of anthropocentrism in Christian theology, doctrine, and environmentalism. The development and history of Christian environmentalism will be examined, with emphasis on the time since the 1960s, when environmentalism came to the forefront in the Western world. Alternative interpretations and worldviews, mainly ecocentrism and biocentrism, will be considered and compared to the prevalent anthropocentric view. I will close with a presentation of two possible means for developing a Christian ecological theology without anthropocentrism. An environmental position most coherent with Christian principles will be left open to the reader; my purpose is to examine the impact …

Volume 3 Editorial, Daniel Brannan

Dialogue & Nexus

No abstract provided.

The Priesthood Of The Laity, James J. Weidner

Obsculta

No abstract provided.

Different Approaches, Different Interpretations, Same Nonsense: Aquinas, Luther, And Ways Justification Does Not Work, Stephanie Falkowski

Obsculta

No abstract provided.

Examination Of Molinism, Olivia Grey Steele

The Kabod

What is the driving force behind salvation? Is it God’s sovereign will, enacting His efficacious grace upon the heart of man? Or is it the free will of man himself, choosing to accept the grace that has been extended to him? This is the age-old question behind the argument of sovereignty versus free will. Luis de Molina, a sixteenth century Jesuit theologian, believed that God, through His omniscience and omnipotence, can predestine an individual for salvation while keeping the free will of that individual intact. This system, known as Molinism, stands on three main principles: a wholly libertarian account of …

Interfaith Inquiry: Learning From Community-Based Research, Pluralism, And Student-Faculty Collaboration, John C. Waldmeir, John C. Eby, Samantha E. Eckrich, Rebecca A. Edwards

Engaging Pedagogies in Catholic Higher Education (EPiCHE)

Abstract

On Catholic college campuses, community outreach and inter-faith cooperation occurs most often under the direction of Student Life Offices, often with strong leadership provided by Campus Ministry. Within this more traditional approach, students learn a great deal about the value of both enterprises, though their learning remains largely undocumented, unassessed and, without the benefit of earned credit hours, unrewarded.

A team of faculty and students at Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa are in the process of a following a different approach. After five years of coordinating interfaith conversations and scripture study with centers of worship throughout the Dubuque area, …

Toward A Framework For Interfaith Leadership, Barbara A. Mcgraw

Engaging Pedagogies in Catholic Higher Education (EPiCHE)

Today there is a need for a vision of the world that takes account of religious, spiritual, and non-faith orientations in a way that promotes cooperation and resolves conflict. Educational programs that employ this article’s proposed four-dimensional interfaith leadership framework can contribute to that vision. Through dialogue for understanding and compassion, lens bias reflection and cognitive-affective frame-shifting, religious literacy, and leadership theory and practice, students can become socially conscious leaders who effect positive change in religiously diverse environments. This interfaith leadership framework is especially salient for Catholic institutions of higher education, but is readily extendable for use in other institutions.

Reaching Transcendental Meditation Followers For Jesus: Christian Meditation And Cultural Contextualization, Ashley Boyles

Masters Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to build on to research pertaining to Christian meditation, the Transcendental Meditation movement, and theological contextualization for possible evangelism strategy to reach adherents of TM. The first chapter begins with the purpose of the thesis as well as its limitations and research methods to be involved, with a layout of the rest of the thesis. In the second chapter, the literature review examines material from several different perspectives: Christianity, TM, the TM turned Christian, and the nonreligious field of science. The third chapter includes historical background on Transcendental Meditation, its interaction with Western culture, …

The Trinity...The Biblical Mandates For Preaching, Teaching, Worshipping And Evangelism In The Local Church, Pedreto Graham-Brown

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The Trinity is viewed as the bedrock of the Christian faith. Notwithstanding, the worship of the Trinity in local churches today are hardly mentioned by pastors in their sermon. The researcher chose this topic to introduce the importance of assimilating the worship of the Trinity in the areas of the four key biblical mandates. The researcher surveyed 50 Southern Baptist Pastors and 10 members were selected from each church to participate. It was discovered that both pastors and members lack the essential understanding of incorporating the worship of the Trinity in these four areas of the ministry. The results of …

The Influence Of The Social Service Activities Of A Church On The Image And Evangelism Of The Church: A Case Study Of Myoung-Gok Church In Changwon, Korea, Sang Lee

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study aims to examine the impact of social service activities of the church on the image and evangelism of the church in the community, and to find a method of spreading the Gospel effectively. Various causes for the stagnation of Korean church are mentioned and discussed, but it is determined that the most fundamental reason is the dilution of the essence of the church. Thus, this researcher will reveal the appropriateness of “the doctrine of the local church” by summing up the doctrine of the church appearing in the flow of history based on the biblical doctrine of the …

The Development Of A Quiet Time (Qt) Manual For The Growth Of Urban Churches, Gwe Hong

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study aims to investigate the effects of a quiet time (QT) ministry on the growth of Korean churches and develop a program to help urban churches grow through QT. Korean churches are in a severe slump these days; beyond stagnation, they are in the critical situation of evident and serious decline. The encroachment of secularization on the church, the spiritual corruption of pastoral leaders, and church splits caused by the lack of trust among church members all result from weakened relationships with God. The researcher has provided QT ministry for Siheung-dong Sarang Church for the last twelve years as …

A Study On A Missional Church In A Business Corporation: The Case Of The E-Land Group In Korea, Kyo Kum

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study considers a new form of the church that can influence the society with the gospel in a more proactive way; it is a church in a corporation. As evangelism is becoming more difficult in Korea, Korean churches need to discover the contact point for the gospel. Existing churches attempted to make nonbelievers come to them, but the church in a corporation reaches out to nonbelievers in the workplace. Existing churches are established around people’s dwelling environment, but the church in the workplace provides a nexus for social life. There surfaces a need for a new form of the …

Strobel's " The Ecumenical Edwards: Jonathan Edwards And The Theologians" (Book Review), Jeremy Labosier

The Christian Librarian

Strobel, K. C. (Ed.). (2015). The ecumenical Edwards: Jonathan Edwards and the theologians. New York: Routledge. 270 pp. $109.95. ISBN 9781317034568

Texto, Contexto Y Cultura En Los Comentarios Sobre Teología De La Liberación, Sara Heist

Senior Honors Theses

The critical dialogue sparked by Latin American liberation theology in the 1970s has involved diverse authors from various creeds and cultures. Although dozens of critics have offered an analysis of both Liberation Theology and its foundational text, Gustavo Gutiérrez’s A Theology of Liberation, the discussion has not reached consensus. Some critics, such as Ray Hundley, Ronald Nash, C. F. H. Henry, Harold O. J. Brown and Michael Novak, dismiss the movement as a hopeless entanglement of social goodwill, economic ignorance, and insidious Marxist philosophy. Others, among them the Catholic Magisterium, Michael Löwy, Juan Carlos Scannone, and João B. Chaves, …

Religion And Violence In Jesse James Films, 1972–2010, Travis Warren Cooper

Journal of Religion & Film

This essay analyzes recent depictions of Jesse James in cinema, examining filmic portrayals of the figure between the years of 1972 and 2010. Working from the intersection of the anthropology of film and religious studies approaches to popular culture, the essay fills significant gaps in the study of James folklore. As no substantial examinations of the religious aspects of the James myths exist, I hone in on the legend’s religiosity as contested in filmic form. Films, including revisionist Westerns, are not unlike oral-history statements recorded and analyzed by anthropologists, folklorists, and ethnographers. Jesse James movies, in other words, have much …

Two-Spirit Mexica Youth And Transgender Mixtec/Muxe Media: La Mission (2009), Two Spirit: Injunuity (2013), And Libertad (2015), Gabriel S. Estrada

Journal of Religion & Film

Independent directors Peter Bratt, Adrian Baker, and Avila-Hanna create differing trans-border queer Indigenous media that resist Eurocentric cic-heteropatriarchy. While Bratt’s feature-length narrative film La Mission (2009) features a masculine Mexica gay teenager who survives fused homophobic and trans*-phobic violence, Baker’s short animation Two Spirit: Injunuity (2013) makes stronger trans* and two-spirit Mexica youth identity affirmations. Avila-Hanna’s short documentary Libertad (2015) offers the clearest transgender narrative of the three films as it focuses on a California transgender Mixtec immigrant activist who is coming of age as a woman with the aid of hormones and gender affirming surgery. This article’s trans*- and …

The Evangelists' Editorial Efforts; Matthean And Lukan Theology Vis-A-Vis A Few, Unique Parables, Benjamin C. Joseph Mr.

Religious Studies Theses and Dissertations

As an early Church Father and apologist in the 2nd century, Irenaeus contributed greatly to discourse on Christian theology, scripture, and tradition. However Irenaeus could not have been further from the truth when he exclaimed, “The parables will receive a like interpretation from all!”1 Had his prediction proven to be true, perhaps there would not be much to say about the parables in the Christian Gospels. Yet a single, universally accepted interpretation of any one parable did not exist during Jesus’ earthly ministry, and certainly does not exist today. Why, then, does Jesus speak in parables? Why would a religious …

Crisp And Sanders' "Locating Atonement: Explorations In Constructive Dogmatics" (Book Review), Greg Rosauer

The Christian Librarian

A review of Crisp, O., & Sanders, F. (Eds.). (2015). Locating atonement: Explorations in constructive dogmatics. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan. 256 pp. $26.99. ISBN 9780310521167