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Full-Text Articles in Ethics in Religion
Table Of Contents
Say Something Theological: The Student Journal of Theological Studies
No abstract provided.
The End Of Faith, The Beginning Of Glory, Maria Lai C.S.J.
The End Of Faith, The Beginning Of Glory, Maria Lai C.S.J.
Say Something Theological: The Student Journal of Theological Studies
On April 21, 2025, Pope Francis passed away after twelve years of remarkable service to the Catholic Church and to the world. This reflection centers on Francis’ papacy and legacy, asking important questions related to the meaning and purpose of life and inviting us to contemplate his discipleship as a follower of Jesus Christ.
Editor’S Introduction, Eryn Reyes Leong
Editor’S Introduction, Eryn Reyes Leong
Say Something Theological: The Student Journal of Theological Studies
Volume 8 of Say Something Theological is dedicated to Pope Francis, Pope Leo XIV, and the future of the Catholic Church. It features the work of Loyola Marymount University’s graduate theology students and staff, who offer thoughtful and well-reasoned papers that probe theological and pastoral questions relating to the Christian tradition and the concrete practice of the Christian faith.
Unearthing Evidence For St. Augustine’S Racial Blackness And Paralleling Augustine’S Christian Mystical Religion To Traditional African Religion’S Mysticism, Dillon Cook
Say Something Theological: The Student Journal of Theological Studies
This article undertakes two projects rendering significant ramifications for philosophy/theology, if my assertions are correct. First, the philosopher/theologian known as St. Augustine of Hippo is most saliently recognized as a “white man”; if not a white man, “a European”; if not European, “a man of Rome”; or “Mediterranean”; etc. Outside the intellectual sphere, this is how he is often depicted in art, Penguin Classic books, and so on. Yet ironically, images of Augustine rarely circulate, if at all, as a Black-African-Indigenous person. Was Augustine nonwhite? Evidence is rendered that this is indubitably the case. Could Augustine have been modernly categorized …
Voices Of Protest: Women Who Sing The Blues, Deborah Kaufman Giordano
Voices Of Protest: Women Who Sing The Blues, Deborah Kaufman Giordano
Say Something Theological: The Student Journal of Theological Studies
This paper explores the biblical and historical continuity of women’s voices “singing the blues” in social protest across different contexts. The blues as a musical genre spans a myriad of themes, including social protest. Black female blues songs such as Bessie Smith’s “Poor Man’s Blues” and Billie Holiday’s “Strange Fruit” were the blues songs of lament and social protest, protesting economic injustice and the brutality of lynching respectively. This paper explores how two biblical women — Hannah in “Hannah’s Song” (1 Samuel 2:1-10) and Mary in the Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55) — sang the blues of social protest. These biblical women, …
Augustine’S Ethics And Authentic Happiness, Ignatius C. Williams
Augustine’S Ethics And Authentic Happiness, Ignatius C. Williams
Say Something Theological: The Student Journal of Theological Studies
Finding happiness is a fundamental human goal, despite the fact that it varies between cultures, philosophical systems, and religious beliefs. But how mankind pursues happiness as the greatest good and how it is reached in that process are considered because not all endeavors ultimately lead to true or authentic happiness. In light of this, Augustine’s notion of ethics and authentic happiness are examined, along with some essential principles for living an ethical life that is congruent with true happiness. Three topics are explored. First, I examined Augustine’s theory of happiness as well as moral requirements centered on grace, love, and …
Discord From Within: Challenges Facing Catholicism In The United States And The Road Ahead, Amber Montgomery
Discord From Within: Challenges Facing Catholicism In The United States And The Road Ahead, Amber Montgomery
Say Something Theological: The Student Journal of Theological Studies
As membership in the Catholic Church continues to decline in the United States, there are less parishioners or those interested in religious life. Two contributing reasons for this include the Church’s stance on the use of contraception and the role of women within ministry. Explored here is a brief survey of these issues based on Scripture, papal documents, feminist theology, and the perspective of clergy and lay persons. These two topics are of particular interest as the United States grapples with women’s rights over their bodies and wrestle with women’s place within the Church. While the Church has taken an …
Reaching The Young And Hopeless: Rooting For Redemption At A Residential Treatment Center, Christian P. Newton
Reaching The Young And Hopeless: Rooting For Redemption At A Residential Treatment Center, Christian P. Newton
Say Something Theological: The Student Journal of Theological Studies
This article reflects on my experiences as an educator at a Residential Treatment Center, observing the spiritual battles being fought by some residents as they attempt to rectify their lives after their involvement in sexual abuse. It will review literature that has been successful in my classroom with helping young people change their mind concerning their irredeemableness and that can also improve how evangelical attempts across Christian dominations pastor to those who feel scorned by God. Due to the mentality of some residents who have deeply struggled with the concepts of forgiveness and regret, literature is offered as starting point …
Evolving Ontology And The Case Against Predictive Algorithms In The U.S. Justice System, Eryn Reyes Leong
Evolving Ontology And The Case Against Predictive Algorithms In The U.S. Justice System, Eryn Reyes Leong
Say Something Theological: The Student Journal of Theological Studies
In the United States today, predictive algorithms, a particular form of artificial intelligence (AI), permeate all segments of society, including the criminal justice system. With the help of AI, judges are able to “plug” defendants into algorithms and generate outputs that produce a deterministic and homogenous view of defendants. Proponents of predictive algorithms cite accuracy, neutrality, fairness, and efficiency, but what is missing from their calculus is the human person, the central figure who shapes and is shaped by algorithms. Using the story of defendant Darnell Gates as a case study, this article seeks to contribute to the development of …
Mystical Life And Altered Consciousness: Comparing The Subtle Paths And Trance States Of St. Teresa And Patañjali, Dana Tarasavage
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 …
Prison Parts: The Theological-Ethical Problem Of Using Prisoners As Living Organ Donors, Eryn Reyes Leong
Prison Parts: The Theological-Ethical Problem Of Using Prisoners As Living Organ Donors, Eryn Reyes Leong
Say Something Theological: The Student Journal of Theological Studies
This paper is a theological and ethical reflection of Massachusetts House Bill 2333, which would reduce prison sentences on the condition that state prisoners donate bone marrow or an organ. Looking specifically at agency and bodily integrity as the two facets of imago Dei that are implicated by House Bill 2333, I address the crucial question: Does House Bill 2333 distort the dignity of prisoners as imago Dei by incentivizing living prisoners to donate their body parts in exchange for freedom? Using Margaret A. Farley’s justice framework articulated in Just Love: A Framework for Christian Sexual Ethics (2006), this paper: …
“How Are We Refocusing Our Lives On God?”: Implementing The Lenten Vision Of Sacrosanctum Concilium On A High School Campus, Michael Ashley-Mennis
“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
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 …
Hildegard Of Bingen – 12th Century Feminist Mystic, Robert F. Stamps
Hildegard Of Bingen – 12th Century Feminist Mystic, Robert F. Stamps
Say Something Theological: The Student Journal of Theological Studies
Hildegard of Bingen is one of history’s remarkable people. Born into German nobility in 1098, Hildegard began having mystical visions at an early age and saw God as light. Hildegard chose a spiritual life and entered a religious cloister at fifteen. There she was educated, studying many subjects, including Latin and music. In 1136 Hildegard became the prioress. The confines of the cloister did not stop Hildegard from becoming a major theological force. She wrote books on theology and medicine, authored plays, and composed music. Theologically, Hildegard contributed to the development of the theological construction of the concept of purgatory. …
Saint Monica’S Model Of Catholic Excellence In Augustine’S Confessions, Caelan Mckamey
Saint Monica’S Model Of Catholic Excellence In Augustine’S Confessions, Caelan Mckamey
Say Something Theological: The Student Journal of Theological Studies
This paper discusses Saint Augustine’s presentation of his mother, Monica, as a model Catholic throughout his Confessions. Saint Augustine utilized individuals he encountered throughout his life as models of perfect Catholicism in an effort to provide resources for his medieval contemporaries to draw from throughout their own faith journeys. As a convert himself, Augustine drew holy inspiration from his mother, Saint Monica, as he searched for life’s purpose and God’s grace. He presents his mother throughout the first nine books of the Confessions as a human woman – trapped in a loveless marriage, filled with anxiety and fear, yet …
Karl Rahner And Vatican Ii: A Sacramental Vision Of The Church, Geoffrey Watson
Karl Rahner And Vatican Ii: A Sacramental Vision Of The Church, Geoffrey Watson
Say Something Theological: The Student Journal of Theological Studies
This paper is an exploration of Karl Rahner’s theology, his relationship to Vatican II, and the legacy of the council. In it, I examine not only Rahner’s role in the council but also the way in which his thinking has helped move the church from a Eurocentric, hierarchical institution, concerned mainly with its own sense of authority and holiness, to a more collegial, global church that embraced its identity as a community of sinners. First, I examine the sources behind the council texts, specifically Rahner’s transcendental Thomist background, as well as his specific understanding of grace and the role of …
Is It A Requisite For A ‘Believer’ To Be Part Of The Formal/Institutional Church?, Dillon Cook
Is It A Requisite For A ‘Believer’ To Be Part Of The Formal/Institutional Church?, Dillon Cook
Say Something Theological: The Student Journal of Theological Studies
For the purposes of this paper, I attempt to wrestle with the question of whether or not it is a requisite for a “believer” (which turns out to be a loaded and ambiguous term) to be a part of a formal/institutional Christian Church. This is a difficult task to accomplish, and this, I admit. There is no way to answer this, truly with certainty. But Metaphysics are rarely grounded in “certainty.” This is true for many Christian Theological tasks as well. Nevertheless, this argument will be attempted by working with and off of the Black liberation theologian and philosopher, James …
Nostra Aetate To Combat Anti-Judaism, Marjorie Shahani
Nostra Aetate To Combat Anti-Judaism, Marjorie Shahani
Say Something Theological: The Student Journal of Theological Studies
This essay explores the reason the Catholic Church felt the need to release Nostra Aetate, specifically Article 4, and were they in fact successful. The intention to improve Catholic - Jewish relationship and to denounce anti-Judaism were primary. Christianity grew on the backs of centuries of anti-Judaism rhetoric expressed by Catholic Church leaders and anti-Jewish literature written by the Church fathers. All this negativity against the Jewish people contributed to the beginnings of anti-Semitism and purposely or inadvertently influenced the reality of the Shoah. These sentiments included the deicide condemnation of the Jewish people, the replacement theory or concept of …
Kenneth Tanaka And American Buddhism, Grace Laubach
Kenneth Tanaka And American Buddhism, Grace Laubach
Say Something Theological: The Student Journal of Theological Studies
In fairly recent history Buddhism has spread west to the United States. In doing so, it has faced many changes and transformations as people from different backgrounds have begun practicing and spreading its practices. In this process, many of the traditional aspects of Buddhism have been lost or traded for more modern ones, which has in turn led to the exclusion of many Buddhists of color from many primarily white, American Buddhist spaces. In analyzing the works of Kenneth Tanaka, the importance of utilizing both modern and traditional aspects of Buddhism within American Buddhism become clear as he discusses how …
Abortion, Buddhism, And The Middle Way: What A Buddhist View Of Abortion In Japan Can Teach Us In The United States Following The Overturn Of Roe V. Wade, Anna Grace Kalvelage
Abortion, Buddhism, And The Middle Way: What A Buddhist View Of Abortion In Japan Can Teach Us In The United States Following The Overturn Of Roe V. Wade, Anna Grace Kalvelage
Say Something Theological: The Student Journal of Theological Studies
This paper takes up the question of whether there is a “middle way” approach in addressing the issue of abortion, particularly in light of the overturning of Roe v. Wade in the United States. It explores this question through examining how schools of Buddhism have addressed the issue of abortion in Japan, especially considering Japan’s unique history with abortion issues and the mizuko kuyo rituals, and what initially appears to be a gap in theory and practice when it comes to Buddhism and abortion. It further explores how some of the central tenets of Buddhism including karma, rebirth, and compassion …
Purchasing The Practice: How The World Of Wellness Sells Yoga As The Ultimate Self-Care, Serafina Blake
Purchasing The Practice: How The World Of Wellness Sells Yoga As The Ultimate Self-Care, Serafina Blake
Say Something Theological: The Student Journal of Theological Studies
Yoga has the potential to bring a healing paradigm into the world and re-awaken the practitioner’s infinite capacity for love and compassion. Unfortunately, Western yoga carries many stereotypes in opposition to this understanding. In the US, yoga is more closely associated with fitness, whiteness, wealth, and youth than it is connected to a deeply complex spiritual tradition that has spanned centuries. The Westernization and industrialization of yoga has the potential to be spiritually harmful to practitioners who participate in yoga as a product to be consumed, rather than a practice to be engaged in. In addition to the Western values …
How Release Informs Practice: Nonattachment As A Key To The Yogic Techniques Of Patañjali’S Yoga Sūtra, Dana Tarasavage
How Release Informs Practice: Nonattachment As A Key To The Yogic Techniques Of Patañjali’S Yoga Sūtra, Dana Tarasavage
Say Something Theological: The Student Journal of Theological Studies
This paper explores the relationship between practice and nonattachment in Patañjali’s Yoga Sūtra (YS). I examine these concepts in their original context and then view them through a modern lens, arguing that the application of nonattachment alongside yogic practices holds the key to fruitful spiritual exploration. My research shows that nonattachment is more than a secondary consideration to the main element of practice; instead, the intentionally paradoxical pairing offers nuance and grounding for a holistic Yoga practice. I begin by establishing the goal of the YS, explore the context of practice and nonattachment within it, consider how …
Lonergan’S Concept Of Conversion: A Path To Antiracism, Laura Boysen-Aragon
Lonergan’S Concept Of Conversion: A Path To Antiracism, Laura Boysen-Aragon
Say Something Theological: The Student Journal of Theological Studies
Racism is Christian America’s original sin. Our country’s foundation was built with the hands of more than ten million kidnapped and enslaved persons. The Catholic Church was complicit as enslavers and beneficiaries of enslaved labor as well as the marginalizing of Black Catholics. Given the limited attention that has been given to these origin stories in our country and our church, it is unsurprising that systems of racism perpetuate today. Catholic theologian and ethicist Bryan Massingale provides a definition of racism as an ethos that lives on in U.S. society. Since the murder of George Floyd, a heightened awareness of …
“Redeeming The Religion” Of The Colonizer: Exploring Filipino Worship In The U.S., Gabrielle Poma
“Redeeming The Religion” Of The Colonizer: Exploring Filipino Worship In The U.S., Gabrielle Poma
Say Something Theological: The Student Journal of Theological Studies
This paper aims to serve as an introduction to what the author considers a staple but often overlooked demographic in the pews of Catholic Churches in the United States: Filipinos and Filipino Americans. We begin with a brief overview of Filipino indigenous traditions, Spain’s colonization of the Philippines, and migration trends from the Philippines to the United States. We then explore how Filipino Catholics emerged from intimate devotional gatherings in households and hidden corners of their churches to assert their communities’ needs through parish leadership and civic engagement. In the public forum and thousands of miles from the Philippines, Filipinos …
Diving Into The Deep: A Mystical-Contemplative Leap Of Hope From The Pew, Lori A. Stanley
Diving Into The Deep: A Mystical-Contemplative Leap Of Hope From The Pew, Lori A. Stanley
Say Something Theological: The Student Journal of Theological Studies
This paper focuses on the intersection of the mystical and the contemplative by engaging The Collected Works of St. Teresa of Avila with Dr. Barbara A. Holmes’ Every Shut Eye Ain’t Sleep: The Inner Life During Slavery. The conversation reveals their perspectives on the role contemplative practices have in building and sustaining community. Contemplative prayer, like God, is no respecter of status or position and encounters souls where they are. The mystical-contemplative dimension of my paper is to see whether these two works in conversation would be able to address concerns I have about anti-black narratives in my present …
How Should Members Of The Lgbtq+ Community Be Allowed In Positions Of Ministry In The Catholic Church, Federico Guillermo (Memo) Rodriguez Hernandez
How Should Members Of The Lgbtq+ Community Be Allowed In Positions Of Ministry In The Catholic Church, Federico Guillermo (Memo) Rodriguez Hernandez
Say Something Theological: The Student Journal of Theological Studies
The Catholic Church has had an inconsistent approach to the LGBTQ+ community. The Church speaks of respect, compassion, and sensitivity, while at the same time terminates the employment of workers who openly identify themselves as LGBTQ+, without any other cause for termination. The Church also frequently hinders opportunities for ministry for members of the LGBTQ+. This article calls for a consistent application of Catholic doctrine, so that the respect, compassion, and sensitivity the Church teaches we are to show to members of the LGBTQ+ community is not obscured with unjust discrimination. Based on solid Catholic doctrine, I will establish the …
The Labor Of Mary: A Comparative Analysis Of The Virgin Birth In The Qur’An And The Gospels, Jessica Leu
The Labor Of Mary: A Comparative Analysis Of The Virgin Birth In The Qur’An And The Gospels, Jessica Leu
Say Something Theological: The Student Journal of Theological Studies
Mary has been called a bridge between Christians and Muslims for centuries. Both religions revere her as the mother of Jesus (Isa) and for her status as a virgin when she conceived him, and both traditions have within them devotees who venerate Mary. But despite this shared adoration for the blessed mother, there are a variety of differences between their understanding of Mary’s role in salvation and of her virginity. While the New Testament Gospels make some mention of Mary in their texts, the Qur’an dedicates an entire surah (chapter) to her story and mentions her with more frequency than …
The Usefulness Of Yoga Towards Interconnected Environmental Liberation, Gayatri Sehgal
The Usefulness Of Yoga Towards Interconnected Environmental Liberation, Gayatri Sehgal
Say Something Theological: The Student Journal of Theological Studies
There are a great number of interpretations of the term Yoga today, often being an elusive term. Yet we must recognize the importance of questioning which interpretation can provide us with a clear lens into its meaning, given the legacy of colonialism which has warped our understanding of it. Yoga has a great deal to offer us, and some of its imperative offerings for us today are its ethical principles, particularly the dissolution between the opposition of self and other. This paper employs the principles of nonviolence, non-stealing, and moderation from the yamas (external ethics) of Patanjali’s eight-fold path, as …
Visionary Account Of Purgatory, Alexandra Paradzick
Visionary Account Of Purgatory, Alexandra Paradzick
Say Something Theological: The Student Journal of Theological Studies
This paper is a recreation of a visionary journey that was popular around the 14th century, with the protagonist specifically travelling to the realm of Purgatory. The story has the same tropes as other stories in their genre. Specifically, the protagonist is not fully dead when they enter the realm, they are explained the “rules” of this realm by an angelic guide, they witness others suffering before suffering themselves, and are then sent back to the physical world affected by their journey. The story itself is a tool to show how the living and the dead were linked, with prayers …
Yoga And Brahmavihārā: Expanding The Concept Of Self To Include Others”, John Paul Gauer
Yoga And Brahmavihārā: Expanding The Concept Of Self To Include Others”, John Paul Gauer
Say Something Theological: The Student Journal of Theological Studies
Yoga is a method that practitioners use to expand their sense of self. According to Stuart Ray Sarbacker, yoga has been used to attempt two types of goals: the numinous which bestows special powers upon the practitioner, and the cessative which brings the process of saṃsāra, the endless cycle of rebirth, to an end. Both of these are goals that are focused on an individual self. In modern American yoga, a commodified practice has served to solidify the sense of individualized self by focusing solely on the body-based practices such as āsana. But yoga has a history of …