Ethics in Religion Commons^™

Art And Symbolism: The Technique Of Applying Hidden Meaning And Communicating Specific Ideas Through Art, Andrea C. Macbean

Senior Honors Theses

Symbolism is an artistic style frequently used in the arts. Through the course of art history, it was its own artistic movement as well. The incorporation of specific symbols, shapes, colors, or identifiable images communicates to the viewer an intended message or statement. Frequently, symbolism appears to be hidden or initially unperceived by the intended audience. In some works, symbolism is so abstract that it needs explanation or clarification to be understood completely by the viewer. This thesis will analyze a few techniques of symbolism that can be incorporated in a work of art to communicate truth, entice thought, point …

Amazon Book Review Of Dwayne Tunstall's Doing Philosophy Personally (2013), Theodore Walker

Perkins Faculty Research and Special Events

An Amazon.com customer book review of Doing Philosophy Personally: Thinking about Metaphysics, Theism, and Antiblack Racism (Fordham University, 2013) by Dwayne A. Tunstall

War And Violence: The Use Of Nuclear Warfare In World War Ii, Tess N. Weaver

Writing Programs

A freshman major in modern languages with an emphasis in Spanish and French from Spokane, Washington, Tess Weaver explores the echoing effects of nuclear warfare in World War II from a Christian ethical perspective. By addressing various Christian theologians’ views on warfare and violence, Weaver establishes a platform on which she historicizes the ethical implications of nuclear warfare in the theological arena. This essay was written for Dr. Nicholas Brown’s theology course, Introduction to Christian Ethics, in the fall of 2013.

Hospitality As Companionship And Justice, Laura Stivers

Collected Faculty Scholarship

My work has not been in direct ministry to people who are homeless but instead I have been involved in writing, teaching, and organizing to do the work of justice. . .to end homelessness as this homeless poet asks us to do. Organizing for justice through structural change (e.g. affordable housing, good work for all, universal healthcare, no wars, etc.) is of paramount importance. It is our fight. The problem of homelessness is less about the individuals who find themselves without a place to sleep and more about our collective identity as a people and a society. Organizing for justice, …

Jesus And Paul’S Teachings Today, Parker Mccloud

Writing Programs

A freshman history major from Laguna Niguel, California, Parker McCloud addresses the relationship between Christian ethics and its effect on the contemporary political and social climate in the United States. By weaving in examples of Jesus and Paul’s biblical teachings, McCloud examines the role that Christian ethics plays in defining American sociopolitical debates, including freedom of religion, war, and women’s reproductive rights. The essay was written for a First Year Seminar course entitled On Faith and Politics in the fall of 2013 with Dr. Siker.

To Lift The Leaden-Eyed: Ernest Boyer’S Career In Higher Education, Drew Moser

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Calvin Theological Journal (Vol 48 No 2 - November 2013), Calvin Theological Seminary

Calvin Theological Journal

Articles: The Two-Kingdoms Doctrine and the Mission to Islam by John Bolt - 198 / Neo-Calvinism, Pluralism, and the Challenge of Islam by Richard J. Mouw - 207 / Universality and Dualism: Herman Bavinck and the Debate on Whether to Civilize the Dutch East Indies through Missions or Education by George Harinck - 217 / Neo-Calvinism and Pan-Islamism: Kindred Movements Against Liberal Imperialism? by Clifford B. Anderson - 234 / John Calvin and Musical Instruments: A Critical Investigation by W. David O. Taylor - 248 / The Covenant-Idea as the Heart of Hebrews and Biblical Theology: An Original Contribution …

Star Spangled Saints: Ritual Practices That Legitimate War And Violence In The American Church, Terry Dewayne Shoemaker

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The objective of this research is to analyze the ways in which the conservative,
American church has been ideologically and ritualistically shaped by an imperial culture enamored with war, the military, and violence; and how those positions and practices, in effect, legitimate war and the military. While many authors have surveyed historical Christian positions regarding war and the current nationalistic tendencies of conservative Christians, little research has been conducted to assess the effects of violence, nationalism, patriotism, and military enchantment on Christian rituals, practices, and ethos. Within this research, I argue that contemporary, conservative Christians have surpassed previously held nuanced …

Review Of: Andrew R. Murphy (Ed.), The Blackwell Companion To Religion And Violence, Brian Stiltner

Philosophy, Theology and Religious Studies Faculty Publications

Blackwell Companions, and instalments from similar series, should be initially sized up according to their purpose and audience. Such hefty tomes present themselves first as reference books—as collections of articles by scholarly experts that treat the key methods, topics, historical developments, etc., in the field. Second, each Companion is addressed to students and teachers as a state-of-the-field resource that provides several benefits: a sound picture of the field, assessment of various theories and methods used in the field, a sense of the innovative developments and open questions, and plenty of information to follow up on. Finally, some Companions give primacy …

Sects And Sectarianism, Jan-E-Alam Khaki

Institute for Educational Development, Karachi

No abstract provided.

Elder Selection: Engaging The Monterey Church Of Christ In A Collaborative Elder Selection Process, Benjamin D. Pickett

Doctor of Ministry Theses and Dissertations

This doctor of ministry thesis presents the outcomes of a project intended to foster greater collaboration at the Monterey Church of Christ in its selection of elders. The intervention involved the engagement of the Monterey Church in a process that involved multiple steps. These steps involved engagement with teachers in the context of a teacher training seminar, with Bible classes in a series of Bible lessons, and with elders, elder nominees, and their spouses in order to discern the perceived degree to which Monterey members participate in the elder selection process. The Bible lessons presented an alternative model for theological …

Calvin Theological Journal (Vol 48 No 1 - April 2013), Calvin Theological Seminary

Calvin Theological Journal

Articles: The Imitation of Christ as Illumination for the Two Kingdoms Debate by John Bolt - 6 / "Abraham had two sons": Augustine and the Allegory of Sarah and Hagar (Galatians 4:21–31) by Wendy Elgersma Helleman - 35 / Jonah 1:9—An Example of Elenctic Testimony by Carl J. Bosma - 65 / Missionary Ecclesiology in an Age of Individualization by Stefan Paas - 91 / From a Neo-Calvinistic to an Ecumenical Theology of Religions: The Development of the Theologia Religionum of Johannes Verkuyl by Rudolph Edward Stiemer - 107 / Pierre Viret on War and Peace by Robert D. …

Protest, Alexandria Abel

PTRS Undergraduate Publications

Protest is a method used to oppose power or enact change. It is a multifaceted idea in that the type of protest used depends directly on the attainability of the goal. I will discuss the properties of protest and then show how individuals in Enrique’s Journey and Dorothy Day's Loaves and Fishes approach the act of protesting differently based on the actuality of the goals to be accomplished.

Justified By Faith: The Upper Susquehanna Lutheran Synod And The Pennsylvania Natural Gas Fracking Controversy, Lena R. Connor

Pomona Senior Theses

An exercise in applied Christian ecotheology, this thesis focuses on a community of Lutheran church bodies (ELCA) in North Central Pennsylvania as they grappled with natural gas hydraulic fracturing in the summer of 2012. In the paper, I employ a combination of theological, environmental, historical, and ethnographic research methodologies to ground my analysis of how this synod of Lutherans to date has approached the fracking boom. My primary research question is: How might the Upper Susquehanna Synod of the ELCA--as a representative body of 131 Lutheran churches that are steeped in tradition--use its history, community involvement, theology, and church structure …

Talking And Not Talking: Sexual Education And Ethics For Young Women Within The Evangelical Movement In America, Kate Sargent

LUX: A Journal of Transdisciplinary Writing and Research from Claremont Graduate University

Evangelical culture is a juggernaut, and has now permeated every level of American society. Much of the culture’s strength is due to the powerful youth movement within Evangelical denominations. A great deal of its propaganda is aimed at “youth” and “youth culture” in the form of music, books, and technology. Young people are the “heart and soul” of the Evangelical movement. They embrace it, and then perpetuate it. “Evangelical” is an admittedly elusive term. The Oxford English Dictionary (2011) defines evangelical in two ways, both as an adjective, “1 of or according to the teaching of the gospel or Christianity. …

Marriageable Age In Islam: A Study On Marriageable Age Laws And Reforms In Islamic Law, Jeremiah J. Bowden

LUX: A Journal of Transdisciplinary Writing and Research from Claremont Graduate University

One area of Islamic law that has been subject to much criticism as of late is the practice of child-marriage. Some, preferring to view Islam suspiciously, tend to create a caricature of Muslims as morally depraved individuals who force young daughters into marriages to old men for financial gain. Several polemicists commenting on this practice have hurled virulent epithets toward the Prophet Muhammad, whom they believe to be the originator of this abhorrent practice. After exploring instances where child-marriage still occurs, I will examine how this practice is currently being reformed in a way consistent with Islamic law. Ultimately, I …

Journey Of A Peace Journalist, Robert Koehler

Center for the Study of Ethics in Society Papers

Presented October 15, 2012. 2012 Winnie Veenstra Peace Lecture.

The Fight For The Family: Biblical Applications For Navigating Life's Toughest Challenges In Ministry, Wendell Bishop

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This thesis project is an assessment of the life of a minister's family. The purpose of this project is to prepare new pastors, missionaries, and other Christian leaders so that they do not lose their own children while they are reaching the world. After careful research from contemporary ministries and research projects, the Christian leader will be aware of the challenges before him or her and have biblical applications that will help the families navigate through the difficult life of ministry. As a result of reading this thesis project, the reader will become aware of the battle that is taking …

Zange And Sorge: Two Models Of 'Concern' In Comparative Philosophy Of Religion, James Mark Shields

Faculty Contributions to Books

The concept of Sorge, as developed in Martin Heidegger’s (1889–1976) classic work, Sein und Zeit (1927), describes an existential-ontological state characterized by “anxiety” about the future and the desire to “attend to” the world based on our awareness of temporality. In Japan, this concept was borrowed and critically developed by Watsuji Tetsurō (1889–1960). In Rinrigaku (1937–49), Watsuji argued that Heidegger’s Sorge remains overly reliant on the philosophical structures of Western individualism and subjectivism, and thus neglects the social dimension of human being. In turn, Watsuji’s contemporary, Tanabe Hajime (1885–1962), developed an alternative theory of “concern” in his reflections on …

Where I Am, William L. Blizek

Journal of Religion & Film

This is a film review of Where I Am (2013) directed by Pamela Drynan.

Free Markets With Caritas: A Transformational Concept Of Efficiency, Bruce D. Baker

SPU Works

The logic of caritas transforms conventional concepts of economic efficiency in a direction conducive to the health and sustainability of a market system, by distinguishing between economic activities which are additive or extractive toward the common good. The beneficent power of the market to serve human flourishing is based not in a morally tacit concept of economic efficiency as a cardinal good, but rather in a gift-bearing efficiency aligned with caritas. This thesis is explored through three business case studies: (1) patents related to pharmaceutical drug design and marketing; (2) “monetization” strategies in recent internet-based business models; and (3) …

La Sagesse Et L’Adversite – Wisdom And Adversity, Yann Opsitch

Language and Literature

What can we learn from the biblical text concerning the relationship between wisdom and adversity? How can we apply this to our lives in the 21^st century?

How do the life and teachings of Jesus connect with the biblical concept of wisdom? How does the story of Jesus help us reconstruct our broken lives and identities? Where is the wisdom in biblical hope?

These are some of the questions raised by this book written in French and addressing specifically a French audience.

Fruit Of The Spirit, Gary M. Simpson

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

[Review] Earth-Honoring Faith: Religious Ethics In A New Key. Larry Rasmussen, Laura Stivers

Collected Faculty Scholarship

Larry Rasmussen’s new book, Earth-Honoring Faith: Religious Ethics in a New Key, like his last environmental ethics masterpiece Earth Community Earth Ethics (won the 1997 Louisville Grawemeyer Award in Religion), is eloquently written and incorporates a multitude of interdisciplinary sources to argue for Creation justice.

Slaves To Contradictions: 13 Myths That Sustained Slavery, Wilson Huhn

Akron Law Faculty Publications

People have a fundamental need to think of themselves as “good people.” To achieve this we tell each other stories – we create myths – about ourselves and our society. These myths may be true or they may be false. The more discordant a myth is with reality, the more difficult it is to convince people to embrace it. In such cases to sustain the illusion of truth it may be necessary to develop an entire mythology – an integrated web of mutually supporting stories. This paper explores the system of myths that sustained the institution of slavery in the …

The Intricacy Of Death And Destiny, Christopher Rogers

PTRS Undergraduate Publications

It is our eternal shadow and our ultimate judge. It is our shared destiny and greatest fear; death. The conceptualization of death has always been a fascination of man; we have forever explored it, pondered it, dissected it, but never conquered it. We know how to live, but yet very few of us know how to die.

Two of the most brilliant explorations of this dynamic are vastly different yet inherently important works. The genius of both George Orwell’s political satire 1984, and Albert Camus’ The Plague is their accessibility to the imagination regarding dying, the authors ability to …

Resistance To The Demands Of Love, Rebecca Konyndyk Deyoung

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

At its core, acedia is aversion to our relationship to God because of the transforming demands of his love. God wants to kick down the whole door to our hearts and flood us with his life; we want to keep the door partway shut so that a few lingering treasures remain untouched, hidden in the shadows.