Ethics in Religion Commons^™

Reflections On Peace Education And The Philippines, Patricia M. Mische

The Journal of Social Encounters

This essay, written at the request of JSE editors as an introduction to its special section on Peace Education in the Philippines, discusses the meaning and importance of educating for peace in a globally interdependent but fractured world; shares reflections from the author’s personal journey as a learner/teacher/researcher engaged in peace education, with special attention to her experience in peace education in the Philippines from 1979 to 2020; and introduces two very accomplished Philippine peace educators and their work.

The Mischaracterization Of The Pakhtun-Islamic Peace Culture Created By Abdul Ghaffar Khan And The Khudai Khidmatgars, Shelini Harris

The Journal of Social Encounters

Abdul Ghaffar Khan and his Khudai Khidmatgar Movement, whose peace activities included nonviolent resistance to British rule in India, have remained relatively unknown despite the magnitude of their achievement and significance (100,000 strong peace army). Even among appreciative peace scholars their nonviolence has been mischaracterized as an adoption of Gandhi’s teachings; Khan is referred to as the Muslim Gandhi. I argue that this is due to a reliance on biased colonial sources, concomitant racist characterization of the Pakhtuns and Islam, and an insufficient understanding of violence. I illustrate how this movement’s motivation and inspiration were deeply rooted in Pakhtun culture …

Jesus, The Last Scapegoat: A Chinese-Indonesian Christian Theological Imagination For Peacebuilding And Reconciliation, Hans Harmakaputra

The Journal of Social Encounters

After enduring the systematic oppression under Suharto’s three-decade regime (1967-1998) in Indonesia through discriminatory policies, Chinese-Indonesians suffered an enormous loss in the 1998 riots that signified the end of Suharto’s regime. Many Chinese-Indonesians were killed, raped, and displaced. A few years later, the new government abolished the discriminatory policies against Chinese-Indonesians, and they started to enjoy equality as citizens of Indonesia. However, negativities that resulted from the traumatic experiences cannot be diminished easily. This essay suggests a Chinese-Indonesian Christian theological imagination of Jesus’ crucifixion that aims to deal with communal trauma and contribute to the peacebuilding and reconciliation efforts. This …

Catholic Conscience And Nuclear Weapons, Joseph J. Fahey

The Journal of Social Encounters

This essay briefly explores the history of Catholic ethics on war and peace. It then discusses Catholic social teaching regarding nuclear weapons, and the movement from conditional acceptance to the position of the unacceptability of even possessing nuclear weapons because they are intrinsically evil. The essay concludes with a discussion of the meaning of this development for policy makers and those who work in the nuclear weapons field as well as for average Catholics.

The Economics Of Love, Débora Silva Viana

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this thesis I argue that the obligation to love based on the Christian tradition requires Christians to disperse their resources in a way that significantly evens out wealth distribution and increases social justice. Christians disagree on the terminology and some tenets of the goal of the Christian life (e.g., deification, beatific vision, communion with God, salvation). However, the requirement to practice love is common to all of these concepts, thus making love normative for Christians. I argue that when love takes such a prominent role in one’s life, then it naturally influences how one manages one’s resources. If love …

From The Tree Of Knowledge And The Golem Of Prague To Kosher Autonomous Cars: The Ethics Of Artificial Intelligence Through Jewish Eyes, Nachshon Goltz, John Zeleznikow, Tracey Dowdeswell

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

This article discusses the regulation of artificial intelligence from a Jewish perspective, with an emphasis on the regulation of machine learning and its application to autonomous vehicles and machine learning. Through the Biblical story of Adam and Eve as well as Golem legends from Jewish folklore, we derive several basic principles that underlie a Jewish perspective on the moral and legal personhood of robots and other artificially intelligent agents. We argue that religious ethics in general, and Jewish ethics in particular, show us that the dangers of granting moral personhood to robots and in particular to autonomous vehicles lie not …

Capitalism And Biblical Ethics, Sarah D. Stewart

Liberty University Journal of Statesmanship & Public Policy

There has been a growing trend in some expressions of Christianity to view Capitalism as fundamentally incompatible with the Christian faith. This article looked to a variety of sources to argue that Christianity and Capitalism are not fundamentally incompatible. Rather, Capitalism developed alongside developments in Christian theology during the Middle Ages. This traditional form of Capitalism is defined and argued for in this article. The article attempts to demonstrate that the elements that allow Capitalism to thrive are compatible with Christian ethics. The case is made by first examining the historical development of Capitalism and its relationship to Christianity. From …

De Libero Conscientia: Martin Luther’S Rediscovery Of Liberty Of Conscience And Its Synthesis Of The Ancients And The Influence Of The Moderns, Bessie S. Blackburn

Liberty University Journal of Statesmanship & Public Policy

One fateful day on March 26, 1521, a lowly Augustinian monk was cited to appear before the Diet of Worms.[1] His habit trailed behind him as he braced for the questioning. He was firm, yet troubled. He boldly proclaimed: “If I am not convinced by proofs from Scripture, or clear theological reasons, I remain convinced by the passages which I have quoted from Scripture, and my conscience is held captive by the Word of God. I cannot and will not retract, for it is neither prudent nor right to go against one’s conscience. So help me God, …

Concerning Grief In End Of Ice (2020 [2019]) By Dahr Jamail, And A Denali Sumitography, Theodore Walker, Lillie R. Jenkins

Perkins Faculty Research and Special Events

THE END OF ICE (2020 [2019]) by Dahr Jamail bears witness to “unstoppable melting” of glaciers, with special reference to glacier melt on Mount Denali. In the near future Mount Denali will not be the ice-covered mountain that appears on seven postage stamps in this Denali sumitography (in ancient Latin “sumit” indicates postage stamp):

ALASKA 1937 USA, 3 US cents.

Alaska Statehood 1959 USA, 7 US cents.

Denali National Park and Reserve 1972. USA, 15 US cents.

Alaska Statehood 1984. USA, 20 US cents.

Alaska Highway 1992. USA, 29 US cents.

Mount McKinley (Denali) 2001. USA, 80 US cents. …

A Review Of Spiritual Development And Transformation Among College Students From Jesuit Higher Education, Thomas G. Plante

Psychology

The college experience can be a critically important and enriching time for personal as well as academic growth and development. For many students, college is their first foray into a more independent world and lifestyle no longer under the careful, and sometimes critical, eyes of their parents, families, and schoolteachers. When students go far away from home to attend college, they need to find ways to live independently, manage their many needs, and attend to the rigors of academic life in higher education. Additionally, the college years offer a unique and important period for spiritual growth, development, and transformation. The …

Humanism In The Americas, Carol W. White

Faculty Contributions to Books

This chapter provides an overview of select trends, ideas, themes, and figures associated with humanism in the Americas, which comprises a diversified set of peoples, cultural traditions, religious orientations, and socio-economic groups. In acknowledging this rich tapestry of human life, the chapter emphasizes the impressive variety of developments in philosophy, the natural sciences, literature, religion, art, social science, and political thought that have contributed to the development of humanism in the Americas. The chapter also features modern usages of humanism that originated in the English-speaking world in the nineteenth century. In this context, humanism is best viewed as a contested …

Literacy Sponsorship And Official Paratexts: Promoting Character Literacy Through The For The Strength Of Youth Booklets (1965-2011), Daniel S. Malinconico

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

Literacy sponsors continue to play a dynamic and integral role in acquiring and learning literacy knowledge and skills (fluency) within discourse communities. This thesis examines how a religious literacy sponsor, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, utilizes the For the Strength of Youth (FSOY) publications and official paratexts to actively promote religious literacy and character development in the lives of adolescents. This thesis focuses specifically on the 2011 edition of the FSOY to explore the impact that recent advancements in digital technology have had on the evolution of the main-body text and official paratexts. A textual and paratextual …

Pink And Blue Lenses: Duoethnographic Reflections On Biological Sex In Conservative Christian Education, Phillip A. Olt, Linly Stowe

The Qualitative Report

In this duoethnography, we explored how experiences in conservative Christian high schools were viewed through the different lenses of our binary-constructed, biological sexes. Our perceptions varied along the axes of gendered roles, gendered responsibilities, and romance and sexuality. Through reflecting on our own experiences, we critiqued what we were taught and the lasting repercussions those teachings left on our lives. The approach of indoctrination proved counterproductive in our schools, as graduates left unprepared to enter meaningful romantic relationships or to encounter a world outside their previously sheltered environs.

Miguel A. De La Torre, The Politics Of Jesús: A Hispanic Political Theology, Ramón Luzárraga

Journal of Hispanic / Latino Theology

No abstract provided.

Philanthropy From The Perspective Of The Holy Quran: A Case Study Among Muslim Community In Gansu Province, China, Zhan Qin Mao

Student Works (2020-2029)

It is Allah s commands being the main motivation and reason for people to seek philanthropy according to Islamic sharia. The study aims at clarifying the conceptual and jurisprudential framework of philanthropy by among the Mu Jim Community in Gansu Province in China. The theoretical par1 of this study was based on the descriptive and historical approaches, while the empirical side is based on analytical approach. This was done by using questionnaire as a research instrument through which data was collected by targeting a sample of those engaged in charitable work in the charities and centres in Gansu. The study …

Sister Helen Prejean And The Death Penalty: Decades Of Fighting Capital Punishment, University Marketing And Communications, Helen Prejean

DePaul Download

Sister Helen Prejean has dedicated her life to opposing the death penalty after she witnessed an execution in her home state of Louisiana. Her efforts have sparked a national dialogue on capital punishment and she has helped shape the Catholic Church’s position on the topic. In 2011, she donated her personal archives to the university to help the DePaul community continue to learn from her work. On this episode of DePaul Download, Sister Helen talks about life’s work and what keeps her going.

Pluralism As A Social Practice: A Pragmatist Approach To Engaging Diversity In Public Life, Mary Leah Friedline

Religious Studies Theses and Dissertations

My dissertation lays a theoretical framework for rethinking the ways in which political and moral philosophers conceive pluralism and diversity in public life. I argue that many philosophers who write on the topic do not have a sophisticated understanding of religion, are not sufficiently attentive to historically produced power differentials, and/or do not adequately recognize the intersectional dimensions of diversity. Building on Jeffrey Stout’s notion of democracy as a social practice, and supplemented with Cornel West’s understanding of democratic faith, I use my more complex account of diversity to argue that pluralism is best approached as a social practice, instead …

Book Review: Fear Of The Other: No Fear In Love, Grady King

Discernment: Theology and the Practice of Ministry

Fear of the Other: No Fear in Love, by William H. Willimon, Nashville: Abingdon, 2016. 91 pages, $12.

Piety And Mayhem: How Extremist Groups Misuse Religious Doctrine To Condone Violence And Achieve Political Goals, Noah Garber

Religious Studies Honors Papers

This thesis examines the way in which various groups have used religion as a justification for violent action towards political ends. From the Irgun, which carried out terrorist acts in Palestine, to the Palestinian Islamist organization Hamas, which has waged war on Israel, to the Buddhist leadership of Myanmar, which has waged a genocidal campaign against Rohingya Muslims living in the country, these groups have employed a narrow interpretation of their religious texts as a means to justify the actions they take. It is explained that it is not the compulsion of religious doctrine itself that is to blame, rather, …

Commodification Of Black Bodies, Emmanuel Yeboah

Womanist Ethics

No abstract provided.

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

No Hope For Rousseau In Tomorrowland: Limits Of Civil Religion In E.L. Doctorow’S The Book Of Daniel: A Novel (1971), Gabrielle R. Johnson

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Current scholarly work on E.L. Doctorow’s (1931-2015) novel The Book of Daniel: A Novel (1971) often ignores the narrator Daniel Isaacson’s implicit critique of Rousseau’s civil religion. This paper will show the importance of civil religion within the novel despite its being overlooked by most scholars. In The Book of Daniel, Daniel frequently examines instances of American civil religion and even goes as far as to describe it as inevitable and intrusive on freedom. Daniel implies throughout the novel that the American government models their civil religion on Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s (1712-1778) conception as described in his treatise The Social …

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 …

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; …

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.