Ethics in Religion Commons^™

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.

Blessed Are The Poor In Spirit, Ree Taylor

Say Something Theological: The Student Journal of Theological Studies

No abstract provided.

Adolescent Spiritual Formation: Practical Theology As A Filter For Youth Ministry, Jeremy Smith

Doctor of Ministry Theses and Dissertations

There seems to be a disconnect between the practice and scholars of youth ministry. Historically, the practice of youth ministry has been overly concerned with method, creating multiple approaches, each with its own inherent shortcomings. Responding to this overemphasis on method, scholars of youth ministry have argued for a more theological framework, assuming that the problem lies within a lack of theological education among youth ministry practitioners. In 2001 youth ministry scholarship made a case to place the field of youth ministry under the discipline of practical theology in hopes of grounding the practice of youth ministry in theology. Over …

Critical Veganism: A Posthuman Understanding Of ‘Becoming With’ Others, Kensey Dressler

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

This thesis lays the groundwork for a critical vegan orientation to posthuman communication research. Critical veganism attempts to do the least amount of harm to nonhuman beings, a shift that decenters the human in scholarship and focuses on the material realities of nonhuman beings. This orientation helps create a praxis for posthuman research that is in line with a new materialist approach to ontology, is anti-capitalist, and strives to do the least harm. Previous research methods tend to be anthropocentric in nature, thus leaving out nonhuman experiences from communication research. Using both autoethnography and multi-species ethnography as my methods, I …

Matthews' "Ethical Questions In Healthcare Chaplaincy: Learning To Make Informed Decision" (Book Review), Armand Ternak

The Christian Librarian

No abstract provided.

Gallagher And Herberts' "Faith And Ethics In Health And Social Care: Improving Practice Through Understanding Diverse Perspectives" (Book Review), Bethany A. Herrod

The Christian Librarian

No abstract provided.

Fitchett, White, And Lyndes "Evidence-Based Healthcare Chaplaincy: A Research Reader" (Book Review), Armand Ternak

The Christian Librarian

No abstract provided.

An Examination And Critique Of The Compatibility And Coherence Of Brian Leiter’S Naturalized Jurisprudence With The American Legal Framework, Michael L. Keck

Masters Theses

In this thesis I argue Brian Leiter’s vision for a naturalized jurisprudence stands in problematic tension with critical facets of objective morality presupposed by the American legal system. Leiter makes the case for the naturalization of jurisprudence through adherence to his version of a naturalistic epistemology. Though Leiter explicitly rejects moral realism—and embraces elements of legal positivism—he acquiesces to the notion that judges sometimes utilize non-legal, “moral reasons,” when deciding cases. Leiter suggests that any moral “knowledge” that may influence the process of adjudication should be delivered by the hard sciences. I suggest Leiter’s epistemological naturalism is incapable of providing …

Growing Old And Getting Sick Are Dangerous In Prison: A Moral And Legal Argument For “Justice, Not Vengeance”, Jillian Sauer

Undergraduate Theses

In 2017 the Kentucky DOC reported that Kentucky prisons housed 2,521 persons categorized as “elderly”. Even though individuals in this population are more susceptible to violence and risk developing age-related illnesses the care of these individuals is not a financial priority for those in power. These individuals occupy a unique position as a marginalized group within a marginalized group, and one which is growing rapidly. As a result, it is necessary to develop a response drawing from Catholic social teaching and criminal justice ethics which addresses the unique problems faced by this population. At the core of this response is …

Scrivere Di Islam. Raccontare La Diaspora, Simone Brioni Dr., Shirin Ramzanali Fazel

Department of English Faculty Publications

Scrivere di Islam. Raccontare la diaspora (Writing About Islam. Narrating a Diaspora) is a meditation on our multireligious, multicultural, and multilingual reality. It is the result of a personal and collaborative exploration of the necessity to rethink national culture and identity in a more diverse, inclusive, and anti-racist way. The central part of this volume – both symbolically and physically – includes Shirin Ramzanali Fazel’s reflections on the discrimination of Muslims, and especially Muslim women, in Italy and the UK. Looking at school textbooks, newspapers, TV programs, and sharing her own personal experience, this section invites us to change the …

Inconceivable: An Analysis Of Assisted Reproductive Technology For The Church, Mary Elizabeth Gresham

Senior Honors Theses

Infertility pushes the boundaries of emotional and physical health, which is why many couples inside and outside the church turn to Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) for a solution. Despite what has seemed like silence from the Church, some individuals have braved the biological confusion and ethical dilemmas to evaluate the technology. Three major ethical viewpoints have emerged that each prioritize something over medical technology, namely community, order, or human dignity. This paper serves to educate pastors and church leaders on the ever-changing biology of ART as well as give voice to Christians that have spoken out on this issue. At …

Book Reviews, Larry Hart, Mark E Roberts, Sally Shelton, Jeffrey Voth, Monte Lee Rice, Robert D. Mcbain, Joji Mathew

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

C. Douglas Weaver. Baptists and the Holy Spirit: The Contested History with Holiness- Pentecostal-Charismatic Movements

Larry Hart ................................................................................................................151

Wolfgang Vondey. Pentecostal Theology: Living the Full Gospel Joji Mathew..............................................................................................................153

Lalsangkima Pachuau. World Christianity: A Historical and Theological Introduction Robert D. McBain....................................................................................................156

David Perry. Spirit Baptism: The Pentecostal Experience in Theological Focus Monte Lee Rice ........................................................................................................159

Craig S. Keener. Galatians and Galatians: A Commentary Mark E. Roberts and Philip R. Feist .........................................................................164

Vinson Synan. Where He Leads Me: The Vinson Synan Story Sally Jo Shelton.........................................................................................................168

Paul L. King. Is It of God? A Biblical Guidebook for Spiritual Discernment Jeffrey Voth ..............................................................................................................171

Creation Care As Caring For Human Beings: An Environmental Justice Case Study, Jeffrey S. Lamp, Kathryn J. Moder, Megan R. Munhoffen, Cade A. Rich, Nathan B. Von Atzigen

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

A special ORU Student study directed by Dr. Jeff Lamp.

Caring for God’s creation is a burgeoning area of interest among Christians in recent decades. In many Christian circles, however, caring for creation is not given high priority in rankings of the duties of Christian disciples in the world. This article will argue that caring for creation is a biblically mandated call for God’s people in the world and derives from the role of human beings as caretakers of creation, creation’s status as a recipient of God’s salvation in Christ, and the connection between human beings and the other-than-human creation. …

Pentecostalism And Social, Political, And Economic Development, Allan H. Anderson

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

This article traces the global impact of Pentecostalism with reference to its definition, varieties, and statistics. It also discusses the subject of development from a theological perspective, considering how development applies to Pentecostalism. The first part considers the ambivalence involved in Pentecostal sociopolitical engagement, and then in the second part, discusses how Pentecostalism and development relate to each other. It gives examples throughout the article of how Pentecostals are involved in development projects and sociopolitical activities worldwide.

Fundamentalism, Marginalization, And Eschatology: Historical, Socio-Economic, And Theological Factors Influencing Early Pentecostal Theological Education, Daniel Topf

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

Pentecostalism is recognized and appreciated, for instance, for its fervent evangelism and vibrant worship but generally not well-known for its contributions to scholarship and formal theological education. Why is that the case? Rather than simply pointing to an anti-intellectual attitude within Pentecostalism, this article emphasizes there are complex historical, socioeconomic, and theological factors to be considered when describing the development of early Pentecostal theological education in the United States. From a historical perspective, early Pentecostalism had to come to terms with its nineteenth-century roots, which included the fundamentalist movement. Regarding socio-economic factors, many early Pentecostal leaders came from the margins …

The Holy Spirit And The Nineteenth-Century Mission To Hawaii, Paul Miller

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

This article explores the missionary successes and failures of nineteenth- century Hawaii. It then explores the Holy Spirit connection to these successes and the lack of such a connection regarding the failures. It suggests missionary failures in the area of supernaturalism and Holy Spirit listening, failures to which the missionaries were particularly prone given their almost mono-focus on “civilization” and “education.” It then suggests native Hawaiian failures in, first, addressing their depopulation problem and, second, in attaining their aspirations of economic progress. Finally, facing these failures, it probes certain Holy Spirit perspectives as their potential solution.

Pentecostal Collaboration: A Pragmatic Necessity Or A Spiritual Principle?, Arto Hamalainen

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

No abstract provided.

"We Have Seen His Glory": Pentecostal Spirit Christology In Conversation With Cyril Of Alexandria, Chris E. W. Green

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

This article proposes a constructive Pentecostal Spirit christology, primarily in conversation with a feature of Cyril of Alexandria’s thought. After considering key features of kenotic Pentecostal Spirit christologies, and showing their limitations, the article takes up the task of constructing an alternative account of kenosis via a re-reading of the Christ hymn in Philippians 2.

The Call Of Nathanael: A New Recruit For The Jesus Movement (John 1:45–51), J. Lyle Story

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

The call of Nathanael narrated in John 1:45–51 not only depicts the call of this disciple of Jesus, but also functions paradigmatically as an invitation for future generations of disciples to personal relationship with Jesus and participation in his messianic mission. The article argues that the horticultural metaphors of the fig tree in the Nathanael narrative and the vine in Jesus’ discourse in John 15 illustrate complementary aspects of discipleship, with the former emphasizing personal relationship with Jesus and the latter a relationship of abiding. It is through the work of the Holy Spirit that disciples, both original and future, …

"I Tried Poverty": Exploring The Psychological Impact Of Poverty And Prosperity In The Life Of Oral Roberts, Daniel D. Isgrigg

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

The origin of the prosperity gospel is most often linked to the influence of American Pentecostal Christianity, particularly to Oral Roberts and his concept of “seed faith.” In light of this, this study seeks to understand Oral Roberts’ concepts of poverty and prosperity by exploring the psychology of his own experience of poverty. It will suggest that the biology of inequality he experienced as a child shaped the development of his prosperity theology.