History of Religions of Western Origin Commons^™

Institutions, The Rise Of Commerce And The Persistence Of Laws: Interest Restrictions In Islam And Christianity, Jared Rubin

Economics Faculty Articles and Research

Why was economic development retarded in the Middle East relative to Western Europe, despite the Middle East being far ahead for centuries? A theoretical model inspired and substantiated by the history of interest restrictions suggests that this outcome emanates in part from the greater degree to which early Islamic political authorities derived legitimacy from religious authorities. This entailed a feedback mechanism in Europe in which the rise of commerce led to the relaxation of interest restrictions while also diminishing the Church's ability to legitimise political authorities. These interactions did not occur in the Islamic world despite equally amenable economic conditions.

Effect Of Core Strength On The Measure Of Power In The Extremities, Justin Shinkle

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of core strength on the transfer and production of forces in the extremities. Twenty-five division 1 collegiate football players performed a series of medicine ball throws in the forward, reverse, right and left directions in a static and dynamic position. The results of the medicine ball throws were compared to several athletic performance measurements including: push press power, 1RM squat, 1RM bench press, countermovement vertical jump, broad jump, 40 yard dash, 20 yard dash, pro agility to the right and left, and the L drill. Several strong correlations were found …

An Examination Of Chronic Pain Coping Strategies And Health Locus Of Control Among Prison Inmates, Joseph M. Mitrovich

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The present study evaluated the types of coping strategies for chronic pain implemented by 88 inmates, and the degree to which these inmates possessed an internal versus external locus of control. Based on the findings of previous research, it was expected that inmates would report utilizing passive coping strategies more often than active coping strategies, and that passive strategies would be associated with poorer adjustment to pain in terms of depression, pain intensity, and pain interference with daily activities. It was also expected that inmates would report higher levels of external locus of control beliefs than internal locus of control …

Environmental Conditions Of Green Valley Lake, Jennifer Bellamy

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Green Valley Lake, western Indiana, has experienced periodic inputs of acid mine drainage (AMD) from the abandoned Green Valley Coal Mine. The lake serves as a state fishing area, and AMD inputs may affect the aquatic ecosystem and human health. The purpose of this research is to determine to what extent the sediments in Green Valley Lake are acting as sinks for metals and if they may impact water quality. Water and bottom sediment samples were taken throughout the lake to evaluate spatial variability of contamination and to determine how the metal concentrations compared to Post Archean Average Shale (PAAS) …

An Activity Theory Exploratory Of The Differential Impact On Students' And Professors' Experiences In How Laptops Are Used For Instruction, Jean Pierre Niyikora

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This exploratory study examined the differential impact of a laptop initiative in two general education classrooms during the winter term session of the 2009-2010 academic year at Midwest institution of higher learning. Beyond observing these two classrooms, a total of 12 student volunteers and two instructors were selected from the laptop using and non-laptop using classrooms for focus group interviews. In total, the researcher conducted 22 classroom observations per each class. Cultural Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) was used as a tool to analyze different tensions that occurred within or between different components of the laptop activity for both classrooms. The …

Examining Validity Characteristics Of The Mmpi-2 Psy-5 Psychoticism Scale, Enrique G. Covarrubias

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to firmly establish the facet scales of the Personality Psychopathology Five (PSY-5) Psychoticism scale of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-Second Edition (MMPI-2). Arnau, Handel, and Archer (2005) recently developed facet scales for the MMPI-2 PSY-5 scales using principal component analyses. The results of this study and the original published study were compared to determine if similar facet scales are found for the MMPI-2 PSY-5 Psychoticism scale. Participants were drawn from three different samples: the MMPI-2 normative sample, an inpatient sample from a mid-Atlantic region, and a college sample from a Midwestern university. Item-level principal …

Walking Atm’S: A Criminological Examination Of Hispanic Robbery Victimization Pre And Post Hurricane Katrina In Metropolitan New Orleans, Dennis Thornton

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Aftermath of Hurricane Katrina sparked the largest influx of Hispanic laborers in the metropolitan New Orleans area ever recorded in Louisiana’s history. Inhabiting impoverished neighborhoods with minimal resources, unable to speak the language and illegal in status, may prime this migrant class as vulnerable targets of robbery. Hence, robberies against Hispanics have increased in Jefferson Parish, which is the basis for the present study. The intention of this research is to ascertain whether such robbery victims sustain greater secondary violence during the commission of the crime than that of Non-Hispanics and also if geographic confinement is contributory factor to …

Barriers To Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Intervention Implementation In The Public School Setting, Amy Marie Stagg

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The present study examined the impact of potential barriers on commonly recommended school-based interventions for children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The interventions included were the Daily Behavioral Report Card, token reinforcement, response cost, instructional style changes, and classroom environment changes. The potential barriers studied were the time teachers spent on an intervention, the level of parent support, the level of child difficulty, the acceptability of an intervention, the perceived fairness of an intervention, and the level of administrative support. The study also examined the potential relationship between teachers‟ stress levels and the number of barriers they perceive to these interventions. …

Application Of Strategic Institutional-Information Technology Alignment Model In Four-Year Institutions Of Higher Education, Barbara Lach-Smith

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined an existing corporate model of business-information technology alignment for application in higher education and tested the findings by surveying executive and technology leaders in higher education. The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of the factors that impact alignment between institutional strategic planning and information technology strategy in higher education. The existing alignment model was examined in the context of mid-size four-year colleges and universities. This study used a combination of Delphi technique and a survey process. The sequence followed was to examine an existing theoretical model for its applicability to higher education …

Professors With Criminal Records: Criminology & Criminal Justice Students Views On Former Convicts As Professors, John Frana

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As America’s incarceration binge begins its fourth decade, one unintended consequence of this social policy has been a growing number of criminologists/sociologists who have personal experience with incarceration as many former convicts have been pursuing education as an avenue for successful re-entry. Some of these ex-convicts have begun to secure PhD’s and have been conducting research as well as teaching various university courses in Sociology and/or Criminology and Criminal Justice. Within this thesis the myths maintained by society surrounding crime and prisoners will be discussed. Using survey research, students majoring in Criminology and Criminal Justice (n = 186) at ISU …

Physiological Responses To Temperature In The Lizard, Sceloporus Undulatus, Joseph C. Ehrenberger

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Temperature affects all organisms differently. Physiological processes, such as metabolism, interact with temperature to determine a minimal rate of energy loss. Physiological limits, such as heat and cold tolerances, likely constrain the activity and survival of organisms. Ultimately, these physiological processes and limits determine a species‘ geographical distribution. Through experiments, I sought to understand specifically how temperature affects the physiology of the lizard Sceloporus undulatus. This species is a model organism to answer such questions, as it is geographically widespread species and well-described phylogenetically. In the first experiment, I compared standard metabolic rates of lizards from three locales and interpreted …

Terrorizing The ‗Fortress Of London‘? German Bombings, Public Pressure, And The Creation Of The British Home Defense System In World War I, Brandon Platt

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Aeronautical warfare played a greater role in the First World War than initially given credit, forcing the British government over time to develop a competent ‗Home Defence‘ system to ward off German bombings and satisfy the British public‘s pressure for protection. By juxtaposing early aerial history with the British public‘s perceptions and the government‘s response, this study reveals a vital transition in the nature and perceptions of warfare during the First World War, providing a socio-military perspective rarely seen in pure military or social histories. Debunking the misconception of the reliance of aerial warfare for just scouting and reconnaissance, this …

Extracellular Matrix Proteins: Implications For Angiogenesis, Kent Edward Williams

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The extracellular matrix (ECM) is an essential requirement for maintaining permanent shape and rigidity in multicellular organisms. The ECM serves two main functions: scaffolding and signaling. Insoluble collagen and soluble proteoglycans, glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), and glycoproteins allow for water retention and flexibility. The signaling role of the ECM is essential for a multitude of events including vascular development and angiogenesis. Via interactions with vascular endothelial cells, proteins of the ECM can induce or repress angiogenesis.

Introduction To America's Four Gods: What We Say About God And What That Says About Us, Paul Froese, Christoper Bader

Sociology Faculty Books and Book Chapters

Despite all the hype surrounding the "New Atheism," the United States remains one of the most religious nations on Earth. In fact, 95% of Americans believe in God--a level of agreement rarely seen in American life. The greatest divisions in America are not between atheists and believers, or even between people of different faiths. What divides us, this groundbreaking book shows, is how we conceive of God and the role He plays in our daily lives.

America's Four Gods draws on the most wide-ranging, comprehensive, and illuminating survey of American's religious beliefs ever conducted to offer a systematic exploration of …

The Foundations And Early Development Of Mormon Mission Theory, David Golding

CGU Theses & Dissertations

This study seeks to answer a fundamental question facing missiologists and historians of Mormonism: given their sustained preoccupation with converting others to Mormonism and their thriving tradition of missionary work, how do Mormons conceive of their mission? By focusing on the theoretical frame in which Mormon missionaries imagined the non-Mormon world, prepared for missionary engagement, and derived their expectations for their mission work, this study aims to illuminate the development of Mormon missionary activities and explain the processes by which Mormons fashioned for themselves a missional character. Beginning with Joseph Smith and the emergence of his missional thought and ending …

Unity, Charity, And Fraternity: Father Michael Mcgivney And The Knights Of Columbus, Kathleen A. Bruno

Pell Scholars and Senior Theses

My thesis discusses the reasons for the creation of the Knights of Columbus, a Catholic fraternal organization, in 1881. I discuss why Father Michael McGivney, a Catholic priest in New Haven, Connecticut, believed that the organization was necessary to prevent Catholic men from joining the "secret societies" of the nineteenth century. I also explain the present-day Knights of Columbus and how McGivney's vision is carried out today through the Order.

Disorders Of Extreme Stress, Not Otherwise Specified, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, And Borderline Personality Disorder: A Vignette Study Exploring Clinicians' Diagnostic Perceptions, Awen Knowles

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Research suggests that some individuals who suffer invasive, early childhood trauma develop significant character pathology, and may meet the criteria for both Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). Trauma researchers have proposed a new diagnostic category for these individuals, called Disorders of Extreme Stress, Not Otherwise Specified (DESNOS), also known as Complex PTSD. The present study compared clinicians’ symptom ratings for two case vignettes to determine if DESNOS was a better description of the cases than PTSD, BPD, or comorbid PTSD/BPD. Additionally, potential sex bias in diagnosis was examined by manipulating the sex of the client in …

The Council Of Nicaea: Constantine's Sword Or Shield?, Pamela T. Gaskill

Master of Liberal Studies Theses

This paper examines events from the late third century to the Council of Nicaea in 325 C.E. The scope of this study is not to debate the differences in translation of ancient texts but rather to examine how the Council of Nicaea changed the path of orthodox Christianity and was used to fuel Constantine's ambition. Constantine called the Council of Nicaea to maintain the integrity of his empire. He recognized the potential hidden in Christian communities. His success in calling the Council of Nicaea should not be measured by the doctrine that emerged, but rather by the decline of theological …

Neal, Mary Julia, 1905-1995 (Mss 4), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Manuscript Collection Finding Aids

Correspondence, speeches, and writings of Shaker scholar and English professor, Mary Julia Neal, a native of Auburn, Kentucky. Neal served as director of the Kentucky Building at Western Kentucky University from 1964 to 1972. Includes photos and correspondence with twentieth century eastern Shakers.

Nicholaas H. Gootjes, The Belgic Confession: Its History And Sources, John B. Roney

History Faculty Publications

Book review by John Roney.

Gootjes, Nicholaas H. The Belgic Confession: Its History and Sources. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2007.

ISBN 9780801032356

A Reappraisal Of Wesleyan Methodist Mission In The First Half Of The Nineteenth Century, As Viewed Through The Ministry Of The Rev John Smithies (1802-1872), Richard B. Roy

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The dissertation reappraises Wesleyan Methodist (WM) mission in the first half of the nineteenth century on the basis of its mission statement (`to reform the nation, particularly the Church; and to spread scriptural holiness over the land' ) and a primary WM characteristic, religious experience. The mission statement shapes the outline for the first main section of the dissertation (3.0) utilising the three divisions of the statement only in reverse order, specifically, (1) the spread of scriptural holiness, (2) reform of the church and (3) reform of the land (nation). The second main section (4.0) examines religious experience in the …

Cognitive, Personality, And Demographic Attributes Of Student Change, Jeanne Marie Hemy

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study was an examination as to whether cognitive, personality, and demographic attributes of students have changed over time. Archival data for 10 cohorts of freshman students from a private Midwest engineering institution were used. Data consisted of Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) results, Learning Environment Preferences (LEP) results, and demographics. ANOV As were performed for all interval data and Chi-Square analyses for all nominal data. Statistical significance was found for MBTI Thinking-Perceiving and Sensing-Intuition scales, LEP Cognitive Complexity Index scores, and demographic variables including age, parental education level, and SAT scores. Results are discussed in terms of practical significance, trends …

Is There A Center To American Religious History?, William Vance Trollinger

History Faculty Publications

Is there a center to American religious history? Of course, this question grows out of what David Wills has referred to as “the perennial debate that always seems to hold center stage as the Big Issue in the field ... [that is,] the ongoing quarrel between those who center their stories on the culturally formative role of a dominant Protestantism and those who emphasize the countervailing forces of religious pluralism and toleration.”

As I take the question, Is there some sort of center to American religion – dominant Protestantism or otherwise – that enables us to tell the story of …

Managing A Merger, William Vance Trollinger

History Faculty Publications

It was not the sort of place where one would expect to find the folks who produced the More-with-Less Cookbook, but the massive and hermetically sealed Opryland complex in Nashville was where 9,330 Mennonites gathered in early July for a momentous meeting. The two largest Mennonite bodies in the U.S. — the General Conference Mennonite Church (established in 1860) and the Mennonite Church (formally established in 1898, but with roots that go back much further) — voted to merge into one denomination, the Mennonite Church USA, after first finding a way to address the issue of homosexuality.

Sovereignty And Salvation In The Vernacular, 1050-1150: Das Ezzolied, Das Annolied, Die Kaiserchronik, Vv. 247-667, Das Lob Salomons, Historia Judith, James A. Schultz

TEAMS Medieval German Texts in Bilingual Editions

These texts will be of interest because they represent a kind of writing - at the intersection of ecclesiastical and secular power, drawing on the whole range of medieval Latin learning, yet written in vernacular verse - that is not found elsewhere in the European Middle Ages. In addition, they may be of use in teaching since, although relatively short, they illustrate a great number of characteristic medieval ways of writing and can be linked to a number of quite remarkable historical figures.

"Through The Eye Of A Needle": The Role Of Pietistic And Mystical Thought Among The Anglican Elite In The Eighteenth Century Lowcountry South, Samuel C. Smith

Faculty Dissertations

This dissertation examines the transmission and eventual manifestation of Christian pietistic and mystical thought into the Colonial and Revolutionary lowcountry South. The facilitators of this transmission include the Continental Pietists, who were themselves heavily influenced by the mystics, and British Evangelicals such as John Wesley and George Whitefield, who, even in their public denials of mysticism, nevertheless demonstrated its strong influence in their ministries. Mystical and pietistic expressions impacted the religious, social, and political life of the lowcountry more than has been previously recognized. Evangelical Pietism's mid-eighteenth century infusion prompted some to correctly recognize its subjective (i.e. inwardly focused and …

Assessment Of Emotionally Disturbed Adolescents Using The Rorschach: An Analysis Of The Ea/Es Relationship, Jordan L. Mulder

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

There is a long history of debate regarding the validity of the Rorschach Inkblot test. Much of the previous research has involved adult subjects within clinical settings. This study investigates the validity of the Rorschach with adolescents classified as being emotionally disturbed according to the educational definition. School personnel and, particularly, school psychologists have the difficult task of identifying individuals who are emotionally disturbed (ED). It appears that a valid measure of covert processes may be helpful in making these determinations. Due to the vast number of scores and codes generated from the Rorschach using Exner's (1978) Comprehensive Scoring System, …

Foreword To Old Ship Of Zion, Vincent L. Wimbush

CGU Faculty Publications and Research

Walter F. Pitts died July 20, 1991. I did not know him personally; I came to know only a part of him through the manuscript-obviously an important part of his life-that has been transformed into the book now before the reader. If that which is created is in the image of its creator, I suspect that had I met Walter Pitts I probably would have liked him very much; I know I would have been impressed by him, and would have learned a great deal from him.

At first, when I was asked by Oxford University Press to review Pitts's …

Relationship Satisfaction As A Function Of The Discrepancy Between Experienced And Desired Levels Of Intimacy, Joan T. Malcolm

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The present study investigated the effect of discrepancies between experienced versus desired levels ·of intimacy on relationship satisfaction using data from 13§ undergraduate students. Subjects completed the Personal Assessment of Intimacy in Relationships (PAIR), the Dyaqic Relationship Questionnaire (DRQ), the Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS), and a Background Questionnaire (BQ). Correlation and multiple regression analyses indicated that discrepancies between Desired and Experienced Intimacy, as measured by the PAIR and DRQ, was highly predictive of relationship satisfaction, as measured by the DAS. However, Experienced Intimacy was a better predictor of relationship satisfaction. Both males and females ranked Emotional Intimacy as most important …

Ascetic Behavior And Color-Ful Language: Stories About Ethiopian Moses, Vincent L. Wimbush

CGU Faculty Publications and Research

The characterization of the fouth-century Black (Ethiopian) monk named Moses in late ancient Christian hagiographie narratives opens wide a window not only onto particular understandings of, and propaganda about, ascetic piety and religious orientations to the world, but also ancient (non-black) Christian sensitivies to racial/color differences. Four ancient sources— Palladius' Lausiac History, Sozomen's Ecclesiastical History, the anonymous Apophthegmata Patrum, and Acta Sanctorum—are analyzed on the basis of a recent translation.