New Religious Movements Commons^™

"A New Sensation": John Locke And The Sovereignty Of God In John Edward's Conception Of The New Birth, Jacob Huneycutt

The Ozark Historical Review

The author explores the role of Jonathan Edwards on the development of American Evangelicalism through examining his conversion experience in light of the philosophy of John Locke.

Imágenes De Silencio, Compromiso, Persecución Y Tortura: La Teología De La Liberación Y Su Encrucijada Con Las Dictaduras Del Cono Sur Desde Una Representación Cinematográfica, Marcial Martínez

Spanish and Portuguese ETDs

This dissertation examines the interaction between liberation theology and the

dictatorships of the Southern Cone from the 1960s to the 1980s through cinematic

representation. Filmmakers from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay

depict the political upheavals of the time, including the rise of leftist movements,

military regimes, and the influence of liberation theology, a progressive religious

ideology advocating for the oppressed. The study focuses on what is defined here

as the "cinematic canon of liberation theology," a body of films and documentaries

that legitimize, contest, or obscure ideologies tied to this movement vis-à-vis the

dictatorships. These films contest the silence …

“Every Mother A Missionary”?: The Vlogs Of Mormon Mothers, Celia Golden

Departmental Honors & Graduate Capstone Projects

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) places high expectations on mothers because their role in the church is to rear children into godly adults. When their lives are made public through social media, Mormon mothers online avoid religious expectations by withholding information about their Mormon faith and scarcely showing their husbands on-camera. Mormon husbands are expected to be the providers for the family, but as demonstrated through mothers’ vlogs on Instagram, husbands’ erasure allows for mothers to market their expertise to others as a paid product to earn their own revenue. Through descriptive coding, this study …

The Wicker Man, Laurel Zwissler

Journal of Religion & Film

This is a book review of Steve A. Wiggins, The Wicker Man (Liverpool: Auteur, 2023)

Exploring The Growth And Impact Of Contemporary Mindfulness Programs In Japanese Society, Shreya Wagh

Japanese Society and Culture

In today's fast-paced world, mindfulness practice offers a peaceful way to enhance awareness and find clarity in the mind. This practice, rooted in Hindu and Buddhist traditions, aims to achieve spiritual enlightenment. In the late 20th century, mindfulness was adapted into secular, evidence-based therapeutic interventions in the West, leading to its widespread inclusion in healthcare, education, and corporate settings globally. The Westernized version of mindfulness has also been reintroduced to its countries of origin. Japan is no exception. The purpose of this article is to comprehend the rise and growth of mindfulness programs in Japan by analyzing existing literature, particularly …

Touch Me, Dereck Daschke

Journal of Religion & Film

This is a film review of Touch Me (2025), directed by Addison Heimann.

Your Higher Self (Le Plein Potentiel), Dereck Daschke

Journal of Religion & Film

This is a film review of Your Higher Self (Le Plein Potentiel) (2025) directed by Annie St-Pierre.

Public Theology And Political Polarization: Environmental Policy, Jean Golicz, Leonard S. Momeny

Liberty Theological Review

The purpose of this article is to explore the impact of public theology on potentially polarizing political views. Specifically, the historical and contemporary interpretations of the Lynn White Thesis (1966) are examined as well as the practical implications for developing environmental policies that align with a biblical worldview. The authors propose the application of multiple paradigms to the study of religiosity and environmental activism as a way of addressing the complexity and diversity of various viewpoints. Understanding the multiple ways Jesus operated in an equally contentious and polarized society creates a path forward for churches. By rejecting the supposition that …

“Change Is Brewing”: Women Finding Liberation In The Performative Rituals Of Modern Paganism And The Witch Organization, Katie Nelson

The Kennesaw Journal of Undergraduate Research

This project analyzes elements of performative Modern Paganism and Wiccan rituals used by the Women’s International Terrorist Conspiracy from Hell (WITCH) group to determine how these performance practices can provide comfort and agency to those who have been systemically oppressed, particularly women in the United States. The project will focus on WITCH’s activist work, especially during the second wave feminist movement of the 1960-1970s, which used elements of Modern Paganism for social justice purposes by implementing them through guerilla theatre and zap actions. Methodologically, I will be reviewing sources such as performance photos, news articles, and testimonies from the women …

Soul Surfers Forced Into A Fragmented Exteriority, Siti Balkish Roslan, Nor Atiah Ismail, Sumarni Ismail

Interiority

This study explores the profound impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on soul surfers, individuals for whom surfing transcends mere sport to embody a spiritual, psychological, and physical communion with the sea and ocean. The pandemic’s restrictions, which limited access to the sea, challenged the core of soul surfing practices, prompting surfers to seek alternative means to sustain their connection with the sea and ocean. Through qualitative research, employing phenomenological analysis, theories of affordance, symbolic interactionism, and interpretive interviews, the study examines the transition from a natural exterior to a built interior, adapting their living spaces to maintain their surfing identity, …

Can Churches Exist In The Deconstruction Space? The Deconstruction Movement And The Decline Of The White Protestant Church In North, Dawn Dickieson-Léger

Consensus

No abstract provided.

Spiritual Exercises In Novarodok Mussar And The Early Work, Martin Zwick

Complex Systems Faculty Publications and Presentations

This paper compares aspects of the teachings launched in pre-revolutionary and revolutionary Russia of two spiritual figures: Rabbi Yoseph Yozel Horwitz and George Gurdjieff. Yozel founded the Novarodok school of Mussar within Judaism; Gurdjieff founded the spiritual tradition known as “the Work” or “Fourth Way.” There are of course great differences between Judaism and the Work, but some similarities might be expected between spiritual disciplines, especially similarities in practice as opposed to doctrine. This paper explores similarities of some spiritual exercises in the Mussar school of Novarodok and secondarily in later or other Mussar teachings and in the early Gurdjieff …

The Ministries Of New Communities In The Ivory Coast Scrutinised Under The Lens Of The Theological And Magisterial Vision Of The Church, Joseph Loïc Mben Sj

Journal of Global Catholicism

The goal of this article is to show that the ministries of new communities are in conformity with the theological and magisterial vision of the Church and that, in many cases, they contribute to its enrichment. Following some lexical clarifications, it makes particular use of the schema of the threefold offices of Christ in which the members of new communities partake as the baptized, to show how the ministries realize each of the dimensions of Christ’s office.

Les Ministères Des Communautés Nouvelles Au Crible De La Vision Théologique Et Magistérielle De L’Eglise, Joseph Loïc Mben Sj

Journal of Global Catholicism

L’objectif de cet article est de montrer que les ministères des communautés nouvelles sont en conformité avec la vision théologique et magistérielle de l’Eglise et que, dans bien des cas, ils contribuent à l’enrichir. Passé les clarifications lexicales, il s’agira, en utilisant notamment le schéma du triple office du Christ auquel les membres des communautés nouvelles participent en tant que baptisé-e-s, de montrer comment les ministères réalisent chacune des dimensions de l’office du Christ.

Editor's Introduction, Mathew Schmalz

Journal of Global Catholicism

No abstract provided.

Editorial: Most Likely You Go Your Way…, Jeffrey S. Lamp

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

This issue of Spiritus is a special one indeed. Almost three years ago I received a message from Martin Mittelstadt of Evangel University concerning the dialogue underway between representatives of the Pentecostal and Charismatic Churches of North America (PCCNA) and the US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). This dialogue would take place over a three-year period (2021–2003), with papers and responses addressing three topics from the perspectives of Pentecostals and Roman Catholics. The participants expressed an interest in having the presentations from this dialogue published in journals representing both traditions.

Review Of Soon And Very Soon: A Biblical And Theological Study Of The Events Surrounding Jesus Christ’S Second Coming. By David K. Hebert., Cletus L. Hull Iii

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

Review of Soon and Very Soon: A Biblical and Theological Study of the Events Surrounding Jesus Christ’s Second Coming. By David K. Hebert. Tulsa: Word and Spirit Press, 2019. 193 pp.

Review Of The Kaleidoscopic City: Hong Kong, Mission, And The Evolution Of Global Pentecostalism. By Alex R. Mayfield., Van Hnuai Kim

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

Review of The Kaleidoscopic City: Hong Kong, Mission, and the Evolution of Global Pentecostalism. By Alex R. Mayfield. Waco, TX: Baylor University Press, 2023. 269 pp.

Review Of Follow The Healer: Biblical Foundations For Healing Ministry. By Stephen Seamands., Sam Barsoum

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

Review of Follow the Healer: Biblical Foundations for Healing Ministry. By Stephen Seamands. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2023. 176 pp.

Review Of Christ Centered: The Evangelical Nature Of Pentecostal Theology. By Robert Menzies., Michael D. Young

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

Review of Christ Centered: The Evangelical Nature of Pentecostal Theology. By Robert Menzies. Eugene, OR: Cascade, 2020. 190 pp.

Review Of Phenomenal Phenomena: Biblical And Multicultural Accounts Of Spirits And Exorcism. By Joy L. Vaughan, Daniel D. Isgrigg

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

A Review of Phenomenal Phenomena: Biblical and Multicultural Accounts of Spirits and Exorcism. By Joy L. Vaughan. Waco, TX: Baylor University Press, 2023. 265 pp.

Review Of Pentecostal Prophets: Experience In Old Testament Perspective. By Stephen D. Barkley, Wonsuk Ma

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

Review of Pentecostal Prophets: Experience in Old Testament Perspective. By Stephen D. Barkley. Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock. 157 + xii pp.

Response To Walter Kedjierski And Leonardo Gajardo, Martin W. Mittelstadt

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

No abstract provided.

Response To Martin Mittelstadt, Leonardo J. Gajardo

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

No abstract provided.

Called: A Pentecostal Theology Of Vocation, Martin W. Mittelstadt

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

In this essay, I propose a Pentecostal theology of vocation that extends out of the Full Gospel and prophethood of all believers. Though Pentecostals devote considerable attention to church-related/religious vocations, Pentecostals must reimagine vocational implications for fullness of the Spirit on all believers. All Pentecostals are called to embody the dual impulses of the Fivefold Gospel. They are being saved, sanctified, baptized in the Spirit, healed, and living in eager anticipation of Jesus’ return. At the same time, all Pentecostals become saving agents with Christ; they perform holy love; they engage in Spirit-inspired witness; they offer healing balm for a …

Lex Orandi, Lex Serviendi: Roman Catholic Theology Of Ordained Ministry In Select Texts From The Rites Of Ordination, Leonardo J. Gajardo

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

This article will explore the understanding of ordained ministry within the Roman Catholic Church. The article proceeds by examining the prayer and homily from the rites of ordination for Bishops, Priests, and Deacons in order to observe the biblical foundations of ordained ministry, the role of ordained ministry within salvation history, the functional and ontological dimensions of ordained ministry, the living out of the Sacrament of Holy Orders, and the role of the Holy Spirit in ordained ministry.

A Brief Consideration Of The Sacrament Of Marriage: From A Catholic Perspective For Pentecostal Christians, Walter F. Kedjierski

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

In this article Kedjierski attempts to highlight areas of convergence between Pentecostal and Catholic understandings of the covenant of marriage while at the same time explicating the divergences of their respective theologies of marriage. He begins with a personal testimony as to why it is important, particularly for Pentecostals and other Christians, to understand why the ritual associated with marriage is important to Catholics. Then he proceeds to explain the Catholic view of marriage as a sacrament that could be intelligible to Pentecostal audiences, including the place of the Holy Spirit in the ritual and living out of marriage. Subsequent …

A Pentecostal Appreciation Of Andrew Prevot’S “Varieties Of Healing: A Catholic Perspective”, Harold D. Hunter

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

A Pentecostal Appreciation of Andrew Prevot’s “Varieties of Healing: A Catholic Perspective”

Response To David Han’S “Healing In The Pentecostal Tradition”, Andrew Prevot

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

No abstract provided.

Healing In The Pentecostal Tradition, David Han

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

This essay provides a historical and theological overview of the Pentecostal experience of divine healing. The essay argues that, for Pentecostals, the experience of divine healing carries a paramount significance to the “heart” of their spirituality and theology. Like the experience of Spirit-baptism and speaking in tongues, Pentecostals experience healing as a foretaste of God’s eschatological reign. The essay traces the development of healing practices among early and modern Pentecostals historically and theologically. Pentecostal practices of divine healing emerged out of various healing movements rooted in the earlier Holiness traditions, but they were later firmly developed into a doctrinal understanding …