Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons^™

Considering Hope, Rachel Henry

Obsculta

Hope based on an expected outcome can be elusive in a world that contains so much suffering. This piece considers Karl Rahner's theological hope as a more appropriate and helpful framework in the context of the diminishing vocations to monastic communities in the United States.

Interpretation Of Luke 15:11-32: For Parents Of Children Who Have Fallen Away From The Faith And Have Other Children At Home, Anisabel Palma

Obsculta

This piece aims to interpret the pericope of Luke 15:11-32, the parable of the Prodigal Son, for parents with children fallen away from the faith and other children with them. Its purpose is to bring the Good News of Jesus Christ during those difficult moments, offering hope and trust in the loving God of the merciful Father. It is aims to explore the graces that God bestows upon parents who mourn the estrangement of their child.

A Narrative Analysis Of Gensis 15, Patrick Russell

Obsculta

This paper seeks to read Genesis 15 through a narrative lens. While historical critical method provides some framework, the main purpose is to read this text as a work of literature: a story told to an audience to convey something of shared importance. What theological insights a reader gains from this literary approach may be different from that which one sees when analyzing the text with a more tradition lens.

Junia The Apostle: History And Future Of Women In The Church, Hannah Miers

Obsculta

The piece sheds light on the identity of the individual mentioned as Junia in Paul's writings to the Romans. Numerous sources, spanning from the Patristics to contemporary academia, shed further insight into her life and character. The more significant question for our times becomes why Junia is less well-known and how she exemplifies a change (though slow) in the Roman Catholic Church's perspective on women.

To Embody Christ's Image: Queer Presence In Liturgy, Maggie Nadalin

Obsculta

This paper examines how approaching liturgical issues from a Queer vantage-point in both theory and practice offers a fresh lens for not only understanding liturgy but recognizing the urgent need for Queer-influenced liturgical rites.

Harmony Unveiled: Navigating The Trinity’S Practical Symphony With Lacugna And Augustine, Andrenique D. Rolle

Obsculta

This paper compares Catherine M. LaCugna's practical take on the Trinity with Augustine's theoretical insights. LaCugna highlights real-world implications, while Augustine delves into philosophical intricacies. Despite differences, both converge on perichoresis, emphasizing an inseparable communion within the Triune God. Together, they offer a holistic view—bridging theory and practice for spiritual fulfillment and communal harmony.

Photo Series: Tree, Jacqueline Leiter Osb

Obsculta

These five photos, and their associated texts, by Sister Jacqueline Leiter, OSB are reflections on key aspects of Christian living. Dispersed throughout this volume of the journal, they offer moments of pause between the other articles.

Theology Of Paradise Today, Sarah Skrove

Obsculta

This piece discusses the shift in the Christian Church's soteriology from one of paradise to one of atonement. The implications of this change in theory extend into modern day issues like racial inequality and mental health stigma. Through understanding a theology of paradise, we can catch a glimpse of how differently our world might look.

Unha Vez Tiven Un Cravo (Once I Had A Nail), Roslie De Castro, Scott Cooper

Obsculta

Rosalia de Castro was a nineteenth-century Spanish Catholic writer now best-known for her novels, but her poetry is widely admired in the Spanish-speaking world as well. This devotional poem is written in the language of her native region of Galicia, and the translator hopes that this new version will awaken interest in Castro's work in the English-speaking world.

Photo Series: Incarnation, Jacqueline Leiter Osb

Obsculta

These five photos, and their associated texts, by Sister Jacqueline Leiter, OSB are reflections on key aspects of Christian living. Dispersed throughout this volume of the journal, they offer moments of pause between the other articles.

We Hope: Sot/Sem Midday Prayer Reflection - November 9, 2023, Kathleen A. Cahalan

Obsculta

Every week, the faculty, staff, and students of the Saint John’s School of Theology and Seminary gather together in common worship for Ecumenical Midday Prayer and Convivium, a shared meal. This reflection was given by Kathleen Cahalan—Professor of Practical Theology—in November of 2023 and explores the role of hope in the life of the Christian disciple.

The Importance Of Luke 3, Patrick Russell

Obsculta

This paper attempts to show the literary and theological significance of the genealogy in Luke 3. Though the text can be read as merely something to convey facts; the textual placement and the theological themes at work within the genealogy in relation to Luke-Acts are not arbitrary. In light of the overall use of genealogies in the ancient near east this pericope becomes something far more dynamic than it might otherwise seem upon first glance.

Paul And Gender: Early Reception And Modern Implications, Phoebe Carstens

Obsculta

Within Paul’s letters, there is a wealth of theological and ministerial material with a variety of implications and interpretations—what Paul seems to say about the position of women in the Church is the object of much debate. This piece highlights the ways in which Paul displays an openness to greater involvement of women in the Christian movement and a breaking of traditional female gender roles, yet simultaneously upholds rigid boundaries of marked gender distinction, thus mirroring a current stance of the Church today.

Conscience In The Catholic Church, Hang Geum Augustine Osb

Obsculta

This paper deals with the topic of “conscience” in the Catholic Church. It explores the historical origins from the patristic and monastic traditions to the theologians in the medieval period and then also in the post-conciliar era through the lenses of canon law, catechism, and papal encyclicals. Finally, the author highlights the significance of conscience in monastic life as "mirror" of self-reflection.

The Art Of Silence In Waiting, Melissa Tovar-Guerrero

Obsculta

This piece reflects on what can happen when we decide not to worry and elect to learn the art of remaining silent. Like any art, it requires time to learn how to skillfully apply it in our lives. This paper was written as a homily for the Synoptic Gospels class at the Saint John’s School of Theology and Seminary.

The Adaptation Of The Papacy Within The Church, Kristyn Demers

Obsculta

This short essay briefly details the changes within the Catholic Church's ecclesiology and its view of the papacy from its inception to the modern day. It focuses on the “witness” and “monarch” models that describe the structures of the church during the first and second millennia, and glances at the changes currently happening within the third millennium.

Monasticism And Christian Discipleship, Jacqueline Leiter Osb

Obsculta

Christian discipleship is about following Jesus. This essay explores discipleship as described in the Rule of Benedict through the lens of four hallmarks of discipleship as described in the New Testament: 1) responding to a call, 2) abiding with Christ, 3) living in community with mutual love and service, and 4) taking up one’s cross and imitating Christ. It reflects on these hallmarks and their application for Christian discipleship today.

Photo Series: Creation, Jacqueline Leiter Osb

Obsculta

These five photos, and their associated texts, by Sister Jacqueline Leiter, OSB are reflections on key aspects of Christian living. Dispersed throughout this volume of the journal, they offer moments of pause between the other articles.

The Concept Of Suffering In Children Of Heaven: Analyzing The Differences And Similarities Between Augustine’S And Ibn Arabi’S Theodicy, Paulinus Daeli Osc

Obsculta

This article discusses the theodicy of Augustine and Ibn Arabi. Although these two theologians come from different traditions and backgrounds, they articulate that the realm of suffering in the human world can help us sharpen our faith in God. I use the movie Children of Heaven (by Majid Majidi) to parse the similarities and differences in their theologies. The symbols found in the movie show that the two theologies are related. This article explores the themes of human suffering in the movie and goes beyond a simple review.

Benedicta Riepp: An Analysis Of Structural Elements In Her Life, Mary L. Parks

Obsculta

Mother Benedicta Riepp struggled at a great personal cost for autonomy on behalf of North American Benedictine women. Her efforts ultimately led to the reshaping of the Benedictine tradition for women in the United States. This paper analyzes some of the most significant structural elements in Mother Benedicta’s life.

The Dynamic Interplay Of Opposites In Zoroastrianism, Florentin Smarandache

Branch Mathematics and Statistics Faculty and Staff Publications

This exploration addresses some aspects of Zoroastrianism, examining how the ancient Persian belief system aligns with the dynamic and indeterminate principles of Fuzzy, Neutrosophic, and MultiAlist systems. Zoroastrianism, rooted in the eternal struggle between good and evil, light and darkness, exhibits parallels with Neutrosophy's acknowledgment of indeterminacy, incompleteness, and the dynamic interplay of opposites. The prophet Zarathustra's vision of a neutrosophic God challenges conventional notions of divine attributes, emphasizing a dynamic and evolving universe. Before investigating these vague areas, the concept of unclear conceptual borders is explored, emphasizing the indeterminacy and imprecision inherent in defining opposites or partially opposite concepts. …

Why I Say "Merry Christmas": A Dei Perspective, Essraa Nawar

Library Articles and Research

"A few weeks ago, Dr. Daniele Struppa, our Chapman University President approached me with a cultural protocol question regarding sending holiday cards to his international collaborators oversees. Dr. Struppa who currently serves on the Board of Trustees of the American University of Sharjah has become professionally and personally acquainted with some members of the Royal family of the United Arab Emirates, some Social Entrepreneurs, Businessmen, Professors, Scholars and others through this academic engagement. Dr. Struppa was wondering whether or not it is appropriate to send a Chapman University Christmas Card during the Holidays even though December is technically not a …

Reevaluating The God-Human Relationship Through The Psychological Origin Of Sin: A Comparative Theology Of Schleiermacher And Kierkegaard On The Doctrine Of Sin, Brandon Tsark

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In his The Concept of Anxiety, Kierkegaard’s decision to have Haufniensis acknowledge Schleiermacher’s contribution to the doctrine of sin continues to raise questions regarding Schleiermacher’s influence on Kierkegaard’s intellectual development. These questions also serve to underscore the general need to locate Kierkegaard properly within the larger context of religious and theological studies in the nineteenth century. Our project here seeks to address these questions with a comparative theology of Schleiermacher and Kierkegaard on the Christian doctrine of sin. I argue that Kierkegaard is right to credit Schleiermacher as a source of inspiration in The Concept of Anxiety because of …

Archaeology And Hauntology: An Ongoing, Stalled Conversation, Colby Dickinson

Theology: Faculty Publications and Other Works

It is certainly possible that we might learn to better acknowledge the spirits of our ancestors who came before us, as well as to recognize them in such ways that we also learn to embrace the ‘woven density’ of our own lives, our histories and our communities. By doing so, we might begin to discover that the spirits we had thought were removed from our modern, secularized world never fully left us, just as the irrationality of our humanity cannot be fully tamed via a reductive, rational and scientific outlook on life. There are, as Bruno Latour had frequently argued, …

Invoking Mirabai: Elision And Illumination In The Global Study Of Women Mystics, Nancy M. Martin

Religious Studies Faculty Books and Book Chapters

From the early nineteenth century, British scholar-officers readily compared Mirabai to European mystics as a way to come to terms with this intriguing and admired sixteenth-century woman as they attempted to order the dense weave of Indian culture and religion through the production of knowledge. And in the twentieth century she would increasingly be cited in comparative works on women’s voices, resistance, and religious lives and on global ethics and spirituality. This chapter will explore the place she comes to occupy, beginning by tracing the ways that Hindu bhakti or “devotion” maps (or does not map) onto European Christian and …

A Brief Analysis Of Contemporary Confucianism's Research On Feminine Topics, Jingzhi Pan

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

Although Confucianism has been recognized as a world religion for more than a hundred years today, recent research, which studies it as a religion, still seems numbed to or ignores day-to-day feminine topics like sexual crimes, domestic violence, male patronize, and even gendered religious value itself. More often, even if they announce they are studying the religion, people study Confucianism as a philosophy, an ethic, a phenomenon, a political strategy…everything else but a religion with transcendent values like other world religions. This essay will overview the research of contemporary Confucian feminine topics and analyze and argue their utilities in helping …

The Autobiography Of An American Peace Bishop, Jens Mueller

The Journal of Social Encounters

No abstract provided.

Jesus And Spirituality In Interreligious Perspectives, Nancy M. Martin

Religious Studies Faculty Articles and Research

Rarely do members of diverse religions engaged in interreligious dialogue find agreement on metaphysics and doctrine, though such conversations may be very fruitful and lead to greater understanding and mutual illumination. In the area of religious experience, however, recognition of commonality may be much more readily apparent, and in such encounters, the life and spirituality of Jesus provide a meeting ground. This essay examines Jesus as a catalyst for spiritual inspiration and transformation from Islamic, Hindu, Buddhist and nontraditional perspectives. As an integral figure in Islam, Jesus appears in the writings of the likes of Ibn Arabi, Rumi and more …

As Fewer Young Americans Say They Believe In God, A Look At Why So Many Have Abandoned Religion And What Motivates Others To Keep The Faith, Briana Ellis-Gibbs

Capstones

Generation Z, defined by the Pew Research Center as those born after 1997, is the least religious generation yet, according to a recent report from the American Survey Center. More than one-third of Generation Zers are religiously unaffiliated, along with 29 percent of Millenials, those born between 1981 and 1996. On the other hand, only 18 percent of baby boomers and 9 percent of the silent generation claim no religious affiliation.

Though overall, Americans' belief in God has hit an all-time low, from nearly 90 percent in 2017 to 81 percent this year, according to a new poll by Axios …

Classics Revisited Review Essay: The Prophets By Abraham Joshua Heschel, John C. Merkle

The Journal of Social Encounters

No abstract provided.