Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons^™

“Redeeming The Religion” Of The Colonizer: Exploring Filipino Worship In The U.S., Gabrielle Poma

Say Something Theological: The Student Journal of Theological Studies

This paper aims to serve as an introduction to what the author considers a staple but often overlooked demographic in the pews of Catholic Churches in the United States: Filipinos and Filipino Americans. We begin with a brief overview of Filipino indigenous traditions, Spain’s colonization of the Philippines, and migration trends from the Philippines to the United States. We then explore how Filipino Catholics emerged from intimate devotional gatherings in households and hidden corners of their churches to assert their communities’ needs through parish leadership and civic engagement. In the public forum and thousands of miles from the Philippines, Filipinos …

Forming The Conscience Of Young Vietnamese, Thien Duc Vu

LMU Theses and Dissertations

Many current theories (e.g., individualism, materialism, relativism, etc.) exalt individual freedom as an absolute. They ignore the voice of universal truth as a principle of conscience and instead place conscience underneath individual choice. The concept of individual freedom in this way is influencing the conscience of many young Vietnam people to make decisions that destroy and jeopardize moral human life (e.g., abortion, transgender, same-sex marriage, murder, etc.). Educating young people to see themselves as God’s children by forming their conscience is an urgent obligation for the Vietnamese Catholic Church. Thus, my PSP is to follow past practices of the Church’s …

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transexual (Lgbt) U.S. Latinx Catholics And The U.S. Catholic Church: A Critique Of Certain Aspects Of Roman Catholic Moral Teaching In Light Of A Latinx Theological Anthropology, Leonardo Daniel Mendoza

LMU Theses and Dissertations

This Capstone Research Project aims to address the certain aspects of Roman Catholic moral teaching. Throughout this project I argue that when it comes to the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transexual and Queer (LGBTQ+) Catholics, the moral teaching is essentially corrupt. This paper begins by providing an overview of current Catholic teaching relevant to LGBTQ+ persons. In the second section I focus on the lived experience on the Latinx LGBTQ+ community in the United States to demonstrate several flaws in Catholic moral tradition. I place a special emphasis on the Latinx LGBTQ+ community in Florida as I base my argument on …

Cura Personalis: The Incarnational Heart Of Jesuit Education, Catherine Peters

Jesuit Higher Education: A Journal

Cura personalis is one of the distinctive characteristics of Jesuit education, but the precise meaning of this phrase can sometimes be difficult to discern. Often translated as “care or education of the whole person,” the expansiveness of its formulations can lead to an overlooking of what should be central: the care of a person in their full personhood and a reminder of the person’s ultimate end. To understand cura personalis in a way that retains its distinctive character, I propose a return to Ignatius of Loyola himself, focusing especially on the importance of the Incarnation. I maintain that the …

Christians Must Reach Out To The Oppressed, Robert F. Stamps

Say Something Theological: The Student Journal of Theological Studies

This paper recommends that the Catholic Church reflect on its past and current exclusion of women from the diaconate and exclusion of those who identify as LGBTQI from full participation in the Church. This paper argues the early Catholic church was enriched and broadened by women who served in many roles including as leaders of the church in their communities. In the two millennium since then women, individually and collectively, have continued to enrich the church both theologically and as exemplars of Jesus’ message to serve the poor. This paper also argues that Saint Paul did not condemn same-sex attraction …

An Analytical Exegesis And Critique Of Justo González' Christology Offered In “The Word Made Flesh” From Mañana: Christian Theology From A Hispanic Perspective, Dillon Cook

Say Something Theological: The Student Journal of Theological Studies

The following is a brief synopsis of my research concerning the Hispanic Liberation Theologian, Justo L. González' Christology rendered in one specific chapter, "The Word Made Flesh," of his book Mañana: Christian Theology from a Hispanic Perspective. However, it must be noted that what is argued here is limited in scope. What this is, is essentially a brief evaluative summary. González is a particular theologian that has not been read in full yet (including other works), therefore, González' arguments that I have critiqued may be sufficiently buttressed in other chapters post or prior to this particular chapter analyzed. Yet, …

Yoga And Brahmavihārā: Expanding The Concept Of Self To Include Others”, John Paul Gauer

Say Something Theological: The Student Journal of Theological Studies

Yoga is a method that practitioners use to expand their sense of self. According to Stuart Ray Sarbacker, yoga has been used to attempt two types of goals: the numinous which bestows special powers upon the practitioner, and the cessative which brings the process of saṃsāra, the endless cycle of rebirth, to an end. Both of these are goals that are focused on an individual self. In modern American yoga, a commodified practice has served to solidify the sense of individualized self by focusing solely on the body-based practices such as āsana. But yoga has a history of …

The Protoevangelium Of James: Mary, Purity, And Womanhood, Sophia Gilmour

Say Something Theological: The Student Journal of Theological Studies

Despite its somewhat misleading title, The Protoevangelium of James is an unofficial gospel about Mary, the mother of Jesus. Although many contemporary Christians may not know it, this text is where we find many ideas surrounding Mary. Like many early Christian writings, the identity of the author is unclear, but based upon the writing, it would seem the author had firsthand knowledge of the events recorded. The Protoevangelium of James, also known as The Infancy Gospel of James, outlines the divine circumstances surrounding Mary’s birth and upbringing and reports that she lived a very holy childhood. In this paper, I …

The Parable Of The Workers In The Vineyard In Matthew (20:1-16) – Who Are The Workers In The Lord’S Vineyard In The American Church?, Leonardo D. Mendoza

Say Something Theological: The Student Journal of Theological Studies

The parable of the workers in the Lord’s vineyard in the Gospel of Matthew (20:1-16) provides an insight into the work of God in relation to building the Kingdom of God in our midst. This biblical story provides communities of faith, students of the bible, and people of goodwill with a witness to how God calls people to labor in God’s vineyard and who some of those laborers truly are. Thus, this paper will question who the laborers in the vineyard are in the context of the Church in the United States. Questions posed will challenge the kinds of persons …

How Should Members Of The Lgbtq+ Community Be Allowed In Positions Of Ministry In The Catholic Church, Federico Guillermo (Memo) Rodriguez Hernandez

Say Something Theological: The Student Journal of Theological Studies

The Catholic Church has had an inconsistent approach to the LGBTQ+ community. The Church speaks of respect, compassion, and sensitivity, while at the same time terminates the employment of workers who openly identify themselves as LGBTQ+, without any other cause for termination. The Church also frequently hinders opportunities for ministry for members of the LGBTQ+. This article calls for a consistent application of Catholic doctrine, so that the respect, compassion, and sensitivity the Church teaches we are to show to members of the LGBTQ+ community is not obscured with unjust discrimination. Based on solid Catholic doctrine, I will establish the …

The Usefulness Of Yoga Towards Interconnected Environmental Liberation, Gayatri Sehgal

Say Something Theological: The Student Journal of Theological Studies

There are a great number of interpretations of the term Yoga today, often being an elusive term. Yet we must recognize the importance of questioning which interpretation can provide us with a clear lens into its meaning, given the legacy of colonialism which has warped our understanding of it. Yoga has a great deal to offer us, and some of its imperative offerings for us today are its ethical principles, particularly the dissolution between the opposition of self and other. This paper employs the principles of nonviolence, non-stealing, and moderation from the yamas (external ethics) of Patanjali’s eight-fold path, as …

Visionary Account Of Purgatory, Alexandra Paradzick

Say Something Theological: The Student Journal of Theological Studies

This paper is a recreation of a visionary journey that was popular around the 14th century, with the protagonist specifically travelling to the realm of Purgatory. The story has the same tropes as other stories in their genre. Specifically, the protagonist is not fully dead when they enter the realm, they are explained the “rules” of this realm by an angelic guide, they witness others suffering before suffering themselves, and are then sent back to the physical world affected by their journey. The story itself is a tool to show how the living and the dead were linked, with prayers …

The Labor Of Mary: A Comparative Analysis Of The Virgin Birth In The Qur’An And The Gospels, Jessica Leu

Say Something Theological: The Student Journal of Theological Studies

Mary has been called a bridge between Christians and Muslims for centuries. Both religions revere her as the mother of Jesus (Isa) and for her status as a virgin when she conceived him, and both traditions have within them devotees who venerate Mary. But despite this shared adoration for the blessed mother, there are a variety of differences between their understanding of Mary’s role in salvation and of her virginity. While the New Testament Gospels make some mention of Mary in their texts, the Qur’an dedicates an entire surah (chapter) to her story and mentions her with more frequency than …

The Diminished Experience Of Liturgy In A Pandemic, Joseph Torti

Say Something Theological: The Student Journal of Theological Studies

Vatican II taught that the “Eucharistic sacrifice is the source and summit of the Christian life” (Lumen Gentium, 11). For many, this Holy Eucharist is spiritual food to nourish the soul that has been worn down by the challenges of daily life. Participation in the communion ritual where we all share of this holy sacrifice allows the faithful to be truly one with Jesus Christ. We are more than one year into the global Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic. Our lives have been significantly altered by this new reality. At the outset of the pandemic, most of the world went into …

Instrument Of God: The Celestial Harmony Of Hildegard Von Bingen And The Silence Of Women In Sacred Music, Kayla Ray

Say Something Theological: The Student Journal of Theological Studies

This paper examines the music of Hildegard von Bingen considering the shocking lack of female composers to come after her, particularly within the genre of sacred music. It begins by exploring the history of women and liturgical music in the Early Church before analyzing Hildegard’s prolific music career, including the vast range of genres she employed, the creativity and complexity of her compositions, her divinely feminine lyrics, and her theology of music and embodiment. It then investigates why so few female composers followed her, concluding that despite rare exceptions such as Hildegard, the Roman Catholic Church silenced women in sacred …

Cease & Desist Or A Doorway To The Soul: Sensing Your Way To Spirituality, Christine Gabaly

Say Something Theological: The Student Journal of Theological Studies

This paper will argue that yoga is not just a mind-body practice, but a spiritual practice that is experienced through the body and the senses, including sight, sound and physical sensation. This is of importance because most of the emphasis within yoga scholarship is on the mind as the doorway to spiritual practice and not the sensory experience as the key to opening the door. We will look at two important passages within The Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali and The Bhagavad Gītā, and compare how they differ. We will also analyze two spiritual doorways: the mind and the …

A World Without God: An Investigation Into Dietrich Bonhoeffer’S Baptism Homily, Geoffrey Watson

Say Something Theological: The Student Journal of Theological Studies

What happens when faith communities fail to meet the moral obligations of their unique historical moment? Has the church then, by definition, lost its authority and right to speak or teach on Jesus’ behalf? If so, what are the repercussions of those failings? In what specific ways do the failures of Christian communities call us to reflect on and evolve our theology? These were questions that must have dogged the Lutheran minister and martyr, Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945), as he sat in his German prison cell, awaiting his death sentence. Yet after the initial shock, Bonhoeffer accepted these harsh circumstances, wrestling …

The Blanqueamiento Of Ecuador: Liberation In The Black Christ Of Daule, Jessica Leu

LMU Theses and Dissertations

The dominance of the White Christ in Latin America has been used to lend “theological” support for social, racial, and colonial hierarchies of the Spanish in Ecuador. The rhetoric used to justify the blanqueamiento process continues to play an enormous role in Ecuadorian social mobility, and also determines how various ethnicities in Ecuador are governed and treated. The Indigenous and Afroecuadorian populations of Ecuador are subjected to significantly higher rates of violence, poverty, and disease than their Mestizo and White counterparts. Against the tide of this theological distortion, I will argue that the Black Christ of Daule subverts the dominant …

Accompaniment In Times Of Suffering: Liberating Images Of God, Carmen Ramos Carmona

LMU Theses and Dissertations

Atonement theologies of salvation are problematic for suffering victims, which calls for a change in how we imagine God and view salvation today. A distorted image of God and God's salvation deprives those in distress of finding consolation, healing, and agency through their faith. I apply a feminist critical hermeneutic of liberation that reveals that the application of CDH can accommodate violence and other forms of evil against the marginalized, women, and the natural world. It is necessary to find metaphors for God that can offer spiritual sustenance to those who suffer and reimagine an alternate idea of God's salvation. …

Lamentations For Liberation: A Theological Analysis Of The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill, Sophia Gilmour

LMU Theses and Dissertations

While exploring the history of liberation theology themes appearing in Black musician’s work (in Dr. Daniel Smith-Christopher’s class Bible and the Blues), it came to my attention that there are many more contemporary artists whose work also touches on these themes, such as Lauryn Hill. My thesis argues with the help of Black and Womanist scholars that the naming of one’s reality through musical lamentations is a healing act. Further, musical lamentation is an act to carry forth communities and provide them with healing because the act of acknowledging and lamenting the suffering of a marginalized community is liberating in …

Loyola Marymount University Solidarity And Global Citizenship Collection: Introduction And Overview, Elizabeth C. Reilly, Katherine Brown

Jesuit Higher Education: A Journal

The Loyola Marymount University Solidarity and Global Citizenship Collection centers on an immersion study trip to Costa Rica in 2019 and provides context by considering numerous topics relevant to the theme in general and to the travel program in specific. Through the university’s commitment to mission and identity, Fellows selected for the program considered these twin goals by engaging in one of several opportunities offered through the Office of Mission and Ministry. This article provides an overview of each contribution to the special collection.

Women In Diaconate Formation In The Archdiocese Of Los Angeles, Federico Guillermo Rodriguez Hernandez

LMU Theses and Dissertations

In the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, the wives of the married applicants, aspirants and candidates to the permanent diaconate are required to accompany their husbands during the process of formation. Currently, the formation program does not engage them fully. Since women cannot be ordained as deacons, they are not perceived as the intended recipients for the formation offered by the program.

This study proposes an alternative vision and theological framework. The study affirms the full dignity of women as human beings created in the image and likeness of God and therefore, perfectly well suited to be icons of God as …

Veritas At Harvard, Alfred John Zucker

LMU Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research paper is to analyze a historical, theological subject concerning the rationale for the transition from a Puritanical view of God at Harvard in the early seventeenth century to a Utilitarian perspective in the first part of the nineteenth century. The Puritans had a profound effect on Harvard, bringing with them severe discipline and an authoritarian view of God. As a result, many of the first Harvard students left the college never to return,[1] and the school had significant difficulties in maintaining an enrollment in its early years. Puritanism viewed students as being essentially depraved …

Communicating The Gospel And The Culture To America’S Younger Generation Vietnamese Who Have Lost A Connection With Their Cultural And Historical Roots, Linh Le

LMU Theses and Dissertations

Communicating the Gospel and Culture to the younger Vietnamese American generations comes with many challenges. There seem to be many Vietnamese parents living in the United States who are concerned with their children losing their distinctive family cultural characteristics while living in another culture. The younger generation themselves find it hard to adapt to the American and Vietnamese cultures where they are living here. How can these young generations adapt to their new culture and not lose some of their distinctive family cultural and Christian religious roots to balance their lives? How can we help to communicate the Gospel and …

Walk Beside Me: A Look At Theology Of Accompaniment With Youth On Retreats, Carla Nunneri

LMU Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Pastoral Care To The Grievers In Crisis, Andrew Cho

LMU Theses and Dissertations

The COVID-19 is still causing many deaths globally. Thus authorities have implemented strict public measures designed to reduce and limit the interactions between people. Such measures have impacted the pastoral ministry in many ways. There has never been such a great crisis for the pastoral ministry, especially the pastoral cares to the grievers. The grief in the bereaved has challenged the pastoral care in parish in numerous ways with regard to how to deal with them. In this circumstance, the pastoral care to the grievers comes to the surface with a totally different paradigm. Pastoral care to the grievers is …

Saving Our Planet Through Faith: A Buddhist-Christian Response, Guillermo Gonzalez

Say Something Theological: The Student Journal of Theological Studies

The main topic of this essay is how certain attributes and teachings from Christianity and Buddhism can inform us of what path we can take to combat global climate change. Although environmental work is not limited to these traditions, this paper aims to point out the teachings that help understand our role as humans as interconnected within these two traditions. One of the main points that are made for Christianity is a reinterpretation of Imago Dei which is explained in detail in the first section. In short, Imago Dei is the idea that human beings are made in the image …

Fire Of Divine Unity: Col 1: 24-7, Sr. Pia (Kimberly) St. Romain

Say Something Theological: The Student Journal of Theological Studies

Paul invites all people into a oneness with Christ and each other. It is a requirement in the Christian journey. The Holy Trinity is a communion of persons as One and we as the church are a communion of persons as one body of Christ. It is only by God’s Love that we can share in the inner life of the Holy Trinity, participating in a holy intimacy beyond our imagination. This Divine unity with the Holy Trinity and others is made possible through Mary’s heart, the Eucharist, and our willingness to undergo unavoidable sufferings for the sake of Christ …

Latin American Immigrants: A Cry For Liberation, Julio César De León

Say Something Theological: The Student Journal of Theological Studies

The United States, due to its economic stability and abundant opportunities (among other reasons), has attracted many immigrants from across the globe, but particularly those from Latin America. The reality is that while many immigrate under more favorable circumstances, the majority of Latinos/as (usually the ones most in need) embark on a dangerous journey, overcoming the difficulties they encounter on the way. Although there is great hope in having arrived to the U.S., for those who make it to the other side of the frontier, their suffering often continues as their social status becomes that of undocumented immigrants. Through the …

The Book Of Hours For A 21st Century World, Francesco Fimiani

Say Something Theological: The Student Journal of Theological Studies

This ‘Book of Hours’ project begins on the Monday hours of the Dead all the way to the Sunday Hours of the Trinity and is inspired almost entirely by the 1440 Book of Hours of the Dutchess Catherine of Cleeves. This project is the sum product of a semester’s worth of instruction from my Medieval Religious Thought and Practice class taught by Professor Anna Harrison. The main purpose of this art installment is to show that even though they originate from a society highly unlike ours today, facing issues that medieval people couldn’t even begin to imagine, they can be …