Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons^™

Food And Identity Formation Among Jain Laywomen, Kristin Mcconnell

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The Jains are a small but influential minority community in India. Their religion is structured around the concept of ahimsa, the strict adherence to nonviolence in one’s every under taking. The ideal Jain diet does the least amount of harm to both oneself and one’s environment, including plants and microscopic organisms. Many foods — including meat, honey, alcohol, and underground vegetables — are forbidden. While Jain philosophy is adamant about avoiding foods that are obtained through violence, it says little about the perspectives and lifestyles of those most often charged with maintaining this diet: Jain laywomen. Because these women are …

Americanized Catholicism? A Response To Thomas Schärtl, Dennis M. Doyle

Religious Studies Faculty Publications

I stand in fundamental agreement with what Thomas Schärtl has said in his article describing recent trends in US Catholicism. I am a lifelong Catholic and a lifelong Democrat. I felt personally distressed and discouraged by the support given to Mitt Romney and the Republicans by some leading US Catholic bishops. Most of this support may have technically passed the legal test of being nonpartisan, but undeniably it functioned in a partisan manner, as did the attacks launched on President Obama in the midst of a campaign to defend religious liberty. Schärtl’s analysis of these trends as reflecting marketing strategies …

Christians And Creation Care, Jo Ann Davidson

Lake Union Herald

No abstract provided.

Creation As An Ecumenical Problem: Renewed Belief Through Green Experience, Thomas Hughson

Theology Faculty Research and Publications

Loss of a sense of creaturehood and of members has occurred across the lines of divided churches in a secular context. The author explores the question whether green experience of nature can be a path toward a renewed sense of creaturehood. Bernard Lonergan’s distinction between faith and belief allows for identifying a primordial faith that interprets the cosmos as numinous. Ignatius of Loyola’s Spiritual Exercises interprets primordial faith with the biblical word of God as Creator. Why not develop local ecumenical experiments in reevangelization that address green experience?

La Isla Del Sol, Courtney K. Blackmer-Raynolds

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Yo fui a la Isla del Sol para realizar un investigación sobre el significado sagrado de la madre tierra en la cultura Aymara. Yo encontré mucha gente que no querían trabajar con migo, pero al final me permitieron filmar el sacrificio ceremonial de una llama. Yo también consiguió algunos entrevistas sobre esta tema, entonces yo decidí enfocar mi estudio en el sacrificio de la llama. Yo quería saber porque sacrificaban una llama. Las respuestas de esta pregunta han salido muy interesantes, y los puede ver en mi video.

I went to the Isla del Sol for research on the sacred …

A New Generation Of Buddhist: The Views And Practice Of Tibetan Youth , Carey Reich

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The Buddhist practices of the Tibetan youth between eighteen and thirty years old living and studying in McleodGanj, Dharamsala, Himachal Pradesh, India, and the nearby areas were examined through a series of 20 interviews and literature research. This research was inspired by previous field work done in Leh, Ladakh, India, carried out by the author, where the youth from Buddhist families rejected ritual in favor of a purely philosophical practice. It was found in Dharamsala that the definition of Buddhism given by the youth was different than the traditional one and that given by members of a monastic institution. Rather …

Review Of Restored To Earth: Christianity, Environmental Ethics, And Ecological Restoration By Gretel Van Wieren, Jame Schaefer

Theology Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Answering Your Question: Calvinism And Reformed, Neal Deroo

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

"'Reformed' is a larger umbrella term encompassing a strand of thought and church history that emerged in Christianity as a result of the Protestant Reformation."

Posting about terms used to define belief systems from In All Things - an online hub committed to the claim that the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ has implications for the entire world.

http://inallthings.org/answering-your-question-calvinism-and-reformed/

Common Sense Theology: An Analysis Of T. L. Carter's Interpretation Of Romans 13:1-7, Joshua Alley

Senior Honors Theses

Common sense theology has been a part of American theology since the time of the Revolution when Evangelicals incorporated ideals from the Scottish didactic Enlightenment into their thought. This paper deals with the work of one particular author, T. L. Carter, and his interpretation and exegetical work on Romans 13:1-7. It deals with the two major presuppositions of his common sense theology, namely that interpretations of any passage of Scripture will adhere to common sense and will result in a value-based ethic. Following this is an analysis of both the strengths and weaknesses of Carter's methodology.

Gnosticism, Transformation, And The Role Of The Feminine In The Gnostic Mass Of The Ecclesia Gnostica Catholica (E.G.C.), Ellen P. Randolph

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Gnostic Mass of the Ecclesia Gnostica Catholica (E.G.C.) suggests a heterosexual gender binary in which the female Priestess seated on the altar as the sexual and fertile image of the divine feminine is directed by the male Priest’s activity, desire and speech. The apparent contradiction between the empowered individual and the polarized gender role was examined by comparing the ritual symbolism of the feminine with the interpretations of four Priestesses and three Priests (three pairs plus one). Findings suggest that the Priestess’ role in the Gnostic Mass is associated with channeling, receptivity, womb, cup, and fertility, while the Priest’s …

What’S The Deal With Corporate Prayer In Church?, Jeremy M. Kimble

Biblical and Theological Studies Faculty Publications

Corporate prayer in a local church setting can feel like a mundane item in the midst of a worship service. However, such a practice allows for a unique opportunity for the leadership of the church to instruct and intercede for the congregation in specific ways. This is a part of the worship service that is often overlooked and given very little thought, but I would encourage pastors to be intentional and thorough as they approach this sacred moment with their people. Here are some key thoughts on the practice of corporate prayer.

Remembering Those Who Have Gone Before Us, Bryan Massingale

Theology Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

From Topos To Utopia: Critical Buddhism, Globalization, And Ideology Criticism, James Shields

Faculty Contributions to Books

No abstract provided.

Phenomenology, The Spirits Of The Age, And The (Religious) Task Of Philosophy, Neal Deroo

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

The presenter states that philosophy in general—and phenomenology in particular—remain predominantly academic endeavors, done by professional philosophers, to professional philosophers, for professional philosophers and that the key to changing this situation and so to recover the public nature of the phenomenological enterprise is to reconceive the task of philosophy as the 2 discernment of the spirits of the age in which we find ourselves. To do this, he highlights two distinct elements of phenomenological methodology that enable it to perform such a task: first, its epistemological claim that the matters to be investigated must be both taken on their own …

Technology And Power, Michael J. Paulus Jr.

SPU Works

No abstract provided.

Remarks On The Theological Aspect Of The Hell-Motif In Síaburcharpat Con Culaind, Darcy Ireland

Theology Student Scholarship

The early Middle Irish story Síaburcharpat Con Culaind unfortunately suffers from a lack of scholarly attention, particularly from the theological perspective. This paper proposes that the five quatrains which occupy lines 9438-9458 of the Lebor na hUidre copy together serve as the potent, appropriate apex to a tale which not only functions as an ode to Cú Chulainn but also as a forum through which are raised theological queries concerning the fate under the Christian dispensation of pre-Christian Celtic legendary figures.

Initial focus will be cast on the significance of the hell-motif within the Síaburcharpat (including a remark on the …

Africa: Marriage Cannot Be Reduced To A Legal Formula, Agbonkhianmeghe E. Orobator

Theology Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Augustinian Approach To Holistic Christian Pedagogy, Adam Schultz, Neal Deroo

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

Presenters explain how in their CORE philosophy class they seek to demonstrate that their students' real life-spiritual life distinction is symptomatic of a dualism endemic to contemporary Christianity (section 1), and that their reading of Augustine's Confessions can provide a unified and holistic corrective to it (section 2) and that doing so helps students see a more radical vision of Christian faithfulness, one that calls for a holistic, life-wide response to the work of Christ that will not allow for an easy distinction between ‘spiritual’ life and everyday life (section 3).

Cowboys, Angels, And Demons: American Exceptionalism And The Frontier Myth In The Cw's 'Supernatural', Joesph M. Valenzano

Communication Faculty Publications

The CW network series Supernatural (2005–) draws its text from the horror and fantasy genres as well as religious mythology. Concurrently, it transmits a core “American” mythos. As its protagonists keep watch along a supernatural frontier and eradicate threats to the American way of life, this program both reinforces and alters aspects of the frontier myth and the myth of American exceptionalism by depicting its main characters as representations of America writ large whose mission has grown from an appointment by God to being equals to God.

In this manner, Supernatural forwards a new American exceptionalism through the notion that …

Early Carthusian Script And Silence, Bennett Gilbert

University Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

At its founding and during its first three decades, the Carthusian order developed a distinctive and forceful concept of communication among the members and between the members and the extramural world. Saint Bruno’s life, contemporary twelfth-century exegesis, and the physical situation of La Grande Chartreuse established the necessary context in which this concept evolved. A review of historical background, the relevant documentary texts, and early development demonstrate the shaping of two steps in this concept. Close reading of the principal testimonies of Carthusians Bruno, Guigo I, Guigo II, and some other witnesses, as well as of some passages in Saint …

The Anonymous Theology Of Modern Family, Conor M. Kelly

Theology Faculty Research and Publications

The popular television show Modern Family follows sitcom conventions and attempts to send a moral message about how relatives can live well together. An examination of the specific content of this message shows that it prioritizes self-giving love for the sake of forgiveness and reconciliation. This creates a recognizable parallel with the Christian conception of agape, and a discussion of this notion in the work of Karl Rahner in conjunction with his idea of the “anonymous Christian” allows for the identification of Modern Family’s moral vision as an anonymous theology of family ripe with theological significance and pedagogical potential.

Review: Filosofie Și Religie: O Abordare Multidisciplinară (Philosophy Of Religion: An Interdisciplinary Approach) (By Sandu Frunza), Michael S. Jones

Faculty Publications and Presentations

No abstract provided.

Toward A Catholic Malcolm X?, Bryan N. Massingale

Theology Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Digital Wisdom For A Digital Age: Spirituality And Technology In The 21st Century, Michael J. Paulus Jr., Ryan Ingersoll

SPU Works

No abstract provided.

Cybertheology: Thinking Christianity In The Era Of The Internet, Antonio Spadaro S.J., Maria Way

Religion

How has Christianity and theology changed in the wake of the internet and mass communication? Tracing concepts in media studies, anthropology, and theology, Spadaro investigates this complex and enlightening topic.

The One Balm For All Earth’S Wounds: The Priority Of Gospel Proclamation In Charles Haddon Spurgeon’S Missiology, John Sypert

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation explores the relationship between gospel proclamation and mercy ministry in Charles Spurgeon’s ministry. The dissertation argues that Spurgeon’s Pastors College, Stockwell Orphanage, and his multitude of other ministries had one clear goal: the spreading of the gospel and the conversion of the lost. This dissertation uses Spurgeon’s approach to missions as an apologetic for a more biblically precise missiology, namely, one that prioritizes gospel proclamation without neglecting the physical needs of those who suffer. This approach could be called “benevolent prioritism” because it prioritizes the proclamation of the gospel while not neglecting works of love for those suffering.

The Lord Is There: Christian Views Of The Temple In The First Century Ad, Jonathan Wells

Masters Theses

During the first century, Yeshua (Jesus) and the original Christians viewed the temple as God's dwelling place on earth. Informed by the Hebrew Bible, which they saw as the Holy Scriptures, they continued to hold the temple in high regard. The writings of the New Testament display the thoughts of the first Christians and the teachings of Yeshua concerning their understanding of the Jerusalem temple. This study explores the views of the temple in the New Testament and other Christian writings from the first century to demonstrate that most Christians and especially the writings of the New Testament continue to …

Sphere Sovereignty, Neal Deroo

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

"This is the idea that different parts of creation have legitimately different rules, tasks, and duties, given them by God for the proper functioning of the world. "

Posting about Abraham Kuypers views on sphere soverignty from In All Things - an online hub committed to the claim that the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ has implications for the entire world.

inallthings.org/sphere-sovereignty/

Heart, Soul, Mind, & Strength, Karl G. D. Bailey

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

TawḥĪDic Allah Or The Trinity In View Of Inherent Human Relatedness, Brian Scalise

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation is an inquiry into the nature of the Deity in view of human relationships. Human relationships exist and are definitive of what it means to exist as a human. In this sense, human relating is an inherent aspect of the experience of humanity, i.e., they are inescapable. Does the Christian doctrine of Trinity or Islam's doctrine of Tawhidic (monadic) Allah more adequately account for the existence of human relationships and their inescapability? This question is analyzed by comparing the Tawhidic nature of Allah with the Trinitarian nature of God in order to evaluate and clarify which doctrine is …