Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons^™

The Rise And Fall Of Religion: An Agent-Based Model Of Secularisation, Security And Prosociality, Ivan Puga-Gonzalez, F. Leron Shults, Ross Gore, Konrad Talmont-Kaminski

Center for Secure and Intelligent Critical Systems (CSICS) Publications

The relationship between religion, society, and individual behaviour has been a subject of extensive inquiry, drawing upon a rich collection of historical and contemporary perspectives. The scientific study of religion at the social level has often found its roots in the foundational work of Durkheim (Durkheim, 1912), who posited that religion serves as a catalyst for social order and the promotion of prosocial behaviour. At the same time, Malinowski’s observations regarding the connection between ritual and anxiety have led to a number of lines of inquiry that have come to extend to other aspects of religion. Yet, taken together, these …

Oil And Wine: A Christian Reflection On The Sacred Oath, Faith Abraham

be Still

This essay explores the intersection of medicine, faith, and the deeper calling to heal. Reflecting on experiences at the Christian Community Health Fellowship (CCHF) Conference, it examines the weight of the physician’s oath—not just as a professional obligation, but as a sacred commitment to justice, dignity, and human connection.

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 Doctrine Of The Trinity In Southern African Seventh-Day Adventism: A Historical-Theological Study, 1887-1974, Grant Lottering

Master's Theses

The Topic

The doctrine of the Trinity in the history of the Seventh-day Adventist Church has often been viewed with suspicion, largely because many early Adventist pioneers expressed seemingly anti-Trinitarian sentiments. However, a review of Seventh-day Adventist publications reveals that early Adventists actually rejected Modalism, a misunderstood variation of Trinitarianism, rather than the biblical concept of the Trinity. When Seventh-day Adventist missionaries arrived in Africa in 1887, the earliest converts had a Dutch Reformed background and were already Trinitarian. Seventh-day Adventists found that their understanding of the Trinity aligned with these converts’ beliefs, and thus, they never needed to correct …

A Comparative Analysis Of Current Understandings Of The High Priestly Ministry Of Jesus In The Heavenly Sanctuary, Samuel Amirtharaj

Master's Theses

Problem

Seventh-day Adventists consider the subject of the sanctuary to be the kingpin that interconnects all of the other doctrines. Both Adventists and non-Adventists agree that it is the Adventist understanding of the sanctuary that sets them apart from other Christian denominations. Almost since the inception of the Church, there have been many critics of the Adventist doctrine of the sanctuary and its associated teachings, both from within and from without the Church. Former Adventists and non-Adventists alike have discredited the significance of the sanctuary. However, numerous books on the sanctuary have been published recently by Christian scholars; these books …

Exploring Undergraduate Understanding And Learning Of Catholic Social Teaching In Catholic Higher Education, Kenny Van Tilburg

Dissertations

Since the Second Vatican Council in the mid-1960s, Catholic higher education (CHE) has wrestled with its Catholic identity in a changing landscape and changing world (Gallin, 1996, 2000; Gleason, 1995; Morey & Piderit, 2006). A big component of this identity-recognition process is the continued evolution and inclusion of Catholic social teaching (CST) in the educational approach of CHE. Despite its importance, much evidence has suggested CST is underwhelmingly present in the education of contemporary CHE (Beyer, 2021; Galligan-Stierle, 2014; Hudson et al., 2018; Nickerson & Dammer, 2018; Reed-Bouley, 2016; Sullivan & Pagnucco, 2014; United States Conference of Catholic Bishops [USCCB], …

Theatre As Sanctuary: Queer Identity, Religious Trauma, And The Path To Healing, Casey Worley

Theses and Dissertations

Growing up as a queer individual in a deeply religious Southern Baptist community, I learned early that faith and identity could feel like irreconcilable forces. I sat in the pews, surrounded by voices that preached love but often excluded people like me. For years, I struggled with the question: Can I be both queer and faithful? This tension—between belief and belonging, between the church I was raised in and the identity I could no longer deny—became the foundation of my journey, my artistic practice, and this thesis.

Through this research, I explore the intersections of queer identity, religious trauma, and …

Soteriological Perspectives In The Seventh-Day Adventist Church From 1930 To 2000, Jungkyu Park

Dissertations

The Topic

The soteriology of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, originally shaped in the mid-nineteenth century around the preparation for the imminent Second Coming, has undergone gradual development over time. By the mid-twentieth century, various perspectives emerged due to the continuation of traditional teachings from the late nineteenth century and challenges from external theological influences. In particular, throughout the debate over Last Generation Theology, each theologian defined and interpreted “righteousness by faith” according to their own theological background and historical context. The resulting tensions and conflicts continue to persist to this day.

The Purpose

This study aims to describe and examine …

Theology Of Creation In The Bulgarian Theology Of The 20th Century, Svetoslav Ribolov

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

Theology of Creation in 20th-century Bulgaria emerged within the broader debate about the role of religious education in state schools and the tension between the prevailing influence of evolutionary theory and a scientific approach to the Orthodox Church’s traditional spiritual heritage. Before World War 2, the primary social and intellectual motivation behind the Theology of Creation in Bulgaria was rooted in an apologetic struggle against secular ideas, which were embraced by a significant portion of Bulgarian society at the time. In the second half of the 20th century, however, this discourse gradually evolved to incorporate more denominationally oriented theological perspectives, …

Guarding The Faith Or Resisting Dialogue?: Anti-Ecumenical Tendencies In Bulgarian Orthodoxy, Ioannis Kaminis

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

This paper explores the historical, theological, and ideological roots of anti-ecumenical tendencies within the Bulgarian Orthodox Church (BOC), especially in the post-communist period. It examines whether the BOC's resistance to ecumenical dialogue genuinely reflects a defense of Orthodox tradition or represents a reactionary posture shaped by national, political, and ecclesiastical factors. Tracing the development of anti-ecumenism from the 19th-century schism with the Ecumenical Patriarchate through the communist era to the post-1990s resurgence of neo-traditionalist rhetoric, the study reveals how the convergence of ecclesial nationalism, ideological manipulation under communism, and theological exclusivism has produced a deep mistrust of ecumenical engagement. Influential …

Samuel Štefan Osuský’S Critique Of Church And Society In The Face Of Totalitarianism, Michal Valčo, Katarína Valčová

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

This paper provides a systematic review analysis of the relevant works of Slovak philosopher and theologian Samuel Štefan Osuský (1888-1975), focusing on his critical perspective concerning the responses of the Church (mainly the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Augsburg Confession in Slovakia) and society to the ideological and political dangers of fascism and Nazism in 20th-century Central Europe. Drawing on his major writings, including his prophetic 1937 lecture "Filozofia boľševizmu, fašizmu a hitlerizmu" [The Philosophy of Bolshevism, Fascism, and Hitlerism] and the courageous 1942 "Pastiersky list k židovskej otázke" [Pastoral Letter on the Jewish Question], we explore Osuský’s diagnosis of institutional …

The Devil In The Forest: How Le Guin Subverts A Tired Trope, Andrew Debella

UKL: The Journal of Ursula K. Le Guin Studies

Scholars understand Ursula K. Le Guin's 1972 The Word for World is Forest as a critique of settler-colonial history, but no academic interest has been given to how this novel also comments on the American religious imagination. This article reveals that Le Guin's allegory to Vietnam replicates the 'devil in the forest' trope to expose how a religiously inspired good/evil dichotomy shaped xenophobic attitudes toward the Vietnamese during the 1970s. By tracing the depictions of Native Americans through American fiction and Captivity Narratives, this article further demonstrates how Le Guin’s novel deploys similar tropes to expose and critique their influence …

Loving-Learning-Leading-Living: A Scholarly Personal Narrative Of A Black Gay Father, Russell E. Thornhill

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This dissertation examines the roles, challenges, and contributions of a Black Gay father, a demographic largely absent from academic discourse. While literature explores themes of the church, LGBTQ+ identities, and social justice, there remains a critical gap addressing the lived experiences of a Black Gay father. This study fills that void by elevating narratives as community activists, family leaders, and clergy members, acknowledging their transformative impact within familial and societal structures. The methodology used is the Scholarly Personal Narrative (SPN). It allows for in-depth, reflective engagement with personal experiences in conversation with scholars while situating them within broader sociocultural, theological, …

Records Of The Institute On Religion And Democracy (Ird) Arc2025-001 - Finding Aid, Ats Special Collections And Archives

Finding Aids

No abstract provided.

Theopoetics Prothesis: An Exploration In Faith And Form, Elise Aleman, Elise Aleman

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

My work is rooted in the biblical definition of faith: “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). Like the Bible’s layered complexity—its patterns, metaphors, and cultural references—faith is not merely intellectual but an active trust in what is unseen. It transcends knowledge, anchoring itself in conviction and hope. This intersection of theology and lived experience is at the core of my practice.

Theopoetics—a framework that fuses theology and artistic expression—shapes my approach, allowing faith to be embodied through form rather than merely explained. Two seemingly distinct bodies of work—one centered …

Revolutionizing The Immaculate Conception: The Limitations Of Medieval Theology And The Advancements Of John Duns Scotus, Emily G. Knoppe

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Although in the modern era, the Immaculate Conception is a controversial doctrine that prompts conflict primarily between Catholic and non-Catholic groups, during the medieval period Roman Catholics were greatly divided on the topic. Opposition to the belief hinges not only on its lack of scriptural basis and complicated theology, which some deem as placing Mary outside of the need for Christ’s redemption, but also on the fact that it was not declared dogma until 1854 by Pope Pius IX. In this thesis, I first consider how Augustine of Hippo’s original sin theology laid the foundation for avid rejection of the …

Not Forgotten: Mission To Women Amid Global Crisis, Sue Russell, Rochelle Scheuermann, Amanda L. Allen

Heritage Material

No abstract provided.

Co-Creation, Interpretations And Engagement With A Movement-Based Symbol For Climate Justice: A Qualitative Inquiry, Kai Reimer-Watts

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The climate crisis demonstrates with complete clarity the need for massive systems-level changes towards far more sustainable societies. Global and local emissions need to decline rapidly to mitigate intensifying climate breakdown, accompanied by climate and sustainability solutions, to secure a far more stable, safe, and just future for all people and all life. Within these changes, engaging in our communities is essential to support and co-create broader solutions to help advance more sustainable societies, reduce negative impacts of a changing climate, and to move towards cultures and systems that recognize natural limits and centre care for people and planet.

‘Climate …

The Mythic Seeds Of Human Rights, Joshua Mackenzie Luna

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

In this thesis, I propose a causal relationship between ancient societies’ mythic corpuses and their law codes. I begin by presenting the histories and historiographies of ancient Israel and Mesopotamia to highlight important themes in their development. Then, I place their creation and flood myths side-by-side for comparison, yielding key differences in the way each group conceptualizes human form, value, and purpose. Once these key differences have been established, I compare each group’s set of slave laws to demonstrate how each law code remains philosophically consistent with its respective set of myths and diametrically opposed to the set from the …

The Challenge Of Implementing Social Justice In A Developing Market Economy: The Case Of Slovakia, Michal Valčo, Kamil Kardis

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

Our paper explores the challenges of implementing social justice in Slovakia, a developing market economy with a complex historical background. We provide an overview of Slovakia’s political and socio-economic transformations in the 20th century, focusing on the transition from a state-planned to a market economy (1990–2000). While analyzing contemporary challenges, we explore the role of Michael Novak’s democratic capitalism and Catholic social teaching as moral frameworks for fostering a society with a high level of social justice and cohesion. These approaches, centered on human dignity, solidarity, and ethical entrepreneurship, are contrasted and complemented with Amartya Sen’s capability approach, which offers …

Adam As Imago Dei Statue In The Hebrew Bible, Andrei Orlov

Theology Faculty Research and Publications

In recent decades, there has been a significant shift in scholarly perspectives on ancient Near Eastern cultic images. This shift moves away from the traditional view that regarded cultic statues as merely idolatrous representations — an attitude often reflected in certain biblical narratives—toward a more nuanced understanding of these images as paradoxical channels for divine presence. Recent research on polemics against idolatry in the Hebrew Bible and other Jewish texts reveals efforts to recontextualize traditions of cultic statues within the lives of biblical patriarchs and prophets, portraying them as bearers of the sacred.

Shalom In Social Media Marketing Shalom In Social Media Marketing, Jill R. Risner, Thomas Betts

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

This paper will examine social media and the ways in which it currently does and does not contribute to shalom through an examination of both the platforms themselves as well as the content shared through them. As Christ’s ambassadors in the world and the primary funders of social media, marketers have power and an obligation to consider social media’s impact on shalom in the world and to use it in ways that contribute to shalom. This paper will provide several recommendations of how marketers can do this including posting content that intentionally contributes to shalom, engaging on platforms that support …

The Vagina Dentata: A Case For Unlocking Mouths, Loosing Hips, And Spreading The Gospel Of Healing Women's Sexual Performance Anxiety, Alisha Lola Jones

Yale Journal of Music & Religion

This article explores how vagina dentata folklore—stories and imagery about a mythical "toothed vagina"—connects to the ways Black religious communities often cultivate silence around women’s sexual lives, particularly within the “Worth the Wait” and Word of Faith movements. Ignited by womanist religious ethnographer Monique Moultrie’s scholarship on sexual silence in these movement, I take seriously the musicological chasm by exploring how these ministries influence Black women’s sexual agency and moral decision-making through inequitable theological procedures and discourses. The vagina dentata metaphor emerges as a symbol of constrained appetites—respiratory (larynx), digestive (intestine, anus), and reproductive (uterus, vagina)—reflecting broader sociocultural and religious …

Toward Effective Interfaith Relations Between Christianity And Indigenous African Religious Tradition In The Obolo Context In Nigeria – A Decolonial Theological Approach, Jerome Etenduk

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study focuses on the need for effective interfaith relations between Christianity and the Indigenous African Religious Tradition (IART) in a post-colonial Obolo context in Nigeria. It explores a history of complex religious crises in Obolo and identifies that Eurocentric/colonial theological imagination constitutes a significant reason for the problematic interfaith relations in Obolo. The dominant Eurocentric/colonial theology is founded on the theoretical framework that assumes that Europe (and America) is the hubris of knowledge. It negates and discounts the knowledge systems of other people. To know, they must learn from Europe and America. In this way, European missionaries to Obolo …

The Commonwealth Of Israel: Overcoming The Doctrinal Divide Of Dispensationalism And Covenantalism Through Understanding Pauline Theology, Luke Newton Schier

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Beginning in the early part of the twentieth century, a notable theological schism began to emerge within mainstream Christianity which continues to divide evangelicals in the twenty-first century. Accordingly, adherents from both sides have systemized their theologies and developed labels to define their positions. New labels continue to evolve and change as sub-groups emerge into the conversation. Typically, the labels of dispensationalism and covenantalism are employed to identify the differing views; although covenantalism is also referred to as Reformed theology, replacement theology, or supercessionism. More recently, other labels have emerged such as progressive dispensationalism and progressive covenantalism as theologians strive …

A Study Of Thomas Oord’S Open Theism And Theodicy, Olaoluwa Apata

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Open theism’s opposition to the traditional Christian view and its rejection of the classical definitions of God’s attributes, character, and divine impassibility continually creates a point of contention between the two worldviews. As one of the leading voices in this movement, Thomas Oord offers what can be described as a refined argument in support of Open theism in contemporary theological and philosophical studies. His open theism holds that due to God’s kenotic act and uncontrolling love, his ability to know the future is limited and he cannot prevent evil. Oord introduces his version of open theism with the goal of …

The Necessity Of Weaknesses In Experiencing The Grace Of God: An Examination Of Paul’S Use Of Grace, Culminating In 2 Corinthians 12:7–10, Jason Scott Shawa

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Paul’s understanding of weakness, grace, and the power of the risen Christ are all important theological truths. This dissertation’s goal is to show that within the Pauline corpus, Paul’s use of “grace” (specifically χάρις) is often inseparable from the experience of weaknesses. This necessitates the inclusion of weaknesses (e.g., distress, persecution, difficulty, pain, and suffering) for the believer to experience the “grace” God offers in and through the power of the crucified and resurrected Christ.

Paul’s understanding of grace is a subject that has far-reaching implications. Understanding his use of χάρις within his corpus is essential to theological studies and …

The Power And Purpose Of Intercessory Prayer: Equipping And Educating The Leaders Of Divine Providence Ministries Through An Intercessory Prayer Course, Tammanica S. Muse

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Intercessory prayer is a selfless act where believers pray to God on behalf of others, asking for His intervention. This type of prayer is a vital part of Christian life rooted in the example of Jesus, who intercedes between God and humanity. Jesus models the role of intercessor, reconciling mankind to God through His sacrifice. Believers are called to follow this example and pray for others regularly. This DMin research project examines the issue of leaders lacking a comprehensive understanding of prayer's purpose, power, and connection to intimacy with God. It also investigates why some leaders abandon prayer when faced …

Jesus's Use Of "Woman" In The Fourth Gospel, Cori Mcgrew

Masters Theses

In John's Gospel, Jesus uses the word "woman" in surprising ways: to address his mother at the wedding in Cana and at the Cross, to address a woman in Samaria, in a parable about a woman giving birth in his Final Discourse, and finally, to address Mary Magdalene at the garden tomb. This thesis uses the unusual way Jesus addresses his mother in the Fourth Gospel as a catalyst to find a connection between all five uses of "woman" by Jesus in John's Gospel, concluding that these instances evoke creation imagery, in particular of Genesis 3:15. The allusion to Genesis …

An Investigation Into The Redemptive Uses Of Technology To Help Churches Reach The Lost And Make Disciples, Scott W. Sherman

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

There is a compelling rationale for investing the time and energy to develop a successful digital discipleship program. There is a mandate to reach the lost. There is a command to make disciples of all nations. Theologically there is significant and sufficient biblical evidence that discipleship and can happen remotely. Evidentially, Christian digital community has occurred successfully and with levels of engagement needed for spiritual accountability and growth. Following a non-empirical mixed methodology based on Bernard Lonergan for evidence gathering and subsequently incorporating a redemptive Augustinian methodology akin to The City of God, we have fulfilled the purpose of being …