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Denison Journal of Religion

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Note From The Editors, Seth Schoenhaus, Eva Rosenthal Nov 2018

Note From The Editors, Seth Schoenhaus, Eva Rosenthal

Denison Journal of Religion

No abstract provided.


The Construction Of The African Slave Identity: Defying Hegemony Through Syncretic Religious Practices, Caleigh Dwyer Jan 2018

The Construction Of The African Slave Identity: Defying Hegemony Through Syncretic Religious Practices, Caleigh Dwyer

Denison Journal of Religion

“The Construction of the African Slave Identity: Defying Hegemony through Syncretic Religious Practices” by Caleigh Dwyer, ’19. Dwyer examines the extent to which traditional African culture and the Protestantism with which new slaves were confronted helped them resist the hegemonic structure of American slavery. She argues that the Protestant church acted as a tool, or framework, for collective organization and a restructuring of African identity. African slaves, then, found agency and an opportunity for self-definition through “Africanizing” the Protestant church after white slavers fragmented and suppressed African culture. However, African slave culture made its mark on the Protestant church just …


When We Get Up Yonder, We Shall Have Them Rights Restored To Us: Sojourner Truth’S “The Injustice Of Slavery” And The Rhetoric Of Black Liberation Theology Of Hope, Nordia Bennett Jan 2018

When We Get Up Yonder, We Shall Have Them Rights Restored To Us: Sojourner Truth’S “The Injustice Of Slavery” And The Rhetoric Of Black Liberation Theology Of Hope, Nordia Bennett

Denison Journal of Religion

“’When We Get Up Yonder, We Shall Have Them Rights Restored To Us:’ Sojourner Truth’s ‘The Injustice of Slavery’ and the Rhetoric of Black Liberation Theology of Hope” by Nordia Bennett, ’17. Bennett situates her reading of Sojourner Truth’s famous speech in the black liberation theology of James Cone, connecting Truth’s views of Jesus’ actions with Cone’s historical, Jewish Jesus. Her analysis continues with a mention of the socioeconomic circumstances of black people as expressed in Truth’s speech, connecting these observations to modern scholarship regarding the injustices of modern economics. Finally, she reads Truth in the light of Jurgen Moltmann, …


“Gospel Of Grace”: Understanding “Amazing Grace” With Musical And Theological Analysis, Ellie Hasan Jan 2018

“Gospel Of Grace”: Understanding “Amazing Grace” With Musical And Theological Analysis, Ellie Hasan

Denison Journal of Religion

“Gospel of Grace: Understanding ‘Amazing Grace’ with Musical and Theological Analysis” by Ellie Hasan, ’18. Hasan dispels the myth that the classic American hymnal ‘Amazing Grace’ was originally a slave spiritual, utilizing historical scholarship to attribute its authorship to an eighteenth century white slave trader. That the piece found its home in the black gospel canon is a testament to the transformational, liberating nature of gospel music. Hasan touches upon the theological aspects of gospel music that made ‘Amazing Grace’ a natural addition to the gospel canon, taking care to center her scholarship in the musical qualities of gospel practices …


Land Of The Free, Home Of The Racist: Exploring The Narrative Of America’S Racial Prejudice, Jillian Taylor Fox Jan 2018

Land Of The Free, Home Of The Racist: Exploring The Narrative Of America’S Racial Prejudice, Jillian Taylor Fox

Denison Journal of Religion

“Land of the Free, Home of the Racist: Exploring the Narrative of America’s Racial Prejudice” by Jillian Fox, ’19. Fox uses a racist incident that occurred at Denison University in the late 1970s to explore the work of womanist theologian and Denison University graduate Kelly Brown Douglas. After recounting the incident, she explores Douglas’ response at the time as well as her later work, much of which stems from ancient notions of national exceptionalism, ethnocentrism, and white racial pride. Fox continues to discuss the implications of exceptionalism as it pertains to Manifest Destiny, which the author in turn connects to …


Embodied Ayurveda, Sarah Curtin Jan 2018

Embodied Ayurveda, Sarah Curtin

Denison Journal of Religion

“Embodied Ayurveda” by Sarah Curtin, ’18. The author focuses on traditional, modern, and global iterations of the traditional Indian medical system Ayurveda. Whereas Western medicine focuses on empiricism, results, and relatively stringent proof of efficacy, traditional Ayurveda holds ancient texts in high regard, separating body functions and processes into pure and impure categories that have little basis in the Western medicinal tradition. However, as pharmaceutical companies latch on to the increasing popularity of traditional Indian medicine, the integrity, practice, and plant-based sources for Ayurvedic remedies are all threatened. Curtin continues to discuss traditional notions of semen conservation versus the modernized …


Note From The Editor, Meggie Hill, Seth Schoenhaus, Ellie Hasan Jan 2018

Note From The Editor, Meggie Hill, Seth Schoenhaus, Ellie Hasan

Denison Journal of Religion

No abstract provided.


Indian Dalits And Hindutva Strategies, Seth Schoenhaus Jan 2018

Indian Dalits And Hindutva Strategies, Seth Schoenhaus

Denison Journal of Religion

“Indian Dalits and Hindutva Strategies” by Seth Schoenhaus, ’18. The author tracks the evolution of India’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party alongside Scheduled Caste (specifically Dalit) self-conception to elucidate the BJP’s strategies to attract Dalit voters, who have historically not been receptive to the BJP’s muscular Hindutva thrust. Importantly, appropriating and recasting the Hindu story of Lord Ram in a nationalist light and engaging in historical revisionism regarding Dalit communal leader B.R. Ambedkar has proven vital in engaging with the Dalit electorate. These methods, combined with lingering sentiments of Sanskritization in many Dalit communities and increasing stratification with higher rates …


The Salt March Today: Gandhian Lessons For Social Media Activism, Mclane Sellars, Kristόf Oltvai Jun 2017

The Salt March Today: Gandhian Lessons For Social Media Activism, Mclane Sellars, Kristόf Oltvai

Denison Journal of Religion

No abstract provided.


Tree Worship: Accidental Conservation Of Biodiversity Through The Protection Of Biodivinity, Emily Grabauskas Jun 2017

Tree Worship: Accidental Conservation Of Biodiversity Through The Protection Of Biodivinity, Emily Grabauskas

Denison Journal of Religion

No abstract provided.


From Ancient Greco-Roman Culture The Contemporary Lgbtq Community: The Transfer Of Sex And Power Dynamics, Ibrahim Ibrahim Jun 2017

From Ancient Greco-Roman Culture The Contemporary Lgbtq Community: The Transfer Of Sex And Power Dynamics, Ibrahim Ibrahim

Denison Journal of Religion

No abstract provided.


Liberative Creation: Finding Alternative Meaning In Genesis 1:1-2:3, Steven Simpkins Jun 2017

Liberative Creation: Finding Alternative Meaning In Genesis 1:1-2:3, Steven Simpkins

Denison Journal of Religion

No abstract provided.


'To Free The Truth': The Depth Of Latin American Theology Of Liberation, Dylan Parson Jun 2017

'To Free The Truth': The Depth Of Latin American Theology Of Liberation, Dylan Parson

Denison Journal of Religion

No abstract provided.


Seeing And Being Seen At The Margins: Insight Into God From The Wilderness, Luke Hillier Jun 2017

Seeing And Being Seen At The Margins: Insight Into God From The Wilderness, Luke Hillier

Denison Journal of Religion

Hiller argues that by approaching the often neglected or negatively interpreted biblical story of Hagar through a particular context, one can conclude that God is encountered at Hagar’s location: the outskirts and the margins. Hiller’s analysis is rooted in this “literary and culturally contextual” reading of Genesis 16, asking the reader more deeply examine Hagar’s experience of oppression to see the radical nature of her encounter with God. The first part of this essay describes how Hagar’s agency, identity, and life are compromised in the face of adversity. As a female slave, Hagar answers to Sarah and Abraham in every …


Evil And Theodicy In Hinduism, Sunder Willett Jun 2017

Evil And Theodicy In Hinduism, Sunder Willett

Denison Journal of Religion

Willett explores the ways in which Hinduism uniquely deals with ideas related to evil and theodicy. First, Willett describes the context behind the two terms “evil” and “theodicy.” He explains that because of its ambiguous definitions, the term religion complicates our understanding of the term evil. Likewise, the Christian perception of evil creates significant problems when trying to consider the way that evil is a part of or related to other religions. Willet describes theodicy as the attempt to answer questions concerning the overwhelming amount of evil in the world and how one can “reconcile the belief of a good …


Poetic Justice: Hip-Hop And Black Liberation Theology, Mimi Mendes De Leon Jun 2017

Poetic Justice: Hip-Hop And Black Liberation Theology, Mimi Mendes De Leon

Denison Journal of Religion

The essay opens with a discussion of a white artist’s recently attained Grammy award for his anthem for marriage equality. Black artist, Kendrick Lamar, was also in the running, but did not receive the Grammy for his critically acclaimed album about his life in Compton, good kid, M.A.A.D. city. Mendes makes this point to illustrate how the public perceives hip hop as political, arguing that hip hop in its nature is, in fact, thoroughly political. Hip Hop originates from the “corner”: “the heart of the inner city community.” The location of the corner may vary, but serves as a universal …


The Catholic Worker Movement, Victoria Newman Jun 2017

The Catholic Worker Movement, Victoria Newman

Denison Journal of Religion

The first segment of this essay traces the Catholic Worker movement from its beginnings, discussing the lives of its two founders. Rooted in its goals of social justice and social reform, the movement was composed of an intentional community founded by French peasant Peter Maurin and Catholic convert journalist Dorothy Day. Coming from starkly different backgrounds, the two crossed paths and published a newspaper, The Catholic Worker. This newly founded intentional community operated to love and serve the poor, believing that this was at the heart of the Christian message. Not only did they do so by helping to provide …


Interpreting Sati: The Complex Relationship Between Gender And Power In India, Cheyanne Cierpial Jun 2017

Interpreting Sati: The Complex Relationship Between Gender And Power In India, Cheyanne Cierpial

Denison Journal of Religion

This essay stresses the importance of context sensitivity when considering seemingly controversial issues. Cierpal uses the act of Sati, widow burning, to illuminate the need for such context sensitivity. The controversial act takes place when one’s husband dies. Sati is literally translated to “virtuous woman,” and the wife performs the ritual in order to serve, provide for, and protect her husband. Sati can bee seen as a “ritual necessary in order to regain and achieve ultimate devotion to her husband.” Many Western feminist scholars question whether a woman exercises agency in making this choice, yet these scholars often fail to …


Review: Resident Aliens: Life In The Christian Colony, By Stanley Hauerwas And William Willimon, Dylan Parson Jun 2017

Review: Resident Aliens: Life In The Christian Colony, By Stanley Hauerwas And William Willimon, Dylan Parson

Denison Journal of Religion

No abstract provided.


Review: American Grace: How Religion Divides And Unites Us, By Robert D. Putnam And David E. Campbell, Victoria Neuman Jun 2017

Review: American Grace: How Religion Divides And Unites Us, By Robert D. Putnam And David E. Campbell, Victoria Neuman

Denison Journal of Religion

No abstract provided.


Review: Is Scripture Still Holy?: Coming Of Age With The New Testament, By A.E. Harvey, Jonathan Huang Jun 2017

Review: Is Scripture Still Holy?: Coming Of Age With The New Testament, By A.E. Harvey, Jonathan Huang

Denison Journal of Religion

No abstract provided.


Discovering The Tragic Sense Of Life: An Examination Of Philosophical Influence In Art And Self, Jaime Arlene Zito Jun 2017

Discovering The Tragic Sense Of Life: An Examination Of Philosophical Influence In Art And Self, Jaime Arlene Zito

Denison Journal of Religion

To enable readers to understand her examination, Zito begins her essay by situating readers in a position to understand Miguel de Unamuno’s work, The Tragic Sense of Life. A man has no purpose in the world, but is a purpose in and of himself. An individual is his own objective, and this holds true for all individuals, for everyone seeks the same understanding of himself and of others. Meaning comes from the journey to understanding, rather than from understanding in itself, for once understanding is gained, there can be nothing after. Humans have a desire to exist, which is why …


On Mothers And Husbandry: An Interpreter’S Guide To “You Shall Not Boil A Kid In Its Mother’S Milk", Joshua Rager Jun 2017

On Mothers And Husbandry: An Interpreter’S Guide To “You Shall Not Boil A Kid In Its Mother’S Milk", Joshua Rager

Denison Journal of Religion

The body of this essay is separated into two distinct subjects. Firstly, scholarly analyses of the passage and their socio-economic impact are evaluated, followed by Rager’s own theological perspectives on the subject. The first section of the essay begins with first-century philosopher, Philo, who believed that to boil a kid in its mother’s milk was a violation of the dietary laws forbidding the consumption of dairy and meat simultaneously. The segregation of opposites is referenced as well, including child and mother and meat and milk with life and death, Jew and Gentile. For a long time the practice was said …


Who Is Jesus? New Monastic Perspectives, Tori Newman Jun 2017

Who Is Jesus? New Monastic Perspectives, Tori Newman

Denison Journal of Religion

This essay is a discussion of Jesus’s political, economic, social, and theological implications in regards to the new monasticism movement. Newman begins by outlining the environment into which Jesus was born: a violent Empire and a genocide. Born by a virgin woman in a stable, surrounded by dirty shepherds, Jesus is immediately a social outcast. Named from his birth as the Messiah, and thus named as a threat to Caesar, Jesus is a refugee from the reigning political order. As he grows older, Jesus’ actions and teachings refute the political, economic, and social culture. He over turns the money changers’ …


Traducianism? Creationism? What Has An Ancient Debate To Do With The Modern Debate Over Abortion?, Ted Nelson Jun 2017

Traducianism? Creationism? What Has An Ancient Debate To Do With The Modern Debate Over Abortion?, Ted Nelson

Denison Journal of Religion

Nelson examines Church Fathers’ positions on origin of the soul and relates their arguments to today’s debates over abortion and when the murder of a soul should be punishable by state law. The essay begins chronologically, starting with Origen, a third century theologian, and his idea of pre-existence of souls. Origen draws from Paul’s letter to the Romans and the Book of Jeremiah to explain that souls were not created by God, but rather had existed on an equal plane with God. This argument sets the stage for the two primary alternative beliefs: creationism and traducianism. Creationism is here defined …


Understanding The Response, Mimi Mendez De Leon Jun 2017

Understanding The Response, Mimi Mendez De Leon

Denison Journal of Religion

No abstract provided.


Top Down Or Bottom-Up? Religion, Economics, And Social Justice, Jessica Ann Began Jun 2017

Top Down Or Bottom-Up? Religion, Economics, And Social Justice, Jessica Ann Began

Denison Journal of Religion

No abstract provided.


Modern American Evangelical Conceptions Of Girls' Virginity: Their Origins In Patriarchal Property Discourse Of Deuteronomic Family Laws, Carly Matas Jun 2017

Modern American Evangelical Conceptions Of Girls' Virginity: Their Origins In Patriarchal Property Discourse Of Deuteronomic Family Laws, Carly Matas

Denison Journal of Religion

No abstract provided.


Peyote And The Psychedelics: 20th Century Perceptions Of The Religious Use Of Psychoactive Substances, Joshua Rager Jun 2017

Peyote And The Psychedelics: 20th Century Perceptions Of The Religious Use Of Psychoactive Substances, Joshua Rager

Denison Journal of Religion

No abstract provided.


Eros Created, Eros Contaminated, Eros Condemned, Taylor Klassman Jun 2017

Eros Created, Eros Contaminated, Eros Condemned, Taylor Klassman

Denison Journal of Religion

No abstract provided.