Sociology of Religion Commons^™

Pax Christi International’S Representation Within International Governmental Organisations, Fr. Paul Lansu, Giulia Bordin

The Journal of Social Encounters

Pax Christi International (PCI) has used its consultative status at the United Nations since 1979 to connect grassroots peacebuilding with international policymaking. Initially focused on disarmament and human rights, PCI contributed to key international treaties and advocated against human rights violations worldwide. Over time, its advocacy expanded to include active nonviolence, ecological justice, sustainable development, and the accompaniment of local peacebuilders. By strengthening collaboration across its global network and enabling partners from conflict-affected regions to engage directly with international institutions, PCI continues to promote human dignity, international law, and a just and lasting peace through inclusive multilateral advocacy.

Religious Practice And Attitudes Toward Immigration And Racial Justice In America, Amya Douglas

Graduate Theses and Dissertations (2019 - present)

This study aims to understand how Christians’ knowledge of Scripture and involvement in the church have an impact on their social-political views, specifically, racial justice and immigration. By using the survey responses from the 6th wave of the Baylor Religion Survey, more frequent church attendance and reading Scripture were correlated with a greater recognition of racism in terms of being against white supremacy and white nationalism, supporting racial justice when asked about racial gaps, and possessing greater support for immigrants. This study highlights the distinction between religious affiliation and religious practice, and it suggests that certain policy sentiments can be …

The Political Culture Of Taxation, Steven M. Karceski, Steven Pfaff

Sociology Faculty Articles and Research

In My Tax Dollars: The Morality of Taxpaying in America, Ruth Braunstein explores the political culture of taxation in contemporary America. Calling our attention to the origins of contemporary tax debates, she shows how morality and American civil religion influence how citizens understand taxation, citizenship, and the proper scope of government. In this article, we review Braunstein's main arguments and the evidence she presents in support of them. We take stock of the book's theoretical frame work and the applicability of the concepts it borrows from the sociology of religion. For all there is to like about Braunstein's book, …

Negotiating Complementary Pathways In Europe: Faith-Based Actors And Humanitarian Corridors In Italy And Belgium, 2015-2017, David J. Sulewski

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

For decades, migration has ranked among the most pressing issues in European domestic and regional politics as the number of forcibly displaced persons seeking protection continues to rise. Complementary Pathways, developed as an alternative to the retrenchment of state-led refugee resettlement and restricted access to asylum, have gained increasing prominence in policy discourse and practice. Existing scholarship often explains their emergence through transnational policy transfer or government-led initiatives. Less attention, however, has been given to cases in which civil society actors initiate and negotiate such policies with the state. This dissertation examines the development of one such model—Humanitarian Corridors—focusing on …

Incorporating Principles And Wisdom From Hospital Chaplaincy And Pastoral Ministry To Create A Ministry Model To Address Social Isolation And Loneliness In Black Churches, Albert A. Kemp

Doctor of Ministry Projects and Theses

To address the growing and widespread epidemic of social isolation and loneliness, with special focus on Black churches, this dissertation developed a program with the following areas of application: 1) how healthcare trained chaplains can coordinate with churches to positively impact individuals identified as lonely and socially isolated with better social and physical health, 2) how principles of chaplaincy and pastoral care can mitigate and intervene competently when such people are identified, and 3) how the project’s model can be organized, taught, and incorporated into existing arenas of church ministry.

The purpose of the project was to create a ministry …

Organizing To Engage: A Framework For Conflict Strategy, Paul Mason Carpenter

Dissertations

Conflict strategy can be exceedingly complex. While many of the basics are simple, even the simple can be highly complicated to execute. The Schlieffen Plan in World War I appeared straight forward, but execution was a great deal more complex. It failed and the result was years of trench warfare.  In addition, leaders entering conflict may not fully appreciate the full context, its effect, and the need for a long term result--a better state of peace.

Strategy and tactics may be challenging to transform as an engagement evolves. In addition, strategists must often commit to courses of action within very …

Faith In Action: How Liberation Theology Connected Communities Around The World, Jaizeth Andrea Munoz

Posters - 2026

The Liberation Theology movement started in Latin America as a response to poverty, inequality, and violence. It focuses on the idea that religion should not stay neutral, but instead help people who are suffering and facing injustice. It began with Gustavo Gutiérrez, who believed that faith should be connected to real-life struggles, especially for the poor. Even though it began in Catholic communities, its focus on justice and human dignity allowed other religious communities to relate to it and adapt it.

The research asks how Liberation Theology has connected religious communities around the world and examines how these ideas have …

American Death Penalty Opinion's Are Affected By Religion, Right?, Addysen Schniederjan

Posters - 2026

How does religion affect Death Penalty Public Opinion?

• align with doctrine?
• religious beliefs affect political beliefs?
• political ideology?

If public opinion is not affected by religion, what does this say about religious beliefs?

How Armenia And Azerbaijan Are Lobbying For Influence In D.C., Gibran C. Boyce, Dawn Kikel

Capstones

In the wake of President Trump taking office, foreign government agencies and U.S.-based non-profits serving Armenian and Azerbaijani interests have been hiring lobbyists in Washington, D.C. as part of their concerted efforts to curry favor, gain influence, and seek policy changes that would benefit the rival post-Soviet nations.

Defending The Golden Fleece: A Study Of Disruption And Resilience In The Movement To Defund Public Libraries In Louisiana, Ciel Lane Quebedeaux

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

In this moment of societal change and institutional capture, public educational institutions have become sites of contention where national ideological and political debates are carried out in local school and library board meetings across the country. In Louisiana, the creation and expansion of a statewide conservative organization has led to the defunding of public libraries sparked by accusations of grooming and inappropriate programming. In response, local library defenders have created another statewide organization to share information and organizing strategies to combat disinformation campaigns propagated by conservative organizers at local and state levels. This qualitative study includes in-depth interviews with library …

"La Vida Es Un Carnaval": An Exploration Of Cuban Identity And Nostalgia Through Dance/Movement Therapy - A Community Engagement Project, Maria Fernanda Mendez Mendoza

Expressive Therapies Theses

“La Vida Es Un Carnaval” is a community engagement project and thesis that explores how identity and nostalgic resilience show up through dance/movement therapy with Cuban immigrants living in the United States, specifically Massachusetts. This project brought together six Cuban-born participants, ages 26 to 67, each with their own unique migration stories; from the Rafter Balsero Crisis of 1994, to the “Wet-Foot/Dry-Foot” policy, and family reunification. Through a mix of in-person and online sessions, participants explored their experiences using intermodal activities including dance/movement therapy techniques, conversation, journaling, artwork, and music. Themes of cultural pride, “Cubanía” – Cuban-ness, culture shock, and …

Workshop Series: Reflections On An Emerging Leadership Journey, Sanjay D. Paul

Doctor of Strategic Leadership (DSL) Capstone Abstracts

Defense Date

April 1, 2025

Candidate Name

Sanjay Paul

Personal Email Address

[email protected]

First Advisor

Dr. Emile Hawkins

Second Advisor

Dr. Debra Dean

DSL Final Project Abstract

Project Type

Global Conference Presentation

Project Overview

Reflections on an Emerging Leadership Journey is a PowerPoint presentation (of approximately 3 hours and 15 minutes) which designed to connect glo al interests in a way that can share best practices across an interdisciplinary front. Sanjay Paul shares ideas, observations, educational, volunteer, and professional experiences, along with his growth in the leadership journey. This journey can serve as a catalyst for others who are on …

The Impact Of Religiosity On Political Knowledge Among Youth Voters, Norah Sackett

Honors Undergraduate Theses

As political engagement trends among young voters have continued to shift in the United States' political atmosphere, understanding the cognitive factors that influence these decisions is becoming increasingly important. Political efficacy, or the feeling that individual political action can impact the political process, impacting their civic duties, has long been regarded as a key determinant of an individual's political engagement. This study investigates how young voters' understanding of prominent political arguments relates to their sense of political efficacy, with a specific lens on individual religiosity.

Through an examination of this relationship between religiosity and overall comprehension of political arguments, this …

Digital Orthodoxy And Political Populism In Eastern Europe: How Orthodox Media Facilitate Political Mobilization, Dmytro Garaschuk, Oleh Sokolovskyi

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

This article examines the intersection of Orthodox digital media and political populism in Eastern Europe, focusing on how religious institutions utilize digital platforms to facilitate political mobilization, reinforce nationalistic narratives, and undermine democratic institutions. Drawing on a comparative analysis of six countries–Russia, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Georgia, and Montenegro–the study identifies a shared ideological matrix that fuses populist rhetoric with theological motifs. The research highlights the strategic use of digital media by Orthodox actors to construct moral binaries, sacralize political resistance, and disseminate disinformation framed in religious language. Particular attention is given to the role of the Russian Orthodox Church and …

Ideas Of The "Russian World" And Ukraine: Value Epicrises On The Ukrainian Orthodox Church Under The Moscow Patriarchate, Oleksandr Brodetskyi, Iryna Horokholinska

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

Against the background of the identity, jurisdictional, and institutional crossroads in which contemporary Ukrainian Orthodoxy finds itself, the authors analyze the mental, value-related, and personal (linked to the “human factor”) influences in Ukraine of the destructive and militant ideology of the “Russian World” (Russkiy Mir), as well as the degree of involvement of leading functionaries of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in the dissemination of these influences.

The article reveals the mechanisms of the corrosion of spirituality among the ecclesiastical elites of Russia and their satellites in Ukraine. This corrosion is manifested in the substitution of the Church’s …

Inciting Peace From The Inside Out, Stephen G. Adubato, Ebere Bosco Amakwe, Katherine Hinic, Sarita Maldjian, Forrest Pritchett, Jon Radwan, Nicholas Sooy, Chad Thralls

Conferences

Violence and war can be incited, and so can peace. This volume shares select addresses and responses from Seton Hall University’s 2/7/23 conference “Inciting Peace From The Inside Out.” A multi-disciplinary range of scholars each addresses how reconciliation processes grow from spiritual dynamics. Multiple religious traditions teach contemplative praxes that prioritize and nurture personal reflection oriented toward peace. Social conflicts divide, so engaging them with a partisan orientation only serves to escalate harmful rifts. In contrast, bringing personal awareness and sensitivity, spiritual balance, and holistic integral perspective to conflict can transcend divisions and work toward unity. This volume is supported …

Review Of Saul Alinsky And The Dilemmas Of Race: Community Organizing In The Postwar City // Review Of God And Community Organizing: A Covenantal Approach, William Droel

The Journal of Social Encounters

No abstract provided.

Review Of No Guilty Bystander: The Extraordinary Life Of Bishop Thomas Gumbleton, Tom Cordaro

The Journal of Social Encounters

No abstract provided.

Review Of For God And My Country: Catholic Leadership In Modern Uganda, John Ashworth

The Journal of Social Encounters

No abstract provided.

Review Of Playing God: American Catholic Bishops And The Far Right, Daniel R. Dileo

The Journal of Social Encounters

No abstract provided.

Review Of My Soul’S Journey To Redefine Leadership, Patricia Mische

The Journal of Social Encounters

No abstract provided.

Review Of Abdul Aziz Said: A Pioneer In Peace, Intercultural Dialogue, And Cooperative Global Politics, Patricia Mische

The Journal of Social Encounters

No abstract provided.

Review Of Ecomartyrdom In The Americas: Living And Dying For Our Common Home, Caesar A. Montevecchio

The Journal of Social Encounters

No abstract provided.

In Memory Of Bishop Paride Taban, Sara Ketelaar, Fr. Peter Mbaro, John Ashworth, Fr. Joseph G. Healey, Rosanne Fischer, William O’Keefe

The Journal of Social Encounters

The Journal of Social Encounters mourns the loss, and celebrates the life, of the much-loved Bishop Paride Taban. We thank our authors below for sharing their reflections on him. In his memory, we also re-print an essay about him by Alberto Eisman Torres, A Beacon of Hope in a Troubled Context: Sketches of the Life of Mons. Paride Taban, Shepherd and Bridge-builder, an essay in our special collection on Peace Bishops. I was blessed to know Bisop Taban, and would see him in Nairobi and in Minnesota. One of his associates was a student of mine at the Catholic …

Review Essay: An Apostolate Of Friendship: Recent Publications On The Letters And Conferences Of Thomas Merton, Paul Pynkoski

The Journal of Social Encounters

No abstract provided.

Review Essay: Mitri Raheb On Christian Zionism, Loren D. Lybarger

The Journal of Social Encounters

No abstract provided.

Review Essay: Receiving Pope Francis’S Condemnation Of Nuclear Weapons, William J. Collinge

The Journal of Social Encounters

No abstract provided.

Peace Bishop: Bishop Nicolas Djoma Lola -- Bishop Of Tshumbé, Stephen R. Hilbert

The Journal of Social Encounters

Fr. Nicolas Djomo Lola was appointed a bishop in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in 1997 and immediately was thrust into a brutal war between Rwanda, Burundi and Zaire that lasted through 2003. That conflict exacerbated deadly ethnic conflicts in the eastern provinces of the Congo that continue to this day. Bishop Djomo, driven by his belief that Jesus Christ calls all people to build peace, and protect people from violence responded to this war and chaos in remarkable ways. He led a delegation of the Central Africa Bishops to advocate with the Presidents of Burundi, Rwanda and …

Pacem In Terris: Historical Context & The Call For Global Governance, Joseph J. Fahey

The Journal of Social Encounters

This essay examines the historical context that led to Pope John XXIII’s proposal for a global “public authority” in his April 11, 1963, encyclical letter, Pacem in Terris (Peace on Earth). The catalyst for this letter was the Cuban Missile Crisis that occurred between October 22 and October 29, 1962. Pope John offered to mediate that crisis, and President Kennedy and Premier Khrushchev agreed and eventually came to an agreement not only to end the crisis but also to negotiate a limited nuclear test ban treaty. In the last year of his life, a time for him …

Relational Leadership And Governing: Somali Clan Cultural Leadership, Farhia Abdi

The Journal of Social Encounters

This research is focused on exploring the distinction between theories of leadership and more contemporary visions of relational leading. In order to do so, the specific case of traditional clan structure seen in the Somali state will be examined, and parallels between the two will be drawn. This paper argues that the old Somali tradition shares much in common with current writing on relational leadership (Uhl-Bien, 2006) and, therefore, can expand our understanding and support for a form of leadership that transcends traditional, individualist, hierarchical leadership. This argument will be supported by a detailed investigation into clan politics, leadership, and …