Sociology of Religion Commons^™

Impact Of Childhood Trauma On Perceptions Of Health: Examining The Role Of Religiosity As A Protective Factor Among Black And African American Adults, Patrice Penrose

West Chester University Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Final Projects

Purpose: Childhood trauma has detrimental immediate and lifelong impacts on health. Black and African Americans experience higher rates of potentially traumatic events (PTEs) than the general population. Religiosity, a common coping mechanism for many who experience trauma, could serve to moderate the impacts. This study examines whether the importance of religion buffers against the impact of childhood exposure to PTEs on adult perceptions of health and assesses whether social support and/or coping mediate the relationship between religiosity and perceived health.

Method: This study analyzed data from 2,537 Black and African American participants in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to …

Lenses Of Faith And Culture: Christian College Students' Perspectives On Infertility, Mary Samuels

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This thesis investigates the perspectives of Christian college students on infertility, adoption, and assisted reproductive technologies through focus group discussions. Following the 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization Supreme Court decision, 13 states have established a total abortion ban, and 28 states have established abortion bans based on gestational duration. This study materializes because recently developed state-level abortion laws may impact in vitro fertilization (IVF) access if states expand legal protection of fetal personhood. Previous research has described that while Christian traditions demonstrate cultural pronatalism and opposition to abortion, Christian individuals’ concepts of infertility and views of treatments such …

Conflict And Resilience: Unraveling The Connection Between Religiosity And Interethnic And Interconfessional Trust In Bosnia And Herzegovina, Željko Pavić

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, national and religious identities have traditionally been deeply connected, serving as key markers of group belonging and boundaries between communities. Among the three main groups — Bosniaks, Croats, and Serbs — religious affiliation often functions not only as a matter of personal belief but also as a symbolic affirmation of national identity. This study explores the relationship between various measures of religiosity and attitudes toward members of other nations and religions, with particular focus on differences among the three communities. The results confirm that religion remains an important marker of national identity across all three groups. …

Dynamics Of Changes Of Religiosity In Condition Of Crisis Events (Based On The Example Of The Russian-Ukrainian War), Yurii Boreiko, Fedotova Tetiana

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article analyzes changes in the religiosity of Ukrainians during the Russian-Ukrainian war as a large-scale event. It explores the nature of the connection between the traumatic experience of war and religiosity and determines the trajectory of changes in the religiosity of Ukrainians during the war. It has been established that the Russian-Ukrainian war caused social upheavals accompanied by crises in various spheres of public life. As a large-scale tragic event, the war became a catalyst for changes in self-assessment of faith in God and participation in religious practices. The level of religiosity of Ukrainians during the war was significantly …

Accessing Campus Mental Health Services In A Nigerian Southwestern University: Barriers To Academic Success, Caroline Dada

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Mental health disorders are a significant health concern among higher education institutions in sub-Saharan Africa, including Nigeria. A substantial treatment gap exists in the Nigerian healthcare system, and this gap is further worsened by cultural and religious barriers, which reinforce stigma that discourages students from seeking professional help. This qualitative narrative inquiry explored the barriers students encountered when accessing mental health services at a university in Southwestern Nigeria, to increase service access. Qualitative semistructured interviews were conducted with seven professional mental health providers at a university counseling center between March and April 2025. Inductive thematic analysis was used to identify …

The Phenomenon Of Church Growth Through Authenticity: How African American Gen Z Christians Are Sharing The Gospel Of Jesus Christ Without The Program Structure Of The Black Baptist Church, Devin E. West

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This dissertation examines the perspectives of Black Generation Z Christians regarding factors within the Black Baptist church that may limit their full engagement. In this study, the Black Baptist church refers to congregations with predominantly Black membership led by Black pastors. Generation Z, born between 1997 and 2012, is forming its religious identity within a rapidly changing cultural and institutional environment. Historically, the Black Church has served as a central institution in African American communities, functioning as a place of worship as well as a source of social support, leadership development, identity formation, and justice advocacy (Lincoln & Mamiya, 1990). …

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.

Environmental Beliefs Among Evangelical Leadership, Jeffrey Stark

Dissertations

There has been consensus among climate scientists for over a decade about the reality of human caused climate change. Even with this consensus, the public understanding of this issue remains divided based on factors generally unrelated to the science. Evangelical Protestants are one group which consistently polls as more skeptical of climate change. This is true not only when compared to the general population but also when compared to other religious demographics. Most large-scale surveys of evangelicals assume the demographic to be a monolith and do not attempt to break the demographic down further. In this mixed methods study, we …

Religious Framing, Moral Foundations And Identity: A Replication And Extension, Brianna M. Mucciante

Honors Projects

Two previous pre-registered studies revealed that administering general religion measures had a framing effect, reducing scores on subsequent binding moral foundations and moral self-identity. In a replication and extension, the present study will administer contrasting religious measures (i.e., fundamentalism vs. spirituality) to elucidate the framing mechanisms.

Undergraduate Awareness Of Sexual Harassment Law In Tanzania's Higher Learning Institutions: Case Studies Of Two Universities, Salma Ramadhan Fundi Phd Candidate

Tanzania Journal of Sociology

This study examines undergraduate students' awareness of legal provisions and guidelines concerning sexual harassment in Tanzanian higher education, focusing on the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) and the Open University of Tanzania (OUT) as case studies. Sexual harassment significantly impacts students’ well-being, safety, and academic success. Despite the existence of legal frameworks, students' knowledge of these provisions is often limited. The study employed a qualitative approach with a phenomenological research design to explore students’ experiences and perceptions of harassment policies. This design allowed participants to share the meanings they attach to their experiences and how such policies are understood …

Islamic Political Anti-Theology: A Discursive Practice Of Contingency Beyond Sovereign Politics, Jason Andrus

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Contributing to the field of political theology from outside the European Christian tradition, this dissertation develops a description of the distinct logics that Islamic theology generates from its metaphysical assumptions. These logics in turn make possible a discourse of political anti-theology where politics operates through contingency rather than sovereignty. Political theology scholarship has excavated how modern politics derives from secularized Christian theological concepts—particularly transcendent sovereignty. This study demonstrates that Islamic theology's absolute insistence on divine transcendence (tawhid) produces something fundamentally different: a politics that renders sovereign authority conceptually impossible. I identify this discursive practice of political anti-theology through …

Scrupulosity Ocd And How It Can Affect Our Clients’ Relationship With God, Annabella Hagen

Issues in Religion and Psychotherapy

This article explores various aspects of scrupulosity OCD, starting with the misconceptions about OCD that persist in society and their impact on treatment, along with a discussion of the disorder’s prevalence. It examines common OCD themes, provides a deeper understanding of religious scrupulosity, and clarifies how individuals become trapped in the scrupulosity OCD cycle. Specific triggers within the LDS Church are highlighted, alongside religious considerations such as distinguishing scrupulosity from genuine religiosity and discerning between spiritual promptings and OCD-driven thoughts. The article also addresses barriers to care unique to the LDS community and offers clinician recommendations, including an overview of …

9th Gsep Research Symposium - 2025

GSEP Research Symposium

The Ninth Annual GSEP Research Symposium, themed "Building Bridges to Elevate Humanity: Innovations and Insights in Education and Psychology", was hosted by the Pepperdine University Graduate School of Education and Psychology (GSEP) on June 19–20, 2025, at the historic Château d’Hauteville in Switzerland and virtually via Zoom.

This hybrid symposium convened a vibrant global community of students, alumni, faculty, and scholars to share research that addresses real-world challenges, advances scholarly inquiry, and builds pathways for inclusive collaboration and leadership. Spanning a wide array of topics—from artificial intelligence and mental health to trauma-informed practices, educational equity, social justice, and cross-cultural leadership—the …

Faith Vs. Morality: Do Viewpoints Of Protestant Christians Attending Psu Align With Anti-Transgender Legislation Being Proposed In Oregon?, Asher Schneider

University Honors Theses

Transgender-identifying individuals living within the US face significantly higher rates of discrimination and harassment compared to the general US population. Recently, there have been thousands of legislative measures introduced with the intent of limiting the rights of Transgender and other LGBTQ identifying individuals. Christian Americans are significantly more likely than irreligious Americans to be against various rights for Transgender people, such as the ability to participate in sports or use restrooms that correlate with their self-identified gender rather than their biological sex. Research indicates that recent anti-transgender legislative measures introduced in several states is in part driven by the large …

Digital Learning And Healing: Impacts Of Ai In Art Therapy, Cassandra E. Buffington-Bates

Journal of Human Services: Training, Research, and Practice

Art therapy, a creative approach to mental and emotional healing, is evolving with digital technologies to improve accessibility and care. This paper explores how artificial intelligence (AI) enhances art therapy by fostering emotional intelligence, collaboration, and personalized interventions. It highlights AI’s potential to support therapy while addressing challenges like empathy, data privacy, and training gaps. Through a literature review, the study offers insights into integrating AI with human-centered practices, providing innovative solutions for emotional and cognitive well-being.

Catholic Jesuit Evangelisation In India: The Successes And Challenges Of Cultural Accommodation And Inculturation, Sajit U. Kabadi

eJournal of Catholic Education in Australasia

Since its inception as a Catholic religious order in 1540, the Society of Jesus continues to be the prominent instrument of Catholic Mission evangelization in the world. There is no bigger example of this than in the country of India. Given that India is a predominantly Hindu nation, Jesuit Catholic evangelization efforts is remarkably successful as well as revealing of complexity. These successful missionary efforts (in terms of number of conversions and Jesuit influence) have not been without its challenges, questions, controversies, and sacrifices of both the Jesuits and the local Indian people. This manuscript presents a historiography of Jesuit …

Review Of: With The Best Of Intentions: Interreligious Missteps And Mistakes, William Skudlarek Osb

The Journal of Social Encounters

No abstract provided.

Islamism And Women’S Movements In Iran: Hijab As A Burden Of Representation, Samah Ahmed

International Studies (MA) Theses

Throughout history, Islamic discourse, political Islam, and the status of Muslim women have been subjects of study. Still, few research efforts have concentrated on the changes and dynamics between Islamic discourse and feminist resistance. Particularly in Iran, attention has primarily been given to the Islamism project, often treated as separate from social movements in post-Islamism. This thesis explores how social movements have used the symbolism of the veil in their resistance, focusing specifically on the women's social movement during the Islamic Revolution. Drawing on Assef Bayat's approach of Islamism and social movements and Gender and power dynamics theory, the main …

Music, Poetry And Identity In Badakshan, Tajikistan: Singing And Sounding Community, Chorshanbe Goibnazarov

Music & Performance in Muslim Contexts

An illuminating account of Ismaili music, spiritual poetry and social change in Badakhshan.

In the riverine valleys of the Pamir Mountains of Tajik Badakhshan, a thriving millennium-old community of Nizari Ismaili Muslims created a unique spiritual culture in which the performance of music and poetry plays a central role. This book focuses on the central musical and poetic tradition of the Pamiri Ismailis, qasīda-khonī (also known as maddo), tracing its origins, evolution, delocalisation and relocation.

This book introduces readers to leading performers of qasīda-khonī and to the Ismaili gnosis that inspires its music and poetry.

• Based on six …

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 …

The Lived Experience Of Religious Trauma Among Transgender And Gender Diverse People: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, Patrick T. Meyer

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Religion has served as a framework to support the psychological well-being of people across cultures throughout human history, yet there is growing scholarly and public interest in how religious institutions and people inflict harm on members through spiritual means. Extant literature demonstrated that transgender and gender diverse (TGD) people experience gendered microaggressions in religious spaces, and their social position within the church likely holds unique insights into the subjective experience of religious trauma. Even though research with people who have had adverse religious experiences has increased over time, little is known about TGD people who experience lasting psychological damage due …

The Enduring Legacy Of The Habsburg Islam Policy: Muslim Communities In Central And Southeast Europe, Sevgi Adak, Thomas Schmidinger

Exploring Muslim Contexts

Examines contemporary legal and political structures governing Muslim communities in Central and Southeast Europe.

When Otto Habsburg – son of the last emperor of the Austria-Hungarian Empire Karl I – died in 2011, among those who prayed at the funeral was Mustafa Efendi Cerić, the Reis-ul-ulema of Bosnia and Herzegovina – the highest Islamic office in the country. This was to honour the long-lasting relationship between the bygone empire of the Catholic Habsburgs with Bosnian Muslims. The cornerstone of this relationship was the 1912 Islam Act (Islamgesetz) of the Habsburgs, which granted Islam legal recognition and incorporated it into …

Relationship Between Level Of Education, Adventist Education, And Commitment To Personal Devotional Life, Safary Wa-Mbaleka, Petr Cincala

Adventist Human-Subject Researchers Association

Adventist education prepares students for service in this world and in the world to come, focusing on the mental, physical, social, and spiritual dimensions. This study based on the Global Church Member Survey (2023) investigated the relationship between obtaining an Adventist education, financial support to Adventist education, educational attainment, and personal devotional life of the Seventh-day Adventists.

Accessibility To Communities Of Faith: Overcoming Unequal Access For People With Disabilities, Shannon M. Trecartin, Terrance P. Trecartin, Ernesto Douglas Venn

Adventist Human-Subject Researchers Association

This presentation explores the religious experiences of Adventist members with disabilities worldwide, focusing on their access to SDA education and participation in community practices like small groups, prayer meetings, and evangelism. It concludes with recommendations for congregations and church leaders to enhance inclusion and engagement.

Research Proposal: Complex Relationship Of Religious Community, Psychological Health, And Socioeconomic Status Of Spanish Speaking Residents Ages 18-50 In Lynchburg, Va, Faith Park

NEXUS: The Liberty Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies

Previous research has shown a clear quantitative correlation between socioeconomic status and religious gatherings as well as psychological health and religious gatherings. However, there have been few studies on the interconnectedness of mental health, socioeconomic stability, and religious identity and gathering. Research thus has not addressed the personal implications and the benefits of individual perspectives that can be offered through a qualitative methodology. Thus, this research proposes an ethnographic methodology which may provide insights that do not limit the subjectivity of mental health, religious experiences, and socioeconomic struggles.Through an integration of psychology, anthropology, and sociology, the proposed research hopes to …

2024-2025 Annual Report: Guided By Faith, Modeling Change., Muslim Student Life At Syracuse University

Muslim Student Life

This annual report provides a concise overview of the Muslim Chaplaincy and its initiatives and programs for Muslim students during the 2024-2025 academic year. It showcases only a select few of the programs and accomplishments of the Muslim community at Syracuse University and beyond.

Faith In Conflict: The Role Of Religion In Conflict And Peacebuilding Among Minority Christian Communities In Ukraine And Palestine, Julia Lats

Honors Projects

Religion has long influenced both the escalation of conflicts and efforts toward peace. The wars in Ukraine and Palestine are deeply rooted in historical narratives, national identities, and religious influences. While the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is often framed in terms of Jewish-Muslim tensions and the issue of politicization of religion and tensions within the Orthodox Church frame the Ukrainian-Russian War, these dominant narratives often overlook the role of minority religious groups. This paper examines the contributions of Protestant Christian groups in these regions, exploring how their beliefs and practices influence their actions, identity formation, interactions with others, and approaches to conflict …

Seeing Through The Incense Smoke: Understanding The Meanings Of Ancestral Rites In Vietnam For The Sake Of A Pastoral Approach In Christian Mission, J.P. Cima

Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation

Cima, J.P. “Seeing Through the Incense Smoke: Understanding the Meanings of Ancestral Rites in Vietnam for the Sake of a Pastoral Approach in Christian Mission.” Ph.D. diss., Concordia Seminary, 2025. 285 pp.

The veneration of ancestors at family altars has long been a defining feature of everyday Vietnamese life that poses a critical missiological problem for Christian mission in Vietnam. May Christians participate in ancestral veneration rituals? Current and historical responses to this question, among Protestants and Catholics alike, have not been uniform. Moreover, many responses have been based on assumed or oversimplified understandings of the rites’ meaning which recent …

"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 …

Reason And All My Senses: Surveying The Post Enlightenment Frame Of Reason Through Contemporary Philosophy, Cognitive Psychology, And Cognitive Linguistics, Joshua T. Lowe Rev. Dr.

Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation

This dissertation argues that Christian theology and practice are aided and enriched by a more complete understanding of reason by surveying recent studies and views in theology, philosophy, cognitive psychology, and cognitive linguistics. Since the Enlightenment, Christian theology has assumed widely the Enlightenment model of human reason as ideally acontextual, that is, free from constraints of contexts, and therefore universal, that is, applicable in all contexts. Recent developments from a variety of perspectives challenge this model of rationality. Some challenge the acontextualism of the Enlightenment understanding by showing how it arose from and depends on a context, and that context …