Sociology of Religion Commons^™

Oral History: John Bartosiewicz

Zycie w Ameryce: A Collection of Polish-American Oral Histories

This conversation is an oral history interview with a former member of Worcester’s Polish-American community. The interview touches on a variety of aspects of life in the community, from school and parish life, to Polishness and the significance of language, and the effects of suburbanization.

Interview keywords: St. Mary’s, church / parish, all Polish, PNI, women’s guild, basketball, immigrant, Polishness, language, John Paul II, I-290, suburbs.

Oral History: Richard Lewandowski

Zycie w Ameryce: A Collection of Polish-American Oral Histories

This conversation is an oral history interview with a former member of Worcester’s Polish-American community. The interview discusses much about the Polish-American experience, from the Polish diaspora, the effects of I-290 and discrimination on the community in Worcester, as well as the effect of global events such as the rise of Solidarity on the Worcester parish.

Interview keywords: St. Mary’s, English, displaced people, I-290, Polish-American parish, Solidarity, Polishness, John Paul II, discrimination, education, Church

Oral History: ​Carol Fredette

Zycie w Ameryce: A Collection of Polish-American Oral Histories

This conversation is an oral history interview with a former teacher at the Polish-American high school in Worcester, Saint Mary’s. The interviewee is not Polish, but of Lebanese descent, so provides the point of view of someone who came from outside the community yet still became a part of it. The interview touches on the rising importance of the English language, the Church’s centrality, ethnic parishes, school life, and high school basketball.

Interview keywords: English, ethnic parish, church, nun, club, basketball

Oral History: Anonymous 1

Zycie w Ameryce: A Collection of Polish-American Oral Histories

This conversation is an oral history interview with a longtime member of Worcester’s Polish-American community. The interview discusses aspects of community life, the neighborhood’s ethnic composition, as well as the effect of I-290 on the neighborhood.

Interview keywords: festivals, non-Polish, White Eagle Club, PNA, PNI, Booster’s, crime, expressway, Polish language

Oral History: Irene Rojcewicz

Zycie w Ameryce: A Collection of Polish-American Oral Histories

This conversation is an oral history interview with a longtime member of Worcester’s Polish-American community. The interview discusses aspects of life in the parish of Czestochowa, from festivals to clubs, to tensions within the diocese, as well as trips organized by the parish to travel to Poland.

Interview keywords: festivals, clubs, English, tension, Poland, John Paul II.

Oral History: Charlene Zimkiewicz

Zycie w Ameryce: A Collection of Polish-American Oral Histories

This conversation is an oral history interview with a longtime member of Worcester’s Polish-American community. This interview touches on difficulties the parish faced, tensions between different groups, school life, and the transition from an ethnic community to a public college.

Interview keywords: ethnic communities, festivals, Irish, fire, I-290, White Eagle Club, basketball, languages, college, immigrants, universal, June Show.

Oral History: Jayne Bausis Cotter

Zycie w Ameryce: A Collection of Polish-American Oral Histories

This conversation is an oral history interview with a former member of Worcester's Polish community. The interview touches on many facets of community life from the importance of the Polish language, of the Church, as well as Polish pride, the experience of immigrants, and John Paull II.

Interview keywords: immigrant, language, church, college, pride.

Oral History: John Kraska

Zycie w Ameryce: A Collection of Polish-American Oral Histories

This conversation is an oral history interview with a former member of Worcester’s Polish-American community. This interview touches on community and church life, immigration, divisions in the city, and the effect of I-290 on the community.

Interview keywords: English, festivities, church, I-290, Quo Vadis, White Eagle Club, PNI, sections, basketball, displaced persons.

Oral History: Thaddeus Stachura

Zycie w Ameryce: A Collection of Polish-American Oral Histories

This conversation is an oral history interview with a former pastor of Our Lady of Czestochowa parish, the center of Worcester’s Polish American community. This interview discusses much of the history of the community from its beginnings and delves into the life of a parish priest, while also touching on topics such as immigration, Church corruption, community life and difficulties, and local festivals.

Interview keywords: immigrants, Saint Casimir’s, difficulties, seminary, Bojanowski, Moneta, vocation, dompolski, immoral, Polish priest, Solidarity, redlining, violence, festival, PNI, citizenship.

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

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

Denison Journal of Religion

No abstract provided.

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

Denison Journal of Religion

No abstract provided.

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

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

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

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

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

Denison Journal of Religion

No abstract provided.