Sociology of Religion Commons^™

The Ascendance Of Influencers: Saints Of Capitalism In The Digital Age, Riley R. Hourihan

Master of Liberal Studies Theses

This thesis examines the rise of social media influencers as modern-day saints within the cultural and economic framework of late capitalism. Drawing on interdisciplinary scholarship from religious studies, media theory, and cultural criticism, it argues that influencer culture does not replace religion but retools its structures—ritual, authority, devotion, and community—for the digital age. Through detailed case studies ranging from Hailey Bieber and Taylor Swift to Ballerina Farm and MrBeast, the paper explores how influencers shape identity, mediate ethics, and mobilize affect through algorithmic rituals and parasocial relationships. Influencers perform a form of digital sanctity that parallels traditional hagiography, guiding followers …

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 …

Moral Foundations For Peacebuilding Dialogue: A Comparative Analysis Of Orthodoxy And Islam, Aleksandr Grizhev, Ivan Blazhevski, Ruzhica Cacanoska

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

Throughout history, religion has been invoked in both peaceful and violent contexts, often manipulated to serve political agendas. However, beneath the surface of conflict, the foundational moral teachings of religions can provide powerful tools for reconciliation. This paper explores the shared moral principles in Orthodox Christianity and Islam, focusing on benevolence, equity, and moderation, to highlight their potential for fostering dialogue and resolving conflicts. By comparing the ethical teachings of the Bible and the Quran, the analysis reveals that both religions emphasize compassion, equity, and self-restraint as core values. Despite the historical use of these faiths to justify division and …

Faith Amid Chaos: Does Religiosity Buffer Youth Delinquency In Disordered Neighborhoods?, Mason T. High

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This study examines whether religiosity moderates the relationship between neighborhood disorder and delinquent behavior among juvenile offenders. Drawing on Social Disorganization Theory and Neighborhood Disorder, the study hypothesizes that religiosity, both as an attitude and as a behavior, serves as a protective factor against delinquency in disordered neighborhoods. Using data from the Pathways to Desistance study, this research employs Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression with and without interaction terms to assess how individual perceptions of disorder interact with religiosity in influencing minor and major delinquency. Results indicate a significant positive association between perceived neighborhood disorder and delinquency, reinforcing the notion …

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 …

The Battle For The Church Of St. Francis In A Town In The Czech Republic Between “Hipster-Culture” And “Tradition” - Discourses In Religiosity, Youth, And Intra-Parish Civic Engagement – A Case Study, Jan Váně, Jan Kaňák

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The relationship between civic engagement and religiosity is an already relatively researched and described phenomenon. However, insufficient attention is paid to the phenomenon of civic engagement within the parish, and moreover in the context of various discourses of religiosity In the article, we present an answer to the question: How do various discourses and their dominant positions influence Intra-Parish Civic Engagement of Youths? To formulate the answer, we use elements of constructivist grounded theory. Based on the analysis of 14 interviews and 36 documents, we describe the course of the process of dominance of traditional and hipster-culture discourse, which played …

Faith, Freedom, And Friction: The Intersection Of Intimate Citizenship And Religion In Central And Eastern Europe, Evelina Juchnevičiūtė Ms.

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

Intimate citizenship, a dimension of citizenship that emerged from the second wave of feminism, refers to rights related to intimate life, including women’s reproductive rights, same-sex relationships, and other related rights. In Central and Eastern Europe, these rights have been shown to come into conflict with the region’s deeply embedded religious values that have historically shaped societal norms around reproduction, gender, and sexuality. The present study employed a mixed-method systematic literature review, combining bibliometric and thematic analyses, to examine academic literature on the intersection of intimate citizenship and religion in Central and Eastern Europe. The review covered the period 1990-2024 …

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 …

A Content Analysis Of Doubt: How Latter-Day Saints Interact Online When One Of Their Own Seeks Answers, Leilani Naomi Mascio, Ronald Smith

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

This content analysis examines how members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) interact with doubting members in online forums, focusing on Facebook and Reddit. Analyzing 1,115 comments from four public posts (August 2024–January 2025), six emergent themes characterize these interactions: (1) normalizing doubt, (2) thought-terminating clichés, (3) bringing back to the fold, (4) hierarchical escalation, (5) attributing doubt to Satan, and (6) emotional reasoning. Findings reveal that LDS members overwhelmingly dominate these discussions, employing doctrinal language, personal narratives, and appeals to authority to reintegrate doubters. Notably, non-member interference was rare, suggesting moderated or self-selected engagement. The …

Permeability Of Politics: Exploring The Impact Of Mobilization On Political Discussions In A Closed Religious Community, Sara K. Guthrie

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In 2016, the Amish PAC was formed with the intent of mobilizing a group of low propensity voters who they believed could help secure political victory in critical swing states such as Ohio and Pennsylvania. These efforts continued through the 2020 election as the PAC continued to court voters within a closed religious community in an attempt to encourage political activity amongst those who ideologically remain apolitical. Specifically, this mobilization effort targeted those within the Amish and Mennonite communities, discussed throughout this dissertation as the ‘Plain Community’. This dissertation analyzes the mobilization attempt by measuring changes in the way the …

Interfaith Marriages: Exploring The Role Of Upbringing And Lived Experiences On Interfaith Couples' Unions, Meghna Gogoi

Theses and Dissertations

This study on interfaith marriages is an example of the micro-macro linkage that we seek to make in sociology. Marriage is a “primary,” intimate relationship, but one that increasingly involves “intermarriage” across lines of race/ethnicity, religion, and cultural backgrounds. Interfaith marriages, which refer to unions between individuals from different religious backgrounds, are becoming more common in today’s contemporary society. Therefore, it is relevant to understand the experiences of couples in interfaith marriages. It highlights how individual decisions in intimate relationships are influenced by larger social structures, such as religious norms and cultural expectations. This study explores how upbringing and lived …

Cultural Identity In Mental Health Services And Helpseeking Behaviours Among African International Students, Mark Ofosu Asirifi

Theses and Dissertations

Acculturation stress impacts international students’ psychological well-being and academic success, yet research on African students remains limited. For African international students, this stress is intensified by cultural stigma surrounding mental health services, deterring help-seeking due to fears of judgment and ostracization. This identity negotiation complicates their willingness to access support, reinforcing cultural barriers to mental health care. This study explores how cultural identity shapes the mental health perceptions and help-seeking behaviors of African international students in the United States. Grounded in the Communication Theory of Identity (CTI) and the Health Belief Model (HBM), the research examines how acculturative stress, stigma, …

Preparing Spiritually Resilient Warriors In The Canadian Special Operations Forces Command, Vic Morris

Doctor of Ministry Major Applied Project

Morris, Victor E. “Preparing Spiritually Resilient Warriors in the Canadian Special Operations Forces Command.” Doctor of Ministry. Major Applied Project, Concordia Seminary, 2024. 285 pp.

The Canadian Armed Forces has outcomes and expectations for warriors to be spiritually resilient but does not have a training program that has been researched, tested, and validated to achieve this. This study investigates how chaplains can prepare spiritually resilient warriors in CANSOFCOM. A chaplain-led spiritual resilience course was created and delivered to CANSOFCOM members. The course was aligned with the holistic wellness strategy of OPF2, and designed as an inductive, experiential learning experience. An …

The Leadership Identity Presented On Linkedin, Carl L. Tolbert

The Journal of Values-Based Leadership

LinkedIn has evolved in a way similar to other social media platforms but is unique in that it focuses on professional networking and careers. Many professionals seek to showcase their leadership skills and philosophies as part of a publicly showcased online persona. This paper aimed to examine the posts specific to leadership and thematically investigate presentation strategies, motivation, and purposes behind the posts. The paper begins with a historical review from the inception of LinkedIn through pivotal milestones in the history of the company. Key concepts from the literature are then reviewed specific to social media use and motivations behind …

The Relationship Between Religious Coping Styles And Eating Disorder Risk In Christians In A University Setting, Meghan E. Aubuchon

Honors Theses

Existing research on eating disorders and religion is beginning to gain momentum in the present day, but research is lacking on the topic of religious coping and eating disorder risk. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between two known styles of religious coping—positive and negative—and eating disorder risk in University of Mississippi students, faculty, and staff who identify as Christian. A survey consisting of basic demographic questions, the EAT-26, and the Brief RCOPE was distributed via emails sent by the office of IREP to students, faculty, and staff at the University of Mississippi. A total of 330 participants were …

The Interplay Of Covid 19, Organized Religion, And Social Media: “How Can I Be The Person I Feel I Need To Be?”, White Dove Bryant Beethoven Keith Short

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Young adults are disaffiliating themselves from organized religion (Hout & Fischer, 2014). This study investigates the impact of social media use on religious identity, teaching, and learning. Social media use is changing young adults as individuals in worldview and perspective, spirituality, religion, and personal lifestyle (Schaeffer, 2019). Messages devised for young adults by Christian ministers for discipleship in teaching and instruction are inharmonious with young adults and their personal views of the world, how to live, and religion (Pew Research Center, 2019). The continued existence of religious teaching, congregant replenishment, and practice of the organized institutional Christian church within society …

The Meanings Of The Hospital De San Lázaro In Seventeenth-Century Manila, Francis Galasi

Journal of Global Catholicism

The Hospital de San Lázaro was a specialized health facility in the early modern Philippines, dedicated to the care of lepers and sufferers of other contagious diseases. While it was established for this specific purpose, its role in colonial society varied. This versatility reflected the distinct priorities and commitments of the groups pulled into its orbit, as each charged San Lázaro with a unique meaning. This article explores how and why these groups—the indigenous Filipinos, the Spanish residents and the Discalced Franciscans—understood San Lázaro in their own way. It highlights the ability of fixed institutions, such as a hospital, to …

Editor's Introduction, Mathew Schmalz

Journal of Global Catholicism

No abstract provided.

Synthesizing The Global English-Language Abortion Narrative: A Comparative Analysis Of Media Discourse, Amy L. Adamczyk, Lindsay J. Lerner

Publications and Research

Abortion is one of the most politically divisive topics currently being discussed in the media. No study has yet attempted to make cross-national comparisons assessing the nuances associated with various views on abortion in the English public press. Using an original hand-coded sample of over 800 English-language newspaper articles from 41 countries that mentioned abortion, we examine how country-level influences and newspaper characteristics shape newspaper portrayals of abortion. Our three-level hierarchical models find that democracy and the freedom it engenders increase the likelihood that newspapers discuss laws, policies, and government claimsmakers when abortion is mentioned. When abortion is legal, newspapers …