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151	Dispositional Religiosity:Religion in the Context of Life Narratives Degnats, Suzanne Giovanna 01 December 2013 (has links) ABSTRACT In loosely structured narrative interviews, individuals discussed their personal religious life stories in the context of their lives, from childhood to the present. They ended up creating coherent narratives that encompassed much more than their religious traditions. The coherency of their stories was through the use of dispositions. Dispositions are the common themes, people, or other narrative schema which the narrator used consistently throughout the story, and are identified by narrative elements that repeat and anchor the narrative. Dispositions found in interviews for the Religious Life Stories Project by the GSU Religious Studies Department include familial, outlier, socioeconomic, contributive, influential, obedient, somatic, and traveler. Analysis of the dipositions in the context of these narratives illuminates the variety of ways traditional religion manifests in individuals’ lives. Furthermore, dispositions provide a theoretical basis for studying individual religion comparatively across doctrinal religious traditions. Religious identity Narrative identity Religious narratology Dispositions Coherence Lived religion
152	How to Weaponize a Philosopher: Hobbes' Deadly Arsenal Webb, James 15 August 2013 (has links) This is a complex argument about the history of transformations in value through the rise of modern liberalism. I argue that there are several contradictions that emerge from these transformations. I argue that these contradictions emerge as double effects of liberalism, in tension with the project of liberalism and thriving in spite of it. My data are the theories of Thomas Hobbes and the interpretations of his work. Hobbes is a good datum for the project because he is representative of several of these transformations in value due to the time when and concepts with which he writes. I conclude that these transformations have negatively affected the quality of our theory and negatively effected our ability to theorize. Hobbes Politics Religion Philosophy Weaponization Recuperation
153	A Reception History of Gilgamesh as Myth Newell, Nicholas R 10 August 2013 (has links) The story of Gilgamesh has been viewed as an example of several different narrative genres. This thesis establishes how scholarship in English published between 1872 and 1967 has described Gilgamesh as a myth, or denied Gilgamesh status as a myth and discusses new the meanings that the context of myth brings to the story. This thesis represents preliminary work on a larger project of exploring present day artistic meaning making efforts that revolve around Gilgamesh. Gilgamesh Mythology Ancient Near East studies Folklore Anthropology Epic Legend Biblical studies
154	Goddess Dethroned: The Evolution of Morgan le Fay Carver, Dax Donald 09 June 2006 (has links) In the Arthurian romances of the Middle Ages, the character of Morgan le Fay was transformed dramatically from her Welsh original, the goddess Modron. The effect was to vilify the enchantress so that medieval Christians would not be sympathetic to her character. This study consults the oldest available Welsh mythological and historical texts as well as the medieval romances surrounding King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. Also consulted are some of the top contemporary Arthurian scholars. By unraveling Morgan’s transformation and the reasons for such change, it is revealed that medieval demonizing of old pagan deities was not limited to male deities. Instead, the most ancient deity of all, the Great Mother Goddess slowly became one of the most infamous characters in literature, Morgan le Fay. goddesses women in literature women in religion witchcraft in literature history of religion feminist thought pagan religions Celtic deities Arthurian legends Religion
155	Can Religion Help? Using John Howard Yoder and Mohandas Gandhi to Conceptualize New Approaches to Intractable Social and Political Problems such as Violence and War Keeter, Gregory T. 12 June 2006 (has links) Religious Studies is making possible a scholarly study of many aspects of human religious traditions and practices, but the field has yet to articulate fully the ability of such study to affect the creation of new approaches to intractable social and political problems. Many of these problems have as their basis religious justifications, yet the rigor of academic thought has only barely begun to clarify the underlying religious reasoning. Through this essay I intend to provide clarity to some of the underlying religious justifications for war and violence by examining the religious writings of two widely recognized theologians that firmly oppose war and violence, John Howard Yoder and Mohandas Gandhi. The result is an examination on the utility of using religious ideas as sources of insights and strategies for addressing social and political issues such as war and violence. Pacifism Religion Social and political philosophy Religious studies John Howard Yoder Mohandas Gandhi Religion
156	Fundamentalism and Modernity: A Critique of the "Anti-Modern" Conception of Fundamentalism Hoffmeister, Andrew Charles 03 August 2006 (has links) This paper addresses the conception that fundamentalisms are “anti-modern.” I propose that this view is a mischaracterization of fundamentalisms. I argue that an understanding of fundamentalisms would be better served by forgoing this “anti-modern” characterization and instead approaching fundamentalisms from the perspective that they are wholly modern phenomenon. In my analysis I use the writings and speeches of Pat Robertson as examples of the modern nature of America Fundamentalism in four areas. The first area examines how the Enlightenment influenced Fundamentalism’s development of inerrantism. The second area examines Fundamentalism’s prophetic interpretation. The third area examines the political nature of Fundamentalism. The fourth area examines Pat Robertson’s rhetoric to reveal that he reflects philosophically modern thought and rejects postmodernism. modernity anti-modern antimodern Pat Robertson Fundamentalist fundamentalism Religion
157	Shankara: A Hindu Revivalist or a Crypto-Buddhist? Tenzin, Kencho 04 December 2006 (has links) Shankara, the great Indian thinker, was known as the accurate expounder of the Upanishads. He is seen as a towering figure in the history of Indian philosophy and is credited with restoring the teachings of the Vedas to their pristine form. However, there are others who do not see such contributions from Shankara. They criticize his philosophy by calling it “crypto-Buddhism.” It is his unique philosophy of Advaita Vedanta that puts him at odds with other Hindu orthodox schools. Ironically, he is also criticized by Buddhists as a “born enemy of Buddhism” due to his relentless attacks on their tradition. This thesis, therefore, probes the question of how Shankara should best be regarded, “a Hindu Revivalist or a Crypto-Buddhist?” To address this question, this thesis reviews the historical setting for Shakara’s work, the state of Indian philosophy as a dynamic conversation involving Hindu and Buddhist thinkers, and finally Shankara’s intellectual genealogy. brahman sunyata atman moksa Religion
158	Mary of Magdala: The Evolution of an Image Owen, Rachel D. 03 May 2007 (has links) Mary of Magdala: The Evolution of an Image by Rachel Owen Under the Direction of Louis A. Ruprecht, Jr. ABSTRACT In this study, Mary of Magdala will be presented as a cumulative character consisting of multiple layers rather than as a concrete historical figure, for this allows one to see the opaque connections between her divergent textual and traditional (medieval) images. The “historical” Mary does, however, find a place here--she is presented only as a persistent early Christian belief in the veracity of her figure, and as the foundation for both the textual and traditional Mary. In light of this, the textual, the “historical,” and the medieval will be examined as these comprise the materials out of which Mary’s cumulative layers were made--the understanding of one aids in the understanding of another. Ultimately, this study will examine the many layers of Mary’s character in hopes that the contradictions existing between the “historical,” the textual, and the traditional will diminish, thus giving equal consideration to all. INDEX WORDS: Mary of Magdala, Canonical texts, Gnostic texts, Medieval saint, Apostles, Saint Mary Magdalene, Early Christianity Mary of Magdala Gnostic gospels Canonical gospels Medieval saint Religion
159	Loose Canon on Deck: How Contemporary Christians React to Media Portrayals of Faith, Beliefs, and Rituals Leopard, Mitchell L 03 May 2007 (has links) Throughout much of Christian history, the church had predominant control over religious ritual and belief. As early as the 1st Century, institutions representing "orthodoxy" were banning, forbidding or destroying the "heretical", separating it from what eventually would become canon and religious practice. The 21st Century provides new ways for spiritual knowledge to spread, bypassing traditional methods. Modern Martin Luthers can nail a manifesto to an internet door while the media's obsession with non-canonical texts provides no shortage of material for movies and television. A multi-media barrage challenges orthodox concepts and scriptural definition, often blurring the line between religion and entertainment. The initial clash between the churches and media has evolved over the last century to a point where the media may now produce beneficial results, educating many who may have either left the church or never joined it. Movies Mass media The Passion of the Christ The Da Vinci Code Religious beliefs Spirituality Jesus films The cinema Mel Gibson Belief systems Film history Film industry Religion Christianity Controversy Religion
160	Distinction without Separation: Challenging Contemporary Yoga-Christian Praxis Dialogue Through a Comparison of Striving and Personal Transformation in the Yoga-Sūtra and the Life of Moses Hodgman, Scott William 03 May 2007 (has links) In contemporary society, distinct traditions are bleeding into one another, blurring traditional lines of inquiry and historically significant boundaries. This phenomenon frames this project and creates the context for the Yoga-Christian praxis dialogue this study constructively critiques. Unfortunately, this dialogue exhibits an Eliadean concern for essentialism and universality. I challenge this trend by juxtaposing two distinct texts, Patañjali‘s Yoga-Sūtra and Gregory of Nyssa’s Life of Moses. These texts point to the similar idea that without striving and personal transformation neither the yogic practitioner nor practicing Christian logically subsists. More importantly, however, from this point of correspondence I constructively critique the Yoga-Christian praxis dialogue by concretely engaging these texts and paying particular attention to the differences inherent in them. My comparison, then, suggests how attention to particularity points to a more authentic dialogue: what I wish to call a dialogue of distinction without separation. Yoga Christian spirituality Patañjali Gregory of Nyssa Yoga-S?tra Life of Moses personal transformation praxis comparative study Hindu-Christian dialogue Early Church Fathers patristic Religion

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