No description available.

Thesis (D. Min.)--Ashland Theological Seminary 1989. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 259-262).

Thesis (M.A.)--Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, 1989. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 113-119).

Thesis (M.S.)--Wisconsin. / Bibliography; leaves 128-134.

No description available.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 1983. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 260-266). Available online via OhioLINK's ETD Center.

In this essay, I examine how the nineteenth-century cultural phenomenon of phrenology is made apparent in the abolitionist arguments of Rebecca Harding Davis’s “Blind Tom” (1862), a nonfiction character sketch of the popular blind slave and idiot savant-musician. The first portion of my argument constructs a probable reality that allows for the influence of Davis’s exposure to phrenology first as a student, then later as a writer. I then perform a critical assessment of “Blind Tom,” revealing how Davis relies upon phrenological terminology, such as that employed by famous phrenologist Orson Squire Fowler, in her descriptions of the musician’s physical appearance in order to call for his freedom, from not only slavery on the Georgian planation he called home, but also, from being paraded as an sideshow and a spectacle before audiences across America.

Doctor of Philosophy / Curriculum and Instruction Programs / Lawrence C. Scharmann / John R. Staver / The goal of this study was to explore how Christian biology-related majors at a Christian university perceive the apparent conflicts between their understanding of evolution and their religious beliefs, and how their faith, as a structural-developmental system for ordering and making meaning of the world, plays a role in the mediating process. This naturalistic study utilized a case study design of 15 participants specified as undergraduate biology-related majors or recent biology-related graduates from a midwestern Christian university who had completed an upper-level course on evolution. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews that investigated participants' faith and their views on creationism and evolution. Fowler's theory of faith development and Parks' model of college students' faith was extensively used. Additional data were collected through an Evolution Attitudes Survey and a position paper on evolution as an assignment in the evolution course. Data analysis revealed patterns that were organized into themes and sub-themes that were the major outcomes of the study. Most participants were raised to believe in creationism, but came to accept evolution through an extended process of evaluating the scientific evidence in support of evolution, negotiating the literalness of Genesis, recognizing evolution as a non-salvation issue, and observing professors as role models of Christians who accept evolution. Participants remained committed to their personal religious beliefs despite apprehension that accompanied the reconciliation process in accepting evolution. Most participants operated from the perspective that science and religion are separate and interacting domains. Faith played an important role in how participants reconciled their understanding of evolution and their personal religious beliefs. Participants who operated in conventional faith dismissed contentious issues or collapsed dichotomies in an effort to avoid ambiguity and perceived tensions. Participants who operated in young adult and adult faith tended to confront their perceived tensions and worked towards reconciling their understanding of evolution and their personal religious beliefs. The rich description of this naturalistic study lends heuristic insight to researchers and educators seeking an understanding of the complex processes by which Christian biology-related majors approach learning about evolution and seek reconciliation between their understanding of evolution and their personal religious beliefs.

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In the middle of the nineteenth century, an architectural phenomenon swept through the United States: the octagon house. Orson S. Fowler, best known for his work as a phrenologist, began this trend with the publication of A Home for All in 1848. Though this house form may seem unusual and even inexplicable today, the octagon house must be regarded in relation to the culture of this period. In this context, an understanding of the significance and embrace of this unique residential architecture can be gained. Although octagon houses were built throughout the United States, the intersection of several unique cultural and historical factors existed in the Midwest in this period, creating a region particularly receptive to this novel house form. The octagon house, though only briefly popular, made a lasting impact on the built environment that represents a tangible link to the culture of the middle of the nineteenth century. / Department of Architecture