Transgendered Indonesians live in the fourth most populated nation in the world with more Muslims than any other country. This thesis summarizes an ethnography conducted on one religiously oriented male-to-female transgender community known in the city of Yogyakarta as the waria. This study analyzes the waria’s gender and religious identities from an emic and etic perspective, focusing on how individuals comport themselves inside the world’s first transgender mosque-like institution called a pesantren waria. The waria take their name from the Indonesian words wanita (woman) and pria (man). I will chart how this male-to-female population create spaces of spiritual belonging and physical security within a territory that has experienced geo-religio-political insecurity: natural disasters, fundamentalist movements, and toppling dictatorships. This work illuminates how the waria see themselves as biologically male, not men. Anatomy is not what gives the waria their gender, their feminine expression and sexual attraction does. Although the waria self-identity as women/waria, in a religious context they perform as men, not women.

This thesis addresses spiritual violence done to queer people in the sacrament of Communion, or Eucharist, in both Protestant and Roman Catholic churches in the U.S. Rooted in the sexual dimorphic interpretation of Genesis, theologians engendered Christianity with sexism and patriarchy, both of which have since developed into intricate intersections of oppressions. Religious abuse is founded on the tradition of exclusionary practices and is validated through narrow interpretations of Scripture that work to reassert the authority of the experiences of the dominant culture. The resultant culture of oppression manifests itself in ritualized spiritual violence. Queer people are deemed “unworthy” to take ‘the body and blood of the Christ’ and, in fact, are excluded altogether. This “unworthiness” is expressed as spiritual violence against queer people who are shunned and humiliated, internalize hateful messages, and are denied spiritual guidance or life-affirming messages. By “queering” Scripture, or reading the Bible anew through a framework of justice, queer people have begun to sacramentalize their experiences and reclaim their place at the table.

In this paper I explore what Catholic feminist Ignatian spirituality can contribute to the conversation between faith and culture, conversation that is too often muddied by vague and superficial argument and by an ‘us’ vs ‘them’ attitude driven by extremes to which the majority do not belong. The secular and the religious spring from a common past, though they exist now within the nova effect of spiritualities available today in our modern Western or North Atlantic, “secular 3” world. The 500-year-old Ignatian Exercises can be a coherent voice speaking in the cacophony of the contemporary context especially when a feminist lens is used to expand them in a more comprehensive way by applying classic feminist thought on anthropology, names of God, embodiment, and the ontological centrality of relationship to human existence. This application of a feminist hermeneutic helps us explore human reality more fully – a reality that is “irreducibly plural and not merely hierarchically dualistic.” This, in turn, helps us communicate the Exercises and a truer, deeper Christianity, than contemporary conversation typically allows. I map out the basic structure and purpose of the Exercises and offer examples of a feminist retrieval of a variety of meditations and contemplations from the “weeks” of the Exercises to illustrate how this retrieval does not negate traditional interpretation of scripture but expands it for the benefit of all – Christian and non-Christian alike. The Ignatian Exercises address questions we all ask – they help one to “play the game of the truth of existence” and to reach both inward and then outward toward neighbor and world. The bridge I am attempting to build between faith and culture is made up of the Exercises as a grounded answer to the yearning in this unbelieving world that is, nevertheless, still haunted by belief. The feminist lens is the car that drives us over that bridge.

Maurice Barrès, en tant qu’un des plus grands maîtres à la fin du XIXe siècle et au début du XXe siècle de la France, exerce une grande influence dans la société française. Souvent réduit par la critique d’aujourd’hui au nationalisme, Barrès est cependant plus riche que ce que l’histoire en a retenu puisque sa pensée peut elle-même se décrire comme une trilogie, individualisme, nationalisme, catholicisme. Né dans une famille catholique, il conserve ses racines religieuses et dans son oeuvre, la présence de la religion est partout. Nous pourrions même affirmer que l’œuvre de Maurice Barrès est un exercice spirituel pour connaître la vérité : ses œuvres sont comme des expériences qui vont au bout du compte l’amener vers Dieu. Après l’individualisme et le nationalisme, l’écrivain trouve la voie de son salut dans le catholicisme. La pensée religieuse de Barrès occupe une grande place dans son œuvre, et cet aspect ne doit pas être négligé si l’on veut comprendre le grand écrivain. C’est un sujet riche et intéressant, qui mérite d’être exploité et étudié. De plus, sa pensée est tellement particulière que Barrès, lui-même, s’interroge dans un cahier : « Suis-je croyant ? Suis-je athée ? » Alors, cette étude présente tente à éclaircir la pensée religieuse du grand maître dans une période historique de la France. Et cette période si riche sur le plan des événements intellectuels permet aussi de comprendre mieux la France contemporaine, qui se saisit aujourd’hui à nouveau de mots comme « terre », « racine », « identité », etc. / As one of the greatest writers in the late XIXth and early XXth century in France, Maurice Barrès has greatly influenced the French society. Often reduced to nationalism by critics, however, Barrès is much richer than what history has withheld, since his thoughts could be described as a trilogy : individualism, nationalism and Catholicism. Born in a Catholic family, he retains his religious roots and the religion is clearly omnipresent in his works. The works of Maurice Barrès could be considered as the spiritual exercises and experiences that will ultimately bring him to the Supreme Being - God. After individualism and nationalism, the writer finds his own way of salvation in Catholicism. The religion occupies a large place in the works of Barrès. Nevertheless, this aspect should not be overlooked if we want to better understand his thoughts. The religious thought of Barrès is a rich and interesting topic that deserves to be studied and exploited. His thought is so special in the sense that Barrès questions his beliefs; he says in his personal diary : “Am I a believer ? Am I an atheist ?” This present study attempts to explain the religious thought of the great master during a specific period of French history. This period, which is very rich in terms of intellectual events, enables us to have a better view of contemporary France and the new acceptance of words such as “earth”, “root”, “identity”, etc.

David Lipscomb, editor of the Gospel Advocate for almost half a century, was a man of wide influence. He was intensely devoted to the cause of Christ. In the estimation of his admirers he "had a keener and deeper insight to the meaning of the Holy Scriptures and of God's dealings with the race than any other one man in all Christendom." Though such a judgement is open to question, the man becomes a fit subject for such a study as we have attempted to make.

This thesis is a rhetorical analysis of utopian discourse about marriage in mid-nineteenth-century America. Although utopian communities are usually approached within the fields of history and sociology, a rhetorical analysis adds to the discussion by uncovering the discursive complexity of marriage beliefs within a rapidly changing culture. Discursive features of the Shaker, Oneida Community and Latter-day Saint texts are outlined and compared according to the following format:Chapter One examines the textures of conflict within the dominant culture's views of marriage and gender roles in nineteenth-century America, with a brief overview of reform efforts of the day. This chapter provides a wide context of marriage discourse in this era, which situates emergent utopian discourse of alternative marriage constructs.Chapter Two narrows the focus to utopian discourse, analyzing how utopian rhetoric responded to concerns of the dominant culture (outlined in Chapter One) and shaped their cultural identities. This chapter outlines several general features of utopian discourse about marriage and gender roles, with detailed analyses of the rhetoric of Shakers and the Oneida Community regarding thier alternatives to traditional marriage constructs.Chapter Three builds on the context of the first two chapters and further narrows the scope of analysis to Mormon Polygamy dsicourse. Public and private accounts are considered in a comparison of official church rhetoric with women's discourse about the principle. The last two chapters also show utopian departures from and similarities to mainstream discourse about marriage and gender roles.Although the three groups examined responded to mainstream concerns with some discursive similarities, rhetorical analysis shows that differences also exist, such as their rhetoric of gender identity and church authority. The Latter-day Saints stand out against the wider context of utopian discourse for their patriarchal model, their tenets of both continuous and personal revelation, and their enduring success as a religion.

The problem of the existence of a devil is important, since it relates to other beliefs which a person or his religion may uphold. The orthodox Christian concepts of the divinity of Christ, the Fall of man, the Atonement, and the inspiration of the Bible are altered when a belief in Satan is discarded.The prophets of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon) take a very definite stand concerning the existence of Satan. They declare that the devil and his angels exist and that they tempt and try to deceive men. L.D.S. scriptures, given through modern revelation, not only show that Satan exists and tempts men but also confirm the authenticity of the Old and New Testaments. However, these scriptures indicate that many passages relating to Satan are missing from the Old Testament. Therefore, on the testimony of modern scripture, the Latter-day Saints maintain that the concept of Satan did not evolve into Jewish thinking and literature by natural means. Rather, the prophets of God since the days of Adam have declard that Satan exists, and some of these prophets have come fact to face with him.Through modern scripture and latter-day prophets, the Latter-day Saints believe that Satan and his angels are spirits, in the image of men, who rebelled against God and were cast down to the earth and have been here since men were upon the earth. These evil spirits have been denied the privilege of obtaining mortal bodies; therefore, they sometimes seek to possess bodies of people living upon the earth. However, they are often detected by Elders holding the Priesthood and are cast out. On occasions they have attacked mortals and in every way tried to destroy the Kingdom of God on earth.The question of Satan's existence is interrelated with many L.D.S. doctrines. The Mormon concepts concerning opposition, the Fall, the Atonement, the divinity of Jesus Christ, and the inspiration of The Book of Mormon and other modern scripture, would of necessity be changed if Satan were to be denied as real person. The Latter-day Saints state that it is through their belief in modern revelation--scripture, the prophets, and personal revelation through the power of the Holy Ghost--that they know Satan exists, that they know many things concerning his origin and career, and that they are able in many cases to expose his deceptions.

Since the issuance of the Manifesto by President Wilford Woodruff on September 25, 1890, discontinuing the practice of plural marriage by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, intensive efforts have been made by dissenters to show that authority to practice polygamy has secretly continued to the present day. Claiming that the Church departed from its original teachings when it discontinued the practice of plural marriage and that the Manifesto was adopted merely as an act of appeasement, "fundamentalists" have attempted to show that the doctrine of plural marriage was revealed to the Latter-day Saints as an irrevocable decree, essential to the highest exaltation in the world to come. They further claim that since the time of Joseph Smith a special "higher priesthood" organization has secretly functioned independent of the Latter-day Saint Church through which authority to solemnize plural marriages has continued to the present day. Asserting that the practice of plural marriage is still a "vital part of the religion of the Latter-day Saints," and that men are commanded to obey God's laws "in total disregard of the laws of man which might conflict therewith." "Fundamentalists" conclude that it is not within the power of the Latter-day Saint Church or the Federal or State Government to prohibit plural marriages.A consideration of this position indicates that only after a unique interpretation of certain carefully selected excerpts from Latter-day Saint Church history and in some instances a complete fabrication of events, can evidence be found for the contention that the practice of plural marriage is still a "vital part of the religion of the Latter-day Saints."On the other hand, a review of the history and doctrine of the Church indicates, that no provisions were made for a succession of authority from Joseph Smith independent of the present Latter-day Saint Church leadership; that the practice of plural marriage was not dogmatically regarded as an irrevocable decree or an essential to the highest exaltation regardless of circumstances; and that the suspension of the practice of plural marriage was accomplished by the same authority by which the practice was introduced.

Sunday schools were an important part of the development of religious education in the United States and in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (L.D.S. Church). It was the purpose of this study (1) to analyze the teaching methods of both the L.D.S. and non-L.D.S. Sunday school movements in the United States prior to 1900; and (2) to compare the teaching methods used by these Sunday school developments and determine similarities and differences.

Since the inception of the United Nations in 1945, leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have made public statements regarding the international peace and security organization. To the confusion of many Church members, who often look to their leaders for prophetic guidance on numerous spiritual and temporal topics, these statements have been conflicting. Some Church leaders have clearly opposed the United Nations and others have openly supported it, offering various ideological explanations for their beliefs. Yet, it is evident that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has never made an official position on the topic of the United Nations. Church members are free to exercise their agency and either oppose or support the organization as they deem necessary. Regardless of personal opinions, a relationship has emerged between the Church and the United Nations in the past few decades through joint humanitarian efforts, as well as official and unofficial interactions. Since the United Nations is most likely a permanent fixture of the political world, and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is concerned with topics of international importance, it appears this relationship will continue to blossom throughout the future.