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Thesis advisor: Brian Robinette / While violence manifests in many forms, two instantiations of violence are particularly prominent in the U.S. and growing: racial resentment and polarization, both political and ecclesial. Violence emerges from the false and malforming narratives that contribute to our identities and worldviews. Insofar as these narratives contribute to the ongoing malformation of our identities and worldviews, they contribute to a bias in need of conversion; that is, violence as the result of false narratives is in need of a conversion understood as a revision of those formative narratives. In my dissertation, I draw on the work of James Alison and Thomas Merton to offer a spirituality and ecclesiology of humble discovery and prophetic accompaniment that facilitate an openness to a holistic conversion at the personal, communal, and political levels that can counter this violent bias in the transformation of our formative narratives. In chapter one, I evaluate the role narratives play in human identity and worldview formation as well as the possibility for violence to emerge from false and malforming narratives. I focus especially on racial resentment and polarization in the political and ecclesial spheres as instantiations of violence that are uniquely pervasive and growing in the United States. I posit that these false narratives are a bias in need of conversion, and I consider conversion as a transformation of those formative narratives. Chapter two takes up the work of James Alison who, relying on the mimetic theory advanced by René Girard, offers a communal anthropology that reveals original sin to be our participation in a system of mimetic rivalry, scapegoating and exclusionary violence, and death. The experience of the resurrection reveals both our participation in this system and that God has nothing to do with this violence and death. Alison directs us to ecclesial participation in the liturgy, wherein we experience the risen Jesus, as a communal process of conversion in which we relax into being recreated into who God intends for us to be and whose desires are realigned toward God’s. In chapter three, I turn to the complementary, though distinct, work of Thomas Merton. Merton offers a process of personal conversion rooted in a practice of contemplative spirituality. This process initiates in response to the realization of our participation in “mass society,” which uncritically accepts technological progress to the point of rendering us “moral infants” and atomized cogs in the machine of that same progress. This spirituality practice wrests our egos from this false logic and reveals our interconnectedness to and responsibility for our neighbor. In chapter four, I synthesize the thought of Alison and Merton and offer a framework for an ecclesiology and a spirituality of humble discovery and prophetic accompaniment that work to open us to God’s grace and the resulting conversion. I apply this framework to rural, working-class, and White communities—focusing especially on my own hometown—offering a reflection on how the application of these might facilitate a conversion within these communities and counter the racial resentment and polarization that uniquely impacts these communities. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2023. / Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Theology.

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Excerpt:To the Editor: Recently, the American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education published a research brief entitled, “Spirituality and Religiosity of Pharmacy Students” by Purnell and colleagues.1 The authors describe their recent survey assessing the presence and impact of religiosity/spirituality on various facets of student life and students’ opinions. In three separate instances, the authors advocate for greater support to be provided by pharmacy schools for student religiosity/spirituality.

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are traumatic and stressful events during a person’s early life that can influence their later mental health, physical health, and wellbeing. Internalizing symptoms such as anxiety and depression are common mental health outcomes associated with ACEs. Two factors, religiosity/spirituality (R/S) and mindfulness, are possible protective factors that may help lessen the effects of ACEs on later mental health. This study hopes to examine whether R/S and mindfulness are protective factors in the relationship between ACEs from childhood and internalizing symptoms in adulthood. Further, this study examines whether the protective impact of R/S is further strengthened by an individual’s mindfulness (moderated moderation). Participants (N = 769, age M = 20.43, SD = 4.51) for this study were recruited through the SONA research platform at East Tennessee State University as a part of the REACH (Religion, Emotions, and Current Health) self-report survey. We used a retrospective measure, the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) questionnaire, to assess childhood adversity. We used the Brief Multidimensional Measure of Religiosity and Spirituality (BMMRS) to assess current religiosity/spirituality of participants and the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) to assess current overall mindfulness of participants. To examine internalizing symptoms of the sample, we used the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) questionnaire to assess anxiety symptoms, and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale Revised (CESD-R-20) to assess depression symptoms. The analyses for this project were conducted using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). Bivariate analyses for this project will be conducted using Pearson’s correlations and the moderated moderation model will be tested using the Hayes Process Macro (version 3.0, Model 3). We predict that ACEs will be related to internalizing symptoms as is commonly demonstrated in the literature, such that more ACES are associated with more symptoms of anxiety and depression. Further, we expect that both R/S and mindfulness will weaken (i.e. moderate) this relationship. Additionally, we propose that mindfulness will impact the moderating (protective) effect of R/S on this relationship, such that the protective effect of R/S is greatest for those with high levels of mindfulness.

A growing body of research has addressed the relationship between religiousness and spirituality. In addition, recent research focuses on the variations in definition and operationalization of the two concepts. Most of this literature examines spirituality as a construct under religion. Conceptualizing those who are spiritual but non-religious has received far less attention. This study uses recent data from the General Social Surveys to assess the relationship of those who are spiritual but not religious with education and a number of socio-demographic variables. The analysis shows that there is a positive relationship between one identifying as someone who is spiritual but secular and educational attainment. Directions for future research are discussed.

This project will begin to close the gap between traditional methods of spiritual formation and the digital evolution by offering a framework for virtual spiritual formation based on digital and social media trends, the reimagination of traditional spiritual formation practices, Linda Harasim’s “Online Collaborative Learning Theory,” Carey Nieuwhof’s insights on the digital church, and Julie Lytle’s methods for effective social and digital media use. Spiritual formation can be defined as the process one undergoes to develop their religious beliefs, understanding of God, spiritual practices, and identification of self in the world. Whereas individuals have customarily participated in this process through in-person practices, this project seeks to hone in on virtual methods faith leaders may use to guide one’s spiritual development. Through one’s participation in corporate virtual practices of worship, discussions, classes, small groups, and other exercises, they are invited to gain knowledge of principles and rituals that guide their embodiment of Jesus’ teachings. Alongside being engaged in the life of the church in new ways, individuals will be supported in forming their spirituality apart from participating in a community of faith’s in-person programming. / 2024-05-13T00:00:00Z

The purpose of this study was to bring more clarification to the concepts of spirituality and happiness, their meaning, attainability, and position in the field of Multicultural Education. In general, people think they will find joy and happiness if they graduate from a post-secondary educational institution with an undergraduate or graduate degree, find a good work environment, position, salary, living standards, status, etc. Yet, in the real world there may be a different way to find genuine happiness and joy which is fair, simple, easy and equal for all human beings even those who cannot afford higher levels of education. In order to present the data, the study discussed the life, philosophy and teachings of Imam Sheikh Iskender Ali Mihr, president of Mihr Foundation in Turkey, International Mihr Foundation in the United States and University of Allah in Virginia, and utterly an Ottoman. The review of literature was also included to assist the readers to grasp the different perspectives of the subject matter. Education should be inclusive and equal for all and so should joy and happiness! In today's world where diversity is the key factor for almost every community, it is important for educators (teachers/instructors/administrators) to know what shapes students' lives. This study encompassed the idea that only educating our students' minds and bodies is not enough, and without spirituality the education is not complete. As Pamela Leigh (1997) stated, "...acknowledging that people come to work with more than their bodies and minds, they bring individual talents and unique spirits" (p. 26). Students also come with their unique spirits and we should take them as a whole and value them with all the qualities they possess. Nurturing their spirit should be part of our school system. No matter if they believe in God or not, educators should be ready to address the aspect of spirituality and religion. The research was to bring a greater understanding to questions such as how we can better accommodate students' different spiritual beliefs, what the pros and cons are of bringing them together or keeping them separate. In order to answer these questions in a fashionable manner, we need to know "how much the spiritual beliefs of these students shape their cultures and their lives." In a greater context, the questions like; what we really know about 'true' Islam as one of the fastest growing beliefs in the U.S., is it any different than other beliefs or is it the same, is there a way to eradicate the Islam-phobia that occurred after the 9/11 attack, what was the Ottoman Islamic model, were also answered. As educators, how do we cope with students who hear voices and start shooting around in a schoolyard, or students who binge drink or get suicidal? Even more importantly, how do we help the remaining population live a healthy and happy life without thinking of ending their own or others' lives, as these examples turn out to be a daily life for us all! The remainder of this study looked at the "neutrality" of the school systems in the United States. Should educators stay neutral or not will be each individual's decision to make.

Sarah Bachelard describes crisis as a turning point during which all previous frameworks collapse. The narrative structure of the resurrection reveals the influential role of narrative in reintegrating such crises back into a place of meaning and wholeness. Using the resurrection narrative as an interpretive framework for Tim O'Brien's The Things They Carried reveals how "story truth" acknowledges the transcendent meaning that lies beyond all texts and circumstances, and so reintegrates crisis and redeems meaning for Tim and his fellow soldiers. The transcendent and transformative qualities of story truth illustrate the latter's innately spiritual nature, even within secular texts. Story truth thus carries postsecular conversation past mere "openness" to transformation through the process of reintegration and redemption. By evoking the qualities of surprise and recognition associated with the resurrection, story truth especially illustrates that theology can elucidate such transformative processes and ought to play a key role in both spiritual and postsecular thought.