In Imami Shi'ism, no position is more desirable than that of a martyr. Martyrdom plays a significant role in Islam but is particularly salient in the Shi'i tradition which deems Husayn ibn 'Ali, the third Imam, as the personification of struggle and death in the way of God. This thesis will argue that his sister, Zaynab, also qualifies as a martyr according to dominant theories on martyrdom in Shi'ism. Martyrdom is the spiritual reward for the physical actions of defending truth and constructing a model for others to emulate. Through delivering testimony, safeguarding the Imamate, and perpetuating Husayn's model of martyrdom for generations to come, Zaynab establishes an alternative but legitimate paradigm of martyrdom. How Zaynab died is under contention, but whether she was killed or died naturally, she meets the criteria of a martyr in Shi'i thought. Popular verbal discourse often affirms Zaynab's martyrdom while written works, although crediting her as Husayn's greatest supporter and partner, do not readily afford her the honor. This thesis wi II argue that Zaynab undoubtedly attains the station of martyrdom through her actions following Husayn's death at the Battle of Karbala. Recognizing Zaynab as a martyr will not only enrich the meaning of martyrdom, but present it as a station that is attainable for all who wish to struggle and die in the way of God, whether in the manner of Zaynab or in the manner of Husayn.

No description available.

The purpose of this study was to identify a set of perceived indicators of institutional quality for theological schools. To identify the most commonly agreed upon indicators of perceived quality for theological schools, 69 variable indicators of quality were selected from research regarding quality in higher education and in theological schools and compiled into the Inventory of Determinants of Quality for Theological Schools (IDQTS). This instrument was mailed to presidents or deans of non-Catholic theological schools, theological school faculty members, theological school graduates who are practicing ministers, and church leaders. Of the 487 surveys mailed, 288 were returned to be included in this study. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) procedure was executed for each of the 69 IDQTS items to determine if the group means of the four study group responses were significantly different. The level of significance was set at .01. Thirty-nine IDQTS items were found to have no significant difference in the group means for responses at the .01 level. Twenty-nine of these 39 items were rated as Important or Most Important perceived indicators of institutional quality for theological schools with overall means of 3.00 or higher. Ten other items were rated as Less important to Unimportant perceived indicators of institutional quality for theological schools with overall means of 2.99 or lower. When the four study groups were treated as four individual raters and Kendall's Coefficient of Concordance was applied to their responses on the IDQTS, a W of .8881 was calculated with p < .01. Of the IDQTS items perceived to be ranked in the highest one-third of indicators of institutional quality in theological schools, eight were associated with student outcomes, five were associated with faculty, four were associated with administration and organization, four were associated with curriculum, one was associated with institutional demographics, one was associated with student services and none were associated with institutional resources.

Thesis advisor: Brian D. Robinette / This dissertation seeks to develop the theological method operative within James Alison's growing theological corpus, which he describes concisely as a "theology in the order of the discovery." I will argue that the value and contribution of his method lies in the careful and consistent attention that he pays to the ongoing, reciprocal relationship that exists between persons' experiences of receiving faith (that is, experiences of conversion) and persons' attempts to understand the content of that faith through a process of self-reflexive appropriation of it (that is, through engagement in the activity of theological reflection). In the introductory chapter, after defining the key terms of the project, I situate my investigation into Alison's method within the context of several twentieth and twenty-first century Christian theological movements: experiential/transcendental theology, dialectical theology, narrative or postliberal theology, and a theology of proclamation. These comparisons allow for an initial articulation of the characteristics of what I will present increasingly more explicitly throughout the dissertation as Alison's "inductive" theology. Part I of the dissertation, consisting of chapter two, presents the mimetic anthropology of René Girard as the primary intellectual influence on Alison's conception of theology. It considers Girard's gradual development of the terminology that he has employed to express his deepening understanding of the operation of mimetic desire, rivalry, and conversion in order to show that Girard's attempt to develop "a Gospel anthropology" requires a systematic theological perspective to give it greater coherence. With this context in place, Part II proceeds with my study of Alison's theological method. Chapter three develops Alison's implicit understanding of one movement in the reciprocal relationship between the experience of conversion and the activity of theological reflection, namely, the movement from conversion to theological reflection, and it presents theology as a fruit of conversion. The primary aim of the chapter is to show that Alison's view of the New Testament accounts of the resurrection appearances leads him to begin to understand the reciprocal relationship between conversion and theology that has guided his theological performance throughout his career. Chapter four develops Alison's implicit view of the reciprocal movement from theological expression to the potential conversion experiences of others, that is, it presents theology as an occasion for conversion. It draws out Alison's implicit understanding of theology as an act of witness which can provide an occasion for the Spirit of Christ to make the crucified and risen Christ present both to the one giving witness and to those that receive that witness. I conclude in chapter five by demonstrating Alison's inductive theological approach as it is operative in several excerpts from his writings. I then begin to demonstrate the fruitfulness of Alison's inductive method by exploring how this method might contribute to three theological and ministerial questions in need of renewed consideration. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2015. / Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Theology.

Thesis advisor: Jane E. Regan / In theological education in the United States, writing is taught primarily as an individualistic pursuit in which students demonstrate knowledge acquisition and conformity to the standards of academic English. This creates significant problems for students who hail from educational, linguistic, and cultural backgrounds unlike that of the dominant academic context. To address these problems, educators must expand beyond our vision of writing as a utilitarian product created in solitude to see it as a process of student ethical transformation that assists students to construct voices that connect to who whey are and better relate to their audiences and their contexts of ministry. Several resources are explored to support theological educators in enacting this pedagogical shift: 1) composition theory and linguistics describing writing as a socio-rhetorical activity that can aid students in the generative struggle of creating voices; 2) intersectional theory for an analysis of the construction a major theological figure’s prophetic voice; and 3) South African Ubuntu theology to reframe writing as an intentional relational process concerned with the ethical dimensions of communication. The final chapter outlines a practical process of pedagogical change for learners in the classroom and for theological institutions themselves. Given the radical change in the context of ministry and the demographics of our student bodies, theological educators must transform how we teach writing in order to recognize and respond to the educational needs of our diverse students as they prepare for a wide range of vocational callings; to enliven theological writing in the academy; and to increase writing’s relevance and responsiveness to the world and church in which we live and share our lives of faith. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2015. / Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Religious Education and Pastoral Ministry.

Thesis (D. Ed. Min.)--New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, 2003. / Includes abstract and vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 47-52).

Thesis (D. Min.)--Dallas Theological Seminary, 2001. / Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 224-228).

Thesis (D. Ed. Min.)--Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, 2002. / Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 111-115).

Thesis (D. Min.)--Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, 1994. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 197-205).

Thesis (J.C.L.)--Catholic University of America, 1996. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 59-66).