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The Hound and the Bull: How Is the Táin Bó Cuailnge Representative of the Irish Iron Age?
Full text linkThis independent study paper discusses the text of the Táin Bó Cuailgne, an Irish epic from the Ulster cycle that had been passed down orally for centuries in the Celtic tradition before being transcribed by English Christian settlers in the Medieval Age. While being a fictionalized account of the Irish Iron Age, the Táin provides a glimpse into the social and cultural dynamics of Ireland at the time, especially regarding the regional and tribal differences found between the Ulaid and Connachta kingdoms who battle against each other in the text. The Táin also contains supernatural phenomena such as the Celtic pantheon, the fae, and Druidic prophecy, all of which contribute to the Celtic “identity” which is shaped by folklore such as this. The Ulster cycle in particular is heavily location-based, and attributes the names of many historical landmarks to the supernatural events that occur in its stories. This paper highlights the importance of Irish folklore in the early forms of oral tradition and Medieval transcription as a means of preserving cultural history. Little to none of Irish history is documented in a literary form due to a reliance on oral preservation over the written word, which was a Druidic tradition, so what is available today as a means of understanding the cultural and social dynamics of Iron Age Ireland can be found in folklore. This paper also dissects the key characteristics of Irish folklore and the Táin in comparison to other mythological works created at the time, especially those which indicate its original oral composition such as its utilization of both poetry and prose. Finally, there is a connection drawn between the social hierarchy found within the Táin and archaeological evidence found in Ireland of tribal kingdoms and the unification of groups under Druidic religious and storytelling practices
Up with the Church: An Episcopal Day School Advent Semester Religious Life Curriculum
No full textThe purpose of this Doctor of Ministry project is to develop a comprehensive semester long Religious Life curriculum for an elementary Episcopal parish day school for elementary aged students. The 15-week curriculum includes weekly Eucharist, a half-hour weekly Spiritual Nature class, a weekly Community Chapel as well as a Day School Sunday service, and Episcopal Schools Celebration assembly, and a Christmas Chapel service. Furthering the mission of The Episcopal Church, the overall aim for this curriculum is to design a distinctly Episcopal approach to school spiritual formation for elementary age students of all faith traditions and none. The curriculum adheres to the National Association of Episcopal Schools Principal Qualities and best practices for intentional pluralism by engaging the hospitality accessible through the constancy of Episcopal doctrine, language, and theology. Uplifting the Episcopal tradition provides students a substantive faith tradition to then push and pull against throughout their lifetime. Conversely, by increasing The Episcopal Church’s relevancy outside the Church, Episcopal schools further the Episcopal mission “to restore all people to unity with God and each other in Christ” (BCP 855). In the end, Episcopal schools and Episcopal churches thrive together
Beneath the Cypress Shadows: A Collection of Southern Gothic Horror Stories
No full textBeneath the Cypress Shadows was born from a desire to create a collection of Southern Gothic stories that explore where horror stems from in our lives. Bookended with two flash fiction pieces (“Regeneration” and “Renewal”) set in a West Tennessee swamp containing a lone tree at its center that, in the real world, exists only a few miles from my house, these stories bring into question if we are the creators of our own horrors. Purposefully setting almost every story in fictional small towns that resemble many of ours in West Tennessee, I wanted to create a sense of home sometimes being the birth of many of our own horrors. Besides answering the question of horror and its development in the characters of these stories, this collection was also written as an outlet for my own personal struggles through major life changes that I was going through while writing many of the stories you read here. Deaths, divorce, career changes, and other twists and turns in my life helped me create characters that, although faced with horrors, creatures, demons, dismal settings, and more, could somehow reach readers somewhere in their own lives and their own horrors. I believe we write to reveal our own lives in a way that we can dissect or perhaps hide away the parts of us we don’t want to reveal or the parts that we want to pull out and lay bare to heal ourselves. It is my hope that through this collection, through the horrors we face in our lives, somehow a hidden healing emerges in its own way by telling ourselves the stories we must in order that we begin to change our lives
From Paternalism to Paternity: The Modern Southern Gentleman in the American South
No full textAs William Faulkner often does, his bildungsroman, The Unvanquished, spotlights a dilemma in the old social hierarchy of the American South. The Southern Gentleman, an aristocratic figure whose principal role was to prevent chaos from engulfing his community, finds himself in a present that rejects him. However, Faulkner, through his main character, Bayard Sartoris, introduces the potential for a revised version of the Southern Gentleman who can exist in the contemporary world. Found in a place where he no longer belongs, the Southern Gentleman, a man who mirrors the qualities of the Chivalric tradition who historically was considered the patriarchal figure of his community, transforms into a man with modified masculinity, prompting him to become a paragon of fatherhood. This project investigates the Southern Gentleman's shift from paternalism to paternity by analyzing Harriett Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom 's Cabin, Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird, Walker Percy's The Last Gentleman, and Will Alexander Percy's autobiography Lanterns on the Levee as means to begin uncovering the complicated nature of gender and its strange relationship with authority in the American South
The Eucharistic Epiclesis as the Locum Tenens for the Work of the Holy Spirit
No full textIn the church's understanding of it eucharistic life, there has been a paucity regarding the work of the Holy Spirit, but there is one instance in which the work of the Spirit is given greater importance — the epiclesis. In the structural development of eucharistic prayers, trinitarian theology and pneumatology took on a greater role in the East. In the West, prior to Vatican Il, the Roman Canon always demonstrated a stronger affinity toward the words of institution or what can be referred to as the institution narrative. When we consider the consecration of objects or elements, in this case, bread and wine, the words of institution were understood to be consecratory. Such practice over time evolved into an understanding of transubstantiation which five hundred years ago became a lynchpin for the Protestant break from Catholicism.
The Latin phrase, locum tenens, presents itself as a means by which to understand the pivotal role that the epiclesis plays in the offering of eucharistic prayer. Locum tenens is used to describe someone who has been given the power and authority to minister, yet without permanent appointment. After the events ofthe sixteenth and seventeenth centuries and debate well into the twentieth century, the epiclesis received further ecumenical recognition and permanent voice by way of consensus to bring forth power and authority as a consecratory agent in the eucharistic prayers in the West.
In this thesis the attempt is made to establish not only the origin and nature of the eucharistic epiclesis, but also to disprove it as artifact or identifiable lacuna. We examine how the church in the apostolic and patristic ages approached the practice of praying to the Holy Spirit. Whereas in the beginning there was a distinction between praying to God and Jesus as Lord, our understanding of praying to the Holy Spirit evolves.
Research demonstrates the consecratory nature of the eucharistic prayer is not an either/or, but rather a both/and, not institution narrative over and against epiclesis, but rather institution narrative as well as epiclesis. For one who presides, the epiclesis invites the 'release' or calling down of the Spirit upon the elements and the community of faith. The epiclesis as locum tenens becomes a gateway or a portal for that to occur.J. Neil Alexander, Professo
Doing More Harm Than Good: US Foreign Aid and the Loss of Indigenous Culture in Guatemala
Full text linkForeign aid is a relatively novel topic, mainly surfacing after the Second World War and during the Cold War. Its origin is partly rooted in self-preservation, ‘red scare’ instincts in uncertain post-war times. Foreign aid is defined as “private or public bilateral or multilateral assistance to nations suffering the ravages of war, natural calamity, or long-standing poverty” with the hope of creating self-sufficient, capitalistic economic growth for the receiving countries (Godfried & Lynch 1). However, the focus has shifted to emphasize humanitarian aid and supporting the wellbeing of all peoples, aligning with the United Nations’ sustainable development goals. Despite the goal appearing to be humanitarian aid, there are national interests being protected through foreign aid programs. I will present the impact of international development and foreign aid being sent from the United States to Guatemala, specifically its effects on the indigenous populations. What are the effects of foreign aid on receiving countries? Do aid programs consider priorities and concerns of the entire population, including indigenous peoples? Does the Guatemalan government get consent from indigenous peoples to accept these aid programs? I argue that international development does not reach the indigenous populations of Guatemala due to discriminatory obstacles put into place by the urban, elite population or government; and when it does reach the indigenous communities, it has a negative impact on their distinct cultures. The obstacles put into place use outdated, colonial ideas of racial hierarchy to keep the indigenous populations below the poverty line and decrease their agency. In return, those in power can maintain or improve their socio-economic positions. My research explores agricultural and social aid programs from the 1950s to present day to prove the existence of hurdles used to marginalize and oppress indigenous peoples in Guatemala. My presentation will begin with my theoretical framework before moving on to background information of Guatemala, indigenous peoples, and U.S. foreign aid. I will then present my research of agricultural and social aid programs and their effects on indigenous cultures. Finally, I will introduce new approaches to development that must be implemented to maintain and celebrate indigenous knowledge and culture
The Effect of State Regulations and Consumer Demographics on Marijuana Revenue in Legalized States
No full textMarijuana legalization is a controversial topic in the legal realm, with arguments both for and against recreational and medical use. States are given full discretion to legalize or ban the substance, the latter of which is still the popular choice, however, many states are slowly opening up to the idea of allowing widespread access to or, at a minimum, decriminalization of marijuana. With some states leading the charge toward full legalization just as recently as this year, little is known about the determinants of the revenue generated from marijuana sales after legalization. Using state level data post legalization, we examine the role of state-specific regulations and consumer demographics on marijuana sales in the legal market via a regression analysis. The results can be used to estimate the value of this industry in other states as well as the role legalization plays in the US economy as a whole.Professor Marc St-Pierre, Department of Economic
TOWARDS EQUITY: A REPARATIONS ROADMAP FOR BLACK AMERICANS IN THE NEW MILLENNIUM
Full text linkThis paper explores reparations efforts for and by Black Americans today, beginning with the historical legacy of slavery and racism in the United States. An examination of the roots and evolution of slavery in America reveals that a case can be made for reparations. Despite these unjust legacies, missed opportunities to address the wrongs done to Black Americans and staunch opposition to reparations haunt contemporary discourse. Yet, reparations measures to make amends for past and present injustices and revive a broken relationship between Black Americans and America have exploded in the 21st century, creating a unique opportunity to develop a roadmap toward equity. Thus, this paper offers an inquiry into how various American communities have successfully advocated for reparation rights under international human rights law, aiming to bridge the local with the global in an increasingly interconnected world
Much Obliged: Resurrection Hope and Christian Ministry to the Dying and Bereaved
No full textMinistry around death and dying is already a robust proportion of pastoral care and will only grow in prevalence over the next generation with the aging of the Baby Boomers. Rather than responding reactively to this reality on a case-by-case basis, this project proposes a proactive discipleship model to prepare congregants and families to walk through the dying process and into the fullness of resurrection hope. The biblical witness, subsequent theological reflection by the church, and the liturgical resource of The Book of Common Prayer lend shape and structure to this discipleship proclaiming the resurrection of the body. With a robust faith in bodily resurrection with Christ, disciples may more readily and peacefully surrender their present bodies in confident hope of the life to come.
The initial chapter will survey Scripture for resources to equip those charged with pastoral ministry to the dying and bereaved. Subsequent theological reflection by and for the church will comprise the second chapter, Three principal sources will direct the discussion, including the early creeds, medieval ars moriendi texts, and alternatives proposed by the Protestant Reformers. Chapter three considers contemporary liturgies for burial with particular attention to burial rites from The Episcopal Church. Practical implications of bodily resurrection for ministry to those planning funeral services torm the fourth and final chapter. Within my own Baptist tradition, discerning and deploying a template for funeral worship borrowing from The Book of Common Prayer offers a congregational starting point for discipleship formation that emphasizes the resurrection of the body.Professor Robert MacSwai