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The Emotions of Jesus in the Gospel of Mark
No full textCharacter studies which employ a narrative–critical audience–oriented exegesis typically examine what the characters say and do. This study investigates the protagonist of the Gospel of Mark employing the usual criteria but also considers what Jesus feels or experiences internally. Mark deploys twenty–two emotional terms, as well as Jesus’ cry of dereliction on the cross, to reveal his interior dispositions. This analysis explores each of those instances and presents how Mark paints the character Jesus via his emotions, as well as his actions and words, within the narrative framework. The research yielded three major results. First, Mark tends to end a section with an emotional term which explains Jesus’ internal motives for his actions in that section. Second, Mark employs emotions differently in chs. 1–10 and 14–15. In chs. 1–10 Mark presents Jesus as acting in accord with his emotions, while in chs. 14–15 Jesus overcomes his emotional distress to obey the will of the Father. Third, a preponderance of the emotional occurrences center on the calling and training of Jesus’ disciples.Biblical studiesPsychobiologyEmotions, Gospel of Mark, Narrative CriticismBiblical StudiesDegree Awarded: Ph.D. Biblical Studies. The Catholic University of Americ
Effectiveness of a Brief Text-Message Enhanced Self-Compassion Intervention for College Students
No full textDespite the high levels of emotional distress in college populations, it is estimated that less than 25% of those affected are receiving treatment. Research suggests that interventions to enhance self-compassion-- an open, gentle, and accepting attitude toward oneself in the midst of difficult experiences (Neff, 2003)-- could be particularly effective for enhancing well-being (e.g., life satisfaction) and reducing distress (e.g., anxiety). However, more research is needed to better understand how to foster self-compassion in undergraduates, ideally, through interventions that are effective, easily disseminated, time- and cost- efficient. One promising way to enhance the effectiveness of brief programs is to incorporate between-session text messages. The primary purpose of the present study was to evaluate effectiveness of a 3-week, text-message enhanced self-compassion intervention in college students. Further, this study was the first to examine the hypothesis that between-session text messages would strengthen the effectiveness of an in-person group psychological intervention in undergraduates. N = 80 participants were recruited and randomized to a text-enhanced self-compassion intervention, a no-text self-compassion intervention, or a wait-list control group; participants in each condition completed self-report questionnaires assessing well-being and distress at baseline, post-intervention, and at one-month follow up. Multivariate and univariate analyses of variances supported hypotheses that participants in both self-compassion interventions improved on the majority of well-being measures compared to wait-list control, which were sustained one month following the intervention. Results indicated that when the two treatment groups were compared directly, the text-enhanced self-compassion program did not significantly improve students’ psychological well-being over time compared to the non-text enhanced program. However, the overall pattern of improvements in outcomes relative to waitlist controls was somewhat more favorable for the text-enhanced intervention. This study contributes to the literature on effective interventions for improving well-being in this at-risk population. It is recommended that future researchers primarily focus on standardizing brief self-compassion interventions and measures of effectiveness, further enhancing the text-message component of this program, and including samples with more individuals of color with the continued objective of creating feasible and effective interventions for all college students.Clinical psychologyBrief Intervention, Mindfulness, Self-Compassion, SMS, Text Message, UndergraduatesPsychologyDegree Awarded: Ph.D. Psychology. The Catholic University of Americ
The Final Answer to God: The Fate of the Unevangelized in Catholic and Mormon Thought
No full textRoman Catholics and members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are both inclusivist religions, holding that theirs is Christ’s true church while acknowledging ways for those outside their institutional boundaries to still be saved. The largest group of those outside institutional boundaries are the unevangelized, people who never had the opportunity to hear the gospel message. One way to understand the possibility of salvation for the unevangelized revolves around issues about one’s final response to God. Karl Rahner’s (Roman Catholic) theology of death, or theology of humanity’s fundamental option, Ladislaus Boros’ (Roman Catholic) hypothesis of a final decision, and Terryl L. Givens’ (Latter-day Saint) discussion of a perfect decision all have significant similarities to each other in creating possibilities for the salvation of the unevangelized. Observing these three scholars in conversation on this issue also helps illuminate the differences between the underlying theological assumptions of Roman Catholicism and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.TheologyComparative Theology, Death, Interfaith Dialogue, Mormon, Roman Catholic, UnevangelizedSystematic TheologyDegree Awarded: Ph.D. Systematic Theology. The Catholic University of Americ
The Lived Experience of Thai Parents of a Child Diagnosed with Cancer
No full textThis study was conducted to gain a better understanding of the lived experience of Thai parents of a child diagnosed with cancer using a descriptive phenomenological qualitative design. The sample included 18 parents consisting of 15 mothers and 3 fathers from different 17 families recruited through a purposive sampling method from the out-patient department for pediatric oncology in Ramathibodi Hospital, Thailand. Data was collected through tape-recorded interviews held via phone, each lasting approximately 45 to 80 minutes. The data was examined using the Colaizzi process for phenomenological data analysis, and the Nvivo program was used to manage the data. The research findings revealed five essential themes: Living with the crisis reflected in the parents’ lived experience in each period of the child’s illness, Becoming significant person represented through the parents’ duties in caring for the child with cancer, Challenging life was another theme as the parents realized changes in their lifestyle, Effects on the whole family was the consequences of having a child with cancer that impacted all family members, and Optimistic perspectives were commonly reported when the parents appreciated supports receiving during the child’s illness. Some limitations existed in this research study, including differences in the research participants’ demographics that would influence the characteristics of the parents’ lived experience. The research participants were recruited by the purposive sampling method and the research was conducted in Thailand. Thus, the research results were influenced by Thai customs, beliefs, and health practices so that the findings may not be applicable to other countries. Furthermore, the method of data collection could not control for interruptions during the phone interviews, and that the findings of descriptive phenomenological research design cannot be generalized (Polit & Beck, 2012). Even with those limitations, the study findings provide a foundation for enhancing the quality of life for both children with cancer and their parents, particularly in Thailand. Additionally, the findings may be used in nursing practice, education, and policy to advance the quality of nursing care and guide further research.NursingOncologyIndividual & family studiesa child with cancer, lived experience, phenomenology, Thai parentsNursingDegree Awarded: Ph.D. Nursing. The Catholic University of Americ
The lived experience of spiritual well-being from the perspectives of seasoned hospice care nurses – a descriptive phenomenological study
No full textRecognizing and attending to patients’ spiritual and religious needs are identified as high priority in end-of-life care by the Joint Commission (2010), the National Coalition for Hospice and Palliative Care (2018), the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (2020), and by the Worldwide Palliative Care Alliance and World Health Organization (Dhar, Chaturvedi & Nandan, 2011; Alliance, W. P. C., & World Health Organization, 2014). Nurses who specialize in hospice care seem to clearly understand the importance of incorporating spirituality and religious considerations into their practice, as the emphasis originates from an organizational source higher than themselves (O’Brien, 2018). In hospice care, there is an agreed upon attitude, and some collective sense that help can come from beyond the individual and the medical group—a help that can come from God (O’Brien, 2018; Saunders & Kastenbaum, 1997). A review of pertinent literature, reveals that nurses, not necessarily hospice care nurses, still often fail to address patients’ deeper spiritual and religious concerns for multiple reasons. Past studies indicated also that one of the strongest predictors for providing effective spiritual care and being comfortable in the conversation about death and dying was nurses knowing their own personal spiritual contentment, faith, and spiritual well-being. Another topic not often discussed is the subject of hospice care nurses’ state of spiritual well-being. The purpose of this study is to explore the lived experiences of spiritual well-being among seasoned hospice care nurses and to explore how their state of spiritual well-being can shape or guide their spiritual caregiving practices when addressing patients’ and families’ spiritual and religious needs, which could inform and benefit other nurses who may struggle in this task.NursingSpiritualityhospice care, nurses, phenomenology, spiritual & religious care, spiritual well-beingNursingDegree Awarded: Ph.D. Nursing. The Catholic University of Americ
Semantic Patterns in the D stem in the Syriac Bible
No full textThe D stem verbal conjugation has traditionally been understood to express an intensive function compared to the G stem, which is considered the most basic conjugation in Semitic verbal systems. However, scholars have increasingly recognized that the actual uses attested for D stem verbs cannot all be convincingly subsumed under the label ‘intensive’. This study seeks both to describe the different meanings of the D stem in the Peshitta, the Syriac translation of the Bible; and to elucidate any underlying patterns that may explain the acceptability of these different usages. The investigation entails, first, a representative survey of roots attested in both the G and D stem finite forms; and second, a linguistically rigorous analysis of this survey, grounded in current theories of semantic composition, argument structure, transitivity, and verbal plurality, all of which play a role in the usage of the D stem.By applying a broader definition of transitivity than is traditionally invoked, comprising multiple parameters—including clause valency, agentivity of the subject, object affectedness and individuation, and mode and lexical aspect of the verb—all of which contribute to the overall transitivity of a verb, this study explains a large fraction of D stems as higher-transitivity counterparts of the G stem. When the D stem acts on stative and some intransitive G stems, this heightened transitivity produces a more agentive, higher valence factitive verb. The D stem of transitive achievement G stems, meanwhile, either takes on a resultative nuance or encodes plural action, often against multiple direct objects. The study shows how both resultativity and pluractionality involve elements of higher transitivity. When the G stem does not fall into a category that readily accepts a higher transitivity D stem counterpart, the D stem is used to accommodate semantic variants. Even so, many of these D stems exhibit features of heightened transitivity, though they may not be manifested consistently. What therefore emerges from a consideration of the D stem as a whole is that its functions within the Peshitta exist along a continuum, and they depend on the type of G stem that the D stem modifies.Ancient languagesLinguisticsBiblical studiesGrammar, Pael, Peshitta, Syriac, Syriac Bible, Verbal systemSemitic and Egyptian Languages and LiteraturesDegree Awarded: Ph.D. Semitic and Egyptian Languages and Literatures. The Catholic University of Americ
Naoko Wowsugi Interview, May 18, 2020
No full textNaoko Wowsugi, a Humanities Truck fellow and studio art professor at American University, discusses how COVID has impacted her as an immigrant, an artist, and an educator. She shares how she experienced COVID a bit earlier than those in the US, since she was in Japan with family during the initial outbreak in Wuhan. She was worried the virus would impact her travel plans, but ultimately made it back to the US before travel bans went into place. Naoko talks about how COVID has cancelled or postponed the projects she was working on as an artist, including her project with the Humanities Truck as a fellow. She shares how she took in-person meetings with people for granted, and has had to adjust to replicating those interactions online. Naoko finds hope in the number of people who have come forward to help their communities and put their lives at risk to save others. She hopes we will reflect on issues of gentrification and displacement as a result of the virus, and learn about what is really essential to our lives and how those essential things should be shared equally. This video is part of the Humanities Truck's From Me To You: A Covid-19 Oral History Project. https://humanitiestruck.com/frommetoyou
Student Perceptions of Catholic Campus Ministry at Colleges and Universities in the United States
No full textThere has been a renewed focus on campus ministry in the 21st century (Catholic Campus Ministry Association, 2017; Wondra, 2017). However, research done specifically on the individual students who participate in Catholic campus ministry is limited. Goodnough (2010) noted that a buried treasure in the field of Catholic identity, particularly at Catholic colleges, is the “voice of the student experience” (p. 2). Hampton (2014) recommended that further research on the spiritual benefits of campus ministry be completed from the students’ perspective (p. 171). This was reaffirmed by Culey (2014) who added that "[m]ore research should be done on the relationship between religiosity and spirituality and university students” (p.42). Mooney (2010a) also demonstrated that there is a need for further research on how religion influences college students’ lives, especially since there is a higher percentage of Americans attending college today than previous generations, more ethnic diversity, and a persistent religiosity demonstrated by current students (pp. 212-213). Research has also shown an increased need for scholarship regarding what voluntary organizations do to attract and support members (Studer & von Schnurgein, 2013; Scott, 1957). This study investigated why college students participate in Catholic campus ministry, specifically aiming to determine a) what benefits college students involved in Catholic ministry perceive that they receive through their participation in Catholic campus ministry and b) what structure, programing and events, leadership, marketing, and support attracts college students and encourages them to engage, and remain engaged, in Catholic campus ministry events.This study used an instrument created by the researcher entitled the Catholic Campus Ministry Student Perception Survey. Campus ministry programs at 200 colleges and universities across the United States were invited to participate in this study. Of these 200 schools, 23 campus ministry leaders replied to the researcher that they would send out and promote the survey to their students. These 23 colleges and universities included 10 public universities; 5 private, Catholic universities; 1 public military college; 1 private, non-religious historically black college; 3 private, protestant colleges; 3 private, non-denominational colleges. These colleges and universities represented populations ranging from small (1000 to 4999 students) to large (more than 25000 students). The number of student participants who responded to the survey and were eighteen or older was 159.This study found that what benefits college students involved in Catholic ministry perceive that they receive through their participation in Catholic campus ministry are numerous. Students value their Catholic faith and their ministry program and believe that their active participation in faith and religious practices are valuable and necessary to their salvation. More specifically, they value most the personal spirituality benefits that they receive through campus ministry, followed in descending order by: religiosity, social, support, and vocation benefits. The campus ministry activities that most attract students are religious in nature or focused on bringing people together, clearly showing the importance that students place on faithful, Christian community. The leadership in place for the participants’ campus ministry program do ensure that they are available, supportive and effective at sharing out communication from the ministry program. Lastly, this study showed that there is little difference in the backgrounds or demographic makeup of the student participants These findings of the perceptions of campus ministry participants offers clear guidance and insight to campus ministers and campus ministry leadership, Catholic Church leadership, and college and university leadership who seek to better understand, guide, attract and retain students at their campus.Educational psychologyEducational sociologyReligioncampus, catholic, college, ministry, perceptions, studentsEducationDegree Awarded: Ph.D. Education. The Catholic University of Americ
Tatiana Belenkaya Interview, April 19, 2020
No full textTatiana Belenkaya explains how COVID has affected her. She talks about its impact on her work, particularly regrading a trial in Chicago, and shares how it has been difficult to do work and schooling from home. However, she has found nature to be a positive sustaining force, as well as painting and alcohol. Tatiana hopes that the pandemic will spark systematic change, particularly in regards to decoupling healthcare from employment. “This crisis should be a call to action to mobilize people to pass laws that entitle everybody to good care.” This video is part of the Humanities Truck's From Me To You: A Covid-19 Oral History Project. https://humanitiestruck.com/frommetoyou