Masters Theses

DEFENDING TERTULLIAN’S ORTHODOXY: A STUDY ON THIRD CENTURY CHRISTIANITY

Kevin Gift — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 12:01:15 PST

Scholars have attempted to place Tertullian into two or three distinct schools of thought. Some, such as Pope Benedict XVI, state that Tertullian turned his back on the church. Others, like Andrew McGowan, posit a more complex timeline. McGowan claims Tertullian left the church only to return at a later date. The reason for such speculation was Tertullian's interest in the Montanist, a second to third century heretical group. The goal of this study is to provide sufficient evidence that Tertullian never made the complete move to Montanism and never separated form the church of Carthage. A careful analysis of Tertullian's rule of faith, theology and the variances between Asia Minor and North African Montanism will provide the proof to support this claim. It will become apparent that Tertullian's interest in the Holy Spirit and a rigorous faith life were not enough for him to abandon the church he dearly loved.

States' Rights Apogee, 1760-1840

Ryan M. Setliff — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 15:27:46 PST

America's states' rights tradition has held much influence since the ratification of the U.S. Constitution in 1788. In late 1798, in response to the Federalist administration's adoption of the Alien and Sedition Acts, the Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions were formally adopted by the legislatures of Virginia and Kentucky respectively. These resolutions set a lasting precedent for state interposition and nullification. As well concurrence with these doctrines can be found in the Virginia Resolves of 1790, the constitutional debates of 1787-1790, and all throughout the colonial-revolutionary period of the 1760s to 1780s. In time, the Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions would gain stature and would define the American political culture of the nineteenth century. They became known as the Principles of 1798. The Tariff Crisis of 1828-1832 in South Carolina may be contextualized in light of the Principles of 1798. This inquiry endeavors to answer why those principles are integral to the American constitutional tradition. The continuity of the 1798 resolves with colonial-revolutionary practice reveals them as neither rash nor innovative, but in accord with the localism innate to American political tradition.

Severe Grace: An Examination of the Benevolence of the God Character in the Ten Plagues in Exodus 7:1-12:32 and in the Book of Jonah

Paul Faust — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 14:09:20 PST

In Exodus 34:6-7, God claims to be "a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty." This claim to coexistent mercy and wrath figures as a central claim regarding the benevolence of the God character in both the Ten Plagues Narrative in Exodus 7:1-12:32 and in the Book of Jonah. This thesis examines the God character's claim to benevolence in those two passages and claims that, based upon the literary data of those primary texts within the broader context of the Hebrew Bible, the actions and words of the God character are demonstrably benevolent toward the other characters present.

Disharmony and Matchless: Interpersonal Deception Theory in Online Dating

Lyndsey Wagner — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 10:31:22 PST

In recent years, computer-media dated communication has not only become extremely popular but has also begun to hold an important function in daily social interactions. This qualitative study investigates the communication phenomena of deception as it occurs in the online dating environment. The research study focused on four questions: (1) About what characteristics are online daters deceptive? (2) What motivation do online daters have for their deception of others in the online dating environment? (3) What perceptions do online daters have about other daters' deceit towards them in the online dating environment? (4) How does deception affect the romantic relationships formed in the online dating environment? Through an online surveying tool data was collected with 15 open ended questions. A total of 52 participants were included in the study ranging in ages from 21-37. The results of the study found that the majority of online daters consider themselves and others to be mostly honest in their online self presentations. Those online daters that did use deception were motivated to do so by the longing to attract members of the opposite sex and project a positive self-image. Daters were also willing to overlook deception in others if they viewed the dishonesty as a slight exaggeration or characteristic of little value to the dater. Despite the deception that does occur, participants still believe that the online dating environment is capable of developing successful romantic relationships.

Social Media Dialogue: An Analysis of the Social Media Presence of Selected Fortune 500 Companies

Philip J. Luca — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 11:26:41 PDT

This paper investigates the manner in which the companies engage various publics in the realm of social media. The purpose of this thesis is to analyze the type of communication Fortune 500 companies use in their social media presence. Analyzing the web sites, Facebook fan pages and Twitter accounts of 21 Fortune 500 companies, the present study assesses the dialogic efforts of these companies using Kent and Taylor's (1998) five dialogic principles. Results suggest that the researched companies have an established social media presence. The accounts are developed but not distinctly dialogic. Further research may assess the quality of the relationships between companies and their publics and investigate potential ways of improving them.

Semiotics, Habitus and Music in the Transmission of Tibetan Culture in Toronto

John Robertson — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 07:11:34 PDT

This ethnographic study explores the role of music in cultural transmission in the Tibetan community of Toronto, Canada. Beginning with an integration of Peircian semiotics, Bourdieu's habitus and musical semiosis, I then identify certain non-Tibetan cultural elements being encountered by those in the Toronto community which are potentially creating cognitive structures foreign to those which have their generative principles in pre-exile Tibetan past, and the ways in which Tibetans are transmitting (to varying degrees) cognitive schemata which identify these non-Tibetan elements and protect against their appropriation. After exploring elements which are not Tibetan, I turn to those which are: a unified narrative of Tibetan history, an attachment to the physical land of Tibet, community, language, Tibetan Buddhism, family life and traditional music. It is argued that these Tibetan elements together constitute the conceptual core of Tibetan culture, perceived requisite for the entirety of authentic Tibetan cultural transmission to take place. Each element is examined as a representation of Tibetan culture, with the process of musical semiosis shown to correlate all elements into a conceptual whole.
Following this, the study looks at the transmission and appropriation of Tibetan music in a Tibetan student performing arts troupe. I argue that as students attend music lessons, they are in the process embodying the cultural structures of Tibet past. With the correlations produced through musical semiosis, every lesson (for the students) and every performance (for the audience) has the potential to create and reinforce Tibetan structures, and fuse together any and all of the core Tibetan cultural elements in deeply personal ways. When the same performances are framed in the Tibetan Community Cultural Centre, a space permeated by Tibetan stimuli operationalizing all five senses, they provide a mirror in which the Tibetan community might see their cultural preservation efforts reflected; and when the performance agrees with the communal sense of naturalness felt through the habitus, when the performance is deemed authentic, it provides the community tangible evidence that their preservation goals have been achieved.

The Possibility of Buddhist Virtue: A Christian Response

Jonathan Royce Pruitt — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 12:54:30 PDT

The heart of Buddhism is ethics. This is evident even in the legendary accounts of the Buddha's life. The Buddha first encountered the problem of suffering after he finally escaped the isolation of the palace he had grown up in. His father, a powerful ruler, wanted to force his son into a life of politics and war. He had been warned that if his son was exposed to the kind of life people experience every day, a life marked by suffering, that his son would likely become a great teacher instead of a ruler. However, despite his father's best efforts, the Buddha eventually ventured outside the palace walls. There he was faced with illness, old age, and death. As a result, the Buddha became a renunciate; he gave up his royal lifestyle and began searching for a way to bring an end to suffering. In his search, the Buddha tried all the available philosophies and religions; whether they be hedonistic or ascetic. Whatever he tried, the Buddha excelled beyond his teachers, but in each case, he found that suffering still remained. Eventually, while under the Bodhi tree, and after much effort, the Buddha attained enlightenment. He saw reality as it really is and was able to formulate a solution.

The solution he came up with was an entirely practical one: cultivate happiness. This was to be achieved by taking "the appropriate action: seeking nirvana." This emphasis on action means that Buddhism is primarily an orthopraxy rather than orthodoxy. What is important is "the harmony of behavior, not harmony of doctrines."

What this means is that Buddhism as a worldview is in a unique position. Since it is primarily a particular set of practices, essentially an ethic, the validity of the Buddhist worldview rises and falls on whether or not Buddhism succeeds as an ethical system. This provides an opportunity to test Buddhism to see whether it is a coherent worldview.

There are two leading interpretations of Buddhist ethics. The first and most popular interpretation understands Buddhism as a kind of utilitarianism. Proponents of this view argue that Buddhist ethics are merely provisional and ought to be disregarded once nirvana is attained. Damien Keown, as well as several others, suggests that Buddhism is a kind of virtue ethic, very much similar to the kind taught by Aristotle. A Buddhist version of virtue ethics offers the possibility of a complete, substantive account of ethics. Whether or not virtue ethics can be meaningfully understood in a Buddhist context is the first problem that thesis will seek to solve.

The second problem concerns whether a Christian worldview might accommodate a virtue view of ethics better than a Buddhist one. Increasingly, Christians are adopting a blended approach to ethics, usually holding to a combination of deontological and virtue ethics. This thesis will put the possibility of a Christian virtue ethic to the test. If it turns out that Christianity can, in fact, provide a more robust context for a virtue ethic, then in order to be a fulfilled virtue ethicist, one ought to abandon the Buddhist worldview and adopt a Christian one.

Singing from the Village

Bonnie Lynn Bost — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 14:11:18 PDT

Singing from the Village brings to light some basic problems in education for a village school near Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, South India. While problems of poverty, social strife, possible over use of rote learning, lack of critical and creative thinking are discussed, the focus of this study is the problem of how the children hear western melodies differently because of the musical vocabulary their ears and brains have become accustomed to in their village. Singing from the Village attempts to examine village songs and compare them to a western children's song, Praise Him, Praise Him sung each day at the school. Praise Him, Praise Him sounds very different when the children sing it at this school than it does in a western school setting. One possible reason for this discrepancy is that the musical influences of the children are different from that of western children. Indian children hear their mothers sing in the village, they hear cinema music through the media, they hear tribal music down the street, and they hear western choruses at school. They seem to enjoy the songs in closely varying degrees. However, matching the pitches of some western songs seems to be difficult for them. It is quite possible that the pitches are difficult to sing because the melodies of the village and the melodies of western children's songs have a different musical vocabulary. Praise Him, Praise Him seems to be built on tertian harmony of western music, using minor thirds and less glissandi passages. The village music seems to be based mostly on intervals smaller than a third, though occasionally there are larger intervals with limited usage. Many gamakas (similar to glissandi and ornamentation in western music) are used in village singing. Singing from the Village concludes that the song styles and melodies are different because they are based on the different ways melodic intervals are used or not used in South Indian and western folk and children's songs. By giving an overview of the general and specific problems related to education at this school and discovering the differences in the melodies of the songs gathered, the author shows the possibilities of future research which would describe the musical vocabulary of the village in greater detail. With completion of such research, much like Zoltán Kodály, encouraging teachers and students to compose songs based on the musical vocabulary of this area could be the catalyst these children need to learn basic academic skills, critical thinking, and creativity. Learning to think critically and creatively could encourage these children to address the problems of poverty, social strife, and education as they become leaders in the future.

An Inquiry into Contextualized Christian Expression in North India

M. J. Gracin — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 10:04:52 PDT

The riches of India's ancient and diverse culture are proclaimed from the music that communicates the heart of Bharat Mata - Mother India. This sentiment resounds across the vast geographical area of India in songs from Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Buddhists, Christians and Bollywood composers. The question of how Christians might express their faith in light of societal, historical and religious amalgamations is the topic of discussion for this project. The inquiry will focus on the music culture of North India, specifically as it is expressed in the city of B_____, Uttar Pradesh. A six week field study was conducted in India to interview Hindu musicians and non-musicians. Audio and video recordings were made of the interviews, and photographs and recordings were made of various performances. The analysis endeavors to fill the gap concerning an understanding of the need for contextualized Christian expression and recommendations are presented for carrying out the task.

Communication in Intercultural Marriages: Managing Cultural Differences and Conflict for Marital Satisfaction

Tiffany G. Renalds — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 07:50:58 PDT

This qualitative study investigated the phenomenon of intercultural marriages, particularly the unique internal and external elements that impact communication and conflict within intercultural marriages of varying lengths and the intercultural communication competencies utilized by spouses in intercultural marriages. The research focused on three questions: (1) Which internal and external factors impact the effectiveness of communication between spouses in intercultural marriages the most? (2) Which communication competencies do spouses in intercultural marriages develop in order to address cross-cultural differences? (3) How do spouses in intercultural marriages experience and deal with conflict within their intercultural marriages? Data was obtained employing semi-structured interviews. Extensive interviews were conducted with 18 individuals who are married to and living with a spouse who is culturally different. Couples were composed of one Asian spouse and one Caucasian American spouse. Four main themes emerged from the interviews: three factors which impact communication, intercultural communication competencies, constructive and destructive conflict, and benefits of intercultural marriages. Results demonstrated the significance of effective communication to marital satisfaction in intercultural marriages. Findings also revealed that although intercultural marriages can have specific challenges to overcome, they also can have benefits that intracultural marriages cannot attain.

Thai Buddhism and Women with a Christian Response

Alice K. Terrell — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 08:32:43 PDT

Thai Buddhism is a subset of Theravada Buddhism. Theravada Buddhism is one of two main branches of Buddhism which was founded by Siddartha Gautama around 560 B.C. Theravada is the strictest branch of the two. Thai Buddhism is a mixture of Theravada, local folklore and superstitions. Thai Buddhism is practiced by ninety-five percent of the population of Thailand. Within Thai Buddhism, men and women participate in the religion differently. Men are given the opportunity to be ordained into the sangha and serve as a monk. Through this path, men are able to achieve nirvana. Women are not given the same opportunity. They must aim to make enough merit so that in their next life they may be born a man. Women may earn merit by: donating to the temple (wat), providing food for the monks, and raising a son who is ordained as a monk. Some scholars believe that Buddhism helps to encourage women into prostitution as they are perceived to be second-class citizens. Buddhism treats women unequally compared to men. In contrast, Christianity offers a better opportunity and outlook for women in life. Christianity offers salvation for all people. Jesus Christ had numerous encounters with women. Women were followers, opened their homes for church gatherings, were prophets, and took on leadership roles among the congregations. The last chapter presents the basis for the ideal Thai Christian woman.

While the Nation Looked On: A Framing Analysis of Print News Media Coverage of Terri Schiavo's Final Days

Aubrey Blankenship — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 08:47:42 PDT

One of the richest areas of current research in mass communication involves framing theory. Originally developed by Erving Goffman (1974), framing is used by the media to organize content. As such, it has implications for the values, beliefs, and actions of those exposed to that content. This study attempts to apply framing theory to a controversial issue and event profusely covered by American mass media: the case of Terri Schiavo. To accomplish this, coverage of her final month by two print newspapers, The New York Times and the New York Post, was analyzed for prevalence (present or absent), level of substance (substantive or ambiguous), and valence (positive, neutral, or negative) of frames. Each paper was also coded for the type and valence of sources cited. Significance was found to support the presence of certain frames in each newspaper, with a leaning toward keeping Terri Schiavo alive found in frame valence in New York Post and a leaning, with stronger significance, toward removing her feeding tube in The New York Times.

An Examination and Evaluation of the Jesus of the New Age

Kenneth Kun-No Pak — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 14:14:01 PDT

This thesis examines and evaluates the predominant view

of Jesus "the Christ" among the prominent New Agers. This

view--that Jesus was only a man who acquired mystic knowledge

and power from his experiences with the Essenes and other

mystical religions of the East, and that he manifested and

exemplified the divinity which can be found in each person-generally

opposes orthodox Christian teachings of the

monotheistic divinity of Jesus Christ.

The thesis argues that various claims of these New Agers

are inconsistent (e.g. the reliability of Akashic Record),

unverifiable (e.g. esoterism), and contrary to factual data

(e.g. Notovitch's account of Jesus' travel to the East).

While many New Agers argue that the monotheistic divinity of

Jesus is a fabrication of the true teachings of Jesus, the

thesis argues for the validity and superiority of the New

Testament and especially Paul in their attribution of

monotheistic divinity to Jesus. The thesis concludes that the

New Age view of Jesus "the Christ" must be rejected.

Problems from Einstein for Process Theism

Kevin A. Blazs — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 12:14:55 PDT

Blaise Pascal: From Birth to Rebirth to Apologist

Lew A. Weider — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 08:25:20 PDT

Frames, Brains, and Chinese Rooms: Problems in Artificial Intelligence

Jeffrey Koperski — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 08:03:56 PDT

Advocates of strong artificial intelligence believe

that properly programmed computers can go beyond the

simulation of intelligent acts so as to instantiate and

exhibit true intelligence, that is, intelligence equivalent

to that of man. In this thesis, I consider three problems

for Searle.

First, John Searle's well-known thought experiment of

the "Chinese Room" is used to reestablish the syntax-semantics

distinction and to show how this distinction

applies to computer programs. I review the Chinese Room,

consider a variety of objections to it, and then expand on

the key points in Searle's work.

Second, 1 examine the Frame Problem in artificial

intelligence, a question made popular by Daniel Dennett.

Rational agents have the ability to adjust their conceptual

schemes and update their noetic web of beliefs so as to

maintain a representation of the world. This ability is

easily observed but not well understood. I argue that

computers lack this ability altogether. The Frame Problem

examines this deficiency and programming techniques designed

to overcome it.

Third, the Overseer problem examines the need for

artificial systems to have a rational agent in place who

designates a given task and determines when that task is

successfully completed by the system. I argue that as long

as this need exists, artificial systems cannot be considered

intelligent in an unequivocal sense.

The Moral Argument for God’s Existence as seen in Romans 2:14-15 and Romans 1:32a

Lawrence R. Cox — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 07:34:26 PDT

Polar Opposites: A Look at the Role of Biblical Values in Managing Dialectical Tensions in Marriage

Kimberly Dawn Borland — Fri, 13 May 2011 07:20:41 PDT

The purpose of the current study was to determine what role biblical values play in the management of dialectical tensions and the resolution of conflict in Christian marriages. Specifically, the research questions guiding this study were what, if any, dialectical tensions exist in Christian marriages, do dialectical tensions lead to conflict in marriage, how are dialectical tensions and conflict managed in marriage, and what role do biblical values play in the management of dialectical tensions in Christian marriages? Transcripts from interviews of ten Christian married couples were analyzed using a Relational Dialectics lens. Results of analysis revealed that all six dialectical tensions exist in Christian marriages and that all six dialectical tensions cause conflict in Christian marriages. The dialectical tensions were manifested in unique ways and were managed using a variety of strategies, some of which were based on biblical values and were unique to Christian marriages.

Islam vs. Christianity: The Value and Sexuality of Women in Islam Compared to The Value and Sexuality of Women in the New Testament

Alane Marie Moore — Fri, 13 May 2011 06:31:26 PDT

A central concern in the public square is the devaluation or subjugation of a people using the shield of religion. It has become an expedient and nonchalant tool to abuse a certain class of people in the name of a higher power. Islam is no exception. Throughout the holy books of Islam, women are subjected to a life of oppression, one that is approved by Allah. While many are apt to point to Christianity as an example of the same devaluation of women, there are incredible differences between these two religions, and the holy books that dictate the treatment of women. Any discussion about the religious justification for treatment of men, women or children must first turn directly to the texts for these commands. Within the pages of the Koran and the Hadith, there is an oppressive nature towards women. This is drastically different from the role that women play in the Bible. In fact, what may be considered the most oppressive view of women within the Bible, the complementarian view, is still more gracious and fair towards women than that found within Islam. Furthermore, the pages of the Bible teach a kindness, and a love toward the fairer sex as displayed by Jesus Christ himself. It does not sanction the abuse women, or to degrade their place next to God, but rather the Bible unfolds the reasoning behind the complementarian expression of the family unit and expresses this view through God and His actions toward His people.

Sir George Paish: Ambassador of Free Trade

Jennifer D. Bolan — Wed, 11 May 2011 11:51:50 PDT

Sir George Paish was a noted British economist who earned his title and position. The son of a coachman, he advanced from being a teenage clerk in 1881 to joint editor of The Statist magazine by 1900. One of Paish's earliest contributions to economics was his analysis of British railways by statistically determining load capacities and carrying efficiency, published in The British Railway Position in 1902. He then argued for reform on a Board of Trade committee on railways from 1906-1908.

From 1909-1915, Paish was an independent consultant to Chancellor of the Exchequer David Lloyd George, who became Prime Minister in 1916. Lloyd George encouraged King George V to knight Paish in 1912 for his contribution to economics. At the outbreak of World War I, Paish advised the Chancellor on how to avert a financial crisis by having the British government guarantee London's banks to keep them from closing. A dedicated Liberal and staunch Free-Trader, Paish analyzed England's economy for decades. After World War I, he repeatedly warned bankers and policy makers of the consequences of their decisions through lectures, articles, and books. His recovery plan proposed free-trade solutions for the world's economic struggles.

Paish's experience and expertise provide a unique opportunity for examining early twentieth century British politics and economic policy.