Vocabulary of Faith – Women in Ministry
Jon Sylvester
Faculty Mentor:
Writing this paper underscored the fact that I was not fully aware of the profound impact
that these women have had on my life. Whether they had a hand in raising me or were
inserted in my life when I needed them most, all six of these women have been reasons
that I have been pushed to be the person I am today. They are leaders and role models
that humanity needs, whether that is in the church or just in everyday life. This paper
highlights the fact that people normally have themes of theological terms that can applied
to their life, even when we do not explicitly think of these women aligned with the terms.
In order to summarize my main takeaways from this course and its assignments, I
look to Serene Jones and her discussions on constructivism. These women have
demonstrated that their gender does not define them, and this course has assisted me in
realizing that. “The force that language and institutions exert over the years to shape
them into ‘women’ and ‘men’ is heavy and persistent; the process consists not just of soft
directories and subtle hints. Its scope is so pervasive and its weight so enormous that no
individual or community escapes its power. Because these forces constantly shift,
however the making of gendered persons takes many forms, and outcomes are never
entirely predictable.” While these women are not perfect, they love fiercely and with the
love of God; they do not conform and they are the hands and feet of God. They celebrate
the differences that make people unique, and at the end of the day they treat people as
humans and not just gendered beings.
On Cultural Distinctiveness: Women in Early Christianity
Nathan Cachiaras
Faculty Mentor: Miriam Perkins
In this essay, I explore what are traditionally difficult texts regarding the conduct and
apparel of women in early Christian worship in 1 Corinthians 11, 1 Timothy 2, and 1
Peter 3. I attempt to take seriously the historical, contextual, and theological factors
which influenced the authorship and thus the meaning of these texts. However, I
simultaneously recognize that these texts have often been used to oppress and silence
women in the Church and seek to offer constructive ways in which faithful readings of
these texts might instruct and shape contemporary Christian communities. Although
improved cultural understandings make possible a fuller reading of the texts, I will not be
able to render perfectly egalitarian readings of these texts. Due to the established
anthropology, biology, and philosophy of the first century, we cannot expect even the
biblical authors to somehow be exempt from dominant cultural assumptions. However,
we will find that improved cultural contexts will lead us to discover trajectories in the
texts such that “the good news of the past may continue to animate the good news in the
2
present,” especially for our sisters, mothers, and friends.
Death of the Cycle: Subjective Realization in La nada cotidiana
Tanner Cox
Faculty Mentor: Allysha Martin
In Cuban author Zoé Valdés’s novel La nada cotidiana, the reader encounters Patria
(Homeland) in her pursuit of self-actualization. Within the opening chapters of the novel,
Patria changes her name to Yocandra, reflecting the motif of self-creation indicative of
this particular novel. Both the narrative and style of La nada cotidiana allows the work to
open itself to a variety of critical frameworks (gender studies, race studies, poststructuralist theory, etc.), all of which have been adopted by a wide array of academics
and theorists. The majority of these critics focus on the cyclical nature of the novel,
noting Yocandra’s lifestyle of personal and political deconstruction and reconstruction in
her search for liberation from a censured existence. Indeed, this process is tied
intrinsically to a greater trope of auto-construction in the greater body of works produced
during the Special Period (1990s). However, this essay seeks to present an alternative to
the seemingly inescapable cycle in which Yocandra finds her self. Through the
employment of Jacques Derrida’s theories of deconstruction and différance I aim to show
that this cycle is indeed escapable, and that Yocandra is not condemned to a perpetual yet
unfruitful search for identity. Furthermore, Ronald Barthes’s work on “The Death of the
Author” dissolves the barriers between Valdés and Yocandra, thereby dissolving the
barrier between Yocandra and the reader as well. This essay offers an important glimpse
into life during Special Period Cuba while also connecting a highly individualized work
to the process of greater human existence.
The Importance of Technical Writing in Liberal Arts Colleges
Jammie McCoy
Faculty Mentor: Teresa Carter
Conducting research is now part of every college campus environment including liberal
arts; however, most composition courses are not geared toward the technical aspects
required of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. This proposed research
explores the need for technical writing courses in a liberal arts setting. A four-year
liberal arts college campus composed of faculty, staff, and students will be surveyed to
assess the need for a technical writing course specific to those disciplines. Specific
technical writing skills will be examined through this survey; skills such as meeting
employer requirements, expertise in communicating in a technical field, and meeting
industry standards.
Keywords: technical writing, liberal arts
Super Pi
Bradley Hammond
Faculty Mentor: Taresa Carter
For aspiring technology students, it’s very difficult to grasp the ways in which micro
processors work. This is because it is very difficult to see and manipulate the way they
work. Raspberry Pis are micro computers that provide a unique look into the world of
micro processors and computing. These computers can use parallel computing in order to
break up large data loads and more efficiently process them. This process deals with the
very fundamentals of micro processing. Our project plans to explore the Raspberry Pis
through parallel computing and see the ways that this can be used to teach computer
processing in a hands on and visual manner.
HEROES: Mental Health Intervention
Collin Prusak
Faculty Mentor: Rebecca Sapp
The big screen heroes that represent our culture today are larger than life. However, the
true heroes that depict our existence are those that serve. Our heroes are the people who
work as police officers, fire-fighters, and the those fighting our nation’s wars. These
heroes help make the world a safer place where children can learn and eventually become
successful themselves. The HEROES program began 8 years ago as a Safe Schools/
Healthy Students Initiative. It seeks to create an environment where students can foster
their talents and grow. Thankfully, after the federal funding ended, the overwhelming
anecdotal evidence made the program soar to greater heights. To sustain the program, we
are seeking strictly evidence-based data. This presentation addresses the hypothesis that
school-based mental health services improve student success above other interventions
such as academic and general student supported services. I will use data gathered by one
principal detailing students’ academic performances, attendance at school, and
disciplinary actions taken as outcome measures of student success. Additionally, all
interventions (RTIs), Response to Intervention Programs, were tracked using pull-out
academic resources as well as student support services and school-based mental health
services. This data allowed us to test our hypothesis, adding to existing practice-based
evidence studies. Recent studies show RTI’s are thriving in areas of behavior, equity,
quality, and efficiency issues for state education agencies, school districts, and local
schools. Our results will be shared and include ways to continue quality research to
sustain and empower today’s students to be tomorrow’s heroes.
Mind the Gap: Arguments for Faith and Reason in Clement of Alexandria
Kathryn Kenneson
Faculty Mentor: Lee Blackburn
In today’s world, there is a wide chasm between philosophical theology and pastoral
theology. Those studying Christianity in an abstract and academic setting are often
separated from those studying Christianity through daily practice and pastoral work.
Contemporary discussions of faith and reason are one place where this divide can be most
damaging. Philosophical theologians like Richard Swinburne give purely intellectual
arguments for the existence of God, arguments which may lead to theism but have very
little hope of leading to Jesus Christ. Clement of Alexandria, the second century church
father famous for merging Greco-Roman philosophy and Christian thought, is often
viewed as an elitist, ivory tower philosopher-theologian. However, through careful study
of his discussion on the relationship between faith and reason given in book two of his
Stromateis and examination of the nature of his Alexandrian school, I have found that
Clement is much more pastoral than history gives him credit for. Even his seemingly
abstract and purely philosophical discussion of the relation between faith and reason has
pastoral undertones which lead the reader to pursue an ethical lifestyle and achieve
greater intimacy with God. Perhaps by looking to the example of a thinker like Clement
of Alexandria, contemporary theologians can begin to mend the gap between thought and
practice and restore the richness which comes from the union of faith and reason.
Reclaiming the Classroom as a Feminist Space
Abigail Booher
Faculty Mentor: Kayla Walker Edin
Do I speak or not speak raise hand or not pause wait for him to finish his
sentence before speaking here wait pause he picks it back up not a long enough
pause for me to have space to speak (I am cold in this classroom not able to
generate enough of my own heat) insertion of self into narrative he did not clarify
was dialogue here him or Him and then together we read Him and go home and
read Him and how do I relate to Him when I am her and where is Her here in this
space except what is this space and where is my space and have I ever had space
outside the home space and time someone starts to speak stammers apologizes gathers
her thoughts and is cut off cut out not enough time for a pause to gather thoughts
to gather people to invite discussion not enough time to make room until called upon
for an answer searching for the one answer it doesn’t know my name I don’t know
his answer we miss each other in the exchange miss the connection speak to one
another together in isolation speak and speak asking to be heard asking to answer
when he asks to receive one another hear one another lost voice of my mother and
grandmother and her mother and hers I cannot find the Her I am the Her I cannot
find myself.
When Tradition is a Trap: Revisiting the Purpose of Philippians 2:1-11
Michaela Miller
Faculty Mentor: Lee Blackburn
Traditions are hard to escape. Especially in the church, tradition guides the ways in which
scripture is expounded upon and taught, so that often one hears a particular passage
explained in much the same way time and time again. In some cases, tradition can in fact
perpetuate exegetical imbalances. I would contend that an example of such an imbalance
is evidenced in the interpretation of Philippians 2:1-11. This well-known passage begins
with a series of practical exhortations, then moves into the famous “Christ hymn,” which
treats Christ’s incarnation, suffering, and ultimate exaltation. The latter half of the
passage has been the subject of innumerable sermons, books, and commentaries, and is
typically separated from its original function of powerfully illustrating the exhortation in
the previous verses. This persistent division of the text is the result of the pattern of its
interpretation throughout church history, which was further reinforced by the Trinitarian
Controversies of the fourth century. In order to substantiate this argument, I will begin by
briefly discussing the grammar of the passage in order to demonstrate the intended unity
between the exhortation and the Christ hymn, as well as the exegetical implications of
this unity. Then I will survey the potential reasons that this passage was often
exegetically divided and how two unique exegetes, Ambrosiaster and John Chrysostom,
managed to situate the Christ hymn in its original context in their interpretations.
PCIT Training
Jesse Mangano
Faculty Mentor: John Paul Abner
We looked at payment forms of those who have gone through PCIT training to determine
who is interested in the training. We looked where the trainees were from, degree type,
license, field of study, who trained them, and max level of training acquired. After
compiling the information we ran an order analysis to determine who is most likely to
desire PCIT training.
From the 18th-Century to the 21st-Century: Why We Still Read Jane Austen Today
Kristen Williams
Faculty Mentor: Kayla Walker Edin
There have been several adaptations of Jane Austen’s works. There have been films, web
series, and novels that adapt or continue the stories of the beloved protagonists. For
example, there is a web series called The Lizzie Bennet Diaries that adapts Pride and
Prejudice into a twenty-first century context with a twenty four year old graduate student,
Lizzie Bennet. This adaptation changes a few things that Austen has in the original novel
but the premise is the same. What is it about Jane Austen that is so popular and so
transcendent that we still read her in the twenty-first century? Is it her wit? Is it the
romantic novels? Is it the happy endings? That is what I am looking into for this 499
project. So far, I have found that the reason Jane Austen is so popular is her characters
are real and relatable, her stories are timeless, and there are happy endings.
Keywords: Jane Austen, modern, adaptions, timeless
Healthcare Barriers for Spanish Speakers
Brenda Rankhorn
Faculty Mentor: Allysha Martin
Due to the increasing number of Spanish-speakers in the United States, the language
barrier and cultural misunderstanding increasingly effect access to proper health care and
general well-being, thereby straining current medical services. Often Spanish speakers
have more risk factors for diseases and complications of their diseases, not only due to
this language barrier, but also due to a lack of insurance, low income, deficiency in
medical terminology in the English language, and acculturation issues. Taking into
account the changing social landscape in the United States, this essay seeks to address the
specific medical concerns within the Spanish-speaking population through statistical
analysis of this demographic and to present possible solutions to resolve these issues,
specifically the role of medical interpreters and obtaining an adequate understanding of
the Spanish speakers’ disease risks, which will increase the patient’s chances for recovery
and decrease their visits to the emergency room.
A causa del número creciente de hablantes de español en los Estados Unidos, la
barrera del idioma y malentendidos culturales cada vez más efectúan el acceso a la
asistencia médica adecuada y el bienestar en general, de este modo llevando al límite
servicios médicos actuales. A menudo, los hispanohablantes tienen más factores de
riesgo para enfermedades y complicaciones de sus enfermedades, no sólo debido a la
barrera del idioma, sino también debido a la falta de seguros, bajos ingresos, deficiencia
en terminología médica en la lengua inglesa y los problemas de aculturación. Teniendo
en cuenta el cambiante panorama social en los Estados Unidos, este ensayo busca abordar
los problemas médicos específicos dentro de la población de habla hispana a través del
análisis estadístico de este demográfico y presentar posibles soluciones para resolver
estos problemas, específicamente el papel de intérpretes médicos y un entendimiento
adecuado de los riesgos de enfermedad de los hispanohablantes, que aumentará las
posibilidades del paciente para la recuperación y disminuir sus visitas a la sala de
emergencias.
An Exploration of the Chinese Language
Michala Morris
Faculty Mentor: Hongyou Lu
The ways in which language is used reflects more than an accent or a person’s tone; the
means by which we communicate is much more than expressing a need or a want. The
ability to communicate is a very important part of what makes us human. Through
language different aspects of humanity can be explored and understood. Studies were
based on interviews with Chinese speakers and students who are learning Chinese, as
well as first-hand experience of immersing in the language. This research identified
several key differences between the Chinese and English languages and art, such as the
“personality” of a Chinese character, the four-character phrases commonly used in
Chinese, and the distinct expression of feeling in Chinese art compared to the realistic
depiction in Western art. These findings provided insight into many different aspects of
how each language sees something differently, such as difference in color or time.
Studying Chinese is not only beneficial in that we learn to communicate in a
language different than our own. The language carries over into every aspect of Chinese
culture, and is influenced by the culture and traditions as well. Enriching our
understanding of a different culture is beneficial in many ways. The world is filled with
disarray and discord; a better understanding of languages and culture will provide the
means to reach understanding, and strengthen the ties between nationalities instead of
dividing humanity. At the end of my studies, I hope to provide explanation as to how the
Chinese language relates to Chinese art and culture, and offer several techniques for
learning and further understanding a society different than our own.
Border-gals: An Ecofeminist Analysis on Space and Place in Chicana Literature since
Gloria Anzaldúa’s Borderlands/La Frontera
Rebecca Gonzalez-Farias
Faculty Mentor: Kayla Walker Edin
Since the 1987 publication of Gloria Anzaldúa’s seminal work Borderlands/La Frontera,
the conception of Chicana identity and Chicana women’s relationship to space and place
has altered significantly. The Chicana woman living alongside the U.S.-Mexico border is
doubly displaced for living in a liminal space—a created third space—between American
and Mexican culture and for being a woman in this predominantly patriarchal space.
Anzaldúa contends with these issues in her writing. She draws on multiple narratives,
including indigenous and Spanish history, as well as the essentialist representations of
women in this third space, with the intention to reclaim this as a space for transformative
and fluid affirmation of Chicana identity. With her blend of language, poetry, memoir,
social commentary, and prose, Anzaldúa formulates a mythopoesis of multiplicity and
humor and vibrancy for the Chicana woman. Thirty years after her publication, her
contribution to Chicana literature is still relevant, specifically to the geopolitical border of
the Rio Grande Valley in Texas, home to both Anzaldúa and me. With the use of an
ecofeminist lens, I revisit Anzaldúa’s and other Chicano/a texts alongside snippets of a
car ride conversation with my mom to explore the tensions as well as humorous insights
that emerge in Chicano theoretical discourse and simple conversation between an
emerging Chicana and her Mexican mother.
Key Words:
Borderlands; Anzaldúa; ecofeminism; Rio Grande Valley; mestizaje
Calcutec of Many Trades, Master of None: Murakami’s Structuralist and PostStructuralist Game with the Bricoleur
Rebeca Gonzalez-Farias
Faculty Mentor: Michael Blouin
In the 1985 novel Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World, Haruki Murakami
plays a formulaic game using the nameless Calcutec, a human data processor, to explore
the transformative role of the bricoleur. The novel is split into two worlds: the
technologic, postmodern “Hard-Boiled Wonderland” and the lonely town known as the
“End of the World.” In the Hard-Boiled Wonderland, the Calcutec “shuffles” the
System’s information through his consciousness. This act of shuffling involves an
intensive routine of self-preparation. He trains himself to let his mind be a tool for
meaning-making, thus making the Calcutec an organizer of meaning and information, a
harbinger of order. However, this meaning-making is disrupted by his own inclinations to
frame his personal life through Western literature. After being hired by a crazed professor
with an underground laboratory and bizarre interest in unicorn skulls, the Calcutec’s
occupation and personal life take a complete turn, leading to the dissolution of his
consciousness and his meaning-making. Placing Murakami’s characterization of the
Calcutec in conversation with the theorists Claude Levi-Strauss, Dick Hebdige, Raymond
Williams, and Jacques Derrida and their individual work on the concept of bricolage, I
explore the transformative and fluid role of bricoleur.
Weaving through History: Historical Costumes from Milligan College’s Humanities
Program
Erin Isely
Faculty Mentor: Sarah Lindsay
The topic I have explored for my 499 is the clothing/costumes worn by specific
characters that we have encountered in the humanities courses here at Milligan College.
The value of this project is in providing a tangible representation of the characters that
appear in our texts. Seeing these mythical/fictional characters brought to life through a
physical costume allows the audience to connect with and understand the characters more
clearly (especially for readers who, like me, learn best through visual and tactile
experiences).
I have created two costumes for this project: the goddess Athena from Greek
mythology, particularly as she is featured in Homer’s The Odyssey, and Beatrice from
Shakespeare’s Much Ado about Nothing. In order to collect information for these
costumes, I have explored texts that describe and/or display how these outfits may have
appeared on the characters (for example: to outfit Athena from classical mythology, I
have studied her description in The Odyssey as well as historical texts describing ancient
Greek clothing). I have also examined the history and principles of clothing and
costuming to accurately represent clothing from both periods (ancient Greece for Athena,
and late 16th century Italy for Beatrice). This project promotes an understanding of how
to portray these characters in a way that is more tangible and realistic than a written
description.
El Éxodo de los Niños Extranjeros no Acompañados del Triángulo del Norte
Louisa Gaudiano
Faculty Mentor: Allysha Martin
Apprehensions of unaccompanied alien children (UACs) from the Northern Triangle of
Central America has been on the rise since 2014 when the Obama Administration
declared the situation a “humanitarian crisis.” In 2016, approximately 46,893 children
from the Northern Triangle were apprehended at the Mexican-U.S. border without a
parent or guardian. While the topic of immigration and how to address the situation of
UACs has been a passionate debate across party lines that took the stage during the 2016
presidential election, the United States still lacks sustainable solutions for the safety and
protection of the children arriving daily at the border. It is within this void that I seek to
contextualize the UAC’s experience from their perilous journeys from the border to their
intimidating process to the U.S. courtrooms and also present prospective solutions for the
U.S. to provide legal and humanitarian protection that upholds the human rights of each
child. Considering the volatile and often violent reactions towards immigrants in the U.S.,
open discussion about the real issues these immigrant children face and finding possible
solutions to these inhumane situations will not only benefit these children, but will help
the U.S. galvanize long-term policies to address and protect the dignity and life of a child
globally.
The Effect of Traumatic Rape on the Victim’s Relationships
Kristen Branch
Faculty Mentor: Christine Browning
This is a study of how relationships are effected by traumatic rape and is analyzed
through the first-person account of Alice Sebold's violent rape as recorded in her memoir,
"Lucky." The research consists of reading the text and analyzing the various relationships
that Alice interacted with during this time: family, friends, police, lawyers, etc. The
research draws conclusions from her personal account, in particular, how these different
relationships affected Alice Sebold’s ability to recover from the experience of her violent
rape.
A Study of Racism on the Campus of Milligan College
Kaylynn Blosser
Faculty Mentor: Rubye Beck
Racism is a social issue that is still happening today. Racism is an act of aggression
toward a person of one race from a member of a different race. Many colleges and
universities struggle with racial equality. Racism may be expressed by students, faculty,
and staff on college and university campuses. Forms of racism may include: verbal,
nonverbal, written, or physical acts of aggression based of racial prejudices. In light of
learning about racism on other college and university campuses, I have conducted a
research study to see where Milligan College stands from student perspectives on racial
equality. To do this, I developed a survey that was distributed to a sample of 150
traditional undergraduates enrolled in the Fall-2016 semester. I looked at two groups:
Goah Diversity Scholars and Non-Goah students. I used a stratified systematic random
sample to select participants from the general student body for the Non-Goah group. I
sent surveys to all of the Goah Diversity Scholars. Of the 150 selected participants, 79
finished the survey. The results of this study show that racism is an issue on Milligan’s
campus in terms of student-to-student relations. A lot of the racism that occurs on
campus, according to the present study, suggests that most of the expressed racism is in
the form of inconsiderate comments and racial jokes. This may be due to lack of
familiarity with people of other races than oneself. Diversity classes could help lessen the
divide between the white majority student body and those of different races on the
campus of Milligan College.
Can Judgments be Altered
Cleo Waite
Faculty Mentor: Joy Drinnon
The purpose of this research was to identify the effect weight can have on a person's
cognitive judgment of importance. This is a replication of a study done by Jostmann et al
(2009). They conducted several experiments that prove weight does, in fact, make an
impact on the level of importance an individual will rate when given a thought provoking
question. In our experiment we had sixty volunteers (males = 15, females = 47, 5% were
Asian/Pacific Islander, 5% were African Americans, 81.67% were white, and 8.33% were
others, 36.6% were freshmen, 18.3% were sophomores, 26.6% were juniors, and 18.3
were seniors) participate in a survey we created asking their view on a relative question
regarding Milligan College, where the participants attended, and how much they thought
Milligan should consider their individual participation when making a decision affecting
the entire student body. Thirty of our participants were handed a weighted clipboard and
the remaining thirty volunteers were handed a regular clipboard, both of which displayed
the same survey. In our results we found the amount of weight we gave to the weighted
clipboard was not great enough to make a significant difference (p-value) in the
participant’s rated perceived importance of the question given.
Measuring Prejudice by Using 2016 Political Bumper Stickers
Mandi Largent
Faculty Mentor: Joy Drinnon
MTurk workers completed an online experiment in October 2016. They were shown one
of three randomly assigned pictures of a Honda Civic with five generic bumper stickers
or the same car with a Trump or Clinton campaign sticker added. Participants were
asked: a) how likely they would be to vandalize the car with a conflicting sticker, b) how
much money they would put in the timed out parking meter for the hypothetical driver,
and c) whether they could be friends with the driver. As expected, Trump and Clinton
supporters were significantly more generous and friendly toward the hypothetical owner
of the car with a sticker supporting their candidate of choice and were more likely to say
they would vandalize the car promoting a candidate they did not support. The results of
this study confirm what we expected based on previous research on impression
formation, group identity bias, and prejudice.
Becoming the Good Samaritan: An Attempt to Learn from the Gift of Difference
Jordan Gignilliat
Faculty Mentor: Jason Bembry
If it can be said that the Genesis 9 account of the curse of Canaan, commonly
interpreted as “the Curse of Ham”, has been the cornerstone text used for the biblical
justification of racism, then perhaps the Luke 10 parable of “the Good Samaritan” is the
foremost text in correcting this discrimination. A quick look at many of the parables of
Jesus will reveal that these lessons are devoid of much specific detail.1 In the midst of
this pattern, the good Samaritan poses an exception where details of race, ethnicity, and
religious distinction are purposefully included. Moreover, the person of racial difference
who would usually be painted in a negative light, is cast instead as the true neighbor of
the victim. would usually be painted in a negative light, is cast instead as the true
neighbor of the victim.
Unfortunately, it has been my experience that even this parable, which has much to say
about difference and unity, has been mainly considered through the lens of “dominant” or
white theology. Since reading Between the World and Me, I have made an effort to notice
when I am ascribing value to what author Ta-Nehisi Coates describes as “The Dream”.
This idea refers to the blind conception that people of the majority tend to have about the
world. The Dream encompasses white picket fences, peaceful weekends, and safe, easy
strolls around the block without any fear for the well-being of the physical body. The
Dream is afforded, however, upon the fact that in order to be safe yourself, you must be
dominant over someone else, someone who is marginalized.2 Choosing to limit biblical
interpretation to only the most personally comfortable lens is “The Dream”. So, though it
may be a largely insignificant and limited attempt to examine my own theology and New
Testament interpretation, I hope to engage in a celebration of learning through difference
in the pages to follow.
In this attempt, I will first discuss the historical and literary contexts of the pericope Luke
10:25-37.3 Following a brief discussion of the implications of these contexts, I will
present three homiletical examples of the parable coming from pastor Matt Chandler,
theologian Gustavo Gutierrez, and pastor/Civil Rights activist Martin Luther King Junior
who represent “Dominant”, Latino/a, and African-American theology respectively. It is
my hope that an investigation through several different lenses, even if just a brief and
simplified one, will present new paths of understanding and interpretation in the case of
this widely discussed parable.
1
Simon J. Kistemaker, The Parables: Understanding the Stories Jesus Told, (Grand Rapids:
Baker Books, 1980) 11.
2
Ta-Nehisi Coates, Between the World and Me, (New York: Spiegel and Grau, 2015) 11, 23.
3
All scriptural references will correspond to the NRSV translation.
Ida B. Wells-Barnett: Exercising the Prophetic Tradition in Post-Civil War America
Willinda Charumuka
Faculty Mentor: Jason Bembry
A prophetic voice is developed in the harshness of its present realities and chooses to
speak into the winds of injustice, poverty, and inequality in the most confrontational and
demanding ways. Voices of the prophetic tradition demand change within their sphere
and seek to accomplish what has not been done within their lifetime. Many prophets live
within a world of danger and must confront the fact that though the dangers exist more
poignantly for one group than for another, they must speak truth in order to justify
equality of status for the oppressed. Ida B. Wells was formed within the harshest of
realities in America to be one of the most influential voices of her time to speak truth to
power, laying bear the reality of lynching in the Southern states during a most volatile
time of transition after the Civil War. Her prophetic contributions to America were some
of the most daring of her time, by one of the most unlikely of voices – an AfricanAmerican woman - in the most dangerous region for her race in the country – the postCivil War south.4 “Prophets, then, could play either a supportive or a destabilizing role,
and they could operate either within recognized and approved institutions or outside of
them. Another approach to multiple prophetic traditions that has been suggested is along
geographical lines of demarcation.”5 Blenkinsopp’s sentiments apply to the life of Wells
in that she is called to specific geographical area of America and must operate outside of
what was considered acceptable for an African American or for a woman. Wells gives an
example which is reminiscent of Old Testament prophets and serves as an exemplar of
their prophetic tradition in a late 19th to early 20th century context in America.
Schechter, Patricia A. Ida B. Wells-Barnett & American Reform 1880-1930. (Chapel Hill, NC: The
University of North Carolina Press, 2001), 11.
5 Blenkinsopp, Joseph. A History of Prophecy in Israel. (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press,
1996.), 3.
4
Flavius Josephus: The Rabshakeh at the End of History
Henry Boyd
Faculty Mentor: Adam Bean
This essay intends to examine the rewriting enterprises of the historian Flavius Josephus,
more specifically his tailoring of a certain passage—Ant. 10.1-10—as pertaining to his
self-portrayal in JW 5.362-408. The rewriting of the speech of the Rabshakeh (Ant. 10:510) intends to concealing rather than revealing of the conscious—a general rhetorical
feature of Josephus correctly noted by Louis Feldman and Christopher Begg as compared
to those character depictions found in rabbinic tradition and ancient writers such as
Pseudo-Philo Thucydides, Dionysius of Halicarnassus; this in turn redirects theological
implication away from the events proceeding and paralleling. Josephus’s rewriting of
Hezekiah’s encounter with Sennacherib is unique to Antiquitates Judaicae, as a result of
his self-identification with the Rabshakeh at 70 C.E.
The Spirituality of Sexuality, the Body, and Desire
Brianna Olson
Faculty Mentor: Miriam Perkins
Throughout history, human sexuality and the body have been used as means to
differentiate, marginalize, and hierarchically structure people groups. Whether derivate of
scientific ignorance or blatant pursuits of power, imperial ideologies that shame and
debase on the basis of one’s physiological nature and make-up are still pervasive.
Evidence confirms though, that for centuries, theologians and anthropologists alike have
indeed been working to reconsider, deconstruct, and most importantly, redeem sexuality.
For many, this has required a consideration of the spirituality of sexuality. Such a task is
imperative - especially in systematic theologies – because how one regards sexuality
indubitably affects one’s views of how humanity is to live into God’s justice and reign
now, in time. This paper is dedicated to observing sexuality and the body in both beguine
and modern feminist theologies, under the systematic and theological matters of: the
Trinity, Jesus Christ, and Eucharistic community. Such a spiritual theologizing of
sexuality, the body, and desire will better elucidate humanity’s connection to the Trinity,
the significance of Christ’s salvific corporality, and the importance of Eucharistic
devotion. Additionally, this survey will uphold the true body as a “site of divine
revelation” – a holistic entity that is “both transcendent and socially binding.”6 And in
turn, this paper will reaffirm and further illuminate sexuality as a “basic human
sacrament” in which human flourishing is to be evident.7
6
Sarah Coakley, ed., Religion and the Body (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1997), 7.
7
M. Shawn Copeland, Enfleshing Freedom: Body, Race, and Being (Minneapolis: Fortress Press,
2010), 24.
Domestic Violence in Brazil: A Theological Approach
Renata Vicente
Faculty Mentor: Miriam Perkins
The Brazilian church has been silent on violence against women for a long time. It is
really rare to hear a sermon or even a comment made on the topic from the pulpit. While
the church remains silent, the cry of a large number of women can be heard from their
houses. It is time for the church to break its silence, to analyze critically its theological
discourse which legitimizes or perpetuates the violence, and to stand in solidarity with the
victims of domestic violence in the country.
A Reflection of Womanist Prose and Ethics
Kalvin Cummings
Faculty Mentor:
There is criticism present that points out a relative silence of black feminist and
Womanist theologians on the complex dimension of sexuality, particularly
homosexuality. Womanism is committed to wholeness, as a part of Alice Walker’s
dimensional definition, meaning that homosexuality cannot be neglected. There seems to
be a difficulty for African American women to come to terms with homophobia and
sexual politics in African American communities. In this paper, I argue that major
Womanist theologians and their work are pushing past these difficulties to find wholeness
for black bodies marked with sexuality. I also hope to highlight the importance of how
vital a commitment to “wholeness" is to women, to men, to African Americans, and to
the universal Church.