http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/topic/46/theology Inquiries Journal provides undergraduate and graduate students around the world a platform for the wide dissemination of academic work over a range of core disciplines. en-us Tue, 06 Oct 2026 05:25:26 -0400 Tue, 06 Oct 2026 05:25:26 -0400 http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1844/pain-and-power-bdsm-as-spiritual-expression By Alicia Charles D'Avalon - Western society is becoming increasingly secular as religion disappears from the public sphere. This developing identification has created a void as people move away from the traditional, established symbols and maps of meaning. People are still finding and inventing systems to fulfil their existential questioning, increasingly in areas that are traditionally seen as secular. Popular culture and contemporary subcultures are being utilized not just as art, entertainment and community but as religious expression. A prime example of this ‘secular religioning’ can be found in the practice... Sat, 28 Nov 2020 09:27 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1844/pain-and-power-bdsm-as-spiritual-expression http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1640/mary-magdalene-as-a-renewed-feminist-icon-representations-in-the-christian-tradition-as-a-resource-for-contemporary-liberation-theology By Ellen AJ. Goodwin - Mary Magdalene remains prevalent within Christianity and popular culture. A mysterious and enigmatic figure, she continues to capture people’s imagination as ‘a mix of lust, loyalty, belief, prostitution, repentance, beauty, madness, and sainthood’ (Shaberg. 2004. P.9). Mary Magdalene’s complexity is in no small part due to the ambiguity and controversy of her various representations. Her continual and varied presence within the Christian tradition demonstrates her resistance to attempts, made by various patriarchal structures such as the Bible, Hebrew society, the early... Tue, 02 May 2017 11:58 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1640/mary-magdalene-as-a-renewed-feminist-icon-representations-in-the-christian-tradition-as-a-resource-for-contemporary-liberation-theology http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1626/the-purposive-power-of-natural-theology-on-moser-and-the-christian-apologetics By Jimmy R. Lewis - In recent years there has been quite a bit of talk in philosophy of religion regarding how relevant and how purposive natural theology is, especially in comparison with experiential evidence. One major proponent of this recent skepticism in relation to natural theology is Paul K. Moser. Moser believes that natural theology may in fact be a satisfactory means to arriving at theism, but not to personal theism. This is problematic for Moser, because he believes that the goal of Christian apologetics ought to be to convince people not only of the existence of a divine being, but also that the divine... Fri, 14 Apr 2017 08:32 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1626/the-purposive-power-of-natural-theology-on-moser-and-the-christian-apologetics http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1629/theistic-explanations-of-the-ontology-of-consciousness By Rashad Rehman - Consciousness is a thought-provoking phenomenon. In recent decades, though, the philosophy of mind has revealed consciousness to be, in the words of Thomas Nagel, "what makes the mindbody problem intractable" (Nagel, 1979). Though consciousness has made the mind-body problem seemingly intractable, to some philosophers, fi nite and irreducibly subjective conscious experiences call for an explanation (Locke, 1959). It seems to some that a scientific explanation will not and cannot provide an adequate explanation for the existence of consciousness. Although this is controversial, the important natural... Sat, 01 Apr 2017 12:00 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1629/theistic-explanations-of-the-ontology-of-consciousness http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1541/identifying-a-developing-christian-culture-in-the-fourth-century By Andrea C. Hanna - To briefly set the scene, the fourth century was a complex period for Christianity. It moved from being a persecuted sect to being supported by a new Christian Emperor, to vying with Constantine’s successors over unorthodox beliefs, to being persecuted by Julian the Apostate, and finally being declared the official state religion by Theodosius. So, with context in mind, this essay will attempt to identify if, by the end of the fourth century, a Christian culture had become distinctive, in and of itself, as well as more distinctive than the pagan Roman culture into which it originally emerged... Wed, 22 Feb 2017 10:20 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1541/identifying-a-developing-christian-culture-in-the-fourth-century http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1499/was-spinoza-a-kabbalist-the-influence-of-jewish-mysticism-in-book-i-of-ethics By Rocco A. Astore - Throughout philosophy’s history, some of its most prominent thinkers have drawn inspiration from sources outside of its canon. It is of my opinion that one of these philosophers, Spinoza, in the first book of his Ethics, borrowed elements of the Kabbalah, to portray his image of God. The first purpose of this piece is to explicate Spinoza’s understanding of God, or Nature so that the reader can assess and become familiarized with his views. Next, by using Daniel C. Matt’s The Essential Kabbalah, the Heart of Jewish Mysticism, I will hope to convey a general idea of the Kabbalist... Wed, 23 Nov 2016 09:07 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1499/was-spinoza-a-kabbalist-the-influence-of-jewish-mysticism-in-book-i-of-ethics http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1481/intellectual-responsibility-and-the-epistemic-search-comparing-plato-and-augustine By Leah M. Palmer - In the earliest stages of education, children naturally start to interrogate their elders with the question “why?” This is not surprising and it would often even be concerning if a child did not show signs of curiosity early in life. This natural curiosity, the search for knowledge, follows necessarily from man’s rational nature—the pride and joy of humanity—what sets us apart from the animals. The words, “All men desire to know” (Arist. Meta., 1.980a) have become a cornerstone for explaining the nature of humanity. Epistemology takes this desire to its... Mon, 31 Oct 2016 09:25 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1481/intellectual-responsibility-and-the-epistemic-search-comparing-plato-and-augustine http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1433/comparing-godly-and-satanic-happiness-in-john-miltons-paradise-lost By Alison L. Bare - Two conflicting modes of living—happiness pursued obediently (Godly) versus happiness pursued disobediently (Satanic)—produce persistent problems with conceptions of free will in John Milton’s Paradise Lost. The Godly mode of happiness recognises that one is free to choose their path to human happiness, but only within God’s bounds; the Satanic mode of happiness recognises that one is entitled to human happiness, but not limited by God’s bounds. It is the relationship between these two modes of living that reveals a Miltonic paradox—free to choose human happiness... Sun, 21 Aug 2016 03:41 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1433/comparing-godly-and-satanic-happiness-in-john-miltons-paradise-lost http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1370/understanding-nirvana-in-theravada-and-mahayana-buddhism-in-support-of-nagarjunas-mahayana-perspective By Rocco A. Astore - The path towards and the meaning of Nirvana have been central issues to many theorists of the Buddhist Tradition. With this paper, I will describe the path toward and the state of Nirvana from a Theravada and Mahayana Buddhist perspective. By doing so, I hope to show that Mahayana Buddhism’s view of Nirvana, or the altruistic compassion that results from one’s spiritual flawlessness in this life, outdoes the Theravada belief that once a person reaches Nirvana any facet of the human condition can no longer phase them.[1] Finally, by drawing on the writings of Nagarjuna, I argue that... Thu, 25 Feb 2016 02:41 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1370/understanding-nirvana-in-theravada-and-mahayana-buddhism-in-support-of-nagarjunas-mahayana-perspective http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1047/teresa-of-avilas-the-interior-castle-as-an-individualizing-text By Carla M. Sanchez - Teresa of Avila has long been respected as one of the most significant theologians to emerge from Spanish Catholicism. Her determined leadership inspired the founding of many convents throughout her homeland and ignited a reform within the Carmelite order of nuns. Yet, Teresa’s influence extended beyond the sacred walls of her cloister. Despite historical misogynistic efforts to deny the importance of her spiritual treatises, her ardently thoughtful work is now acknowledged as being partially responsible for “moving contemplative medieval traditions into a new age” by adapting... Fri, 12 Jun 2015 09:02 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1047/teresa-of-avilas-the-interior-castle-as-an-individualizing-text http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1043/thomas-arundels-constitutions-and-the-condemnation-of-wycliffes-vernacular-translations-1382-1415 By Christopher J. Kshyk - The first is related to scholastic and ecclesiastical attitudes toward the transmission of knowledge in the later Middle Ages. The second is related to the social and political upheavals in England during the late 14th and early 15th centuries, which Arundel viewed as stemming at least in part from the writings of Wycliffe and his followers (otherwise known as the Lollards). In addition, I examine Arundel’s Constitutions in connection with Henry IV’s (1399-1413) De Hæretico Comburendo, which is evidence of the cooperation between the Church and the Crown to control the spread... Wed, 27 May 2015 03:14 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1043/thomas-arundels-constitutions-and-the-condemnation-of-wycliffes-vernacular-translations-1382-1415 http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1010/intelligent-design-in-the-complexity-of-the-human-body By Jacob H. Rhodes - In a previous article I wrote about fine-tuning in the Universe and the empirical evidence for a Grand Designer that can be found within our reality. This argument of course occurs within the context of ongoing fiery debate between theists and secular scholars, and so, in the pursuit of academic harmony and scholarly camaraderie I will once again attempt to shorten the chasm between science and religion. However, instead of examining the Universe and the order that can be found within its laws, in this piece I examine the complexities of the human body and its mutualistic relationship with Earth... Wed, 11 Mar 2015 04:50 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1010/intelligent-design-in-the-complexity-of-the-human-body http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1008/apocalyptic-imagery-in-aurora-leigh By Kelley S. Kent - Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s Aurora Leigh (1856) is an apocalyptic work, as seen in Aurora and Romney’s vision of the New Jerusalem.  Barrett Browning was interested in the Apocalypse in all its literary transformations for most of her adult life, as seen in many of her letters and poems. The English Romantics, also concerned with internal apocalypses, influenced both Barrett Browning’s poetry and her religious opinions, as did treatment of the Apocalypse and Christ’s second coming in religious works of the period. Such intellectual interest in a cataclysmic end of... Mon, 09 Mar 2015 12:43 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1008/apocalyptic-imagery-in-aurora-leigh http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1040/how-christian-leaders-interact-with-twitter By Zachary Horner - This paper explores the relationship between Christian leaders and Twitter. Twitter’s founding resulted in an outburst in the use of the social media platform. Christian leaders quickly caught on, and today they use Twitter for a number of different purposes, seeking first and foremost to challenge and inspire their followers. Through the study of 30 different leaders’ tweets, as well as different blog posts, articles and interviews outlining different approaches to Twitter and other social media, the study concluded that pastors were most concerned with getting across the basic message... Sun, 30 Nov 2014 12:00 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1040/how-christian-leaders-interact-with-twitter http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/925/what-is-the-what-as-a-religious-memoir By James K. Aumack - Eggers provides Deng’s account of his experiences as a part of the Lost Boys of Sudan in the Second Sudanese Civil War. The civil war took place from 1983-2005, due in large part to the introduction of Sharia law. According to Robert W. Hefner (1992), “most activists making these appeals [for Sharia law] were mainstream Muslims intent on abiding by what they regarded as the commands of their faith” (p. 1). Although there are varying opinions on the main cause of the second civil war, Ole Frahm (2012) said that the motivating factor for the beginning of the war was, “the... Fri, 17 Oct 2014 11:02 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/925/what-is-the-what-as-a-religious-memoir http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/881/passing-time-in-the-garden-of-earthly-delights-by-hieronymus-bosch By Brittany R. O'Dowd - In one of his most famous triptychs, the Garden of Earthly Delights, Hieronymus Bosch uses a linear and chronological order to represent a gradual fall of man into sin. In a world where ‘bad’ has existed in small amounts since the creation of the world, man grows to indulge in earthly delights and physical pleasures, which over time leads to his eternal suffering and the loss of control over that which he once ruled. While many other great triptychs of the fifteenth century utilize the three separate panels and the outside image as just that – three or four separate images united... Mon, 31 Mar 2014 12:12 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/881/passing-time-in-the-garden-of-earthly-delights-by-hieronymus-bosch http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/877/debating-the-existence-of-god-god-exists By Jacob H. Rhodes - The debate between science and religion over the existence of a higher power often leads to little more than a shouting match. We become so emotionally invested in our personal opinions of whether or not God exists that when presented with dissenting points of view, all civility is thrown out the window and the opportunity for civil discourse is lost. Theists of all creeds and faiths and atheists of all shapes and sizes spend their days on the internet or at Starbucks debating one of the biggest inquiries in human existence: does God exist? But in this brief commentary, I will assert that you... Wed, 26 Mar 2014 10:24 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/877/debating-the-existence-of-god-god-exists http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/867/asceticism-in-the-modern-world-the-religion-of-self-deprivation By Betsy C. Chadbourn - Among the questions that have attracted my attention during my theological career thus far, nothing has struck me more forcibly than the possibility of asceticism existing in the modern world. Modern asceticism initially appears an absurdity. A non-existent. Something of the past, along with the once thriving Christian religion that laid its foundations. Before, we associated the ascetic with monkish values, the valorisation of chastity, a life of deprivation. Repulsion toward the flesh. Hostility for food. Enmity on all we call pleasure. Yes, modernity is surely an exodus from such; a secular... Fri, 14 Mar 2014 04:53 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/867/asceticism-in-the-modern-world-the-religion-of-self-deprivation http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/828/is-paganism-a-religion-exploring-the-historical-and-contemporary-relevance-of-paganism By Betsy C. Chadbourn - Years of adversity and oppression have pushed the once thriving practice of Paganism into the shadows. Even in our contemporary world of so-called religious freedom, some are still afraid to admit to their beliefs or to identify as a Pagan. To many, it may come as a surprise to find groups of otherwise ordinary people who refer to themselves as Witches and ask to be treated seriously as members of a religion, on a par with Jews, Methodists, Catholics, and the like. Should we bypass our ignorance as such a traditional society and embrace these alternative movements? Is this contemporarily revived... Wed, 11 Dec 2013 08:28 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/828/is-paganism-a-religion-exploring-the-historical-and-contemporary-relevance-of-paganism http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/745/god-as-creator-in-patience-a-re-examination-of-cotton-nero-ax By Kelley S. Kent - Patience, the third poem in Cotton Nero A.x., tells the story of the Old Testament prophet Jonah, placing the narrative within the context of the virtue “pacience” (ll. 1, 531). This, however, is the crux: how much of Patience is simple translation, and in what ways did the poet augment the Biblical narrative? According to C. David Benson, the poet’s use of a Davidic psalm (ll. 118-24) is the “only admitted addition to the Book of Jonah” (152). As Sarah Stanbury observes, “The exemplum section of Patience, the Jonah story, is episodic, as is the Biblical narrative... Sun, 11 Aug 2013 09:39 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/745/god-as-creator-in-patience-a-re-examination-of-cotton-nero-ax http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/742/the-typology-of-sacrifice-in-george-herberts-the-temple By Kelley S. Kent - George Herbert's (1593-1633) three-part work The Temple (1633) denotes the nature of his relationship with God. He conveys this unique relationship through the symbol of the Eucharist, which is both the celebration and memorialization of Christ's Passion: His redeeming sacrifice of Himself. Nearly every poem in The Temple alludes to or mentions the Eucharist, the book's unifying focus. From the beginning of Herbert's work, the Eucharist and "sacrifice" are intricately entwined. However, the first twelve poems that open "The Church,"[1] the second and middle part of The Temple, explicitly focus... Wed, 10 Jul 2013 05:00 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/742/the-typology-of-sacrifice-in-george-herberts-the-temple http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/717/the-tongue-of-the-learned-how-the-elaboration-likelihood-model-and-group-communication-can-improve-biblical-literacy By Jonathan D. Brackens - Interest in the intersection of religion and politics has grown in salience in the Post-9/11 era. Recent scholarship purports that when it comes to religion, Americans are profoundly ignorant. This ignorance leads to religious insensitivity that often results in suboptimum outcomes; thus, both religious and secular scholars have proposed policy actions to address religious illiteracy. As it pertains to biblical literacy, a policy debate exits which argues the question of whether or not the public sector should be involved in improving it. While each scholar proposes policies aimed to increase... Tue, 18 Dec 2012 03:43 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/717/the-tongue-of-the-learned-how-the-elaboration-likelihood-model-and-group-communication-can-improve-biblical-literacy http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/680/toward-a-neurobiological-understanding-of-religion-examining-ritual-and-the-body By Joanna H. Gross - One of the numerous working definitions of religion includes "a belief in a divine or superhuman power or powers to be worshipped," and "an expression of such a belief in conduct and ritual" (Johnson, 2012 p. 1). Rituals are generally a religion’s defining characteristic. Further, religion seems to be a uniquely human phenomenon that can foster anything from hope to hate. Why do we have religion, and further, why has the phenomenon of religion and religious ritual persisted despite the conflicts it has spurred time and time again throughout the history of humanity? The issue becomes even... Fri, 17 Aug 2012 08:05 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/680/toward-a-neurobiological-understanding-of-religion-examining-ritual-and-the-body http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/659/the-mystery-of-miracles-examining-religious-providence-in-the-sixteenth-century-captivity-narratives-of-hans-staden-and-cabeza-de-vaca By Lauren E. Raubaugh - Miracles are a complex and fascinating phenomenon. Accounts throughout history have detailed remarkable instances of what people have claimed to be divine intervention, instances that continue to confound and mystify. After all, according to countless individuals, the dead have risen. Sure disaster has been averted. Prayer has led to the dissipation of storms or to the bringing of vital rain. Statues of Mary have cried tears of blood. Though such incredible claims has been gleaned from legitimate primary sources, modern historians find themselves in a quandary when attempting to establish their... Fri, 06 Jul 2012 08:05 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/659/the-mystery-of-miracles-examining-religious-providence-in-the-sixteenth-century-captivity-narratives-of-hans-staden-and-cabeza-de-vaca http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/658/contradiction-in-marriage-and-love-in-the-song-of-songs By Megan P. Kaplon - The Song of Songs is a unique book in the Bible. There is no plot and no mention of God, but the piece says a lot about early Hebrew traditions surrounding marriage and love, using elaborate descriptions and complex relationships. The overall message of The Song of Songs has been hotly debated, and possibly this is because of the nature of its assembly and the culture from which it sprung. The Song was most likely a collage of wedding songs sung across the Jewish world, and because the ancient Jewish community was widely dispersed and interpreted their beliefs many different ways, the Song of... Wed, 04 Jul 2012 08:05 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/658/contradiction-in-marriage-and-love-in-the-song-of-songs http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/619/william-tyndale-contribution-to-the-english-language-and-father-of-the-english-bible By Veronika Walker - The English language is constantly changing. More and more editions of the Webster’s Dictionary are being published every decade, more vernacular is being considered as “standard English,” and more and more leniency is being advocated for by students in higher-level academics. English, on the whole, has always been a language of variation, a turbulent construction of roots, suffixes, and tenses. Due to a very long process and many historical upheavals, however, English has stabilized into the useable vocabulary taught today. Still, one has to wonder how it got to be what it now... Thu, 23 Feb 2012 10:46 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/619/william-tyndale-contribution-to-the-english-language-and-father-of-the-english-bible http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1063/the-protocols-of-the-elders-of-mecca By Erik Eriksen - This could be referring to Nazi propaganda from the 1930s. However, it is, in fact, an ideology that is gaining influence in contemporary Europe. This time, allegedly, it is not Jews that have a plan to take control over Europe; it is Muslims. The nation is not perceived as being stabbed in the back by Marxists and “cultural Bolsheviks”, but, allegedly, by multiculturalists and “cultural Marxists”. This is the “Eurabia” conspiracy theory, supported by influential European politicians, some of which are holding the balance of power in parliament, such as the... Sun, 01 Jan 2012 12:00 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1063/the-protocols-of-the-elders-of-mecca http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/567/can-religious-based-ethics-play-a-role-in-development By Eve R. Hill - Development is closely linked to the idea of progress. Therefore the way in which progress is quantified, whether through economic, social or spiritual values, determines the way in which we conceptualize development (Power 2005). Religious beliefs are similarly ambiguous, although this arises from the sheer diversity of faiths present in the world today. Consequently the relationship between development and religion is hauntingly complex and so variable that it eludes simple definition (Alkire 2007). Nevertheless, since the first missionary endeavors of the colonial era, religious-based ethics... Tue, 30 Aug 2011 08:05 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/567/can-religious-based-ethics-play-a-role-in-development http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/562/free-will-in-the-christian-cosmology-comparing-paul-and-augustine By Jesse A. Goldberg - While numerous religious scholars have approached this essential question, the focus of this paper is Saint Paul, who addresses human beings’ freedom of choice in Chapter 7 of his letter to the Romans, and Saint Augustine, who formulates a defense of free will in his treatise On Free Choice of the Will. Paul lands on a kind of dualism in his discussion of law, human nature, and salvation, and Augustine approaches a robust version of human autonomy in his account of the problem of evil. While both saints manage to fit an articulation of free will within a Christian cosmology without changing... Tue, 16 Aug 2011 08:05 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/562/free-will-in-the-christian-cosmology-comparing-paul-and-augustine http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/554/the-influence-of-social-political-and-economic-factors-on-the-development-and-form-of-zulu-religious-activity-in-the-19th-and-20th-centuries By Melissa JL. Alvaro Mutolo - Eventually these bantu-speaking people would come to populate and dominate practically all the arable land in South Africa (Prozesky 1995:5). As ancestors of the Zulu, this migration is significant. Already from their earliest forbearers the Zulu had inherited a history of domination and power. This dominative power reached its peak in the 19th century with the creation of the Zulu Kingdom, a powerful centralised territory of warriors and kings. In the process of creating this state the Zulu had usurped smaller tribes and conquered their lands leading to a social crisis known as the mfecane (... Tue, 26 Jul 2011 06:41 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/554/the-influence-of-social-political-and-economic-factors-on-the-development-and-form-of-zulu-religious-activity-in-the-19th-and-20th-centuries