http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/keyword/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, 19 May 2026 08:47:28 -0400 Tue, 19 May 2026 08:47:28 -0400 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/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/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/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/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