▼ 

Degree awarded: D.Min. Religious Education/Catechetics. The Catholic University of America

Despite Church teachings indicating that adult faith formation should be at the center of a parish's catechetical ministry, this is not the practice in the Archdiocese of San Antonio. In parishes where an effort is made to offer adult faith formation programs, relatively few adults participate. The researcher wanted to know why this was the case. The researcher gathered three focus groups, one at each of three similar parishes, and asked the participants why they thought people did not come to adult faith formation offerings in their parish. The researcher recorded the conversations, had them transcribed, and then analyzed them for themes that might answer the question of why so few people attend adult faith formation events. She discovered that a fear of not being welcomed and the busyness of contemporary life were the main reasons the participants offered. Other significant findings included the need for better marketing and use of technology, a need to carefully consider content and the use of adult methodology, cultural influences, supportive pastoral leadership, and issues of motivation and conversion. The project demonstrated the need for good pastoral planning that looks at the real spiritual hungers of the people in the parish, and the need to evangelize with highly intentional welcoming events. The researcher discovered the importance of having pastoral leadership that shares and communicates a vision of parish life in which the idea of the Church's central identity as evangelizer is recognized, articulated, and lived out.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-20T16:22:03Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Marden_cua_0043A_10490display.pdf: 919528 bytes, checksum: 766933e1939a1199a9c84d48c484e6e9 (MD5)

Advisors/Committee Members: Studzinski, Raymond (Advisor).

▼ 

Degree awarded: D.Min. Religious Education/Catechetics. The Catholic University of America

THE CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF AMERICASpiritual Formation for Lay LectorsA TREATISESubmitted to the Faculty of the School of Theology and Religious StudiesOf The Catholic University of America In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement For the DegreeDoctor of Ministry ByArdella Edwards Washington, D.C.2013 Spiritual Formation for Lay LectorsArdella Edwards, D.Min.Director: Raymond Studzinski, O.S.B., Ph.D.Since the decline in the number of priests in the United States, after the Second Vatican Council, the number of lay ministers has grown. The ministry of lectors has largely been entrusted to the laity. In the Mass at the Liturgy of the Word the lector is the minister who orally brings the Scriptures excluding the Gospels to the assembly. It is not sufficient to pass out programs or missalettes to the congregation and have them read silently. The task of the liturgy of the Mass is two-fold: to render proper worship to God, and to insure the sanctification of the congregation. The task of the lector is a delivery of the Scriptures that sanctifies both the lector and the assembly.There are many resources for public speaking, and delivery techniques. There seem to be no resources for spiritual direction or formation for lectors. The lector should prayerfully and faithfully proclaim the Word of God. To do so, the lector must be grounded in his or her faith, with an understanding and knowledge of the Scriptures.This project in ministry designed, implemented and evaluated a formation program for lectors. The program was offered to ten lectors, with four two-hour sessions two weeks apart. The main foci were lectio divina and mystagogical reflection techniques. The program was well received and participants recommended it for novice lectors, and as a refresher for veteran lectors.

Made available in DSpace on 2013-02-08T16:05:59Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Edwards_cua_0043A_10373display.pdf: 496382 bytes, checksum: 46cb10ae3508af606ffab84e9dd94b39 (MD5)

Advisors/Committee Members: Studzinski, Raymond (Advisor).

▼ 

Degree awarded: D.Min. Religious Education/Catechetics. The Catholic University of America

Despite Church teachings indicating that adult faith formation should be at the center of a parish's catechetical ministry, this is not the practice in the Archdiocese of San Antonio. In parishes where an effort is made to offer adult faith formation programs, relatively few adults participate. The researcher wanted to know why this was the case. The researcher gathered three focus groups, one at each of three similar parishes, and asked the participants why they thought people did not come to adult faith formation offerings in their parish. The researcher recorded the conversations, had them transcribed, and then analyzed them for themes that might answer the question of why so few people attend adult faith formation events. She discovered that a fear of not being welcomed and the busyness of contemporary life were the main reasons the participants offered. Other significant findings included the need for better marketing and use of technology, a need to carefully consider content and the use of adult methodology, cultural influences, supportive pastoral leadership, and issues of motivation and conversion. The project demonstrated the need for good pastoral planning that looks at the real spiritual hungers of the people in the parish, and the need to evangelize with highly intentional welcoming events. The researcher discovered the importance of having pastoral leadership that shares and communicates a vision of parish life in which the idea of the Church's central identity as evangelizer is recognized, articulated, and lived out.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-20T16:22:03Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Marden_cua_0043A_10490display.pdf: 919528 bytes, checksum: 766933e1939a1199a9c84d48c484e6e9 (MD5)

Advisors/Committee Members: Studzinski, Raymond (Advisor).

▼ 

Degree awarded: D.Min. Religious Education/Catechetics. The Catholic University of America

THE CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF AMERICASpiritual Formation for Lay LectorsA TREATISESubmitted to the Faculty of the School of Theology and Religious StudiesOf The Catholic University of America In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement For the DegreeDoctor of Ministry ByArdella Edwards Washington, D.C.2013 Spiritual Formation for Lay LectorsArdella Edwards, D.Min.Director: Raymond Studzinski, O.S.B., Ph.D.Since the decline in the number of priests in the United States, after the Second Vatican Council, the number of lay ministers has grown. The ministry of lectors has largely been entrusted to the laity. In the Mass at the Liturgy of the Word the lector is the minister who orally brings the Scriptures excluding the Gospels to the assembly. It is not sufficient to pass out programs or missalettes to the congregation and have them read silently. The task of the liturgy of the Mass is two-fold: to render proper worship to God, and to insure the sanctification of the congregation. The task of the lector is a delivery of the Scriptures that sanctifies both the lector and the assembly.There are many resources for public speaking, and delivery techniques. There seem to be no resources for spiritual direction or formation for lectors. The lector should prayerfully and faithfully proclaim the Word of God. To do so, the lector must be grounded in his or her faith, with an understanding and knowledge of the Scriptures.This project in ministry designed, implemented and evaluated a formation program for lectors. The program was offered to ten lectors, with four two-hour sessions two weeks apart. The main foci were lectio divina and mystagogical reflection techniques. The program was well received and participants recommended it for novice lectors, and as a refresher for veteran lectors.

Made available in DSpace on 2013-02-08T16:05:59Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Edwards_cua_0043A_10373display.pdf: 496382 bytes, checksum: 46cb10ae3508af606ffab84e9dd94b39 (MD5)

Advisors/Committee Members: Studzinski, Raymond (Advisor).

▼ 

Degree awarded: D.Min. Religious Education/Catechetics. The Catholic University of America

The project sought to address a predicament now facing the Society of Jesus in the United States. With the current decreasing membership in the Jesuit order and the steady increase of laity serving in Jesuit institutions of higher learning, an ongoing difficulty is how to successfully preserve and impart the Society of Jesus' charism, vision for mission, and brand of spirituality at its twenty-eight sponsored institutions of higher education. Given this situation, the Ignis training program at Fordham University in New York City was presented as an eight-hour introductory seminar offered to a select group of campus ministers, faculty members, student-life administrators, and campus leaders. This was done in an interactive program that sought to promote greater awareness and appreciation of the Jesuit tradition of both spirituality and education. To foster this awareness, the project drew from several interdisciplinary resources: a) the Church's pastoral plan for adult formation, b) the history of the Society of Jesus, and c) the Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius Loyola and the Ignatian Examen prayer. Upon completion of the seminar, participants were asked to complete a thorough written evaluation of the program. Results confirmed that most had learned a good deal about the Jesuit charism and vision for mission, and were eager to learn more about Ignatian spirituality and its practical application in their daily lives. The project therefore achieved its goal in that regard. A particular contribution of this project is that it provided an adult formation/orientation program that could play a vital role in enabling non-Jesuit colleagues to receive the gifts of Ignatian spirituality, thereby allowing them to help the Jesuit legacy to thrive and flourish in American Jesuit colleges and universities.

Made available in DSpace on 2013-06-25T14:58:51Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Florio_cua_0043A_10412display.pdf: 589756 bytes, checksum: dba9317a72e0e4c73da315951190f936 (MD5)

Advisors/Committee Members: Studzinski, Raymond (Advisor), Rosetti, Stephen (Other), DiLillio, Richard (Other).

▼ 

Degree awarded: D.Min. Pastoral Studies. The Catholic University of America

The minister is constantly confronted with people's many expectations of him. It is not easy for any one person to satisfy such diverse expectations. Yet, these cannot be ignored. Failure to meet the expectations of the community served may result in criticism, hostility and rejection from parishioners as well as anger and frustration in the priest. Some see spiritual growth or maturity as a process of eradicating bad emotions such as anger, cultivating good ones such as love, and moving toward perfection. When ministers are unaware of their own anger or unwilling to experience their true feelings, they cannot be really helpful to parishioners. It is important for a minister to display a constructive expression of anger for effective ministry. The purpose of this project is to design and implement a two-day workshop for transitional deacons to facilitate their dealing with and their expression of anger in diverse ministerial situations. The project is designed to increase their ability to understand the notion of anger in light of Christian theology and to empower them with spiritual and psychological tools for the constructive expression of anger in ministry. The results of the survey given at the end of workshop revealed that the seminarians had been led to a deeper and holistic understanding of anger, as a gift of God and as spiritual energy, and its revitalizing effect in their life and in ministry. We are called to create and work in a Eucharistic community where failures, losses and personal tragedies are shared, where people gather around in support. Anger when constructively expressed can become a source for restoring relationships and building equal respect. Vulnerability becomes a new strength. Compassion in community will move anger to affection and hostility to healing.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-20T15:48:42Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 AnthonyMuthu_cua_0043A_10496display.pdf: 3230285 bytes, checksum: aa47e12fe6bb2bde4ea9492f4168c6b7 (MD5)

Advisors/Committee Members: Studzinski, Raymond (Advisor), Clay, Michael (Other), Conrad, Ann (Other).

▼ 

Degree awarded: D.Min. Pastoral Studies. The Catholic University of America

Before May 24, 2015, this dissertation can be viewed by CUA users only. [24 months embargo]

Married couples today, especially the newlyweds, face several challenges caused by both internal crises and external forces that threaten and weaken their relationships. The Catholic Church has always recognized these challenges and worked to defend marriage, seeing a significant link between healthy marriages and the society's well-being. The Church has consistently called baptized married couples to live vibrant and holy marriages and to build their families as communities of discipleship – to form domestic churches – that foster love within and outside their boundaries. Most, however, are not familiar with this call probably due to the lack of ministry to newly married couples. The current project was created with the primary purpose to strengthen marital relationships and build Catholic families as domestic churches through lectio divina. A five-session program of lectio divina and marital process designed for baptized, newly married couples had two intentions: (1) to reclaim the lost concept of domestic church and (2) familiarize them with the practice of lectio divina. Seventeen couples who have been married in the Roman Catholic Church within the past five years participated in the entire process. They met to learn, practice, and pray with lectio divina following three steps: breathing exercise, reading and meditating on a sacred text, and marital processing. They continued scriptural readings each day and shared their experiences. Dialogue and conversation during the last step was sustained by topics of contemplation, communication, reconciliation, sacramental life, commitment and mission, etc. To measure the health of their marriages and the impact of lectio divina on their marriages and families, they took an online pre-program and post-program marriage assessment and survey. Data collected would evaluate the effectiveness of the program. The goal of this program was to bring lectio divina into family life in order to build holy families or domestic churches by cultivating the awareness of the presence of God and God's Word in married life. The results of the research confirmed that the practice of lectio divina and marital processing brought about the positive formation and transformation of marriage and family life. The participating couples testified their awareness of God's presence more than ever before. Prayer and dialogue were key to this awareness and transformation.

Made available in DSpace on 2013-06-25T14:58:56Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Le_cua_0043A_10428display.pdf: 2009860 bytes, checksum: 4a7ff91059deb13baf069e47c7185a70 (MD5)

Advisors/Committee Members: Studzinski, Raymond (Advisor), Witczak, Michael (Other).

▼ 

Degree awarded: D.Min. Pastoral Studies. The Catholic University of America

The minister is constantly confronted with people's many expectations of him. It is not easy for any one person to satisfy such diverse expectations. Yet, these cannot be ignored. Failure to meet the expectations of the community served may result in criticism, hostility and rejection from parishioners as well as anger and frustration in the priest. Some see spiritual growth or maturity as a process of eradicating bad emotions such as anger, cultivating good ones such as love, and moving toward perfection. When ministers are unaware of their own anger or unwilling to experience their true feelings, they cannot be really helpful to parishioners. It is important for a minister to display a constructive expression of anger for effective ministry. The purpose of this project is to design and implement a two-day workshop for transitional deacons to facilitate their dealing with and their expression of anger in diverse ministerial situations. The project is designed to increase their ability to understand the notion of anger in light of Christian theology and to empower them with spiritual and psychological tools for the constructive expression of anger in ministry. The results of the survey given at the end of workshop revealed that the seminarians had been led to a deeper and holistic understanding of anger, as a gift of God and as spiritual energy, and its revitalizing effect in their life and in ministry. We are called to create and work in a Eucharistic community where failures, losses and personal tragedies are shared, where people gather around in support. Anger when constructively expressed can become a source for restoring relationships and building equal respect. Vulnerability becomes a new strength. Compassion in community will move anger to affection and hostility to healing.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-20T15:48:42Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 AnthonyMuthu_cua_0043A_10496display.pdf: 3230285 bytes, checksum: aa47e12fe6bb2bde4ea9492f4168c6b7 (MD5)

Advisors/Committee Members: Studzinski, Raymond (Advisor), Clay, Michael (Other), Conrad, Ann (Other).

▼ 

Degree awarded: D.Min. Religious Education/Catechetics. The Catholic University of America

The project sought to address a predicament now facing the Society of Jesus in the United States. With the current decreasing membership in the Jesuit order and the steady increase of laity serving in Jesuit institutions of higher learning, an ongoing difficulty is how to successfully preserve and impart the Society of Jesus' charism, vision for mission, and brand of spirituality at its twenty-eight sponsored institutions of higher education. Given this situation, the Ignis training program at Fordham University in New York City was presented as an eight-hour introductory seminar offered to a select group of campus ministers, faculty members, student-life administrators, and campus leaders. This was done in an interactive program that sought to promote greater awareness and appreciation of the Jesuit tradition of both spirituality and education. To foster this awareness, the project drew from several interdisciplinary resources: a) the Church's pastoral plan for adult formation, b) the history of the Society of Jesus, and c) the Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius Loyola and the Ignatian Examen prayer. Upon completion of the seminar, participants were asked to complete a thorough written evaluation of the program. Results confirmed that most had learned a good deal about the Jesuit charism and vision for mission, and were eager to learn more about Ignatian spirituality and its practical application in their daily lives. The project therefore achieved its goal in that regard. A particular contribution of this project is that it provided an adult formation/orientation program that could play a vital role in enabling non-Jesuit colleagues to receive the gifts of Ignatian spirituality, thereby allowing them to help the Jesuit legacy to thrive and flourish in American Jesuit colleges and universities.

Made available in DSpace on 2013-06-25T14:58:51Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Florio_cua_0043A_10412display.pdf: 589756 bytes, checksum: dba9317a72e0e4c73da315951190f936 (MD5)

Advisors/Committee Members: Studzinski, Raymond (Advisor), Rosetti, Stephen (Other), DiLillio, Richard (Other).

▼ 

Degree awarded: D.Min. Pastoral Studies. The Catholic University of America

Before May 24, 2015, this dissertation can be viewed by CUA users only. [24 months embargo]

Married couples today, especially the newlyweds, face several challenges caused by both internal crises and external forces that threaten and weaken their relationships. The Catholic Church has always recognized these challenges and worked to defend marriage, seeing a significant link between healthy marriages and the society's well-being. The Church has consistently called baptized married couples to live vibrant and holy marriages and to build their families as communities of discipleship – to form domestic churches – that foster love within and outside their boundaries. Most, however, are not familiar with this call probably due to the lack of ministry to newly married couples. The current project was created with the primary purpose to strengthen marital relationships and build Catholic families as domestic churches through lectio divina. A five-session program of lectio divina and marital process designed for baptized, newly married couples had two intentions: (1) to reclaim the lost concept of domestic church and (2) familiarize them with the practice of lectio divina. Seventeen couples who have been married in the Roman Catholic Church within the past five years participated in the entire process. They met to learn, practice, and pray with lectio divina following three steps: breathing exercise, reading and meditating on a sacred text, and marital processing. They continued scriptural readings each day and shared their experiences. Dialogue and conversation during the last step was sustained by topics of contemplation, communication, reconciliation, sacramental life, commitment and mission, etc. To measure the health of their marriages and the impact of lectio divina on their marriages and families, they took an online pre-program and post-program marriage assessment and survey. Data collected would evaluate the effectiveness of the program. The goal of this program was to bring lectio divina into family life in order to build holy families or domestic churches by cultivating the awareness of the presence of God and God's Word in married life. The results of the research confirmed that the practice of lectio divina and marital processing brought about the positive formation and transformation of marriage and family life. The participating couples testified their awareness of God's presence more than ever before. Prayer and dialogue were key to this awareness and transformation.

Made available in DSpace on 2013-06-25T14:58:56Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Le_cua_0043A_10428display.pdf: 2009860 bytes, checksum: 4a7ff91059deb13baf069e47c7185a70 (MD5)

Advisors/Committee Members: Studzinski, Raymond (Advisor), Witczak, Michael (Other).

▼ 

Degree awarded: Ph.D. Spirituality. The Catholic University of America

This dissertation analyzes the teachings on contemplative prayer of the anonymous fourteenth century author of The Cloud of Unknowing by utilizing recent studies on the psychology of conscious awareness and states of consciousness. The specific source for the psychological side of the comparison is the work of three psychologists, Arthur Deikman, Robert Ornstein and Charles Tart, authors who have written extensively on mystical traditions in relation to the phenomenon of human consciousness. The medieval author's grasp of the working of the human psyche is remarkably consistent with modern psychological theories of our day. Because of this complementarity psychological theories generally serve as particularly useful lenses through which the teachings of The Cloud can be accessed by modern sensibilities. When analyzed through the specific lens of the scientific study of the nature of human consciousness, new insights emerge. The author's strong apophaticism and unrelenting insistence upon "unknowing" is particularly elucidated when brought into conversation with these psychological studies of the nature of human consciousness. This study proceeds as follows. Following a brief introductory chapter chapters 2, 3 and 4 will be presented in three parts. In part 1 and 2 of each chapter presents material representative of the teachings of The Cloud author followed by related topics from the perspective of our psychology authors. Part 3 of each chapter turns to the task of analysis and integration of the two parties' perspectives, utilizing the criteria for analysis consistent with the constructive-relational model for interdisciplinary study set forth by William R. Rogers.

Made available in DSpace on 2011-02-24T20:49:02Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Sanchez_cua_0043A_10054display.pdf: 1433481 bytes, checksum: 519f3be86da83915ff0c2d6c7bba4d76 (MD5)

Advisors/Committee Members: Studzinski, Raymond (Advisor), Wiseman, James (Other), Dinges, William (Other).

▼ 

Degree awarded: Ph.D. Religion and Culture. The Catholic University of America

This study investigates the process by which Taiwanese Han people converted from traditional Chinese religious backgrounds to Presbyterianism. These converts are called First Generation Christians. Based on the connection between somatic experiences and religious beliefs inherited from Han religions and culture, Taiwanese Han people tend to turn to Christianity either due to the power of ling, a Chinese understanding of religious efficacy, or due to their specific expressions such as gan-dong. Gan-dong means "to be emotionally touched" which is an expression used to specify how a First Generation Christian emotionally connects with the Christian God.However, the influential ling experiences frequently occurring among First Generation Christians are not regarded important among Presbyterian mainstream academics. Following Western theological interpretation, Presbyterian mainstream academics stressintellectual understandings of Christianity and do not address in culturally emotional understandings of God, such as a reliance on supernatural experiences and feelings of being saved by evil spirits. The inconsistency between the emphasis on intellectual understandings and local emotional understandings gives rise to a cultural interpretation at the grass root level. Local Presbyterian pastors participate in testifying the importance of local somaticexperiences.Based on the results revealed, Substitute, Competition and Assimilation types were developed to clarify how converts adjust when transitioning from traditional Chinese religions to Christianity. Besides these three types, two further categories, ling and non- lingsubtypes, were developed to represent the effects of ling for conversion decisions. When almost half of the interviewees report that their conversion happened within a ling context, the other half of converts did not make their decision due to efficacious results.Conversions that were influenced by ling, are illustrations of William James' "sick souls" type, presenting dramatic elements. In contrast, conversions that were not influenced by ling, tended to occur in individuals who belong to "healthy-mindedness," presenting feweror no dramatic elements. Consequently, interviewees are categorized into a total of six types. These six types propose a new model for the conversion process under the influence of traditional Chinese religions and culture.

Made available in DSpace on 2013-06-25T14:59:16Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Tseng_cua_0043A_10423display.pdf: 2249591 bytes, checksum: 3605973cba186ddc84c73b414432b319 (MD5)

Advisors/Committee Members: Studzinski, Raymond (Advisor), Jones, Charles B (Other), Cohen, Lucy M (Other).

▼ 

Degree awarded: Ph.D. Spirituality. The Catholic University of America

Anabaptists have argued for the importance of community expressed in the social dimensions of the Eucharist while neglecting its liturgical and sacramental rooting. Thus, a jump from text to social action ensues.This study expands upon the early Anabaptist Pilgram Marpeck's (c. 1495-1556) understanding of action in the Lord's Supper. His theology finds expression in mitzeugnus, God's action of co-witness with the church in which an inseparable whole is formed with the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. For Marpeck, the Eucharist "makes" the church. It is an action in which no separation exists between the inner and outer reality represented. His work provides a solid place to begin a deeper engagement with the Eucharist, and also helps Anabaptists reconsider the notion of action, which they hold so dear in their ethical emphasis.To assist in this reconsideration of action, this interdisciplinary study will attend to significant sections of Paul Ricoeur's work, which provide further development of the intricacies of action. His philosophical hermeneutic of meaningful human action shows how action can be considered as text. Thus the Eucharist is seen as an "hyper-ethical" act" which re-orients human action. This understanding leads to a consideration of ritually enacted narrative, an innovative window into what helps change us. Talal Asad's work with ritual, along with other scholars, will help further amplify some of the insights drawn from Marpeck and Ricoeur.This study shows how the overarching narrative of God coming among us in the birth, life, death, and rising of Jesus Christ is encountered in the Eucharist and can serve as an awakening critique for the church. The expansion of action in the Eucharist continues with a "turn towards the body," leading to a hermeneutic of gesture, performative embodiment, a spiritual deepening of ritual practices, and an appreciation of the Eucharist as God's gesture.In sum, this study commends the centrality of the Eucharist as the gesture of God that we are to enact. Here we discover the potential of transformation within ritually enacted narrative. We become the gesture of God to the world.

Made available in DSpace on 2012-09-11T17:13:05Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Miller_cua_0043A_10243display.pdf: 713042 bytes, checksum: 771d4e201ed7e42294c3c96e72b73cc3 (MD5)

Advisors/Committee Members: Studzinski, Raymond (Advisor), Loewe, William R. (Other), Witczak, Michael (Other).

▼ 

Degree awarded: D.Min. Religious Education/Catechetics. The Catholic University of America

The Church understands the primacy of the role that parents play in the religious formation of their children. To support parents in this critical responsibility, the Church has developed educational institutions and programs that are important both to families and the Church's mission of evangelization and catechesis. However, as professional religious education has flourished, Catholic parents have become passive participants in their children's faith formation. Parents have come to view faith formation as principally pedagogical religious education, and to rely on professional teachers and materials to teach their children faith. The home as a locus of faith transmission has been devalued.Studies suggest that in today's milieu, parents and children highly value interactive time together, and children are open to expressing their thoughts and feelings when discussing faith and religion. This study hypothesized that if parents and children were taught faith sharing techniques that incorporated the parables of Jesus, a dynamic faith experience would result. To this end, a study book was developed and provided to thirty-one parents to use with their children. The three-chapter study book explored parables from the Gospel of Luke: The Lost Sheep, The Good Samaritan and The Prodigal Son. Parents were instructed to read adult pages first to deepen their understanding of the parables. Then, with their children, they read a storybook version of the parable, graphically designed and paraphrased to engage young children. A list offaith sharing questions followed to encourage and focus parents and children on religious dialogue.In-depth interviews were conducted with parents before and after using the study book. The interviews provided a rich body of data with insights into the participants' Catholic identities and faith sharing interactions with their children. The children's paraphrased materials proved to be particularly effective, as did the faith sharing questions. Some aspects of the adult pages were well received, others less so. The study provides novel insights into parent-child faith interactions, and demonstrates the value of family faith sharing. The findings inform ways to develop creative materials that effectively engage parents and children in faith development.

Made available in DSpace on 2013-02-08T16:06:01Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Henning_cua_0043A_10377display.pdf: 1510884 bytes, checksum: b6385435d4b61f44fed0fdda65bd3255 (MD5)

Advisors/Committee Members: Studzinski, Raymond (Advisor), Rossetti, Stephen J (Other), Witczak, Michael (Other).

▼ 

Degree awarded: S.T.D. Systematic Theology. The Catholic University of America

Magisterial teaching on priestly celibacy prior to the Second Vatican Council was somewhat restricted in scope because of its reliance on two fundamental arguments: the superiority of celibacy over marriage and the need for the priest to maintain ritual purity. This view of priestly celibacy, as useful as it was, did not utilize the full substance of the Catholic theological tradition in this area.The document, Presbyterorum Ordinis (1965), of Vatican II presented a richer and more ample teaching on priestly celibacy that was largely organized around a threefold scheme, highlighting the christological, ecclesiological, and eschatological dimensions of celibacy, respectively. Pope Paul VI, in Sacerdotalis Caelibatus (1967), contributed to the further development of the scheme by using it as an organizing principle in his presentation of the Catholic understanding of priestly celibacy. This study aims to evaluate magisterial teaching on the threefold dimension of priestly celibacy as introduced in Presbyterorum Ordinis and Sacerdotalis Caelibatus, to explore its origins, and to analyze its influence on subsequent magisterial teachings. The study begins with a review of the historical development of the discipline of priestly celibacy in the Latin Church through a study of scriptural texts, writings of the Church Fathers, and documents of Church councils and popes, up to and including Sacra Virginitas of Pope Pius XII. It then proceeds to analyze the Acta Synodalia of Vatican II and contemporary theological reflection in order to discover the background to the conciliar presentation of the threefold dimension. Building upon this original research, the study then looks closely at Paul VI's use of the threefold scheme, which had a significant effect on subsequent magisterial teaching on celibacy, particularly in Pastores Dabo Vobis (1992) of Pope John Paul II. This study finally presents a thorough evaluation of the development of the threefold dimension of priestly celibacy. It examines the latter's internal consistency, magisterial authority, and theological value for the Church as a whole, as a way of understanding more deeply the place of priestly celibacy in the life and mission of the Church, and concludes with some suggestions for further integration of the threefold scheme.

Made available in DSpace on 2011-06-24T17:13:50Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Selin_cua_0043A_10217display.pdf: 2421774 bytes, checksum: ba3d84134fddd26c94c249aa137c8eea (MD5)

Advisors/Committee Members: McPartlan, Paul (Advisor), Ford, John T. (Other), Studzinski, Raymond (Other).

▼ 

Degree awarded: D.Min. Systematic Theology. The Catholic University of America

Crafting Authentic CommunityRuth Anne Harkins, I.H.M., D.Min.Director: Reverend Raymond Studzinski, O.S.B., Ph.D.The treatise Crafting Authentic Community seeks to empower women religious with the knowledge and skills necessary to rediscover the true meaning of living authentic community, which is defined as the integration of effective communication, interdependence, and mutual commitment. Beginning with an examination of the scriptural and theological foundations which lie at the core of community, the writer also uses the basic principles of family systems theory to provide a backdrop for an understanding of the human tension between individuality and togetherness. Relying on a number of experts from the fields of behavioral science, psychology and business management, the treatise also addresses the areas of effective communication skills, conflict management techniques, and the concepts of mutuality and accountability.In order to facilitate the overall goals of the project, the writer designed and implemented a one day workshop in which sisters who participated were provided with the opportunity to acquire the knowledge and skills vital for living community. The treatise presents an in-depth analysis of participants' responses to both pre and post surveys, as well as a summary of the evaluations completed by each participant. Among the most significant findings were: a desire for a revitalization of participants' present community life; an intellectual understanding of the meaning of authentic community from Scripture and post Vatican II Church documents; a limited knowledge of the impact of family systems theory on community as an emotional system; an increased awareness of the importance of practicing effective communication skills in community; a realization that a proficiency level in conflict management techniques is presently lacking; an acknowledgement that the concepts of accountability and mutuality pose new and sometimes disconcerting challenges to religious community life.In conclusion, the most profound contribution which the treatise Crafting Authentic Community makes to women religious is that authentic community is a lifelong, organic process in which members intentionally commit to the hard work of becoming their best selves together. This provides them with practical tools for the journey, while reaffirming the ongoing need for deeper exploration into the rich dimensions which lie at the heart of community.

Made available in DSpace on 2013-11-05T15:05:15Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Harkins_cua_0043A_10446display.pdf: 12959690 bytes, checksum: 93e633a820809c5cb64b956b206014ed (MD5)

Advisors/Committee Members: Studzinski, Raymond (Advisor), Rossetti, Stepnen (Other), Conrad, Ann P (Other).

▼ 

Degree awarded: D.Min. Systematic Theology. The Catholic University of America

Crafting Authentic CommunityRuth Anne Harkins, I.H.M., D.Min.Director: Reverend Raymond Studzinski, O.S.B., Ph.D.The treatise Crafting Authentic Community seeks to empower women religious with the knowledge and skills necessary to rediscover the true meaning of living authentic community, which is defined as the integration of effective communication, interdependence, and mutual commitment. Beginning with an examination of the scriptural and theological foundations which lie at the core of community, the writer also uses the basic principles of family systems theory to provide a backdrop for an understanding of the human tension between individuality and togetherness. Relying on a number of experts from the fields of behavioral science, psychology and business management, the treatise also addresses the areas of effective communication skills, conflict management techniques, and the concepts of mutuality and accountability.In order to facilitate the overall goals of the project, the writer designed and implemented a one day workshop in which sisters who participated were provided with the opportunity to acquire the knowledge and skills vital for living community. The treatise presents an in-depth analysis of participants' responses to both pre and post surveys, as well as a summary of the evaluations completed by each participant. Among the most significant findings were: a desire for a revitalization of participants' present community life; an intellectual understanding of the meaning of authentic community from Scripture and post Vatican II Church documents; a limited knowledge of the impact of family systems theory on community as an emotional system; an increased awareness of the importance of practicing effective communication skills in community; a realization that a proficiency level in conflict management techniques is presently lacking; an acknowledgement that the concepts of accountability and mutuality pose new and sometimes disconcerting challenges to religious community life.In conclusion, the most profound contribution which the treatise Crafting Authentic Community makes to women religious is that authentic community is a lifelong, organic process in which members intentionally commit to the hard work of becoming their best selves together. This provides them with practical tools for the journey, while reaffirming the ongoing need for deeper exploration into the rich dimensions which lie at the heart of community.

Made available in DSpace on 2013-11-05T15:05:15Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Harkins_cua_0043A_10446display.pdf: 12959690 bytes, checksum: 93e633a820809c5cb64b956b206014ed (MD5)

Advisors/Committee Members: Studzinski, Raymond (Advisor), Rossetti, Stepnen (Other), Conrad, Ann P (Other).

▼ 

Degree awarded: Ph.D. Religion and Culture. The Catholic University of America

This study investigates the process by which Taiwanese Han people converted from traditional Chinese religious backgrounds to Presbyterianism. These converts are called First Generation Christians. Based on the connection between somatic experiences and religious beliefs inherited from Han religions and culture, Taiwanese Han people tend to turn to Christianity either due to the power of ling, a Chinese understanding of religious efficacy, or due to their specific expressions such as gan-dong. Gan-dong means "to be emotionally touched" which is an expression used to specify how a First Generation Christian emotionally connects with the Christian God.However, the influential ling experiences frequently occurring among First Generation Christians are not regarded important among Presbyterian mainstream academics. Following Western theological interpretation, Presbyterian mainstream academics stressintellectual understandings of Christianity and do not address in culturally emotional understandings of God, such as a reliance on supernatural experiences and feelings of being saved by evil spirits. The inconsistency between the emphasis on intellectual understandings and local emotional understandings gives rise to a cultural interpretation at the grass root level. Local Presbyterian pastors participate in testifying the importance of local somaticexperiences.Based on the results revealed, Substitute, Competition and Assimilation types were developed to clarify how converts adjust when transitioning from traditional Chinese religions to Christianity. Besides these three types, two further categories, ling and non- lingsubtypes, were developed to represent the effects of ling for conversion decisions. When almost half of the interviewees report that their conversion happened within a ling context, the other half of converts did not make their decision due to efficacious results.Conversions that were influenced by ling, are illustrations of William James' "sick souls" type, presenting dramatic elements. In contrast, conversions that were not influenced by ling, tended to occur in individuals who belong to "healthy-mindedness," presenting feweror no dramatic elements. Consequently, interviewees are categorized into a total of six types. These six types propose a new model for the conversion process under the influence of traditional Chinese religions and culture.

Made available in DSpace on 2013-06-25T14:59:16Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Tseng_cua_0043A_10423display.pdf: 2249591 bytes, checksum: 3605973cba186ddc84c73b414432b319 (MD5)

Advisors/Committee Members: Studzinski, Raymond (Advisor), Jones, Charles B (Other), Cohen, Lucy M (Other).

▼ 

Degree awarded: S.T.D. Systematic Theology. The Catholic University of America

Magisterial teaching on priestly celibacy prior to the Second Vatican Council was somewhat restricted in scope because of its reliance on two fundamental arguments: the superiority of celibacy over marriage and the need for the priest to maintain ritual purity. This view of priestly celibacy, as useful as it was, did not utilize the full substance of the Catholic theological tradition in this area.The document, Presbyterorum Ordinis (1965), of Vatican II presented a richer and more ample teaching on priestly celibacy that was largely organized around a threefold scheme, highlighting the christological, ecclesiological, and eschatological dimensions of celibacy, respectively. Pope Paul VI, in Sacerdotalis Caelibatus (1967), contributed to the further development of the scheme by using it as an organizing principle in his presentation of the Catholic understanding of priestly celibacy. This study aims to evaluate magisterial teaching on the threefold dimension of priestly celibacy as introduced in Presbyterorum Ordinis and Sacerdotalis Caelibatus, to explore its origins, and to analyze its influence on subsequent magisterial teachings. The study begins with a review of the historical development of the discipline of priestly celibacy in the Latin Church through a study of scriptural texts, writings of the Church Fathers, and documents of Church councils and popes, up to and including Sacra Virginitas of Pope Pius XII. It then proceeds to analyze the Acta Synodalia of Vatican II and contemporary theological reflection in order to discover the background to the conciliar presentation of the threefold dimension. Building upon this original research, the study then looks closely at Paul VI's use of the threefold scheme, which had a significant effect on subsequent magisterial teaching on celibacy, particularly in Pastores Dabo Vobis (1992) of Pope John Paul II. This study finally presents a thorough evaluation of the development of the threefold dimension of priestly celibacy. It examines the latter's internal consistency, magisterial authority, and theological value for the Church as a whole, as a way of understanding more deeply the place of priestly celibacy in the life and mission of the Church, and concludes with some suggestions for further integration of the threefold scheme.

Made available in DSpace on 2011-06-24T17:13:50Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Selin_cua_0043A_10217display.pdf: 2421774 bytes, checksum: ba3d84134fddd26c94c249aa137c8eea (MD5)

Advisors/Committee Members: McPartlan, Paul (Advisor), Ford, John T. (Other), Studzinski, Raymond (Other).

▼ 

Degree awarded: D.Min. Religious Education/Catechetics. The Catholic University of America

The Church understands the primacy of the role that parents play in the religious formation of their children. To support parents in this critical responsibility, the Church has developed educational institutions and programs that are important both to families and the Church's mission of evangelization and catechesis. However, as professional religious education has flourished, Catholic parents have become passive participants in their children's faith formation. Parents have come to view faith formation as principally pedagogical religious education, and to rely on professional teachers and materials to teach their children faith. The home as a locus of faith transmission has been devalued.Studies suggest that in today's milieu, parents and children highly value interactive time together, and children are open to expressing their thoughts and feelings when discussing faith and religion. This study hypothesized that if parents and children were taught faith sharing techniques that incorporated the parables of Jesus, a dynamic faith experience would result. To this end, a study book was developed and provided to thirty-one parents to use with their children. The three-chapter study book explored parables from the Gospel of Luke: The Lost Sheep, The Good Samaritan and The Prodigal Son. Parents were instructed to read adult pages first to deepen their understanding of the parables. Then, with their children, they read a storybook version of the parable, graphically designed and paraphrased to engage young children. A list offaith sharing questions followed to encourage and focus parents and children on religious dialogue.In-depth interviews were conducted with parents before and after using the study book. The interviews provided a rich body of data with insights into the participants' Catholic identities and faith sharing interactions with their children. The children's paraphrased materials proved to be particularly effective, as did the faith sharing questions. Some aspects of the adult pages were well received, others less so. The study provides novel insights into parent-child faith interactions, and demonstrates the value of family faith sharing. The findings inform ways to develop creative materials that effectively engage parents and children in faith development.

Made available in DSpace on 2013-02-08T16:06:01Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Henning_cua_0043A_10377display.pdf: 1510884 bytes, checksum: b6385435d4b61f44fed0fdda65bd3255 (MD5)

Advisors/Committee Members: Studzinski, Raymond (Advisor), Rossetti, Stephen J (Other), Witczak, Michael (Other).

▼ 

Degree awarded: Ph.D. Religion and Culture. The Catholic University of America

Research suggests that the religiously inactive are more likely to return to active participation if they continue to self-identify as members ("marginal" members) than if they relinquish their self-identification with the group ("former" members). However, very little research distinguishes these groups or explores other differences between them. This dissertation attempts to expose the factors that inform the religious identity of marginal and former Catholics. Binomial logit analysis supports the hypothesis that "affective religiosity" - emotional attachment to one's religious tradition and religious community - predicts whether inactive Catholics retain or relinquish their self-identification with the group. Ordered logit analyses partially support the hypothesis that marginal Catholics with strong affective ties are more likely than those with weak affective ties to return to active participation, marry another Catholic, and raise their children Catholic. Web-based personal interviews supplement the empirical findings.

Made available in DSpace on 2011-02-24T20:45:45Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Bhutta_cua_0043A_10078display.pdf: 1037046 bytes, checksum: 1290f84217240d88a986a2afd6216da3 (MD5)

Advisors/Committee Members: Dinges, William D (Advisor), Iannaccone, Laurence R (Other), Studzinski, Raymond (Other).

▼ 

Degree awarded: Ph.D. Spirituality. The Catholic University of America

Anabaptists have argued for the importance of community expressed in the social dimensions of the Eucharist while neglecting its liturgical and sacramental rooting. Thus, a jump from text to social action ensues.This study expands upon the early Anabaptist Pilgram Marpeck's (c. 1495-1556) understanding of action in the Lord's Supper. His theology finds expression in mitzeugnus, God's action of co-witness with the church in which an inseparable whole is formed with the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. For Marpeck, the Eucharist "makes" the church. It is an action in which no separation exists between the inner and outer reality represented. His work provides a solid place to begin a deeper engagement with the Eucharist, and also helps Anabaptists reconsider the notion of action, which they hold so dear in their ethical emphasis.To assist in this reconsideration of action, this interdisciplinary study will attend to significant sections of Paul Ricoeur's work, which provide further development of the intricacies of action. His philosophical hermeneutic of meaningful human action shows how action can be considered as text. Thus the Eucharist is seen as an "hyper-ethical" act" which re-orients human action. This understanding leads to a consideration of ritually enacted narrative, an innovative window into what helps change us. Talal Asad's work with ritual, along with other scholars, will help further amplify some of the insights drawn from Marpeck and Ricoeur.This study shows how the overarching narrative of God coming among us in the birth, life, death, and rising of Jesus Christ is encountered in the Eucharist and can serve as an awakening critique for the church. The expansion of action in the Eucharist continues with a "turn towards the body," leading to a hermeneutic of gesture, performative embodiment, a spiritual deepening of ritual practices, and an appreciation of the Eucharist as God's gesture.In sum, this study commends the centrality of the Eucharist as the gesture of God that we are to enact. Here we discover the potential of transformation within ritually enacted narrative. We become the gesture of God to the world.

Made available in DSpace on 2012-09-11T17:13:05Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Miller_cua_0043A_10243display.pdf: 713042 bytes, checksum: 771d4e201ed7e42294c3c96e72b73cc3 (MD5)

Advisors/Committee Members: Studzinski, Raymond (Advisor), Loewe, William R. (Other), Witczak, Michael (Other).

▼ 

Degree awarded: Ph.D. Spirituality. The Catholic University of America

This dissertation explores the recent work on spiritual practices in the academic discipline of Christian spirituality, gathering together the strengths of various conceptions of practice from the literature and developing a rigorous definition of a Christian spiritual practice: Christian spiritual practices are things God enables Christian people to do together over time to address fundamental human needs in light of the gospel of Jesus Christ, activities that together form a way of life that pleases God and through which God teaches and transforms persons into the image of the Son.Practices may be Christian or may not be, depending upon whether practitioners ground their practices in the Christian tradition, reflect critically upon them in light of that tradition, and recognize God's agency within them. Thus, teaching theology may or may not be performed as a Christian spiritual practice. This study examines the activities of reading, writing, and teaching—all broadly defined—as the three necessary and sufficient practices of theological education, and determines that each of them may be done in an engaged or a disengaged fashion, an “academic” or a “spiritual” orientation, or some mixture of the two. Engaged theological educators tend to exhibit the dispositions of humble hospitality, reflective and attentive contemplation, and prayerful conversation in their reading, writing, and teaching.After carefully correlating the aspects of the definition of Christian spiritual practices with the composite practice of theological education, this thesis contends that teaching theology can meet the definition of a Christian spiritual practice. The work of Stanley J. Grenz, a prominent evangelical theologian, establishes that he employed reading, writing, and teaching while exhibiting the dispositions enumerated above, marking him as an engaged theological educator. His pursuit of teaching theology as a Christian spiritual practice can serve as a model for others to emulate, possibly contributing to a reunion of spirituality and theological pedagogy in the lives of individual teachers, their students and colleagues, and the corporate people of God.

Made available in DSpace on 2011-02-24T20:48:18Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Mellinger_cua_0043A_10100display.pdf: 1041371 bytes, checksum: e8e1f6ac613d522d9fe0714605a030f5 (MD5)

Advisors/Committee Members: Studzinski, Raymond (Advisor), Wiseman, James A (Other), Heet, Donald J (Other).

▼ 

Here in this Place: Theology of Place as a Means of EnrichingDiocesan Seminarian Spiritual FormationPeter Alan Marshall, D.MinDirector: Raymond Studzinski, OSB, PhDThe initial and ongoing spiritual formation of diocesan priests is a perennial concern forthe Catholic Church. In the current context of fewer priests and individual priests encounteringmultiple concurrent assignments and frequent moves to new assignments, the need is great forseminarian spiritual formation that is centered on the charism of diocesan priests, rooted in thespiritual tradition of the Church and resilient to current pressures both within and without theChurch. Spiritual formation that is focused on deepening the seminarian’s sense of connection tohis diocese and his particular parish assignment will prove helpful to the future priest as heprepares to engage in service in a fluctuating context.While John Paul II, in Pastores Dabo Vobis, addressed the unique ways in whichincardination impacts the identity and ministry of the diocesan priest, few have looked at specificways in which diocesan priests could use theology of place to deepen and enrich both theirpersonal spirituality and their ministry to their communities.This project was designed for seminarians studying at St. Meinrad Seminary and Schoolof Theology. Six sessions were held weekly during the semester, and combined both traditionalclassroom learning with experiential learning and prayer exercises.This project provides a model of diocesan priestly spiritual formation for seminarians thatis rooted in the diocesan priestly reality of incardination by developing a seminarian’sappreciation for theology of place and its potential impact on mission. No known model ofspiritual formation for diocesan priestly spirituality combines this spirituality with experientiallearning. The evaluation of the project indicates that participants grew in both theirunderstanding of Theology of Place and diocesan priestly spirituality.

Spirituality

Theology

Pastoral Studies

Degree Awarded: D.Min. Pastoral Studies. The Catholic University of America

Advisors/Committee Members: The Catholic University of America (Degree granting institution), Studzinski, Raymond (Thesis advisor), Rosetti, Stephen (Thesis advisor).

▼ 

Degree awarded: Ph.D. Spirituality. The Catholic University of America

Before May 24, 2015, this dissertation can be viewed by CUA users only. [24 months embargo]

Luo ancestor veneration and the Christian doctrine of the Communion of Saints: Toward the development of an African Christian theology of ancestorsThomas Otanga, PhDDirector: James Wiseman, PhDThis monograph examines the belief of the Luo people of Kenya about their ancestors in light of the Christian doctrine of Communion of Saints. The objective of the study is to discover ways by which the veneration of African ancestors can be understood as similar to the belief in the Christian doctrine of Communion of Saints. Furthermore, this monograph seeks to suggest creative ways by which an African ancestral framework can become a point of departure for promoting an authentic engagement between the Gospel of Christ and the indigenous African cultures in developing an African Christian theology of ancestors.A brief background of the monograph may be described as follows. Communio sanctorum, the tripartite Church of the living, the Church in purgatory, and the triumphant Church in heaven, can be compared to the relationship of African peoples with their ancestors, with God, and with nature. The monograph begins with a study of the origins and theological foundations of the communio sanctorum. It then uses the methodologies of qualitative research and social historical research to examine the Luo funeral rituals in order to study the ancestor cults and ancestor veneration that pervade the cultures of sub-Saharan Africa. The ancestral beliefs and practices have been construed as both obstacles to the Gospel and preambles to it. In studying the Luo funeral rites, we glean the Luo's attachment to their ancestors. Furthermore, the funeral rites demonstrate the Luo belief that death is basic to the understanding of the significance of their ancestors. The Luo perform the funeral rituals together with other cultural rites to ensure the incorporation of their deceased kin into the ancestral world. The Luo believe that the ancestors, although deceased, remain a part of the community. The ancestors have such a resilient and pervasive role in life and thought of the Luo that a Luo Christian is inclined to think of his ancestor as being with God in the same manner that a canonized saint is believed to dwell in the courts of God. There are also similarities between the Luo people and other African ethnic groups; in fact we can apply some of the major observations and conclusions from the Luo to the other African peoples in order to draw important conclusions for a Christian theology of African ancestors.Early Christian missionaries discouraged African funeral rituals (and many other African traditional customs) and encouraged Christian burial rites. However, Christian rituals alone fail to satisfy the cultural and spiritual needs of the African Christian believers. Consequently the African Christian believers very often publicly assent to orthodox Christian beliefs and…

Advisors/Committee Members: Wiseman, James A (Advisor), Studzinski, Raymond (Other), Schreiter, Robert (Other), Kraemer, Stephen (Other), Knyazev, Vadim (Other).

▼ Baptismal Spirituality for Daily LivingDolores Papania, D. Min.Director: Rev. Raymond Studzinski, OSB, Ph.D. What does baptism have to do with everyday life? Pat catechetical answers about becoming a child of God, or a member of the Church, or free from Original Sin, or heir to everlasting life can be almost robotic responses, memorized in religious education classes long ago. But what are the deeper implications of being incorporated into the Paschal Mystery and the Mystical Body of Christ? What do the promises to renounce Satin and profess belief in the Triune God mean in the context of daily living? How are personal and communal spirituality impacted by baptism? There exists an urgent pastoral need in response to these questions to form Catholics in a deep understanding of the significance of their baptism and help them develop an understanding of the baptismal sacramental spirituality intended to be the foundation for everyday living. Rather than a catechetical class or delving into the theology of baptism, an approach that incorporates prayer, reflection, and faith sharing, that engages the heart as well as the mind, was found necessary as a tool for evangelizing those who have been baptized, whether active or inactive in Church. This process would give participants the opportunity to delve deeply into the meaning of the promises made at baptism and the life-changing, or rather, the identity-changing impact of having been made a new creation in Christ. This sacramental grace inherent in baptism enables and empowers the baptized to live a life of holiness. While this is not a new teaching by any means, it is an undeveloped concept for many as a conscious approach to daily living.Understanding the impact of baptism on communal as well as individual spirituality is important to developing a conscious awareness for living from baptismal spirituality in the context of daily routine. Baptism is relational; the baptized person is plunged into relationship with the Triune God and with the community of the People of God, the Church. Decreasing numbers of Catholics actively participating in the life of the Church, especially in the context of parish life, indicates that the communal implications have little of no relevance for many who were baptized but no longer affiliate with the Church through parish connection.Baptismal Spirituality for Daily Living was developed as an adult formation program to address the apparent disconnect between reception of the sacrament and conscious incorporation of its inherent grace into daily living. Participation in the program was instrumental in a developing consciousness and awareness of the intent of baptismal spirituality as a daily-lived reality. This program, or one similar, is imperative to addressing the issue of the importance, relevance and meaning of baptism. It offers the means to deepen understanding of baptismal living and focuses on practical ways to consciously incorporate all that one is committed to through baptism into daily… Advisors/Committee Members: The Catholic University of America (Degree granting institution), Studzinski, Raymond (Thesis advisor), Witczak, Michael (Thesis advisor).

▼ 

Degree awarded: Ph.D. Spirituality. The Catholic University of America

Before June 20, 2019, this dissertation can be viewed by CUA users only. [60 months embargo]

This dissertation explores the theme of work in the life and writings of St. Teresa of Avila, the 16th-century Spanish Carmelite mystic and reformer. While much has been written about Teresa's mystical experiences, her writings on prayer, and her reform of the Carmelite Order, her contributions to the management of work within women's monasteries has not been as well-studied. This dissertation examines Teresa's approach to work in religious life during a time of global expansion, socio-economic change and religious reform in Spain, and it seeks to discover how Teresa's approach to work may be reconciled with contemplative Carmelite spirituality.We approach the study of Teresa's work from two perspectives: 1) her life story within her context, and 2) her work of writing and establishing reformed foundations. Teresa's early life is brought to bear on her later work, especially in leadership and administration, and her middle years are examined as contributing a strong foundation for prayer and Carmelite spirituality. By the time she reached her later years Teresa's ideas were well-formed and her inner relationship to God had grown to a high degree of intensity, which culminated in her extremely productive and active later years, when she traveled throughout Spain, wrote most of her major works, and established many new monasteries. This study of Teresa's approach to work sheds light on her innovations as a reformer and leader. Her innovations encouraged equality among nuns, which went against the existing culture of aristocratic honor and a highly structured system of social classes, and she led from within, maintaining an intense life of prayer while engaging in a highly active life of reform and writing activities well into her later years. In this dissertation, we first introduce Teresa's writings on work, followed by a description of her context, and then we examine the three major periods of her life to explore how her own development with respect to work led her to implement her reform and write her spiritual masterpieces with such courage, dedication and intensity.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-20T16:22:05Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Olsen_cua_0043A_10477display.pdf: 1696145 bytes, checksum: 91184b5b05d66b3cc6571c178edadb41 (MD5)

Advisors/Committee Members: Studzinski, Raymond (Advisor), Benson, Joshua (Other), Sherman, Caroline R (Other), Kavanaugh, Kieran (Other).

▼ 

AbstractThe Spiritual Formation of the Catholic TeacherDominic Pullano, D. Min.Director: Rev. Raymond Studzinski, OSB, Ph.D. Although the faith formation of Catholic teachers is recognized as an essential aspect of their training by both church documents and Catholic school boards, their spiritual formation is often overlooked. In order to be effective in transmitting the faith to their students, Catholic teachers also require on-going, life-long spiritual formation. Since there are no spiritual formation programs in the Catholic school boards of Ontario in which he works, the researcher attempts to design a spiritual formation program for Catholic teachers. Based on a survey of both contemporary and Catholic spirituality, the researcher maintains that a spiritual formation program begins with the concrete issues faced by the participants and then matches them with practices from the Catholic spiritual tradition. The researcher examined the challenges that characterize the lives of Catholic teachers, such as work/life balance, stress, low morale, and decision-making and determined that modern understandings of Sabbath keeping and Ignatian spirituality, among others, would especially benefit Catholic teachers. The researcher then took twenty-five Catholic teachers through the spiritual formation program that he designed. The program consisted of eight sessions. In four of the sessions, the researcher presented various aspects of the Catholic spiritual tradition and provided the participants with spiritual practices to employ between sessions. These presentation sessions were interspersed with small faith-sharing group sessions where the participants discussed the materials in the program. After the eight sessions, the participants filled out two surveys, one immediately at the end of the program and the other four months after the program ended. The surveys indicate that the Catholic teachers found the spiritual formation program extremely meaningful. Among the benefits of the program, the Catholic teachers discovered the importance of self-care and taking time to nurture their spiritual side. They appreciated being introduced to the various spiritual tools, such as the Ignatian Examen, to assist them in their spiritual formation. They found the faith-sharing groups beneficial, as they discovered that they are not alone in their professional struggles.

Spirituality

Catholicism, Education, Formation, Spirituality, Teacher

Spirituality

Degree Awarded: D.Min. Spirituality. The Catholic University of America

Advisors/Committee Members: The Catholic University of America (Degree granting institution), Studzinski, Raymond (Thesis advisor), Magro, Emanuel (Thesis advisor).

▼ 

Degree awarded: Ph.D. Spirituality. The Catholic University of America

While the spirituality of Thomas Merton has widely been acknowledged as bearing a distinctive prophetic quality, little research has examined the underlying formative influences which shaped the contours of the prophetic element of his spirituality. By identifying the various figures Merton describes as prophetic and analyzing why he does so, the particular values he bestows on the prophetic dimension of Christian life can be discerned. William Blake and Latin American poets like Pablo Antonio Cuadra, Alfonso Cortés, and César Vallejo taught Merton the value of perceiving reality with a certain prophetic vision. From them, Merton learned the merit and power of poetic language and symbol to cut through the muddle of modern consciousness. Novelists such as Boris Pasternak, Albert Camus, and William Faulkner helped Merton recognize the distinctive ability of literature to express the imagination's prophetic, sapiential insights into the human predicament. Existentialists like Søren Kierkegaard and Gabriel Marcel helped Merton clarify the prophetic role of fidelity, authenticity, passion, and obedience in Christian life. The Desert Fathers and other monastics, especially Bernard of Clairvaux, offered to Merton a paradigm of monasticism that was simultaneously contemplative and prophetic in nature. As a whole, these sources helped form a number of identifiable contours to Merton's prophetic spirituality. First, Merton's spirituality is characterized by a certain way of viewing reality that can be called prophetic. Through the use of the prophetic imagination, expressed especially in poetry and literature, transcendent values are apprehended and proclaimed in a manner that effectively exposes misplaced values and structures of evil. Secondly, Merton's prophetic spirituality insists upon transcendent values like simplicity, solitude and authenticity to expose a one-dimensional society's addictive lifestyle and unmask illusions which keep people trapped in them. Thirdly, Merton's prophetic spirituality is fundamentally charismatic in nature. Discerning God's voice, openness, availability, passion and experience are all necessary elements for protecting the prophetic dimension of the spiritual life from being dissipated by the institutional. Fourthly, humble fidelity to God is foundational and often leads to one becoming a sign of contradiction to the values of the world and the misplaced values of the Church.

Made available in DSpace on 2013-02-08T16:05:53Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Arcement_cua_0043A_10371display.pdf: 1594237 bytes, checksum: 80621008968859f47f886859f146bea7 (MD5)

Advisors/Committee Members: Studzinski, Raymond (Advisor), Begg, Christopher (Other), Wiseman, James (Other), O'Brien, Mary Elizabeth (Other), Trisco, Robert (Other).

▼ 

Degree awarded: Ph.D. Spirituality. The Catholic University of America

Ella Mitchell (1917-2008) reflects an emphasis on liberation that is inspired and empowered by the influence of God. Though a small body of literature exists by and about women of African American descent, few texts explore their lives and contributions to culture and none have noted the contributions of Mitchell's life and work as a model of lived liberation spirituality. This dissertation explores the life experience and achievements of Mitchell, who was the first female dean of Spelman College's Sisters Chapel, the first African American woman to become president and serve on the Board of Educational Ministries of the American Baptist Church, and the first female to preach at the historic Hampton Ministers' Conference. Mitchell was the first to pull together the voices of African American women preachers for publication and did so through a series of five ground-breaking books entitled Those Preachin' Women (1985, 1988, 1996, 2004, and 2008).Segundo Galilea's concept of liberation spirituality and its dimensions provides a framework for analysis of Mitchell's life and contributions. Information was collected through published works by Mitchell, available recordings of interviews with Mitchell, unpublished manuscripts provided by Mitchell's family, and information provided by family members and friends of Mitchell. The dissertation correlates Mitchell's life to those of other women in the Christian tradition who demonstrated a commitment to aspects of Mitchell's experience. It overlays the simultaneous development in the Civil Rights Movement, African American culture, and African American Christianity that are relevant to Mitchell's experience.Through life experience and preaching, Mitchell demonstrates Galilea's three key components of liberation spirituality: a personal identification with the suffering of Christ, unity of faith and action through service and love, and a call to conversion for others due to a shared responsibility. These are each evident throughout Mitchell's life and manuscripts. Mitchell was born into a segregated state when women were not allowed to vote, chose to give freely to others and love them even as a child, and charged others to live with a sense of purpose and accountability. These characteristics are in clear alignment with the traits expressed by Galilea and provide a basis for viewing Mitchell's life as a lived expression of liberation spirituality.

Made available in DSpace on 2012-06-01T16:44:12Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Magee_cua_0043A_10308display.pdf: 747543 bytes, checksum: 6487aeef5e714121ad2e59e2f3d48bac (MD5)

Advisors/Committee Members: Studzinski, Raymond (Advisor), Dinges, William (Other), White, Joseph M (Other), Fry Brown, Teresa (Other).