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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.

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

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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.

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

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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.

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

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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.

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

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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.

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

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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.

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

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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.

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

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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.

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

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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.

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

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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.

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

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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.

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

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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.

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

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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.

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

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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).

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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).

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

In 2007 the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) published Doctrinal Elements of a Curriculum Framework for the Development of Catechetical Materials for Young People of High School Age (Framework), which outlined doctrinal material for the textbooks in all Catholic high school religion courses. While texts are evaluated by the USCCB for their conformity with the content for each course, publishers develop instructional approaches for catechesis. This study examined the extent to which eight chapters of eight current high school religion textbooks incorporate normative methodologies for catechesis and utilize recognized strategies for cognitive and affective learning. Nine criteria for catechetical methodology were synthesized from the National Directory for Catechesis (NDC). Bloom's cognitive taxonomy was used to classify cognitive learning anticipated in each chapter's objectives, questions, activities, and test. Finally, a modified version of Krathwohl's affective taxonomy identified the extent to which these chapters invited students to demonstrate affective learning of the material. The author and two professionals working in catechetical education used the procedure independently to analyze the same selected chapters to establish the reliability of the results. The chapters varied considerably in how thoroughly they incorporated the USCCB's elements of methodology for catechesis. Overall, fewer than half of the catechetical methodologies applicable to a high school religion course were incorporated into every chapter and one-third of the methodologies were completely omitted from five of the chapters. Inclusion rates for inductive and deductive methodology were particularly noteworthy because their emphasis ranged among the chapters: half of the chapters balance their inclusion rates for deductive and inductive methodologies, while the other four chapters primarily rely on deductive methodology. The results showed an emphasis on lower-order cognitive learning and missed opportunities to invite students' affective learning. Additionally, the complexity of cognitive learning expected from students and the frequency of invitations to demonstrate affective learning differ significantly among the chapters, even though they cover the same doctrinal topics. The findings suggest that publishers can pay more attention to fully incorporate the USCCB's principles for catechetical methodology and a variety of pedagogies for affective and cognitive learning into high school religion textbooks.

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Advisors/Committee Members: Convey, John J (Advisor), Mattison III, William (Other), Nolan, Lucinda (Other), Studzinski, Raymond (Other).

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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.

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

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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.

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

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

Lives as Revelatory Texts:Constructing a Spiritual Biography of Arleen McCarty Hynes, O.S.B.Elizabeth L. McCloskeyDoctor of PhilosophyDirector: Raymond Studzinski, Ph.D.Throughout Christian history, hagiographical works were written as instruments for the adulation and emulation of spiritual exemplars, or saints. At their most effective, these literary pieces had transformative value for their readers. Modern methods of scholarship led understandably to a more critical stance toward these hagiographic materials, casting doubt on their historical accuracy and spiritual value. However, Edith Wyschogrod in her 1990 work, Saints and Postmodernism: Revisioning Moral Philosophy, cautions against letting the pendulum swing too far in the direction of historicizing a saint's life while neglecting the divine-human transformation that may have occurred there.Kees Waaijman in his 2002 work Spirituality: Forms, Foundations, Methods provides a scientific framework which takes seriously the dialogic nature of spiritual experience. Spiritual biography utilizes what Waaijman calls form-descriptive research tools from the fields of history, the social sciences, literary criticism and theology and employs them in mystagogic research to study the transformative divine-human relational process in an individual life. This study introduces and exemplifies the genre of spiritual biography as an update to pre-scientific hagiography that nonetheless treats individual lives as revelatory texts. Arleen McCarty Hynes (1916-2006) is an apt subject for a spiritual biography. Her life's work as a wife, mother, lay Catholic leader, political activist, bibliotherapist and Benedictine sister was rooted in an underlying belief in the transformative power of the texts of Scripture, poetry and story. Arleen and her husband, Emerson Hynes, were Benedictine oblates of St. John's Abbey in Collegeville, Minnesota, where Emerson taught ethics and they raised their ten children according to The Rule of St. Benedict. They moved to Washington to work with Senator Eugene McCarthy of Minnesota. After the early death of her husband, Arleen Hynes helped launch the field of bibliotherapy as a librarian at St. Elizabeths Hospital in Washington, DC, and then returned to Minnesota to become a Benedictine sister. Her letters, journals, interviews and published pieces suggest the revelatory role of text in her personal and professional life, especially during times of change. Her life narrative serves here as a case study of the genre of spiritual biography as revelatory text.

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Advisors/Committee Members: Studzinski, Raymond (Advisor), Komonchak, Joseph (Other), Dinges, William (Other), Grimbert, Joan (Other), Beal, John (Other).

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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).

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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.

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

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The Metaphor of the Face in Thérèse of Lisieux from the Philosophical Perspective of Emmanuel Lévinas: Creating a Model for Contemporary Mission SpiritualityCyprien Niyitegeka, Ph.D.Director: Raymond Studzinski, O.S.B., Ph.D.My dissertation evaluates Thérèse’s vision of church mission, inspired by the audacious gesture of St. Veronica, the lady who wiped the face of Jesus on the way to Calvary. She detected in this gesture, resembling in what is historically and artistically captured in Veronica’s Veil, that mission which is the transmission of faith to another must reveal the true face of God. Such faith acknowledges the presence of the face of neighbor who is also living in the world. Such awareness of the demands of the face took place at her deathbed. She signaled an end of an era when the church felt with certitude that she fully knew the needs of others in mission.Thérèse expresses herself through metaphors such as the Holy Face. So, I relied on Ricœur’s theory of metaphor in order to expand an understanding of her imaginative missionary spirituality that is essentially Christological. By referring to the phenomenology of the face by Lévinas, I unpacked her metaphor and I argue that through the lens of Lévinas her spirituality shows the importance of dialogue with others in a strange but prophetic way. She demonstrates a way of seeing others by keeping her face hidden in the Face of Jesus. She echoes mutatis mutandis what Lévinas says that the face of the Other, in its radical vulnerability, asymmetrically occupies the position of a teacher. This leads to his ethics. Desiring the Others is at the heart of ethics, and Thérèse’s spirituality consisted of receiving others in their vulnerability in a way that reproduced the sense of responsibility she learned from contemplation. In desiring others for Christ, I argue that her mission is to build “heaven here below” as ethical order of responsibility.The effects of her pregnant metaphor of the Holy Face are undeniable in her spiritual development. As a Doctor of the church she teaches what happens when the gospel message influences our relations with others living in the contemporary world. It is to wipe and anoint others for Christ contemplated in them, because in her feminine approach God has a human face and is not simply a concept.

Theology

Philosophy

Emmanuel Lévinas, Face, Metaphor, Mission, Spirituality, Thérèse of Lisieux

Spirituality

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

Advisors/Committee Members: The Catholic University of America (Degree granting institution), Studzinski, Raymond (Thesis advisor), Studzinski, Raymond (Committee member), Barbieri, William (Committee member), Ambrosio, Francis (Committee member).

▼ AbstractThe Dark Night: A Model of Spiritual Formation for Emerging Young Adults in CollegeJuan Rendon-Reyes, DMinDirector: Raymond Studzinski, PhDAn increasing number of baptized emerging adults consider themselves spiritual (spiritual seekers) and religiously un-affiliated. In 2003 the Pontifical Council for Culture, aware of the reality of the human spiritual quest, stated that helping people in their spiritual search by offering proven techniques and experiences of real prayer could open a dialogue with them which would reveal the riches of the Christian tradition. Several statistics presented by research centers and the Church’s response to the spiritual quest and thirst of young people have led me to write this treatise and develop a project of spiritual formation based on St. John of the Cross’s spirituality of the dark night for emerging young adults in college. The basic methodology that guides the project is spiritual accompaniment and discernment. Over a period of six weeks I meet with a small group of students, once per week for about 45 minutes, to give brief presentations on specific topics of the dark night of the senses and facilitate dialogue and spiritual sharing. A spiritual guide (handbook), based on Book One of The Dark Night, which contains selected readings, questions for reflection and meditation is given to each student. The spiritual guide helps the students to draw out their spiritual and religious experiences in light of John of the Cross’s own experience of darkness and guidance of souls. The students do their own reflection and private journaling as a way to help them enter into dialogue with God and John of the Cross. This method presents a way to clarify their spiritual journey, helps them consider making a decision about their attitude toward religion, spirituality and prayer and see if John’s spirituality of the dark night has an impact in their prayer and spiritual life. The students complete two surveys to check their understanding of religion, spirituality and prayer before and after implementation of the project. They complete an evaluation of the content of the sessions and a final evaluation of the impact of St. John of the Cross’s teachings in their life. The purpose of the final evaluation is to check if there is any level of appropriation of John of the Cross’s ascetical practices for purgation of the senses. It also attempts to see if the students feel any connection with the mystical language of John and would recommend him as a spiritual guide to spiritual seekers. The exposure of John of the Cross’s spirituality of the dark night over a period of six weeks was very fruitful. It helped students: 1) identify areas where they need to grow in detachment; 2) foster an awareness of the need for more time to pray in solitude; and 3) reaffirm in some of them a sense of spiritual quest in communion with the Church. On the other hand, the greatest challenges students faced in this project included: 1) difficulty understanding and processing the mystical language of The Dark… Advisors/Committee Members: The Catholic University of America (Degree granting institution), Studzinski, Raymond (Thesis advisor), Timoney, Susan (Thesis advisor), Lombardo, Nicholas (Committee member), Studzinski, Raymond (Committee member), Timoney, Susan (Committee member).

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Community service is a common component in secular and Catholic high school education as well as in catechetical situations, particularly in confirmation preparation and youth ministry programs. In the catechetical context, the value of community service is affirmed, but the integration of these experiences within sacramental preparation and on-going faith formation is often lacking. Frequently, community service is treated as an appendage rather than an integral aspect of catechesis, which in and of itself, does not often lead to a life-long commitment to love and serve others. Community service has the potential to enhance catechetical formation but methods of integrating service into the catechetical endeavor need to be more fully developed to actualize its potential. This study is a literature review which incorporates the scholarship from diverse sources into a model of Catechetical Service-Learning. The first chapter provides a theology of Christian service using the themes of discipleship, witness, and mission of charity found in the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, the Rite of Baptism for Children, and the Rite of Confirmation. The second chapter explains the use of service in catechesis through a review of the Christian service themes in the catechetical directories and other official catechetical documents. The third chapter summarizes the key principles and practices of service-learning from the secular literature that can be applied to catechetical situations. The fourth chapter presents current methods of catechesis and how they incorporate the service component. The results indicate that Christian service is an integral aspect of formation for initiation preparation as well as on-going faith formation. Leaders can faithfully incorporate many of the principles and practices of service-learning into catechetical situations. Likewise, current methods of catechesis can benefit from adopting principles and practices of service-learning. This study shows that incorporating the model of Catechetical Service-Learning into all catechetical situations, but especially confirmation preparation, Catholic school religion classes, and youth ministry programs, has many potential positive implications. Catechetical Service-Learning that is Christocentric, reflective, communal, and transformative is an opportunity to encounter God, deepen one’s faith, and positively impact the greater community.

Religious education

Religion

Theology

catechesis, catechetical directories, Christian service, confirmation, initiation rites, service-learning

Religious Education/Catechetics

Degree Awarded: Ph.D. Religious Education/Catechetics. The Catholic University of America

Advisors/Committee Members: The Catholic University of America (Degree granting institution), Schreiber, Margaret (Thesis advisor), Studzinski, Raymond (Committee member), Clay, Michael (Committee member).

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The Catechism of the Catholic Church reminds us that “life and physical health are precious gifts entrusted to us by God. We must take reasonable care of them” (CCC2288). Caring for our bodies has become a critical issue for both our physical and spiritual wellness, especially for people suffering from chronic illness. The targeted audience for this project are Catholics who may have a chronic illness and are looking for both physical and spiritual solutions to their situation. This treatise proposes that spiritual practices found in the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola (1491–1556), when integrated into a holistic wellness plan, can benefit those who are struggling with chronic health issues such as obesity and Type II diabetes. The doctoral project has two primary components: a synchronous three-day retreat and a asynchronous multi-week online retreat continuation. Three principles of design were used, and they included The Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius of Loyola, Adult Learning Theory developed by Malcolm Knowles and others, and Blended Learning Theory proposed by several contemporary experts in the field. The main content for the project was drawn from Ignatius’s writings, especially topics from his Spiritual Exercises. Additional content for the project focused on the development of healthy diet and exercise changes beneficial to health improvement, and all content was discussed and reinforced during both the synchronous and asynchronous components of the project. Evaluations took place at the end of both the synchronous and asynchronous components of the project. The majority of participants taking part in the survey on the synchronous component of the project reported that they found the presentations meaningful and were willing to take steps to improve their spiritual, emotional and physical health. The majority of participants taking part in the second survey at the end of the asynchronous component of the project reported that they felt better equipped to care for themselves and their spiritual health benefitted by integrating Ignatian spiritual practices into their daily lives. The survey results indicate that the doctoral project was a meaningful experience and that the integration of the material learned should have long-lasting effects.

Spirituality

Theology

Health education

Catholicism, Chronic Illness, Cura Personalis, Ignatian Spirituality, Spiritual Exercises, St. Ignatius

Pastoral Studies

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

Advisors/Committee Members: The Catholic University of America (Degree granting institution), DeLillio, Richard (Thesis advisor), McCormack, Edward (Committee member), Studzinski, Raymond (Committee member).

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A Catechetical Program for Roman Catholics in Twelve Step RecoveryKathleen M. KelleyDirector: Msgr. Stephen Rossetti, D.Min., Ph.D. Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.) and other Twelve Step programs are based on the belief that recovery from addictions is inherently spiritual. These programs are careful to distinguish themselves as spiritual and not religious so as to make clear that they are not affiliated in any way with any particular belief system. Twelve Step based addiction treatment programs further support this by advancing the idea that “religious” refers to the doctrinal and ritualistic practices of organized religion and “spiritual” refers to the personal pursuit of our own conception of God, higher power and even to that which signifies ultimate meaning and purpose. While this is not inaccurate it does tend to form too much of a distinction between the two as there is a rich spirituality inherent in many religions and particular to this project in Catholicism. This project sought to address this distinction for Catholics in recovery who may have questions about how to understand the spiritual dimension of addiction and recovery by taking some of the key concepts in Twelve Step spirituality and recasting them in light of some fundamental aspects of Catholic faith and practice. To accomplish this, I led a catechetical program aimed at improving the participant’s knowledge and understanding of the Liturgy, the Sacraments and prayer and their relevance to recovery spirituality. Upon completion of the program, participants were asked to complete a post program questionnaire which assessed improvements in their knowledge and changes in the likelihood of engaging in religious based spiritual practices in recovery. The results support a conclusion that the program did effect some quantifiable change in both knowledge and in the likelihood of integrating Catholic faith with Twelve Step spirituality for all participants. A particular contribution of this program is that it facilitated a renewed interest for several participants who previously lacked meaningful connection to the Church during this time of significant change.

Pastoral counseling

Theology

Spirituality

Addiction, Catholic Spirituality, Ministry, Pastoral Care, Spiritual Care, Twelve Step Recovery

Pastoral Studies

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

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

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

As a Baptist minister, pastoral theologian and "spiritual father" of the American Civil Rights Movement, Howard Thurman (1900-1981) made significant contributions to the religious and ethical life of twentieth-century America. Serving the majority of his pastoral career as an academic chaplain, preacher, teaching theologian and contemplative author, Thurman authored more than 24 books of cultural criticism and pastoral meditations and over 50 articles on religious life and mystical experience. The most famous of his works, Jesus and the Disinherited (1949), deeply influenced the thought of Martin Luther King, Jr. and other black leaders were particularly interested in Thurman's treatment of nonviolence within a Christian perspective. Claiming Thurman as a "holy man for the new millennium," Martin Marty has recently suggested that Thurman's unique ability to tutor the "religious quest for freedom" demands that scholars afford his efforts at spiritual and societal reconciliation the same consideration as those of his better-known contemporaries Thomas Merton, Dorothy Day and Evelyn Underhill. Akin to the writings of Merton and, more recently, the feminist theologian Dorothee Sölle, Thurman's voice may rightly be considered as a neglected source of Christian pacifism promoting, to borrow from Sölle, "resistance" to any personal or social relations that are not ultimately rooted in and incarnating Divine Love. In this dissertation, I analyze and interpret the interrelations of mysticism, peace and reconciliation in Thurman's life and thought. Beginning with a biographical sketch of Thurman's life that highlights the primary experiences and relationships which formed his theology of peace and personal mystical spirituality, I then move into an extended recovery of his theology of peace and mystical spirituality of reconciliation. I then explore his "spiritual idiom" (use of language, silence, symbol and the arts) as a means of integrating his theology of peace and spirituality of reconciliation with his pastoral rhetoric evident in his speaking and writing. Finally, I integrate findings from the previous chapters, first by using Thurman's original paradigm of "whole-making" to identity certain strengths and weaknesses of his witness, and then via consideration of Thurman as a "peacemaker." I conclude this chapter and the dissertation through a brief consideration of potential new avenues of research related to Thurman, peace and mysticism, and spirituality more generally construed. By focusing on Thurman's mystical theology of reconciliation and its practical implications for his pastoral ministry in this context, my research will make explicit his contributions to peacemaking, nonviolence and spirituality particularly within a Christian context.

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Advisors/Committee Members: Barbieri, Jr., William A. (Advisor), Studzinski, Raymond (Other), Wiseman, James (Other), Johnson, Glen (Other), Donaldson, Linda (Other).

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Degree awarded: Ph.D. Biblical Studies. The Catholic University of America

AbstractSecond Corinthians 5:16-6:2 rests within one of the most magisterial and problematic sections in Paul's letters. Numerous previous studies have varied on how to delimit the section and how to understand the call to reconciliation in 5:18-20 within Paul's theology. These studies have focused on the perspective of the author Paul, often comparing 2 Cor 5:18-21 with Rom 5:1-10 (among other texts), or attempting to understand the origin of the concept of reconciliation within his theological matrix. This dissertation focuses on the authorial audience's response to 5:16-6:2. The audience-oriented method adopted for this study is "text-centered" in that it studies how the authorial audience (i.e., the "textual" or "implied" audience) responds to the oral presentation of a text. This method demonstrates for modern readers what the audience experiences within the text's performance, that is, this method shows what the audience hears. Within this method the exegete "listens" carefully to repeated terms, themes, and structures. This dissertation represents the first audience-oriented study of 2 Cor 5:16-6:2 (and 2 Cor 1:1-6:2 as a whole) and as such contributes several new insights regarding this intriguing section. This study demonstrates 5:16-6:2 to be a chiastic unit with an A (5:16-17), B (5:18), B´ (5:19-20), A´ (5:21-6:2) structure that is grounded objectively on grammatical and lexical criteria. Furthermore, this study demonstrates 5:16-6:2 to be the closing A´ unit to a six part macrochiastic unit in 4:15-6:2, and thus presents lexical parallels with the A unit, 4:15-18. As a chiastic unit, the section 5:16-6:2 has paralleling elements that develop Paul's exhortation as it progresses through the unit's structure. In addition to being the conclusion of the macrochiasm 4:15-6:2, the unit 5:16-6:2 is also shown to be the climactic exhortation of 2 Cor 1:1-6:2, which consists of three macrochiastic arguments (1:8-2:13; 2:14-4:14; 4:15-6:2), and emphasizes the symbiotic relationship that Paul and the audience share in Christ.

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Advisors/Committee Members: Heil, John P (Advisor), Gignac, Frank T (Other), Matera, Frank (Other), Klingshirn, William (Other), Studzinski, Raymond (Other).

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

This dissertation can be viewed by CUA users only.

Mikhail Bulgakov labored on his manuscript for The Master and Margarita during a period of professional persecution that began in 1927 and lasted until his death in 1940. While the majority of critical analyses investigate what issues of Soviet life Bulgakov might have self-consciously addressed in The Master and Margarita, this study explores the question: what function might the novel have served for Bulgakov when he was unable to publish fiction or produce theatrical work? This study suggests that The Master and Margarita served as a coping mechanism through which Bulgakov dealt with his professional persecution. Using C. G. Jung’s theory of the process of individuation, this study explores The Master and Margarita as product of Bulgakov’s active imagination (a means of making unconscious material visible through creative activities such as writing) that guided him through a process of individuation (adaption to life’s conflicts and obstacles) during a period of professional persecution. This study of The Master and Margarita divides the novel according to Jung’s three stages of individuation (differentiation, confrontation, and reunion) and evaluates the narrative’s progression and the emergence of characters against the movement and archetypes present within the process of individuation. Within a Jungian reading, each character central to the narrative reflects an archetype that participates in the individuation process and the novel’s plot echoes the movement associated with each stage of individuation. While archetypes within the novel reflect Ivan Bezdomny’s journey, in accordance with Jung’s archetypal theory, these archetypes also reflect features of Bulgakov’s psyche. The study concludes with a discussion of Woland’s personification of the shadow archetype, the archetype present at the start of individuation, according to Jung. Woland is not merely the shadow archetype within the novel, as a character from Bulgakov’s creative mind; Woland represents Bulgakov’s shadow as well. Therefore, Woland’s appearance as the shadow supports the suggestion that The Master and Margarita represents a work of Bulgakov’s active imagination and a novel of individuation.

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Advisors/Committee Members: Barbieri, William A. (Advisor), Bosworth, David A. (Other), Studzinski, Raymond (Other), Johnson, Glen (Other), McKenna, Stephen (Other).

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

Before May 24, 2014, this dissertation can be viewed by CUA users only. [12 months embargo]

Sabbath/Sunday: Their Spiritual Dimensions in the Light of Selected Jewish and Christian Discussions Jeanne Brennan Kamat, Ph. D. Christopher Begg, S.T.D., Ph. D. The Sabbath as the central commandment of the Law relates all of Judaism to God, to creation, to redemption, and to the final fulfillment of the promises in the eternal Sabbath of the end-time. However, early in the inception of Christianity, Sunday replaced the Sabbath as the day of worship for Christians. This dissertation is a study of the various aspects of the Sabbath in order to gain a deeper insight into Jesus' relationship to the day and to understand the implications of his appropriation of the Sabbath to himself. Scholars have not looked significantly into Jesus and the Sabbath from the point of view of its meaning in Judaism. Rabbi Abraham Heschel gives insight into the Sabbath in his description of the day as a window into eternity bringing the presence of God to earth; Rabbi Andre Chouraqui contends that the Sabbath is the essence of life for Jews. According to S. Bacchiocchi when Christianity separated from Judaism by the second century, Sunday worship was established as an ecclesiastical institution. In contrast, H. Sturcke advocates a Christological view of Jesus' relationship to the Sbbath and considers observance of Sunday as initiated by the resurrection appearances. W. Rordorf presents Sunday Eucharist as the tradition practiced in the early Chruch and confirmed in the writings of the Church Fathers. The Catholic theologian Jean Danielou S.J. explains that, for the Christian, the Hebrew Scriptures are a type of the fullness of revelation in Jesus Christ and contends that the Paschal Mystery is the Passover from the power of sin and death to new hope and life. I have concluded that in appropriating the Sabbath to himself, Jesus as a Jew in a Jewish milieu, is definitively indicating that the Sabbath is no longer the recurrence of a twenty-four hour time-frame, that all of the aspects of the Sabbath are now in his person, and that the presence of God is found in mercy and love. Jesus' death, resurrection, and first of the week resurrection appearances confirm that the promised glory has become a reality in him and his teachings are the new Law of grace. This initiated Sunday as the new time of Eucharistic worship.

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Advisors/Committee Members: Begg, Christopher (Advisor), Begg, Christopher (Other), Atkinson, Joseph (Other), Studzinski, Raymond (Other), Green, Thomas (Other), Beal, John (Other).