Women--Religious life

Lisa Morrison D.Min.

This research project explores the experiences of women who are admitted to Cleveland Clinic Fairview Hospital’s high-risk obstetrics unit. My intent is to explore the values and beliefs that shape, sustain, and challenge women who are admitted to the hospital with pregnancy complications. This project seeks to understand if the tabletop labyrinth can impact the meaning making of their experience, providing a practice for them to use that mirrors the twists and turns of this journey and fosters a sense of being guided and led to the center.The labyrinth will offer new space and perspective to hold their experience.

Joy Pedrow Skarka D.Ed.Min.

This research project explores how Christian women have experienced sexual shame and how they have experienced freedom. Two surveys were created to explore the research question. The first survey was quantitative and was completed by 1,090 Christian women. Those who were 31–40 years old made up the majority at 30.73 percent, followed by those 23–30 years old who made up 30.46 percent. The second survey was qualitative and was completed by 44 Christian women. Of this number, 38.64 percent were 23–30 years old.

Two surveys designed by the researcher gathered both quantitative and qualitative responses with both closed and open-ended questions. The qualitative survey allowed women’s voices to be heard and their challenges to be known in regard to the sexual shame they have experienced. The quantitative survey provided statistics to prove that women struggle with sexual shame and show how they have found healing. The surveys asked questions about the woman’s life as a Christian, self-worth, and experience with sexual shame. These questions explored correlation of involvement in Christian activities with levels of freedom from shame. The questions also examined what experiences and factors caused women to experience sexual shame and what non-biblical sources and biblical sources led to freedom from sexual shame.

The survey results aligned with the three hypotheses to reveal that Christian women identified understanding the love and grace of God, being known in biblical community, and learning a biblical teaching of sexuality as three contributors to finding freedom from sexual shame.

Maggie Rodriguez D.Ed.Min.

This research project sought to analyze the biblical and social view of evangelical adult Christian women’s worth. A descriptive survey was designed to reveal reasons why evangelical adult Christian women struggle with their sense of self-worth. Hispanic, African American, Asian, and Anglo women provided valuable information regarding each group’s self-worth with respect to their family of origin, cultural background, community variables, and traumatic experiences.

The survey was designed by the researcher and generated a 78% response rate from 604 women. The results of the survey revealed that evangelical adult Christian women struggle with their self-worth and value. The study proved all four of its hypotheses to be true—that an evangelical adult Christian woman’s self-worth can be negatively influenced by her family of origin, culture, community, and past traumatic experiences.

In contrast, research, biblical examples, and survey responses support the truth that God created women in His image and that they reflect the “Imago Dei.”

Mansu Kim

"Although women in their forties and fifties play a crucial role as important dedicators in the Korean Church, they often feel loneliness and emptiness internally, not knowing where to be socially and domestically. Psychologically, they are considered `middle-aged.' In this paper, the author implemented a pastoral care program for middle-aged women in their forties and fifties under these circumstances to find out if the program helps them achieve spiritual maturity and restore their clear life direction and identity. The author conducted an eight-week small group pastoral care program entitled "Healing Mom- A Mother Becomes a Woman" for middle-aged women in their forties and fifties in his church. The program enabled the middle-aged women to reflect on their identity in faith and experience psychological and spiritual healing and recovery." -- Leaf [2].

Enid Medina Torres D.Min.

La Predicación Profética ante la Crisis Socioeconómica como Instrumento de Justicia para la Mujer en Puerto Rico

This paper presents research on how prophetic preaching can become a justice instrument in favor of women in Puerto Rico facing a significant socioeconomic crisis, with the purpose of it to lead social transformation and liberate women. God has called the Church to raise its voice for all those oppressed by power structures. particularly women, who I consider are the most oppressed. This project can become a significant contribution to prophetic preaching, as it convenes the Church to raise its voice against systemic oppression. Prophetic preaching is presented as an effective tool for a better Puerto Rico here and now. It is by means of prophetic preaching that the Church can become an active agent in fulfilling God’s mission and bringing about His kingdom.
This research followed a qualitative approach, using individual interviews with open-ended questions, as well as a four-sermon series. Six people from the local church participated as part of a focus group who supported the sermon preparation as well as their assessment. Results in this research showed inductive sermonary structures contribute to the process of Church members to not only recognize socioeconomic problems women face on a daily basis, but also to also feel compelled to work against them, guiding them to present concrete ideas in favor of socioeconomic justice for women.

Jungmi Kang D.Min.

The author researched the thesis, “A Korean Woman’s Voice to Preach as a Transformed Shaman through Perichoresis-Kut.” Built on the homiletical perspectives of Lisa L. Thompson, Frank Anthony Thomas, and Lynn Japinga, the transforming power of women preachers was envisioned through emotive, resilient, and celebratory interaction with the congregation. Such a transforming interaction was indigenously connected with Korean shamans and their ritual kut, which empowered Korean women’s voices and their ability to speak out for the marginalized. It was theologically connected with Trinitarian perichoresis, which empowered women’s voices and leadership. This thesis was grounded in the methodologies of anthropological and social research into Korean shamans and their ritual kut, homiletical inquiry about women’s voices and leadership, and Asian women’s Trinitarian perichoresis regarding radical subjectivity and open mutuality. While reflecting on these diverse perspectives, the author defined the homiletical significance of the preaching project as follows. First, when Korean women preachers could interact with the Triune God in the pulpit, the congregation might hear in their voices a conviction of perichoresis-kut to speak up for the marginalized against sexism, racism, and cultural colonialism. Second, within the heart of the homiletical significance for churches of Koreans and Korean-Americans, there was the need to change a male-gendered pulpit, by embracing Korean women preachers’ voices and leadership. On the other hand, it was crucial to provide Koreans and Korean-Americans with a transitional and transforming liminal space where every voice and every position could matter, regardless of being at the center or on the margin. Lastly, homiletic significance for the academic field was not only to build up a Korean preaching style rooted in the transformation of perichoresis-kut but also to call hearers to discover their identities in pursuit of advocating human rights and environmental justice.

Shana Cress

Within Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, there is a set of instructions termed the Haustafeln, or “household codes.” Paul turns his focus upon roles within the home. The question that inevitably arises from a text nearing 2,000 years of age is one of relevance. Do these instructions apply to those of a different time and culture? Several matters need to be examined. Previous research has linked this passage to Aristotle, to Roman culture, and to Stoic philosophy. Since the form of the Ephesians household codes is said to resemble Aristotle’s works, a reading of Aristotle’s code is necessary. Roman household characteristics that need to be explored include the pater familias, the goal of harmony, and the Roman conceptuality of adultery. Stoic philosophy will be examined through the writings of Epictetus. By closely examining his discourses, we can look for similarities or dissimilarities to Ephesians. If Paul’s goal was for Christians to blend in to the surrounding culture, then this will be evident as these subjects are investigated. In addition to this historical work, a literary analysis of Ephesians 5:18-6:9 will be performed. This thesis will argue that this passage on the household, Ephesians 5:18-6:9, is best understood against a Christian and not pagan philosophical background, situated within the epistle as a natural progression of Paul’s thought that is consistent with other Scriptural teaching.

Esther H Sanborn

Currently, the majority of lay ministers in the U.S. Catholic Church are women; wisdom can be gained from experience of women who have persisted long-term in lay ministry. Divine imagery in the spiritual lives of twelve women lay ministers from greater Chicago was explored through qualitative interviews. Using practical theology methods, findings of this ethnographic research was engaged with dialogue partners from Christian tradition and contemporary disciplines--Teresa of Avila's The Interior Castle, psychology-spiritual development theories, and feminist theological perspectives. From these mutually critical conversations emerged implications for the formation of lay minsters and proposals for ongoing praxis.

Erin Reibel

There continues to be significant differences in the level of success that women are able to achieve as the lead or solo pastors in United Methodist Churches. Through a grassroots effort, women can form small groups that offer teaching and practical assistance on many of the challenge/opportunities that women clergy face, including their role as adaptive leaders, prophets, and vulnerable leaders. While four months was not sufficient time to see significant results the groups offered women a model of support that could be replicated or modified to reach more female clergy leaders.

Catherine Susan Sims

The author researched a theological reflection method of processing women's experience of breast cancer and its treatments through the image of pilgrimage. In addition to a supportive process the project sought to address the spiritual dimensions of the cancer experience. Three models for reflection were tested: Jesus' Paschal Mystery, the religious practice of pilgrimage and the stations of the cross. Using surveys, as well as discussion and observation over six weeks, data show an improvement in how the women saw their experience. This project enabled the women to choose how they would respond to the diagnosis of breast cancer.