Religious Studies electronic theses and dissertations (MU)
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The items in this collection are the theses and dissertations written by students of the Department of Religious Studies. Some items may be viewed only by members of the University of Missouri System and/or University of Missouri-Columbia. Click on one of the browse buttons above for a complete listing of the works.
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Item Gender dynamics in South Asian religious contexts : a comparative study of Hindu, Islamic, and Sikh sacred narratives(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2024) Villanova, Adam T; Cohen, Signe"Rationale and Research Objectives: The examination of women, gender, and sexuality within religious narratives holds profound significance in deciphering the intricate interplay between culture, religion, and society. Focusing on the Hindu, Muslim, and Sikh traditions provides a unique and fertile ground for this investigation. Several compelling factors underscore the importance and timeliness of this research: Religious Pluralism and Cultural Syncretism: India's diverse religious landscape offers an unprecedented opportunity to explore how varied religious traditions interpret and depict women and sexuality within their sacred narratives. Gender Dynamics and Societal Norms: Portrayals of women and sexuality in religious narratives often mirror, reinforce, or contest prevailing societal norms and values. Understanding these representations can shed light on evolving gender dynamics and societal norms in the region. Interdisciplinary Approach: By integrating textual analysis, this research adopts a multi-disciplinary approach that bridges religious studies and gender studies. Such an approach is vital for comprehensively understanding the numerous factors influencing the representations of women, gender, and sexuality within religious narratives. Global Relevance: In an increasingly interconnected world, where gender equality is a subject of global discourse, this research's findings extend beyond regional boundaries. Examining portrayals of women and sexuality in the sacred stories of the Hindu, Muslim, and Sikh traditions contributes to the global dialogue on gender and religion. Considering these factors, this thesis aims to explore, analyze, and comprehend the complex interplay between religious beliefs and societal norms concerning women, gender, and sexuality in the context of South Asian religious traditions."--Page 2.Item Have "right", be "right" a study of the religion of consumerism(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2019) Brietzke, Rebecca Lorraine; Gregory, Rabia[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI SYSTEM AT REQUEST OF AUTHOR.] American society has evolved to equate the cost of a product with the status of a product. The current populace direct their attention to price as a means of justification for their consumption, because they believe it will elevate their position within society. However, what escapes modern purview and understanding is the inherent value of the product. The cost of a product should really be irrelevant, the more important factor is what, if any, value that commodity contributes to your life. It is apparent based my research that these two diametrically opposed concepts have been seemingly reversed. I focus on how advertising has been used as a mechanism to create myth, as Bruce Lincoln has described it. The myth making employed is drawn from shared historical American mythos, making them a powerful motivator. The new myths made Apple, Nike and De Beers, as I show in this study, capitalize on myth making in advertising to create a shared identity effectively manipulating consumer activity.Item Fantastic religion : fandom as religious practice(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2019) Wolff, America Alexandra Judith; Kelley, Dennis F.[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI SYSTEM AT REQUEST OF AUTHOR.] This project seeks to understand both the theoretical and tangible implications of fandom as a meaningful category within the field of Religious Studies and to illuminate a theoretical framework based in functionalist definitions of religion as a tool for fan studies analysis. Religion encompasses the processes by which individuals orient themselves in the world and produce meaning which is employed in the navigation of social systems. By focusing specifically on fandom as a religious practice I am taking seriously the function of fandom and fan communities as they orient individuals in the world, and extending the categorical privilege enjoyed by the label of "religion". In applying religion as an analytical frame, this project argues that fandom orients and produces meaning for its practitioners in such a way that these practices become set apart. This analysis of fandom takes place specifically within three distinct, though often overlapping sets of practices; the online construction of fan-fiction, attending comic conventions, and cosplay practice.Item The racialization of Islam in Germany(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2018) Bayer, Alexandra; Kelley, Dennis F.The discussion surrounding Islam's place in Germany is far from new; Islam is the third largest religious tradition in Europe, trailing Protestantism and Catholicism. Germany and France have the highest population percentage of Muslims in Europe and the highest population percentage of Turkish immigrants in Western Europe. This conversation, naturally, is not a one-sided, xenophobic, anti-Islam one. It is multifaceted and includes the Muslims targeted in the aforementioned hate-crimes. However, this paper is concerned with the nationalistic, xenophobic, anti-Islam sentiments and the ways in which those sentiments manifest in German society. The focus on a specific subset of German nationalists enables one to begin to unpack the roots of the issues nationalists have with Islam. The German nationalists in this paper view themselves as the spokespeople for all Germans, individuals who fit into a white, Christo-centric understanding of German-ness. German nationalists conceive of the visibility of Islam in Germany (minarets, mosques, headscarves, etc.) as a direct challenge to German and Western European culture, values, and ideals. German nationalists, therefore, racialize Muslims as a dangerous demographic who refuse to, or are incapable of, assimilation or integration into German culture and threaten to upend and eventually destroy an idealized German identity.Item Spiritual tourism as the new colonialism : the maintenance of colonial hierarchy in Cusco, Peru(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2017) Wilson, K. H. (Khrystyne Hillary); Kelley, Dennis F.In this paper, I examine the continuing coloniality that exists in Cusco, Peru. Through examining the tourism industry, specifically looking at the subcategory of spiritual tourism, it is evident that colonial structures, most notably the colonial hierarchy of people continues. Within this hierarchy, elites continue to maintain control over the indigenous population. Separation between spiritual tourists, stakeholders in the spiritual tourism industry and the indigenous population operates on a hierarchical scale where the indigenous groups are subjugated to the bottom of the hierarchy. Contemporary spiritual tourism propagates this colonial hierarchical system through signifying what it means to be Quechua. To demonstrate this contemporary hierarchical system, I look to historical records and my own ethnographic research. Specifically, by looking at the case studies of the Centro Qosqo de Arte Native, the Civic Parade and Inti Raymi festival, spiritual retreats and treks to Machu Picchu. Ultimately, while the spiritual tourism industry signifies what it means to be Quechua, this signification does not imply that Quechua communities have no agency within this industry. Rather, individual contest and reject their signification through acts of silence, reclaiming loaded terminology and maintaining their own self-defined identity.