Revitalization Movements & Social Change

Revitalization Movements & Social Change addresses issues of social inequality and timeless questions of values, personal beliefs, and morality. 

I developed Revitalization Movements & Social Change as a personal expression of long-standing academic interests and extensive first-hand experiences with world religions. 

Drs. Barry O'Connor, Amy Widestrom, and John Luetzow oversaw the development of the course and worked with me to refine my ideas. 

The following experiences and research were used in the development of Revitalization Movements & Social Change.

COURSE-RELATED ETHNOGRAPHIC-STYLE IMMERSION

(Photographs, footage, and/or journals are producible upon request.)

August 2004 – March 2005; January 2006 – May 2006  Almeria/Teruel, Spain
Visited the Almeria Cathedral and the Santa Maria de Mediavalla Cathedral. Participated in La Feria de Almeria (a 9-day celebration honoring the patron saint Virgen del Mar), La Boda de Isabel Segura (a historical week-long recreation) and La Semana Santa (Holy Week).

August 2005 – December 2005 Sao Miguel, Azores, Portugal
Participated in religious traditions hosted by Swedes, Brazilians, and the local population.

July 2006 – September 2006  Male, Republic of Maldives                                                                                   
Homestay with a Muslim family. Attended local weddings, dinners, and celebrations. Visited mosques situated in the islands of the archipelago.

January 2007 – May 2007 Kibbutz Hatzor, Israel                                                                                              
Participated in the daily life of kibbutz residents; learned history of the Jewish kibbutzim establishment. Visited the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem, the Dead Sea, Bethlehem, Jaffa, Al-Aqsa Mosque. Participated in Purim and Passover celebrations with a Jewish-American family living in the kibbutz.

October 2007 – May 2008 Pekanbaru, Indonesia                                                                                                       
Lived in a group home comprised of married Muslim men. Observed Eid-ul-Adha. Toured various Hindu temples; attended Kecak Fire Dance in Uluwatu Temple; toured Borobudor, the world’s largest Buddhist temple.

LOCAL SITES VISITED

Masjidullah Center for Human Excellence
Met with Imam Muhammad Adbul-Aleem. Participated in a Quranic focus group which maps the life of Imam Wallace Deen Muhammad. Met with Sister Saleem Abdul Lateef, business manager, to discuss the Sadaqah food drive.

Caron Treatment Center
Visited an addiction treatment center which includes Alcoholics Anonymous as part of its programming. Toured facilities. Interfaced with patients. Participated in information session for guests.

Burning Leaves -- Mohnton, Pennsylvania Chapter
Attended a regional Burning Man event. Interfaced with participants and Burning Man attendees.

Won Buddhism of Philadelphia
Met with Reverend Doil Lee

Glenside United Church of Christ
Met with Pastor Beth Lyon

Lighthouse Fellowship United Methodist Church
Met with Pastor Cynthia Brubaker to coordinate volunteer partnerships with Edgehill Nursing Home & Rehabilitation Center.

Glenside Lutheran Church
Met with Pastor Henrik Sonntag to coordinate volunteer partnerships for the annual Oktoberfest fundraising event.

Jewish Relief Agency
Met with Maddie Levine-Wolf, Volunteer Program Director, to coordinate volunteer partnerships with the JRA.

Shores of Grace Ministries - Philadelphia Chapter
Met with Pastor Luke Billman to coordinate volunteer partnerships with Hope Park Outreach.

COURSE-SPECIFIC RESEARCH                                                                                       

Books:

Gilmore, Lee. Theater in a Crowded Fire: Ritual and Spirituality at Burning Man

Newberg, Andrew & Waldman, Robert. How God Changes Your Brain: Breakthrough Findings from a Leading Neuroscientist

Weber, Max. The Sociology of Religion

Wilson, William Griffith & Smith, Robert. Alcoholics Anonymous (excerpts)

Armstrong, Karen. A History of God

Kreeft, Peter. A Refutation of Moral Relativism

Pinker, Stephen. The Better Angels of Our Nature

Robert D. Putnam & David E. Campbell. American Grace: How Religion Divides and Unites Us

Wuthnow, Robert. America and the Challenges of Religious Diversity

Froese, Paul & Bader, Stephen. America’s Four Gods

Keller, Timothy. The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism

Schroeder, Gerald R.. The Science of God

de Blij, Harm. The Power of Place

Lewis, C.S. Mere Christianity

Lewis, C.S. The Problem of Pain

Nicholi, Armand. The Question of God: C.S. Lewis and Sigmund Freud

Seltzer, Robert M. Religions of Antiquity (excerpts)

Singer, Peter. The Expanding Circle: Ethics, Evolution, and Moral Progress

Jacobs, A.J. The Year of Living Biblically

The New Testament (excerpts)

The Quran (excerpts)

Yancey, Philip & Stafford, Tim. The Student Bible: New International Version (excerpts)

Taylor, Kenneth N. The Living Bible Story Book (excerpts)

McLoughlin, William G. Revivals, Awakenings, and Reform

Needleman, Jacob, Bierman, A.K., and Gould, James A. Religion for a New Generation

Pals, Daniel L. Seven Theories of Religion

Armstrong, Karen. Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life

Benedict, Ruth. Patterns of Culture

Geertz, Clifford. Available Light

Gilbert, Elizabeth. Eat, Pray, Love

Berlin, Isaiah. The Crooked Timber of Humanity

Ariely, Daniel. The (Honest) Truth about Dishonesty

Hoff, Benjamin. The Tao of Pooh

Axtell, James. The Invasion Within

Breen, Michael. The Koreans

Burpo, Todd. Heaven is for Real

Monaghan, John & Just, Peter. Social & Cultural Anthropology: A Very Short Introduction

Nisbett, Richard E. The Geography of Thought: How Asians and Westerners Think Differently…and Why

Joyce, Richard. The Evolution of Morality

Dumas, Firooseh. Funny in Farsi

Kottak, Conrad Phillips. Mirror for Humanity

Pabongka, Jampa Tenzin Trinley Gyatso. Liberation in Our Hands. Part Two: The Fundamentals

Gharwang, Zurmang. Opening the Door to Dharma

Prime Dharma Master Emeritus Chwasan. We Live as We Believe: The Principle of Belief and Its Awesome Power

Prime Dharma Master Kyongsan. The Functioning of a Buddha’s Mind

Hedges, Christopher. American Fascists

Kuhn, Thomas. The Structure of Scientific Revolutions

Bryson, Bill. The Best American Travel Writing

Kinnaman, David. UnChristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks about Christianity…And Why It Matters

Gharwang, Zurmang. How to Visualize, Recite, & Dissolve

Gharwang, Zurmang. A Precious Gift

Lewis, Brenda Ralph. A Dark History: The Popes: Vice, Murder, and Corruption in the Vatican

Examples of Articles:

Wallace, Anthony F.C. 1956. “Revitalization Movements.” American Anthropologist 58: 264-281.

McLoughlin, William G. “New Angles of Vision on the Cherokee Ghost Dance Movement of 1811-1812.” American Indian Quarterly, Vol. 5, No. 4 (Nov., 1979), pp. 317-345.

Wyman, Phil. “Finding Jesus at Burning Man.” Christianity Today. 8 Aug. 2012. http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2012/july-august/finding-jesus-at-burning-man.html. Accessed 14 Dec. 2016.

Hughes-Jones, Alicia. “Reconciling America’s Divided Society Through Religious Revitalization.” Direction, Spring 2003, Vol. 32, No. 1. pp. 10-20.

“Timeline: The Early History of the Mormons.” PBS: The Mormons. 30 Apr. 2007, http://www.pbs.org/mormons/timeline/. Accessed 11 Dec. 2016.

Slick, Matt. “What does Mormonism Teach?” Christian Apologetics & Research Ministry. https://carm.org/teachings-of-mormonism. Accessed 19 Dec. 2016.

Edwards, Jonathan. 1741. “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.”

“The Future of World Religions: Population Growth Projectsions, 2010-2050.” Pew Research Center, Washington D.C.( 2 Apr. 2015). http://www.pewforum.org/2015/04/02/religious-projections-2010-2050/. Accessed 19 Dec. 2016.

Diaconis, Ari J., “The Religion of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA): Applying the Clergy Privilege To Certain AA Communications” (2014). Cornell Law Library Prize for Exemplary Student Research Papers. Paper 7.

Mayhue, Richard L. “The Authority of Scripture.” The Master’s Seminary Journal. Vol. 15, No. 2. (Fall 2004). Pp. 227-236.

Campbell, Bradley and Manning, Jason. Campus Culture Wars and the Sociology of Morality. Comparative Sociology (2016), Vol. 15, No.2, pp. 147-178.

Hartley, Harold V. III. How College Affects Students’ Religious Faith and Practice: A Review of Research. Special Issue on Faith, Spirituality, and Religion on Campus. Spring 2004, Volume 23, Number 2.

Rosado, Caleb. (1997). Paradigm Shifts and Stages of Societal Change: A Descriptive Model. Rosado Consulting for Change in Human Systems.

Bender, Courtney & McRoberts, Omar. Mapping a Field: Why and How to Study Spirituality. Working Group on Spirituality, Political Engagement, and Public Life. October 2012.

Vidal, Clement. (2008). What is a worldview? Center Leo Apostel, Free University of Brussels.

Bertrand, Robert L. The Limits of Secularization through Education. The Kripke Center. Journal of Religion & Society. Volume 17 (2015).

Becker, Howard S. Moral Entrepreneurs. Outsiders: Studies in the Sociology of Deviance. New York: Free Press, 1963.

Kohls, Robert L. The Values Americans Live By. 1984.

Examples of Videos

“Dr. Frank Turek vs. Christopher Hitchens: Does God Exist?” VCU Moderated Debate, 9 Sept. 2008. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7WBEJJlYWU. Accessed 27 Dec. 2016.

“Theater in a Crowded Fire: Ritual and Spirituality at Burning Man.” DVD. 2010.

Gladwell, Malcolm. “The Unheard Story of David and Goliath.” TED Talk. Sep. 2013.

Aslan, Reza. “The Jesus of History versus the Christ of Faith.” The Aspen Institute.

Warren, Rick. “A Life of Purpose.” TED Talk. Jul. 2006.

Trejo, Judy & River, Walker. “Paiute Native American Shaman Wovoka and the Ghost Dance.”

“A History of God.” The History Channel. Apr. 26 2005.