Trelawney Jean Grenfell-Muir has extensive education and experience in conflict studies, religion, and peacebuilding. She holds a Ph.D. in Conflict Studies & Religion from Boston University, where her dissertation examined grassroots peacebuilding methods of clergy in Northern Ireland. She has taught courses on cross-cultural conflict and served as an adjunct professor at UMass Boston. Grenfell-Muir has researched and published on religion and conflict in Northern Ireland, Lebanon, and Syria, interviewing clergy and political/religious leaders. Her work focuses on the role of local religious leaders in ameliorating inter-communal conflict.
Strengths Building, Resilience, and the Bible: A Story-Based Curriculum for A...Jonathan Dunnemann
Depression is the leading cause of illness and disability in adolescents worldwide. Resilience training, founded on principles of positive psychology, is correlated with lower depression and
substance misuse in U.S. adolescents and military personnel. However, resilience training has focused primarily on secular interventions using western material. Religion is strongly correlated
with lower depression and also with well-being in developing countries. Ninety percent of adolescents live in developing countries, and at least two-thirds are oral learners who prefer
learning through stories and drama. This paper proposes a Bible story based curriculum that trains students in problem solving skills, character strengths, and both spiritual and secular
research-tested principles for resilience and well-being. The Bible is available by audio recording in 751 languages and offers a broad base of archetypal stories for teaching resilience. The
program is easily reproducible, culturally adaptable, respectful of all religions, and specifically crafted for oral learners. Through audio recordings to maintain fidelity, train the trainer programs
for dissemination and support of national and community leaders, the proposed curriculum for Global Resilience Oral Workshops (GROW) has potential to lower depression and lift well-being
in adolescents around the world.
This study explores adolescent religious commitment using qualitative data
from a religiously diverse (Jewish, Christian, Muslim) sample of 80 adolescents.
A new construct, anchors of religious commitment, grounded in interview data, is
proposed to describe what adolescents commit to as a part of their religious
identity.
An Examination of Spirituality in the African American ChurchJonathan Dunnemann
Previous studies investigate whether spirituality aids African Americans in coping with the complexities of life when confronted with a host of issues such as higher levels of poverty, health issues, and incarceration. However, few studies have examined the consistency of spirituality across multiple parameters. This study examines spirituality across gender, city, and the interactions of gender and city. Findings indicate the consistency of spirituality within the African American community supporting the role of the church for males and females in both rural and urban settings.
Discipleship Formation in the African Methodist Episcopal Church in the 21st ...Jonathan Dunnemann
This qualitative case study sought to discover if the African Methodist Episcopal Church is intentional in the discipleship formation of its members. My study examined five African
Methodist Episcopal Churches in the Midwest and included 60 clergy and non-clergy participants. I conducted one-on-one interviews with the clergy and I held focus groups of seven to ten participants with the non-clergy. Also as part of the study, I observed weekly worship services, adult Sunday school classes, and mid-week Bible studies at each of the five churches. The major findings revealed discipleship formation is not a one-time event, but a journey with four components: 1) the participants understanding and definition of discipleship as journey, 2) discipleship formation journey aids inside the church, 3) discipleship formation journey hindrances inside the church, and 4) discipleship formation journey aids outside the church. I
analyzed the findings using four theoretical frameworks: 1) myths, rituals, habits, and the sacred; 2) critical pedagogy; 3) black liberation theology; and 4) transformational leadership. Analysis of the data revealed the foundational Christian education programs within the church are struggling with being relevant to people’s everyday lives. Second, role models play an important part in discipleship formation. Third, because of time constraints, church leaders do not get to focus on their discipleship formation so they can be role models and help others on their journeys.
The pivotal role of religion and spirituality in the lives of African Americans marks this ethnoracial group as a particularly important target for attention in research on the psychology and sociology of religion. In this chapter we endeavor to achieve three ends: First, we briefly review literature on meanings of religiosity and spirituality among African Americans. Second, we review the literature on the link between religiosity, spirituality, and health among African Americans. Finally, we examine findings regarding the pathways by which religion and spirituality may achieve its ends.
Strengths Building, Resilience, and the Bible: A Story-Based Curriculum for A...Jonathan Dunnemann
Depression is the leading cause of illness and disability in adolescents worldwide. Resilience training, founded on principles of positive psychology, is correlated with lower depression and
substance misuse in U.S. adolescents and military personnel. However, resilience training has focused primarily on secular interventions using western material. Religion is strongly correlated
with lower depression and also with well-being in developing countries. Ninety percent of adolescents live in developing countries, and at least two-thirds are oral learners who prefer
learning through stories and drama. This paper proposes a Bible story based curriculum that trains students in problem solving skills, character strengths, and both spiritual and secular
research-tested principles for resilience and well-being. The Bible is available by audio recording in 751 languages and offers a broad base of archetypal stories for teaching resilience. The
program is easily reproducible, culturally adaptable, respectful of all religions, and specifically crafted for oral learners. Through audio recordings to maintain fidelity, train the trainer programs
for dissemination and support of national and community leaders, the proposed curriculum for Global Resilience Oral Workshops (GROW) has potential to lower depression and lift well-being
in adolescents around the world.
This study explores adolescent religious commitment using qualitative data
from a religiously diverse (Jewish, Christian, Muslim) sample of 80 adolescents.
A new construct, anchors of religious commitment, grounded in interview data, is
proposed to describe what adolescents commit to as a part of their religious
identity.
An Examination of Spirituality in the African American ChurchJonathan Dunnemann
Previous studies investigate whether spirituality aids African Americans in coping with the complexities of life when confronted with a host of issues such as higher levels of poverty, health issues, and incarceration. However, few studies have examined the consistency of spirituality across multiple parameters. This study examines spirituality across gender, city, and the interactions of gender and city. Findings indicate the consistency of spirituality within the African American community supporting the role of the church for males and females in both rural and urban settings.
Discipleship Formation in the African Methodist Episcopal Church in the 21st ...Jonathan Dunnemann
This qualitative case study sought to discover if the African Methodist Episcopal Church is intentional in the discipleship formation of its members. My study examined five African
Methodist Episcopal Churches in the Midwest and included 60 clergy and non-clergy participants. I conducted one-on-one interviews with the clergy and I held focus groups of seven to ten participants with the non-clergy. Also as part of the study, I observed weekly worship services, adult Sunday school classes, and mid-week Bible studies at each of the five churches. The major findings revealed discipleship formation is not a one-time event, but a journey with four components: 1) the participants understanding and definition of discipleship as journey, 2) discipleship formation journey aids inside the church, 3) discipleship formation journey hindrances inside the church, and 4) discipleship formation journey aids outside the church. I
analyzed the findings using four theoretical frameworks: 1) myths, rituals, habits, and the sacred; 2) critical pedagogy; 3) black liberation theology; and 4) transformational leadership. Analysis of the data revealed the foundational Christian education programs within the church are struggling with being relevant to people’s everyday lives. Second, role models play an important part in discipleship formation. Third, because of time constraints, church leaders do not get to focus on their discipleship formation so they can be role models and help others on their journeys.
The pivotal role of religion and spirituality in the lives of African Americans marks this ethnoracial group as a particularly important target for attention in research on the psychology and sociology of religion. In this chapter we endeavor to achieve three ends: First, we briefly review literature on meanings of religiosity and spirituality among African Americans. Second, we review the literature on the link between religiosity, spirituality, and health among African Americans. Finally, we examine findings regarding the pathways by which religion and spirituality may achieve its ends.
Transformative Pedagogy, Black Theology and Participative forms of PraxisJonathan Dunnemann
"This formative analysis is... on the significant developments in religious education by and for Black people, principally in the US. ..., I describe my own participative approaches to Black theology by means of transformative pedagogy, which utilizes interactive exercises as a means of combining the insights of the aforementioned ideas and themes into a transformative mode of teaching and learning."
"..., I have attempted to combine the radical intent of transformative education arising from the Freirerian tradition with Black liberation theology in order to develop a more participative and interactive mode of theo-pedagogical engagement that moves intellectual discourse beyond mere theorizing into more praxis based forms of practice.
Protective Factors Determine Resilience in Madurese Ethnic Adolescentinventionjournals
: living in the center of drug circulation and use is the highest factor possibly influencing that adolescents in madura are easily involved in drug use. Some factors to protect adolescents from getting involved in drug abuse are needed. Based on this phenomenon, this research aims at analyzing the influence of protective factors determining resilience of Madurese ethnic adolescents living in the environment of high-risk drug abuse. Parents‟ role, emotion control, religiosity, and self esteem of Madurese ethnic called „Ajina aba‟ as the mediator variable are the protective factors that would be tested for their influences toward resilience. The research subjects were obtained through purposive sampling with 356 adolescents of Madurese ethnic living in the area of high-risk areas of drug abuse, born and living in Madura, with parents of native Madurese. SEM was used for analyzing the data. The result of this study suggested that there is no direct influence of parents‟ role toward resilence, but parents‟ role has positive influence toward resilience when the mediator variable is the self esteem of Madurese ethnic. There is positive influence of emotion regulation toward resilence. Other result showed that there is negative influence of religiosity toward resilience when directly associated. However, religiosity has positive influence when the self esteem of Madurese ethnic is used as mediator variable. In addition, the self esteem of Madurese ethnic was proven to be mediator variable and has positive influence toward resilience. This result implies that parents‟ role, emotion regulation, religiosity, and self esteem of Madurese ethnic are protective factors that can be used as guide in designing program to prevent drug abuse by Madurese ethnic adolescents
Translating Spiritual Ideals into Daily Life: The Eight-Point Program of Pass...Jonathan Dunnemann
An inspirational passage turns our thoughts to what is permanent, to those things that put a final end to insecurity. In meditation, the inspirational passage becomes imprinted on our consciousness. As we drive it deeper and deeper, the words come to life within us, transforming all our thoughts, feelings, words, and deeds.
This book compares the most important religious traditions in order to discover the values and ethical principles they share in common, as well as the possibilities of reaching a consensus in core values that serve as the basis of an ethical education that fosters peace world.
Despite the end of the cold war, there is now a growing danger of new wars, conflicts and clashes between different peoples, cultures and civilizations, as well as the serious threat of international terrorism. It can be observed that many of these new conflicts have a religious background, so today more than ever we see the need to reach a religious peace if we want to advance towards world peace.
Transformative Pedagogy, Black Theology and Participative forms of PraxisJonathan Dunnemann
"This formative analysis is... on the significant developments in religious education by and for Black people, principally in the US. ..., I describe my own participative approaches to Black theology by means of transformative pedagogy, which utilizes interactive exercises as a means of combining the insights of the aforementioned ideas and themes into a transformative mode of teaching and learning."
"..., I have attempted to combine the radical intent of transformative education arising from the Freirerian tradition with Black liberation theology in order to develop a more participative and interactive mode of theo-pedagogical engagement that moves intellectual discourse beyond mere theorizing into more praxis based forms of practice.
Protective Factors Determine Resilience in Madurese Ethnic Adolescentinventionjournals
: living in the center of drug circulation and use is the highest factor possibly influencing that adolescents in madura are easily involved in drug use. Some factors to protect adolescents from getting involved in drug abuse are needed. Based on this phenomenon, this research aims at analyzing the influence of protective factors determining resilience of Madurese ethnic adolescents living in the environment of high-risk drug abuse. Parents‟ role, emotion control, religiosity, and self esteem of Madurese ethnic called „Ajina aba‟ as the mediator variable are the protective factors that would be tested for their influences toward resilience. The research subjects were obtained through purposive sampling with 356 adolescents of Madurese ethnic living in the area of high-risk areas of drug abuse, born and living in Madura, with parents of native Madurese. SEM was used for analyzing the data. The result of this study suggested that there is no direct influence of parents‟ role toward resilence, but parents‟ role has positive influence toward resilience when the mediator variable is the self esteem of Madurese ethnic. There is positive influence of emotion regulation toward resilence. Other result showed that there is negative influence of religiosity toward resilience when directly associated. However, religiosity has positive influence when the self esteem of Madurese ethnic is used as mediator variable. In addition, the self esteem of Madurese ethnic was proven to be mediator variable and has positive influence toward resilience. This result implies that parents‟ role, emotion regulation, religiosity, and self esteem of Madurese ethnic are protective factors that can be used as guide in designing program to prevent drug abuse by Madurese ethnic adolescents
Translating Spiritual Ideals into Daily Life: The Eight-Point Program of Pass...Jonathan Dunnemann
An inspirational passage turns our thoughts to what is permanent, to those things that put a final end to insecurity. In meditation, the inspirational passage becomes imprinted on our consciousness. As we drive it deeper and deeper, the words come to life within us, transforming all our thoughts, feelings, words, and deeds.
This book compares the most important religious traditions in order to discover the values and ethical principles they share in common, as well as the possibilities of reaching a consensus in core values that serve as the basis of an ethical education that fosters peace world.
Despite the end of the cold war, there is now a growing danger of new wars, conflicts and clashes between different peoples, cultures and civilizations, as well as the serious threat of international terrorism. It can be observed that many of these new conflicts have a religious background, so today more than ever we see the need to reach a religious peace if we want to advance towards world peace.
[Dr. Verma] Paper: Religious Ethics and Interfaith UnderstandingGlobalPeaceFoundation
Date: Dec. 5th 2013
Session: Creating Unity in Diversity in Asia: Including Others in Our Sphere of Moral Obligation
Speaker: Dr. M.M. Verma: President, Interfaith Foundation, India
Is religion a force for good?
When organized religion seeks to teach people how to live and how to appreciate the essence of life, realization of goals is achieved. However, when people are encouraged to commit contemptible and staggering acts in the name of God, it gives rise to immoral things. History supports this claim in many ways but for this writing; the focus is on war and hate crimes. Wars, triggered by organized religion have made their mark in history. The terrorist attack on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and the crash of the plane in Pennsylvania all had a religious connection, radical Fundamentalist Muslim terrorists. Organized religion has created religious warfare. Organized religion is also responsible for many hate crimes. Following the attacks on September 11, many persons of Muslim and Arab descent were victims of hate crimes simply because they shared the same ethnicity and religion as the perpetrators.
Religion can also be seen as a force which helps us discriminate between the good and evil .If there were no religion or any commandments then everybody would do what feels good to them and the world would be in a chaos. So religion can be seen as a regulator which regulates the world. Each and every corner of this world has been touched by one or the other religion. Every religion teaches more or less the same things to follow, the path of love, compassion, honesty, truth etc. Love thy neighbor as thyself, the most famous Christian commandment teaches us to love another person and treat him well just like we want for ourselves. Today the world is making advancement in technology and science but this has led to more confusion, stress, rise in crimes and violence. With all these going on how do we follow the paths that make our lives serene, peaceful and better?
Bibliography:
1. Harris, Sam (2004). The end of faith: Religion, Terror, and the future of Reason. Retrieved 12 July 2014. Sam Harris delivers a startling analysis of the clash between reason and religion in the modern world. He offers a vivid, historical tour of our willingness to suspend reason in favor of religious beliefs even when these beliefs inspire the worst human atrocities. While warning against the encroachment of organized religion into world politics, Harris draws on insights from neuroscience, philosophy, and Eastern mysticism to deliver a call for a truly modern foundation for ethics and spirituality that is both secular and humanistic.
2. Harris, Sam (2006).Letter to a Christian Nation. Letter to a Christian Nation" is a rallying cry to rationalists everywhere and should serve as a wakeup call to retrograde Christians eagerly toiling away to displace science with magical thinking, overturn a woman's right to choose, relegate gays and lesbians to second class citizenship, or ensure the apocalypse. Harris presents concise arguments with lucidity, brevity and impact. If you haven't read his prior book "The End of Faith" the thesis of "Lett ...
Running head CAPSTONE COMPONENT PART 42CAPSTONE COMPONENT PA.docxtodd271
Running head: CAPSTONE COMPONENT PART 4 2
CAPSTONE COMPONENT PART 4 2
Capstone Component Part 4
Karen Crump
National Louis University
Course: HED 632, Student Development Theory
Instructor: Dustin Heuerman, Ed.D.
University of Nevada Las Vegas and Development of Social Identity and Gender Identity
Gender identity is the self-recognition of an individual's own gender about their traits. As early as three years of age, children start developing individual behavior that is linked to a specific gender, either female or male. In the early stages of childhood, gender identity is evaluated based on the interests that the children develop. Typically, male children are attracted to masculine objects and activities as toy cars and toy guns.
On the other hand, small girls tend to be attracted to soft toys such as dolls and colorful items. Social identity refers to who particular regard themselves to be based on the social groups they often engage with, or they were born to. The development of social status is mainly dependent on the characteristics of the group that an individual identifies themselves with, (Wood & Eagly, 2018). A person's behavior is mostly influenced by their decision to conform to certain social groups. At older ages, gender identity can be expressed through hobbies and interests in individual careers while social status can be expressed mainly through dress code.
The University of Nevada, Las Vegas, a public research university, introduced a program to address gender, race, and identity. The program offers the opportunity for scholars and learners to explore and study extensively about social status as well as gender identity. Setting up an entirely autonomous department for the program has promoted successful research into the issues that revolve around gender identity and social identity. The University also offers a range of courses in the field of gender, race, and identity and has continuously produced intellectuals in this specific field, (Coates, 2015). The LGBTQ community has fully been recognized by the institution since 2015. Members of the LGBTQ community often get counseling services from the institution's counseling department. Despite the University's commitment to promoting free gender expression, the institution has often failed to safeguard the freedom of expression for the LGBTQ community. Several cases have been reported where members of the LGBTQ community have been harassed or stigmatized within the institution. There lack clear guidelines and policy that dictates the action to be taken against perpetrators of gender harassment within the University (Harry & Watson, 2017).
However, it is imperative to note that the University of Nevada has remained firmly committed to the development of gender and social identity. Funding of research and support of gender-related programs by the University has played a significant role in promoting and spreading awareness on identity-related issues both within and.
This presentation reviews my research on South Asian American mental health (e.g., background, significance, methods, key findings, and next steps). I also review practical tips based on my preliminary findings and introduce mindfulness at the end, a likely culturally relevant intervention for South Asian Americans. The last slide has pictures of my list of South Asian mental health resources.
This presentation was given at an event hosted by UC Riverside's South Asian Federation and Pakistani Student Association on 1/24/19.
Please cite the authors if utilizing this presentation in the preparation of any future work including, but not limited to, PowerPoint presentations, IRBs, and articles. The primary author can be reached via email at ad4839@berkeley.edu.
Running head ASIAN MUSLIM CULTURE 1THE ASIAN MUSLIM CULTURE.docxSUBHI7
Running head: ASIAN MUSLIM CULTURE 1
THE ASIAN MUSLIM CULTURE 5
Research Paper Outline: The Asian Muslim Culture
Name
University
1. Introduction
Culture is observable from a multifaceted approach in the form beliefs, art, morals, law, and customs. In the Asian continent, the Muslim culture has not been given as much focus as Muslims in the Middle East. The focus of this paper is to provide an outline for a research paper on Asian Muslims, a brief annotated bibliography that presents information on culture and practices, a reflection of what has been learned, and what I expect to learn by the end of the research paper.
2. Body Outline
a) The body of the research paper will detail a literature review that examines what other authors have published on the subject.
b) It will also have methodological procedures that entail data collection using existing documents and records.
c) The research paper will provide findings, conclusions, and discussion sections.
d) It will contain the implications of the culture's practices on parties that directly involve with the culture.
3. Annotated Bibliography
Jegatheesan, B., Miller, P. J., & Fowler, S. A. (2010). Autism from a religious perspective: A study of parental beliefs in South Asian Muslim immigrant families. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities.
The authors of this study provide a focus on Asian Muslims who have children who have Autism. They then interview South Asian Muslims with the aim of ascertaining their beliefs on autism. The methods used for the study were the collection of interviews and conversations that were recorded during an excursion that took a period of 17 months. The results indicated that Asian Muslim families understood that taking care of children with autism had to take place in Muslim terms. The families also contested the understanding provided by experts on the ailment. They believed that the approach presented by experts destabilized rather than supported their children's development. The findings provide insinuations of Muslims perceptions on the contemporary and conventional use of empirical results in the treatment of ailments.
Purkayastha, B. (2010). Interrogating intersectionality: Contemporary globalization and racialized gendering in the lives of highly educated South Asian Americans and their children. Journal of Intercultural Studies, 31(1), 29-47.
The author of the study explores the fit of intersectionality framework when seeking to understand transnational lives. The data used in the survey was obtained from the author’s exploration on South Asian migrant families as well as their youngsters to the United States. The study primarily focuses on highly educated migrants who have intent on maintaining useful family ties. The researcher uses the information to ascertain if the intersectionality methodology can provide an explanation of life that span between actual and hypothetical social worlds. The research concludes b ...
Religion on Psychological Well-Being and Self-Efficacy among Secondary School...IJSRP Journal
In recent years, psychological well-being has been critical element in a students’ life. This study has investigated the effect of religious faith on psychological well-being and self-efficacy among secondary school students in Kulim district of Kedah. Quantitative approaches of survey design were used for this study. A number of ninety four secondary school students comprised from form four, and form five were selected using purposive sampling methods as studied subjects. The modified version of Santa Clara Strength of Religious Faith Questionnaire (SCSRFQ), Psychological Well Being Inventory (The Ryff Scale) and Self-efficacy for Self-regulated Learning Scale were administered in this study. The finding of linear regression indicated that religious faith is a significant predictor of psychological well-being and self-efficacy among secondary school students in Kulim district of Kedah. The finding also revealed that psychological well-being is a significant predictor of self-efficacy among secondary school students in Kulim district of Kedah. As a conclusion, study disclosed that psychological well-being intensely related to an individual religious faith and proven to lead positive attitude among students in realize their own capability.
Cultural Beliefs of Female Circumcision (nkim) and Personality Development in...ijtsrd
The objective of this study is to investigate how the cultural beliefs of female circumcision Nkim in the Ejagham ethnic group of Cameroon influence the personality of Ejagham women who have undergone female circumcision. Results from the studies on the practice of female circumcision through the use of questionnaires and interviews point to the fact that cultural beliefs promote female circumcision. Tarh Martha Ako Mfortem | Emmanuel Yenshu Vubo | Dr. Nsagha Sarah Mboshi "Cultural Beliefs of Female Circumcision (nkim) and Personality Development in the Ejagham Ethnic Group of Cameroon" Published in International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development (ijtsrd), ISSN: 2456-6470, Volume-4 | Issue-1 , December 2019, URL: https://www.ijtsrd.com/papers/ijtsrd29537.pdfPaper URL: https://www.ijtsrd.com/other-scientific-research-area/other/29537/cultural-beliefs-of-female-circumcision-nkim-and-personality-development-in-the-ejagham-ethnic-group-of-cameroon/tarh-martha-ako-mfortem
1. 1
Trelawney Jean Grenfell-Muir
45 W Plain St Apt 1
Wayland, MA 01778
(617) 922-7358
trelawneygm@gmail.com
Education
7/14. Boston University, University Professors Program; Ph.D. in Conflict Studies &
Religion; courses include Islamist Movements and the Middle East, Multiple Modernities
of Religion and International Relations, Islamic Political Movements and U.S. Policy,
Sociology of Religion, Religion and Globalization, Zionism and the State of Israel,
Religion, Ethnicity, and Conflict, and Religion and Conflict Transformation;
Comprehensive Examinations completed in: Religion and International Relations,
Religion and Conflict, Comparative Religion and Theologies of Dialogue, and Islam in
the Middle East and Africa. Dissertation used interviews of clergy in Northern Ireland to
examine methods, limitations, and effectiveness of grassroots peacebuilding in the local
parish setting in conversation with political science and social science theories of multi-
track diplomacy, statebuilding, power, identity, leadership, and intergroup relations.
Additional analysis of interviews with religious leaders/scholars in Lebanon and Syria to
be published separately.
5/04. Boston University School of Theology; M.Div. (summa cum laude)
12/98. Harvard University Extension School Course, The History of Medicine.
6/96. University of Minnesota; B.A., Biology – Preparatory Medicine.
6/93. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Biology.
Work/Research Experience
1/15-Present. Adjunct Professor, Department of Conflict Resolution, Human Security, and
Global Governance, University of Massachusetts, Boston. Design and teach graduate
level course on Cross-Cultural Conflict. Course uses theories from the fields of
International Relations, Political Science, Social Psychology, Sociology, Anthropology,
and Ethics to explore the topics of culture and conflict. Specifically, it examines identity,
nationalism, ethnocentrism, intergroup dynamics, collective hate, the role of religion and
gender in conflict and peacebuilding, and how to equip peacebuilders for negotiation,
mediation, dialogue, and diplomacy work in cultural conflicts.
5/07-7/08. Doctoral Research, Religion and Conflict in Northern Ireland and Lebanon.
Research the role of local clergy in ameliorating inter-communal conflict by their
influence on laity via interpreting religious symbols/traditions, attitudes toward identity
formation (constructivist vs. primordialist), and attitudes toward nation-state formation
(state’s ability to represent multiple religious communities equally) and security (state vs.
human). Discusses the roles of theology, personality, and experience in shaping clergy
beliefs and activities among a range of activism levels, constraints on activism, and
develops a typography of activist efforts. Explores questions of efficacy based on theories
of social power, outgroup contact, diplomacy, and governance. Includes interviewing
2. 2
clergy, surveying laity, attending political conferences and rallies, and meeting with
politicians, educators, activists, and various peace efforts.
1/12-5/13. Lecturer and Teaching Assistant, Boston University School of Theology. With
Rodney Petersen and Raymond Helmick, S.J., designed and co-taught courses on
International Conflict and the Ministry of Reconciliation. Took students to the United
Nations Headquarters to tour the complex, speak with representatives at the Church
Center for the United Nations, and discuss the intersection of religion, conflict/peace, and
global governance. Lectured on Patriarchy, Gender, and the application of gender
analysis to studies the following topics: Global Economics and International Conflict;
The United Nations and Global Governance; The Role of Environmental Ethics in Global
Conflicts; Theories of Church and State in Light of Imperialism, Militarism, Economic
Injustice, and Diversity; Non-Violent forms of Social Power; Secularization, Secularism,
and their Impact on Diplomacy and International Relations; Public Theology; Theologies
of Religions and their Implications for Dialogue and Peacebuilding; Humility as an
Interfaith Virtue and its Sociological/Psychological Role in Peacebuilding; Mission as
Peacebuilding; Racism and the Prison System; Interfaith Dialogue as a Means of Healing
and Empowerment of Religious Communities;
9/03 – 4/08. Young Adult Minister, College Ave United Methodist Church/Tufts
University. Organize programming for young adults age 18-40 including: Facilitate
discussions and weekly small group studies on topics including: inter-group intolerance;
restorative justice; the death penalty; just war theory/pacifism; conflict zones (including
Israel/Palestine, Northern Ireland); Islam and the Middle East; racism, sexism, ageism,
handicappism, heterosexism, classism; environmental ethics; human sexuality; Facilitate
and mediate dialogues using Affirmative Inquiry to address conflicts within the church;
Organize/lead rallies, gatherings, marches, letter writing campaigns, and petitions for
cease-fire and peace in Iraq, Afghanistan, Lebanon, Darfur, and for promotion of equality
and justice in response to issues of race (Jena), gender (V-day, Take Back the Night), and
marriage equality. As Mentor to the Tufts Protestant Student Fellowship group, I also
facilitated Tufts University discussions including: world religion, inter-ethnic conflict,
environmental ethics, queer theology, and feminist theology.
5/05-6/05. Research course: Religion and Conflict in Lebanon and Syria. Invited
participant. Research conflict and promote reconciliation with a group of seminary
colleagues. Included interviewing patriarchs from major churches in Lebanon and Syria,
leaders of AMAL and Hizballah, visiting Palestinian refugee camp, religious schools,
churches, mosques, monasteries, and communities, and participating in Muslim-Christian
dialogues.
5/03 – 9/03. Intern, Church of Ireland, Newcastle, Northern Ireland. Research conflict
and promote reconciliation. Included networking with local politicians, church leaders,
and community leaders, participating in rallies and peace efforts, designing and
implementing youth curriculum to inform and encourage tolerance, preaching, visitation,
and conflict mediation.
6/02 – 8/02. Chaplain, Camp Aldersgate, Gloucester, RI. Train staff and lead programs,
including exercises on inter-religious and inter-cultural diversity, group cohesion, diverse
forms of spirituality, mediating stress and conflict; promote positive atmosphere among
diverse campers and staff; counsel/mentor staff on personal and spiritual issues.
4. 4
Deadly Zeal: the striking similarities between Ian Paisley and Osama bin Laden. Gordon
Conwell Theological Seminary, Christ in Cultures Conference, Sept 2006.
Immunohistochemical analysis of A-beta, alpha synuclein, APP, gliosis, tau, and neurofilament
in brain following head trauma. American Alzheimers Association, Regional
Conference, Massachusetts General Hospital, 2000.
Reduced incidence of inflammatory proteins co-occurring with Aß plaques in Alzheimer’s mice
following nasal administration of amyloid peptide. Fidelity Investments: personal
presentation to President Ned Johnson (donor), 2000.
Immunohistochemical analysis of Aß, ßAPP, GFAP, tau, neurofilament and α-synuclein in
human brain following head trauma. Society for Neuroscience, Annual Conference, 1999
Accrual of Aß-associated proteins in plaques in the PD-APP transgenic mouse brain. Society for
Neuroscience, Annual Conference, 1998.
Invited Lectures
Fall 2014-
Present Harvard University, Religions and the Practice of Peace colloquium: Regular
Discussant on topics related to religion, conflict, and peacebuilding; Presented
lectures on topics related to the ongoing violence and peace efforts in Northern
Ireland and the role of women’s peacebuilding efforts in the Middle East.
Sep 2013. Crawford Memorial UMC: Theologies of Humility and Inclusiveness as tools for
Peacebuilding.
Sep 2012. Boston University, Anna Howard Shaw Center: Exorcising our Inner Demons:
Theology and Practice of Self-Love in a World that Negates Women.
Oct 2012. Boston University, Religion and Conflict Transformation annual retreat: How to
connect communication strategies to the scientific study of conflict
transformation.
Feb 2012. Boston University, Religion and Conflict Transformation Program and
ThECOlogy group: The ethics of how women are portrayed in media.
Apr 2012. Boston University, Anna Howard Shaw Center: Ministry of Gender
Empowerment: "Miss Representation," and how churches can offer an alternate
narrative to the violent sexism in our mainstream media culture today.
Nov 2011. Boston University. Panelist, “What’s Faith Got to do with It?”
A Conversation about Race, Gender, Economics, Social Justice, and the Occupy
Wall Street Movement.
Sep 07-
May 09. Boston Area Rape Crisis Center: Topics related to Sexual and Domestic Violence
Against Women.
Mar 2007. MIT Multicultural Conference: The Role of Religion in Conflicts.
Winter 2004. Boston College. Conflict in Northern Ireland.
Spring 2004. Boston University. Religion, Ethnicity, and Conflict.
Fall 2003. Boston University Religion and Conflict Transformation Program: The Role of
Religion in the Northern Ireland Conflict.
Mar 2002. Boston University, Bioethics conference, moderator for sessions on Genetic
Engineering and Cloning.
5. 5
Scholarships/Fellowships
2004-2014. University Professors Program Merit Scholarships
2004-2009. Frank and Bertha Howard Fellowships, B.U. School of Theology
July 2006. Boston University Institute on Culture, Religion, and World Affairs:
Scholarship recipient and invited scholar for course on Religion and
Globalization
2005 Alan and Elise Williams Fund
2005-2006. H.B. Earhart Fellowship
2001-2004. B.U. School of Theology Merit Scholarships Highest Level Awards
1992-1993. National Merit Scholar
Professional Societies/Student Organizations
2006-present. Boston University Social Science and Religion Network
2008-present. Boston University ThECOlogy Group
2001-present. Boston University Anna Howard Shaw Center
2002-present. American Academy of Religion
2002-2004. Boston University Theological Students Association; President 03-04
1997-1999. Society for Neuroscience