ETD@CUA collection: 2009 / 2010

Fostering the Patrimony of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin: a Study in the Mutual Responsibility of the Order and the Apostolic See (Canons 576 and 631)

2010-01-04T00:00:00Z

Fostering the Patrimony of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin: a Study in the Mutual Responsibility of the Order and the Apostolic See (Canons 576 and 631) Rosen, Cyprian Robert The 1983 Code of Canon Law describes the patrimony of a religious institute as constituted by the "mind and designs of the founders regarding the nature, purpose, spirit and character of an institute, which have been sanctioned by competent ecclesiastical authority, and its sound tradition" (c. 578). Further, the code declares that both the institute and the competent authority of the Church have the responsibility to foster this patrimony and to promote renewal in accordance with it (cc. 631 and 576). This dissertation studies these responsibilities in relation to the Apostolic See and the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin focusing especially on four elements: fraternity, equality, itinerancy and pluriformity. Chapter one studies the Order of Friars Minor founded by St. Francis of Assisi (1209), tracing the development of the Franciscan patrimony up to the Constitutions of Narbonne (1260). It also examines the roles of Pope Innocent III, Honorius III, and Gregory IX. It concludes with the breakdown of equality when lay friars were relegated to second class status. Chapter two traces the founding (1529) and development of the Capuchin Order as a separate branch of the Franciscan Order and the renewal of its patrimony, particularly the recovery of the element of equality of all friars. It considers the role of Pope Clement VII and the Council of Trent's impact on the Order. The chapter examines Pius X's revocation of passive voice from the lay friars and the classification of the Order as a clerical institute by the 1917 Code of Canon Law. Chapter three studies the Order's renewaL after Vatican II, particularly of the four elements of its patrimony. The chapter focuses on the attempts of the Order to restore full equality to the lay friars and the exchanges between the Order and the Holy See regarding the description of the Order as a "clerical institute." Pope John Paul II's reference to the Order as a "mixed institute" is scrutinized. The dissertation concludes with a discussion of the canonical status of the Order and its ongoing attempts to have full equality for lay friars. Degree awarded: J.C.D. Canon Law. The Catholic University of America; This dissertation can be viewed by CUA users only.

Differentiating and Investigating Acute and Chronic Typologies of Suicidal Patients Using Quantitative and Qualitative Suicide Status Form (SSF) Responses

2010-01-04T00:00:00Z

Differentiating and Investigating Acute and Chronic Typologies of Suicidal Patients Using Quantitative and Qualitative Suicide Status Form (SSF) Responses Grohmann, Kyle Anthony The Suicide Status Form (SSF) was developed by Jobes and colleagues (1997) to provide a standardized, clinically useful multipurpose assessment, treatment, and tracking clinical tool for suicidal patients. Research conducted using the SSF to date has pursued a larger effort within suicidology to study and potentially identify specific typologies of suicidal patents (e.g., chronic vs. acute), who may have uniquely different clinical presentations and responses to treatment. The purpose of this study was to investigate the utility of the two quantitatively derived factor loadings of the "Core SSF Assessment" recently identified by Conrad et al (2009) that differentiated chronic (Factor 1) and acute (Factor 2) styles of responding to the SSF. Following this work, the current study attempted to explore the phenomenological differences between these two different suicidal presentations using qualitative data from three sections from the SSF: (a) the Core SSF Assessment, (b) the qualitative "Reasons for Living vs. Reasons for Dying Assessment," and (c) the qualitative "One Thing" Assessment. In this study, two experts in clinical suicidology classified 97 suicidal inpatients as chronically or acutely suicidal based on demographic, diagnostic, and suicidal attempt history data. This expert sort yielded n=39 individuals classified as chronically suicidal, with n=58 classified as acutely suicidal. Based on this sort, logistic regression analyses were performed using the quantitative rating responses from the Core SSF Assessment to determine if the previously identified two factors from Conrad et al (2009) study were indeed significant predictors of expert rated chronic vs. acute suicidality, respectively. High SSF rating scores on the empirically derived Factor 1 loading were found to significantly predict the expert sorted chronic cases; however SSF rating scores pertaining to the Factor 2 loading did not predict expert sorted acute cases. Additional chi-square statistics demonstrated that interpersonal concerns appeared to be particularly meaningful for both chronically and acutely suicidal individuals, and were observed to contribute to both suicidal states and life-sustaining beliefs. These seemingly contradictory findings raise a paradox for the suicidal individual, where the very relationships that can give an individual reason to live, can also seem to motivate a person towards suicide. Degree awarded: Ph.D. Psychology. The Catholic University of America; This dissertation can be viewed by CUA users only.

Paul among Jews: A Study of the Meaning and Significance of Paul's Inaugural Sermon in the Synagogue of Pisidia (Acts 13:16-41) for His Missionary Work among the Jews

2012-09-11T00:00:00Z

Paul among Jews: A Study of the Meaning and Significance of Paul's Inaugural Sermon in the Synagogue of Pisidia (Acts 13:16-41) for His Missionary Work among the Jews Zhang, Wenxi Paul among Jews: A Study of the Meaning and Significance of Paul's Inaugural Sermon in the Synagogue of Antioch in Pisidia (Acts 13:16-41) for His Missionary Work among the JewsWenxi Zhang, Ph.D.Director: Frank J. Matera, Ph.D.This dissertation studies the meaning and significance of Paul's inaugural sermon at Antioch of Pisidia (Acts 13:16-41) in order to understand its literary function in Paul's ministry among Jews according to the Acts of the Apostles.In chapter one, I provide a history of research of the speeches in Acts in general and Paul's inaugural speech in particular (Acts 13:16-41). I conclude that since this is Paul's inaugural sermon, a study of the literary function of Jesus' and Peter's inaugural sermons may shed some light on the literary function of Paul's inaugural sermon.In chapter two, I study the literary function of Jesus' inaugural sermon at Nazareth (Luke 4:16-30), and in chapter three I analyze Peter's inaugural sermon at Pentecost (Acts 2:14-40). I conclude that both sermons have a parallel literary function in the narrative of Luke-Acts and are significant for understanding the ministries of Jesus and Peter in Luke-Acts.In chapter four, I examine Paul's inaugural sermon, noting that the full content of his preaching is reserved for his inaugural sermon. In this sermon, he argues from the Scriptures that God fulfilled his promise to David by raising Jesus from the dead. In chapter five, I investigate, from a narrative critical point of view, the literary function of Paul's inaugural sermon in relation to the narration of his ministry to Israel in Acts.In chapter six, I draw two conclusions from my study of Paul's inaugural sermon. First, Paul's inaugural sermon has a significant literary function for understanding his ministry to Israel in Acts; namely, this sermon functions as the model for how Paul regularly preaches to Jews in Acts. Thus, it unifies the different narratives of Paul's ministry among Jews in Acts. Second, through this inaugural sermon and its related narrative, Luke demonstrates that Paul is a missionary to both Jews and Gentiles in the Acts of the Apostles. Degree awarded: Ph.D. Biblical Studies. The Catholic University of America

The Benedictus, Lucan Narrative, and Poetic Discourse

2012-09-11T00:00:00Z

The Benedictus, Lucan Narrative, and Poetic Discourse Stroik, Casimir B. The Benedictus (Luke 1:68-79) is closer to Luke's literary project than previous studies have admitted. The Benedictus has been assessed as having more in common with Jewish discourse or the story about John the Baptist than Luke's authorial persona, based on its supposed divergence from Luke's stylistic range and introduction of themes (vv. 68-69, 71-75, and/or vv. 78-79) that are not seen to be particularly relevant to its literary context (especially, Luke 1:5-25, 57-66). This study argues the contrary, that the Benedictus is closely related to its literary context and exhibits features that are consistent with Luke's stylistic range. There are four claims made in this argument. First, the message of the Benedictus is best understood through an evaluation of the structure of the Benedictus (vv. 68a + 68b-71 + 72-75; 76a + 76b-78a + 78b-79), which is indicated by the syntax of its clauses, whose predicates have the sequence indicative + infinitive + articular infinitive in the genitive. Second, the argument of its two parts (vv. 68-75, 76-79) are interdependent in their use of an exodus typology, the first part predicting that a God-appointed savior figure (vv. 69) will accomplish a Red Sea-type deliverance (v. 71), and the second part instructing the child to precede the savior, as the angel preceded the Israelites in the wilderness (v. 76b), and give people hope of this deliverance. Each part has two sections whose cola correspond thematically. Third, the Benedictus is integral to Luke 1:5-25, 57-67, 80, resolving narrative tensions and complementing issues introduced through allusion. Fourth, the Benedictus displays phrasing, a structure of argument, and themes that reappear in Luke-Acts, indicating that Luke either was the author of the Benedictus or had a significant role in its shaping, integrating features of Jewish liturgy into a form of poetic discourse that may have been influenced by liturgy in synagogues and/or church communities. Degree awarded: Ph.D. Biblical Studies. The Catholic University of America; This dissertation can be viewed by CUA users only.

William James on Human Nature and Evolution

2012-09-11T00:00:00Z

William James on Human Nature and Evolution Shaw, Elizabeth Carmen An active-passive dualism is present in the writings of William James, insofar as his earlier works tend to emphasize individual freedom and self-determination through personal choice and action, while his later works manifest a commitment to self-fulfillment through receptive openness to the wider, spiritual aspects of reality. The terms "promethean pragmatist" and "antipromethean mystic" have been coined to designate, respectively, these contrasting emphases. Scholars disagree about how to explain or otherwise resolve the tension generated by this dualism. This dissertation argues that James's thought on the question of the evolution of man contributes to a resolution of this tension. While it may be fair to say that James himself was not a mystic, it is quite evident that he was a thoroughgoing pragmatist. Precisely as a pragmatist, James both affirms the immaterial, spiritual dimensions of human nature associated with the mystic, and develops his thought on evolution in a manner that carefully respects and integrates these elements. Chapter 1 considers Jamesian pragmatism and the notion of truth possible within it. Chapter 2 surveys his understanding of human nature, and with chapter 1 serves as grounding for understanding how the development of his thought on the evolution of man is an application of his pragmatism. Chapters 3 details James's thought on the evolution of man, and chapter 4 completes the discussion by considering his thought on the "pluralistic" nature of the universe, itself the setting for evolution. Chapter 4 also considers the thought of Henri Bergson as an important source for James's pluralism. Drawing together seemingly disparate areas of his thought, this treatment provides a comprehensive view of texts from the full span of James's career. Throughout, the pragmatist and the mystic are represented but never truly at odds. In consequence, we understand James's thought to be coherent and unified. Degree awarded: Ph.D. Philosophy. The Catholic University of America

John William Shaw: First American-born Archbishop of New Orleans (1918-1934)

2012-09-11T00:00:00Z

John William Shaw: First American-born Archbishop of New Orleans (1918-1934) Raphael, Mark Stanford This dissertation represents a consideration of the leadership of John William Shaw, Bishop of San Antonio, Texas, from 1910 until 1918, and Archbishop of New Orleans, Louisiana, from 1918 until his death in 1934, in terms of how he blended and applied his heritage as a Southerner, an Americanizer, and a Roman Catholic prelate to issues facing the American Catholic Church between the Civil War and the Great Depression. Research supporting this endeavor was built around the surviving primary sources stored in the three places Shaw served: Mobile, Alabama, San Antonio, and New Orleans. Supplementing the primary sources is a wide array of scholarly works on the region and on the issues of race and ethnicity, religion and politics, education and parish ministry, and sectionalism versus nationalism. As a result of an assessment of both the primary and secondary sources it may be said that Shaw managed to accomplish a rare synthesis by remaining faithful to his Southern idealism at the same time he never wavered from pursuing an agenda of ecclesiastical Americanization. In the end his long term contribution was as an institution builder and a promoter of Americanism, while his limitations are most clearly seen in his attitudes toward immigrants and African-Americans. It is hoped that this dissertation will represent a useful addition to the scholarly literature dealing with a pivotal time in the history of Southern American Catholicism. Degree awarded: Ph.D. Church History. The Catholic University of America; This dissertation can be viewed by CUA users only.

Opportunistic Interventions to Treat Alcohol Problems in emergency Department Settings: Is There a Role for social work and Other Non-physician Health Professions?

2012-09-11T00:00:00Z

Opportunistic Interventions to Treat Alcohol Problems in emergency Department Settings: Is There a Role for social work and Other Non-physician Health Professions? Murray, Margaret Mary A public health approach to the harms that arise from alcohol misuse requires that alcohol problems be identified early and intervened with before serious social and medical consequences occur. An intervention directed at at-risk drinkers, known as alcohol brief intervention, has well established efficacy when delivered by physicians working in primary health care clinics and some hospital Emergency Departments. However, the adoption by physicians has not been widespread, due to a number of barriers including lack of physician time, skill, and knowledge about alcohol. An important question thereby arose as to whether other health professionals, including social workers, achieve the same positive patient outcomes as physicians when delivering the intervention. Using data from the largest effectiveness study of alcohol brief intervention in Emergency Departments (ED's) to date (Academic Emergency Department Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment Research Collaborative), changes in alcohol use from patients who were treated by physicians were compared to changes in those patients treated by non-physician health professionals. Participants in the current study (n=279) were drinking at levels above the National Institutes of Health limits. Patients were divided into two groups: 137 received the intervention from a physician and 142 received the intervention from a non-physician health professional. In addition to baseline data on demographic, education and health variables, measures on three quantity and frequency of alcohol use variables were collected at baseline and at 3-months post intervention. Results of an Analysis of Co-Varience that adjusted for differences in baseline drinking, indicated that controlling for gender, marital status, education level, and severity of addiction, the ED patients who received the alcohol brief intervention from trained non-physician health providers did as well as at 3-month follow-up on the three assessed outcomes of reduction in alcohol use as those patients who received the intervention from a physician. Findings suggest that non-physician health professionals who are trained in alcohol brief intervention be considered to provide the intervention, removing significant barriers to physician delivery that currently exist, and increasing opportunities for wide-spread implementation of this efficacious public health approach to reducing the harms of alcohol misuse. Degree awarded: Ph.D. Social Work. The Catholic University of America; This dissertation can be viewed by CUA users only.

Locating a Spousal Meaning of the Body in the Summa Theologiae: A Comparison of a Central Idea Articulated in the Theology of the Body by Pope John Paul II with the Mature Work of St. Thomas Aquinas

2012-09-11T00:00:00Z

Locating a Spousal Meaning of the Body in the Summa Theologiae: A Comparison of a Central Idea Articulated in the Theology of the Body by Pope John Paul II with the Mature Work of St. Thomas Aquinas Petri, Thomas This study offers a comparison of the mature thought of St. Thomas Aquinas in the Summa theologiae with The Theology of the Body catecheses of Pope John Paul II, specifically concerning the notion of "the spousal meaning of the body" that the pope articulates. The study argues that The Theology of the Body was one of several attempts, and certainly the most elaborate, by John Paul to defend Humanae vitae, the 1968 encyclical on birth control by Pope Paul VI. There are two premises argued by this study. First, that the birth control debate was partly the result of an insufficient methodology in moral theology at the time, which overemphasized the exterior structure of human action at the expense of a unified view of the human person. Second, that John Paul sought to reconnect theology with the experience of human persons. Therefore, this dissertation first offers an historical narrative describing the departure from the unified theology articulated by St. Thomas Aquinas which yielded the deficient theological methodology of the early twentieth century implicated in the debate surrounding birth control. This study then offers a survey of John Paul's pre-pontifical work. Through an examination of that corpus, the study argues for a certain respect John Paul had for Aquinas even though he was fascinated by the consciousness-based philosophical school of phenomenology. In his published defenses of Humanae vitae, John Paul argued that since the human body represents the person to the world, the body speaks a certain language. In The Theology of the Body, he would insist that the body has a spousal meaning--a drive for another person to whom one can make a complete gift of self. This spousal meaning of the body is inherent in the constitution of every person. While John Paul did not offer any positive reference to Aquinas in his Theology of the Body, this study explores Aquinas's mature work to conclude that his metaphysical anthropology provides a suitable foundation for the notion of the pope's spousal meaning of the body. At the same time, John Paul's articulation corrects some deficiencies in Aquinas's own thought. Degree awarded: S.T.D. Moral Theology/Ethics. The Catholic University of America