{"id":508,"date":"2016-05-16T12:39:35","date_gmt":"2016-05-16T16:39:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/religion\/?page_id=508"},"modified":"2025-05-27T13:24:05","modified_gmt":"2025-05-27T17:24:05","slug":"past-religious-studies-theses","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/religious-studies\/past-religious-studies-theses\/","title":{"rendered":"Titles of Past Religious Studies Theses"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Name (2025)<\/strong><\/td>Thesis Title and Advisor<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
Chloe Dwinal<\/td>Integrating The Study of Religion into The History of Maine Immigration in Local School Systems – Dr. Darby Ray<\/td><\/tr>
Suhana Liedtke<\/td>An Ocean Away: Creative and Personal Experience of Hawaiian Culture – Professor Baker<\/td><\/tr>
Name (2024)<\/strong><\/td>Thesis Title and Advisor<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
Abigail Danko<\/td>Unraveling the Walls of Jericho: Exploring the Multifaceted Usages of Persuasive Appeals to the Jericho Narrative – Professor Baker<\/td><\/tr>
Miriam Phoebe Stern<\/td>Organically Grown: The Sprouting Eco-Kashrut Movement – Professor Baker<\/td><\/tr>
Name<\/strong> (2023)<\/strong><\/td>Thesis Title and Advisor<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
Jasmine Candelaria<\/td>Is the relationship between Catholic Charities and Resettlement Agencies Toxic? Further Examining Catholic Charities and Resettlement Agencies Through Theory – Professor Bruce<\/td><\/tr>
Jack Cantor<\/td>Of Pawos and Bodhisattvas: The Poltico-Religious Language of Tibetan Self-Immolation – Professor Melnick Dyer<\/td><\/tr>
Nina Carter<\/td>The Church of Scientology: A Search for the Truth Behind Tom Cruise\u2019s Religion – Professor Bruce<\/td><\/tr>
Khushi Choudhary<\/td>Gardens of Oppression: In Search of Her <\/em>Delight – Professor Baker<\/td><\/tr>
Alice Cockerham<\/td>The Mark of the Beast, the COVID-19 Pandemic, and the End of the World – Professor Baker<\/td><\/tr>
Max Devon<\/td>The Seekers: American Religion in the Context of Heaven’s Gate – Professor Bruce<\/td><\/tr>
Gretchen Lindenfeldar<\/td>Writing American Buddhist Memoir: An Exploration of American Buddhism Through the Work of Three Different Leading Voices in the Space – Professor Melnick Dyer<\/td><\/tr>
Navaar Naimi<\/td>Born Shinto, Die Buddhist – Professor Melnick Dyer<\/td><\/tr>
Frances White<\/td>Women with Chutzpah: Comedy as a Subversive Tool of Jewish Female Comedians: An Analysis of the Humor of Sophie Tucker, Totie Fields, Gilda Radner, Ilana Glazer and Tiffany Haddish – Professor Baker
 <\/td><\/tr>
Name (2022)<\/strong><\/td>Thesis Title and Advisor<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
Insha Afsar<\/td>Jammu and Kashmir: Paradise from the Outside but Prison for Kashmiris – Professor Akhtar<\/td><\/tr>
Madeline Korbey<\/td>\u2018Sermons\u2019 and \u2018Sermonizing\u2019 in the Context of Death and Dying During Covid – Professor Melnick Dyer<\/td><\/tr>
O. Alexander Platt<\/td>Till Death Bring Us Union: A Study of the Divine Marriage Metaphor in the New Testament – Professor Baker<\/td><\/tr>
Kang Xiong<\/td>Prosperity Gospel and Social Justice in the Asian American Church – Professor Akhtar<\/td><\/tr>
Name (2021)<\/strong><\/td>Thesis Title and Advisor<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
Anna-Elena Maheu<\/td>Laying the Groundwork: Desert Spaces and the Sacralization of U.S. Settler Colonialism – Professor Baker<\/td><\/tr>
Will Zimmerman<\/td>Dharma for All: Mindfulness in the United States of America – Professor Melnick Dyer<\/td><\/tr>
Name (2020)<\/strong><\/td>Thesis Title and Advisor<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
Samuel Glenn<\/td>\u2018Your Favorite Rapper’s a Christian Rapper\u2019: Chance the Rapper’s Use of Religious Discourse on His 2016 Mixtape, Coloring Book<\/em> – Professor Bruce<\/td><\/tr>
Jack McLarnon<\/td> \u2018One\u2019 and \u2018I\u2019: Dynamics of Ritual Unity and Individuality in the Liturgical Practice of the Catholic Nicene Creed – Professor Baker <\/td><\/tr>
Bernhardur Magnusson McComish<\/td> Religious Visions of the Environmental \u2018Apocalypse\u2019: Theological Approaches to Climate Change – Professor Baker <\/td><\/tr>
Lila Patinkin<\/td>The Very Well-Known, Not Known at All, Story of Esther, Queen of Persia – Professor Baker <\/td><\/tr>
Lydia Sullivan<\/td>Independent Thinkers & Women Unrestrained: T\u00e1hirih, Sera Khandro and Mary Baker Eddy in the Androcentric Public Sphere of the 19th<\/sup> and 20th<\/sup>Centuries – Professor Melnick Dyer <\/td><\/tr>
Jin Wei<\/td>Folklore and Religions Reimagined in Contemporary China – Professor Melnick Dyer<\/td><\/tr>
Name (2019)<\/strong><\/td>Thesis Title and Advisor<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
Molly Brooks<\/td>Religion and Citizenship: A Case Study for the Involvement of Religion in the Identity and Culture of Citizens in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore – Professor Akhtar<\/td><\/tr>
Anissa Garza<\/td>The Gendered Model of the Civil Rights Movement: Its Social and Psychological Impacts  — Professor Bruce  <\/td><\/tr>
Claudia Glickman<\/td>The Force of Translation on Contemporary Bible Study: A Look into How Word Choice Affects the Book of Genesis and Conceivable Methods of Its Reconstruction – Professor Carlson-Hasler<\/td><\/tr>
Rebecca Howard<\/td>Ambiguities of Interpretation: The Artistic Eloquence of Abdulnasser Gharem\u2019s Ricochet  — Professor Bruce<\/td><\/tr>
Shahrukh Khan<\/td>Understanding Non-violence in Islam: Sacred text, Religious Reform, Music, and Law in Pakistan – Professor Akhtar<\/td><\/tr>
Name (2018)<\/strong><\/td>Thesis Title and Advisor<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
Ezra Oliff-Lieberman<\/td>The past isn’t dead.  It isn’t even past:  An Exploration of Jewish-Israeli (Dis)Engagement with the Nakba or The Israeli Case for Reparations – Professor Baker [Peace & Conflict Studies major]<\/td><\/tr>
Robert Daniels<\/td>Dianetics to Scientology: Hubbard’s Use of Religious Discourse – Professor Bruce<\/td><\/tr>
Emma Hampson<\/td>The Americanization of Buddhism and the Subsequent Development of Mindfulness-Based Stress Therapy: Is There a Role for Religion in Healthcare? Professor Melnick Dyer <\/td><\/tr>
Kai Lindsey<\/td>The Intergenerational Transmission of Buddhism in Maine – Professor Melnick Dyer<\/td><\/tr>
Joshua Moise-Silverman<\/td>Jewish Ethical Reflections on the Promises and Challenges of Emerging Reproductive Technologies – Professor Baker<\/td><\/tr>
Olga Revzina<\/td>Machik Labdr\u00f6n and Tsultrim Allione’s Commitment to All Sentient Beings: Ancient Wisdom and Modern Buddho-psychology – Professor Melnick Dyer<\/td><\/tr>
Benjamin Tonelli<\/td>The Parable of the Good Samaritan and the Responsibility of the Modern Neighbor – Professor Bruce<\/td><\/tr>
Name (2017)<\/strong><\/td>Thesis Title and Advisor<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
Kelsey Pearson<\/td>The Hero’s Journey and Soul Retrieval Therapy – Professor Baker<\/td><\/tr>
Audrey Puleio<\/td>Spiritual-Environmental Responsibility: Emotional Connection to Nature as Seen in Avatar<\/i> – Professor Melnick Dyer<\/td><\/tr>
Fatima Saidi<\/td>The Evolution of Politics, Religion, and their Relationship in the Modern Middle East (1900-2016) – Professor Akhtar<\/td><\/tr>
Andrew Segal<\/td>Power to the People: Black Power & the Limitations of a Rights-based Discourse in the struggle for Black Liberation – Professor Tracy and Dr. Chris Petrella<\/td><\/tr>
Ahmed Sheikh<\/td>Politics of (Mis)Representation: Film Narratives of Somalia Deconstructed – Professor Akhtar<\/td><\/tr>
Name (2016)<\/strong><\/td>Thesis Title and Advisor<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
Melissa Carp<\/td>Remembering the Former Jewish Community Center of Lewiston, Maine – Dr. Darby Ray<\/td><\/tr>
Norberto Diaz, III<\/td>A Scientific Soul:  Creating Dialogue Between Science and Religion in Order to Achieve a Holistic View – Professor Tracy<\/td><\/tr>
Esperanza Au Gilbert<\/td>Hidden in Plain Sight:  Married Orthodox Jewish Women and the Practice of Wig Wearing as Head Covering – Professor Baker<\/td><\/tr>
Wendy Hermans Goldman<\/td>We’re Still Jews: 21st Century Jewish Identity Reflected in the Humor of Transparent, Broad City<\/i>, and Sarah Silverman – Professor Baker<\/td><\/tr>
Emilie Muller<\/td>The Conquest Narrative of Joshua 1-12:  Ideological Strategies, Morality, and Modern Implications – Professor Baker<\/td><\/tr>
Peter Novello<\/td>The Science of Religion:  A Catholic and Tibetan Buddhist Comparison – Professor Tracy<\/td><\/tr>
Kathryn Ortega<\/td>Creating a Better World by Imagining a Way to Create Religious Harmony – Professor Tracy<\/td><\/tr>
Alex Tritell<\/td>Divine Commands in the Akedah<\/em>:  Religious Extremism and the Model of Faith – Professor Tracy<\/td><\/tr>
Name (2015)<\/strong><\/td>Thesis Title and Advisor<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
Adina Brin<\/td>Modern American Jews, Collective Victimhood, and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict – Professor Baker<\/td><\/tr>
Eliza Kaplan<\/td>Choosing the Chosen People.  Jewish Identification Among Intermarried Families in America – Professor Baker<\/td><\/tr>
Myriam Kelly<\/td>Turkey\u2019s Emergence as a Regional Power in the Wake of the Syrian Refugee Crisis – Professor Akhtar<\/td><\/tr>
Alison Rose Kimball<\/td>The Problem of Evil – Professor Tracy<\/td><\/tr>
Emma Lindsay<\/td>How Eve Set Humanity Free From the Garden:  Connecting the Feminine Divine through Eve’s Desire for Wisdom – Professor Baker<\/td><\/tr>
Julia Ofman<\/td>Munis Tekinalp’s “Ten Commandments”:  An examination of Jewish Turkification in the Early Republic and Its Ambivalent Legacy in Contemporary Turkey – Professor Baker<\/td><\/tr>
Hollis Graham Safford<\/td>The Jackson Creed – Professor Bruce<\/td><\/tr>
Joseph Marques-Falk<\/td>The Jh\u0101nas: A Comparison of Teachings on Absorption Concentration in the Theravadan Tradition – Professor Strong<\/td><\/tr>
Henry Nguyen<\/td>The Negative Impacts of Deforestation on Wildlife in China – Professor Strong<\/td><\/tr>
Name (2014)<\/strong><\/td>Thesis Title and Advisor<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
Charles Donahue<\/td>The Immaculate Reception:  An Examination of Religious Symbolism in Sports – Professor Bruce<\/td><\/tr>
Julia Hanlon<\/td>Thomas Merton in Dialogue with Buddhism \u2013 Professor Strong <\/td><\/tr>
Claire Kershko<\/td>The Problem of Evil:  An Examination of the Classical and Neoclassical Conceptions of God in Consideration of the Problem of Evil – Professor Tracy<\/td><\/tr>
Madeline Landry<\/td>In the EMptiness of Non-Being:  An Exposition of Classical and Neoclassical Theism – Professor Tracy<\/td><\/tr>
Katharine Nixon<\/td>Mountains and Mandalas:  An Exploration of an Axis Mundi<\/em> in the Tibetan Buddhist Tradition \u2013 Professor Strong<\/td><\/tr>
Natalie L. Shribman<\/td>Israel as a Divided State:  Discrimination Against Reform Jews and Converts in Israel \u2013 Professor Baker<\/td><\/tr>
Alison Travers<\/td>The Theological and Political Debate on Family Planning and its Fruition in Egyptian Society \u2013 Professor Akhtar<\/td><\/tr>
Name (2013)<\/strong><\/td>Thesis Title and Advisor<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
Remy Albert<\/td>Gush Emunim and Neturei Karta:  An Analysis of Contending Models of Jewish Masculinity in Israel – Professor Baker<\/td><\/tr>
Jadria Concetta Lineberger Cincotta<\/td>The Dualisms of Paul \u2013 Professor Baker<\/td><\/tr>
Maggie Dembinski<\/td>Theology in Recovery from Abuse and Addiction – Professor Baker<\/td><\/tr>
Rashad Rose<\/td>A More Perfect Union:  Beyond The Speech – Professor Bruce<\/td><\/tr>
Name (2012)<\/strong><\/td>Thesis Title and Advisor<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
Zoe Bryan<\/td>A Case for War:  Just War Theory as Applied to the 2003 United States Invasion of Iraq – Professor Tracy<\/td><\/tr>
Phoebe Dixon<\/td>Mormon Evangelism in the 21st Century – Professor Bruce<\/td><\/tr>
Maria King<\/td>The Mysticism of St. Teresa of Avila – Professor Tracy<\/td><\/tr>
Elana Leopold<\/td>Ijtihad<\/em>:  Searching for a Missing Definition – Professor Schomburg<\/td><\/tr>
Lizzie Leung<\/td>Too Easy Being Green:  Global Shangri-la and Green Orientalism in China’s Tibet – Professor Strong<\/td><\/tr>
Ronny Ead<\/td>Finding Your Path:  A Practical Comparison of the Samatha and Bare Insight Approaches to Nirvana – Professor Strong<\/td><\/tr>
Joseph P. Drinkwater<\/td>Sporting Proportionality:  Title IX’s Effect on High School and Collegiate Male Athletes – Professor Bruce<\/td><\/tr>
Name (2011)<\/strong><\/td>Thesis Title and Advisor<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
Michael Tetler<\/td>The Liturgical Ideal of the Tractarian Movement \u2013 Professor Bruce<\/td><\/tr>
Juliana Kirkland<\/td>Clear Eyes, Full Hearts, Can’t Lose – Professor Bruce<\/td><\/tr>
Name (2010)<\/strong><\/td>Thesis Title and Advisor<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
Julia Bedell<\/td>From Mirra Alfassa to the Mother: Tracing the Path of a Modern Spiritual Icon – Professor Schomburg<\/td><\/tr>
Jared Bok<\/td>Contextualization of the Gospel to Muslims and its Implications for Christian-Muslim Relations – Professor Schomburg<\/td><\/tr>
Brandon Cooper<\/td>Gush Emunim: Religious Zionism and Its Impact on the Israeli-Palestinian Peace Process – Professor Baker<\/td><\/tr>
Beau Jack Sunil Dahms<\/td>The Evolution of Jeremiad Discourse throughout American History; John Winthrop, The Rev. Dr.  Martin Luther King, Jr., and Barack Obama – Professor Bruce<\/td><\/tr>
Robert Friedlander<\/td>Competing Views of Islam:  Osama bin Laden and Khaled Abou el Fadl on What It Means to Be a Good Muslim in the Twenty-First Century \u2013 <\/em>Professor Schomburg<\/td><\/tr>
Lindsay Thomson-Brill<\/td>Tracing the Path of the Snow Lion:  Tibetan Nationalism and the Dalai Lama’s Dilemma – Professor Strong<\/td><\/tr>
Name (2009)<\/strong><\/td>Thesis Title and Advisor<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
Benjamin Horgan<\/td>Spiritual Awakenings:  Alcoholics Anonymous, Storytelling, and the Logic of Gift Exchange – Professors Bruce and Swan Tuite<\/td><\/tr>
Manuela Odell<\/td>Recreation of Africa as the “Holy Land”:  Case Study of Candombl\u00e9 – Professor Bruce<\/td><\/tr>
Rose Schwab<\/td>Systems of Dominance and Submission:  From Biblical Narratives to Faith Communities – Professor Baker<\/td><\/tr>
Shawki Ta’lib White<\/td>Religion of the Streets:  Forming a Unique Image and Understanding of God, Expressing It through Hip Hop – Professor Bruce<\/td><\/tr>
Name (2008)<\/strong><\/td>Thesis Title and Advisor<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
Victoria Libby<\/td>Muslim Veiling Since the 1970’s:  Veiling as a Vehicle Towards Greater Mobility and Autonomy – Professor Schomburg<\/td><\/tr>
Name (2007)<\/strong><\/td>Thesis Title and Advisor<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
Ross Allard<\/td>The Vision of a Warrior:  Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche and Naropa University – Professor Strong<\/td><\/tr>
Elizabeth Shaftal Cohen<\/td>Villain, Hero, and Jew:  Examining Representations and Characterizations of Judas Iscariot – Professor Bruce<\/td><\/tr>
Veronica Helppie Dengler<\/td>Yoga:  A Cultural Analysis of History and Practice – Professor Strong<\/td><\/tr>
Alicia Hanson<\/td>Lost in the Woods:  Jack Kerouac and the  American Buddhist Landscape – Professor Strong<\/td><\/tr>
Nils Johnson<\/td>Intending Hip Hop Through Phenomenology –<\/td><\/tr>
Matthew Ziino<\/td>Examining the Politics of Islam – A Reinterpretation of Islam and Democracy –<\/td><\/tr>
Amadi Sulaiman Cisse<\/td>Returning to The “Door of No Return” – Professor Bruce<\/td><\/tr>
Name (2006)<\/strong><\/td>Thesis Title and Advisor<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
Sarah Mengel<\/td>Transitions in Jihad’s Redefinition:  Modernity’s Challenge to Tradition – Professor Tracy<\/td><\/tr>
Meg Joyce<\/td>When Nails Don’t Hang:  An Examination of How Jesus Hung on the Cross – Professor Allison<\/td><\/tr>
Name (2005)<\/strong><\/td>Thesis Title and Advisor<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
Sarahbelle Marsh<\/td>Holy Ground – Professor Bruce<\/td><\/tr>
Kristen J. .Kenly<\/td>Reflections on Religious Studies Curriculums \u2013 A Guide to Effectively Teaching Religion in the University \u2013 Professor Bruce<\/td><\/tr>
Haley Lieberman<\/td>God and the Problem of Evil:  A Post-Holocaust Theodicy – Professor Tracy<\/td><\/tr>
C. Alexander Schindel<\/td>What Happens When Jesus is Number 1 in the Box Office? – Professor Bruce<\/td><\/tr>
Name (2004)<\/strong><\/td>Thesis Title and Advisor<\/b><\/td><\/tr>
Cami Dyson<\/td>The Structure and Themes Found in Modern Myth:  An analysis of Neil Gaiman\u2019s Comic Book:  The Sandman: Preludes and Nocturnes \u2013 <\/em>Professor Bruce<\/td><\/tr>
Anthony Solaqua<\/td>The Holy Madness:  A Review of a Particular Form of Religious Madness:  Pentecostalism \u2013 Professor Bruce<\/td><\/tr>
Name (2001)<\/strong><\/td>Thesis Title and Advisor<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
Stacey Lynn Berkowitz<\/td>Wrestling With G-d Defining Jewish Identity in Modern Day Hungary and Poland – Professor Bruce and Professor Caspi<\/td><\/tr>
Samantha Dahan<\/td>The American Flag in Black Protest Art – Professor Bruce<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Name (2025) Thesis Title and Advisor Chloe Dwinal Integrating The Study of…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":29,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_hide_ai_chatbot":false,"_ai_chatbot_style":"","associated_faculty":[],"_Page_Specific_Css":"","_bates_restrict_mod":false,"_batesModPostContentOverride_prepend":false,"_batesModPostContentOverride_append":false,"_batesModPostContentOverride_append_before_footer":false,"_table_of_contents_display":false,"_table_of_contents_location":"","_table_of_contents_disableSticky":false,"_is_featured":false,"footnotes":"","_bates_seo_meta_description":"","_bates_seo_block_robots":false,"_bates_seo_sharing_image_id":0,"_bates_seo_sharing_image_twitter_id":0,"_bates_seo_share_title":"","_bates_seo_canonical_overwrite":"","_bates_seo_twitter_template":""},"class_list":["post-508","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/religious-studies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/508","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/religious-studies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/religious-studies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/religious-studies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/29"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/religious-studies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=508"}],"version-history":[{"count":29,"href":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/religious-studies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/508\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1503,"href":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/religious-studies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/508\/revisions\/1503"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/religious-studies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=508"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}