Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2019, English

As major sources of discourse and debate on theological topics like the resurrection, justification by faith, and predestination, the biblical epistles of Saint Paul played a central role in the development of religious thought and practice across Reformation Europe. But in a period when Christian belief and biblical knowledge permeated every aspect of human life, how did Paul's epistles inform Europe's robust literary and rhetorical cultures? How did scholars and artists respond, not only to Paul's provocative ideas, but also to his provocative manner of expressing these ideas? This dissertation is the first critical study of the reception and influence of Paul's rhetorical style in the Renaissance, 1500-1660. It explores creative uses of Pauline style across a range of mediums and genres – including drama, poetry, and oratory – at a time when the confluent cultural forces of humanism and Protestantism profoundly altered critical perceptions of Paul's prose. The dissertation argues that Pauline style developed into one of the most theoretically productive and artistically provocative styles of the period through a controversial process of critical evaluation. In their biblical scholarship, humanists used emerging methods of grammatical and rhetorical analysis to represent Paul's epistles as persuasive and eloquent to their readers, who often complained of Paul's inelegant, and apparently incoherent, manner of expression. This theoretical discourse directly impacted literary activity in England, shaping how and why authors adapted Pauline style in their texts. From the romance plays of William Shakespeare; to the metaphysical poetry of John Donne; to the courtly sermons of Lancelot Andrewes, English authors imitated Pauline style to produce aesthetic effects, reflect on theological problems, and engage in religious controversy. By thus tracing the reception of Pauline style, the dissertation reveals how English authors used biblical writing to shape their own rh (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Hannibal Hamlin (Advisor); Richard Dutton (Committee Member); Alan Farmer (Committee Member) Subjects: Literature; Religion; Religious History; Rhetoric

Master of Arts (M.A.), University of Dayton, 2019, Theological Studies

The purpose and content of my thesis is to investigate and assess how St. Louis-Marie de Montfort's True Devotion to Mary contributes to a renewal of Marian devotion in the Catholic Church after the Second Vatican Council. My thesis focuses on a close reading of the primary texts of St. Louis-Marie de Montfort (True Devotion to Mary), the Second Vatican Council (Lumen Gentium, the Constitution on the Church), and St. John Paul II (Redemptoris Mater). As part of my theological method, I renewed my Marian consecration and interviewed four other people who currently practice Marian devotion. The character and limitations of my interview methodology did not allow me the resources or time to interview a large group of people on a sociological scale. Although diverse in age and gender, the persons I interviewed were small in number (4) and were selected by me rather than by a random sampling. The interviews gave an impression of how Marian devotion is understood and practiced by some in the Catholic Church today. I interviewed the participants with the approval of the Institutional Review Board (IRB) and in conformity to their guidelines. My interviewees were all North Americans. Based on the interviews and my study of primary and secondary textual sources, I determined St. Louis-Marie de Montfort's True Devotion to Mary is consistent with the type of Mariology articulated in chapter eight of the Second Vatican Council's Constitution on the Church, Lumen Gentium, and Saint John Paul II's Redemptoris Mater. All three sources emphasize the same theological criteria for true Marian devotion. According to the three sources, true Marian devotion should be ecclesial, soteriological, eschatological, Christological, and Trinitarian. True Devotion to Mary meets all of these criteria.

Committee: Elizabeth Groppe Dr. (Advisor); Dennis Doyle Dr. (Committee Member); Naomi DeAnda Dr. (Committee Member); Daniel Thompson Dr. (Committee Chair) Subjects: Religion; Religious History; Spirituality; Theology

Licentiate in Sacred Theology (S.T.L.), University of Dayton, 2002, International Marian Research Institute

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Committee: Johann Roten S.M. (Advisor) Subjects: Theology

Doctorate in Sacred Theology (S.T.D.), University of Dayton, 2012, International Marian Research Institute

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Committee: Johann Roten S.M. (Advisor) Subjects: Philosophy; Theology

Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA), Ohio University, 2014, Business Administration

An examination of Servant Leadership theory through the lens of St. Paul of Tarsus and the Pastoral Epistles. This paper explores those books and seeks to catalog the characteristics of leadership identified therein based on the assumption that the leadership style which Paul describes aligns with servant leadership. Additionally, the paper offers an explanation for what might motivate a leader to be a servant.

Committee: Lenie Holbrook (Advisor) Subjects: Bible; Biblical Studies; Business Administration; Ethics; Management