http://hdl.handle.net/2104/4766 2013-05-20T00:39:59Z http://hdl.handle.net/2104/8590 Lone wolves : an assessment of the ideology behind homegrown Islamist individual terrorists. Peery, William Joseph. Lone wolf terrorism is an increasing threat in the United States. However, there is little information available that examines the nature of lone wolf terrorism. This thesis interprets the available literature regarding militant Islamist lone wolf terrorists in the United States. I define lone wolf terrorism as terrorism committed by individuals who operate independently from formal terror networks. Individuals who engage in lone wolf terrorism typically `` combine personal motivations with a particular radical ideology to justify their attacks. I examine one particular radical ideology, that is militant Islamism, and the role it plays in motivating individuals to carry out terrorist attacks. I conclude that, despite efforts from formal terrorist organizations such as al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, the majority of militant Islamist lone wolf terrorist operations are ineffective due to these individual’s inexperience in planning and executing attacks.; Lone wolf terrorism is an increasing threat in the United States. However, there is little information available that examines the nature of lone wolf terrorism. This thesis interprets the available literature regarding militant Islamist lone wolf terrorists in the United States. I define lone wolf terrorism as terrorism committed by individuals who operate independently from formal terror networks. Individuals who engage in lone wolf terrorism typically combine personal motivations with a particular radical ideology to justify their attacks. I examine one particular radical ideology, that is militant Islamism, and the role it plays in motivating individuals to carry out terrorist attacks. I conclude that, despite efforts from formal terrorist organizations such as al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, the majority of militant Islamist lone wolf terrorist operations are ineffective due to these individual’s inexperience in planning and executing attacks. 2013-05-15T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/2104/8579 From Neo-orthodox theology to rationalistic deism : a study of the religious influences on the development of John Rawls's political philosophy. Kim, Keeho, 1967- The purpose of this dissertation is to demonstrate that John Rawls’s early religious beliefs guided the development of his later political philosophy. By first analyzing A Brief Inquiry into the Meaning of Sin & Faith, I argue that the young Rawls’s embrace of Neo-orthodoxy shaped his later philosophical view of human dignity and that the central themes of his undergraduate thesis reappear in secular forms in his philosophical development, despite his abandonment of Neo-orthodox beliefs soon after World War II. I will trace the changes of Rawls’s view on his own religion through a comparison of his main works, from the young Rawls’s Neo-orthodox beliefs to the later Rawls’s rationalistic deism. In the mature Rawls’s political philosophy, I will show that the secular Rawls still holds the Good Samaritan’s ideals such as fraternity, mutual respect, love, and justice as the motivating forces behind the development of his two principles of justice and the duty of assistance. My conclusion is that even though Rawls gave up the basic beliefs of the Protestant Episcopal Church, he never abandoned the religious motivations that he held in his adolescence. Both the young Rawls’s theological work and the mature Rawls’s philosophical thought share the view that there are deep inequalities and other great evils in society and human history. As a solution, while the young Rawls appeals to the restoration of community through overcoming sin by faith, through A Theory of Justice (1971), Political Liberalism (1993), and The Law of Peoples (1999), the later Rawls pursues the establishment of the realistic utopia of a well-ordered society that will eliminate the great evils through the establishment of just social institutions. Moreover, I show that, contrary to his declared rejection of metaphysics in his theory of justice, Rawls engaged with metaphysical themes such as human nature, theodicy, moral motivation, and the problem of evil throughout his career, from his senior thesis to his later works. In the concluding chapter, I discuss the differences between the young and the later Rawls as he transitioned from Neo-orthodoxy to Rationalistic deism, nevertheless emphasizing that Christian values continued to motivate his work until the end. Key words: Neo-orthodox Theology, Moral Constructivism, Kantian Constructivism, Political Constructivism, International Morality, Just War, Urgent Human rights, Decency, John Rawls, Emil Brunner. 2013-05-15T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/2104/8565 International politics, American Protestant missions and the Middle East. Barrett, John C., 1973- American Protestant missionaries have been active in the Middle East since the Second Great Awakening of the early 19th Century. Their presence has had a notable impact on international relations. Prior to World War I, missionaries were the greatest American interest in the region and the U.S. government often exerted diplomatic pressure on their behalf. The missionaries, moreover, played a pivotal lobbying role during and immediately after World War I, advocating against war with the Ottoman Empire but strongly favoring independence movements and U.S. mandates in the region. Missionary educational institutions, moreover, fomented nationalist movements and instilled western ideas into their students. During this time, international politics also had a tremendous impact on American mission work. World War I interrupted mission efforts and, more importantly, called into question long-held theological beliefs that were the foundation of the movement. Following World War I, mission work in the Middle East virtually collapsed only to resurge again after World War II. During this second wave of effort, mission work has had a smaller impact on international relations because the United States now has greater political and business interests in the region. International relations, on the other hand, continue to have a great impact mission work. U.S. support for Israel politically divides missionaries and their domestic Christian supporters. The latter strongly support Israel while the former are more sympathetic to the Palestinian perspective. In Iraq, international politics both opened and closed the door to mission work. Saddam Hussein’s genocidal attacks against the Kurds and U.S. opposition to his regime have also reportedly fostered pro-American sentiments that make mission work there more feasible. In Iran, the rise of a theocratic government closed the door to direct mission work by Americans but, at the same time, its draconian policies have fostered resentment towards Islam. American efforts to evangelize Iran via TV and radio broadcast are reportedly baring fruit as a result. 2013-05-15T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/2104/8532 Roman Catholic Hegemony and Religious Freedom : a Seventh-day Adventist assessment of Dignitatis Humanae. Cook, Edwin A. Roman Catholic Hegemony and Religious Freedom sets forth the “Catholic hegemony” thesis, meaning the Church applies Dignitatis Humanae in different ways, depending upon extant political and religious conditions in a given country, --- in some cases to maintain its hegemony, and in others to establish its hegemony over time. Hegemony, as used here, does not refer to singular dominance, as demonstrated by the Church during the medieval era. Rather, it refers to the Church seeking and maintaining a place of preeminence among other religious groups within a pluralistic society founded upon a constitutional democracy. By examing Dignitatis Humanae from a Seventh-day Adventist understanding of religious freedom, this dissertation contributes to a more profound dialogue regarding religious freedom as held by Seventh-day Adventists and Catholics. The theoretical chapters, one through three, include the historical context, current debate, and the philosophical foundations for Dignitatis Humanae. Chapter four presents a Seventh-day Adventist understanding of religious freedom and addresses areas of similarity as well as differences between Adventist and Catholic concepts of religious freedom. Chapters five through seven examine how Dignitatis Humanae is applied in the countries of Spain, Mexico, and the United States, respectively. The conclusion of this dissertation finds that the Catholic hegemony thesis is correct and such a conclusion contributes to the on-going academic discussion of religious freedom, as well as impacts the formation of public policy in those countries where Dignitatis Humanae has influenced relations between government, the Catholic Church, and other religious groups. 2012-11-29T00:00:00Z