Browsing by Subject "Unity"

This thesis introduces readers to the rich tradition of the ecumenical movementand explores how emerging new strategies can benefit congregations as well as facilitate healing in our fractured and divisive world. It argues that the same principles used in ecumenical dialogue can and should be used in the local church. First, the history and significant steps and missteps of the ecumenical movement are briefly examined, before turning to the contemporary strategies of receptive, spiritual and kenotic ecumenism. Then, the paper considers 21st century examples of thriving ecumenical ministries, including survey feedback that provides an intimate look at how one church (Snowmass Chapel) has committed itself to unity across various denominations. Finally, a process is provided for effective ecumenical leadership both within, and outside of, the local church context. Ecumenical work takes courageous leaders who are willing to acknowledge difference without judgement, listen deeply, and be committed to Christian unity in love. The ecumenical movement has made significant strides in the past century and half, yet it has not made a significant move into the local church. This thesis argues that by introducing the concept of ecumenism to local congregations, leaders can initiate change that has far-reaching impacts across all areas of life.

As the largest cave of Buddhist art with thousands of murals spanning ten dynasties, the Dunhuang Mogao cave has been described as a “peerless cave” because of its fabulous frescos and handcrafted delicate sculptures. However, tourism and in-cave human activities had damaged the frescos; only a few caves are now open with limited accessibility for global visitors and the public. In addition, Dunhuang Cave authorities set strict rules to exclude some people, such as people in wheelchairs, to protect the murals and sculptures from possible damage. This thesis project aims to address this problem by modeling how digital environments might provide universal access to the cave by marginalized and excluded groups. The thesis project includes two separate digital sections: a Unity VR (Virtual Reality) immersive experience and a web-based Story Map with a three-dimensional view of selected murals. The thesis project not only provides an immersive experience for worldwide visitors but also unlocks the door for the possibilities of preserving cultural heritage by using innovative digital methods. Through the use of Maya and Steam, the Unity game engine can be used to curate a virtual space by placing the audience into well-textured 3D cave models, while the web-based story map can be used to contextualize basic background knowledge and provides a comprehensive text explanation of the Silk Road and Buddhist culture to inform the user’s understanding of what they are seeing. Overall, this thesis demonstrates endeavors to discover more possibilities and opportunities for historical and cultural heritage protection while not losing access.

For thousands of years, people from a variety of philosophical, religious, spiritual, and scientific perspectives have believed in the fundamental unity of all that exists, and this belief appears to be increasingly prevalent in Western cultures. The present research was the first investigation of the psychological and interpersonal implications of believing in oneness. Self-report measures were developed to assess three distinct variants of the belief in oneness – belief in the fundamental oneness of everything, of all living things, and of humanity – and studies examined how believing in oneness is associated with people’s self-views, attitudes, personality, emotions, and behavior. Using both correlational and experimental approaches, the findings supported the hypothesis that believing in oneness is associated with feeling greater connection and concern for people, nonhuman animals, and the environment, and in being particularly concerned for people and things beyond one’s immediate circle of friends and family. The belief is also associated with experiences in which everything is perceived to be one, and with certain spiritual and esoteric beliefs. Although the three variations of belief in oneness were highly correlated and related to other constructs similarly, they showed evidence of explaining unique variance in conceptually relevant variables. Belief in the oneness of humanity, but not belief in the oneness of living things, uniquely explained variance in prosociality, empathic concern, and compassion for others. In contrast, belief in the oneness of living things, but not belief in oneness of humanity, uniquely explained variance in beliefs and concerns regarding the well-being of nonhuman animals and the environment. The belief in oneness is a meaningful existential belief that is endorsed to varying degrees by a nontrivial portion of the population and that has numerous implications for people’s personal well-being and interactions with people, animals, and the natural world.