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