Doctoral Dissertation Project Summary by Ron Pappalardo | ronpappalardo.com Abstract This dissertation project provides a window into the lives of people who underwent a Mystical experience while attending one of the author’s workshops. The experiences are particularly notable in that they were not random events. They were induced, taking place while participants were practicing techniques learned at the workshops. These techniques have been found to facilitate and elicit encounters with the Divine.  The research data reports the effect these experiencers had in the moment,...

Doctoral Dissertation Project Summary by Magnus Larsson | Larssonusa@gmail.com Abstract How can religious ideas be presented to people who do not already have a background in faith? Is there a way to talk about God that does not alienate those who are skeptical of religious authority? In today’s world, where many seek both intellectual credibility and personal meaning, education must bridge spiritual insight with real-world application. This requires a model that is both theologically grounded and practically relevant. This study addresses that challenge by developing and...

Doctoral Dissertation Project by Alhassan Abubakari Kamagtey | a.kamagtey@hji.edu, gawsuzaman@gmail.com, Alhassan.kamagtey@wmchealth.org My dissertation focused on the role of marital counseling in enhancing the quality of marital relationships among married couples within the Yankasa Muslim Community, located in the Bronx, New York, USA. The central objective of the research was to investigate how members of this immigrant Muslim community view, understand, and experience Islamic marital counseling, especially in the context of its relevance and impact on marital stability and overall...

Doctoral Dissertation Project Overview by Shota Iwasaki | Shotaiwasaki1031@gmail.com, +1 267 333 2347          This dissertation project aimed to show how an active, genuine, community-oriented ministry could establish a practical ethos to attract more youth through consistent community cleanup projects and the need to facilitate numerous in-person and online meetings with was to promote community engagement, encourage residents, and convince public officials to stop illegal dumping and maintain the beauty of the Germantown section of Philadelphia. It also sought to understand how to...

Doctoral Dissertation Project Summary by Alice Fleisher | A.Fleisher@hji.edu Abstract A nationwide study was conducted, assessing the spiritual life and development providence, including both cognitive education and practices available for young adults, ages 18 through 26, who were affiliated with the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (FFWPU) in the USA. Educational programs and ministries sponsored by FFWPU-USA, tasked with the responsibility of helping young adults invest in and develop their spiritual lives, were investigated. Areas of focus included an examination...

Doctoral Dissertation Project Summary by Mika Deshotel | M.Deshotel@hji.edu Abstract This study looked at the effects of monthly intergenerational worship services within a medium-sized Northeast Unificationist community in Bridgeport, Connecticut. The services sought to empower intergenerational collaboration and leadership within the community, while exploring congregants’ sense of belonging, appreciation of one another, and an overall sense of shared commitment to the community’s future. Surveys were conducted at various times over a 5-month period, uncovering the importance and...

Doctoral Dissertation Project Summary by Katarina Connery | KConnery@wfwp.us Abstract This dissertation project explores whether deepening a connection to God’s motherly love—expressed through the nurturing presence of “Heavenly Mother”—can help mothers of young children enhance their sense of self-worth. At the heart of the project, 30 mothers of children ages 9 and younger worked through a 40-day spiritual practice journal rooted in the metaphor of growing within God’s “womb” as a beloved child—the journal was created to guide participants in creating a sacred space to reflect on...