Christianity Commons^™

Behind The Numbers: A Traditional Church Faces A New America, Larry Vogel

Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation

The dissertation examines membership data for The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) from the mid-1970s to the present. It considers the analysis of LCMS decline by two scholars, George Hawley and Ryan MacPherson, who independently proposed that LCMS membership decline was internal in causation due to diminished birthrates and fewer young families. While acknowledging the reality of such internal decline, this dissertation argues that the lack of external growth is a greater cause for LCMS decline. Its lack of external growth is due primarily to the racial and ethnic homogeneity of the LCMS and its failure effectively to evangelize the increasingly …

Under G-D, Dereck Daschke

Journal of Religion & Film

This is a film review of Under G-d (2022), directed by Paula Eiselt.

John's Canonical Portrait Of Christ: A Biblical-Theological Approach To The Depiction Of The Glorified Christ In Revelation 1, Christopher Matthew Carpenter

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Throughout the history of evangelical scholarship, a significant lacuna has formed in Apocalyptic studies. Many theologians have expressed fear or uncertainty concerning the text of Revelation as numerous ambiguous aspects exist within the Apocalypse. A proposed path forward into the gap in scholarship is to return the focus to the intent of the author of Revelation, John the apostle, and examine the definitive truths of the text. John’s priority is revealed in the initial chapter as he depicts the subject of his Apocalypse, Jesus Christ. This intent is revealed in John’s use of allusions, metaphors, and other rhetorical devices through …

Soldiers Of Christ In A Pluralistic Army, Jordan Lee Pittman

Masters Theses

This thesis seeks to answer the question: How does a Christian chaplain in the U.S. Army fulfill the Great Commission given by Jesus in Scripture while facilitating the free exercise of religion for everyone in his organization? Jesus commands his followers to make disciples (Matthew 28:19-20). The primary audience of this thesis consists of military chaplains and candidates. The conclusion reached is that the chaplain can accomplish both tasks stated in the question. To facilitate a soldier’s free exercise of religion does not automatically betray the teachings and guidance of Scripture nor does it prevent the chaplain from making disciples. …

2023: "A Life Worthy Of The Gospel": Studies In The Macedonian Epistles, Trevor Brailey, Daniel Broadwell, Jonathan Brown, Andy Cantrell, Todd Chandler, Terry Francis, Jared Hagan, Benjamin Lee, Phillip Martin, Mark Reeves, Shane Scott, Adam Shanks, Collin Stringer, Travis Walker, Joseph "Joe" Ryan Works, Jason Scott Longstreth

Florida College Annual Lecture Books

Table of Contents

Part One--The Evening Lectures

Only Live Worthy of the Gospel, Chandler

Our Citizenship is in Heaven, Francis

Excel Still More, Cantrell

Part Two--The Day Lectures

Think on These Things, Stringer

Not the Word of Men, but the Word of God, Reeves

Peay with Ceasing, Bradiley

To Walk and Please God in a Way Worthy of the Gospel, Lee

Consider Others as More Important, Brown

Standing Firm in One Spirit with One Mind, Martin

Taught by God to Love One Another, Shanks

Admonish Him as a Brother, Works

Rejoice in the Lord Always, Broadwell

The Peace of God …

No Lack Of Gain: A Biblical Theology Of Feminine Generosity, Jenny Zoë Huelsman

Master of Art Theology Thesis

This thesis traces a biblical theology of feminine generosity. The capable wife of Prov. 31:10–31 sets an Old Testament paradigm, which is inhabited and enlarged by women in the New Testament. The thesis considers the women who supported Jesus’ ministry (Luke 8:1–3); the widow and her mites (Luke 21:1–4); Mary’s anointing of Jesus (John 12:1–8); and Tabitha caring for the widows (Acts 9:36–42). Throughout these profiles, a picture emerges of women who make essential contributions to the mission and work of Christ as agents of generosity that is derivative, expressive, contextual, intemperate, and Christocentric, always flowing from and returning to …

The Body Of Christ Has Always Been A Virtual Body, Deanna A. Thompson

Consensus

No abstract provided.

The Virtual Body Of Christ In And Beyond Pandemic, Deanna A. Thompson

Consensus

No abstract provided.

Christian Life In Media Culture, Jeffrey H. Mahan

Consensus

No abstract provided.

Identity And Community In Digital Culture, Jeffrey H. Mahan

Consensus

No abstract provided.

Topics Christians Should Discuss: Mass Incarceration (Part 1), Joya Schreurs

Student Work

"Our actions both can and should be direct refusals of injustice and infused with compassion for all impacted parties."

Posting about ­­­­­­­­the prison crisis from In All Things - an online journal for critical reflection on faith, culture, art, and every ordinary-yet-graced square inch of God’s creation.

https://inallthings.org/topics-christians-should-discuss-mass-incarceration-part-1/

Congregational Vertical File, Mcgarvey Ice

Center for Restoration Studies Vertical Files Finding Aids

No abstract provided.

Sorcery, John C. Lyden

Journal of Religion & Film

This is a film review of Sorcery (2023), directed by Christopher Murray.

Embracing Ecology And Fantasy: A Review Of The Wonders Of Creation, Carl P. Fictorie

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

"[Page] particularly promotes following the practice of 'slow' reading of nature, to stop and pay attention to the place and take in even the smallest details."

Posting about ­­­­­­­­the book The Wonders of Creation from In All Things - an online journal for critical reflection on faith, culture, art, and every ordinary-yet-graced square inch of God’s creation.

https://inallthings.org/embracing-ecology-and-fantasy-a-review-of-the-wonders-of-creation/

Ethical Leadership: A Phenomenological Study Of Administrators' Principles For Ethical Decision-Making, Janice Marie Holmes

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenology research study was to examine the administrator’s ethical leadership principles and decision-making significance. The desired outcome of the study provided educator leaders in Christian universities and theology seminaries with information to improve their strategies when making ethical decisions and better safeguard their organizations against unethical behavior. The ability of a leader to make sound decision-making is essential to their ability to run any organization. The guiding theory of Kitchener’s five-model ethical leadership paradigm, which served as the basis for this investigation, was relevant based on the four research questions. The study utilized purposeful and …

Pressures Of African American Christian Women Who Serve As Leaders In A Secular Environment, Tania Yvette Cooper

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The pressures of African American Christian women (AACW) who function as leaders in a secular environment are unknown. This qualitative phenomenological study aimed to explore the experiences of AACW who lead in a secular environment in Eastern North Carolina under pressures such as stress and anxiety. Data received from conducting this qualitative study will reveal the perspectives of six AACW who function as leaders in a secular environment. It will reveal the causes for their pressures, their ways of coping with those issues, and their thoughts on ways to lessen stress while serving as an African American Christian (AAC) leader …

Explanatory Ultimacy, Epistemic Access, And Evil: A Community Theodicy, Jonathan Michael Huls

Masters Theses

This is a work about meaning and value. How do human persons find meaning? Why do human persons have value—or do we? A stubborn problem of meaning is evidenced by the perennially treated theistic problem of evil. How is an all-powerful, all-knowing, and morally perfect God compatible with a world filled with violence and hate? If God is powerfully perfect, why is His world not perfect too? This project endeavors to notice that an answer to this problem depends on properly grounding human access to meaning—especially the meaning of the words God, and evil. It is argued herein that there …

Generationally Speaking: A Review Of Speaking Across Generations, Todd Zuidema

Staff Work

"Sermons need to be written and delivered with an awareness of the unique cultural characteristics and stage of life needs that reside within the hearts and minds of those who are listening."

Posting about the book Speaking Across Generations from In All Things - an online journal for critical reflection on faith, culture, art, and every ordinary-yet-graced square inch of God’s creation.

https://inallthings.org/generationally-speaking-a-review-of-speaking-across-generations/

Toward A Covenantal Christian Political Theology: A Review Of Politics After Christendom, Donald Roth

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

"If all authority derives from God, it’s necessary to look to covenant to understand the contours of the authority delegated to humans."

Posting about ­­­­­­­­the book Politics after Christendom from In All Things - an online journal for critical reflection on faith, culture, art, and every ordinary-yet-graced square inch of God’s creation.

https://inallthings.org/toward-a-covenantal-christian-political-theology-a-review-of-politics-after-christendom/

Language Translation In Localizing Religious Musical Practice, John Macinnis, Jeremy Perigo

Books by Dordt Authors

The focus of this Special Issue is language translation in the process of localizing religious musical practice. As an alternative to related concepts (such as contextualization and indigenization), musical localization is presented by ethnomusicologists Monique Ingalls, Muriel Swijghuisen Reigersberg, and Zoe Sherinian in Making Congregational Music Local in Christian Communities Worldwide (Routledge, 2018) as an effective way to account for the complex, diverse, and shifting ways in which religious communities embody what it means to be local through their musical practices: "Musical localization is the process by which Christian communities take a variety of musical practices - some considered 'indigenous, …