Religion Commons^™

A Phenomenological Study On Church Leaders' Perspective Of Internet Church As A Biblical Community, Jason Lavon Rankin

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Current events and relatively recent technological developments have caused and significantly increased the use of digital technology in most aspects of life. The digital revolution, as some have termed it, has permeated all organizations, from businesses to institutions of higher learning, including religious institutions. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to determine Christian church leaders’ perspectives on whether the internet church fulfills the biblical and theological definitions of the church or biblical community. At this stage in the research internet church, also known as online church, e-church, virtual church, etc., is defined as a group of people with shared …

Non-Christian, Japanese College Students’ Perspectives Of Engaging With God Through The Participatory Components Of Christian Worship, Jacqueline Leigh Bencke

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study seeks to examine the extent to which non-Christian college students in Japan perceive their engagement with the biblical God while participating in daily chapel services at Kyūshū Lutheran College. The research employs a mixed-methods approach, analyzing survey and focus group data to explore whether a relationship exists between students’ participation in chapel committee activities and their perceived spiritual engagement. Responses to Lynn Underwood’s Daily Spiritual Experience Survey, the Centrality of Religiosity Scale, and the Centrality of Buddhist Religiosity Scale are combined to create a general spiritual profile of respondents. Worship leaders and missionaries who are in positions of …

The Family Unit As A Form Of The New Temple And Reflection Of The Universal Christian Family Structure: An Exposition Of Ephesians 4:17–6:9 And Colossians 3:1–4:1, Jeffrey David Krodel

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

When focusing on the new temple after Jesus’ ascension to Heaven while studying the household codes of Ephesians and Colossians, the intent of the codes becomes clearer. Jesus transferred these codes to Christians for the Holy Spirit to dwell when He ascended to Heaven. In light of the new temple, the household codes provide instructions on how the Christian family is to work together and reflect the created order under the kingdom of God. Thus, the household codes of Ephesians 5–6:9 and Colossians 3–4:1, when viewed with the conjunction of the ascension of Christ, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, …

Women And Their Roles In The Church, Matthew Niles

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Women and Their Roles in the Church, addresses the disagreement about the roles women are allowed to serve in at Faith Baptist Church. The problem is that congregants are disagreeing about what roles women are allowed to serve in at the church. This disagreement has led to people leaving the church and finding new churches. The purpose of this study is to develop a small group curriculum to teach leading examples of women from the Bible. The purpose of the study would help expand the participants' understanding of what roles women are allowed to serve in at their local church. …

On Natural Evil: Augustine, Plantinga, And Hick, Andrew James Delaney

Masters Theses

This paper examines the philosophical problem of natural evil. Natural evil in the world creates a stumbling block between people and their faith in God. What can be said of the coexistence of God and evil in the world? The purpose of this paper is to address the criticisms of Christianity in light of natural evil and to share several theistic responses to the problem of natural evil. Specific considerations are made to the greater context of the story of humanity. Alvin Plantinga's free-will defense is evaluated first as a foundation for discussion. Contributions from Augustine, John Hick, William Rowe, …

Through The Looking Glass: Worship Music With Indigenous Sounds In Los Angeles And Manila, Maria Rica Bartolome Silbol

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Despite the Philippines’ wonderful indigenous music and talents, Manila Baptist and Los Angeles Baptist churches do not utilize indigenous sounds in typical worship practices. This paper contends that the untapped resources of cultural sounds may contribute to a dynamic worship experience that resonates more effectively as Filipino. This study investigates the absence of indigenous sound in two Filipino Baptist churches from Los Angeles and Manila (QC). It analyzes relevant ethnic music components and each church’s response to the fusion of indigenous and traditional music in the worship experience. The explanatory sequential mixed method will focus on an artistic-creative study to …

The Final Amen: Designing And Implementing A Christlike System For The Closure Of Waypointe Christian Fellowship, Christopher E. Sherwood

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Like a myriad of other churches across the country, WayPointe Christian Fellowship (WCF) experienced a long decline leading to a critical question: Should the church permanently close? In the case of WCF, the answer was yes, which led to other questions about how to accomplish the task while maximizing God's glory, minimizing the pain felt by those involved, and preparing the congregation to migrate to another body of believers. This thesis project was designed to enable the leaders of WCF and other church leaders to answer these questions. In this pursuit, a comprehensive closure plan was created and implemented at …

The Jewish Basis For The Born Again Experience In John 3, Francis-David Athelstan Scalzo

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The dissertation’s objective will be to analyze what Nicodemus—as a Pharisee who was knowledgeable of the Hebrew Bible and the prevalent Jewish theology of his period—should have understood, given his position, concerning Jesus’ teaching of being born again. By examining the Old Testament (the TaNaK) and Intertestamental Jewish theology, it will be argued in the dissertation’s six chapters how Nicodemus, as a prominent Pharisaical religious instructor, should have understood the concept of spiritual rebirth as well as the scriptural significance of water and the Spirit, including the guidance and obedience inherent in Jesus’ teaching on the wind. As an introduction …

The Effectiveness Of Praying And Fasting, Vanessa Lynn Estes

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The problem is that members of a small church were not praying and fasting often. When asked to pray in a congregational setting, they were hesitant. Therefore, the researcher invited fourteen God's Chosen Generation Church members to volunteer for a six-week prayer and fasting research study. The study sought to demonstrate that when praying and fasting are applied together, Christians can hear from God and better understand His will for their life. However, three participants decided to leave the research for personal obligations. Those who continued received a prayer and fasting schedule to pray three times a day and information …

Fasting And Prayer As A Mean Of Strengthening The Spiritual Bases Of An Interdenominational Ministry For Great Commission Effectiveness, Jerome Anicet Onguene

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The problem identified by the researcher and addressed in this study is associated with the nature and the structure of the ministry for which the work is done. The ministry has two branches, a religious community and a philanthropic organization. This latter is actually the original one. It is composed by believers from different congregations who are united to make disciples for Christ. The problem is that communication and fellowship among ministry leaders is very slow and that negatively affects the implementation of the Great Commission. Otherwise, the purpose of this DMin Thesis Project is the improvement of the quality …

Understanding The 21st Century Practical Implication Of Chaplaincy Ministry In The City Of Milwaukee, Wi, Jeffrey D. Hayman

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This research project acknowledges that God’s command for Christian hospital chaplains is to serve humanity. Jesus calls a chaplain. He then forms, transforms, and conforms them to His image of oneness. Hospital chaplains like pastors are part of care ministries that extend to various work settings, Christian and secular. The hospital-certified chaplain, by definition, can support the whole workforce in the hospital, including their patients and the patient’s families. The hospital-certified chaplain is the main focus of this research. These hospital chaplains must be qualified, endorsed, licensed, certified, or ordained to be on the frontline in the community. A hospital-certified …

Is The Kalam Cosmological Argument's Second Premise Defendable?, Mark Karapetyan

Masters Theses

Contrary to the skeptic's rejections, the second premise of the cosmological argument can be defended via scientific and philosophical arguments.

Saint Jude's, December 18, 2022

Saint Jude's

A newsletter published for Deaf Catholics in Waltham, MA

Saint Jude's Finding Aid

O Santíssimo E As Vulvas Lésbicas: Uma Experiência Poética-Teológica Queer, Priscilla Ruah Gomes Da Costa

Conexión Queer: Revista Latinoamericana y Caribeña de Teologías Queer

In this article, I reflect on the forms of thinking and doing theology. I begin by examining Jaroslav Pelikan’s proposal in the first volume of his collection, Christian Tradition: A History of the Development of Doctrine, to explore Marcella Althaus-Reid’s legacy later. I focus on Althaus-Reid’s contribution to a queer Christian experience; hers is a rich proposal to theological thinking that invites us to a radical hermeneutical change. Finally, I contribute excerpts from my published work to dialogue with these two theoretical references —underlining in a confessional style with Marcella’s theology— towards a subversive way of doing theology and …

Regresando De Narnia: Entre La Encrucijada De Armarios Y Templos, Hugo Córdova Quero, Saúl Serna Segura, Jorge A. Aquino Ph.D., Miguel H. Diaz

Conexión Queer: Revista Latinoamericana y Caribeña de Teologías Queer

This issue of Queer Connection presents the work of authors who have left the infancy of Narnia, covering topics ranging from queer poetics, honest conversations about sexuality in the Roman Catholic Church, and online Eucharists to the deconstruction of Islamic texts for the acceptance of queer people. All of these studies point toward liberation and societal transformation. In Christianity, the TLL has made reflecting on oppression and liberation possible. Still, its novelty lies in reflecting faith elaborated within a practice of liberation done by oppressed people through their movements. In this sense, liberation is transformation and change, a new world …

Reflections Of A «Recovering Outer Catholic», Jorge A. Aquino Ph.D.

Conexión Queer: Revista Latinoamericana y Caribeña de Teologías Queer

This essay comments on the long-deferred need for Latinx Catholic theologians to resist Roman Catholic teaching on sexuality by taking it out of the margins and integrating it as a co-equal topic of theological reflection. Based on the author’s 2014 presidential address to the Academy of Catholic Hispanic Theologians of the United States (ACHTUS), it reviews the challenges — pastoral, theological, social, and psychological — of confronting homophobia and the exclusion of queer subjects by the Roman Catholic Church.

Quaerite Et Invenietis: Tras El Rastro «Queer» En La Edad Media, Anderson Fabián Santos Mesa

Conexión Queer: Revista Latinoamericana y Caribeña de Teologías Queer

In this article, I distance myself from the chrono-normativity of time frameworks traditionally deployed to understand and analyze history. Instead, I inquire into the jagged lines of history. My focus lies specifically on the medieval period, and I seek to queer traditional interpretations of this era by posing indecent and uncomfortable questions. This inquiry can potentially bring medievalist work out of the theo(ideo)logical closet. My ultimate goal is to unveil a more diverse and nuanced understanding of the past, considering the full range of human experience while un/covering different answers: quaerite et invenietis [Seek and ye shall find].

La Práctica Incluyente De Jesús De Nazaret: Una Lectura Teológico-Pastoral De La Perícopa De Mateo 8.1-17, David De Jesús De Pascual

Conexión Queer: Revista Latinoamericana y Caribeña de Teologías Queer

This article proposes a queer reading of the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 8, which reveals a radically inclusive praxis of Jesus, transcendent for people who struggle for the right to spirituality outside the hegemonic normative social parameters. It discusses the story of a person suffering from Hansen’s disease, the healing of Peter’s mother-in-law, and the figure of the Roman centurion’s slave, who are presented as queer people in the sacred text. It concludes with a hopeful message that the Divine gives to all people equally through Jesus.

Textos Islámicos: Una Fuente Para La Aceptación De Las Personas Queer En La Sociedad Musulmana Mayoritaria, Muhsin Hendricks

Conexión Queer: Revista Latinoamericana y Caribeña de Teologías Queer

This article seeks to reveal that Islam, at its core, does not condemn non- heterosexual sexual intimacy. On the contrary, it accepts it as part of a divine plan. In its true sense of peace and justice, Islam accepts a person’s sexual orientation as an intrinsic part of their biological and psychological makeup. He shows that the prohibition of same-sex marriages in Islam does not come from the Koran but from the legal construction of marriage and that sexual relations are both gendered and hierarchical. However, his study does not focus on Qur’anic texts that can be interpreted in support …

Send Your Holy Spirit: Reflections On The Theology Of Virtual Eucharist In Times Of Covid-19, Hugo Córdova Quero, Alan Robert Young

Conexión Queer: Revista Latinoamericana y Caribeña de Teologías Queer

This article explores the issues concerning the intersection of spirituality, sacramentality, proximity, and health safety in light of extreme circumstances such as the current COVID-19 pandemic. We begin by tracing the origins of the sacrament of the Eucharist, including the Eucharistic agency in the lives of the community. The second part of the analysis discusses the nature of community and how it relates to breaking bread and sharing wine. The last part of the article centers on community practice within the context of queering ecclesiology and rites through two examples, one in Latin America and the other in Asia.